ERA JUSTIN REALTY RECOGNIZES ITS 2019 LEADERSHIP CIRCLE WINNERS

ERA Justin Realty, the top residential real estate brokerage in the Rutherford area, recognized itstop producing agents for 2019 and sets its goals for another successful year in 2020.

ERA Justin Realty Broker/Owners Jennifer Darby Metzger and Ron Darby offered, "As we kick off 2020 and hit the ground running, we want to celebrate some of our key accomplishments in 2019 and recognize some of our top agents who have helped set us up for success in the new year, through our Leadership Circle Awards.”

The Leadership Circle Awards at ERA Justin is an internal awards program designed to recognize those agents that meet and exceed their goals and the company’s goals on a monthly basis. The 2019 Leadership Circle winners are (as pictured, left to right, standing): Lee Schilare, Cathy Vick, Kristen Davis, Glenn Elliot, Julia Dagistanli, and (seated) Carol Calamari, Fara Espandi, and Joana Iliescu.

“We are inspired by our hardworking agents every day, not just in their sales and volume numbers, but also in their dedication to their customers and giving back to the community. All of our agents deliver an extraordinary real estate experience to their clients.” Darby boasts. 

Because of all our tremendous agents, and stellar management staff, ERA Justin is the top selling real estate brokerage in Rutherford for the 19th consecutive year in a row, based on Closed Sales Volume, according to statistics available from the New Jersey Multiple Listing Service (NJMLS). “ERA Justin Realty has sold 3 times more homes in Rutherford than the nearest competitor,” Darby adds.

Darby credits his company’s success to his team’s dedication to customer service and leveraging the latest real estate technology and tools to extend its listing reach, improve lead generation and enhance the consumer experience. “We’re excited about the road ahead and look forward to providing top quality service to our customers,” states Darby Metzger.

To reach any of our Real Estate Professionals, call (201) 939-7500.  ERA Justin Realty Co is conveniently located at 118 Jackson Avenue and 57 Park Avenue, in Rutherford, NJ.

Understanding Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval

Understanding Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval

There’s plenty of real estate terms used in transactions. Needless to say it can be confusing for buyers and sellers trying to navigate the process. Danielle Sette and Jessi Davidson of Team Sette Davidson at ERA Justin Realty understand. “The home loan process might feel overwhelming and difficult to understand. You’ve probably heard that you should pre-qualify or be pre-approved for a mortgage if you’re looking to buy a property. These are two key steps in the mortgage application process. Some people use these terms interchangeably, but there are differences that every homebuyer should understand,” states Sette. Danielle and Jessi break down the difference between the two.

Pre-Qualification

The first step in obtaining a home loan is to meet with a lender and get pre-qualified. Davidson says, “The pre-qualification process is based on consumer-submitted data. The lender will review with the buyer their financial situation and discuss income, job stability, debt and credit.” Pre-qualification can be done over the phone or online, and there’s usually no cost involved. Once they have performed a basic review of the qualifications and run credit, they will issue a Pre-Qualification Letter to the potential buyer, which will identify how much you can expect to borrow, the maximum sales price, any down payment requirements and basic terms of the loan, such as interest rate.

 

The Pre-Qualification letter is used to provide evidence that the buyer has been reviewed by a lender who is vouching for their ability to obtain a loan.

 

Your pre-qualified amount isn’t a sure thing, because it’s based only on the information you’ve provided. It’s just the amount for which you might be approved. A pre-qualified buyer doesn’t carry the same weight as a pre-approved buyer, who has been more thoroughly investigated.

Pre-Approval

Getting pre-approved is the next step, and it’s much more involved. You must complete an official mortgage application to be pre-approved, and you must supply the lender with all the necessary documentation, such as pay stubs, bank statements, assets, etc, to perform an extensive check on your financial background and current credit rating. The lender can pre-approve you for a mortgage up to a specified amount after reviewing your finances. You’ll also have a better idea of the interest rate you’ll be charged on the loan at this point, because this is often based in part on your credit score, and you might even be able to lock in an interest rate.

 

You’ll receive a conditional commitment in writing for an exact loan amount, allowing you to look for a home at or below that price level. A Pre-Approval letter is almost like shopping with cash; the only remaining piece of the puzzle is the property you are buying.

 

Danielle Sette and Jessi Davidson are REALTOR Sales Associates with ERA Justin Realty, both ready to discuss your home-buying questions and needs. To reach either of them, or any of our experienced Sales Professionals, call 201.939.7500 or stop by our office located at 118 Jackson Avenue in Rutherford.

Have You Outgrown Your Home?

Have You Outgrown Your Home?

It may seem hard to imagine that the home you’re in today – whether it’s your starter home or just one you’ve fallen in love with along the way – might not be your forever home. Ilene Harpuder, Sales Associate at ERA Justin Realty, understands a homeowner’s needs for selling when the home no long fits their needs. “Many homeowners are surprised when they suddenly realize that ‘perfect’ home of just a few years ago is no longer adequate for their lifestyle. From an expanding family to the empty nest to financial reasons, it’s common for a home to no longer be the right fit,” Ilene states.


