Catherine "Cathy" Chaudemanche Team - Central Jersey Homes

It can happen to even the best Edison home. It has great curb appeal and the interior shows well. So, why isn't it selling? Even if your home is the best home in the neighborhood, it can still end up languishing on the market as others around it sell. So, what can you do to get your home sold?

Check Your Price

Being over priced, even by a relatively small amount, is the most common reason homes don't sell. The wrong price can prevent potential buyers from even looking at your home. Keep your emotions out of the calculations. Of course, you love your home and think it's very valuable. But, you need to look at it as an impartial outsider. Examine the facts and figures presented by your real estate agent, and take his or her expert advice. Price isn't the only factor to consider.

Picture It

Homes marketed with only one or two photos are passed by. The more photos the better, but any old photos won't do. You need quality photos. Consider hiring a professional real estate photographer, or work with an Edison real estate agent who will get professional photographs for you.

Promote It Online

These days almost 90% of all buyers start their home search online. Make sure your Edison home is marketed on multiple websites to get the broadest possible exposure. In addition to using multiple photos as mentioned above, a great online marketing tool is a virtual tour. Ask your agent to create a virtual tour for your home.

Market it Everywhere

Advertise your home in as many ways and as many places as possible. Here are a few ideas:

• Colorful flyers
• Home magazine ads
• Postcard mailings
• Emails to other agents and potential buyers

Looking for timely and insightful mortgage and real estate information? Bookmark my Blog today! You'll get also local real estate commentaries, statistics and trends. I post 5 to 7 times a week.

Cathy Chaudemanche
Realtor Associate/Keller Williams Realty
Metuchen, NJ
Servicing Home Buyers and Sellers in Middlesex County, NJ
http://www.YourHouseFast.com

Sometimes the motive for selling your home isn't about upsizing, it's about downsizing. Downsizing isn't necessarily about spending less money. Just as frequently, it's about increasing your home's amenities while decreasing the work and responsibilities involved in a larger home. There are a lot of excellent reasons for downsizing your Piscataway home.

•· The kids have grown up and moved away

•· You want less work inside and/or out

•· You just want to enjoy your home without hassle

•· You want something smaller and greener to save energy and the environment

•· You want community amenities such as golf and tennis

•· You want luxuries like a granite countertop, stainless steel appliances, whirlpool tub, pool and spa

•· You want less responsibility so you're free to travel

Downsizing is all about knowing what your needs are and what you desire in a new home, which is basically the same thing you need to know when upsizing. When people think about buying a new Piscataway home, it's usually about more bathrooms, more bedrooms, and more space. But, as home owners get older, they often begin to realize that all that space is more of an obstacle than a benefit.

For example, condominiums or townhouses are an attractive option for busy homeowners. There's no yard work and owning a condo still provides a tangible real estate asset with all the accompanying tax incentives. Those are especially valuable now with the $8,000 tax credit stimulus package giving new homeowners a bigger tax rebate for a real estate purchase on a principle residence in 2009.

Looking for timely and insightful mortgage and real estate information? Bookmark my Blog today! You'll get also local real estate commentaries, statistics and trends. I post 5 to 7 times a week.

Cathy Chaudemanche
Realtor Associate/Keller Williams Realty
Metuchen, NJ
Servicing Home Buyers and Sellers in Middlesex County, NJ
http://www.YourHouseFast.com

Making an offer on a piece of property is nerve wracking; especially if your offer is a little lower than the asking price. You can make your offer more appealing with a few simple additions that are good ways to cinch a Metuchen real estate deal.

Get Approved

It's easy to add a contingency to a bid that the offer is only valid when you get financing. But that means you're keeping the seller waiting on pins and needles to find out if you qualify for financing. If your offer is low, the seller may be unwilling to accept the double whammy of a financial contingency and a low offer. Getting pre-approved for a loan is a much better incentive for a seller to accept a lower offer.

Increase Your Earnest Money

A larger amount of earnest money makes you seem more serious about purchasing the home.

