Park Ridge, NJ Train Station (photograph by Bob Hammerstein)

This compact community located on less than 3 square miles enjoys some of the lowest property tax rates in the Pascack Valley region.  The town operates it's own Electric Utility as well as  it's own Water Utility and it's rates are lower than the local Water Facility.  It's High School was rated in the top 10% of public High Schools in New Jersey with it's students going on to some of the most competitive Colleges.

Park Ridge offers it's residents an Olympic sized Municipal Pool as well as a 12 acre pond which also doubles as an attractive Park area. 

The borough is the home of the upscale Bear's Nest Townhome complex, the former home to our past President Richard Nixon and Mrs. Nixon.

Although small in size, Park Ridge offers it's residents big opportunities for all to enjoy!

Hillsdale NJ Homes Sold January 2010 Market Activity

 The popular Hillsdale Traffic Booth as seen here in the Summer months.

The bustling little town of Hillsdale is a great place to live if you are seeking that small town feeling with easy access to all the conveniences of life.  Here you can find a Haven for Commuters with Families.  This town is rich in history and has a wonderful community that is sure to appeal to First Time Home Buyers looking for that perfect place to call Home.

A Post Bob did the other day and being that it is snowing like cats and dogs out there right now, I thought I would repost this as it is a concern here in the northeast as the snow continues to pile up today. 

At this time of the year the cold weather can do some real damage to your home. One thing in particular are Ice Dams that can form in your gutters. This is a particularly bad thing. Ice Dams can cause sever damage to the interior of a home. I received this information from a home inspection company the other day that we had at one of our sales recently.

I thought it was very insightful and worthy of posting as we are in the middle of a winter storm right now...

Enjoy and keep warm and watch those gutters.

What is an ice dam?

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof.  The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas.

Courtesy of Foresight Home Inspections

What causes ice dams?

There is a complex interaction among the amount of heat loss from a house, snow cover, and outside temperatures that leads to ice dam formation.  For ice dams to form there must be snow on the roof, and, at the same time, higher portions of the roof's outside surface must be above 32° F while lower surfaces are below 32° F.  For a portion of the roof to be below 32° F, outside temperatures must also be below 32° F.  When we say temperatures above or below 32° F, we are talking about average temperature over sustained periods of time.

The snow on a roof surface that is above 32° F will melt.  As water flows down the roof it reaches the portion of the roof that is below 32° F and freezes.  Voila!!- an ice dam.

The dam grows as it is fed by the melting snow above it, but it will limit itself to the portions of the roof that are on the average below 32° F.  So the water above backs up behind the ice dam and remains a liquid.  This water finds cracks and openings in the exterior roof covering and flows into the attic space.  From the attic it could flow into exterior walls or through the ceiling insulation and stain the ceiling finish.

What causes different roof surface temperatures?

Since most ice dams form at the edge of the roof, there is obviously a heat source warming the roof elsewhere.  This heat is primarily coming from the house.  In rare instances solar heat gain may cause these temperature differences.

Heat from the house travels to the roof surface in three ways:  conduction, convection, and radiation.  Conduction is heat energy traveling through a solid.  A good example of this is the heating of a cast iron frying pan.  The heat moves from the bottom of the pan to the handle by conduction.

If you put your hand above the frying pan, heat will reach it by the other two methods.  The air right above the frying pan is heated and rises.  The rising air carries heat/energy to your hand.  This is heat transfer by convection.  In addition, heat is transferred from the hot pan to your hand by electromagnetic waves and this is called radiation.  Another example of radiation is to stand outside on a bright sunny day and feel the heat from the sun.  This heat is transferred from the sun to you by radiation.

In a house, heat moves through the ceiling and insulation by conduction through the slanted portion of the ceiling in many homes, there is little space in regions like this fro insulation, so it is important to use insulation's with high R-value per inch to reduce heat loss by conduction.

The top surface of the insulation is warmer than the other surroundings in the attic.  Therefore, the air just above the insulation is heated and rises, carrying heat by convection to the roof.  The higher temperatures in the insulation's top surface compared to the roof sheathing transfers heat outward by radiation.  These two modes of heat transfer can be reduced by adding insulation.  This will make the top surface temperature of the insulation closer to surrounding attic temperatures directly affecting convection and radiation from this surface.

