Cranford, NJ

Gone are the days of calling the neighbor's daughter to babysit. At least, without her having the proper credentials. Childcare on all levels is important. When education on childcare can be obtained, it should be embraced, because it only enhances the provider's knowledge. Case in point, the Red Cross Babysitting Course offered May 16, 2009, 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., in conference rooms A & B at the Somerset Medical Center.

The course is geared for youth ages 11 -15. The objective is to provide them with skill sets essential to provide safe and responsible care in the absence of parents or guardians. The training is designed to foster leadership skills, professionalism, basic care, safety, safe play and first aid. Upon completion the student will receive a certificate and an illustrated book. The class size is limited. Students should bring lunch and a snack.

The fee is $60. Call 908-685-2814 to register.

As I shared in my blog last week, the biggest factor affecting the Cranford NJ Real Estate market right now is inventory. While plenty of homes are starting to go under contract and close, we currently have 98 homes on the market, which is about double what was for sale during the peak of the market in 2005. This means that buyers have tremendous choice, and sellers who price correctly will sell if they are the best looking property in that range. There are, unfortunately, a lot of homes on the market though that have been for sale for a long time, as they are just not priced right.

For a complete list of homes for sale in Cranford NJ, and other fantastic towns, logon to:

http://www.NJAreaRealEstate.com

Sean Carroll - Realtor, Sales Associate

RE/MAX Classic Group

908-898-0800

Here are the raw numbers for Cranford NJ for the 2 month period from December 1 through January 31. Later this week, I will be posting the 4th quarter numbers and comparing that quarter to the 3rd quarter and the 4th quarter from a year ago, so you can see where are market is, and maybe even where it is going.

Here is the data for those 2 months:

Closed Sales: 18

Avg. Sales Price: $429,205

Avg. Final List Price: $459,227

List to Sale Price Ratio: 93.4% (this is as low as I've seen this number in a while, indicating a very sharp decline in home prices in the 4th quarter, like I shared in prior blogs)

Avg. Days on Market: 74

Check back for more numbers soon for other towns, and for the quarterly reports and comparisons! Thanks for reading.

www.TeamCarrollNJ.com

This weekend, the Cranford, NJ based Celebration Singers will be performing their annual Winter Concert at the Harvest Training Center on Myrtle Avenue in Cranford, NJ. The concert begins at 8:15 P.M. and tickets are $15 for adults, and $10 for seniors and children. The program features the adult choir and children's choir, as well as a combined number at the end of the program. Come get into the holiday spirit and see your favorite Realtor (me) on stage performing with the group.

For more information, contact me, or logon to the website below.

www.Celebration-Singers.org

Thanks for reading.

Sean Carroll

RE/MAX Classic Group

www.TeamCarrollNJ.com

Here are the raw numbers for Cranford, NJ Real Estate for the Month Ending October 31, 2008.

Average Sales Price: $468,384

Average Days on Market: 76

Average List to Sale Price Ratio: 97%

Closed Transactions: 19

The sales activity declined from prior months, as the financial news in September caused buyer activity to decline sharply due to uncertainty. There were still a good number of closings for the fall, but I anticipate this 4th quarter total to be much less than a year ago. Check back for year over year comparisons, as well as quarterly comparisons, so we can see where we are in the market trends.

Buyers: Opportunities to buy into this great town of Cranford are many. But you have to act quickly on the well priced homes, as motivated sellers are already building in the market correction to their list prices!!! Although prices may still trend downward for the near future, if you find the home you love, this is a GREAT time to buy it at a discounted price. By buying now, and staying in the home for the long term, you will still likely see good appreciation as we look beyond the 4-5 year horizon.

Sellers: Get good, honest pricing advice from your Realtor, and let us guide you to position your home properly in the marketplace to ensure that our marketing does what it's designed to do. You CAN still sell for a fair price..Just not the 2005 price!! Prices are still trending downward, so get ahead of the market.

www.TeamCarrollNJ.com