Carmela Pereira
Real Estate Professional
Realty Executives Elite Homes
With real estate prices in Rockaway New Jersey on the rise, and multiple-offers the norm in many markets, are sellers crazy not to sell now? Yes. And No.
• If this is the right time to cash in your real estate investment, accurately crunching the numbers with your real estate professional will confirm that selling is the right thing.
• If this is not the right time to let go of your home in Rockaway to achieve another goal, it doesn’t mean that later may not be ideal. Real estate professionals are geared up to sell real estate now, so deciding on the actual timing of your sale is up to you. Deciding when to sell should be based on your personal criteria, not the professional’s. Compare what would make selling now right for you with reasons offered by real estate professionals as proof that this is the right time. Is there a fit or not?
Even when broad trends sweep through the real estate industry and across the country, it’s still all about what you—as an individual or as part of a couple or a family—can and want to do with your specific property or real estate dream.
The fact is you won’t know in advance whether either selling now or not selling now is positively the best move. “Experts” may say they know or sound like they know, but they understand less than you do about what’s right for you.
At some point after the sale, you may look back on what happened and decide that was either the right thing to do or the wrong thing. Hindsight is 20:20 in real estate, but by then it’s too late.
Not acting because of indecision or fear is not the answer either.
Over the years, I have met hundreds of people who each told their “if only I’d…” real estate story about what they could have bought or sold, but hesitated. None of them could forget about what they had lost or could have gained, real or imagined.
So how do you decide when to act and when to wait?
That’s the challenge—and that is also a very individual thing.
We’ve all got our own decision-making and investing style, whether we are conscious of these approaches or not. All we can do is keep improving both, so that we make confident, knowledgeable decisions about when to invest and when to take profit.
Three Key Contexts for Deciding If Now Is The Right Time to Sell:
#1. Ignore what’s hyped in the media and focus on facts about the real estate market in your neighborhood in Rockaway.
Select a local real estate professional like Carmela Pereira who have experience with multiple-offer markets if that’s what’s happening in your area.
Ask a lot of questions. Listen carefully to answers and ask “Why?” a lot. Take notes so you can discuss options.
Don’t just go with the highest bidder. If they are wrong, you’re the one who will suffer. Merely listing under market value to attract multiple offers does not guarantee the seller nets more than they would by listing at market value. Solid marketing strategies and professional substance are what make the difference in real estate.
Nor are you out to make new friends. Stay skeptical. Your sale may just be another deal for the professionals involved, but your real estate represents great value in your life. Perhaps it’s the driver of your entire financial future.
Invest just as much time and effort in deciding what you’ll do with the cash after you sell. Will you rent? Where will you live next if you decide to buy another home? Are market conditions there going to limit your choices?
• Cashing Out: Low interest rates make putting cash in the bank a financially unattractive prospect, so what’s your plan to grow that capital or at least protect it? Do you have a financial advisor you can really trust or is this DIY investing? The home equity or value that took decades to accumulate can disappear very quickly if you are not experienced at managing lump sums or you trust the wrong financial advisor.
• Buying In: If you are going to switch from seller to buyer in a similar hot sellers market, you may discover that much or all of what you gain by selling can disappear into your next real estate purchase. If that proves true, but you have improved your location and/or made a great lifestyle choice, that financial equilibrium may be acceptable. However, if you end up with less than you had and you’re not happy about that, this may have been an expensive real estate lesson.
It’s your choice. What would be easier to live with? Regret that you could have taken profit out now, but did not, or regret that you gave up your home, but did not improve your financial well-being?
That’s where many real estate owners—sellers—are today. They ask themselves, “Will I look back on this time and say I was crazy to sell or that I was crazy not to sell?”
The smart ones don’t just wonder or end up whining “if only.” They commit to exploring their options and getting the facts to discover exactly where their best future might lie.
When you’re planning to sell your house in Rockaway, timing is important. You want the most people to see it and be interested, and you, of course, want it to go for the highest possible price. So when is the right timing? When is the worst time to sell a house, alternatively?
