NJ First-Time Home Buyers Advice

Advice for First-Time Home Buyers in New Jersey

• Pre-Qualification: Meet with a mortgage broker and find out how much you can afford to pay for a home.
• Pre-Approval: While knowing how much you can afford is the first step, sellers will be much more receptive to potential buyers who have been pre-approved. You’ll also avoid being disappointed when going after homes that are out of your price range. With Pre-Approval, the buyer actually applies for a mortgage and receives a commitment in writing from a lender. This way, assuming the home you’re interested in is at or under the amount you are pre-qualified for, the seller knows immediately that you are a serious buyer for that property. Costs for pre-approval are generally nominal and lenders will usually permit you to pay them when you close your loan.
• List of Needs & Wants: Make 2 lists. The first should include items you must have (i.e., the number of bedrooms you need for the size of your family, a one-story house if accessibility is a factor, etc.). The second list is your wishes, things you would like to have (pool, den, etc.) but that are not absolutely necessary. Realistically for first-time buyers, you probably will not get everything on your wish list, but it will keep you on track for what you are looking for.
• Representation by a Professional: Consider hiring your own real estate agent, one who is working for you, the buyer, not the seller.
• Focus & Organization: In a convenient location, keep handy the items that will assist you in maximizing your home search efforts. Such items may include:
  1. One or more detailed maps with your areas of interest highlighted.
  2. A file of the properties that your agent has shown to you, along with ads you have cut out from the newspaper.
  3. Paper and pen, for taking notes as you search.
  4. Instant or video camera to help refresh your memory on individual properties, especially if you are attending a series of showings.
  5. Location: Look at a potential property as if you are the seller. Would a prospective buyer find it attractive based on school district, crime rate, proximity to positive (shopping, parks, freeway access) and negative (abandoned properties, garbage dump, source of noise) features of the area?
• Visualize the house empty & with your decor: Are the rooms laid out to fit your needs? Is there enough light?
• Be Objective: Instead of thinking with your heart when you find a home, think with your head. Does this home really meet your needs? There are many houses on the market, so don’t make a hurried decision that you may regret later.
• Be Thorough: A few extra dollars well spent now may save you big expenses in the long run. Don’t forget such essentials as:
  1. Include inspection & mortgage contingencies in your written offer.
  2. Have the property inspected by a professional inspector.
  3. Request a second walk-through to take place within 24 hours of closing.
  4. You want to check to see that no changes have been made that were not agreed on (i.e., a nice chandelier that you assumed came with the sale having been replaced by a cheap ceiling light).
• All the above may seem rather overwhelming. That is why having a professional represent you and keep track of all the details for you is highly recommended. Please email me or call me directly to discuss any of these matters in further detail.

Find Properties and Homes for Sale in Bergen County NJ: River Edge, Oradell, Paramus, Emerson Fairlawn. Search the complete NJ MLS for free. Contact Carmelo Oliveri, Coldwell Banker Realtor at (201) 618-2854. Visit our web site at http://www.ournjhouse.com

Oradell NJ Real Estate

Oradell NJ Real Estate Update. Find a home in Oradell NJ

So how does the Oradell NJ real estate market look these days? Currently Oradell has a average listing price for homes for sale of $697,425. The BERGEN county average currently is $976,575.

The current number of properties on the market in Oradell is 28. The Oradell median listing price is $626,617.

For BERGEN county real estate the total listings are 5,460 and a median listing price of $560,455. This comparss to New Jersey real estate data, which this week shows a total number of listing properties as 63,765 with a median listing price of $352,465. To see a breakdown of Oradell real estate listings by bedroom click here or scroll down.