If you’re unsure if you’ve reached the point where a move is warranted, Ilene share a few signs you’ve outgrown your home:


• More Kids than Rooms or More Rooms than Kids – Life changes and our homes must change also.


• Clutter or Lack of Storage – Do you need more closet or storage space? A home with more space could be the answer.


• Home Office – More and more companies are opting for telecommuting or home office workers. If your kitchen is your office, it might be time to look for a new home with extra room for a home office.


• Outdoor Entertaining – Home design trends over the last couple decades has seen a rise in outdoor living and entertaining areas. You might have simply outgrown your yard if you crave space for an outdoor living or dining area.


• Lifestyle – The square footage might be fine, but you would prefer a different floorplan; more open, single story, more windows, etc.


Your reasons for moving will be as unique as you are, but these are just a few considerations which indicate you might have outgrown your current home. Make sure your home still meets your needs and wants, then you’ll be able to decide if it’s time to move.


When you’ve decided to move on — whether you’re upsizing or downsizing, accepting a fantastic job offer in another city, or simply want a change, contact Ilene or any of our experience ERA Justin Realty Sales Associates at 201-939-7500. ERA Justin Realty has sold 3 times more homes in Rutherford than the nearest competitor, based on statistics from NJMLS. We are located at 118 Jackson Avenue or 57 Park Avenue in Rutherford.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT WITH YOUR HOME INSPECTION

A proper home inspection is the best way to purchase a property that’s not a home improvement nightmare. Before you purchase a home, hire an inspector to make sure the structure is sound and there aren’t any major defects.

An inspection helps buyers identify serious issues with a house, condo, townhouse or other type of home. Some lenders require home inspections before they’ll approve closing on a mortgage loan. ERA Justin Realty Sales Associate, Jennifer Sullivan, offers a few tips on preparing for a home inspection:

Get Multiple Recommendations

Make sure you get a few recommendations of qualified inspectors from your real estate agent, attorney, friends, family, neighbors or the American Society of Home Inspectors. Interview the inspector to find out how they work, what their training is, if they are licensed and insured and how they communicate with their customers.

Attend the Inspection 

After the inspection is complete, buyers will get a report from the inspector. Many people don’t realize they can be at the inspection or think they will “leave it up to the professional” to make recommendations. Make sure you are present for the home inspection and be prepared to ask questions and point out specific problems you’d like to check out further. Although he is the expert, this will be the first time your home inspector has been at the property, so any knowledge of potential issues you have will be invaluable to point out.

 

Ask Questions

The reason you hired a home inspector is because this person has the necessary knowledge to evaluate whether or not this property has any issues that would make purchasing the property a bad decision. If you don’t understand what the inspector just told you, ask for clarification. A good inspector will answer all of your questions and should explain what s/he is doing as they are walking through the property. It’s better to ask a question now than have an issue arise after you’ve purchased the property.

Don’t Focus on Small Issues

Whether the home is new construction or 70 years old, there is a strong likelihood that the inspector will find items to list on their report. Each home will have things that an inspector feels could be updated or modified, but that does not mean it is a pending problem or you should kill the deal. The main point of the report is to learn if the home has any major structural problems or if any of the major systems are in need of extensive repair (think plumbing, electrical or HVAC). It is not a wise idea to ask a seller to replace every burned-out light bulb or cracked electrical outlet cover, remove all the wallpaper or credit you for these items.

Determine which battles are worth fighting and which items can be handled at a later date and take your concerns to your real estate agent for negotiation. Sullivan states, “Making unnecessary home inspection repair requests can lead the seller to look at other offers that may be on the table”. 

Jennifer Sullivan is a Realtor Sales Associate at ERA Justin Realty. Jennifer or any of our full time agents can be reached at 201.939.7500 to discuss any of your real estate needs.

ERA Justin Realty and It’s Agents Helped to Make the Holidays Special

 

ERA Justin Realty and It’s Agents Help Make the Holidays Special

 

ERA Justin Realty spent the holiday season giving back to the community that they serve. Beginning with Giving Tuesday, the office started collecting food for the food pantry. Thanks to the generosity of the agents and local residents who contributed food, ERA Justin was able to help fill the Rutherford Food Pantry with food for the holidays. The Rutherford Community Pantry, Inc. is a volunteer non-profit organization which meets emergency and ongoing needs for food and personal hygiene items for citizens of Rutherford and members of Rutherford religious institutions who are referred by an approved agency throughout the year. It is a joint effort of concerned citizens, community faith congregations and civic organizations.

 

The second charity ERA Justin Realty helped is Toys For Tots. In conjunction with the ERA Real Estate network, the ERA Justin Realty agents contributed new toys to the program which is run by the US Marine Corps Reserve. Their mission is to bring the joy of Christmas to less fortunate children. The entire ERA Real Estate network had 253 participating offices in the drive with over 7,500 agents who collected more than 8,300 toys this holiday season. For more information on the Marine Toys for Tots program visit toysfortots.org.

