Princeton Real Estate Blog

How To Sell Princeton Home In One Week

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:23:44 -0500

Why some Princeton homes sell quickly while others languish? Worst yet, why some of the Princeton homes for sale don't sell at all? These are the frequently asked questions by those selling or contemplating a sale of their Princeton real estate. This year-to date in Princeton Township and Borough there were 327 Princeton homes for sale listed and 186 homes sold. This means approximately 43% of Princeton real estate did not sell and the homes were either withdrawn or expired. So, how as a home seller you could be part of the successful 57% ? One thing you could do is to examine some of the Princeton real estate success stories.
Read: Why Some Princeton Homes Sell Quickly?

Here is a case of the home I marketed recently - under contract within one week. The home was on the market 2 years ago. After several price reductions the offers were low. I found for these sellers an exceptionally profitable rental opportunity and the home was taken off the market and rented out.

Fast forward two years. The homes goes on the market and is under contract within a week for more then the offer two years ago. What has changed? Did Princeton real estate drastically improve over the last two years, or was there something else? How did we do it?

My seller clients know the secret word to make it happen and now I am going to share it with you. The word is "Wow". This is what a potential buyer has to say when they see your Princeton home for sale. It is as simple as that. This is what the "Wow" covers:

Price. Nothing trumps this in importance. The reaction you are looking from a buyer interested in a Princeton home like yours, is something like this: "Wow, all of this (meaning your home's amenities) for this $(meaning a realistic market price). Another way to look at it, your home has to beat all equal competing Princeton homes for sale on price. Often sellers are concerned they would end up selling for less then similar, but higher priced properties. Usually it's not the case. We have seen bidding wars for Princeton properties priced right.

Two years ago this home was priced the same or a bit higher then competition and didn't sell quickly. This time priced right it did, while many competing properties priced higher didn't sell at all.

Photography. You have to Wow buyers with photos. The goal is to make the buyers put your Princeton home for sale on the list of must see homes. You have to Wow the agents as well for them to want to come the Brokers Open House. It's only when they have seen how wonderful your home is in reality would they call their clients to say "Wow, I just saw a house you can't miss seeing".

This is exactly what happened with this Princeton home for sale. Pictures taken by a professional photographer - generated a lot of interest among other agents. Several agents said this could be perfect for their clients. There were many showings right after the house went on the market. One of these agents had a client who fell in love with the house and made an offer.

Bling. Professional photos could draw buyers and agents in and make your home look more appealing. They can't make up what it doesn't have. When the buyers visit the Wow factor has to continue. It doesn't mean the house has to be brand new or have gold plated faucets. Rather, buyers want to see the property was well taken care of and has been updated.
My clients' home was in good condition, it was well maintained, but it was vintage 80's. Reflecting on their first selling experience, my clients asked what updates could make a big difference. They replaced Formica counters with gorgeous granite in the kitchen and bathrooms. It wasn't cheap but it changed the look of the kitchen and bathrooms, the most important items buyers look at.

Visual appeal is very important. New home builders understood this, building elaborate model homes, long time before the concept of staging came to residential real estate resale. Buyers know they are not buying a home with furniture, yet this is how they see the home in their mind.

My client's furniture and presentation was OK, but the change was remarkable with the renter's furniture (at the time of the home being marketed). This furniture made the house look better and gave the rooms the needed extra punch.

There is a lot that goes into selling your Princeton home quickly and for the highest possible price in addition to the three factors above. One important consideration is what other properties are on the market at the same time. What do these houses for sale have that yours doesn't and visa verse. Pricing and marketing strategy have to take this into consideration. Timing is very important as well. For example, a home could have sold for X in June, but this opportunity could be gone for various reasons in July.

I see an opportunity now for Princeton home sellers in certain market segments because the inventory is low and there are buyers who wanted to buy this summer and are still looking. Your Princeton real estate success story could be the next to be told.

This article "House sold in one week- find out how" was first published in my other Princeton Real Estate blog.

If you are considering selling your home and have questions give me a call at 609-553-4175, or stop by at my office - 34 Chambers street, Princeton, New Jersey. Not ready to talk to an agent yet? Search on your own for Princeton homes for sale and homes for sale in West Windsor, Montgomery, Hopewell by clicking on this link Princeton Real Estate - Homes For Sale

How To Select A Princeton New Jersey Real Estate Agent - The Myths And The Truths

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:36:07 -0500

How To Select A Princeton Real Estate Agent - The Myths And The Truths

If you are considering selling or buying a home in the Princeton area, selecting a New Jersey real estate agent, that would be right for you, is one of the most important first tasks. In this article I review some of the important points to keep in mind.

Buying and selling a home is stressful -it involves big changes in peoples lives, represents big financial stakes, and is often a very emotional process. The stress is more so now, given declining Princeton real estate and housing prices in some Princeton areas.

I bought and sold houses prior to becoming a real etstate agent. I know first hand how essential it is to select the right agent. When I switched careers to go into real estate, my idea was to provide the service I wanted when I was a real estate buyer and seller.

