Your Big Deal Blog

Homes Sold in 2008 in Chatham Township, New Jersey

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:33:00 +0000

There were 137 homes and condos sold in Chatham Township, New Jersey in 2008. That in itself does not tell us too much but if we look which price ranges are moving it helps us understand the patterns. For example, 68% of the homes sold in 2008 were under $1 million. That means that 32% of the homes sold were over $1 million. Not a bad split!

If you are considering buying a home or investment property in Morris or Union or Essex Counties, New Jersey, this is a great time to buy, with prices at an all-time low and interest rates even lower!
Call/text (201-960-2090) or email Trish@BestNJhomes.com or visit www.BestNJhomes.com for New Jersey Towns and School information.

Comparison of Sales 2007 to 2008 including sales price, days on the market, average list to sale price ratio

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:57:00 +0000

2008 Market Wrap Up for Morris, Essex, Union and Somerset Counties, NJ

While we continue to be bombarded with information about the deplorable economy and dismal real estate market, let us remind you that here we focus on our LOCAL real estate market. And, locally, our real estate has remained quite strong relative to the economy and the rest of the state and the nation. In most communities prices and number of sales are down, but not dramatically. In fact, we sold 2,483 homes in these communities in 2008 vs 3,066 in 2007. Prices have softened to approximately the level of 2004 prices, in most places, but that still allows for huge increases in value since 2000. Take a look at the FACTS below and call or email us for information

specific to your home and neighborhood. Yes, we can get very, very LOCAL!

What is Your House Worth These Days? It depends on where you are, though most prices are getting to about 2003 levels right now, there are exceptions. If your home is in Florham Park or Short Hills or New Providence, you're in pretty good shape.

If you'd like to know more specifically, we will provide you with an online price opinion at no cost or obligation. Call or email Trish@BestNJhomes.com.

Visit www.BestNJhomes.com for free MLS searches for real estate in Chatham, homes and condos in Madison, homes for sale in Short Hills, Summit and all these nearby communities.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you found this information helpful. Be sure to comment either way. Your feedback is important to me!

:) Trish Giassa at Keller Williams Realty Premier Properties in Summit, NJ

201-960-2090

Bringing Your Family Home

Moore Estate 2008 Market Update

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:27:00 +0000

Real estate activity at Moore Estate in 2008 has been rather disappointing. Number of sales are down 50% and median and average sales prices are down and days on market have increased by 24% and average list to sale price is now 95.9% instead of the 97.9% in 2007. There are many reasons for this, including:

The national and local economy and tight mortgage market
More properties and fewer buyers equals more supply, less demand, putting pressure on prices
The primarey target markets for The Moore Estate is downsizing empty nesters - and they are either unable to sell their larger homes or unwilling to sell at market prices, therefore they are unable to move

Currently there are 7 homes for sale in Moore Estate, from 4 Davenport for $499,000 to 7 Morgan Place at an asking price of $1,395,000. Additionally in Morris Township there are a total of 32 condos/townhouses for sale. Many are lower priced, such as Pitney Place. More notably as competitor to the high-end Moore Estate luxury townhouses is the project of new townhomes at The Brownstones on Howland Terrace. Though not as idyllic a location, these homes are brand-new, offer 3,900 to 4,400 square feet, elevators in every home and are quite close to the Convent Station train station. Prices range from $939,000 to $1,350,000.

Nonetheless Moore Estate still maintains a special cache with area buyers (in fact we have a buyer from New York who is most interested in Moore Estate over any other area townhouse community, but must sell their home before they can buy). Sales are still occurring, however, staging, marketing and pricing properly are the key to being the home the real buyers choose.

If you currently live in Madison, Morristown, Chatham, Harding, Mendham, Summit or Short Hills and would like to downsize to a townhouse in the Moore Estate in Convent Station, we can help you get your home sold so you can move on with your life and move into this fantastic community. Trish Giassa 201-960-2090 Trish@BestNJhomes.com

Visit my websites: www.bestNJhomes.com for information about the area and links to area organizations and schools.

Visit www.MooreEstateCondos.com for specific information about The Moore Estate and Morris County area condos and townhouses.

