Selling Real Estate, Working with Sellers and buyers can be a strenuous task and sometimes exhausting...but in the same token it can be fulfilling, rewarding and an overall blast when your working with the right clients, but one thing I cannot stand is when I look in the MLS, send a property to a buyer client (who actually wants to see it)...only to find out that is already under contract or I cant get in contact with the listing agent to make an appointment...Talk about annoying....   That's more annoying than some one scratching a chalk board     More Annoying than someone kicking the back of your seat on a bus or airplane    More Annoying then stepping in something wet with your socks on   I guess you get my drift.  I have been working with a bunch of buyers and ran into these road b... 02/22/2011

   I wouldn't sell your house if it was the last house on Earth! As a Listing Specialist in my area, I come across all kinds of Homes.... from the very Luxurious Homes that we all Dream About... To the Distressed Properties that we all wish someone would buy and fix...     But this particular situation came to me out of the blue so I sprung into action right away...So when I first got the call I searched the tax records and saw that the property has been listed 4 times in 2 years and had no sales...(Lets call this my first clue) But I met a Seller who actually made me feel that no matter the circumstance, I would never sell this house...no Matter what!, why you ask? Well the home owner not only was a rude, angry and borderline offensive individual, but the house was a scene out of the h... 02/18/2011

Location, Location, Location!!  This Lovely Maplewood Colonial won't last! Tucked away in Maplewood's Tuscan section, this home has all the Trimmings! This is a Must See.  Welcome Home!   Welcome Home! This Elegant CH Colonial nestled away in the lovely town of Maplewoods Tuscan Section Features 3 nice size bedrooms (Master Suite equipped with bathroom and ample closet space) 2 Full and 2 Half bathrooms, Formal dining room, Livingroom, Breakfast nook, Family room and so much more.  Enjoy the Large outdoor Deck that has ample space to enjoy all the upcoming seasons. This Home is situated on a nice size lot that has a 2 car garage, cozy back yard and so much possibilities.  This home is priced to sell, make an offer today!  This home is a Short Sale and subject to lender approval. This Wo... 02/13/2011

With home values unsteady and unemployment rates at all time highs; so many home owners are under water and in desperate need of help and answers.   many are facing the possibility of Foreclosure and with so much information available its hard to sort through the maze.  I am sure most of you have read about the damage that foreclosure does to credit and life in general, but here's some information that may be useful if you or someone you know is in this situation. New Jersey Home Owners that find themselves in distressed situations need to understand how New Jersey deals with Foreclosures.  Here is a Quick Overview of New Jersey Foreclosure Information for Home owners.   Is NJ a judical or non judicial state?  NJ is a Judicial Foreclosure State judicial foreclosures are processed throug... 02/06/2011

  Thank you for not calling the client back I was showing a home to new clients yesterday and things were going swimmingly with a delightful young couple. They then told me that they had called several agents and I had been the only one to call them back. My jaw literally hit the ground. They continued to thank me for being responsive and then commented that it was good for them and good for me. My answer was that it was very good for me and I thanked them for working with us.I just wanted to take a moment to thank you out there for not calling these clients back and to encourage you to stop answering your phones and emails altogether.Thank you, I really appreciate it. 02/06/2011

A single mom, who we’ve been talking to for months and who has already interviewed a few agents invited us to come in and finally ‘sell her house’.   From the moment we arrived, we found ourselves reframing all manner of misinformation she’d been given. After reviewing our market analysis, she concluded that the number at which her home should be priced to sell would not only not yield her enough equity to make her next move, but it might even be a short sale. This was not a happy thought for her and mentioned that two and a half years ago, her neighbor down the street...We know how that one ends. A galaxy far far away.   The final side spin on this tale is that not only does she not have enough money, credit, or equity to pay off the mortgage or make a move, but it’s her father’s reve... 01/30/2011

As a New Jersey short sale specialist in my market area I see a lot of unique situations when it pertains to how someone got into such a distressed situation. I will start by saying, it is solely someones prerogative if they want to buy something or not and I am not the judge, nor juror, but come on now! I met  a home owner  that came to me over a year ago because she was in a financially tough place and needed help selling a property, of course I agreed and we listing the home.   So I priced it properly and we started getting offers 30 days later. Now here is how those offers went: 1st offer, @$250k, buyer canceled after almost 5 months 2nd Offer $190K, buyer canceled after 7 months 3rd Offer at $190K, is running almost 4 months, with no feedback from bank . The Property was vandalized... 01/25/2011