Unfortunately, the task of selecting a Princeton area real estate agent is not easy and there are a lot of myths surrounding what is a "good agent".

1. "The best agent is the one who has the most listings".

The idea here is that the more listings the agent has the more experience they have. Some sellers also think that if so many others selected this agent, they must be good.
Granted ,there may be competent agents with many listings. On the other hand there is only so much time in the day and the more the listing an agent has, the less time they could dedicate to each. They may have an assistant, but then you would be hiring an assistant, not the agent.

I limit the number of clients I have, so I could give each the attention and personal service they deserve and reduce their stress as much as possible.

2. "The best agent is the one who agrees to the highest price for the home."

This one of the very dangerous misconceptions which could result in the exact opposite - a home taking a long time to sell, price reductions and more stress.

Real estate agents don't set prices- the marketplace does. You should expect for the agent to understand the dynamics of the Princeton real estate market. How do you check for this understanding? Do it before you even meet the agent in person -look on the Internet for the articles and analysis the agent has written. Statistics could unfortunately be misleading and simply selecting reports from the MLS is not enough. To really understand what goes on in Princeton real estate, an agent needs to know and understand the history of individual transactions and be able to explain to you why sometimes similar properties sell for different prices.

3. "The best agent has been in the business for a long time".
This could be true, but it may as well be false. Many agents have not changed the way they do business and do not understand the mindset of the new generation of buyers. Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Flickr - these are just some of the names used by forward looking companies and even candidates for political office. These new media channels offer new opportunities for real estate as well.

When interviewing real estate agent to sell your Princeton home, ask how they participate in social networks and how they would use them to sell your home.

4. "Alphabet Soup" Designations

The many letters abbreviations after the agents' name indicate that they took a several hours course. I am all for continuing education ( and have enough degrees to prove it), but taking the course to get the designation would not make one an expert in anything.

5. The Final Test

The test for selecting a real estate agent is called the "BS" (not the Bachelor of Science) meter. I borrowed the "BS meter" expression from this TheStreet.com article (via my colleague and a great Phoenix agent -Jay Thompson ). We all have such meter, it's just may not always turned on. "The one who promises the moon and the stars may not be able to deliver, but your B.S. meter could be turned off because you want to sell so badly."

The article suggest "it's really about personality and who you trust will work in your best interests". So, how could you decide who you could trust? Surely, you won't find an agent who says they are not trustworthy. The BS meter is a good one to use in the agent selection. What does your gut tell you? Do you feel comfortable? Being comfortable with a person who will handle such an important event in you life, is a crucial factor not to be overlooked.

I have another suggestion about trust. Use the Internet. You could tell a lot from the agent's Internet presence, especially if they have a blog. Anyone could make/buy a fancy web site, but a blog is different. It allows Princeton real estate buyers and sellers to learn about the agent well before meeting them in person. It is hard to fake the blog. You will get to know the the blog author and decide if they are the right agent for you. My clients say I am the same person "just like in the blog".
Writing 4-6 articles for the Princeton Real Estate blog every week is not easy, but beneficial for my readers. It helped them not only learn everything about Princeton real estate, but also to decide if I am the right Princeton NJ real estate agentt for them. It's been great for me as well - all my clients are the best ones for me.

Call me at 609-553-4165 with questions you may have about Princeton real estate or to request a Real Estate Agent Interview Guide.

Princeton New Jersey Real Estate Housing Market Report - Third Quarter 2008

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:56:56 -0500

This Princeton real estate housing market report may be the only report with some good news amid the financial crisis engulfing the country. The positive news is the 8% increase in the median house price and the 6% increase in the average home price in Princeton Township in the 3d quarter 2008 compared with the same period in 2007. The question "How is the Princeton real estate?" is something I get asked at least half a dozen times daily. I was happy my answer for this article had some good news.

Princeton NJ Mercer county real estate report has been developed to cover the results for the third quarter of 2008. This report details the prices of Princeton NJ homes for sale, trends in the numbers of homes sold, the average days on the market it took to sell the house and the rate at which houses have sold. Data is compared it to the real estate statistics for the same period of last year -Q3 2007.

Princeton Borough real estate median price have increased 6%. The median price of houses sold in both the Princeton Township and the Boro increased 2%.

The number of houses sold have continued to decline in Princeton Township by 25%, which is understandable given the decline in the supply - the number of Princeton Township houses listed declined 39%. In the Princeton Boro the number of homes sold increased by 23%, while the number of houses listed declined 26%.

This does not mean Princeton real estate and homes for sale have been completely immune from the declining prices. The median and average prices reflect a relative direction, but are not precise, because they do not measure the sale of the same Princeton property, i.e. the mix of the houses in the 3d quarter of 2008 is different from the mix of houses sold in the same period last year.

These are the details for this report*.