Valuable Foreclosure Assistance Programs

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:58:00 +0000

Homeowners who face the prospect of losing their home to foreclosure need all the help they can get. The Wall Street Journal compiled a helpful list of telephone hotlines and Web sites, by state, for at-risk homeowners, and it has published a summary of the various mortgage modification programs that are either proposed or currently in place. HUD and NAR also provide lists of foreclosure assistance programs by state.

This article courtesy of CRS Member Connect. The Certified Residential Specialist organization helps CRS designated agents provide information and resources to help us help buyers and sellers achieve their goals. Only 8% of real estate agents have the CRS designation. I am proud to be one of them.

The FACTS ... and nothing but the FACTS, Ma'am

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:05:00 +0000

At the beginning of every year I go into our Garden State MLS system to run some analysis of what has actually and really happened in our markets in the past year.

I always find it illuminating to see the final figures, since I also hear the news and certainly know that the real estate market is not what is once was. However, there is one truth to real estate that continues to hold true. Actually, three ... location, location, location.
Sutton Woods in Chatham Township, NJ is a beautiful condo community that is ideally located at the edge of Chatham Twp, NJ and very close to downtown Summit, NJ. A vital town center with interesting and yummy eateries, a first class hospital center, and a Midtown Direct NJ Transit train to New York City, among many other fantastic features. Visit www.SuttonWoodsChatham for more information about Sutton Woods. So, at Sutton Woods we have actually seen days on market decline and both average and median prices increase! Go figure! :)

This is a community I have sold many homes in and know quite intimately. If you are considering buying or selling in Sutton Woods, call me to get you top dollar.

If you are interested in real estate and homes in Summit, Short Hills, Chatham, Madison and the surrounding areas, we can help you maximize your situation.

Come back to this blog for updates on more communities in Chatham, Madison, Morristown, Short Hils, Millburn and Summit. 201-960-2090. Trish@BestNJhomes.com

Grateful for all I have

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:14:00 +0000

Happy New Year to Us All! Yes, times are tough. For some of us it's difficult to see anything good in our horizon, but, I believe that if we look for a few little things that are still precious in our lives, then we can persevere and even change our situation. Here are some ideas:

Your home, humble as it may be
Your spouse or best friend
A sunny day like today
Your health
Your ability to love and be loved

I recently had the good fortune to dog-sit for a friend who was traveling - I saved her a little money and got to know the little creature who loved to play, made me laugh every day and made me get out to walk her every day. Daisy is pictured here.

Isn't she cute! She loves to sit in "her spot" by the window and watch people go by in her hometown of Livingston!

Be grateful and happy for what you have. Concentrate on it and you will have more to be grateful and happy about! May you and your family enjoy a Peaceful, Happy and Healthy 2009!

Your friend and realtor,
Trish Giassa :)
201-960-2090

PS: Call or email me if you are interested in finding out about Our List Of Best Buys in Livingston, Short Hills, Summit, Chatham, Madison and Morristown.

How Many Real Buyers Are there?

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:54:00 +0000

In a changing market, our job is to not only market your property and manage the transaction, but also to help you get the most for your home. One of the best ways to do that is to price your property right at the right point in the market. Not too high, not too low. Of course, we're always watching and listening to buyers and what they look for.

Another way to look at HOW MANY REAL BUYERS are in the market. The bar graph to the left shows that for Millburn and Short Hills homes for the most recent 2 months. The blue bar is buyers, the red bar is sellers.

Review this and look for updates on Millburn and Short Hills home sales as well as sales data for Chatham, Madison, Summit, New Providence and other New Jersey Midtown Direct towns.

Post your comment or question or request for information. I look forward to serving you and helping you sell your home for the highest value the market will bear.

Which remodeling projects pay off most?

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:06:00 +0000

Every year Realtors across the country help compile the National Association of Realtors' Remodeling Cost vs Value Report which helps us understand the "market" value of renovations and additions. This report, this year, highlighted that Curb Appeal is more important than ever!

