Sue Adler has been the #1 Keller Williams agent in NJ for the past six years, and leads one of the top Keller Williams teams worldwide, with annual production of $62 million in 2010.
So you need to commute to NYC and you can’t spend $1Million on a house??? Check out these GREAT New Jeresy neighborhoods – in these midtown direct “walk to train” locations!
What a day! 3 open houses on our three new listings – Two are getting at least one offer, and we had 27-30 people at each one. All three of these homes are priced in the $500′s. My team was also booked all weekend with buyers. What does all of this mean?
1. There has been so much pent up demand for great AFFORDABLE homes that the nice ones that are priced right are flying off the market.
2. The entry level market has now come down to a level where buyers can jump into the market. Of course the low interest rates have added the cherry on the top.
3. Even in a “buyer’s market”, you will always be able to re-sell a well priced home with close proximity to trains to NYC. This is what most buyers moving out from NYC are looking for.
4. Has this segment of the market hit bottom?
So where can you find these more affordable homes? Below are neighborhoods in each of the midtown direct trainline towns that are under a mile to the train.
South Orange – South of South Orange Ave, there are two neighborhoods that are easily walkable and you can find housing that won’t break the bank. The area between Walton Rd and Wyoming Ave is one ( Conway Ct, Rynda, West End Rd, Lenox Ave to name a few streets) and the streets surrounding Seton Hall University are the other. North of South Orange Ave there are the Hart Dr ranch homes, and further north you can occasionally find a smaller home nestled amongst the larger ones off of Wyoming Ave. The same would be true of the Montrose Section.
Maplewood- Much of Maplewood fits the bill and that’s why so many buyers move here from Park Slope, Brooklyn, and NYC. East of Valley Rd, across from Memorial Park, is very popular among the “walk to train” crowd. Here are two examples: www.sueadler.com/35Kensington and www.sueadler.com/36Madison Houses within a few blocks of Maplewood Village may be in the $500k-700k range, but they don’t seem to come on the market very often. There are homes on Jefferson Ave and some of the surrounding streets such as Brookside Rd, have sold in the $500k’s and 600′s as well.
Millburn- The South Mountain Section and Wyoming Sections are the two largest neighborhoods that are “walk to train, town, Taylor Park, Wyoming Elem or South Mountain Elem, middle and high school ”. There are also many small streets off of Millburn Ave that are close by as well.Homes range from the $400k’s to the 800k’s with a few exceptions in the South Mountain Section.In the Wyoming Section you can easily find homes in this range, but there are also more expensive homes over $1Million.
Short Hills - The Glenwood Section ( where I live!) is the perfect place to be – walk to Glenwood Elem and top rated Millburn HS, Short Hills train station, and Millburn Ave restaurants and shops. Most homes range from the 600k’s to the $1Million range, but certain streets wth larger homes and properties such as Pine Terrace East command much more. www.sueadler.com/11PineTerraceEast Generally speaking, the Glenwood Section runs between the Short Hills Train Station and Millburn Ave. The main roads running through are Woodland Rd, Baltusrol Way, and Short Hills Ave, with many small charming treelined streets in between. The Knollwood Section, behind the Millburn Middle School, is also similar in price to Glenwood. This neighborhood comes in between Hobart Avenue and Old Short Hills Rd – Whitney Dr, Midhurst Dr, Haddonfield Drive are a few of the streets you find in this storybook enclave of charming colonials and tudors.
Summit Most of the areas surrounding the Summit Train Station tend to be a bit pricier however there are certain streets close to the train station that do turn out homes for under $900,000. To name a few, Mountain Ave and Ashland Rd- south of the Summit Train station, and Waldron Ave, and DeBary Place- north of the station. I do need to mention a neighborhood that is just over a mile, but with comparable homes to the Glenwood and South Mountain homes in Millburn/Short Hills. Its the Memorial Field area by Brayton Elementary School. Don’t overlook this neighborhood if you’re looking for an awesome neighborhood in a great school district.
