RealtorIrene Blogs about Northwestern NJ Real Estate - Hunterdon & Warren: New Jersey: Hamburg

This bargain is a foreclosed 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom interior townhouse in Indian Fields. (Hardyston township shares a Hamburg NJ zip code.) In one of Sussex County's most desirable communities, this Freddie Mac REO is priced to move very, very quickly. I'm very excited to be able to offer this real estate listing at 25 Meadow Pond Road.

On the day it was listed (November 6, 2009), it is - at $188900 - by far the least expensive active home for sale in the Garden State MLS for the section Indian Fields.

Does it need wall prep and interior painting? Sure does.

Does it need new carpeting? Without a doubt. Personally, I'd also replace the vinyl floor in the kitchen.

Are a couple of the thermal windows cracked and in need of replacement?  You betcha.

Does the difference between $188900 and $224900 more than compensate for the work that is needed?  I certainly think so and strongly suspect that buyers will too!

The electric should be on later today; the cleaning will occur on/by Wednesday, Nov. 11. Showings, however, can already begin.  It does have a finished, walkout basement too!

This bank-owned Indian Fields townhouse in Hardyston NJ is certainly what I view as one of Sussex County's current hot homes for sale. With an REO, fast decisions and closings are possible. It is being sold entirely AS-IS and the buyer will have to cover transfer tax, Certificate of Occupancy and winterization costs associated with home inspections. But it is still a great real estate deal!

Copyright © 2009, Irene Kennedy, all rights reserved. This blog post represents Irene's personal musings.

Considering selling a home or looking to buy one around Sussex County NJ? Benefit from creative marketing, top negotiating skills and vast real estate knowledge by contacting Irene via the data to the right.

Irene Kennedy, who is a NJ real estate agent with Weichert, Realtors, lives in Sussex County & works from the Hamburg office. Her primary market includes: Augusta, Branchville, Crystal Springs, Frankford, Franklin, Hamburg, Hampton, Hardyston, Highland Lakes, Lake Mohawk, Newton, Ogdensburg, Scenic Lakes, Sparta, Stockholm, Sussex, Vernon, Wantage.

GREAT price reduction on a Queen Anne Victorian home for sale in Hamburg NJ. This renovated 4 -5 bedroom is in a great location for commuters.

One of the most beautiful older homes for sale in Sussex County!

A gem of a Hamburg home for sale in Sussex County, this jaw-dropping Queen Anne Victorian reflects professional decorator artistry & skilled renovations. Wait until you see the high-tech media room!

In this lovely piece of Hamburg NJ real estate, a totally remodeled kitchen meets the demands of the modern gourmet. Two internal staircases. High ceilings, original plank floors, pocket doors and detailed woodwork retain old-world charm while a new furnace and oil tank plus replacement windows satisfy today's practical concerns.

Fabulous location for commuters - right off Routes 23 and 94. Public water and sewer. A Victorian Colonial home for sale in Sussex County NJ that must be seen!

Copyright © 2009, Irene Kennedy, all rights reserved. This blog post represents Irene's personal musings.

Considering selling a home or looking to buy one around Sussex County, NJ? Benefit from creative marketing, top negotiating skills and vast real estate knowledge by contacting Irene via the data to the right.

Irene Kennedy, who is a NJ real estate agent with Weichert, Realtors, lives in Sussex County & works from the Hamburg office. Her primary market includes: Augusta, Branchville, Crystal Springs, Frankford, Franklin, Hamburg, Hampton, Hardyston, Highland Lakes, Lake Mohawk, Newton, Ogdensburg, Scenic Lakes, Sparta, Stockholm, Sussex, Vernon, Wantage.

Those considering buying condo vacation homes in Sussex County NJ may worry about maintenance issues from afar.  Others might not be able to use them frequently and debate the value to owning a ski condo. Several popular resorts - Minerals Resort, The Appalachian at Mountain Creek and Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs - may be the answers.

Lovely resort condos that set you at the heart of Sussex County golf courses and ski slopes. Monthly maintenance fees cover the utilities at these Sussex condo hotels.

These 3 hotel-style vacation properties in Sussex County NJ run an optional rental program. Owners can permit their condos to be in the rental pool when you won't be using it.  Each hotel sets its own rates and restrictions. I'll always help potential buyers obtain those rental details although I my real estate services don't extend to actual hotel bookings.