For example, the most "profitable" project nationwide was upscale fiber cement siding (such as Hardy Plank) which recouped 86.7% of costs. Wood decks followed at 81.8%.

Now, if your house does not need new wood siding, perhaps a fresh coat of paint will do the trick of enhancing your curb appeal. Check with your realtor as to what are popular color combinations, if you're not sure. We're out with buyers all the time and know what they like.

In addition to the siding, pay attention to your walkway and fences. Are they in good shape? If not, paint or remove or replace the fence. Repair, if possible, the walkway. Or, replace it. Unless this is something you really know how to do, hire a professional mason. You will see 100% of this investment when you sell.

Other ways to improve your curb appeal is plants. Certainly in Summer, Spring and Fall flowers and flowering plants give the biggest bang for your buck. In winter, charming pots with evergreens strategically placed will work wonders. Outdoor lighting is also a great way to make your home more appealing to buyers in the early evening, especially since it gets dark so early. Let your home be noticed even after the sun goes down.

Contact me or your Realtor for the complete remodeling cost vs value report for your area. Ask us to help you stage your home in Chatham, Summit, Madison and Short Hills for top curb appeal. We'll help you get top dollar even in today's market!

Home buying and financing

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:32:00 +0000

On November 8th the Star Ledger printed a positive article regarding home buying, financing and programs to help buyers obtain financing in these troubled times:

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2008/11/more_people_using_programs_to.html

Since we all could use a little good news and guidance, take a look and let me know what you think or if you have any questions on how to make your home buying dream a reality!

All my best,
Trish Giassa
201-960-2090

TOP 10 REASONS TO BUY A HOME BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:12:00 +0000

Yes, it's scary out there ... but every cloud has a silver lining. The fact is that our communities are very viable and offer the timeless worthwhile features that everyone wants for their community. Good schools, charming towns, lots of parks, easy commute to the country's major employement center (NYC), wonderful neighbors, great shopping and health care. We've got it all. Now prices for our beautiful homes are even reasonable!

It is a very good time to be a buyer of a home. Below are some of the reasons why:

1. Sellers who list during the holidays are serious and are more likely to make a deal!
2. There are fewer buyers looking at this time of the year – competition for the best homes will be less than in the spring!
3. Sellers who have their homes on the market during the holiday season generally want to close by year end and so they are very motivated to consider your offer!
4. Interest rates are low now, and there are good loan programs available. A rise in interest rates and/or changes in lending guidelines can seriously erode your buying power!
5. You can buy now, and get the year end “deal”, but specify a delayed closing or extended occupancy - after the new year.
6. When you buy now you are positioning yourself to begin taking advantage of tax deductions for the entire next year.
7. The Fed has been lowering rates for the last year, and mortgage rates are close to historic lows. It is widely anticipated that they will need to start raising rates next year, making monthly payments more expensive.
8. The sooner you stop paying rent that increases your landlord’s equity, the sooner you start building your own equity.
9. It may be a good time to move your money out of a volatile stock and bond market and put it in the proven best investment, REAL PROPERTY.
10. Many sellers need to close before the end of the year for financial and tax reasons.

For listings that meet your criteria, send me an email to Trish@BestNJhomes.com with that criteria. Then you can see for yourself whether there is something to get excited about!

Looking forward to helping you achieve your homeownership dream!
Trish :)

Spotlight on Millburn and Short Hills, N.J.

