ERA JUSTIN REALTY TEAM ATTENDS ERA TOP GUN ACADEMY
Real Estate Broker Ron Darby Celebrates 30 Years with ERA Justin Realty Co.
ERA Justin Realty Receives Little League Championship Softball Trophy
ERA Justin’s Cathy Vick Achieves “Beyond Excellence” Award and Offers Timely Tips
You will find yourself agonizing over many decisions, but be brutal. The rule is, if you haven’t worn it for 2 years, toss it. If it is a gift that Aunt Emma gave you 5 years ago and something you will never use, get rid of it. (Just don’t tell Aunt Emma.) Pretend you are moving to smaller quarters, whether you are or not, and you can only take the things you truly love. If you are having trouble, enlist the help of a friend who can be relentless. Think about your lifestyle as you are making these choices. Maybe your former employment was in an office and you needed to wear suits every day. Your current employment is a more casual job and your attire now reflects this attitude. Keep your favorite two suits and donate the others to your favorite charity. Retain clothing that works for your current way of living, not how you used to live. It is not going to go away by itself, so take time to tackle it head on and get organized. Allow lots of time for this task. You probably won’t be able to get through it in a day or even a weekend. Remember, it took you a long time to accumulate these items. You might want to tackle this chore in chunks of time, allowing a few weekends to get totally through the process. Ready? Here’s how it goes. You get a phone call. You have a house showing is in a few minutes, so you toss everything into the closets, toys, coats and whatever. When they leave, you swear you will get to it tomorrow. Sometimes, tomorrow never comes. After a while, it becomes hard to close the door and you do not remember what is in there. It is now time to de-clutter and de-stress.
Most of us are drowning in paper. When you start sorting through paperwork, promise yourself to handle each piece only once. Papers that belong to other family members should be sorted and then handed over to that individual. Control newspaper and magazine pile-up by vowing to discard each issue by the time the next one arrives. On Sunday, Saturday’s paper goes out whether or not it has been read. The same thing goes for magazines. Some offices or charities are happy to have them, especially hospital waiting rooms. As for regular bills, they can be organized with a portable file box.” Ron concluded, “ERA Justin Realty received the prestigious world-wide 2003 through 2011‘ERA Commitment to Excellence Award’, globally.”Toys and seasonal items are a little more difficult. If the kids have outgrown those old skates, pass them down to a friend. Holiday decorations can tug at your heartstrings, but if they are broken or no longer hold their luster, out they should go. If you cannot bear to part with them, pack them in a storage box. By the time the de-cluttering is finished you should have room left over. Books, toys and clothing that are going to a charity should be boxed up or placed in plastic bags. If you are considering a yard sale, try to tag as you go along.
Jennifer Darby Metzger, Charter Member of ERA Young Leader’s Network
“For 40 years, innovation has been an integral part of ERA Real Estate’s DNA,” said both Charlie Young, president and CEO of ERA Real Estate and Jennifer. “There are many lessons to be learned from history. As we look to the next 40 years, we will continue to monitor the business, technological and social landscape for new ideas we can leverage to drive value to our customers and propel our business forward.”
ERA Real Estate, an innovator in its own right, was the first real estate franchise to use the fax machine to transmit listings across the country, the first to expand globally and the first to post listings online.
Jennifer concluded, “ERA real estate is an innovative leader in the residential real estate industry with 40 years experience in developing consumer-oriented products and services. The ERA network includes approximately 30,000 brokers and sales associates and approximately 2,400 offices throughout the United States and 34 countries and territories.”
ERA JUSTIN REALTY HONORS LEADERS AT 2011 YEAR-END
Leadership Circle and New Jersey Association of Realtors 2011 Circle of
Excellence achievers. L to R: Cathy Vick, Fara Espandi, Glenn Elliot and Carol
Calamari. These Realtor professionals serve buyer and seller needs throughout
Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
ERA Justin Realty Report: More Bang for your Home Improvement Bucks
According to Fara, “The fact is the average American family stays in a home for approximately seven years. Considering that your home is probably your most expensive asset, it makes sense to consult an ERA Justin Realtor to help identify those improvements that will appeal to more buyers and help it sell faster. Before taking on major home improvements, it is best to first take care of minor maintenance needs, such as fixing leaky faucets, grouting around tubs, cleaning gutters and so on. Buyers are more comfortable purchasing a well cared for home because if what they can see is maintained, it is more likely that what they cannot see has also probably been maintained.”
Fara continued, “Once basic maintenance needs are cared for, your real estate professional can be helpful in recommending home improvements that will increase the value of your home. For example, if you have extra funds to spend on one project in your home, and you are choosing between renovating your kitchen or adding a new in-ground pool, which do you think would increase the value of your home more? Installing a new kitchen will generate a greater return when selling than a pool. Not all buyers want a pool, however, they all want an updated kitchen.
Of all the rooms inside your home, pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. They should look modern, bright and as fresh as possible. According to a national survey of real estate professionals, 80 percent recommend kitchen and bath upgrades to bring a greater return.
Minor upgrades can also enhance the value of your property, according to the survey. Cleaning and de-cluttering go a long way to improving the sale of your home, and are recommended by more than 90 percent of surveyed agents. Agents also recommend adding light and brightness to a home with new lighting fixtures. Landscape improvements, fresh interior paint in a neutral color and removing old carpeting (to expose wood floors or to replace with new carpet) are also highly recommended. Other home improvements that will attract buyers include an additional bathroom or a finished basement, if your budget permits.”
ERA Justin Realty Buyer Report: No Time like the First Time
Lifelong Wood-Ridge resident makes ERA Justin his Realtor of Choice