With the onset of spring, it seems fitting to herald one of our Essex County New Jersey communities most treasured gems, The South Mountain Reservation.  It’s lush history and natural gifts have always aroused and delighted my senses.

Just a little in the way of its history…The South Mountain Reservation covers approximately 2,047 acres in the central section of Essex County, bordering our Midtown Direct communities of Millburn, South Orange and Maplewood.  Built from land purchases begun in 1895, it remains the largest of the Park System’s reservations.  I love the fact that it was designed by The Olmsted Brothers – who inherited a landscape architecture business from their father – Frederick law Olmsted, designer of New York’s Central Park.

Thanks to The South Mountain Conservancy, a non-profit organization that works within the park to support, protect and preserve it, the Reservation has changed very slightly over the years.  The Reservation provides endless opportunities for family adventure including 19 miles of hiking and walking trails, 29 miles of carriage roads for jogging biking & cross country skiing, Washington Rock lookout historic site, an archery range, fishing at Diamond Mill Pond and simply savoring its natural beauty and wildlife.  Countless varieties of trees, shrubs and herbs are identified throughout.  The Conservancy offers free hikes, so check their website for the latest hiking schedule.

And did you know that the South Mountain Arena and Turtle Back Zoo are located within the reservation’s boundaries?  It’s truly a little slice of heaven right in our very own backyard.  Rain or shine the Reservation offers area residents so many fun things to do.  For the winter months, The Richard J. Codey Arena contains two indoor ice skating rinks and training facilities for the New Jersey Devils.

The Turtle Back Zoo, voted the #1 Zoo in New Jersey by NJ Monthly Magazine, is a delightful outing for children and grown-ups.  Some favorite exhibits include Essex Farm, the reptile center, black bears, the new Southeast Asia exhibit and a tropical aquarium.  The Zoo got its name from rock formation located on the mountainside that was called Turtle Back Rock by its earliest settlers, the Lenape Indians.  The rock patterns are said to appear as though you are standing on the back of an enormous turtle.  And just last year, the Essex County Mini Golf Safari, an award winning 19-hole course, was developed adjacent to the zoo.  Finally for those real adventure seekers, a new Treetop Adventure Aerial Course has been designed and built right in the trees next to the zoo.

So when looking for a day full of rich history, exploration and treasured family memories, The South Mountain Reservation may be just the perfect answer.

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This past Sunday, 50 families joined together at Washington School’s gymnasium in Summit New Jersey to participate in the 6^th Annual Architectural Workshop recreating downtown Summit out of LEGO blocks.  Truly unbelievable to think of a huge map of downtown Summit highlighting streets and historic buildings and over 50,000 colorful LEGO squares and rectangles being assembled to replicate this beautiful town.  Each one unique and truly a work of art!

The event is organized as a fundraiser for the Summit Historical Society, a membership organization created to preserve and disseminate information about Summit’s rich heritage.

I can’t think of a better way to raise money than by bringing families together building community spirit and camaraderie.  Summit is a special place and its downtown offers residents and visitors some of the area’s best restaurants, boutique shops and galleries.  Don’t miss an opportunity to try one during Restaurant Week, February 17 -26 – it’s great fun.

And for all those LEGO fans — young or old — and appreciators of fun art, you must visit The Morris Museum in Morristown, NJ and see the amazing “Art of the Brick” exhibit by artist Nathan Sawaya, who creates large scale sculptures out of LEGO blocks.  The exhibit ends February 20 and also includes some interactive workshops for children.  It is truly inspiring.

The SUE ADLER TEAM website The SUE ADLER TEAM website

The dog days of winter are here!!  But I’m thinking spring– longer days, green lawns and the first signs of budding trees and flowers.  It’s such a pretty time here in our New Jersey Midtown Direct communities.  It makes me think of all the great spring and summer resources like our fabulous farmer’s markets, summer concerts and festivals.  And come to think of it, summer is only 5 months away and many parents are now combing through the yellow pages and kids resources for the best area summer camps.

For some, camp is a way for generations of the same family to share similar memories.  And for others, camps provide kids with a chance to take a break from school and winter routines and have a few weeks of good old-fashioned fun.