Chatham Boro – The nice thing about Chatham Boro is that almost all of it is within a mile of the Chatham Train Station. The Station is located just off Fairmount Dr and Main Street so its central location and stellar school system, makes it a sought after town. The majority of homes in the Boro are in the “affordable” range and are close to Main Street shops and restaurants, and elementary schools as well.
Madison -The Madison Train Station is situated between Waverly Rd and Greenwood Rd, just south of Main Street. On the northern side of Main Street in Madison you can easily find 3 to 4 bedroom homes starting in the $400′s, and ranging up to over $1M. Because Madison is home to Drew University, Main Street feels much like a college town with a jazz bar, trendy shops and a wide variety of restaurants.
So, there you have it! If you want to see your options in person, just give me a call (973)464-9129.
Yours to count on,
Luxury homes in Midtown Direct “walk to train” locations
If you work in NYC and need the direct train to Midtown New York Penn Station or Hoboken (where you can then take the PATH downtown to the financial district), here are the most convenient New Jersey neighborhoods where you can find the beautiful upscale homes:
Old Short Hills is the area north of the Short Hills train station off of Hobart Ave. Stewart Hartshorn originally developed this as the ideal community, and brought the train line from NYC into the magnificent rolling landscape of Short Hills, which was at the time, all countryside. Truly magnificent one of a kind homes off of quiet winding roads, its no wonder why Old Short Hills is such a sought-after area. A major attraction of Short Hills is that it is part of the Millburn School District, the highest rated school district in NJ. There are also private school options as well.
Northside Summit - The area north of Springfield Ave between Woodland Ave and the Whittredge Green area consists of some of the most stunning homes you’ve ever seen. ( I really didn’t mean for that to rhyme!) From tudors to Victorians, to brick manor homes, you’ll pay a hefty price tag, but if you can afford it, this is truly the best of all worlds. Summit also has a very highly rated school system. There are many renowned private schools in Summit as well.
Wyoming and Montrose Sections of South Orange were planned as a haven for wealthy New York businessmen looking for stylish large homes away from the city – the area’s first commuters. The fact that the commute into Manhattan is only 25 minutes from South Orange is a big draw to commuters who aren’t willing to sacrifice a short commute for their estate home. These homes of history between Ridgewood Rd and Wyoming Ave in the Wyoming Section, and between Scotland Rd and Grove Ave in the Montrose Section, have magnificent craftmanship, beautiful mature plantings, and have historic gas lights along their tree-lined streets. Prices are much less than Summit or Short Hills, but the taxes tend to be equal to ( and sometimes a little higher) what the taxes for the same house in Short Hills or Summit would be, so keep that in mind because home buyers normally compare by price range town to town, not size of home. Check out “Tulip Hill” circa 1906! Asking $1,095,000.
West of Maplewood Village- Maplewood Ave, and some of the tree-lined streets west of Maplewood Village, such as Woodland Ave, Mountain Ave are examples of streets boasting beautiful homes of character, and an easy walk to Maplewood train station, which is only 1/2 hr to NYC, as well as Maplewood Village shops, restaurants and Memorial Park. The upper bracket homes in Maplewood tend to cap in the low 1 Million dollar range, which is much more affordable than luxury homes in its surrounding trainline towns.
Chatham - The area between Fairmount Ave and Watchung Ave, near the Lafayette Elementary School and the Chatham High School are under a mile to the Chatham Train Station and beautiful upscale homes can be found on these tree-lined streets. Highland Ave, Washington Ave, Dellwood Ave, and Chandler Ave are a few worth noting in Chatham Boro. Chatham is another Blue Ribbon School District and has a great down town area as well.
Hill Section of Madison - Southwest of the Madison train station, you’ll find luxury homes that are walkable to the Madison Train Station and the trendy restaurants on Main Street. Midwood Terrace has the reputation for the most upscale homes in Madison. However, there are other beautiful streets with gorgeous new and older homes in the Hill Section. To name a few- Pomeroy Rd, Woodland Ave, Crossgates, Garfield Ave, and the small streets that come off of these.