Princeton Township Real Estate - 3d Quarter
                                    2008                      2007
Number of houses sold    60                        75
Average price sold         1,005,830                948,065
Median price sold         $898,750                 $831,000
Average DOM                97                           75

Min. price sold $245,000
Max price sold $2,925,000

Princeton Borough Real Estate - 3d Quarter
                                               2008                  2007
Number of houses sold listed     27                    34
Listed average price                 $918,103         $1,240,328
Houses pended                          21                      22
Houses sold                                31                      24

Average price sold $864,130 $906,531

Median price sold                   $699,000             $657,000
Average DOM                             97                      114

min sold $220,000
max sold $2,700,000

Combined Township and Boro      Sept 2008             Sept 2007
Houses listed                                27                            40
Houses pended                             10                            17
Houses sold                                  23                            24
Average price sold         $799,714                   $903,041
Median price sold      $850,000                   $831,000
Average DOM                                 137                            120

Information is based on Trend MLS data as of 10/03/2008. Presumed accurate but not guaranteed.

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate Market Housing Report -Second Quarter 2008

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate Market Housing Report -First Quarter 2008

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate -Homes for sale prices 2004-2007

Princeton Real Estate - Housing Prices, Market Reports, Statistics

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate - How Long Does It Take To Sell Princeton 2006-2007

Please call 609-553-4175 to find out how real estate in Princeton, Montgomery Township, West Windsor, Plainsboro, Princeton Junction, Hopewell, Pennington, and Lawrenceville New Jersey affects your buying and selling decisions.

Faina Sechzer does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for accuracy of the information on this site, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied. Every consumer is urged to perform their own research and analysis.

Princeton Real Estate Housing Market Reports

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:53:08 -0500

Princeton New Jersey Real Estate Homes For Sale Housing Market Reports

Princeton real estate housing market analysis, and real estate market reports for the surrounding towns of Montgomery Township, West Windsor/Princeton Junction, Hopewell, is a big part of the Princeton Real Estate blog.This is also one of the most popular features for home buyers and sellers. It takes several hours to dvelop one real estate report. I do it because there are few, if any, places where such information is available. In this article I assembled the Quarterly and Monthly reports for 2008 as well as the summary for 2004-2007.

Princeton Market Reports

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate Market Housing Report -Second Quarter 2008

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate Market Housing Report -First Quarter 2008

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate -Homes for sale prices 2004-2007

Princeton Real Estate - Housing Prices, Market Reports, Statistics

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate - How Long Does It Take To Sell Princeton 2006-2007

Princeton Monthly Market Reports

New Jersey Real Estate -Princeton Real Estate Housing Report May 2008

Princeton NJ Real Estate Mercer County homes -Housing Market Statistics March 2008

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate Market Report - Housing Statistics 2008

To discover how Princeton real estate market affects your home bying and selling in the Princeton area contact Princeton New Jersey real estate agent at 609-553-4175. If you are not ready to discuss your plans, please explore this site and search for Princeton homes for sale.

Princeton Homes For Sale

Princeton Condos & Townhouses - Luxury Townhouses in Governor's Lane

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:07:33 -0500

Princeton New Jersey Condos & Townhouses - Governor's Lane -Luxury Princeton Homes For Sale

Princeton NJ Condos & Townhouses - Luxury Princeton Homes For Sale in Governor's Lane.

Princeton New Jersey is known for it's wide selection of luxury homes for sale including condos and townhouses. Condos and Townhouses in the surrounding towns of Montgomery Township and West Windsor are not properties often associated with the idea of luxury houses, but rather homes for sale for first time home buyers in the Princeton area. In Princeton we have several luxury condominium and townhouses neighborhoods, such as Constitution Hill and Governor's Lane.

Governor's lane homes and townhouses were built approximately 10 years ago and the neighborhood is reminiscent of the English mews houses. The backs of the houses overlook beautiful park like gardens with benches and walking paths.
Princeton luxury townhouses in the Governor's Lane neighborhood usually attract people who prefer to limit their home maintenance chores, as many aspects of these homes are maintained by the Homeowners Association.
Read: Princeton real estate townhouses for sale - Stonewall Circle in Princeton Ridge
Princeton luxury townhouses in Governor's lane have all the amenities found in a single Princeton home for sale. they are usually 4 bedrooms, 3+ bathrooms and have lots of closet and storage space. They are usually on 4 levels, with master suite on the second level and other bedrooms on the 3d. the lower level is usually finished and often has a bathroom.

The homes in Governors Lane are mostly town homes, but there are several free standing homes as well - the Lambert Model. Last time Princeton luxury home in Governor's Lane sold - was 14 Governor's Lane. It sold for $1,039,000.

The are several townhouses for sale in The Governor's Lane now ranging in price between $739,000 and $790,000. These prices reflect the general condition of Princeton real estate - Princeton Townhouses in Governor's lane used to sell for over $800,000 a few years ago.

Governor's lane is not a 55+ years community, it is a neighborhood of exclusive Princeton homes for sale for any age.

