About Franklin's Route 94

On Wednesday, a Franklin NJ Ranch Home for Sale sold for 95% of its list price (the average list-to-sale price ratio for Sussex County NJ real estate). From the date of listing, it was just 56 days to closing. We had 3 offers within the first 12 days, so this listing attracted great interest! The sale price was $171,000 and there were no seller-concessions.

The new owners had visited my Open House and simply had to have this home for sale in Franklin. Wonderful people and well qualified buyers, they had interacted with 6 other real estate agents before thay met me! I am 007!

Even though I represented both sides (a dual-disclosed agent in NJ lingo), both the sellers and buyers knew their interests were well served every step of the way. Sure, there were challenges. The sellers were in Florida, so I handled many aspects for them. We had multiple visits from the fire-safety inspector to get the Certificate of Occupancy. Termite treatment. The well test flunked. Over-chlorination resulted in 2 more tests and then a UV system still had to be installed.

But we got to the closing table as scheduled! Too bad a martini "shaken, not stirred" doesn't appeal to this Agent 007!

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.

Open Houses at homes for sale in Sussex County NJ have averaged 2.5 parties for quite some time. A party might be 1 person, a couple or family of 5 - one potential "home buying" unit. Our Opens are for 4 hours and I mine quite seriously. Lots of advance publicity, newspaper ad with a photo, tons of signs with balloons.

No rhyme or reason - sometimes I still get skunked. Yep, no visitors at all. Discouraging for both me and the owners of the home for sale in Sussex County. At one of my very initial Open Houses in Sussex County (Branchville to be precise), I had a woman visit who was quite interested. We looked at many other homes before she purchased the one where we met. This lovely lady is a local real estate attorney and we've referred business to one another ever since. In fact, she recommended me to the seller of the Franklin NJ ranch home where I did an Open House on Sunday, August 9.

The Sussex County NJ real-estate gods must have been smiling down on me that day. Due to begin at 1:00 p.m., I arrived at 19 Scott Road in Franklin NJ 45 minutes early. Wanted to turn on the lights, open windows, arrange flyers, set up a beverage station, etc. A car followed me up the driveway, so I gladly gave the couple a leisurely tour of this home for sale. They departed shortly before 1:00 - but 3 other parties pulled up immediately!

Now I'm a very good and very experienced real estate agent. (Also very modest!) No way, however, can I give each potential buyer of a home in Sussex County the attention he or she deserves when an Open House is so busy. My husband Chip is also a real estate agent, so I called him to come help. Hadn't even finished showing Chip the home when the next few parties arrived!

We had 14 parties at this Open House in Franklin NJ, several of whom were seriously interested in it.

The best news, however, is that one couple returned as I was closing up my Open House to say they needed to buy the home! The seller accepted their offer 24 hours later - having considered it and a second that was submitted on Monday. We're now Under Contract and have completed the home inspection.

I'm now getting ready to help the buyers rent or sell their current home in Stockholm NJ. Plus I'm helping several of those other Open House visitors find the right home. Textbook example of the power of an Open House!