New year, new tax code. Late last week, President Trump signed a bill overhauling the tax system. It goes into effect beginning next Monday, January 1st. Many people are still scrambling to determine how it affects them. You definitely need to talk to your tax attorney, CPA, or financial adviser to see what impact the changes will have on you. Even though we have less than a week before 2018 begins, there are still things you can do now that could save you money on your 2017 Westfield taxes.Ways to Save Money on Your 2017 Westfield Taxes NowPay January's Mortgage TodayOne of the quickest ways to affect your 2017 Westfield taxes is to make an extra mortgage payment this month. The standard deduction doubles beginning January 1st, 2018. If you itemize, this may cost you. By paying January... 12/29/2017

Selling your Westfield home during the winter presents itself with certain obstacles we don't experience any other time of the year. First, there's the weather. Fewer buyers are willing to trudge through the snow and freezing temperatures to look at homes. Then, there are the holidays. With just nine shopping days until Christmas and 16 days until New Year's Eve, everyone's running around preparing for parties and presents. Follow these tips for a quick Westfield home sale and you'll be able to tick that off your "to do" list in no time.Tips for a Quick Westfield Home SaleDeep CleaningFirst and foremost, in order to achieve a quick Westfield home sale, you'll need to clean your home from top to bottom. Everything needs to be cleaned, including baseboards, cupboards, drawers, appliances,... 12/22/2017

Winter is officially upon us. As snow falls upon our community, the Westfield real estate market begins to slow. With Christmas just over two weeks away, our focus turns to shopping for gifts rather than shopping for houses. That doesn't mean buyers aren't out there looking. But, if you're selling a home right now, you'll see fewer people showing up at your door. The November 2017 Westfield Area Market Report shows that the market has begun to wind down for the year. November 2017 Westfield Area Market ReportActive Westfield Luxury Homes for Sale in November 2017The Garden State MLS reported a total of 24 active Westfield homes on the market. Of those, 15 were newly constructed or were in the process of building built. Fourteen of them hit the market in the last 30 days. One of the acti... 12/15/2017

Putting your Westfield home on the market can feel daunting, especially during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. But it doesn't have to be an overwhelming process. Follow these simple steps for your Westfield home sale and you'll do just fine. Countdown to a Westfield Home Sale: What to Do FirstHire a REALTOR@When refinishing furniture or painting a room, doing it yourself may be a great plan. But, when it comes to a Westfield home sale, leave it to the pros. Ask your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers for references for REALTORS@ in your area. Once you compile a list of names, set up interviews with each. Talk to them about their experience, knowledge of the area, and how often they keep in touch. When you find someone that fits with your personality and requirements, that... 12/01/2017

Next Thursday, millions of families across the country sit down to enjoy a sumptuous feast and express thanks for the many blessings they received over the past year. After the turkey and all its trimmings get put away, then it's time to start planning Christmas. There's no better place to start than the Westfield Area Y Men's Club 2017 Christmas Tree Lot.What: Westfield Area Y Men's Club 2017 Christmas Tree LotWhere: 200 Elm St, Westfield, NJWhen: Nov 25th to Dec 23rd, 5 pm to 9 pm Monday-Friday, 9 am to 6 pm Sat & SunContact: Westfield Area Y Men's Club Facebook page, contact via emailWestfield Area Y Men's Club 2017 Christmas Tree Lot Beginning the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the Westfield Area Y Men's Club 2017 Christmas Tree Lot is open for business. The lot stays open seven days ... 11/24/2017

You've been wanting to make a change. Your Westfield home's value increased since you bought it. Maybe your kids flew the coop and you don't need as much space. Perhaps the opposite is true. Your family has outgrown your current housing situation. But before you can move on, you must sell your current property. For this week's Westfield seller tip, learn how to price your home to sell. What's My Westfield Home Worth?First, you should find out what your Westfield home's worth. Several real estate search sites like Zillow and Trulia provide an estimated home value along with the address and asking price. However, these can be way off the mark in terms of the real market value. Instead, visit my Find Your Home's Value page here. Enter your home's address. Then, add your email address and s... 11/17/2017

We're nearing the end of the year. That means it's holiday season. Typically, real estate transactions slow down at this time. If you have your home on the market, don't be discouraged. Learn how to sell your Westfield home during the holidays with these helpful tips. How to Sell Your Westfield Home During the HolidaysHoliday DecorFirst off, yes, you can decorate. Just keep things tasteful. A holiday-themed wreath on the front door and some small fall or winter-themed decorations here and there inside are fine. At Christmas, go ahead and decorate your tree. Add a nice string of lights to frame your Westfield home. Simple decorations during the holidays help make a home feel inviting. Garish, over-the-top decor can make a potential buyer walk away. You may even want to consider hosting a... 10/27/2017