We often think about seasonal trends when determining the best time to sell a house, and those are relevant but you have to think about the local housing market as well. Is it a buyer’s or seller’s market where you live?
While there are national trends, real estate is often much more localized. For example, following the coronavirus pandemic, many big urban markets are dealing with stagnant or declining real estate sales. New York and San Francisco are examples. However, suburban markets are thriving.
You do need to think about the local condition where your home is, and also even more specific factors, such as what the appreciation for homes in your neighborhood looks like and how this compares to where you’ll buy.
June tends to be the best time to sell a house. The summer months in general are often more favorable for sellers, from May to August. These months make up 40% of annual home sales volume according to the National Association of Realtors. With that being said, then that makes summer the worst time to buy. In the summer, there’s a seller’s premium, so you have to think about how that will balance out if you’re planning to both buy and sell.
Summer is a popular time in real estate because of the good weather and daylight savings time and the longer days. It’s somewhat simple when you think about it—there are more daylight hours, meaning more potential exposure for your home. A lot of families with children look in the summer months so they can get their kids enrolled in school by the fall.
December tends to be the worst month to sell a home. There’s not a lot of inventory, and buying activity is limited. Again, this is logical. People are thinking about the holidays and they’re traveling. Plus, the days are shorter and the weather isn't great.
Some general pros of selling a home in spring include:
• Many people get their tax refunds in the early spring so they can make renovations or repairs as-needed during this time.
• There’s more curb appeal when your lawn is in full bloom.
• If you plan ahead during the spring, you’re more likely to be well-timed for the summer rush.
The big con is that there will be more competition in spring and heading into summer, and buyers will have more choices.
Pros of selling in summer include:
• There’s more flexibility for both you and potential buyers if school is out.
• Buyers tend to feel an urgency to get their kids settled before school.
• If buyers feel urgency, they may make a more competitive offer.
The cons are similar to selling in spring. Namely, there’s more competition.
If you have to sell your home in the fall, there’s typically less competition and inventory. Also, buyers may be more serious if they’re looking in fall because they may be up against a certain deadline, such as needing to relocate for work.
If you need to make repairs, professionals are less likely to be busier and may be cheaper than they would be during the busy spring and summer.
Regional Seasonality
In the West and the South, temperatures stay milder in the winter, so there may be less of a dip in home buying and selling activity in the winter. In the Midwest and the northeast, where there are extreme winters, there’s a more pronounced seasonal difference in the real estate market.
There’s no perfect time to sell a home, but there are considerations to keep in mind.
ROCKAWAY BORO NJ PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND CEMETERY
Many Revolutionary War veterans are buried here,
including Brigadier General William Winds
The current location of the Rockaway Presbyterian Church building was built in 1832. It replaced an earlier meeting house which began construction as a wooden meeting house in 1758. One of the founders of the church, Job Allen Sr., who also built the iron works on the Rockaway River in what is now Denville. His son, Job Allen Jr., who served as a captain in the Morris County Militia, completed construction of the church in 1794.
Job Allen Jr. is one of many Revolutionary War veterans buried in this Rockaway Boro NJ church cemetery. His father, Job Allen Sr., is likely buried here as well, in an unmarked grave.
A historic marker at the church states that "During struggle for Independence, church furnished leadership and public forum for patriots."
There are an estimated 47 Revolutionary War soldiers buried in the cemetery, including one General, William Winds, and one Hessian Soldier. Revolutionary War soldiers buried here are listed below. (Soldiers in italics are known/believed to be buried here but have no grave stone or marker.) As you drive around town in Rockaway NJ, you will notice some of the streets are named after some of this individuals:
William Alger
February 10, 1751 - September 14, 1821
Captain 4th NY Artillery
Job Allen, II
August 27, 1750 - March 16, 1798
Captain - Morris County Cavalry / NJ Militia
Cornelius Anderson
1758 - 1829
Private - Morris County Militia
David Beach
January 18, 1761 - January 31, 1815
Private - Morris County Militia
David Beaman
1730 - December 1802
Served in the Iron Works
Josiah Beaman Sr.