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:25:00 +0000

The historical town of Millburn N.J. is a place with connections. Despite splitting from the town of Springfield in 1857, Millburn is intrinsically attached to many other neighboring communities in the region. Although Millburn’s inclusion in the Midtown Direct service of the NJ Transit train line bypasses Hoboken, the service allows commuters a short convenient trip to Jersey City or Manhattan as well as to the towns of Summit, Chatham, Madison, and Maplewood.
In reality, Millburn comes as part of a package deal: the Short Hills (which is not its own town but a beautiful section of Millburn) lie to the north with many luxury homes and mansions; to the south, the Millburn section possesses many affordable houses. The township, which supports a bustling population of 19,765 and 7,158 housing units, has 143 vacant housing units awaiting future residents.
The Short Hills area imparts its name to the acclaimed shopping center, the Mall at Short Hills. Besides housing stores for the retail giants Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue, the eponymous mall is known for many fine stores including the fashionable Anthropologie and the tasteful Williams and Sonoma.
The Millburn section offers a variety of reasonable houses in a refreshing range of styles: Victorian, Tudor, Cape Cod, colonials, and 1950s ranches. Additionally, Millburn's central business district blooms along Millburn Avenue and Main Street with many banks, boutiques, beauty salons, antique stores, and over 130 establishments that serve food including half a dozen ice cream parlors.
Both regions share town services as well as a well regarded school district. In 2008, New Jersey Monthly’s annual rankings of New Jersey high schools awarded the top spot to Millburn High School. With 22 advanced-placement courses in history, mathematics, the sciences, foreign languages, literature, English, and music available at Millburn high school, it is no surprise that 97% of graduating seniors will continue their education. In fact, 74% of the adult population in Millburn possesses a post-secondary school degree.
In short, Millburn is not only a place to make connections; it’s a great place in which to live.

Spotlight on Madison, NJ

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:21:00 +0000

Madison is a ‘rose’ of a New Jersey town in bloom for all seasons. Madison is a town of history, culture, fantastic shopping, and fine dining.
Nicknamed “The Rose City,” Madison began as “Bottle Hill” in 1715 under colonial rule. In 1806, Chatham Township was formed to include the villages of the current Madison, Chatham, and Florham Park. The name of the village was changed to Madison in 1834 and eventually seceded from Chatham Township in 1889, adopting a borough form of government.
Located on the Morristown Line with trains heading to Hoboken and to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, the Madison train station provides residents with the ability to make the daily commute to NYC easy or to visit the Big Apple for a show, dinner or weekend.
Besides the local movie theater, yoga studio, and newly renovated Madison YMCA, there are many places to go in Madison, quite a few of which are located at Drew University, a highly rated liberal arts college with notable graduate programs. Drew University (http://www.drew.edu/) , affectionately known as “The Forest” for its arboreal abundance, has many events open to the public throughout the year. Currently on the campus are several remarkable activities, including “Faces of Africa” Sculpture and Wall Hangings, a free art exhibit currently is being held at the Korn Gallery, a production of “Romeo and Juliet” at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey located on the campus, and don’t forget to make an appointment for the Florence and Robert Zuck Arboretum, which contains many local flora and fauna including turtles, goldfish, catfish, and muskrats, and regular stops for migrating Canadian geese, ducks, and herons.
Prospective patrons are quite at home at the many shops in town, including wonderful bookstores such as Chatham Bookseller (http://www.abebooks.com/home/chathambookseller/) , a gem of a store for rare, used, and out-of-print books. In addition, Madison also has an antiques shop, nail salons, jewelry stores, a Whole Foods grocery store, and is within twenty minutes of the Livingston Mall and the Mall at Short Hills.
In terms of dining, Madison boasts numerous restaurants representing many diverse cultures from Italian fair, to classy Cajun cooking, to refined Asian cuisine. The Garlic Rose, (http://www.garlicrose.com/) a mainstay of Madison, features Italian food with a penchant for developing the personality of the pungent bulb for which it’s named. Pop’s may sound like a hole-in-the-wall but it introduces an air of refinement and personality to modern Creole cooking. Last but certainly not least, Shanghai Jazz (http://www.shanghaijazz.com/) connects East to West by bringing the utter coolness of a jazz bar to an edgy eclectic blend of Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese food. Shanghai Jazz features live jazz 6 days a week and was rated by Downbeat magazine as one of the top 100 jazz clubs in the world.
Whatever you’re in the mood for, whether it is a nice place to raise a family or fine shopping and dining, by any name, “The Rose City” is sweet. Visit the town’s website at http://www.rosenet.org/.