Find Properties and Homes for Sale in Bergen County NJ: River Edge, Oradell, Paramus, Emerson Fairlawn. Search the complete NJ MLS for free. Contact Carmelo Oliveri, Coldwell Banker Realtor at (201) 618-2854. Visit our web site at http://www.ournjhouse.com

County of Bergen NJ - 2009 Calendar of Events

County of Bergen NJ - Calendar of Events for Bergen County 2009

 04/06/09    Free Oral Cancer Screening
Free comprehensive oral cancer examination by a dental professional. If any problems are detected, follow-up and treatment options will be recommended. Dr. Michelle Bloch, Teaneck. 10am-2pm. Call 201-837-3000 for an appointment. Sponsor: Health Services

04/14/09    ”Best Practice in How to Engage Families”
9:30a.m.-12:30p.m. Individual and family engagement is critical in the helping process for producing and supporting positive change. Participants will be able to identify personal strengths, limitations, self awareness, communication tools. Sponsor: Human Services

04/15/09    HealthEASE Wellness Fair
Free Health Screenings and much more for Bergen County residents age 60+ at the First Presbyterian 150 E. Palisade Ave, Englewood. for info call 201-336-7437 Sponsor: Human Services

04/16/09    Free Oral Cancer Screening
Free comprehensive oral cancer examination by a dental professional. If any problems are detected, follow-up and treatment options will be recommended. Philip Ciarco Learning Center, 355 Main Street, Hackensack. 3:30 to 7:00 p.m. No appointment necessary. For information, call 201-634-2699. Sponsor: Health Services

04/21/09    Free Oral Cancer Screening
Free comprehensive oral cancer examination by a dental professional. If any problems are detected, follow-up and treatment options will be recommended. North Hudson Community Action Corp, 535 Midland Ave, Garfield. 11am-2pm. No appointment necessary. For information, call 201-634-2699. Sponsor: Health Services

04/23/09    Free Oral Cancer Screening
Free comprehensive oral cancer examination by a dental professional. If any problems are detected, follow-up and treatment options will be recommended. Bergen Community College Dental Hygiene Clinic, Paramus. 8:30am-12pm and 1-4pm. Call 201-447-7180 for an appointment. Sponsor: Health Services

04/23/09    ”Social Work Ethics Part 2″
9:30 a.m-12:30p.m. A continuation of the discussion on the ethical principles that social workers face. This workshop will cover additional material related to addressing social work practice dilemmas. Sponsor: Human Services

05/07/09    Division of Senior Services Public Hearing
The Division of Senior Services will hold their Annual Public Hearing on Thursday, May 7th at 9:00 a.m. in Freeholders’s Public Meeting Room, One Bergen County Plaza, 5th Floor., Hackensack, NJ. Sponsor: Human Services

05/14/09    ”Effective Tips to Improve Your Writing”
9:30a.m.-12:30p.m. Do you want to write clearly? Write e-mails, reports, and memoranda with style and confidence! Learn the basics of effective writing. Sponsor: Human Services

05/19/09    “Crisis-Intervention and De-escalation”
9:30a.m-12:30p.m. Crisis Intervention is a technique used to address behavior that may escalate into disruptive or even violent incidents. This workshop will address the issue in a way which provides for the care, welfare, safety, and security of all involved. Sponsor: Human Services

06/23/09    “Fundraising for Non-Profits”
9:30 a.m.-12:30p.m. This workshop will focus on the needs of small non-profits with little or no development staff. It will provide practical plans for utilizing agency resources and creatively accessing free or low-cost options for expanding fundraising initiatives. Sponsor: Human Services

09/15/09    Annual Senior Citizens Picnic
County Executive, Dennis McNerney cordially invites you to the Annual Senior Citizens Picnic, at Van Saun County Park, Paramus from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Sept 15th,Rain Date:Tuesday,

Sept. 22. Sponsor: Human Services
10/22/09    HealthEASE Wellness Fair
Free Health Screenings and much more for Bergen County residents age 60+ at Adler Aphasia Center, 60 W. Hunter Ave., Maywood. For information call 201-336-7437 Sponsor: Human Services

Visit Bergen County web site for details on events

Find Properties and Homes for Sale in Bergen County NJ: River Edge, Oradell, Paramus, Emerson Fairlawn. Search the complete NJ MLS for free. Contact Carmelo Oliveri, Coldwell Banker Realtor at (201) 618-2854. Visit our web site at http://www.ournjhouse.com

Paramus New Jersey. Living in Paramus New Jersey

Paramus, New Jersey (NJ) 07652 Town Information

Paramus is often referred to as “the Crossroads of Bergen
County ” because it is crisscrossed by Route 4, Route 17, and the Garden State Parkway. However, its history is more in-depth than this, and below is a small blurb on the creation of Paramus as a town.