Call Princeton real estate agent specializing in luxury Princeton homes and townhouses for sale with questions you may have about Governor's lane homes or in other Princeton neighborhoods. If you are not ready to speak to an agent and would like to explore on your own what is available in the Princeton real estate click on the links below:

Princeton Luxury Condos and Townhouses $700,000+

To search for all Princeton Homes for sale and homes for sale in W. Windsor, Montgomery, Hopewell, and other towns, in the MLS click on the search link below:

Search for Homes

Princeton Luxury Real Estate - Princeton Homes For Sale $5,000,000+

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:01:10 -0500

Princeton Luxury Homes For Sale - Princeton Luxury Real Estate $5,000,000+

Princeton luxury real estate is my specialty and I cover it extensively on Princeton Real Estate blog. If you are looking for luxury homes for sale in Princeton, there are many price categories into which such Properties fall.

Princeton Real Estate For $1mln-$1.5mln |New Jersey Real Estate

Princeton Homes For Sale - $1,000,000 -$2,000,000

Luxury Princeton Homes For Less Than $2 million |New Jersey Real Estate

Princeton Luxury Homes For Sale $2,00,00-$3,000,000

Princeton Homes for sale $3,000,000 -$5,000,000

This article focuses on Princeton Luxury homes for sale over $5,000,000. At this time there aren't too many homes of this caliber. They are usually significant historical Princeton houses with a lot of history, such as Princeton luxury real estate house built in 1773 by the Rev. John Witherspoon, a leading patriot, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and 6th president of Princeton University. Historic Princeton homes and luxury homes for sale in Princeton without historical pedigree, in this price category are spectacular homes with all the amenities and usually on many acres of land, if they are located in the Princeton Township. The highest priced Princeton real estate property for sale is $14,500,000.

An interesting fact is that Princeton luxury real estate homes of this caliber have not had many recent sales. The last sale on 89 Rosedale Rd, a 9 bedroom, 6/1 bathroom home on 3.54 acres was in Princeton Township in 07/2004. This Princeton luxury home was sold for $6,250,000.

You could review Princeton Luxury Homes For Sale -$5,000,000 + by clicking on the link below.

Princeton Luxury Real Estate Homes For Sale $5,000,000+

If you are looking for Princeton luxury real estate in other price ranges, you could check them out here:
Princeton Real Estate For $1mln-$1.5mln |New Jersey Real Estate

Princeton Homes For Sale - $1,000,000 -$2,000,000

Luxury Princeton Homes For Less Than $2 million |New Jersey Real Estate

Princeton Luxury Homes For Sale $2,00,00-$3,000,000

Princeton Homes for sale $3,000,000 -$5,000,000

Princeton Real Estate - Princeton Homes For sale - Buying, Selling, Moving

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:45:28 -0500

Princeton Real Estate - Everything You Wanted To Know

With over 100 articles to date - the goal of Princeton Real Estate blog is to provide as much and as unbiased information as possible for: 1. people who live in the Princeton area and are considering selling/buying their home, and/or want to keep up with the state of the local real estate market; 2. people who are relocating, are not familiar with Princeton NJ and would like to know what is it like to live in Princeton and surrounding towns.

There is a flip side, however, to this much information -how do you find what you need? To help a bit with this task I picked some of the popular articles and organised them by topic. So, get in a comfortable chair and explore Princeton and Princeton real estate -just click on the article of interest. If you still couldn't find an answer to your question, just sent me an e-mail, and I would answer it.

If you want to proceed to the next step and search homes for sale in Princeton, West Windsor, Montgomery and in other surrounding towns, you could do it here as well - click on Princeton Homes For Sale.

New Jersey Homes For Sale

Home Search

Homes And Condos For Sale In Princeton Under $300,000 & $500,000

What You Get In Princeton For $500K-$700K |New Jersey Real Estate

What Can You Buy In Princeton For Under $1million |New Jersey Real Estate

Princeton Real Estate For $1mln-$1.5mln |New Jersey Real Estate

Princeton Homes For Sale - $1,000,000 -$2,000,000

Luxury Princeton Homes For Less Than $2 million |New Jersey Real Estate

Princeton Luxury Homes For Sale $2,00,00-$3,000,000

Princeton Homes for sale $3,000,000 -$5,000,000

Princeton Luxury Real Estate

Market Reports

Princeton Market Reports

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate Market Housing Report -Second Quarter 2008

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate Market Housing Report -First Quarter 2008

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate -Homes for sale prices 2004-2007

Princeton Real Estate - Housing Prices, Market Reports, Statistics

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate - How Long Does It Take To Sell Princeton 2006-2007

Princeton Monthly Market Reports

New Jersey Real Estate -Princeton Real Estate Housing Report May 2008

Princeton NJ Real Estate Mercer County homes -Housing Market Statistics March 2008