Halloween in Morris County to You!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:22:00 +0000

Halloween in Morris County
Halloween is a time of the year when nothing is quite what it seems. Some people put masks on to be someone else; while others take off the masks they wear daily and show themselves to the world.
The Ancient Celts in Ireland first celebrated Halloween as Samhain (pronounced “sam- wen”), which was their last day of the year. It was believed that the souls of those who died returned for this one night and played tricks upon the living. The Celts would visit neighbors for contributions of food and have a boisterous feast in order to scare away the spirits.
In Chatham and Summit, Halloween is a reason to fill the streets with colorful superheroes, glittery princesses, sharp-toothed vampires, solemn Jedis, ephemeral fairies, rough pirates, and sugary blonde brigades of Hannah Montana clones. You can trick or treat with the kids at local businesses and houses around the towns starting at 4:30 p.m., the accepted “start time” of Halloween.
If scares and tricks aren't your particular treat, then bring a special someone to the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey located at Drew University for a production of "Romeo and Juliet."
Besides trick or treating or attending a play, there are many great activities within a half an hour car ride of Summit or Chatham. Listed below is a list of haunted houses, haunted hayrides, and farms where you can pick your own pumpkins!

Haunted Houses

A Kingdom For A StageCherry LaneWest Orange, NJ, 07052<http://www.njkingdom.com/>
Haunted Union2118 Briarwood LaneUnion, NJ, 07083<http://www.hauntedunion.com/>

Madness on Meadow Lane141 Route 17 SouthParamus, NJ, 07652<http://www.madnessonmeadowlane.com/>

Haunted Village56 Main StreetClinton, NJ, 08809<http://www.clintonhauntedmill.org/>

Whatever you decide to do, Trick or Treat to You!!!

xoxo Your Friend and Realtor,
Trtish Giassa
(aka "Annie Get Your Gun this year ... photo to follow)
201-960-2090

Had a wonderful trip! Missed you!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:53:00 +0000

Dear Friends,

My husband Jake and I just came back from a fabulous trip to Italy, Croatia and Slovenia! Always it is good to come home and I'd like to share a few highlights of this great trip -- Italy of course was beautiful, warm, interesting and very appetizing. We went to Rome and Venice - both fabulous cities with history and art and romance!

Trieste, my home town, turned out to be a really special surprise and is now on my recommended list. Trieste, once having been an important port city for Austria, became depressed when it became part of Italy, which is blessed with many ports. However, in the last few years Trieste seems to have reinvented itself. It is now a little-known and beautiful tourist destination with lovely pedestrian-only streets with cafes spilling out onto the pavement. The Piazza dell'Unita lights up at night like a jewel. The sea sparkles and the promenade along the coast rivals that of Nice! On top of of this and some amazing shopping opportunities, Trieste boasts not one but two beautiful historic castles and the ruins of a Roman theatre ... must be seen.

Croatia was even more beautiful than I remember and we truly enjoyed both the Dalmatian coast and the interior ... visiting Motovun, hometown to Mario Andretti (note that there are no cars allowed on most of the few streets in this town ;) and the truffle capital of Croatia. Yes, we went truffle hunting too!

Slovenia was a total revelation! A beautiful, prosperous, young country with a capital that knows about style and couture and has an amazing cafe culture!

Visit Ljubljiana and Trieste for an unusual and wonderful treat! Let me know if you'd like a hotel or restaurant recommendation. :)

Now, back to work!

I just attended Jeff Otteau's Fall Seminar and as usual he shared his research and forecast. The good news is that there is some good news in spite of all the sad news. Real estate is on its way to becoming affordable again. Our communities in Chatham, Madison, Summit and Short Hills are still great places to live and seem to be holding their values better than most of the state.

If you'd like to know more about what Jeff Otteau is forecasting for our market and how it may affect your buying or selling of real estate, call or email me.