Private
Josiah Beaman Jr.
1732 - 1803
Private - NJ Militia
Timothy Canfield
Died 1809
Private - Morris County Militia
Joseph Casterline
July 5, 1745 - April 18, 1833
Private Morris County / NJ Militia
David Conger
September 7, 1760 - January 20, 1807
Private -Morris County Cav / NJ Militia
Zenas Conger
1735-1798
Private NJ Militia
Joseph DeCamp
November 14, 1759 - December 31, 1800
Served in the Iron Works
Daniel Dickerson
1740 - 1826
3rd Sgt. - NJ Militia
Had also served in French and Indian War
Thomas Dickerson
Died August 1821
Captain - Morris County Militia
John Garrigus
July 11, 1760 - August 13, 1850
Private Continental Line
David Gordon
October 23, 1759 - July 23, 1852
Private - 1st NJ Regiment / Eastern Battalion
William Gordon
1736 - 1777
Captain - Continental Line
Died while in service
John Hall
1760 - 1810
Private- Morris County Militia
Josiah Hall
1743 -1810
Captain - NJ Militia
Silas Hathaway
October 12, 1749 - February 17, 1803
Captain - Morris County Militia
Samuel Hicks
December 9, 1759 - 1833
Private - Col. Matthias Ogden's Regiment
David Hill
September 26, 1758 - July 22, 1825
Captain Morris County / NJ Militia
Christopher Hoagland
1742 - June 27, 1813
Major - NJ Militia
Charles Hoff
November 12, 1756 - July 16, 1811
Private - Continental Line
Manager of the Hibernia Forge
Conrad Hopler
1730 - May 29, 1816
Light Horse Trooper
Dr. Matthew Hunting
Died January 4, 1810
Private - Morris County Militia
John Huntington
1734 - 1783
Quarter Master / NJ Militia Brigade
Stephen Jackson
September 8, 1744 - March 24, 1812
Captain - Morris County Cavalry / NJ Militia
William Ketcham
Died February 20, 1815
Private - Morris County Militia
James Kitchell
September 20, 1759 - December 1, 1842
Private - Continental Line
Moses Lamson
1750 - 1798
Private Morris County / NJ Militia
James Puff Losey
1718 - January 20, 1809
Captain - Morris County Militia
Aaron Lyon
July 1, 1759 - March 1, 1833
Private - Morris County Militia
John McRandel
1753 - May 10, 1823
Private - Morris County Militia
Thomas Miller
1736 - October 14, 1810
Teamster - Wagonmaster General's Dept. / N.J. Militia
Ezekiel Munson
March 27, 1762- September 7, 1828
Private Eastern Battalion NJ Militia
Jacob Palmer
1740 - 1790
Private - Captain Hall's Company / Morris County Militia
David Peer
1762 -1824
Private - Morris County Cavalry / NJ Militia
Jacob Peer
Private
William Ross
1736 - 1807
Private - First Battalion Continental Line
Timothy Southard
October 6, 1736 - January 31, 1777
Private - Morris County Militia
Moses E. Tuttle
November 19, 1732 - July 11, 1819
Private Morris County Militia
Peter Vandervoort
1753- 1830
Private Bergen County, N.J. Militia
Abram VanWinkle
Private - Captain Hall's Co. M.C. Militia
Mark Walton
Died August 22, 1817
Captain - Morris County Militia
Brigadier General William Winds
1727 - 1789
Brigadier General - NJ Militia
Had also served in French and Indian War
Leopold Zindle
Died in 1821
Hessian Soldier
Also notable is the Stephen Jackson House which is located on Main St. in Rockaway Borough. This house, which has been used as a convent by Sacred Heart Church (across the street), was once the home of Captain Stephen Jackson. Jackson was a member of George Washington's bodyguard. In 1780, Washington stopped here for refreshments. Captain Jackson is also one of the buried revolutionary soldiers in the Rockaway Presbyterian Church.