 

The third charity that ERA Justin helped this holiday season is NJ Food & Clothing Rescue. The staff of ERA Justin contributed items on wish lists of needy families in the area that were provided by the charity to help make their Christmas happy. NJ Food & Clothing Rescue have been helping local families since 2015. This is the 4th year that ERA Justin has adopted families through the program.

 

ERA Justin has always been there for the community but during the holiday season they especially work hard to make it special. For more information about these charities or for help with your real estate needs, please call (201) 939-7500 or visit us at one of our two Rutherford locations, 118 Jackson Avenue and 57 Park Avenue.

Special People Doing Special Things!

ERA Justin Realty in conjunction with Realtor agent and program coordinator Sharon Robie have secured items of necessity for families and children for Christmas 2019. 

N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue started in 2015 as a non profit fundraising organization.   Phil and Renay Stafford started the charity because in 1999 they were flooded  by hurricane Floyd and lost most of their belongings.  When they applied for relief services they were told that they would have to wait for services.  That motivated Phil and Renay as Phil had been helping people most of his life but wanted to take it a step further. N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue was born. 

Phil offered, "We try to help people that are in crisis without having to wait. If someone comes to us for help we can help immediately.  We help people all year long with food, toiletries and essential household items. At this time of year, one of many things we do is adopt a family for Christmas."

Renay added, "Throughout the years we've helped families who are in crisis or are having difficult times. We help single parents, seniors, Veterans and the homeless. We have families who are registered with us who we help with food weekly. During their hard times, we help them with fruits, vegetables and non perishable items. In this way what little money they do have they can use towards bills, rent, medicines, etc. The families for our Adopt A Family program are families that are registered with us.  We also sponsor a domestic violence agency, Never Alone Again.  This organization has families with single moms and children with many of them living in a shelter. We also have families referred to us from people who we know; who know families who are struggling. This is our 4th year that we have done this project. Every year the number of families and children we help increases."

Sharon concluded, "We have single families and companies including ERA Justin Realty sponsoring families for Christmas this year. This is very bitter-sweet and are happy that we are able to help so many families, but its also sad that there are so many in a situation like this. N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue could not do what we do collectively without the help of very generous people. ERA Justin Realty sponsored needy families in 2019. For additional information visit their website www.njfoodclothingrescue.org or email them at njfoodandclothingrescue@aol.com"

ERA Justin has always been there for the community. To find out how Sharon or any our real estate agents can help you with your real estate needs, please call (201) 939-7500 or visit us at one of our 2 Rutherford locations, 118 Jackson Ave and 57 Park Ave.

Selling A Cluttered House

 

Selling A Cluttered House

When you own a home, it is easy to accumulate a lot of items over time. With enough closets, spare bedrooms and a garage or shed, you can easily fill your home to bursting. When trying to sell that home, clutter makes your home seem smaller, ultimately eating equity and killing deals.

According to ERA Justin Sales Associate, Catherine Nimmo, “Getting rid of clutter is the first thing you need to do when you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, and, unless you move frequently, there are very few people who don’t accumulate more than they should”. Unfortunately, all of these items can really get in the way when you decide to sell your house. 

Clutter makes it hard to think. Buyers want and need to see the full potential of your house to picture themselves in it, but that can be difficult to do when it is covered up in your things. You have to make room for a potential buyer to imagine their lives in what might soon be their home. Make separate piles of items to save, donate, and throw away. Less is more! 

You can sell your items online, hold a garage sale, or donate. For the things you're keeping, store your personal items in the attic or basement or consider renting a storage space and temporarily clearing everything out to make the house neutral. 

 

By getting rid of extra seating, paring down the clothes in your closets and throwing out everything in the pantry that’s past its best-before date, you create the illusion of more space. After all, near-empty rooms always look bigger than rooms filled with furniture. Hiring a professional organizer to help with the process is very effective if a seller needs assistance.

 

Nimmo says, “Once you have removed all the clutter, you’ll want to do a deep-clean of your home”. If you do not plan on hiring a professional, go room by room cleaning- dusting, polishing, wiping, etc. If you have carpets, you will want to get them professionally cleaned. Hiring a stager can also help get the home show-ready once you have decluttered. A good real estate agent will have a portfolio of vendors to help you with all aspects of getting your home sales-ready.

 

The last step in the process is to take good professional photos. Most potential buyers these days are going to look at your house and its listing online. Good photos make all the difference, and will draw buyers. The cleaner it is, the less clutter it has, and the better the furniture is staged, the more amazing your photos will look. Spending time at this point of the process makes a big impact later on.

 

Catherine Nimmo and all of the ERA Justin Realty Sales Associates are available to help get your home ready to sell. Call (201) 939-7500 for all of your real estate needs. ERA Justin Realty is conveniently located at 118 Jackson Avenue or 57 Park Avenue. Both in Rutherford.