About Sussex County, NJ

This bargain is a foreclosed 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom interior townhouse in Indian Fields. (Hardyston township shares a Hamburg NJ zip code.) In one of Sussex County's most desirable communities, this Freddie Mac REO is priced to move very, very quickly. I'm very excited to be able to offer this real estate listing at 25 Meadow Pond Road.

On the day it was listed (November 6, 2009), it is - at $188900 - by far the least expensive active home for sale in the Garden State MLS for the section Indian Fields.

Does it need wall prep and interior painting? Sure does.

Does it need new carpeting? Without a doubt. Personally, I'd also replace the vinyl floor in the kitchen.

Are a couple of the thermal windows cracked and in need of replacement? You betcha.

Does the difference between $188900 and $224900 more than compensate for the work that is needed? I certainly think so and strongly suspect that buyers will too!

The electric should be on later today; the cleaning will occur on/by Wednesday, Nov. 11. Showings, however, can already begin. It does have a finished, walkout basement too!

This bank-owned Indian Fields townhouse in Hardyston NJ is certainly what I view as one of Sussex County's current hot homes for sale. With an REO, fast decisions and closings are possible. It is being sold entirely AS-IS and the buyer will have to cover transfer tax, Certificate of Occupancy and winterization costs associated with home inspections. But it is still a great real estate deal!

Copyright © 2009, Irene Kennedy, all rights reserved. This blog post 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.

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, Stockholm, Sussex, Vernon, Wantage.

Sussex County Mortgage Loan Programs abound, as there are a variety of available loan options for first-time buyers, those "upsizing" or "downsizing", or those who simply wish to refinance their existing mortgage. Sussex County Mortgage Loan Programs include and are not limited to: FHA Mortgages, VA Loans, Fannie Mae Loans, Adjustable Rate Mortgages, USDA RD Loans, Jumbo Mortgage Loans, and Stated Income Loans. We will review briefly each type of loan listed above to go over the programs we offer as a New Jersey Mortgage Banker. We offer additional mortgage programs as a broker as well, giving us the ability to offer the best of both worlds. For a direct quote on any particular program, please contact me or feel free to call me directly at 908 531 6170. Here is a synopsis of several of our different loan programs:

FHA Mortgages are very popular among our Sussex County Mortgage Loan Programs, as a large portion of our loans is through FHA and we have FHA Approved underwriters on staff. We offer the traditional 203B, 3.5% down FHA Purchase Money loan as well as refinancing options. Here is a recent blog I wrote about the FHA Adjustable Rate Mortgage Program. The fixed rate program is super as well. FHA loans can be a benefit purchases and refinances.

Jumbo Mortgage Loans: We have Sussex County Mortgage Loan Programs with true Jumbo Mortgage programs on a brokered basis. Although many parts of NJ have benefitted from the "super-conforming" loan limits, some areas still have relatively low loan limits. Sussex County's loan limit is $729,000 currently. Here is a recent blog about our jumbo programs in NJ. Both fixed rate as well as ARM options are available.

USDA RD Loans: particularly in Sussex County, New Jersey, there are plenty of areas qualified for the moderate income rural development 100% financing program. As a New Jersey Mortgage Banker, we underwrite and fund these loans ourselves. Here is some info on the USDA program and eligible areas in NJ. The most important part to remember about the USDA program is you must qualify income-wise and the property location must fall within an approved area.

VA Mortgages: 100% financing for qualified veterans is a great loan program for veteran first-time homebuyers and seasoned homebuyers alike. With VA approved underwriters on staff, we offer in-house underwriting for VA Loans. Here is a recent blog I wrote with some basic information regarding the VA Mortgage Program.

Stated Income Mortgage Loans: We do not offer the traditional "liar's loan", but rather have on a brokered basis access to Stated Income Mortgage Loans for the self-employed borrowers for which this program was originally intended. This blog has more information about our stated income brokered product.

For more information on the Sussex County Mortgage Loan Programs we offer, use my contact form or call me at 908 531 6170.

The key to having good photos for a web site or other marketing materials is to take lots of photos--a cheap easy thing to do in the age of digital photography.

Here are are some photos of staged rooms that didn't make it onto a web site or promotional flyer. But these "extra" photos are perfect to illustrate some of the key principles of staging. Bedrooms, always benefit from staging--it's much easier to imagine furniture layout in a room that already has some furniture. This bedroom also had a loft area perfect for an office and an aerial view of the bed.

The photo on the left illustrates one of the best uses of staging--defining a space. This space just inside the front door made everyone who entered wonder what it was--it was awkward and dark.

A few accessories and this space became "Martha Stewart's mudroom" as one visitor put it.

Although a house is usually a family's biggest investment, the purchase is often made based on emotion rather than a cost benefit analysis.

Staging plays to those emotions by helping people imagine the lifestyle they will have living in this particular house. Beautiful dining rooms help potential buyers see themselves entertaining, making memories and celebrating life's milestones.

In this market with so many houses for a buyer to look at a house that accommodates their furniture, makes sense spatially and connects emotionally is the one they will remember, revisit and make an offer on.

The long Columbus Day weekend and peak Fall foliage in Sussex County, NJ generally coincide. The beautiful colors always inspire me to take lots of photos--and wish the photos I had taken were better. Below are some tips gleaned from experts, the internet and my own experience.

• Put the camera in the car. A camera phone does not do justice to the subject. We're lucky in Sussex County to see breathtaking sights on our way to the grocery store so keep a camera handy.
• Catch the "golden light". Photographers refer to the hours right around surise and sunset as the golden hours--the light best for photos.
• The air is clearest after a rain--especially in the mornng. Dust, pollutants etc. have been washed away and you will get a clearer view.
• Look for color contrasts--dark green conifers behind bright red maples for example.
• Try different settings and lenses for your camera. Use a telephoto lense to pick out detail. Use a wide angle lense for large swaths of color.
• Try a polarizing filter on your camera lense. The filter will minimize reflection and glare and give you the saturated colors of Fall.
• If the sky is gray and overcast minimize the amount of sky in the photo--zoom in on the trees.
• Use a photo editing program to enhance your photos. I use Photoshop Elements and generally the quick fix editing results in photos I'm happy with.
• Think outside of the forest. Many images say Fall besides beautifully colored trees--farmers market, piles of pumpkins, leaves floating on the water.

If you live in Sussex County or are visiting some of the most beautiful spots for photos are High Point State Park with its views of the Delaware River and many lakes. Stokes State Forest offers stunning views from Sunrise Mountain and Tillmans Ravine offers trees, water and rocks.

Whatever you do, take some time to enjoy the changing colors and the beauty that surrounds us. When you are ready to change the colors inside your home be sure to give me a call.