Lavallette real estate can be confusing. Without knowing what the titles following your realtors name mean, it can become even more complex.  While many certifications are for education purposes, if you are dealing with a specific situation in your Ortley Beach real estate transaction, you may want to look for a realtor educated in that specialty. While all the certifications and special designations are not required to perform Seaside Park real estate, it certainly does help to have a more educated realtor.  Even if you are not dealing with any special circumstances in your home buying process, having a very experienced realtor is one of the best things you can do to make your journey more enjoyable.  The agents in all of our offices are very qualified and experienced in all aspects of Jersey Shore real estate.

Certifications Versus Designations

Let’s start by covering the difference between the two. According to the National Association of Realtors, “Designations are specialized credentials for REALTORS®.” A certification is also a specialized credential.  One main difference between designations and certifications is that designations require a realtor to pay dues annually where certifications only require an application fee. At the base level, certifications and designations mean that the realtor has taken courses and have experience in assorted areas of expertise in realty.

We won’t cover all of the available titles, but we’ll take a look a few from each category.

Certifications

At Home With Diversity – AHWD

This focuses on completing real estate transactions with an acute attention to all buyer and seller profiles. Brokers learn how to effectively carry out their business in today’s diverse market.

e-PRO® 

This certification takes your technology education to the next level.  Consumers today rely more and more on digital and online platforms and technologies.  Brokers that can keep up with the new generation of clients will be the most successful.  Also, it’s ideal for a client that is immersed in technology to look for a realtor with this certificate as you will be able to work well with each other.  A realtor with this title will be able to accommodate many technological requests from their customers making the transaction easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

Pricing Strategy Advisor – PSA

This course is designed to assist realtors in learning how to better direct customers through their incorrect assumptions about home values.  When clients have a lot of anxiety about the pricing and appraisal process, it may be due to misinformation.  Most clients stress evaporates once they fully comprehend the process better.  This also assists brokers in bettering their ability to create comparative market analyses, improve their expertise in pricing properties, and allows them to more effectively conduct business with appraisers.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource® – SFR

A realtor with this distinction is better equipped to assist clients who are in financial turmoil.  This course teaches agents how to better help people and the professionals who are available to assist them to limit risk, safeguard buyers, and manage arbitration. Being able to help customers in these situations get through the process as easily as possible is a great help.

Designations

Accredited Buyer’s Representative – ABR

The name pretty much says it all. Agents who decide to earn this designation learn how to most effectively work with buyers throughout the Lavallette real estate process. They’ll obtain education allowing them to stay up-to-date on how to best represent buyers.  They also will have the ability to use members-only products from Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council.  On the other side of the ABR is the SRS.

Seller Representative Specialist – SRS

Where an ABR is better suited for representing buyers, an SRS’s goal is to assist the seller throughout the Ortley Beach real estate process.  It indicates that the agent has met or exceeded the foundation in certain real-life experience and educational courses dealing with raising the professional bar.  An agent who is awarded the title of SRS is an agent who is consistently looking to make themselves a better agent.  This is a person who really loves their job and wants to do it as effectively as possible.

Graduate REALTOR® Institute – GRI

This focuses on everything from regulatory issues to professional standards.  This is a designation that helps agents stand out from the rest.  It signals that this Seaside Park real estate agent has continued their education and has in-depth information on current legal issues, technology, and the entire venture.

Senior Real Estate Specialist® – SRES

This designation indicates a realtor that has been educated in how to accommodate the specific needs of client group of people over 50 years of age.  Agents with this title have specific training in how to best partner with people who fit this category.

Many of our agents hold one or more of these titles. For our highly experienced Ortley Beach real estate agents, click here.  For our professional Lavallette real estate team, click here.  And for our group of distinguished Seaside Park real estate agents, click here.  All of our agents are ready and willing to help you make the home buying, home selling, and renting process on both ends as enjoyable for you as possible while always having your best interests in mind.

If you own a rental property, you know how much work can be involved in the maintenance.  Other than cleaning the house from top to bottom in between renters, there are a lot of other things to consider.  Landscaping is a big one.  You want your rental home to be welcoming, look appropriate for your location, and be easy to maintain.  There are a few key items that can help keep your rental property’s curb appeal looking it’s best with minimal effort from you!