Princeton NJ Mercer County Real Estate Market Report - Housing Statistics 2008

Hopewell Market Reports

Hopewell NJ Real Estate -Housing Report May 2008|New Jersey Real Estate

Hopewell NJ Prices of Homes For Sale - Sold In January 2008

Montgomery Market Reports

Montgomery Township NJ Real Estate Market Report - June & Six Months 2008

Montgomery Township NJ Real Estate Housing Market Report - 1st Quarter 2008

West Windsor Market reports

West Windsor NJ Real Estate Market Report - June 2008 and First 180 Days 2008

West Windsor NJ Mercer County Real Estate - Housing Report First Quarter 2008

West Windsor Housing Prices 2004-2007

About Princeton

Princeton NJ Real Estate - About Princeton - Relocating And Living

Relocating to Princeton - How To Decide Where To Live

Princeton NJ Little Known Pleasures of Princeton

Princeton Neighborhoods

Campbell Woods - Princeton Neighborhood

Princeton Ridge | Princeton Neighborhood

Preserve - Preserve Neighborhood - Princeton Homes For Sale

Ettl Farm Luxury Homes -Princeton Real Estate

Seller Tips

Seller Information

3 Tips To Beat Competition When Selling A Princeton Home |Princeton New Jersey Real Estate

Princeton Real Estate & Princeton Schools - Princeton Charter School

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:53:18 -0500

Princeton New Jersey Schools - Princeton Charter School

The subject of schools in Princeton , Montgomery , West Windsor and other surrounding towns is inextricable tied to many parents' decision where to live. For this reason it's one of the very important considerations for many of my readers and clients.
Read also: Princeton, Montgomery, West Windsor School ranking
How To Select The Best School| when Relocating & Buying Princeton Real Estate Homes
Princeton Regional Schools - For Non -Residents

This weekend is difficult for my family as my boys are preparing to go to school away from home. With truck loads of socks and other "important items" waiting to be marked, I was reflecting on the important decisions parents have to make when it comes to school choice.

Excellent public schools is why many parents are attracted to greater Princeton area. Parents also have other choices. Some of the best private schools are in Princeton as well. What some out of state prospective home buyers may not know about is the Princeton Charter school.

Here is how NJ Monthly describes this school:
" Set at the southernmost end of an expansive, tree-fringed campus, the Princeton Charter School reflects the community it serves: comfortable, safe, and geographically removed from the turmoil of the states urban communities and inner-city public schools. This is not your typical charter school, at least not in New Jersey, where the vast majority are in economically depressed urban neighborhoods. But it is proof that top-rated schools and stratospheric SAT scores do not necessarily guarantee community satisfaction. Even in Princeton, it appears, parents are hungry for alternatives to the status quo."

"The founders who wrote the charter wanted a more rigorous education for their children and felt that in some cases the education their children got was too dependent on which teacher they were assigned," says Charles Marsee, the schools retiring head of school.

The curriculum concentrates on English and math, with a strong emphasis on writing; this is the kind of place where kids still learn how to diagram a sentence and are expected to do long division without a calculator. Test scores bear out the programs success. For the past five years, the middle school has had the highest number of "advanced proficient" scores in math and science in the state.

For that, Marsee credits the curriculum and the schools quality of instruction. "Weve been very good and very fortunate in bringing together an outstanding faculty," he says. "

"Last year, the Center for Education Reform, an organization promoting school choice, named Princeton Charter and the Hoboken Charter School among the best in the nation."

If you are considering moving and buying a home in Princeton, Montgomery, West Windsor or other surrounding towns you could search for Princeton Homes for sale right here on this site.

Princeton, Montgomery, West Windsor and other NJ Homes For Sale

Princeton Real Estate - Princeton, Montgomery, West Windsor, Hopewell School Eanking

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:45:22 -0500

Princeton, Montgomery, West Windsor School Ranking

Getting kids ready for the start of new year is on the agenda of many Princeton school parents. Every year parents, myself included, feel a certain anxiety about what the next academic year would be like for their kids. This uncertainty is understandably higher for parents who are just considering moving to the Princeton area.

There are many different opinions on how to decide what school is best for your child. Read:How To Select The Best School| when Relocating & Buying Princeton Homes For Sale

Parents often ask how one school compares to another to help them select where to live and/or buy their home in the Greater Princeton. Others argue the rankings may not address your child's specific needs.

Here are few facts to help you in thinking about high schools in Princeton, Montgomery, West Windsor and Hopewell. New Jersey Monthly ranks New Jersey schools and many parents consider these ratings when evaluating the best school for their kids and as part of their decision when moving to the Princeton area. With a freshman in my family, I could particularly appreciate how high the scores are for all area schools. The second observation is the high number of AP classes offered and the high grades (over 3) students received.

There are some changes in the lineup in the recently released 2008 rankings. Princeton High had moved up significantly, while Montgomery High and West Windsor South moved down, West Windsor moved down just one rank.