Much of the luxury home market in Short Hills, Summit, Livingston, Chatham and Madison, Maplewood and South Orange still feels overpriced. However, the serious sellers have priced their homes to sell, and these gems are now trading at more affordable prices, ( although I guess “affordable” is a relative term considering we’re talking about luxury homes!) Just in the past few weeks, homes in the high end are starting to sell again, however we’re back to late 2003-early 2004 prices, which is very hard for many sellers to accept.
It is more important than ever to get good advice in buying or selling a luxury home from realtors who KNOW the luxury home market. Call Sue at 973-464-9129 to discuss your options.
NJ Home Sellers: Price It Right and Come Out On Top! Buyers: “Days On Market” can help you gauge your offer!
It is well known by NJ Midtown Direct Trainline Town real estate professionals that a well priced home generates tons of interest amongst buyers, and creates demand for that house…. in any market. It actually creates a Seller’s market, even when it’s a Buyer’s market.
( Above info from GSMLS for Summit, Millburn/Short Hills and Chatham NJ sold listings from March 2010 through February 2011)
The average list to sale price ratio for Sue Adler Team listings sold over the past 12 months is 99.3%. When you are interviewing realtors, choose wisely based on the marketing strategy that will create the most demand for your house. That is how you will get the highest price and best terms for your house.
As you can see from the chart, the longer your house is on the market, the more buyers feel they can negotiate on your price, which puts the buyer in the driver’s seat. When a house sells within the first couple of weeks, there is a sense of urgency because this is when you get the most traffic on your house. The initial group of buyers looking at the house are the ones waiting for a great house to come on the market and the motivated ones are ready to jump all over it if they see the value.
As the “Days on Market” grow, the number of showings decrease – the house typically becomes stale, invisible, and basically forgotten. It might as well be “out of the market” if the price isnt adjusted to where the buyers will see the value. Buyers worry about overpaying for it because they feel that if no one else bought it, it must be overpriced so they make a “low ball” offer.
Sellers unwilling to adjust their pricing based on the feedback of the market – “I’m not in a hurry” or “I’m not giving my house away ” or ” I need to get $x” should consider taking their home off of the market. Otherwise it will be frustrating for all parties – the Realtor, the Seller, and even buyers who get annoyed when houses are overpriced. Remember, all of the marketing in the world will not sell an overpriced house.
On the flip side, Buyers, you can’t steal that brand new listing with the new kitchen on the quiet street. However if a seller has overpriced their house, the more time that goes by, the more the Original list to sale price ratio is in your favor. Very frequently however, a serious price reduction can have a similar effect as a new listing has, so remember, it’s the ORIGINAL list price that these numbers are based on, not the reduced price amount.
2010 – A Year of Defining Moments for The Sue Adler Team
As 2010 comes to a close, I’d like to share a few of our team’s “defining moments” …
The Year The SueAdler(dot)Combo helped raise money for our local charities:
Thanks to my facebook friends for helping me build and promote my Millburn Deli signature sandwich from March through September this year! Because of it’s popularity, Down The Block and The Millburn/Short Hills First Aid Squad made $1,500 from the sandwich sales. A few fun Moments: 1. Spotting a local realtor w/ her client, and watching the realtor’s face as her client orders a Sue Adler. combo. 2. Interviews with Andrew Morgan and Jay Papasan. The sandwich can still be found at the deli under the name “The Cali”.
The Year We helped 81 families buy or sell houses in our Midtown Direct Towns:
While the average Realtor in our towns sold about 6-8 homes this year, my team helped 81 families buy or sell , totalling about $65 Million in real estate, which is a personal record for me. As of Dec 1, we are #7 Worldwide for Keller Williams ( out of about 80,000 agents). And for the 6th year in a row, we sold more real estate in the entire New York Region for KW ( comprising of NJ, NY, CT) than any other agents. Words cant express how thankful we are to our clients and friends who have continued to send us their friends, family and co-workers.
The Year Alex Charfen “STARRED” Me!