Hardscaping

This is a big one for the shore region.  Replacing grass with hardscaping features like stone or pavers is almost totally worry-free.  Having a lawn of grass not only requires more work but also more money.  Especially in rental properties along the coastline, maintaining a nice-looking, green lawn can require a lot of work. Between the fertilizing, weed control, and cutting, you could save a lot of time and money by replacing the lawn with stone.  A once or twice a year treatment for weed control and you’re done!  You may even have to do it less if it is used with a good quality weed barrier cloth underneath the stone cover. If there is an opportunity to add a walkway, patio, or other hardscape feature, it can be one more opportunity to keep your curb appeal looking it’s best with minimal effort.

Landscape Alternatives

If you are not a fan of stone, there are other options for replacing grass in a landscape.  Mulch is one possible choice.  Mulch doesn’t only look good visually, it helps in a variety of ways.  One, it helps with weed control.  With a solid barrier of mulch, there won’t be much you have to do to that area. Two, it helps with soil erosion.  So not only does it look nice, it is good for your plants and yard.  Lastly, it helps with water retention.  This is another time and money saver.  Because it helps keep moisture around your plants, you will need to water and fertilize less.

Another landscape alternative is a ground cover option like moss.  If you have the right conditions, moss can give you that beautiful green look without any work at all once it’s established.  Clover and ivy are other options to plant that require little upkeep and also gives a home the look of a green lawn without all the hassle.  There are a few colorful ground cover options also, but they may not provide the year-round ease of other options.

One last choice is turf or fake grass.  This is an increasingly popular option.  It comes in a range of colors and quality.  It is a great alternative for rental homes, especially those that allow pets due to the durability of it.  It looks great all year and requires zero maintenance!

Perennials and Evergreens

If you do have garden beds in your landscape, consider filling a majority of them with perennials.  When you fill a bed with mostly flowers that come back each year, you’ll again save yourself time and money each year.  Instead of having to spend hundreds on annuals each year, perennials last for years. Another great thing about perennials is that they require little daily or weekly maintenance.  Where many annuals will need constant watering and care, a lot of perennials pretty much take care of themselves.

Using ornamental shrubs and evergreens is a great way to fill space in a landscape.  Other than some pruning here and there, many evergreens don’t need you to watch over them.  Most are drought tolerant and are very hardy.

We hope we’ve given you some ideas on how to keep your rental property looking its best without a ton of work.  If you’re looking for more options, be sure to speak with a local landscaper.

Winter is almost over and fresh air and open windows are on the horizon! If your house is on the market or will be soon, now is a great time to do some spring cleaning. While it may seem silly to perform this task when you will hopefully be moving soon, it is essential when selling your home. Showing a sparkling clean home helps to properly showcase all the value your home has. Value can be diminished when your home appears dirty and messy. In order to show your home at its best, maintain a clean and neat home while it is on the market.

Get Down and Dirty

It’s time to clean all the nitty-gritty things that you haven’t cleaned since you moved into your home. Washing baseboards, removing air registers and cleaning vents, dust those ceiling fans, and thoroughly wash things that get touched daily like light switches and doorknobs. By cleaning these things that may get overlooked during regular cleaning, your home will appear newer and show better. Having a clean home may be the deciding factor for a buyer to decide on one home over another.

Spring Brings More Sunlight

Time to clean those windows and let the sunshine in! The last thing a potential buyerwants to see is dirty windows or drapery. Wash all window coverings and dust all blind. Be sure to get all the windows inside and out. Don’t forget to open your windows and even wipe all the dirt and pollen from the exterior window sill. Keep in mind that with more sunlight, it easier to see dust inside the home so make sure you do a thorough dusting as well.

Don’t Forget the Outside

You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it a good one. Be sure to clean up the outside of your home as well as the inside. Not many buyers will be interested in the interior of your home if the exterior appears unkempt. Clean up garden edges, trim bushes so they are out of the walkway, look at your front door and shutters to see if they need a fresh coat of paint, and pressure wash any parts of your home that look dingy. A fresh clean exterior is a welcoming sight for potential buyers.

Declutter

While having a clean home is important, it can be very helpful for buyers to imagine themselves in your home when it is not filled with personal items. During your spring cleaning, consider storing some stuff away. Decluttered rooms not only appear cleaner, it helps to make them appear larger as well. Don’t forget to pay attention to cabinets and closets for this as well. Closets that are jam-packed and cabinets that are messy don’t show well and reduce the value of your home. Even though it may not be something you keep up day to day, when you know your home is going to be shown, straighten up those pantries and cabinets.