Minerals Resort and Spa SHORT SALE - Vernon NJ - The oldest (built in 2003) of our current Sussex County condo hotels, Minerals Resort has spectacular indoor and outdoor pools. Kites Restaurant provides delicious meals with a view.  Meticulously maintained, the condos come fully furnished - right down to fluffy spa towels & tiny shampoo bottles.  Why is this great for those coming from afar?  You just pack a suitcase and show up at your Minerals Resort condo!  The housekeeping staff will change linens, swab the tub and tidy up behind you.  Hotel luxury, ownership prices! (Minerals is in the same Vernon NJ complex as Great Gorge Village, which does have a rental program but no hotel services.)

Irene Kennedy's video on what is

now a $36000 SHORT SALE at Minerals Hotel & Spa Condo - Vernon NJ

Condos at the Appalachian at Mountain Creek - Vernon are newer than Minerals and have more varied condo layouts - studios plus 1 or 2 bedroom suites. Kitchenettes offer better self-preparation options - important as no restaurant has yet opened within the Appalachian.  These condos give you true ski-in ski-out access.

The Grand Cascades Lodge - Crystal Springs in Hardyston is Sussex County's newest condo hotel.  I would say it is the most swank. Putting green in front, several golf courses all around. The country club connects to the lodge.

If you and each one of your friends buys a Grand Cascades condo with me as your real estate agent, I would spend time in the Biosphere pool, a year-round paradise. I could then afford some pampering in its Reflections Spa. Ultra luxury!

Copyright © 2009, Irene Kennedy, all rights reserved. This blog post from www.RealtorIrene.com represents Irene's personal musings.

Considering selling a home or looking to buy one around Sussex County, NJ? Benefit from creative marketing, top negotiating skills and vast real estate knowledge by contacting Irene via the data to the right or www.HomesIrene.com.

Although all the homes for sale in Sussex County NJ are fairly close to one of our 21 golf courses, many people immediately focus on the 7 Crystal Springs golf courses: Wild Turkey, Minerals, Great Gorge, Crystal Springs, Cascades, Black Bear and Ballyowen.

Although many of 21 courses are open to the public, some, such as Lake Mohawk Golf Club, are private. For those who plan to live year round in Sparta, membership at Lake Mohawk Golf Club might be of interest. Others who may want vacation homes in Sussex County will be happy to learn that all the Crystal Springs golf courses don't require a membership.

Your options for real estate in Crystal Springs are vast and we can chat about what best fits your needsl!  The Grand Cascades Lodge is a hotel-condo; you own a unit that could be part of the rental pool.  (My vacation home series will eventually highlight the  local hotel-type real estate in Sussex County NJ.)

As for more traditional choices for homes for sale in Crystal Springs - Hardyston, NJ - the sky is the limit. We can focus on small condos, modest townhouses, luxury townhomes, quaint ranches or palatial Colonials. Some of these adjoin or overlook may of the Crystal Springs golf courses.  Right next to its Ballyowen Golf Course is an active adult community, Ballyowen Bluffs.

To start our hunt for your residence or vacation home in Sussex County NJ, here are some larger 3 bedroom townhouses and condos. Some are Crystal Springs homes for sale; others are quite close.

Here you'll find my blog posts on Sussex County NJ vacation homes. Or, subscribe to all my posts by using the button to the right!

Copyright © 2009, Irene Kennedy, all rights reserved. This blog post from www.RealtorIrene.com represents Irene's personal musings.

Considering selling a home or looking to buy one around Sussex County, NJ? Benefit from creative marketing, top negotiating skills and vast real estate knowledge by contacting Irene via the data to the right or www.HomesIrene.com.

Irene Kennedy, NJ real estate agent with Weichert, Realtors, lives in Sussex County & works from the Hamburg office. Her primary market includes: Augusta, Branchville, Crystal Springs, Frankford, Franklin, Hamburg, Hampton, Hardyston, Highland Lakes, Lake Mohawk, Newton, Ogdensburg, Scenic Lakes, Sparta, Sussex, Vernon, Wantage.

Right here in beautiful Sussex County, we have some very valuable but little known real estate. I'm referring to stromatolites - fossils on a Precambrian rock outcrop, which is more than 500,000,000 years old. Stromatolites are one of the oldest living organisms on Earth - and you can meet some right in Hamburg!

The most famous places to view stromatolites are Shark Bay or Coral Bay both in Australia, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and in the Bahamas. While I'd love to visit any of those places, such a trip isn't in my family budget. Probably not in yours either...

