About Sussex County, NJ

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.

My Vacation Properties in Sussex County NJ series has brought new business my way, which is a wonderful thing for a fairly new blogger. By following tips learned on ActiveRain, even the pictures I'm using have given me the coveted Google juice SEO

Happy to report that the Scenic Lakes - Vernon NJ - home for sale for which I took the original photo is now Under Contract, yesterday I was honored to receive an email (excerpts below):

I work for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. We are in the process of updating the website of one of our programs, the Bureau of Air Quality Permitting Program.

We were looking for a beautiful scenic photograph from within the state to post on our website.
Upon doing a GOOGLE search a photo from your website showed, and to be honest, we love it.

The photo in question is attached, but was found on this page: http://realtorirene.com/channels/home_buying/topics/vacation_properties_in_sussex_county_nj
Its the last one (the lake view of the autumn trees).

The response by this Sussex County NJ real estate agent!

No, I didn't get paid - didn't even ask. (Okay, I'll confess I did ask this gentleman if he was interested in buying or selling any real estate - but only AFTER I gave permission to use my picture!) Personally flattered, I think this is a honor for Sussex County NJ - Scenic Lakes in Vernon in particular. Of all the lovely possibilities, our area was chosen.

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.

This Fannie Mae foreclosure is a move-in condition bank-owned, 3+ bedroom home for sale in Wantage - Sussex County NJ! Unlike some short sales, buyers can close on this REO very rapidly - in time for the $8000 tax credit. This bi-level is on a mountain in the Lake Neepaulin lake community within Wantage.

While I am not the actual listing agent, my parent company is and has honored me with the task of bringing in the buyers for this Wantage foreclosure property. New, neutral carpet has been installed in the living room, hallway and 3 upstairs bedrooms.  All the rooms have been freshly painted.

Reasons I predict this Sussex County NJ bank-owned home for sale will go quickly:

• Priced in the range most attractive to first-time buyers;
• Quick closing is possible;
• It can be used as a 3 or 4 bedroom home;
• 3 full bathrooms - most unusual;
• Few REO homes for sale in Sussex County are this nicely fixed up;
• Lake Neepaulin is one of the many Sussex County lake communities that are popular for year-round residents and for vacation homes.

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.

This Sparta NJ Real Estate Market Report is based on data recorded in GSMLS as of October 4, 2009. Statistics covering Lake Mohawks home for sale (below) are from the same source. While I don't publish monthly data on all Sussex County NJ homes for sale, I certainly can work it up for you as appropriate!

GSMLS market data for Sparta NJ real estate shows that only 11 homes were sold in September 2009. These had an average sale price of $455,773; the median price was $350,000. For 2009, 11 sales in a month are the second lowest; there were just 8 closings in Sparta in February. Given there are 26 Sparta homes for sale under contract, I'm optimistic that we'll have many more closings during October.

For the 45 new listings of homes for sale in Sparta in September, the average asking price is $524,912. The average list price for homes that went under contract in September is $660,098 - a significant jump aided by 2 very expensive Lake Mohawk properties!

A subset of my Sparta NJ real estate report, Lake Mohawk market data shows just 3 sales, recorded at $337,500, $365,000 and $615,000. During September, we had 9 Lake Mohawk homes for sale go under contract, ranging from just $239,900 up to $3,950,000. (Sure wish I represented the buyer of that big one!) As of the end of September there were still 66 active Lake Mohawk homes for sale.

Start looking at homes for sale in Sparta NJ listed between $350K - $500K.

Copyright © 2009, Irene Kennedy, all rights reserved. This blog post from RealtorIrene.com represents Irene's personal musings.

Considering selling a home or looking to buy real estate in Sussex County NJ? Benefit from creative marketing, top negotiating skills and vast real estate knowledge by contacting Irene via the data to the right.