 
I want to thank Foresight Home Inspections for this most informative post. I hope you enjoyed this and learned something.

I know I did.

A Post Bob did the other day that is of utmost importance to those of you first time homebuyers out there and existing homebuyers who are waiting to buy a home.

For those buyers out there who are still on the fence about buying a home in time for the First Time Home-Buyer tax credit.. The time is now...

Some information forwarded to me from a friend of mine but is important information I felt I should share with all consumers that are waiting for that special house to come along...... I suggest you step up your search now and find a home that you can live in now.... Just some timely advice from your Bergen County Real Estate Team.

The First-Time Home-buyer Tax Credit

Recent changes to the first-time homebuyer tax credit mean you might be able to benefit from the credit, even if you're not actually a first-time homebuyer. To take advantage of the credit, however, you have to act by May 1. Here are the basics as they apply to home purchases in 2010.

Qualifying for an $8,000 credit

If you, and your spouse if you're married, haven't owned a principal residence in 3 years, you may qualify for a credit worth 10% of the purchase price of a home, up to $8,000 ($4,000 if you're married and file a separate federal income tax return). The home has to be your principal residence, and must be purchased before May 1, 2010. If you enter into a written binding contract before May 1, 2010, you can still qualify for the credit if you close on the home before July 1, 2010.

Qualifying for a $6,500 credit

If you, and your spouse if you're married, have maintained the same principal residence for at least 5 consecutive years in the previous 8 years, you may qualify for a credit if you purchase a new principal residence. While the credit remains 10% of the purchase price of the new home, it's capped at $6,500 ($3,250 if you're married and file a separate federal income tax return). As with the $8,000 credit, the home must be purchased before May 1, 2010 (or you must close on the home by July 1, 2010, after entering into a written binding contract before May 1, 2010).

Limitations

There are several limitations that apply (the same limitations apply to both the $8,000 credit and the $6,500 credit):

• The credit is reduced if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds $125,000 and is completely eliminated if your MAGI reaches $145,000. If you're married and file a joint return, the credit is reduced if your joint MAGI exceeds $225,000 and is eliminated if your MAGI reaches $245,000.
• You can't claim a credit if the purchase price of your principal residence exceeds $800,000.
• You can't claim a credit if you're under age 18 at the time of purchase (unless you're married and your spouse is at least 18), or if you can be claimed by someone else as a dependent.
• You can't claim a credit if you purchase a principal residence from someone who is closely related to you or your spouse.
• You can't claim the credit if you're a nonresident alien.

Payback requirements

Generally, if you qualify for the credit as a result of a 2010 home purchase, you won't have to worry about repaying the credit. There's one important exception, however: if the home ceases to be your principal residence in the 36 months following the purchase, you'll have to pay the credit back. (If you're married at the time of purchase, the home must remain the principal residence of either you or your spouse for the 36-month period.) If you have to pay back the credit, you'll do so on the tax return for the year in which the home ceased being your principal residence.

Treating a 2010 purchase as made in 2009

If you purchase a qualifying principal residence in 2010, you can elect to treat the purchase as if it occurred on December 31, 2009, allowing you to claim the credit on your 2009 federal income tax return.




DISCLAIMER: I must disclaim liability for any damages or losses, direct or indirect, that may result from use of, or reliance on, any information contained in this blog, or for the accuracy of comments or opinions expressed by visitors to my blog. The information contained in the articles is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed, and the opinions expressed in these articles are mine.