Having the STAR POWER team fly in from Austin with the camera crew for 3 days was one of those things I’ll never forget. I wasnt crazy about the article headline “The Queen of Social Media”, but the exposure brought our team a ton of client referrals from across the country; Then meeting other STAR POWER stars and making such great new friendships and learning all of their secrets to success to bring home to my clients - priceless!
The Year I Began Teaching Others How to Grow THEIR Businesses!
I was invited to speak at several real estate conferences and had the opportunity share my On and Offline Marketing Strategies with other Realtors and Small Business Owners to Help Them Grow Their Businesses! The Inman Connect NYC 2010, Virtual RE BAR Camp, Women’s Coucil of Realtors NJ, Star Power Annual Conference, Keller Williams Mega Tech Camp, Keller Williams Family Reunion, Real Estate Social Media Summit, and CRS NYC Chapter Marketing Panel. The most rewarding part is the Thank Yous. To be able to help people succeed is just so awesome!
The Year The French Came Pour Une Visite !
After hearing me speak at the Inman Connect Conference in NYC, The leaders of ORPI, the largest real estate company in France, approached me to learn about social media and internet marketing for realtors. They came to my office in October and have since invited me to speak at their national convention in Paris!!! Definitely a ”once in a lifetime” moment, dont you think?
How can I thank you enough for all of your support, friendship and business throughout the years! What can I do for YOU?
If there is anything I can do to help you grow YOUR businesses, let’s set up a time to have lunch. So much of it is about connecting people with other people, and that’s what I’m good at, and if you’re on facebook, friend me -http://facebook.com/sueadler I’ll introduce you to people in the towns you’re moving to, and help you make any connections you need for your own businesses.
Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy 2011 with many defining moments!
Sue Adler , Robin Benjamin, Dawn Preziosi, Traci Freeman, Cindy Barna, Gail Harrison, Amy Gotsch, Zina Smolyanskiy, Jeri Dana and Barbara Gifford.
www.sueadler.com (973)464-9129
The Most Distinctive Honor of My Career – STAR POWER!
You’re probably asking yourself – “What in the world is Star Power? Howard Brinton, for more than 20 years, has chosen one top agent in the country per month who is willing to share the secrets of their success with other agents, and shared these interviews to build an amazing real estate training organization. So much of what I’ve learned has been from the STARS over the years. Recently Howard was diagnosed with cancer, and Alex Charfen, CEO of Certified Distressed Property Experts has taken over STAR POWER.
Read more
Multiple Offers are back on NJ homes, but Sellers, the game is not the same.
Bulletproofing your real estate transaction
As many predicted, with rates on the rise, pent up demand, and the tax credit deadline approaching, NJ real estate market activity this spring has really picked up along the Midtown Direct Trainline towns, and it has once again become the norm to see multiple offers on homes that are priced well and in great locations
The difference is some buyers initially dont believe it. Then once they lose a house or two in a multiple bid situation, and later become the winning bidder who paid above asking price , they may try to negotiate the price back down during inspections or from low appraisals.
The smartest thing a listing agent can do while weighing multiple offers, in my opinion, is to try to bulletproof the transaction right then and have the buyer agree that the inspection is for major defects only and that anything disclosed in the Seller Property Disclosure Statement is NOT an inspection item, because the offer price should take those disclosed items into account.
Millburn Deli will launch The Sue Adler.Combo sandwich April 1st!
Millburn-Short Hills, NJ —No matter how you slice it, few things in life are better than a great sandwich. On April 1, 2010, The Millburn Deli will launch its latest taste sensation: The SueAdler.Combo, with $1 from each purchase going to beef up the Millburn-Short Hills Volunteer First Aid Squad.Here is the article found in the Item of Millburn-Short Hills and NorthJersey.com
My yummy signature sandwich, the Sue Adler.Combo, will feature grilled chicken, fresh Mozzarella cheese, ripe avocados, fire-roasted tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, tender baby greens, a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar, and a hint of pesto, served fresh on thinly-sliced whole-grain bread. The scrumptious sandwich will appear in the showcase of the Millburn Deli for 6 months. I won the opportunity to have my name immortalized in the annals of sandwichdom ( ha ha) during a charity auction at the Newcomers/Encore Club of Millburn-Short Hills’ Winter Gala. It’s so cool to be able to give back to my community in a way that’s so much fun! What better way could there be to show your appreciation than by filling bellies and helping out a great organization, like the Millburn-Short Hills First Aid Squad, in the process?