According to Safeguard the World, one US home is broken into every 13 seconds. A home without a security system is three times as likely to be broken into than one with a system in place. But, does a security system add value to your Westfield home? Yes. And in more ways than one. Why Should I Install a Westfield Home Security System?With approximately two million reported home burglaries each year, thieves pose the biggest threat to our homes. Sometimes, the cost of replacing broken windows and doors adds up to more than what may actually be stolen. A home security system deters would-be thieves from breaking into your Westfield home in the first place.Expensive monitoring systems are a thing of the past. In today's marketplace, an investment of a few hundred dollars grants you a state... 10/27/2017

Looking for a project? Remake the 1929 Colonial located at 450 Beechwood Pl in Westfield, NJ into exactly what you and your family wants. Demolition has already begun to take place inside this grand single-family home. So, you can add your own personal touches. 450 Beechwood PlaceThis home features a brick fireplace in the living room, four bedrooms, three full baths, one partial bath and an unfinished basement. The sale of this property includes architect plans for an expansive master suite on the third floor. Since this is a partially demolished site, buyers and their representatives enter at their own risk. Must present an all cash offer or secure a reno loan to buy. Sold as-is. Great bones. Primo location.You can view interior photos and suggested floor plans by visiting www.450Beec... 10/20/2017

It seems that the crisp Fall air provided a boost to the Westfield luxury real estate market. According to the September 2017 Westfield Area Market Report, active listings experienced a bit of a jump from their summer counterparts. Newly constructed properties dominated the scene. Meanwhile, sales dropped slightly. However, more homes came under contract. So, we may see a bump in sales by the end of October.September 2017 Westfield Area Market ReportActive Westfield Luxury Homes for Sale in September 2017The Garden State MLS reported a total of 23 active Westfield luxury homes on the market in September 2017. Of these, 15 were either new construction, currently under construction or waiting to be built. Twenty of them came on the market in just the last 30 days. These included colonials... 10/07/2017

On September 7th, 2017, Equifax announced that they detected a security breach in their system at the end of July. Criminals hacked into their files and stole credit card, driver's license and social security information. This breach may have affected as many as 143 million consumers in the United States. Were you a victim of the Equifax hack? If so, what do you do now? Equifax Hack: Was My Information Compromised?After their announcement earlier this month, Equifax set up a website specifically for potential victims of the hacking: EquifaxSecurity2017.com. To find out if your information may have been compromised, click on the "Am I Impacted" link at the top of the page. After you enter the appropriate info, you'll see a quick blurb stating whether or not your information may be at ris... 10/06/2017

Exactly two weeks ago, Hurricane Harvey touched down in eastern Texas. When Sandy hit our New Jersey shores, Texans jumped right in to offer assistance. A couple of local residents want to return the favor. They've set up Westfield Hurricane Harvey donation drop-off sites for today and tomorrow. They'd appreciate all the help they can get. Westfield Hurricane Harvey Donation Drop-Off Sites Benjamin Montez currently resides in Westfield but comes from Houston. He also happened to be in Houston on business when Hurricane Harvey hit. Midtown Authentic owner Rory Chadwick, a Hoboken resident, was personally impacted by Sandy five years ago. At that time, a South Carolina businessman donated generators to people in Hoboken. As his way of paying it forward, Rory wishes to return the favor by ... 09/08/2017

Every two years, New Jersey Monthly compiles a list of the "Best Places to Live in New Jersey". In Westfield news, our city made the top 100 on that list. In fact, Westfield ranked #34 on the magazine's 2017 list, a big jump from #62 two years ago. What Determines Ranking on Best Places to Live List?First, New Jersey Monthly eliminated any city with less than 1500 people due to lack of any significant data. With the remaining 513 New Jersey towns, they looked at the following factors: home values (median sale price and its change from 2014, average days on the market) property taxes (change in average tax bill, effective tax rate) crime rate (total as well as violent crime by itself) school performance (student proficiency on standardized tests for grades 4 and 8, high school ranking fo... 09/08/2017

Two businesses in the Downtown Westfield area want to do their part to give back to the community.  Athleta and The Town Book Store are hosting a Downtown Westfield School Supply Collection 2017 event.  To participate, all you have to do is drop off school supplies at their facilities during normal business hours.  Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?What: Downtown Westfield School Supply Collection 2017 Where: Athleta (234 E Broad St) & The Town Book Store (270 E Broad St) When: Now through September 14th, 2017 Contact: Athleta (908) 518-7620, The Town Book Store (908) 233-3535Downtown Westfield School Supply Collection 2017The children served by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Union County need your help.  Our Westfield students head back to school on September 6th.  While our children may b... 09/01/2017