43 Whitney Hill Park Ridge New Jersey | The Prestigious Bears Nest | Townhome For Sale

Luxury Townhome

43 Whitney Hill, Park Ridge, NJ 07656 View Map

PRESTIGIOUS BEAR'S NEST WITH NEW ENGLAND FLAIR HAS A WARM AND WELCOMING ATMOSPHERE. WIDE PLANK WOOD FLOORING ON MAIN LEVEL, KEN BAUER KITCHEN,CROWN MOLDING & COZY FIREPLACE IN LIVING ROOM W/SLIDERS TO DECK OVERLOOKING WOODS ROUND OUT THE MAIN LEVEL. MASTER BEDROOM SUITE OFFERS IT'S OWN WALK-IN CLOSET W/CUSTOM CABINETRY AND IS MADE TO FEEL EVEN MORE PALATIAL WITH IT'S CATHEDRAL CEILING & DECK. THE LOWER LEVEL FAMILY ROOM WITH WALK OUT TO PATIO OFFERS A ONE OF A KIND COZY ATMOSPHERE WITH IT'S ANTIQUE JUKE BOX, BOWLING GAME AND WET BAR. UPSTAIRS LOFT AREA CAN BE USED AS A BEDROOM OR A HIDE AWAY READING/T.V. ROOM. THIS IS A TRULY UNIQUE TOWNHOME WORTH SEEING. CONTINGENT ON OWNER FINALIZING A CONTRACT ON ANOTHER HOME.

Details

Asking Price:

$749,900

MLS:

1007036

Bedrooms:

3

Bathrooms:

3.5

# of Floors:

4

Garage Size:

1 Car

Year Built:

1980

Property Amenities

- Full Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Washer/Dryer
- Central Vacuum
- Dishwasher
- Fireplace

- Hardwood floors
- Vaulted Ceilings
- Basement
- Security System
- Patio
- Deck

- Swimming Pool
- Jacuzzi/Whirlpool
- Family room
- Living room
- Stainless steel appliances

Community Amenities

- Garage Parking
- Guest Parking
- Security Gate

- Swimming Pool(s)
- Fitness center

- Tennis court(s)
- Elevator

Contact Info

Lisa and Robert Hammerstein
Real Estate Agents

Main 201-218-6802
Cell 201-315-8618
Dir 201-930-3089
Email | Website

All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

Washington Township NJ Real Estate Report|January 2010' Single Family Home Sales saw just One home closing in the Pascack Valley town of  Washington Township in the Winter month of January as we rang in the New Year.  The 2009 Winter Real Estate market was brisk.  With interest rates low, qualified Buyers can still take advantage of some wonderful opportunities to own a piece of Small Town America!  There's no place like A New Washington Township Home!

The town of Washington Township is constantly changing to keep up with the times while maintaining that desirable small town feel.  Residents can take advantage of the many amenities offered by this Pascack Valley town.

Washington Township, NJ January 10' Real Estate Market Activity:

Total Homes Sold..........................1

Average List Price..............$ 754,900

Average Sold Price.............$ 663,000

Median Sold Price..............$ 663,000

Sale/List Price....................... 87.826 (12-13% differential) 

There are currently 37 Actively Listed homes in the town of Washington Township with an average List Price of $653,571.  There are some fantastic opportunities in this popular town with prices for every budget.

Click here to view all Washington Township Local Listings

Click here to compare Washington Township Dec.09' Market Report

For more information on Listings in the Pascack Valleyarea of Bergen County, New Jersey, call Bob & Lisa at (201)218-6802, or visit us online at www.HammersTeam.com your Pascack Valley Real Estate Resource at "Your Service"!  It's a great time to "Buy A Home" in Bergen County, NJ.  We're keeping an eye on the real estate market for you....

Click on the links below to view some scenes of the picturesque Pascack Valley towns.

EMERSON

HILLSDALE

RIVER VALE

WESTWOOD

PARK RIDGE

MONTVALE

WOODCLIFF LAKE

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

PASCACK VALLEY SPRING SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY SUMMER SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY FALL SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY HOLIDAY SHOW

Home Selling Tips - Is Your Home Designed To Sell Or Designed To Live?   That's the question that can make the difference in getting a Home Sold in today's market.  Marketing a home to sell can be a very disruptive process if a homeowner is confused by what they need to do to get their home sold.  It's easy to assume that you should be able to live in your home while attempting to sell it.  But going about your business as if you are really living in your home isn't necessarily the best way to get it sold.  It's your home's time to shine!  When your home is being shown, a homeowner should do their besst to not be home at all.  If it's too disruptive to leave the home than perhaps a ride around the block or to the store would give a buyer and their agent ample time to view the home privately.