According to NJ Magazine's ranking of New Jersey schools:
School                            Rank    2008        Rank 2006
Princeton High School            6                       13
Montgomery High School       16                       4
West Windsor High North       19                       18
West Windsor High South       21                       9
Hopewell Valley Central          39                       59

Here a few other facts:
School     Average Size Class        Av. SAT                     #Of AP's Offered       % Scoring >3 on AP
Princeton                    11.8                              1824             27                            91
Montgomery               12.1                              1755             24                            90
W. Windsor N            19.9                              1742             29                            87
W. Windsor S              21.5                              1798             31                            91

If you are reading this article because you are considering a move to Princeton NJ area, you could see here Princeton homes for sale now:

Search Princeton Homes For Sale

Princeton Luxury Real Estate

5 Easy steps to convert a "lead" to a satisfied client

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:32:41 -0500

"How to go from "I found you on the Internet" to "Let's get married"

This article is not a prescription for getting the largest possible number of clients in the shortest time. It is about building long lasting relationships with clients.

For starters, let's get rid of the salespeople favorite word "leads". Why do we insist on calling people "leads" instead of "prospective clients"? Some may think it's a minor point. For me, it somehow devalues and de-personalizes the relationship before it even started. People looking for a romantic match on the Internet don't say "I got a call from a very handsome lead". More likely it's: "I got a call from a great guy I would like to meet". No different with real estate clients -we are looking for a relationship.

Having changed my marketing focus to blogging from the conventional methods, I learned interesting lessons.

1. Write content for the type of clients you want to attract.
The people who contact me from the blog are more often then not similar to me. They are detail oriented, focus on and appreciate research, value education as part of the selling process, are looking for a lot of useful information, could recognize intelligence and knowledge when they see it, do not believe they know -it -all, have an open mind, are suspicious of hard core sales people .

This made my year a lot more enjoyable. In contrast, pursuing FSBO last year, as the conventional wisdom for the relatively new real estate agents, produced, putting it mildly, a lot of stress. These are often people convinced they know it all, suspicious of advice, apprehensive of the value of your work, etc.

This as not what my heart desired.

2. Be there to answer the call.
I rarely have to call back -I am there when the phone rings, sometimes startling the person on the other line. One client said, of the several calls he placed, I was the only one who answered the phone...Clients said they were not sure why real estate agents advertise their phone numbers if they are not there to answer them.

E-mail immediately, if you don't have the phone number to call. Be sensitive to the style of inquiry. Do not push to get the person's phone number. Realize it could be a slow dance of getting to know each other through e-mails. The goal here is in each e-mail to provide value while finding out a bit more about the client's needs.

3. Judge the tempo
It could be a slow dance or it could be a cha-cha. It is often slower with buyer clients, then seller clients, since sellers are often under more time pressure. I had clients contact me after several failed relationships with other agents. What ever dissatisfaction was generated with the previous agent, the client may need time to see if and how you are different.

4. No hard sell
One thing I never do is push. Some times clients get stuck in the analysis paralysis and/or unable to make decisions. There are agents who believe such clients need to be pushed towards making a decision. I found two things could happen. The client gets stressed. If they make the decision, they are never certain later if it was the right decision and could come to resent you as an agent. If the stress gets to be too much, they would go somewhere else.

Buying and selling is stressful enough for clients. My job is to minimize the stress, not add to it.

5. Educate as you go
Let's suppose the client didn't take your advice and, for example, didn't offer what you recommended. Let's suppose it caused them to "lose" a bid. This is not the end of the world. In fact, better then anything you could say or do, it showed the client the value and validity of your advice.

This is one way my clients come to trust me - they see my words come true. It's not about the promises of a great job, or the ads with my smiling face, or the hype of being #1 producer. It's simply advising and guiding, so your words become verifiable facts. Does it take extra time? Yes. Does it stretch the process? May be. Does it built stronger relationships ? Most certainly.

One thing I found not to be the case. Prospective clients calling to hire you from a blog.

This is what I read a lot on Active Rain. Some may say my blogging has not risen to the heights needed for this to be the case. Fair enough. I am not sure I could fault prospective sellers for not hiring me right off the bat based on my blog. Again, my clients tend to be similar to me in many ways. I would not hire someone to do something very important, let's say surgery, just because I liked their blog, or even got a recommendation. I would want to meet them in person, meet other doctors, and decide then. Having a blog should make the client's task easier -more of a confirmation rather then investigation from scratch.

I found this to be the case with the sellers. When prospective clients ask me if they should talk to other agents, I say -"Sure". Why? Because:

1. It's part of due diligence.
2. Blog is a resume and a bit of an interview. It's not the interview.
3. Through my blog they could peak "into my head" over a long time, most other agents don't offer it to their clients.
4. I am confident in my abilities.
5. If they select someone else, it would have not been a good match anyway. This saves me time, expense and aggravation.
6. This is not the last chance we have to work together.
7. When the prospective client's choice turns out wrong they come back appreciating even more what I have to offer.

Be smart, be focused, be responsive, be respectful, be an advisor, know your stuff, get the job done. Hey, it's easy to get clients for life.

