July 26 Update - The new owners of this vacation property in Sussex County NJ have finished renovations. They invited me for a peek at their ski condo near Mountian Creek. Furniture is about to be delivered so the getaway property will be ready for them. At the time of the sale, this room had no sheet rock - floor or ceiling; a sump pump is now hidden in a tiny closet.
The former owners had used this as a mountainous Sussex County getaway property from New York City. Not only did they love the after shots I forwarded, they shared that the proceeds helped make their son's bar mitzvah extra festive!
End of Update
Another Win-Win Real Estate Transaction with one of the Sussex County NJ Vacation Homes!!!
Today I was at a real estate closing in which I represented both the home sellers and the b
uyers. One of the Great Gorge Village vacation homes in Vernon, NJ; it is a 2 bedroom condo that needed a lot of renovation. Photo of the lower-level family room proves I'm not exagerating about the work! Yet today, there are 2 delighted families. Why? Thank you for asking...
We'll call the buyers Bonnie and Clyde BradyBunch. (The sellers can be Romeo and Juliette Jones.) The Bradys were referred to me; they wanted a small vacation getaway near Mountain Creek ski slope for weekend use. At first they were intrigued by my condo-hotel listings in the Appalachian at Mountain Creek and Minerals Hotel and Spa. But with 5 children under the age of 13 and 2 small dogs, the hotels didn't suit their needs.
I showed Bonnie & Clyde several homes listed for sale. They wanted a lower-level unit for child safety reasons. Put in a reasonable offer on one and those sellers did not even counter, despite many months with no previous offers...
The BradyBunch headed to Florida while I went to bat for them. I contacted owners of lower-level condos adjacent to the Mountain Creek ski slope that the Bradys preferred. Two were more than pleased to be "solicited" and sent me keys to take a peek. The Jones family lives in New York City (about 55 miles outside Sussex County NJ) and had not been able to enjoy their condo for the last couple years due to water damage.
Despite condition of Romeo and Juliette's townhouse, I KNEW the BradyBunch would love it. (Clyde just happens to be involved with home improvement!) Sent photos to Florida and set a time to show the Bradys the end-unit townhouse. All 7 gave it a thumbs up! Lots of trees to climb, a creek to splash in, a fabulous Minerals Resorts with pools and a "cliff" to jump off - plus skiing when the weather changes.
Breaking all the rules, I phoned the Joneses with the Brady's offer, negotiated a deal and then did the paperwork. (Naughty girl!) Closed in less than 30 days. As neither the sellers nor the buyers lived in Sussex County, my sellers readily agreed to a slightly higher commission. In return I:
- arranged for (but cancelled) estimates from 2 licensed general contractors;
- installed smoke & carbon monoxide detectors, mounted a fire extinguisher;
- learned there was an open building permit for the new water heater. Installed a "bond jumper" when it flunked inspection;
- met Vernon Township officials a total of 4 times to get the required Certificate of Occupancy;
- scheduled and met 2 HVAC people to get estimates on the air conditioner repair;
- took a complete photo inventory of the condo contents and sent it to Mrs. Jones so she could decide whether to make a trip to take any personal property. (Deal specified the Bradys would do clean out of whatever the Jones decided to abandon.)
Four of the five children were in school today, but here are some happy members of the BradyBunch.
Where is my photo of the happy sellers? Not only do I not have a picture of Romeo and Juliette Jones - I have NEVER MET THEM. That is correct; we got their Sussex County vacation property sold long distance.
And what was the price tag for all this? $125,000 - sold As-Is. Yep, an amount that was win-win for both parties but didn't include some mega-commission.
I try to give all those looking to buy a home or to sell any home in Sussex County NJ - vacation properties or not -million dollar Realtor® service - at every price!
Track all the posts in Irene Kennedy's series on vacation homes in Sussex County NJ.
Copyright © 2009, Irene Kennedy, all rights reserved. This blog post from http://www.realtorirene.com/ represents Irene's personal musings.
Considering selling a home or looking to buy one around Sussex County, NJ? Benefit from creative marketing, top negotiating skills and vast real estate knowledge by contacting Irene via the data to the right or http://www.homesirene.com/.
Irene Kennedy, who is a NJ real estate agent with Weichert, Realtors, lives in Sussex County & works from the Hamburg office. Her primary market includes: Augusta, Branchville, Crystal Springs, Frankford, Franklin, Hamburg, Hampton, Hardyston, Highland Lakes, Lake Mohawk, Newton, Ogdensburg, Scenic Lakes, Sparta, Sussex, Vernon, Wantage. With her vast network, however, Irene Kennedy also can help you find an equally talented real estate agent elsewhere.
I prepared some statistics on April 16, 2009 for a specific deal, so this focuses more on condos with at least 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Thought others might benefit from this overview, based on data from the Garden State MLS system.
