West Essex Neighborhoods and Homes

There are those who will say that realtors don't make a difference and I'm not going to engage that debate except to make one point; if a realtor only facilitates the paperwork-intensive process of buying or selling property, that's a good and valuable thing.  That said, I believe, as do many of the realtors I know, that buyers have a right to expect more than that, and I suspect you do, too.

Of course, the big question is: how one can know what an individual realtor brings to the table?  In that regard the Web has made a huge impact.  For example, I spend a great deal of time, money and energy putting as much information as I can on the Web so that buyers can pretty much make a decision about me before we ever meet.  You'll find that information on my blog (www.westessexneighborhoods.com), as well as on my Web site (www.wessex-homes.com). 

The Web also enables you to see the same listings I do.  As a realtor I see more information than you do but what you see sure is useful.  I can't speak for other realtors, but I think that buyer access to this kind of information is a benefit to all concerned, and especially to first-time home buyers.  A first time buyer can identify favored home styles (ranches, capes, etc.), the must haves and the nice to haves, and what areas and towns make sense.  What online listings don't tell you, however, can make a big difference.  For example, a good realtor will tell you about the potential costly impact of a recently conducted town-wide revaluation.  Online listings also won't tell you about the oft-experienced difficulties in closing short sales.  And here's one.  I buyer showed me a new listing that seemed to meet his needs and the he wanted to see it.  What he didn't know was that the house had been on the market for over a year prior to being re-listed.  The point is that realtors can give you more information with which to work and some of that information has to do with the special knowledge that the realtor has accumulate over the years.

My special knowledge derives from my experience as a real estate investor, where I bought, rehabbed and sold formerly distressed houses.  Some purchases were conventional and some where short sales, which I negotiated.  All were adventures, especially those that had been abandoned.  What I learned with the help of some very knowledgeable contractors, was how to spot serious problems, how to modify floors plans in order to increase value, the cost of modifications and how to work with city officials.

This kind of knowledge is especially relevant to first time home buyers because lower priced houses sometimes have issues that more expensive home might not have.  Having an advisor nearby is real benefit but, as I always point out, every buyer should arrange for a home inspection. 

In short, I do not believe that I should try to direct or unduly influence a buyer's decision.  What I do believe is that I should help the buyer process and evaluate of a lot of information and, where I have special knowledge, offer to share it. 

Visit the writer at home.

Note:  It is forbidden for any realtor to offer legal advice . 

I think many home buyers underestimate the importance of the area that surrounds the house they are considering. That includes the block, neighborhood, town, the surrounding towns and even the region.  That isn't to say that buyers ignore these things. Rather, I think the surrounding area should be weighted more heavily in the decision.  That is why I love living and doing business in the western-most towns of Essex County, NJ. 

It helps, of course, to have a love affair with NYC, which I unashamedly have (NYC is only 15 miles to the east), but the area also stands on its own as a wonderful place to live and raise a family.  In fact, that core idea is the reason I launched my Web site called West Essex County Neighborhoods and Homes (www.wessex-home.com).  From the home page:

Welcome to My Neighborhood
My name is Brian McCabe. Over the years I have sunk some pretty deep roots in Essex County. At one time or another, I've lived in Belleville, Nutley, Glen Ridge, East Orange and Montclair and I currently live in the Caldwells. For the past few years, I have purchased and rehabbed single- and multi-family houses in Newark, Irvington and East Orange. Now, as a realtor in the Caldwell office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, I want to share with you what I know about Essex County and help you find your dream house in this incredibly diverse and dynamic neighborhood.

Don't be under any false illusions.
You will not get a fair and balanced point of view from me because I could be New Jersey's biggest cheerleader. I love the towns, houses, restaurants, shopping, parks, mountains, road-side vegetable stands, the Jersey shore, seafood, the Giants, Jets, Nets, Devils and Essex County.