Why you should pay more to real estate agent

Luxury Princeton Homes For Sale Over $3 million

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:40:06 -0500

The higher end of the luxury Princeton homes for sale offers a wide array of choices. The web/blog site combines the opportunity examine the choices in this price range, to understand the state of the real estate market, and perhaps to learn a bit more about Princeton, if you are relocating from out of state. This is a selection of homes available now in the price range of $3,000,000 - $5,000,000.

Princeton Luxury Homes For Sale

Princeton Homes For Sale - Preparing Your Home To Sell

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:40:34 -0500

Princeton Real Estate - Preparing Your Home For Sale

Be careful when preparing your Princeton home for sale, especially if you consider working with contractors on home improvement projects. Princeton Real Estate blog provides tips, news and information on local real estate in Princeton, West Windsor, Montgomery, Lawrenceville (and other surrounding towns). Many Princeton home sellers ask me about whether and what kind of home improvements they should undertake before putting the house for sale.

Read: Why some Princeton homes sell fast
One sure way kill your Princeton home sale

As a publisher and author of this blog I talk to colleagues across the country to bring the best available information to my readers. Today's article comes to us from Irena Netchaev, real estate agent in Pasadena, Ca. Being a Realtor Irena knew what needs to be done prior to putting her house for sale. These are the same things you could consider when preparing your Princeton area home for sale.

She was planning to "get it painted inside and out, change out some bathroom fixtures, update handles on kitchen drawers and cabinets, change out some light fixtures and do little things here and there to make the house perfect for the new buyers. "

Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan. The contractor was unprofessional, or more crudely put, a crook. Not only did he not do a good job, he did not pay his subcontractors. This action in many states including New Jersey makes homeowner vulnerable to a New Jersey Construction Lien, which in New Jersey replaced the old Mechanic's Lien.

Construction Lien is a lien a contractors could file against Princeton real estate (or any other New Jersey homes) if their bill was not payed. The subcontractors could also file such a lien, if they were not payed by the homeowner or the general contractor.

When you are preparing to sell your Princeton area home, or for that matter at any other time, you do not want any such liens against your home. New Jersey does not have a General Contractor licensing board, so you need to be extra careful when hiring a contractor.

Here are some of the ideas to help you:

Get a minimum of three references. Go out and take a look physically at thier past work.
Get at least three bids.
Get a written contract and don't sign anything until you completely understand the terms.
Never pay more than 10% down or $1,000 whichever is less.
Don't let your payments get ahead of their work. Keep records of payments.
Don't make a final payment until you're satisfied with the job.
Don't pay cash.
Keep a job file of all papers relating to your project.

California State License board recommends the following to avoid Construction Lien being filed against your property. NJ does not have such a board for general contractors, but recommendations seem applicable:

Make sure your contractor hires only licensed subcontractors, and check their licenses, too
Check up on your prime contractors reputation for payment and lawsuits at the local courthouse, suppliers, and subcontractors;
Get a list of all subcontractors, laborers, and materials suppliers to be used by your prime contractor.
The simplest way to prevent liens is to pay with joint checks.
Compare the contractor's bill for materials or labor, compare it to the schedule of payments in your contract and the Preliminary 20-Day Notices
Make sure that work was done as described
Make out the check to both the contractor and the supplier, or subcontractor.
Both parties will have to endorse the check, which will ensure that the subcontractors and suppliers get paid.

The final recommendation is to get a signed conditional release from all possible lien claimants, before making final payments. For each portion of the work you could request your contractor to provide unconditional release signed by all claimants.

Contractors in NJ are required to file all the appropriate documentation within 90 days from the last date of work, services, material or equipment was provided.

If you have problems that may result in Construction Liens consult an attorney about your legal rights.

Get input from a Princeton real estate agent, if you would like to know what specific home improvement projects would make sense for your home.

If you want to find out more about selling your Princeton home read:

Princeton Homes For Sale -Real Estate Housing Report -Second Quarter 2008

Princeton NJ Homes For Sale - How To Find Information Real Estate Information You Can trust

Secrets to Selling Your Princeton Homes For Sale Like An Agent

Faina Sechzer does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for accuracy of the information on this site, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied. Every consumer is urged to perform their own research and analysis.

Copyright ©2008 Faina Sechzer All rights reserved. This information cannot be copied, reproduced, transmitted, distributed, displayed or published.

One year and 200 posts later - the most important lessons learned

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:19:38 -0500

200 posts is not a big number for some on Active Rain, but I was almost startled by this number, which coincided almost with my 1st year AR anniversary. In the true Russian tradition of self-examination this post is a reflection on the lessons learned.

1. Internet is peoples business after all.

I wondered about Internet relationships, when friends told me about meeting someone on the Internet. Without the struggle the experience of finding romantic matches on the Internet, Active Rain was my first forray into Intenet relationships both with colleagues and clients who found me through my blog.