With inventory at an all time high in today's market, the competition is stiff.  If you want to get your home sold as quickly as possible, positioning is key.  Designing your home to sell will position it amongst the other homes that are simply Designed to live.  The following tips will make the difference between being just another home sitting on the market and getting a home sold fast!

1. Outside of the home should be clean and free of debris, leaves, dead plants and flower pots filled with dirt in off season should be removed. Keep the entrance, porch and outdoor patios swept clean.

2. Inside entry way should be kept clear of shoes and boots.

3. The inside entry way shouldn't have anything more than perhaps a rug to clean your feet and maybe a plant (silk plants look beautiful and don't require any care other than occasional dusting).  Obviously keep the rug clean in between showings.

4. Living Room should be kept vacuumed if there is a carpet or hard surfaces such as hardwood floors, kept swept.  Fluff the pillows of the chairs and sofas.  Pick up any magazines or books.  And keep surfaces of tables dusted.

5. Dining Room is nice when there is a vase of flowers on the center of the table.  Keep chairs pulled in under the table.

6. Kitchens should have cleared counter tops of all unnecessary items and kept wiped clean.  There should never be dish racks with dishes drying.  No towels should be hanging anywhere in sight.  Absolutely no refrigerator magnets or pictures of people hanging on the refrigerator. A Kitchen can sell a home!

7. Bathrooms should be kept clean at all times with wet towels picked up.  Keep a nice hand towel out for show only.  Nothing on the bathroom sink and all personal items like toothbrushes out of sight.

8. Bedrooms should always have beds made and clothes put away.  No shoes in sight.  Dusted night stands and dressers with minimal items displayed. Of course keep all personal valuables put away.

9. Family Rooms should be kept clean and picked up and straightened out. Fireplaces clean as a whistle.

10. Make sure your home spells nice and is free of bad odors such as pet smells, shoes and dirty laundry. 

Less is always more when it comes to staging your home to sell.  Keep accents to a minimum and make your home sparkling clean.  Buyers will respond in a big way!

Fellow Rainer and Bergen County Home Stager, Barbara Cluck-Miksits offers some tips here on her website.

The most important thing to remember is to keep your eye on the reward and that is to get your home sold fast for top dollar.  It may seem like a full time job to keep your home ready to sell but it won't be time wasted. These Home Selling Tips will help you determine - Is Your Home Designed To Sell or Designed To Live?

Hillsdale NJ Real Estate Report|January 2010' Single Family Home Sales saw One home closing in the popular town of Hillsdale in the first month of 2010 - January - as we ring in the new year.  The 2010 Winter Real estate market is officially coming to an end and making way for the Spring 2010' season.  With interest rates low and the First Time Home Buyer Incentive program extension, qualified Buyers still have  time to take advantage of some wonderful opportunities to own a piece of Small Town America in this sought after town!  There's no place like A New Hillsdale Home!  Act now before the First Time Home Buyer Incentive program goes away in April of 2010.

The town of  Hillsdale is constantly changing to keep up with the times while maintaining that desirable small town feel.  Residents can take advantage of the many amenities offered by this Pascack Valley town.

January 10' has been a quiet month for the Hillsdale, NJ real estate market!

Hillsdale, NJ January 2010' Real Estate Market Activity:

Total Homes Sold..........................1

Average List Price..............$499,900

Average Sold Price.............$460,000

Median Sold Price..............$460,000

Sale/List Price.......................92.018  (7-8% differential) 

There are currently 33 Actively Listed homes in the town of  Hillsdale with an average List Price of $557,315.  There are some fantastic opportunities in this popular town with prices for every budget. 

Click here to view all Hillsdale Local Listings

Click here to compare Hillsdale, NJ Dec. 09' Market Report

For more information on Listings in the Pascack Valley area of Bergen County, New Jersey, call Bob & Lisa at (201)218-6802, or visit us online at www.HammersTeam.com your Pascack Valley Real Estate Resource at "Your Service"!  It's a great time to "Buy A Home" in the Pascack Valley.  We're keeping an eye on the real estate market for you....

Click on the links below to view some scenes of the picturesque Pascack Valley towns.