So, what about a short ride to explore stromatolites fossils right in Sussex County, NJ?  FREE and fun - just you and Mother Nature. Family members of all ages can find something of interest - collecting loose rocks, climbing on boulders, viewing fossils, perhaps spotting some wildlife.  Best of all, everyone will get dirty, so wear your sturdy playclothes! Try to locate the "Godzilla's butt print" fossil. Bring a rope to aid climbing. You'll probably want your camera too. Perhaps hike along the Wallkill River, which runs parallel; listen for the waterfall. The Wallkill River stems from the Hudson and empties into Lake Mohawk in Sparta, NJ.

Directions: The Bluffs Active Adult community is at the intersection of Gingerbread Castle Road in Hamburg and Wheatsworth Road in Hardyston. (You probably won't find Bluffs Court via GPS or Mapquest.) We're right between Ballyowen Golf Course and the Gingerbread Castle. At the top of the loop, you can park at the site of the future clubhouse. Voila - stromatolites! 

When you visit, please remember that you're in a private community. There are no public restrooms, no trash cans, no benches, no concession stands - simply you and our good Earth. It would be a prime time to practice being concerned environmentally-friendly citizens. And speaking of citizens, all my lovely neighbors and I always appreciate a wave or Hello!

Following are some links to Wikipedia for those who would like some details about terms used and what you'll be seeing. Never hurts to sneak in a little learning!

Stromatolite          Precambrian

Outcrop          Fossil          Glacier          Wallkill River

Copyright © 2009, Irene Kennedy, all rights reserved. This post from RealtorIrene Blogs from Sussex County, NJ represents Irene's personal musings.

Considering selling a home or looking to buy one around Sussex County, NJ? Benefit from creative marketing, top negotiating skills and vast real estate knowledge by contacting Irene via the data to the right or HomesIrene.com.

Irene Kennedy, who is a NJ real estate agent with Weichert, Realtors, lives in Sussex County & works from the Hamburg office. Her primary market includes: Augusta, Branchville, Crystal Springs, Frankford, Franklin, Hamburg, Hampton, Hardyston, Highland Lakes, Lake Mohawk, Newton, Ogdensburg, Scenic Lakes, Sparta, Sussex, Vernon, Wantage. With her vast network, however, Irene Kennedy also can help you find an equally talented real estate agent elsewhere.

For several shorts sales in the Sussex County, NJ, area, I've had great interactions with Chase.  On Monday, I faxed a best-and-final offer, a net worksheet, copy of check and mortgage preapproval, updated seller financials, etc. Chase has already agreed to a short sale of the property in Hamburg and had 2 interior BPOs done. So, all should be ready to roll.

Wrong!

I just phoned to confirm receipt and learned that the Chase corporation is doing work on or replacing its computer systems.  Employees will be unable to access details on any loans until at least July 8. According to the very polite gentleman in the Short Sale department, Chase decided to schedule this conversion to include a holiday weekend.

But one is talking about a least a week! And this does not just apply to the Short Sale section.

So, do not attempt to call Chase for any mortgage-related reason before July 8, 2009!

 Save yourself some agony...

Copyright © 2009, Irene Kennedy, all rights reserved. This blog post from http://www.realtorirene.com/ represents Irene's personal musings.

Considering selling a home or looking to buy one around Sussex County, NJ? Benefit from creative marketing, top negotiating skills and vast real estate knowledge by contacting Irene via the data to the right or http://www.homesirene.com/.

Irene Kennedy, who is a NJ real estate agent with Weichert, Realtors, lives in Sussex County & works from the Hamburg office. Her primary market includes: Augusta, Branchville, Crystal Springs, Frankford, Franklin, Hamburg, Hampton, Hardyston, Highland Lakes, Lake Mohawk, Newton, Ogdensburg, Scenic Lakes, Sparta, Sussex, Vernon, Wantage. With her vast network, however, Irene Kennedy also can help you find an equally talented real estate agent elsewhere.

My nephews, Matt and Sam, moved to Kentucky a few years ago. Since then, I've felt disconnected from them, unable to maintain our special connection.  Their family was visiting very briefly but due to my real estate showings, I was only going to have an hour or two with them.

Matt and Sam had other ideas and decided they needed to come to my home for a sleepover party at my distant Hamburg home - before knowing that we'd have hot fudge sundaes for dinner and stay up WAY late watching a PG-13 movie!

The boys didn't need that rope to be connected to me.

Matt and Sam taught me an important lesson. And for that, I am very, very thankful!

In the GSMLS serving Sussex County, NJ, and surrounding areas, most listings have an outdoor picture as the primary for a home for sale. Search for homes anywhere and this is the most common practice.