Be well and be happy,

Your friend and Realtor,

Trish Giassa
201-960-2090

Local Schools Rank High in NJ Monthly Magazine's 2008 Report

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:09:00 +0000

Once again, our very fine schools are tops in the state, out of more than 300 schools. Congratulations and kudos to our students, teachers, staff and parents!
Millburn High School is once again in the #1 spot. Chatham High School moved up to number 10, Gov Livingston School in Berkeley Heights now ranks 15th of all the high schools in New Jersey, New Providence also moved up to the #17 spot. Summit is 22nd in the state, and Madison jumped from being in the 48th spot all the way to 35.
All are within the top 10% of all of New Jersey's high schools.
For more details on how the schools were ranked go to http://njmonthly.com/articles/towns_and_schools/highschoolrankings/top-new-jersey-high-schools-methodology.html
For the full list of all the high schools in New Jersey and their rankings go to http://njmonthly.com/articles/towns_and_schools/highschoolrankings/top-new-jersey-high-schools-by-rank.html
To search for your dream home in one of these fine school districts go to http://www.bestnjhomes.com.z57preview.com/Chatham_NJ_homes_for_sale.shtml

Chatham Township Turnkey Home on Cul-De-Sac

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:07:00 +0000

Chatham Township has been named Top Town in NJ by NJ Monthly and this home has to be the happiest house in town!

Great cul-de-sac location, heated driveway (bye-bye snow shovels and snow plows!), 4 generous bedrooms and 2.5 baths.

Updated eat-in kitchen and baths, nice 1/2 acre property ... lots of room for everybody and totally turn-key. Bring your toothbrush and move right in!

Priced very competitively at $750,000. Come see for yourself. Call Trish for a showing appointment and check out the interactive virtual tour at www.3DeerRunCircle.com

Fantastic Madison House

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:45:00 +0000

Built by premier local builder Harvey Caplan in 1992, this home has enjoyed the lving care of a single owner. Many upgrades and improvements have been made to this gracious and comfortable home which offers a sensible floor plan, spacious, light-filled rooms and a highly desirable location in Madison Borough.

Visit http://www.15wisteriacourt.com/ for an interactive virtual tour and floor plan or call Trish at 201-960-2090 for a private showing.

Real Estate Market Update

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:08:00 +0000

Everywhere I go people ask about real estate. My answer is that this is a GREAT time to be a buyer. Yet buyers say they are afraid. The reason they are afraid is because they are listening to the media and to other naysayers who say the market is bad. Is it bad because real estate is currently not appreciating? It is actually depreciating ... in some places more than others. Luckily for us, our market in the Chathams, Madison, Short Hills, Summit and surrounding areas which enjoy excellent schools, an favorable train commute to NYC and offer charming, bucolic villages and neighborhoods, are still in demand. But, buyers are not willing to spend the same amount as at the height of our real estate market. Let's face it, our real estate was rapidly becoming unaffordable by many. So, an adjustment was due. It happens about every 10-15 years. A home that appreciated 100% in the last 5-10 years has still been a tremendous investment for its owner! A highly leveraged investment, since most of us use only about 20% cash to buy a home and we have to live somewhere. You can make your mortgage payment or your landlord's ... you pick.
So is it really that dismal? Should everyone give up on real estate? Should I find another line of work? ;-) Let's look at the facts:

Let's compare 1st Quarter 2007 vs 1st Quarter 2008

CHATHAM BORO, NJ
Listings 62/59
# under contract 39/22
# closed sales 55/42
Avg DOM 68/41
Avg Sale Price $851,569/629,842

CHATHAM TWP, NJ
# new listings 89/87
# under contract 84/52
# closed sales 86/77
Avg days on market 84/82
Avg sale price $966,175/993,457

MADISON, NJ
# new listings 90/73
# under contract 47/39
# closed sales 31/18
Avg days on market 70/62
Avg sales price $862,951/754,142

SUMMIT, NJ
# new listings 136/142
# under contract 89/77
# closed sales 63/68
Avg days on market 57/70
Avg sales price $991,586/862,851

MILLBURN/SHORT HILLS, NJ
# new listings 147/145
# under contract 93/65
# closed sales 5 2/49
Avg days on market 80/63
Avg sales price $1,182,625/1,282,427

This is a snapshot. As you can see it is not black and white ... some numbers are up, some are down.

If your town is not listed here, drop me an email or comment on this post and I will add the town you ask for.

Meanwhile, it's still a GREAT time to buy ... before interest rates go up and make up for any gains in affordability! Call me to find out the best deal out there today! 201-960-2090 or visit www.BestNJhomes.com to search for your dream home today.