It is never my intention to be the bearer of bad news...in fact if you ever met me you would know that I am upbeat, energetic and a very positive person but there is an increasing amount of activity in Maplewood & South Orange NJ that most agents and even home owners do not want the world to know about...and that is the F WORD (FORECLOSURE)....If you are a follower of my blog you would be familiar with my previous post in regards to short sale and foreclosure activity in Maplewood and South Orange, CLICK HERE to check it out.  As of today there are 37 homes that are in pre-auction status and a whole lot more that are currently listed as short sales in our area .  Now I am optimistic that we as an economy, state and cities will rebound from the struggles of the housing market but I also ... 01/14/2011

Just before 2010 came to an end I was working a Short Sale for a home owner that was very, very, very difficult; and after all that hard work we actually closed the deal successfully. Now when I say it was difficult, I'm NOT talking about the difficulties that come along with most Real Estate transactions...I'm talking about tough... Like Ford tough... Like Brock Lesner tough...  ...OK I guess y'all get the idea...in any event I listed this property in August of 2009 and it was what I would call a Battle of Epic Proportions (Good vs Evil) with the lender (B of A) to get it closed.   After 15 months of fighting, It actually closed....It was truly a Christmas present for me and most importantly the seller!!! I even laughed when I saw the commission check because I took the $1500 check and... 01/12/2011

One of Northern NJ's most interesting bloggers is back and fired up for 2011, its the year of GBH!!!! FEELS GOOD TO BE HOME. Its been a busy couple of months and I've got tons to talk about...business is moving and growing daily and I am surpassing goals and acheiving even greater than I expected...You guys will witness my ups, my downs, my highs and my lows...stay tuned this is about to get real, real interesting!!! If you have never checked out any of my blogs, please go back and comment, I don't just print stats or copy new articles, I give you NJ Real Estate with my own point of view...if you follow or subscribe thanks, if your wondering if its all worth it? all I can say you'll see!!!! 01/10/2011

  According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2.7% of current mortgage balances transitioned to delinquency, up from 2.6 percent last quarter. Additionally, industry research firm Foresight Analytics predicts residential mortgage delinquencies at 13.3% for the third quarter. New threads are popping up every day on ActiveRain, RealTown and other sites posing the question: Has the real estate market hit bottom? Unfortunately, the answer is no ... not yet. I actually think we're a few years away from a recovery. However, these numbers show an overwhelming need for homeowners to seek the advice and representation of an educated real estate agent.  We pride ourselves on learning and staying up to date with everything that is going on in the housing market while educating our clients a... 11/11/2010

Many distressed home owners are full of questions and ask me things all the time such as; Malik, Can They Come after me if I let it go into Foreclosure or short sale? how long does the process take? will I have to move out soon? and although technically these question should be answered by an attorney here is some info about how the foreclosure process works here in NJ.  Before you understand how the foreclosure works you must first know a little about our states policies. How are mortgage liens treated in New Jersey? New Jersey is known as a lien theory state where the property acts as security for the underlying loan. The document that places the lien on the property is called a mortgage. How do I know when I am in Foreclosure status? At least 30 days before starting the foreclosure p... 11/01/2010

Don't walk alone, Lock Your Doors and be extra careful is the advice that is being given to Maplewood and South Orange residents by Police as a string of break in's have plagued the area within the past few weeks.   Laptops, TV's and bicycles are some of the things that have been stolen so Home owners and residents should be extra careful.  Besides a slew of break in's a man was recently robbed at gun point on Sommer off of Valley st as he walked home alone from the South Orange NJ Transit train station.   This comes as just 5 months ago a man was also a victim of an attempted armed robbery which he eluded and Police caught the men that were involved. It is my opinion that this economy is breeding new life into criminal activity as some are desperate and in need of fast cash and unfortu... 10/21/2010

                                       Over the past few weeks many people have been wondering what is going with banks, home foreclosures and most importantly home owners when it comes to the real estate market.   Ally Financial (GMAC's mortgage unit) has lifted their temporary foreclosure freeze, joining Bank of America in proceeding with the foreclosure processes in the 23 states requiring judicial review. While Bank of America maintains their moratorium in the non-judicial states, Ally is now continuing the foreclosure process for its entire non-performing portfolio, and expects that individual reviews will be complete by the end of the year.JPMorgan Chase is the last of the remaining major lenders with a suspension in place. While their freeze is currently restricted to the 23 judi... 10/21/2010