KISS (Keep It Simple Silly)

A low bid with a lot of little requests or contingencies that complicate it will hurt your chances. Don't ask for drapes or appliances that were not originally offered by the seller. And, don't ask for minor repair work that you can easily and inexpensively take care of yourself.

Write a Letter

Write a letter to the sellers telling them what you like about the home and why it's perfect for you and your family. It might sound trivial, but offers are often accepted just because the sellers like a buyer.

Let the Sellers Choose the Closing Date

Tell the sellers the closing date is negotiable. Do they need 60 days instead of 30? Let them have it. Do they need a few days to move out after closing? Give it to them.

Looking for timely and insightful mortgage and real estate information? Bookmark my Blog today! You'll get also local real estate commentaries, statistics and trends. I post 5 to 7 times a week.

Cathy Chaudemanche
Realtor Associate/Keller Williams Realty
Metuchen, NJ
Servicing Home Buyers and Sellers in Middlesex County, NJ
http://www.YourHouseFast.com

You've finally decided you want to buy a piece of Edison real estate, in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What do you do now? Here are a few tips for getting the best deal for your money:

Check Out Your Credit

The first thing you'll want to do is order a copy of your credit report from the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Look for inaccuracies in:

• Name
• Address
• Creditors
• Late payments
• Delinquencies

After you've reviewed your credit report and know your credit score, you're ready to make improvements to your report, if your credit score is too low. Send a written "Notice of Correction" to the credit bureaus. It can be up to 200 words. If needed, you can explain why you fell behind on a particular debt, and every time a lender accesses the report, they'll see your explanation.

It can take several months to for your credit score to go up. However, it's well worth the effort to get a better interest rate. It can save you thousands on your Edison real estate.

Get Pre-approved

Before you start looking at properties, it's a good idea to get a pre-approval letter from a lender. The lender takes into consideration your income and credit history. Then the lender determines the loan amount for which you qualify.

Most pre-approval letters list the maximum amount for which you are approved, not necessarily the amount you can afford. Look carefully at your budget so that you don't get too excited about the number and get into more house than you can afford.

There are several benefits to getting pre-approved. It allows you and your Edison real estate agent to narrow down the house search. That way you won't waste time seeing properties you can't afford. Also, sellers will give your bid more weight if you're pre-approved.

Are you a first-time buyer? You have just made a fabulous decision for your future. There are tons of great buys in the Edison real estate market. I'm a specialist in this community and would love to help you buy the home of your dreams. Contact me now.

Cathy Chaudemanche

There are many items you own that never move from the spot you placed them when you brought them home. Some of these objects are very large like televisions or cabinets. Other belongings are lighter but extremely delicate. Valuable items can either be very expensive or just full of sentimental value. How do you protect them from possible damage or loss during a move to your new Piscataway home in Middlesex County?

• Beg, borrow, or buy bubble wrap. It protects your valuables better than just paper. However, when paper will do, go to news outlets and ask for old papers you can get either at a great discount or for free for wrapping.
• Use old carpet or moving pads to protect your furniture. Even if items are unlikely to break outside of a catastrophe, they can still get scuffed or bruised. Padding protects your wood furniture from dings and your cloth furnishings from tears or rips.
• Get Insured. Yes, you can get moving insurance, and if you have valuables you can't afford to replace, it is well worth the expense. With many televisions costing upwards of a thousand dollars a piece, it's a good idea to make sure that if the unspeakable does happen you can replace them. While some things can't be replaced, at least you won't be without both the item and the money it was worth if you have your things insured. Accidents happen whether you hire professionals or move your possessions yourself. So, having insurance is the smart way to go when moving to your new Piscataway home.

Don't forget to protect your most valuable possession-yourself. When moving heavy objects, use care and lift properly to avoid hurting your back or pulling muscles. Keep small children out of the way of traffic. Board your pets, or get a friend to pet sit, to ensure their safety on a hectic moving day.

Cathy Chaudemanche