It’s easy to tour one or two open houses on a Sunday afternoon. At four, the details might begin to blur. At 11–which is how many open houses there are in Verona now–you’ve got to have a game plan.
We’ll make it easy for you: One of the open houses, for a new listing at 52 Montrose Avenue, doesn’t actually take place until this Thursday. To get ready for the rest, start by doing a virtual tour. Each of the houses in this (and every) MyVeronaNJ.com real estate story is linked to the listing page for that house. You can read the description, see photos, and compare the listing price to the assessed value. As we noted last week, single-family homes in Verona are once again listing for above their assessed value, by an average of 21% since the start of the year.
Create your short list, then put on your walking shoes because you’re going to be doing a lot of it. When you get to the house, grab a copy of the listing sheet. It should have all the information that the Web page has. Having something on paper may make it easier to sort out your top choices later, especially if you take some notes in the margin. If you’re bringing your camera or camera phone along, it’s polite to ask for permission before you snap away.
Don’t get caught up in the cosmetic. No, you would never paint your house that color or buy that kind of furniture. But you’re not buying somebody else’s taste, and re-painting is one of the least expensive fixes to a home. Look at the condition of windows and doors, pay attention to whether the floor slopes as you walk across it. You’re going to get a professional inspection before closing, but taking a close look yourself can help you understand how your family is going to fit with this home.
Ask questions. The listing agent is right there, so save the phone call or email and see what you can learn about the house and the neighborhood that’s not on the listing sheet. But remember that not every agent now showing homes in Verona is from Verona. If you want to learn about the schools or kids activities here, take a look through the stories on MyVeronaNJ. We cover schools and sports and a whole lot more every week.
Listen to the other people touring the house. It can help you understand what others might be offering for the property. And the questions they ask may include things you hadn’t thought about asking, like whether the basement took on water in the last storm.
Above all, talk selectively about yourself. Telling the listing agent that you’re still working on getting the down payment together may not help your offer to be considered.
There are six new listings in Verona this weekend, 11 open houses and four properties with price changes. Here’s what’s happening in each category, from lowest priced to highest:
New Listings
42 East Reid Place: 3 beds, 1 bath. Open plan living room, deck, steps to HBW. $365,000. Open house Sunday 2 to 4 p.m.
30 Hamilton Road: 3 beds, 2 baths. Split-level, renovated kitchen. $435,000. Open house Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
23 Bahr Circle:2 beds, 2 1/2 baths. Attached, townhouse, new construction. $449,950.
26 Morningside Road:3 beds, 1 1/2 baths. Updated kitchen, new retaining wall in yard. $459,000. Open house Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.
52 Montrose Avenue: 3 beds. 2 1/2 baths. Sunroom, deck, renovated kitchen. $545,000. Open house Thursday, July 31, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
9 Martin Road: 4 beds, 4 baths. Master with walk-in closet, finished basement. $585,000.
Open Houses
48 Martin Road: 3 beds, 2 baths. Three-season room, two-car garage. Cut $50,000 to $325,000. Open house Sunday noon to 2 p.m.
42 East Reid Place: 3 beds, 1 bath. Open plan living room, deck, steps to HBW. $365,000. Open house Sunday 2 to 4 p.m.
45 Cumberland Avenue: 3 beds, 1 bath. Eat-in kitchen, wood-burning fireplace. $420,000. Open house Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
26 Brookdale Avenue: 3 beds, 2 baths. Ranch with updated kitchen, finished basement. $424,900. Open house Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
30 Hamilton Road: 3 beds, 2 baths. Split-level, renovated kitchen. $435,000. Open house Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
26 Morningside Road:3 beds, 1 1/2 baths. Updated kitchen, new retaining wall in yard. $459,000. Open house Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.
106 Grove Avenue: 3 beds, 3 1/2 baths. Eat-in kitchen, large deck. $459,000. Open house Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
71 Park Avenue: 4 beds, 2 baths. Enclosed front porch, formal dining room. $489,900. Open house Sunday 2 to 4 p.m.
52 Montrose Avenue: 3 beds. 2 1/2 baths. Sunroom, deck, renovated kitchen. $545,000. Open house Thursday, July 31, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
56 Brentwood Drive: 5 beds 2 1/2 baths. Fully renovated inside and out. Upstairs laundry, paver patio. $559,900. Open house Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
73 Fairway Avenue: 5 beds, 3 1/2 baths. Eat-in kitchen opens to yard, in-ground pool. $689,000. Open house Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.
Price Changes
349 Bloomfield Avenue #148: 1 bed, 1 bath condo. Newer kitchen, near transportation and shopping. Cut $10,000 to $169,000.
48 Martin Road: 3 beds, 2 baths. Three-season room, two-car garage. Cut $50,000 to $325,000. Open house Sunday noon to 2 p.m.
2 Claridge Drive #1KW: 2 beds, 2 baths. Private terrace overlooks pool, tennis courts. Cut another $19,100 to $329,900.
24 Sunset Avenue: 4 beds, 3 1/2 baths. Sidehall colonial in the Afterglow section with deck. Cut $25,000 to $600,000.
