As 2007 closes its doors to us, a moment to rant and rave. I hosted an open house yesterday for three hours. I had one person and a realtor come through. The realtor came 45 minutes before the end and said to me "I usually pack up and go home if its not busy."Now if I'm hosting an open house, I have to put an ad in the paper, place ads online, do … [Read more...]

Craigslist and other online sites are great places to start your real estate search. Once you've established an understanding of the market and your needs and wants, the best place to go is to your realtor.Most of the Craigslist postings my clients send me are units that I have already sent them from the MLS. Sometimes the Craigslist posting is … [Read more...]

Time to pay the piper for excessive holiday celebrations. Some folks are going to get on their home coat racks ...err exercise bikes/treadmills. Instead, save yourself the space, put your coat in the closet and use the floor space to make your condo look bigger. If you still feel the need to exercise come February and can't afford those high priced … [Read more...]

Location is everything. Check it well.Three tips to scouting your new home.1) Check it at morning and evening rush hour. Is your street a popular cut through?2) Check it during the evening after the sun goes down. Does it feel safe to walk the street?3) Check when the bars close on the weekend. Is it noisy?Don't let your desert oasis be filled with … [Read more...]

Time for a bigger place?Where are you going to put all those new goodies? You could go out and get larger place with another bedroom to store your junk. Why not try a place with storage instead. Storage offerings range from real nice safe and secure cages in the basement to a common room outlined with tape, to just a place under the stairs where … [Read more...]

Hoboken has a problem...Not enough fireplaces to go around. If you're looking for a wood burning fireplace, they are even harder to find, especially in anything built in the last 50 years. As my three year old suggests/demands, "don't forget to make a set of keys for Santa".In a pinch? Try the video fireplace. Maybe Santa won't mind.Hoboken Condos … [Read more...]

A Tale of Two CitiesFor anyone who has seen the units of the Sky Club, it truly is the tale of two cities. One city has beautiful views of the Hudson River, New York City, or points south. A true upper class lifestyle. The other half faces a court yard. even worse the other tower is about 30 feet away. If you live on a mid or lower floor, it feels … [Read more...]

Sweet DreamsNew Construction. Prime Location. Walk to Path . River Views. This is almost as exciting as the W coming to town. Just don't hold your breath. For most Hoboken residents it's a pipe dream and they don't even know it. Just do the math. It will take six months to start the clock. (probably a year after all of the political infighting has … [Read more...]

If you've ever lived in a fifth floor walk up without laundry, having a washer and dryer in your unit is priceless. Even if you have it sent out, you still have to lug it up and down. In a slower market, it is not surprising that walk ups tend to sit longer. If you're a seller and you don't have a washer/dryer in the walk up, you are pretty much … [Read more...]

Double Edged Sword.I had a renter come to an open house recently. (Not really a surprise, since many renters are looking to own.) The problem was the renter lives in an 800 sqft 2 bedroom, 1 bath and is paying $1200 per month in uptown Hoboken. The renter wanted some outdoor space. Rent control is a great thing for those that needed it, for the … [Read more...]