Sue Adler To Have Her Own Signature Sandwich at Millburn Deli
Last night my husband and I attended the Millburn-Short Hills Newcomers Club Winter Gala at the beautiful Beacon Hill Club in Summit. There was an amazing turnout and I got to see so many of my clients -so it was alot of fun for me. There was a silent auction, and the first item, which quickly caught my eye, was “Create your own signature sandwich at the Millburn Deli. Your sandwich will appear on the sandwich board for six months.” I instantly got excited – I mean how amazing would this be for marketing? – seriously!
Well, I put in a bid. A few hours later I noticed that I was outbid and the auction was nearing the end, so I stood by the table, feeling really competitive ( I cant help it, I’m just that way when I really want something) and made sure my bid was the highest. So, yes, YAY, I won my own signature sandwich!!!! So here’s where I need your help.
What should I name my Millburn Deli sandwich? And what should be IN this signature sandwich?
At first I thought “The Sassy Sue Adler” – roast beef with melted provolone with sassy horseradish sauce. But it’s too much like another griller they have.
Then in the middle of the night I thought…. how bout “The SueAdler.combo”? ( SueAdler DOT combo - Get it? ) But what to put in the combo? Between appointments today I built my ideal sandwich in my mind… Turkey, avocado, sun dried tomatos, cucumbers, and goat cheese on a whole grain roll or a whole grain something or other.
Please be creative and share your ideas and do NOT be shy. And if you had to name your own deli signature sandwich, what would you name it and what would you put in it? Feel free to share your ideas here or on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/sueadlerteam . And if I like your idea better than mine, I’ll buy you deli sandwich!
Yours to count on,
Sue
Sue Adler Team finishes #1 in homes sold for NJ Midtown Direct train line towns in 2009
A huge thank you to my clients and friends! Because of your business and referrals, in 2009 The Sue Adler Team:
* Sold more homes than ANY other full service agents in our Midtown Direct Towns in the worst market ever. (according to GSMLS stats)
* Placed #1 in the entire Keller Williams New York Region (NJ, NY, CT) for the 5th year in a row.
Update on our market:
Inventory is quite low right now, and buyers are very frustrated with the lack of nice homes on the market, so if you’re thinking of selling, you may have a great opportunity – call me for a consultation so we can discuss if this is the right time for you – (973)464-9129.
Last week I had the honor of speaking at The Inman Connect Real Estate Conference at the NYC Marriot Marquis, where all of the biggest innovators in Real Estate meet once a year to exchange ideas. I continue to connect with the best and brightest in the industry and am excited to implement new home search features for YOU that are just in beta right now, but will blow you away when you see them.
Lastly, thank you for the positive response on our neighborhood/town videos! We had a blast putting together this project – over 30 local residents volunteered to “talk about their towns”. These videos have become “viral” via facebook and the local press, as we’re getting many calls asking us for the “REAL” town tours! Check them out, and feel free to forward them to anyone you think might be curious about moving here: Click Here to View
A little Rocky Balboa Inspiration for 2010
As we move forward onto 2010, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite Rocky moments. I realize this isnt your typical holiday post ( sorry, I’m kindof like that), but I thought this was such a powerful, inspirational message to bring us into the new year and share with those we care about.
I plan to post this video onto both of my daughters’ facebook walls, so if you see comments on my wall such as “Mom, stay off of my wall!” or possibly a little harsher than that, you’ll know why. But really, I’m fine with that - as long as the message in this video gets through to them, right? 
Wishing you and your family love, happiness, success and good health this holiday season and throughout the new year.
Yours to count on,
Equal Housing Opportunity. Equal Opportunity Employer.