At the turn of the century , there was no town or borough specifically called “Paramus”. There was only Midland Township, which had been formed in 1871, but which had rapidly dwindled in size and population as sections of it broke away to establish their own towns. At this point, only Paramus and Rochelle Park remained.

By the 1920’s, Rochelle Park was becoming a settled suburb, bordering, as it did, the more metropolitan Hackensack. Paramus, however, was still a rural area with some 1600 residents, in 1922.

Schools were the issue that broke up Midland Township and caused Paramus to separate from Rochelle Park. Residents in Rochelle Park wanted to consolidate the schools into one big school in Rochelle Park. That would have meant a lengthy commute for Paramus students.

Residents of Rochelle Park, on the other hand, gave another reason for the separation. They blamed a proposal to install lights on the streets of Rochelle Park, toward which the Paramus farmers did not wish to pay taxes, for the disagreement.

This blurb was brought to you by the “… 7th grade enrichment students at East Brook, who put together a web site on the history of Paramus. Fritz Behnke was instrumental in providing us with much of the source material. Years ago most of his collection was photographed and converted to digital format by a group of high school students. We took those photos and sorted, categorized, identified and labeled them, and then used many of them in creating the web site.”

POINTS OF INTEREST

The Fritz Behnke Museum is looking for volunteers. If interested in helping, please call 201-265- 2100 Ext. 716. The museum will be a place for all to view and to learn the rich history of the community of Paramus. Volunteers are needed to set up displays, to staff the museum and to assist in correspondence.

The Bergen Museum of Art & Science, 327 E. Ridgewood Avenue, is a non-profit, privately supported institution. It has continually changing exhibitions of paintings, graphics, sculpture and photography, featuring prominent New Jersey artists and occasionally highlighting the work of artists of international reputation.

Lectures, seminars, demonstrations, workshops, music and special programs are a regular part of the museum calendar.

The science related exhibits include the Hackensack and Dwarskill Mastodons. The permanent collection holds a large selection of fossils, minerals and rock specimens artifacts from northern New Jersey Indians, bird specimens from Bergen County, and a collection of tools from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. There is a Nature Room with live fish, frogs, turtles, snakes and plants. Features monthly, concerts by prominent performers.

The Museum is open to the public on Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Groups may schedule visits Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Telephone 265-1248.

The New Jersey Children’s Museum is located at 599 Industrial Avenue. The New Jersey Children’s Museum is an interactive play and learning center where children and adults can learn about the world and have a great time together.

The Museum is designed for children from 1 to 8, but children of all ages will enjoy their visit. All exhibits are child friendly. Touching everything is very much encouraged. And we’re huge! Fifteen thousand square feet of carpeted exhibit space is brightly decorated and divided into thirty different rooms, each with its own unique and exciting theme.

The emphasis is on fun and learning. Every room has something for your child to play with, hold, and turn on and off. Every exhibit is fascinating, educational, interactive, and fun for adults too! The Museum is open 7 days a week, including Sunday. Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 1 through October 1, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., winter months 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. - 262-5151.

The Bergen Community College, offers two-year associate degrees and one-year certificates in more than 70 career and transfer programs. Students may choose from day and evening courses in business, social sciences, communication arts, humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, allied health and physical education. A variety of non-credit programs are also offered through the division of continuing education. For more information, call (201) 447-7100.

For additional history and facts on Paramus, the following books are available at the Paramus Public Library: Paramus a Chronicle of Two Centuries, Frederick W. Bogert, 50th Anniversary Commemorative Journal 1922-1972 and Paramus, New Jersey, and Applied Natural Resource Inventory. Fritz Behnke’s book, “Paramus, The Way We Were” is also available and can be purchased at the Chamber office or by contacting Fritz Behnke at 201-261-7095.

Find Properties and Homes for Sale in Bergen County NJ: River Edge, Oradell, Paramus, Emerson Fairlawn. Search the complete NJ MLS for free. Contact Carmelo Oliveri, Coldwell Banker Realtor at (201) 618-2854. Visit our web site at http://www.ournjhouse.com