The following is a Guide for Bergen County Home-Buyers.  Whether you are a first time home-buyer, a move-up buyer or you are downsizing, this HomeBuyer's Guide can help answer your questions regarding the Real Estate Process.

The first step when Buying a Home is to get Pre-qualified.  The loan is the first piece of the puzzle that should be addressed.  Click here to check out our Tips for First Time Home-buyers. 

It's important to know what amount of money you will need to purchase your dream home.  Click here to learn some Tips for Pre-Qualifying for your Mortgage.

The next important step is to select a real estate professional to assist you in the home buying process.  Click on the following link to find out How to find the right real estate agent.

Making an offer on your Dream Home takes strategy.  Click here for our tips on Making an Offer.

Once you've decided on the right home and gone through the offer and acceptance process, it's time to order a Home Inspection.  Click here for our Home Inspection Tips.

Click here for tips on understanding The Real Estate contract.

We are here to help you with your real estate needs.  Click here and Ask us Anything!

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Robert and Lisa Hammerstein • Sales Associates • Coldwell Banker • (201)315-8618

• Address • 50 Broadway • Hillsdale, NJ 07642 •

Buying or Selling a Home in Bergen County, New Jersey?  Give Lisa & Bob a call at (201)218-6802 or visit us at www.HammersTeam.com. 

 

The area called the Pascack Valley in Bergen County, New Jersey is comprised of eight towns clustered around the Pascack Brook where the water is fed from the Woodcliff Lake Resevoir. 

Traveling to the Oradell Resevoir, the Brook then empties into the Hackensack River.

These eight towns are the towns of Emerson,



Westwood




River Vale




Hillsdale




Woodcliff Lake




Washington Township




Montvale 




 Park Ridge

  


Old Tappan sits on the border of River Vale and is part of the area called Northern Valley. 

  

 In the days when Bob and Lisa were growing up, the Pascack Brook was stocked with Trout every Spring for Fishing Contests.  Lisa remembers fishing with her Father as a young girl on Bogerts Mill Road where the Resevoir borders Harrington Park.  Both Bob and Lisa have fond remembrances of growing up in the Pascack Valley.  Memories such as these are what have prompted them to remain in the area.

Wonder what draws so many to the Pascack Valley area to put down roots?  Some say it could be anything from the excellent transportation infrastructure to the Top Notch School Systems.  While others are intrigued by an area so rich in history that it beckons the ideals of a small town americana.  Although each town has it's own personality and history tracing back to the Revolutionary times, all share the element of small town community.  

                                

Other features that make the Pascack Valley area so sought after are the unparalled Shopping Malls, specialty shops and Restaurants.  The close proximity to NYC for those seeking culture offers a short ride in for Broadway shows.  While the area is not without local entertainment resources of it's own.  Housing for Seniors is springing up in several of the towns and the medical facilities are also some of the best in the Metropolitan area.

All combined to make the Picturesque and Plentiful Pascack Valley the ideal place to live!

Call your Pascack Valley experts, the HammersTeam at (201)218-6802,  for more local information.

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Robert and Lisa Hammerstein • Sales Associates • Coldwell Banker • (201)315-8618

• Address • 50 Broadway • Hillsdale, NJ 07642 •

As Realtors, it has been our experience that the Homeowners who keep Home Records can usually avoid snags in the Selling process.  The following is a List of Items that we think should be kept with your "Home Record File" and put in a safe but easily accessible place. 

Keep anything pertaining to the maintenance and repairs of your home in a File or Binder that is clearly marked "Home Records".  This will help you to remember where it is at all times.  We all know that memories fade with time { I know mine does}, but when you have kept a Record, guessing isn't necessary.  Items such as names of contractors, repairmen, dates and receipts can all add value to buyers of the Home Sale!

1. Heating System - Repairs & Maintenance Records for your Boiler or Furnaces should be marked with the repair or the maintenance completed as well as the date it was done and who did the work. 

2.Hot Water Heaters - Replacement of the Hot Water Heater should be marked with a date right on the Unit. Additionally, the date as well as who did the work should be kept in your Home Records File. Hot Water Heaters can sometimes sit in a Warehouse before they are purchased so the date could be the manufacturer's date.  Mark the date it was replaced with a permanent Marker right on the Unit.

3. Roof - Any Warranty Information on the Roof along with the date, who did the work & the type of Roof (ie: 25 year, 30 year, etc.)

4. Siding - The date the work was done and by whom in addition to the product and color should be recorded. Any maintenance that should be performed in the coming years is also a good reminder for the homeowner as well as the buyer.

5. Windows & Doors - If a warranty was offered, the date will be important to record. Also, who it was installed by of course for future possible work.

 


6. Electrical Panel - Many homes need higher amperage electrical panels to support today's technologies in the home.  If your panel has been updated, be sure to keep this important record in your Home Record File.  Labeling the Breakers for what each controls will be a great help to the new homeowners.

7. Gutters - New gutters or items such as gutter guards also sometimes come with warranties.

8. Fireplaces -  Keep the name of your Chimney Sweep along with the dates he cleaned your chimney as well as any masonry work that was done.  Additionally liners and caps are items that should have records.

9. Plumbing - Anytime your plumber comes to do work on your plumbing - whether it is drain blockages, replacing pipes, etc. document it in the Home Record File.

 







10 . Major Renovations - New Baths, Kitchens, Finished Basements, Dormers or Adding Rooms.  Be certain to keep the Warranties along with dates and names of Contractors in your Home Record File.

11. Removal Of Underground Tanks - This includes Oil Tanks & Septic Tanks and could be an extremely important fact necessary for the completion of a trouble-free Sale. 

12. Landscaping - Most Buyers will appreciate the name of your landscaper to maintain or update the landscaping.  When you have a tree or bush replaced, record the date and name.

13. Pools - The type of pool, the age of it as well as the liner, heater or any other component of the pool should be recorded along with any warranties.

14. All Major Appliances - If you are leaving any major appliances such as Refrigerators, Washers & Dryers, the new owner will appreciate any and all information you can provide, even if you are leaving them in as-is condition.  This includes Owner's Manuals and warranty information. 

Homeownership is one of Life's Major Investments and Homeowners should think of keeping Records on their Homes in much the same way that you would keep records on any Investments.  This simple yet valuable exercise can assist in the completion of the Seller's Disclosure which is being used more often in today's Real Estate Transactions.  Although the Buyer's of a home will usually have the home inspected, these Home Recordsare a valuable tool in the process because nobody knows your home better than you.  In the event something becomes questioned, quite often the Home Records can become the answer to relieve the concerns of a Buyer and afford a "Hassle-free Transaction".

For more Tips on Home ownership, call Bob & Lisa at (201)218-6802.  Your Real Estate Resource for the Pascack Valley in Bergen County New Jersey.

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Robert and Lisa Hammerstein • Sales Associates • Coldwell Banker • (201)315-8618

• Address • 50 Broadway • Hillsdale, NJ 07642 •