A Clean Home Sells

The last thing a potential buyer wants to buy is a dirty home. Messy cabinets, full closets, and a general cluttered appearance are a real turn off for buyers. People don’t want to buy a home that they think they are going to have to hire a professional cleaning company to clean before they move in. A clean home is a valuable home.

We are pleased to announce the merger of Citta & Moffitt Realtors with Birchler Realtors!  Based in Seaside Park, Citta & Moffitt Realtors has over 65 years of real estate experience in Ocean County and we are so pleased to have them join our team.   If you have a favorite agent in either office you don’t have to worry because all the staffing will remain the same.  By joining forces, our goal is to provide our customers with a larger pool of available properties while keeping all the friendly faces you are familiar with.

We are excited to welcome Citta & Moffitt to the Birchler family!

We’ve all heard the news.  It’s going to be a long winter.  Whether you enjoy the cold and snow or not, the list of available activities in the winter goes significantly down, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do.  There is actually a lot to do in Ocean County and we’ve started a list of places to go, things to do, and events to check out this winter.

Ice skating

Ice skating can be fun for the whole family and there are quite a few places around where you can go.

• Ocean Ice Palace: https://www.oceanhockey.com/ocean-ice-palace/
• Winding River Skating Center: http://tomsriver.org/skating
• Howell Ice Arena: https://www.howellicearena.com/

Parks Programs

Even though it’s cold outside, there is still so much to enjoy outdoors in Ocean County.

• The Ocean County Parks and Recreation has a great list of things to do here: http://www.co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/4290a9e4-7f37-4411-a11b-e8ff8983fafa.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1Cn6LoKdPGJYQMs4ksg9I59cMwot4ona4Qqb9o7DohydaQKA0qoc-6vr8

Enjoy the Arts

While some may find museums and are galleries boring, we think that if you expand your definition of a museum, you can find some really fun places to go.

• Insectopolis: Have little ones at home that love bugs?  This is the place for you!  http://www.insectropolis.com/
• Robert J. Novins Planetarium: Not just for space junkies anymore.  The planetarium shows movies, has laser shows, kid-themed events, and much, much more.  https://www.ocean.edu/planetarium/
• Ocean County Artists Guild: Showcasing 2 artists from Ocean County every month, a free trip here helps support the local arts.  https://www.ocartistsguild.org/
• John F. Peto Museum: As described on their website: “To promote the legacy of John F. Peto, internationally renowned artist, by maintaining his home and studio as a working museum, by fostering educational opportunities in the arts and partnering with the larger community”.  https://petomuseum.org/
• Exit 82 Theatre Company:  A non-profit performing arts organization, they have comedy shows, parent’s night out events, and of course lots of wonderful productions.  https://www.exit82theatre.com/
• Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts: Located on the campus of OCC, this center is dedicated to giving Ocean County access to lots of great arts and entertainment.  http://www.grunincenter.org/

Outside the box

• Laser Tag:  Fun for the whole family in this 2-story arena.  Looking to get rid of some extra energy when cabin fever sets in, laser tag is a great way to empty that energy tank.  http://www.bounceaboutlasertag.com/
• Escape Rooms – There are quite a few in the area and every room is different so you can visit multiple times and get a new experience every time.
  • East Coast Escape Room: https://www.eastcoastescaperoom.com/
  • Amazing Escape Room: https://amazingescaperoom.com/
  • Solve the Room: https://www.solvetheroomnj.com/
  • Solve it Sherlock Escape Room: http://solveitsherlockescape.com/
  • Escape AC: https://escapeac.com/
• Rage room – This one is just for the adults!  While laser tag may be enough for the young ones to get rid of extra energy, the rage room allows adults to really let loose, have fun, and destroy some stuff!  You can even bring your own things!  https://www.rageroom.today/
• Axe throwing:  Another fun activity for adults.  Grab some friends and go throw some axes!
  • Bury the Hatchet: https://burythehatchet.com/axe-throwing-toms-river-nj/
  • Tomahawkin: https://www.tomahawkinaxe.com/
  • Axeit 63: https://axeit63.com/
  • Down the Hatchet: https://downthehatchetnj.com/

No matter the age, reason, or price range, there is always something to do if you look hard enough.  We hope we’ve given you some ideas of ways to pass the time this winter.