EMERSON

HILLSDALE

RIVER VALE

WESTWOOD

PARK RIDGE

MONTVALE

WOODCLIFF LAKE

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

PASCACK VALLEY SPRING SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY SUMMER SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY FALL SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY HOLIDAY SHOW

Park Ridge NJ Real Estate Report|January 2010' Single Family Home Sales saw Two homes closing in the Pascack Valley town of Park Ridge in the snowey month of January.  The Winter 2009 real estate market is still moving as we rang in the 2010' New Year.  With interest rates low, qualified Buyers can take advantage of some wonderful opportunities to own a piece of Small Town America!  There's no place like a new Park Ridge Home!  The first time home Buyers Tax Credit has been extended to April of 2010 so time is running out to capitalize on this wonderful opportunity.

Click here for helpful Mortgage Information & Tips

The town of Park Ridge is constantly changing to keep up with the times while maintaining that desirable small town feel.  Residents can take advantage of the many amenities offered by this Pascack Valley town.

Park Ridge, NJ January 2010' Real Estate Market Activity:

Total Homes Sold..........................2

Average List Price................$ 469,000

Average Sold Price.............. $ 451,000

Median Sold Price..............  $ 451,000

Sale/List Price.......................  96.162 (3-4% differential) 

There are currently 20 Actively Listed homes in the Pascack Valley town of Park Ridge with an average List Price of $669,495.  There are some fantastic opportunities in this popular town with prices for every budget. 

Click here to view all Park Ridge Local Listings

Click here to read our most recent Park Ridge, NJ Blog

Click here to compare Park Ridge, NJ Dec. 09' Market Report

For more information on Listings in the Pascack Valley area of Bergen County, New Jersey, call Bob & Lisa at (201)218-6802, or visit us online at www.HammersTeam.com your Pascack Valley Real Estate Resource at "Your Service"!  It's a great time to "Buy A Home" in the Pascack Valley.  We're keeping an eye on the real estate market for you....

Click on the links below to view some scenes of the picturesque  Pascack Valley towns.

EMERSON

HILLSDALE

RIVER VALE

WESTWOOD

PARK RIDGE

MONTVALE

WOODCLIFF LAKE

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

PASCACK VALLEY SPRING SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY SUMMER SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY FALL SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY HOLIDAY SHOW

Montvale NJ Real Estate Report|January 10' Single Family Home Sales saw  Four homes closing in the month of January.  As we ring in the New Year, Buyers can still take advantage of some wonderful opportunities to own a piece of Small Town America!  There's no place like a New  Montvale Home!

Click here for some helpful Mortgage Information.

The town of Montvale is constantly changing to keep up with the times while maintaining that desirable small town feel.  Residents can take advantage of the many amenities offered by this Pascack Valley town.

Montvale, NJ January 2010' Real Estate Market Activity: 

Total Homes Sold..........................4

Average List Price..............$ 786,119

Average Sold Price.............$703,900

Median Sold Price..............$ 725,800

Sale/List Price....................... 89.541  (10-11% differential) 

There are currently 23 Actively Listed homes in the town of Montvale with an average List Price of $887,804.  There are some fantastic opportunities in this popular Pascack Valley town with prices for every budget. 

Sold information was taken from the NJ Multiple Listing Service and does not include privately sold homes.  All information is deemed reliable.

Click here to view all Montvale Local Listings

Click here to compare Montvale December 09' Market Report

For more information on Listings in the Pascack Valley area of Bergen County, New Jersey, call Bob & Lisaat (201)218-6802, or visit us online at www.hammersteam.com your Pascack Valley Real Estate Resourceat "Your Service"!  It's a great time to "Buy A Home" in the Pascack Valley.  We're keeping an eye on the real estate market for you....

Click on the links below to view some scenes of the picturesque Pascack Valley towns.

EMERSON

HILLSDALE

RIVER VALE

WESTWOOD

PARK RIDGE

MONTVALE

WOODCLIFF LAKE

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

PASCACK VALLEY SPRING SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY SUMMER SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY FALL SHOW

PASCACK VALLEY HOLIDAY SHOW