2. All reationships require work.

I found AR as well as other social professional networks to be very effective ways to meet people and establish real relationships. Like any relationship they require work. You could be the smartest person and write brilliant posts, but if your goal is to develop Lasting relationships you have to show your interest in people in more ways then just on their blogs.

3. There is no substitute for a human connection.

I found Active Rain relationships extended beyond the blog and into the real life to be the most satisfying and lasting. This meant finding a human element interest and getting in touch with people on a deeper human level that went well beyond blogs. It was true for both peer relationships and with clients. Of all my brilliant writing, one client said, she remembered most my post about leaving Russia. She never escaped her country in the middle of the night, but she related to me as a person who overcame adversity, not just an agent in search of the next client.

4.Trust is earned off the blog.

Active Rain and other blogs are an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise and personality. Yet it is not enough, IMO, to build trust. Internet still leaves room for boasting, exaggerating, misleading, or simply misunderstanding another person's personality and work they would do. I found both positive and disappointing connections on AR. Interacting with clients is easier, if they found you through your blog. More likely then not, there would be compatibility, since they selected you for a reason. To build trust more is needed. Delivering the service as promised and demonstrating your commitment to the client in action is how true trust is built.

The same is true for AR colleagues. No matter how many wonderful comments you get on your posts, the test of true relationships is off the blog. I have seen bloggers "disappear", so to speak, from everyones' radars. Such disappearance would be noticed by people you engage with off the blog. The idea is the same - it's the real human connections that make the difference.

5. Learning about blogging is endless.

One of the biggest challenges for bloggers is finding their Google love. This one seems to be fickle and ever changing. You may also discover things you totally didn't expect. For example, for close to a year I struggled enjoyed writing a post every day. That's what I thought Google wants me to do. Forget vacations, if I miss a day, Google would stop coming to my blog every day. The last part, is perhaps still true. But the total premise could be wrong. I discovered each post I produced was in fact competition for the previous one. Not enough authority was allowed to built for each. Taking my first vacation from blogging (OK, it was almost vacation, since I pre-posted one before I left and wrote another one while there:) I found no adverse impact. In fact, more searches were done on the posts that were allowed to mature.

Going forward Google, IMHO, would be changing their algorithm all the time to find the perfect authority blogs in different fields. We would have to be learning and experimenting to keep the elusive Google love.

6. Just when you thought you got it...

A year of blogging for me was the most satisfying part of real estate marketing. I am not effective at it yet and spend way too much time from the purely ROI perspective. When I thought I got it and should write "short and sweet" posts, I stopped looking at ROI. I continue spending the time (surely not a Rx for everyone). I know for me it beats knocking on doors which, BTW, in Princeton would probably result in a call to the police:)

I know you don't need to be Hemingway to generate business from blogging. Yet I continue to strive for creative writing.

Lastly, when you thought you figured Active Rain and how to be successful here, they introduce new Localism:) I am sure there would be other changes in real estate practice, technology, Active Rain company, Google, customers' expectations and us as we grow and learn with every new post.

Closing in the same Russian tradition, here is to another 200 posts! What are the most important lessons you learned?

Princeton Luxury Real Estate - Discover Ettl Farm Neighborhood

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:24:36 -0500

Ettl Farm Luxury Homes -Princeton Real Estate

Ettl Farm Neighborhood

Ettl Farm is one of the most popular Princeton neighborhoods. It was built in 1995 by Toll Brothers and is reflective of the style of large stately houses built by this builder. There are approximately 117 Princeton homes in this development located off Rosedale road. This community is popular with corporate relocation home buyers and others relocating to Princeton New Jersey. I see continual demand for the homes in Ettl Farm for Princeton homes for sale. At the time of this article there are no houses on the market in Ettl Farm Princeton neigborhood.

The major streets in the development are Christopher Drive, Walker Rd and Stone Cliff. The houses backing to the woods are usually considered premium locations compared to the houses backing to the open space. Many Ettl Farm houses on the Stone Cliff Road are considered premium because they back to the woods (houses with even numbers) and have walk out basements, because of the topography of the street.

In many of such houses you could find finished basements with such amenities as spas, saunas, game rooms, gyms, and even second kitchens. Often there is a separate entry to the basement.

This layout makes these homes convenient for buyers of Princeton real estate who may have children, need space for visitors, enjoy the additional entertaining spaces.

Ettl Farm homes for sale range in price from $1,250,000 to $1,570,00 in 2008, when 5 houses were sold. While there are Princeton homes for sale languishing on the market, houses in Ettl Farms have all sold, when priced correctly. The time to sell these Princeton properties ranged for 28 days to 170 days.

Children who live in Ettl Farm attend Johnson Park elementary school, John Witherspoon elementary and Princeton High schools.

Princeton school system provides bus transportation for Johnson Park elementary and John Witherspoon middle school students who live more than two miles form school, and High School students who live more than two and one-half miles from school. Bus passes are mailed out the third week of August. If you are new to the district, please contact the Transportation Coordinator at 806-4209.

Click here to search for Princeton homes for sale to discover your dream luxury Princeton home.