Hello, and welcome to the West Windsor real estate blog. Here you’ll find the most up to date information on the real estate market here in West Windsor.

Click here to read my latest newsletter.

This month’s newsletter features articles on:

Home Ownership: Just a Tax Credit Away!

As you may recall, Congress passed new legislation in the fall in an effort to stimulate the U.S. housing market.  The Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit can help both first time homebuyers and current homeowners in the following ways.

Make an Entrance

Your entryway is the first thing you and your guests — and potential buyers — see when entering your home.  To learn how to create a foyer that functions well and makes a great first impression, keep reading.

Get It In Writing

Spring is a popular time for home renovations.  To help minimize disputes with your contractor and ensure your project goes smoothly, your contract should include the following details.

Over Emotional

Buying a home is an emotional process — but sometimes our emotions get the better of us.  Below are four emotional mistakes homebuyers should be aware of.

New Light

Spring is almost here, and buyers will soon be out in full force, scouting prospective houses and neighborhoods — and not just during the day.  Here are some tips to boost your home’s nighttime curb appeal.

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Home Sweet…Investment Property?

The U.S. real estate market is changing faster than ever before.  Depending on your state, city and individual neighborhood, real estate prices may have dropped, increased or remained stable over the past few months.

Household Hazards

As we grow more conscientious about our health, our impact on the environment and how we spend our money, we become more choosy about the products we will — and will not — allow in our homes.  Here are five chemicals commonly found in household cleaning products that you are urged to avoid.

The Eyes Have It

Of all our five senses, sight has the greatest influence over a buyer’s decision to buy — or not to buy.  To make your home the apple of buyers’ eyes, appeal to their senses of sight.

Onward & Upward

Homeowners who are looking to move up have new considerations to make now, ones that they didn’t have as first-time buyers.  So for all move-up buyers, here’s some advice.

Read February’s newsletter here

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What is a Short Sale, And is it Right For Me?

Now that the holidays are over, your thoughts may be shifting back to your housing situation, including a 2010 move.  The real estate market is still front-page news in many cities, with mentions of  “short sales”.  What are short sales and how might they apply to you?

Stay In, Work Out

With a new year come New Year’s resolution.  Many will resolve to make physical fitness a priority in the coming year, a goal more easily achieved at the gym or when you have a home gym–which you can have, no matter where you live or how little space is available.

Relocating Responsibly

Whether you’re relocating across town, across the country or across the world, you can make your move a little easier on the planet.  Follow these tips to make your next move a more environmentally friendly one.

Read January’s newsletter here

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with family and friends, filled with laughter and joy. 

Once again, here are a few things to keep in mind before I get down to this week’s market activity.

Market absorption is an industry wide standard that is used to measure the market.  Simply put, it is the amount of time, in months, that it would take to sell the existing inventory at the current pace of sales, assuming no other homes come on the market.  A market absorption rate of 5-6 months is considered a ‘normal’ market; anything under 5-6 months is a seller’s market and over 6 months is a buyer’s market.   Attorney review is the period after an offer is accepted by a seller and the attorneys are working through the contract details.  Pending (or under contract) means that the contract has completed the attorney review period, and is now binding upon both the buyer and the seller. 

We currently have 82 listings in the entire township of West Windsor; 17 of which are townhomes/condos and 65 are single family homes.  The market absorption rate for the township is 5 months, a three month difference from last week’s 8 month market absorption rate.   

There were 7 properties reported as pending this past week in West Windsor, a pretty robust showing for a holiday week:

• 203 Salem Ct., Canal Pointe condo, listed at $259,800, days on market (DOM) 12
• 52 Grande Blvd., Village Grande (active adult community), listed at $289,000, DOM 225
• 45 Scott Ave., Berrien Village single family home (SFH),  listed at $379,900, DOM 128
• 11 Monterey Dr., Benford Estates SFH, listed at $528,000, DOM 65
• 278 N. Post Rd.,Wellington Estates SFH, listed at $589,000, DOM 76
• 2 Jewel Rd., Crown Pointe SFH, listed at $808,000, DOM 4
• 2 Norfolk Dr., Millbrook SFH, listed at $925,000, DOM 66

New to the West Windsor market this week is the following property:

• 203 Salem Ct, Canal Pointe condo, listed at $254,999

Reported closed sales in West Windsor this past week are:

• 8 Scott Ave., Berrien Village SFH, $275,000 (originally listed at $279,900), DOM 35
• 41 Nassau Pl., Colonial Park SFH, $461,000 (originally listed at $489,000), DOM 24

In addition, 1 property went into attorney review, 1 property had a price reduction, 2 properties expired and 1 property was withdrawn from the West Windsor market.

If you would like a customized West Windsor market snapshot delivered right to your inbox, please click here. 

Please visit my West Windsor sold page  for more  informaton on what homes have sold by month (organized by development) over the past two years.

Hi everyone!  Welcome to my blog.  A few things to keep in mind before I get down to this week’s market activity.