Owners title insurance is intended to protect a new home buyer from monetary loss due to issues with the title not found prior to the sale of the home. Not all problems with titles are easy to find and/or identify, so title insurance protects you from claims made against the home or property having to do with anything before the completion of the sale of the home. Examples could be unpaid taxes by the previous owner or contractors trying to collect on monies owed for work done on the home preceding the sale.

There are two types of title insurance. Lenders title insurance and owners title insurance. Lenders title insurance is intended to protect the money the lender is mortgaging, not the owner or the owner’s money, from any legal issues that should have prevented the current owner from transferring the title of ownership rights. Lenders title insurance does not protect the buyer from anything. The only thing it does do for the purchaser is ensure that a title search was done. While a title search does offer the buyer some assurance, it does not protect them from being sued or being evicted from the home if something does surface later on. A title search is a review of public records to evaluate and verify legal ownership of the property and to look for any liens against the property.

While owners title insurance is not required in New Jersey and can be purchased after the sale of the home is complete, it is highly recommended to purchase it at the time of closing. It is commonly less expensive to purchase the title insurance before the sale is final versus after. It is a one-time purchase and is not something that ever needs to be refreshed or reevaluated. The cost of the insurance is based on the price of the property.

There are big risks that come along with choosing NOT to get owners title insurance. As previously stated, if it should be found out after the sale of the property is complete, that the previous owner owed back taxes on the property and the new buyer declined to get owners title insurance, the new owner will be taking on the financial burden of those taxes owed. A buyer also runs the risk of losing their new home if it is found that the original seller did not have the legal right to sell the property in the first place. While uncommon, it does happen and the only way to protect yourself is by purchasing owners title insurance.

Items that owners title insurance typically covers can include, but is not limited to:

• Legal ownership by someone other than the seller
• Fraud on documents having to do with the property
• Clerical errors in filing or recording paperwork for the property
• Outstanding liens or lawsuits
• Undocumented easements

Those are just a select few items that owners title insurance can protect you from and this article really only grazes the topic of owners title insurance. We hope this has helped make understanding it a little easier, but all of our agents are always here to help.  Be sure to  contact us anytime and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this or any topic having to do with real estate!

As October begins and fall is in full swing, it’s a good time to revisit your real estate listing.  Spring and summer tend to be the “on” seasons for real estate and many listings can see a real decline in traffic both online and in person when summer comes to an end.  Here’s some tips to scare up some new traffic for your listing this October.

1. Curb appeal – When the seasons change, the landscape should too. Clear out the summer flowers that are starting to wilt and replace them with fall flowers.  New colors, a fresh autumn themed wreath on the door, and new fall themed welcome mat can really improve the overall presence of the home. Just make sure the landscape doesn’t look barren.  Mums are a cheap and easy way to add some pop to the entryway without much effort.  A few well-placed planters make a front door look very warm and inviting.
2. Interior Design – Whether the seller is in the home or out, if the home is for rent or for sale, sometimes a new floor plan can change everything. Rearranging the furniture can give a room a whole new look and can also make a room appear larger.  Review all the rooms during different times of day now that the sunrise and sunset times are different.  Maybe add some more lamps or change where they are in the rooms to optimize the lighting in each room.  Since a lot of potential buyers are busy with work during the days and often are viewing homes in the evenings, you want to make sure each and every room is lit adequately.  Evaluate the paint colors too.  Sometimes a fresh coat of paint can really bring a room back to life.  Once all the changes have been made, it’s time to go to step three and take new photos for the listing.
3. Freshen up the photos and video(s)- Whether you have a portfolio of photos on hand or need to take new ones, refresh your online presence with new pictures and videos. Once the gardens and landscape have transitioned to a fall décor, take new pictures and either add them to the gallery or replace the spring and summer versions.  Whether the walls have gotten a fresh coat of paint or just something as simple as having replaced the throw pillows, updating the interior photos can liven up a stale listing.
4. Reevaluate the price – This would only come into play if the listing has been on the market for a period of time, but if it has, it may be time to rethink the numbers. Sometimes a small change can make a big difference and all it takes is the right person to view the listing to get it sold or rented.

Now that summer has fully transitioned to fall, don’t let your listing cool off with the temperature.  Take some time to freshen up the home and revive the interest in the listing.  Sometimes the smallest updates can make the biggest differences in catching someone’s eye.