I love Essex County because of its rich mix of urban and suburban neighborhoods...and even a working farm or two...combined with its proximity to the greatest city in the world, New York City. So that's why I've made New Jersey and Essex County my home and they may be some of the same reasons that influence you to do so, as well.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Please accept my invitation to visit my wsb site at www.wessex-homes.com where you will get a hefty dose of geographic bias (did you expect anything less?). 

When you think about buying your first home, think about your first love. 

Remember how all consuming it was, and how difficult it was trying to concentrate on anything else?  It was bliss...wonderful, obsessive bliss.  But, if your experience was similar to mine, the people who cared about you cautioned against moving too fast.  "Date more people," they advised, and they were probably right.  Not to say that your first love couldn't have resulted in a lifetime of happiness, but experience is a very capable teacher.

So it is with your search for your first home.  Don't fall in love too fast.  Really think it through and don't hesitate to ask for the advice of friends and family and, of course, your realtor.  But most importantly, look at a sufficient number of houses so that you can feel comfortable with your selection.  And remember, the choice of a house also includes the choice of a block, a neighborhood, a town and an area.  My Web site, www.wessex-homes,com, covers the west Essex County neighborhood, an area comprising eight towns...Caldwell, North Caldwell, West Caldwell, Roseland, Essex Fells, Verona and Cedar Grove...each one a great town in which to live.

Now, were you to ask me how many houses you should look at, I would say that only you can answer that question.  Actually, there's a well-known saying about pornography that informs the house hunting process: it's tough to define pornography, but you know it when you see it.  In other words, you'll know when you have seen enough houses.  That said, I would caution against allowing external factors to play too much of a role in your decision-making.  For example, suppose a good buy comes on the market...one that's likely to sell fast.  Your realtor will most likely tell you that, but there are two ways that the message could be delivered. 

1. The High Pressure Way: This is a great house.  If you don't act now you are going to lose it. 
2. The Informative Way: This is a great house and it should sell fast.  If you think it's the right house for you, consider making an offer, but do so only because it's the right house for you. 

Which style of communication makes you feel most comfortable? 

That brings us around to the role that a realtor should play in your search for a first home.  If we were working together, I would want you to see me as a guide, a consultant, a set of experienced eyes, a financial advisor, an advocate and a watchdog.  While that may seem like a lot of hats to wear, it's really only one hat: the hat of someone who will do what's necessary to make the purchase of your first home a memorable and joyful experience. So, as you engage the process of buying your first home, be in the moment.  You'll only have it once.

Visit the writer at home.

Many years ago, when I landed a coveted sales position at America's leading woman's service magazine, I was positively giddy.  Even though I was fairly young at the time I had made it to the big leagues of the media business.  Despite the challenges ahead, I was confident and maybe, just maybe, I was a little full of myself.  Well, early on, my boss invited himself into a meeting I had set up with a divisional vice president at a very important food advertiser.  The subject of the meeting was how to make more effective use of print advertising and I was ready to hit the ball out of the park.  I told him everything I knew about the subject...in all candor, I did know quite a bit...and thought the meeting was a great success.

During the ride back to NYC my boss asked me how I thought the meeting went.  I said I thought it went well.  He said that I obviously knew a good deal about the subject.  I said, yes, I do, adding that I had made a study of it.  He said, "No one cares about what you think." 

My life was over.  I was dead but my body just hadn't gotten the memo yet.  Little did I know that what he said, which was, at the time, incredibly painful, would turn out to be the most valuable sales and marketing lesson I would ever get.  What he meant was that clients don't care what sales people think.  Sales people are conduits for facts and they [the salespeople] exist to communicate those facts in the context of their [the client's] needs.  Everything else is ego-driven window dressing. 

It was time for me to rethink how I was going to conduct business for the rest of my life.

While that exchange took place many years ago I remain eternally grateful that my boss, who is long gone but hardly forgotten, cared enough to make me a better advocate for my clients' interests.  But, interestingly, his wise counsel, which I have sought to pass on to others along the way, has often been seen as an unnecessary burden.  After all, they argued, developing factual understandings takes work and, in their minds it isn't necessary because clients won't know the difference. 

Perhaps clients won't know the difference, but I will.