New Morristown Listing- Open House Saturday May 3rd

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:37:00 +0000

Completely and discreetly renovated and updated 2005-2008. True one story ranch. Bright, open spaces. Dream kitchen. Beautifully connected to the outdoors. Close to town. Designed by James S. Jones in 1954 out of respect for the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, this four bedroom home has seen its essence entirely and thoroughly refined again in 2005-2007. New wood windows bring the daylight into every room. Deep soffits shade the summer sun yet trap the warmth of winter light. Rich wood floors unify the space. Light pours through the open design. This special home just blocks from the vibrant center of Morristown and its Historic District. The kitchen that captures the spirit of the home's character. Polished stone counters, Viking 6 burner range, the backsplash glitters with mosaic light. The master suite is a peaceful retreat, with his & hers walk-in closets
90 OGDEN PLACE, MORRISTOWN
4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms
Listing # 2512532
Property size: .94 acre
2007 property tax: $10,488
Offered proudly at $765,000
Call or email Trish Giassa for a private viewing or more information.
201-960-2090
Trish@BestNJhomes.com
For floor plan and virtual tour click here

Recycling

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:47:00 +0000

Since I'm on the subject and I want to do everything I can to keep Chatham, Madison, Summit and Short Hills ... in fact all of New Jersey ... beautiful I am going to pass on an amazing resource for keeping things you don't want or need out of the landfill.

That could be a window you removed, your child's outgrown clothing, the boxes you just used to move ... really anything that still has some life left in it! Check out and sign up at http://www.freecycle.org/. Important: do it with a new and separate email as there are too many of them to clutter your regular address with. You can post your unwanted stuff, leave it on the porch once someone in the network has emailed you they would want "it" and be satisfied that your child's toys will be loved by another child, or that your "old" patio set is happy in a new home ... etc.

Come back early next week for a first quarter market update for Chatham, Summit, Madison and Short Hills real estate sales.

Until then, be well and enjoy the beautiful NJ Spring weather!
Trish

Green, Green, Green!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:45:00 +0000

We have always been good recyclers. Recently we even volunteered to take the empty bottles and cans from a friend's party (a friend who is not a recycler!) home with us to put in the recycle bin.
So, it has always irked me that after a couple of years my computer, printer, fax machine, cell phone, palm, etc. are all useless and going to a landfill somewhere. We regularly donated some of our equipment to an organization locally that re-use some of our equipment. It's a great resource.
New Outlook Pioneers (ex-lucent Pioneers)
230 Diamond Spring Rd.Denville, NJ 07834
www.telecompioneers.org
Bob Hofacker 973-386-4671
Drop-off from 10-3 M & W (they'll take PII and PIII machines, so you old lap top, printer, so on...).
We will continue to do that, of course, because re-use is even better than recycle. But I recently read about a program by the Costco organization.
It is called Costco Trade-in & Recycle Program and you may even get a few bucks for sending in your old equipment. Here is how you find it and use it.
Go to www.Costco.com, click on "Electronics" on the top part of the page, then click on "Trade-in & Recycle" on the left side of the page. Follow the easy instructions.
They also take MP3 players, game systems, monitors, etc.
Check it out and help our world stay GREEN!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:44:00 +0000

Happy St Patrick's Day to you! And to me!

Italians have some unusual customs, much like anyone else, if you think about it. what's that got to do with St Patrick's Day, you ask? Well, St Patrick is my patron saint and as such today is my "Onomastico" or name day. I know it's a bit of a strange word but for all my life my family celebrates it like another birthday so it's an extra special day for me. Imagine, in this country they even have parades and lots of parties!

Speaking of parades, Jake and I and friends attended the Morristown Parade last Saturday and it was fantastic! Lots of fun for kids and adults alike. If you've never been, give it a try next year! Bring family and friends and plan for a fun-filled day!

Happy St Patrick's Day! :-)

Montclair, NJ Sales ... 2006 vs 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:59:00 +0000

Hi,
Do scroll down to January and February posts check out the stats for other NJ towns and please let me know what you think. Post a comment or question!