There are plenty of good traditional camps in New Jersey.  I can personally speak about Stonybrook Day Camp in Randolph, NJ and Meadowbrook Day Camp in Long Valley, NJ where my daughter, Abby Seitchik, worked as a counselor for many summers and loved them.  A few other very popular area day camps include Camp Riverbend, Camp Harmony, Jeff Lake Camp, Gesher Day Camp, Willow Lake and JCC Camps.   Some favorites for toddlers include Mini Camp at Far Brook and The Connection.  I have heard hundreds of wonderful, fun-loving stories from friends, neighbors and clients about how many of these camps were monumental in the development and growth of their children.  Oh, I wish I were a kid again!!

Today, many camps specialize in one particular area like sports camps, art camps (Creative Hands Art Studio, The Messy Artist, The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Montclair Art Museum Summer Camp) girl scouts, drama camps (Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts, Acting with Emily), computer camps and the list goes on.  Ultimately, it comes down to the right fit for your child, location, timeframe and structure.  So do a little research, take a visit and you will be amazed at the wonderful choices right here in New Jersey.

Believe it or not, many have application deadlines coming up very soon!  With so many good ones to choose from, it’s hard to know where to begin….

Hoping this provides a little help from someone who’s been there many times.  Happy camping!!

Sue Adler

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Downtown Millburn Welcomes The Salad House

If you’re like me, nothing satisfies my hunger better than a big, hearty salad with all the fixings’.   And depending on the day’s cravings, I like to mix and match toppings to suit my mood du jour.  So when I learned about The Salad House by Cioffi’s (www.createyoursalad.com), opening its doors in December right in the heart of downtown Millburn at 343 Millburn Avenue, I was thrilled.

Their story is a touching one.  In 1958, Antonio Cioffi arrived in America with his new bride and only $20.  Through lots of hard work, dedication and a passion for good Italian food, over four decades later, the family has been serving NJ in Newark, Union, Springfield and now Millburn.  Today sons Gennaro (Jerry) and Giuseppe (Joey) carry on the family legacy.  Their restaurants feature healthy and delicious Mediterranean cuisine from tapas, paninis, homemade soups and my favorite, “Make Your Own Salad.”

“I love making stomachs happy in a healthy way,” Joey Cioffi told me on my recent visit.  Stop by The Salad House and tell him Sue Adler sent you.  Your stomach will thank you!

And after you’ve satisfied your tummies, enjoy the other shops and fun boutiques in downtown Millburn – there’s a lot to do and see….

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Sue Adler Team is Hiring! Seeks Dynamic, Career Minded Full Time Buyer Specialist  

The Sue Adler Team – Is seeking a Dynamic, High Energy and Career minded, full time buyer specialist to join our team.

This is an excellent long term opportunity for a highly motivated  dedicated person to join the #1 Keller Williams Team in New Jersey, with potential for advancement.

You’ll receive training from Sue,  access to one of the top real estate coaches in the industry, as well as our amazing support staff who takes care of transaction management and all marketing, and an opportunity to make over $100,000 without any expenses.  

 Qualifications and attributes of our next buyer specialist include:

• Ready and willing to commit to 3 hours of daily lead generation and follow up.

• Phenomenal follow up and phone skills are a must!

 Learning Based – Absolute dedication to self-improvement through education, coaching, and accountability

• Commitment to the goals of the team,  its members and our clients

• Current real estate license

•  Local knowledge of the Midtown Direct Train LineTowns

• An impeccable reputation for integrity in the real estate community.

•  Possess a deep passion for service and success.

• An outgoing personality; personable and comfortable with meeting new people & networking.

• Some background and experience as an agent with prior success in real estate or sales role

 A little bit about the team

The Sue Adler Team has been the No. 1 Keller Williams Team in New Jersey for seven years running, and in 2011 the team reached $75 million in sales, averaging a sold house once almost every three days. Sue was named one of Inman’s 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders for 2011 and our team receives referrals from agents all over the world. Because of the amount of business we have coming in, we are seeking career minded buyer agents who are committed to excellence in client service. This is NOT a part time position.  You must be willing to work nights and weekends.