Market absorption is an industry wide standard that is used to measure the market.  Simply put, it is the amount of time, in months, that it would take to sell the existing inventory at the current pace of sales, assuming no other homes come on the market.  A market absorption rate of 5-6 months is considered a ‘normal’ market; anything under 5-6 months is a seller’s market and over 6 months is a buyer’s market.   Attorney review is the period after an offer is accepted by a seller and the attorneys are working through the contract details.  Pending (or under contract) means that the contract has completed the attorney review period, and is now binding upon both the buyer and the seller. 

We currently have 88 listings in the entire township of West Windsor; 16 of which are townhomes/condos and 72 are single family homes.  The market absorption rate for the township is 8 months.  Given that an 8 month supply is the balance point below which home prices are inclined to stabilize, an end to 3 years of declining home prices could be at hand.  In addition, based upon current trends, it appears that home sale activity during the winter months will rise to its highest seasonal level since 2004, a time when home prices were still rising. 

This past week in West Windsor saw three properties go pending:

• 4 Fairfax Court, single family home in Grovers Mill Estates, listed for $604,000, days on market (DOM) 44
• 33 Springhill Drive, single family home in Princeton Chase, listed for $650,000, DOM 128
• 4 Country Squire Lane, single family home in Hunters Run, listed for $798,000, DOM 24

New to the West Windsor market are the following properties:

• 110 Lowell Court, Canal Pointe condo, listed at $255,000
• 148 Princeton-Hightstown Road, single family home, listed at $519,900
• 2 Jewel Road, single family home in Crown Pointe, listed at $808,000

Closed Sales in West Windsor this past week are:

• 34 Honeyflower Lane, Village Grande (Active Adult Community), $310,000, DOM 88
• 16 Heath Ct, Canal Pointe condo, $371,500, DOM 69
• 349 Clarksville Road, single family home, $390,000, DOM 18
• 15 Perry Drive, Kings Mill single family home, $510,000, DOM 189
• 2 Birchwood Court, Birchwood Estates single family home, $558,000, DOM 239
• 79 Saratoga Drive, Kings Point single family home, $570,000, DOM 39
• 32 Slayback Drive, Princeton Ivy single family home, $593,000, DOM 63
• 419 Clarksville Road, single famly home, $997,000, DOM 56

In addition, 2 properties went into attorney review, 3 properties had price reductions, and 2 properties were withdrawn from the West Windsor market.

If you would like a customized West Windsor market snapshot delivered right to your inbox, please click here. 

Please visit my West Windsor sold page  for more  informaton on what homes have sold by month (organized by development) over the past two years.

This month’s newsletter features articles on:

Planning for Sales Success in 2010

The real estate market was front-page news throughout this year, and will likely continue to be a hot topic into the new year.  If you’re planning to sell your home in 2010, you may find yourself up against some unique circumstances you never anticipated.

Paint It Green

You can go green no mater what color you apply to your walls.  Make your next paint job a more environmentally friendly and health-conscious one — give traditional paints the brush off and roll with a smart alternative.

Above and Beyond

Decluttering, cleaning to a shine, making minor repairs — these things are obvious, but what else can you do to really make your home stand apart from the competition?

Read December’s newsletter here

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Pending Home Sales Show Positive Trend

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced that contract activity for pending home sales has risen for six straight months, a pattern not seen in the history of the index since it began in 2001.

Deck the Halls?

If your home will be for sale this holiday season, you have some decor decisions to make.  Should you maintain tradition and put up your holiday decorations as usual or forego them altogether?

Rooms to Improve

Buying and renovating a fixer-upper can be very rewarding, so long as you know what you’re getting into.  If you’ve got your eye on a house that needs some work, you’ll want to think about the following points.

Read November’s newsletter here

This month’s newsletter features articles on:

Your Inside Connection to Today’s Changing Market
With existing home sales continuing to rise in the U.S. on a month-to-month basis and home prices declining less sharply than recently recorded, today’s housing market continues to make front-page news.

The Perfect Arrangement
How you arrange your furniture can make or break a room, both from a functional and an aesthetic standpoint. As you place your pieces, keep in mind the following considerations.

Empty Nest
First, consider having your vacant home professionally staged. There’s a reason model homes are furnished: Buyers must be able to envision themselves living in the space — when it’s empty, that’s harder to do.
Read October’s newsletter here

This month’s newsletter features articles on:

In With the New or In With the Old?
Looking for a new home? Or is an “old” house more to your liking? There are many factors to consider when deciding between an older house versus a newly constructed house.

The Green Treatment
In the quest to make your home’s interior more environmentally friendly, you probably think first of things like installing energy-efficient appliances and CFL bulbs.

First Things First
If you’re moving into your new home soon, you’ll want to add these points to your list of moving priorities:

Read September’s newsletter here

This month’s newsletter features articles on:

Jump in Pending Home Sales Reflects Positive Trend
There is currently an extremely positive home-buying trend, which first attracted widespread attention with NAR’s April 2009 report.
Germ Warfare
You can’t see the enemy, but they’re everywhere. What’s worse, your chosen means of combating them may be doing more harm than good. But you can wage war on germs so that everybody wins: You, your family — and the environment.

What Do Buyers Want?
The kitchen has long been considered the deciding factor for a buyer’s decision — after all, the kitchen is where families tend to spend the majority of their time.

Read Augsust’s newsletter here