Saavy Buyers know exactly what they want in today's Westfield real estate market.  They also know what they don't want.  Bugs, pet dander, a high maintenance property and poor quality upgrades mark only a few reasons Buyers turn their backs on a hom.  This week's Westfield home selling tip is how to avoid possible "deal breakers" so you can achieve a successful closure.Westfield Home Selling Tip: Avoid the Deal BreakersPest InfestationBugs.  Mice.  Termites.  Cockroaches.  No one likes to see them.  Yet, somehow, they find their way inside even the best Westfield luxury homes.  Avoid an infestation by hiring a service to clear your home of any pests before you place it on the market.  Talk to your Westfield REALTOR@.  They may be able to recommend someone to you.PetsLet's face it, pets ... 08/25/2017

Our Westfield luxury real estate market dipped in July compared to the previous month.  While March and April's active luxury home listings were up, May's came in at just 10.  On the other hand, the total homes that went under contract increased significantly from the previous month.  Read my Westfield Area Market Report for July 2017 below to learn more about what happened in our local luxury real estate market. Westfield Area Market Report - July 2017Active Westfield Luxury Homes for Sale in July 2017The Garden State MLS reported a total of 10 luxury Westfield homes for sale in July 2017, half of the amount shown in June.  These included the recently renovated colonial located at 560 West 1st Street.  (Contact me for a personal tour of this beautiful property.)  Six of these Westfield... 08/18/2017

Our police put their lives on the line every single day for our protection.  Firefighters run towards danger while others run away from it.  EMTs tend to be the first medical personnel at the scene of an emergency.  You can meet all of them at the Westfield National Night Out 2017 celebration on August 1st.What: Westfield National Night Out 2017 Celebration Where: Westfield Train Station's North Side Parking Lot When: Tuesday, August 1st, 2017 6pm to 9pm Admission: FREE Contact: Westfield Police Department, non-emergency line (908) 789-4000 or via emailWestfield National Night Out 2017 CelebrationLast year's inaugural event turned out to be a hit.  Westfield National Night Out 2017 looks to be even bigger.  Next Tuesday, August 1st, Westfield Police Chief David Wayman invites the public... 08/04/2017

For most people, their home is the biggest financial investment they make.  When it comes time to sell, you want to be smart about it.  Knowing what steps you should take to get the biggest return is important.  However, equally crucial is knowing what not to do when selling your Westfield home.  So, keep the following tips in mind.What Not to Do When Selling Your Westfield HomeNot Listening to your REALTOR@One of the biggest problems you'll find when selling your Westfield home is when you don't take your agent's advice.  You believed they were skilled and knowledgeable enough to hire them.  Why would you ignore what they have to say?  If they believe you priced your home too high, you might want to bring it down.  Did they tell you to make a few small repairs?  Do it?  Remember, you h... 07/28/2017

According to CoreLogic, an information an analytics company, approximately 37% of all US homes sales in January 2017 were paid in cash.  Cash buyers avoid private mortgage insurance, interest and some closing costs.  Cash purchases tend to go much quicker.  Sellers typically find an "all cash" offer more attractive because they don't have to worry about financing falling through.  However, mortgages sometimes make more financial sense.  If you end up financing a home's purchase, you need to know what to avoid when buying a Westfield home.What to Avoid When Buying a Westfield Home Waiting to Secure Financing - When buying a Westfield home, the very first step you need to make is securing your financing.  This takes the most time.  Being pre-qualified isn't the same as being approved, eit... 07/21/2017

For the last 15 years, the Downtown Westfield Corporation has hosted a 5k run and pizza extravaganza in the summer.  The 2017 Downtown Westfield Pizza Run takes place on Wednesday, July 26th.  And it looks to be even bigger and better than ever before.  Are you game?What: 2017 Downtown Westfield Pizza Run Where: Downtown Westfield (download course map here) When: July 26th, 7pm Cost: $33 per person, $30 for official USATF members Deadline to Enter: Midnight on July 24th Contact: On Your Mark Productions (908) 902-8587 or via email2017 Downtown Westfield Pizza RunWhether you're an individual or a group, the 2017 Downtown Westfield Pizza Run welcomes everyone.  All participants will be categorized into five year increments beginning with 10 years and younger.  For example, we start with t... 07/14/2017