We are currently interviewing candidates, so if this sounds like something you would be interested in, and you are a fit, please email your resume along with 3 references to Scott at info@sueadler.com . Please include your social media profile links.

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Sue Adler Named to Inman’s 100 Most Influential Real Estate Professionals 2011

I’m seriously honored that Inman News, the real estate industry’s most authoritative source of market conditions, trends, technology & financial news, named me as one of the  100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders in Real Estate for 2011!

How cute is it that my mom thought that since I’m the first person on this (alphabetical list) that I was THE most influential. I mean, did you see who’s on this list? Gary Keller, Ben Bernanke - Chairman of Federal Reserve, The CEO’s of the largest MLS’s in the country, the CEO’s of Chase and Bank of America, and the President of the National Association of Realtors, Zillow & Trulia CEO’s. Gotta love mom.

So what am I doing on this list?   Our team did have the best year ever, selling a house every 3 days or so, but there are other top teams across the country who had great years too. I think it had something to do with bringing the consumer’s voice into the industry, when that seems to have been missing. Earlier in the year, my website www.sueadler.com was custom designed and created by www.virtualresults.net  with that very objective – How can we create a great consumer experience and give buyers what they are looking for all in one place?  Not sure which town?  Millburn/Short Hills, Summit, Maplewood, South Orange, Chatham, Madison, Livingston, New Providence and Westfield – some are similar, some are different, but our community videos were filmed to help the buyer get a flavor of what it is like to live here.

Another reason they could have named me to this prestigious list is because this past month, Rob Hahn and I founded Hear it Direct (www.hearitdirect.com) ,   and held a real estate conference where the consumers, not the realtors, took the stage to voice their opinions.  It was a huge success and everyone who attended realized how valuable something like this is to our industry. I personally learned so much that I’m implementing into my own business.  Don’t get me wrong – I often ask my clients for feedback on the process and on my website, but it’s never an hour and a half of Q & A.     It was eye opening for both the industry professionals AND the consumers, and it would be great if  Hear it Direct would come to  NJ some time this year, wouldn’t it?

My heartfelt thanks to www.Inman.com for this amazing recognition.  I give my word to my clients that The Sue Adler Team will continue to provide old school service while  pioneering new approaches that bring added value to your home buying and selling experience.

The SUE ADLER TEAM website The SUE ADLER TEAM website

There is an abundance of misinformation about credit scores. The information below is accurate, thanks to Rich Hirsch from Mortgage Masters.

 1. The Players

• Beacon atEquifax

• FICO Risk Score atTransunion (Empirica)

• Experian/Fair Isaac atExperian

2. Main reason for FICO Scores is to predict your chances of default on a specific loan.

•     Scores range from 300-850.

•     Scores below 620 are considered high credit risk

•     Scores over 660 are below average risk

•     Scores of 720 or above are considered excellent.

 3.  How are the scores weighted?

• 35% is established from your payment history, collections, and public records.

• 30% is established from outstanding balances being carried on your accounts.

• 15% is based on your length of credit history. It is better to have credit for longer timeframes, so that a history is built up on your record.

• 10% is established around the type of credit you have.

• 10% is established around your request for credit (credit inquiries), meaning that every time you apply for credit, your scores are impacted within certain FICO rules.You can, however, apply for as many mortgages and car loans as you want, as long as they are in a 14-day window. FICO allows this because they are big-ticket items.

This information is provided by:

Rich Hirsch|Mortgage Master Inc.

Phone: 908-410-9066 |eFax: 908-325-0018

rhirsch@mortgagemasterinc.com

The SUE ADLER TEAM website The SUE ADLER TEAM website

I just received  an email marketing a listing from a NJ Realtor that made me want to write this post.