Rockaway Boro NJ is a suburb of New York City with a population of 6,404. Rockaway Boro is in Morris County and is one of the best places to live in New Jersey. Living in Rockaway Boro offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. The public schools in Rockaway are highly rated.
https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/rockaway-morris-nj/
If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Rockaway Boro NJ please contact me. I am a local resident of Rockaway Boro (almost 21 years), I have extensive knowledge of the town and current market conditions, with regards to real estate sales and purchases.
Carmela Pereira
Realty Executives Elite Homes
(973) 580-1991
https://www.realtyexecutives.com/agent/carmela-pereira
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/RockawayNJRealEstate
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/carmelapereirarockawayrealtor/
All you need is a vision to turn this Lambert- built home with good ‘bones’ into a real gem! This well-maintained home has 5 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, high ceilings, formal dining room, den/sitting room. Nice park views, close to schools, restaurants, major highways, and NYC bus/train.
View more info here: https://www.denvillerealestatelistings.com/listing/mlsid/87/propertyid/3677634/
To arrange for a showing:
Carmela Pereira
Realty Executives Elite Homes
(973) 580-1991
carmela.pereira@gmail.com
Selling a home in Rockaway NJ can be one of the most challenging and stressful parts of the home selling process. Here are some tips that may help sell your home faster and at the best price possible. Included are tips on how to improve the interior and exterior of your home, which will enhance the curb appeal and sellability of your home.
One of the easiest and affordable things that you could to do is to make minor repairs to your home in Rockaway NJ. If you have some needed maintenance or repairs, making these repairs before selling your property would be a great option. Any neglected repairs will look like red flags to a potential buyer.
When you are looking to improve the exterior of your home in Rockaway NJ, one of the easiest tasks that you can do is clean and tidy up the landscaping. One of the biggest turnoffs can occur when a potential buyer sees a home with landscaping that looks messy and disheveled. Not only will it look like a big project, but it would also hurt the overall curb appeal of the property. It is a worthwhile task to spend some time cleaning up the landscaping all over the property before putting it on the market for sale.
Nobody wants to move into a property in Rockaway NJ that looks dirty and messy. You should do everything possible to make the exterior of the home look as clean and neat. Use a power or pressure washer to clean all of the siding, windows and walkways. This will help to make your home look fresh and clean, and will also improve the curb appeal. When using a pressure washer, make sure to use the right setting for the specific type of exterior walls.
Due to the stay-at-home orders from Covid-19, many buyers are seeking a home in Rockaway NJ that includes a pool. While it may be costly, a new pool will not only help to improve your outdoor living space, but it will give a great place to entertain. If you have a pool already, you may want to have it repaired and give it a face-lift. Both of these options will help to improve the overall appearance. When hiring swimming pool contractors near Rockaway NJ, residents will be able to receive some additional ideas that could be used to make the pool look more attractive.
Nearly all home purchases made by potential buyers will require a home inspection. To prepare for this step, you should make a list of items that may be flagged during a home inspection, inside and outside the home. For the exterior of the home, look for are structural issues. Any structural issues should be addressed immediately, and examined a professional to come up with a remedy. This could help to prevent your home sale from falling apart during the home inspection process.
If you have lighting on the exterior of your home in Rockaway NJ, you should make sure that it is functioning properly. If you have a home buyer previewing your home at night, it will also provide great curb appeal.
When in doubt, a local real estate professional in Rockaway NJ should be able to provide you with a fair assessment of your property to get you a better sense of what needs to be done. If you are considering selling your home, please feel free to contact me for a home improvement evaluation!
Sales Professional
Realty Executives Elite Homes
(973) 580-1991
carmela.pereira@gmail.com