We have many condos and townhouses in Sparta, Vernon, Hardyston, Hamburg, Crystal Springs, Great Gorge Village, etc. Frankly, from the outside they all look alike - and there are a lot for sale. Some real estate is not particularly attractive from the exterior but one can have a wonderful surprise inside. (All MY listings, of course are just like me - beautiful inside and out!)

Of course, I think about more than just the primary photo when I list a home for sale. The basic Realtor.com now shows 4 photos, so I order accordingly.

• If the primary photo is not the exterior, do you assume the house is ugly?
• Does a picture of a wonderful gourmet kitchen make you want to see more?
• When all the exteriors of townhomes in a section of a development such as Crystal Springs are identical, what appeal does an outside picture hold for you - if any?

Which of each side-by-side photo from homes I'm listing for sale in Sussex County, NJ, would be more likely to have you take a closer look!

 Search Sussex County NJ Homes for Sale - ask me about any!

Well, it isn't officially summer yet. Neither has Memorial Day weekend arrived. But I'm happy to report the sure sign of summer has made an appearance in beautiful, rural Sussex County, NJ.

As I was reading the newspaper this morning in my Hamburg home, a mosquito bit my ankle. (While I am slender, I do have meatier parts but I don't plan to answer comments about what they are!) I hope the little pest broke his snout on my anklebone.

While those from Texas are certain to claim their skeeters are much bigger, I do believe that the Garden State takes the title.

So if you hear me scratching...

Part 3 of Distressed Properties are NOT Black Holes!, a six part series. (While I'm based in Sussex County, photos here are from one of my REOs in Passaic County, West Milford, NJ.)

REOs are wonderful opportunities and should NEVER be dismissed!

I'll use the term bank but the new owner could be a mortgage company, corporation or debt collector.

By the time a bank actually owns the property (now called an REO = real estate owned), the bank already has hired one or more people to provide a written opinion of current market value where the property is located. This could be an appraisal but more often is a BPO done by an experienced real estate agent. The condition of the REO is taken into consideration by the appraiser or agent doing the BPO, although some BPOs are external only and the agent never sees the inside.  

NOTE - Many BPOs ask for the cost to do basic repairs to the property; I've never had a bank actually pay to do those. Sometimes banks have multiple BPOs done to get a few different opinions.

Work begins long before the REO is listed!

Banks may or may not select one of the BPO agents to be the listing agent representing the seller. Once the bank has selected an agent to handle its REO, there often is work to be done before the home is actually put on the market. 

If the home is occupied by a tenant or the former owner, that situation needs to be changed.  Many banks offer a "Cash for Keys" deal - a payment made to the occupant in return of moving out and leaving the property in reasonable condition.  Based on my experience, I'd say the amount would cover the first month rent on another place and a U-Haul in which to move personal property. It's a modest incentive to avoid eviction proceedings.

Warning to agents - Absolutely talk to your broker or an attorney before handling any Cash-for-Keys work! Do not assume it is okay because the bank has asked you to do so. Local laws relating to this can vary widely. Your safety is another factor - not everyone will react well if you knock on a door and ask them to vacate...

Then it is cleanup time. A few banks have their own contracts to handle this but most leave the work to the listing agent. The bank expects its agent to pay for such work and get reimbursed. Because of this, as well as time and effort, some agent use a service to handle this "trash out" process and continuing care.

What gets done

• Depending on the amount and cost of work involved, the listing agent might need to get several bids on these items.
• The banks pay to have contents removed. (Agents - again check laws, you may have to hold this personal property and make an attempt to contact its owners to claim it.)
• Basic yard work yields some curb appeal. As I mentioned above, few repairs will be done but safety issues might be corrected.
• The home is winterized - at least in my neck of the woods - probably in most places to prevent water damage even without freezing.
• Utilities. Some banks insist electricity be on; some pay to heat as well.
• Continued care. Many banks authorize minimal on-going work: shoveling snow, periodic lawn mowing, leaf removal, etc.  

During this period, the bank will have obtained price opinions and set an asking price. Now the property is ready to be listed.

• Part 1 - Distressed Properties are NOT Black Holes!
• Part 2 - Short Sales can be a great thing despite Timeframe & Lowballs
• Part 3 - So You Want a Foreclosure: Bank-owned Properties - REOs  (this page)
• Part 4 - Want to Steal a Foreclosure? Get the REO facts.
• Part 5 - Consider a Foreclosure - Advantages of REOs
• Part 6 - Pitfalls of Foreclosures. Disadvantages of REOs for Buyers