There was a QR code in the email that says ” Scan this with your smart phone.. links to a listing website”  WHY would I do that? Wouldn’t it be easier for me to click a link to the listing than  grab  my iphone, go to the app, and  scan  her QR code on my computer? Even if I were on my iphone or ipad, it just seems easier to click a link. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Hey, I really get technology for real estate and consider myself an early adopter, but it annoys me when I see how not just agents, but many industries use certain tools for the “cool” factor and just embarrass themselves by using them all wrong.    My favorite is the facebook or twitter icon on a billboard.. like you can actually click through.  OK, back to topic…

Seems QR codes have the ‘IT” factor going for them right now but from a practical stand point, I get how it could be great in some industries, such as a QR code next to a description of a bottle of wine on a menu, leading to reviews and a full description of that wine ( thanks to Rob Hahn for showing a great example of that on facebook) .

As a real estate consumer, if you  were interested in learning more about a property, price, etc..   if you saw a QR code on a real estate sign in any of our New Jersey Midtown Direct Train Line Towns,  would you ….

1. call the free recorded message telling about the property?

2. call the agent’s direct line?

3. pull over, go to your QR code reader app ( if you have one) and scan  the code to see the photos?

4. google the address to to see the photos?

5. use another real estate app that you already have to see the photos?

If you’re looking for a house, please respond. It would help me as well as the other realtors in the industry understand the consumer thought process.

Another scenario…… you walk into an open house, or see a house with your Realtor, and the property brochure on the dining room table house has a QR code. Would you use that to access the floor plan or additional photos at a later time? Or would you just use the direct link, for example: www.sueadler.com/42Tillou that is on the brochure for more info once you’re back to your computer? I’m really curious so if you wouldn’t taking a minute to respond, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Yours to count on,

Sue

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Sometimes the greatest and most urgent need for charity is just down the block. Based on this heart-tugging reality, a wonderful New-Jersey non-profit organization is committed to helping their neighbors in need. Down the Block, Inc. has been making a great difference in the lives of Millburn and Short Hills residents during difficult times, near your own Millburn home. This charitable corporation raises funds for short-term assistance in households facing unexpected financial set-backs through fundraising within your municipality and also through additional sources. In other words, if you live in Millburn, funding collected in your Millburn Township is used to help your neighbors right here in Millburn-Short Hills. It is donated confidentially and pays for basic goods and services that some households desperately need.
This weekend, Down the Block along with other local causes will benefit from a concert sponsored by Brotherhood Concerts on Saturday, November 12th, featuring The Richie Furay Band. Richie was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with band member Stephen Stills & Neil Young. You may want to enjoy this intimate evening with Richie’s rock band at the Sanctuary at TBJ. For more information, click here.

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I’ve been in the business since 1983, when the interest rates were about 14% and on their way down.  Since that time, I’ve seen fluctuations in home prices, lending practices, mortgage rates and so much more!  I don’t remember ever seeing the stars lined up so perfectly for qualified New Jersey buyers.  If you are interested in financing a  midtown direct home in New Jersey, take note of the following current rates.

As of Sunday, November 6th, 30 year home loan rates are averaging 4.08% and 15 year home loans are averaging 3.37%.  30 year jumbo home mortgage loans are down as well, averaging 4.49% and 3.73% for a 15 year loan.  3 and 5 year conforming adjustable rates are down as well, and 7 and 10 year rates have remained stable, while 1 year conforming adjustable rates have seen a slight increase.

These rates allow more buying power for clients interested in our New Jersey homes, while rental prices continue to rise.

In this fall market, prices are down further in our Midtown Direct Train Line Towns than they are in the spring because there is less competition at this time of year. As a matter of fact, every house I’ve ever bought has been in the fall market. That happens to be a coincidence, but I CAN say that I would have paid more for my houses if I had waited for spring.

My point is,  the smart buyers are actively looking for homes and making offers because they see that this is opportunity time.   I don’t want to mislead you into thinking you can buy ANY house at ANY price because this is not the case, but if a seller is realistic and motivated to sell the house that YOU happen to like, then you will do better now, then you will in the spring when there are more buyers competing for the nicer houses.

Remember, a house is not just a financial investment. It’s a lifestyle investment for your family – schools, neighborhood, where you make your memories, so if you can find that now, with these low interest rates, and know that you will  live there for 5 or more years, then let’s sit down for a consultation and see if buying now makes sense for you.

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