As a HUMAN BEING 1st and an African-American Real Estate Agent 2nd; I have found that just like everything else racism in Real Estate does exist. I have seen many things and been in situations where I felt very uncomfortable and trust me that's not a great feeling. I cannot say that I blame my triumphs and tragedies on Racism but I will say that all of us no matter our race, creed, color, national origin or sexual orientation have experienced some type of racism.  I remember being apart of an office that clearly did not want a certain race of people to work with them; as it somehow tainted the appearance of the office.  I roughed it out for as long as I could and found a new home some place else.   I think that there are great people and terrible ones in all races and we need to judge t... 09/27/2010

 If you live in Essex county NJ or are considering a move to this part of New Jersey then I am sure you have heard of Maplewood and South Orange           These two towns are joined at the hip and great places to live for anyone looking to be 20 minutes from NYC and still enjoy the space of New Jersey living.  As a Real Estate agent in the area I have noticed an increasing amount of short sales and pre-foreclosure homes.  Many people who reside in these towns do not want to accept the fact that these towns are not immune to the declining market that has plagued most if not all of the U.S.A. Many home owners are suffering from the difficulty to find a job,  job loss and corporate downsizing; thus forcing them to scale back spending and in some cases consider selling and or renting to avo... 09/20/2010

NO DISRESPECT TO THE COPY AND PASTE BLOGGERS OUT THERE; BECAUSE THE INFO THAT THEY POST IS USEFUL AND SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT TO SEE NEWS REPORTS, MARKET DATA, POLLS/GRAPHS, AND SURVEYS WHEN THEY READ A BLOG.  ON THE OTHER HAND SOME PEOPLE WANT TO TAP INTO THE INNER WORKINGS OF A PERSON'S MIND OR LEARN ABOUT A SITUATION, EVENT OR EXPERIENCE THAT HAS OCCURRED. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF BLOGGERS I FIND; ONE THAT POST NEWS AND INFORMATION (Non Personal) C & P'ers AND THE OTHERS ARE FREE THINKERS AND LOOK TO ENTERTAIN; I LABEL THEM THE Show- men/woman (THE ENTERTAINERS) So remember the C & P'er  (copy and paster)       The Show men/woman     I happen to be the later of the two types, but not as BOLD as the picture illustrates; but I just find it very interesting that when I am going through the ... 08/26/2010

I have worked for a few different Real Estate offices in my time  and they all have good and bad points; but my question is Does your office help or hurt your business?? From commission splits expensive monthly dues hidden fees and lets not forget corporate interest; seems to have some agents wondering if this is hurting or helping their business.  It is a lot to consider when it's your career on the line.   I must say that there was no feeling that I hated more than having to break out a calculator in an attempt to figure out what my pay was going to be or arguing with my broker over items that were in my original contract but now has since evaporated.  Have you ever felt like your broker sits in his/her office like this ---> I know I have and thats not a good feeling.... But if your i... 08/25/2010

Maplewood real estate and 10 year home sales history review.  Maplewood is an awesome town.  Beautiful older homes on streets with magnificent trees that lead to a charming village full of life and fun, not to mention a sweet commute to NYC via NJ Transit Midtown Direct Train. Homes in Maplewood are a good value and also hold their value quite well.  It's simple enough to look at the last 10 years home sales history for Maplewood to see that a home purchase in Maplewood is a good decision.  Average and median prices are just a little below the high of 2006-2008 .. and climbing back up from the "low" of 2009. Find a home for sale in Maplewood   |  Maplewood home valuation    Maplewood School Info  |  Maplewood Demographics Want help finding the right home and neighborhood for you?  Put m... 08/23/2010

As a Short Sale listing specialist I encounter some pretty awful situations for home owners and often try to figure out the best course of action to help someone through what's probably the worst situation of their lives; but this one was just disheartening. I received a phone call from an older gentleman who said he needed my help...naturally I asked the man; "what can I do to help you sir?" he explained that he needed to sell his home as he tried to get a modification and it did not work. I explained to him that I understood and requested that he come into the office so we could discuss things further.  So it's Thursday morning and as promised the gentleman walks in to my office and I observe that he is much older than I expected; so I asked "if you don't mind me asking, how are old ... 08/23/2010