Montclair, NJ .... 2006 ...vs... 2007

Number of homes/condos sold .... 448 ...... 401
Average sales price .... $714,037 ...... $711,423
Average sales to list price .... 102% ...... 102%
Average days on the market .... 48 ...... 61
Highest sales price .... $3,650,000 (7 Heller Drive) ...... $3,000,000 (4 Duryea Rd)
Number of homes sold over $1 million .... 63 ...... 66
Number of homes sold over $2 million .... 13 .....8

As you can plainly see, there has not been much shift in the statistics. Yes, the real estate market has slowed ... in some parts much more than others. Always remember that more than anything else, real estate is local. A well-maintained home in a solid town will hold up its value, not only as an investment but as a place to hang your hat and call home!

Location, location, location! Buy smart, work with a smart realtor!

Food, Glorious Food!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:29:00 +0000

So, since we're talking about food, I'd like to share an easy and delicious recipe we "created" the other evening … at home! We call it:

Jake's Spinach & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients:

4 Chicken breasts
4 tablespoons goat cheese (creamy is better)
2-3 cups chopped spinach 3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 chopped shallots
1 ¼ cup dry white wine
Butter
Olive oil

In a small pan, sautee the chopped shallots with a small pad of butter and a teaspoon of olive olive oil. Add a tablespoon or so of white wine as the shallots start to turn soft and golden. Put aside.

In a larger pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high for 30 seconds, add the sliced garlic, sautee until golden. Add the spinach and cover. Uncover in a minute and turn the spinach. Cook only until wilted and mixed with the flavor of the oil and garlic (this makes a great side dish too). Chop, and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine the goat cheese, the shallots, and the chopped spinach.

Pound the chicken breasts so that they are uniformly 1/4" think. For larger breasts, slice breasts in 1/2 or 1/3s, approx. 1/2" thick and then pound to 1/4" thick.
Create a pocket in the chicken breast by slicing the side. Do not completely butterfly, but the pieces should be approx. 1/8" thick on either side of the pocket.

Use a spoon to stuff the spinach mixture in the chicken. An even 1/4-1/2" layer is sufficent. Over stuffing will cause the cheese to spill out while cooking.

Coat a large pan with cooking spray and add a small pat of butter. Cook the stuffed chicken, 2-4 minutes per side, until golden. Removew the chicken from pan to a warm platter, add 1 cup white wine to the pan and cook at high heat to deglaze the pan and reduce to about ¼ cup. Pour demi-glaze over chicken and serve.

We served this with baked potato and salad. It was delicious!!! Try it and let me know what you think.

noreply@blogger.com (Patrizia "Trish" Giassa) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:22:00 +0000

We love to eat. Most of the time we cook at home, particularly since our fabulous (and expensive) kitchen renovation, but it is always fun to go out for a meal. We’re very lucky here. We have many fantastic restaurants to choose from in our area, from casual and inexpensive to the opposite. Chatham Borough alone has over a dozen restaurants (this may in part account for the town being so desirable). Some are good, some are great! There are a few I have not yet tried.

For years, however, people have raved to me about Scalini Fedeli a beautiful, upscale dining establishment on Main Street. I had dinner there several years ago, not once but twice and had found the food to be mediocre and overly complicated, the service was merely ok, and the noise level was deafening. I stopped going. In its place I enjoyed very much going to Restaurant Serenade on Roosevelt Street. Another upscale dining establishment that changed hands at about the same time I had the not-so-wonderful experiences at Scalini.

Yet, over the years, people kept raving to me about Scalini. Ok, some people may be easy to please. But the commentary was overwhelming so that I had to revisit Scalini. Wow! What a wonderful dining experience! The food was not overly complicated but more than I would try at home and the result was absolutely scrumptious. Oh, yes, the service was impeccable and the noise level issue must have been dealt with because we were able to speak and hear each other clearly without shouting.

I recently introduced a friend to Serenade and he commented that it was quite special, but equally special is Scalini. I can’t help, now, but agree.

Bon appétit and have a wonderful weekend!