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Archive for the 'Communities' Category

“Picket the fence” in downtown Millburn

Here’s the link to the facebook page to this article – sign up and show your support: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fight-the-Fence/143552219014082?ref=mf&v=wall#!/pages/Fight-the-Fence/143552219014082?v=wall&ref=mf

Business owners, property owners, Members of the Chamber of Commerce, Members of the Downtown Millburn Development Alliance, Millburn and Short Hill Residents and local communities are banding together in the hopes of preventing the placement of hideous orange snow fencing from Main St to Lackawanna Ave on the north side of Millburn Ave.

Andrew Morgan from The Millburn Deli , (home of the famous SueAdler.combo, ha ha )has told me that the business at the deli has dropped dramatically since construction has started, and that this will make it worse.

A proposal has been put forth (and/or passed depending on your source) for the placement of fencing along Millburn Ave to prevent pedestrians from crossing between Millburn Avenue, and this is hurting the local businesses. 

 Andrew says, “We believe that a more business friendly and economically superior alternative is to fund a crossing guard for the duration of this bridge project to ensure adequate pedestrian safety. In addition it is our aim to provide a crosswalk near the ‘tinga’ ally to improve the economic plight of those businesses most affected by the bridge construction.

We believe our solution is a win for everyone in the community and not simply a stop-gap problem solver.

2010 NJ top High School Rankings- We did it again!

NJ top High School rankings 2010 – Our commuter towns of Millburn, New Providence, Chatham, Madison, Livingston , Summit, Berkeley Hts are all top 25!  So if you’re moving from NYC to NJ for an easy commute and great schools, this article is for you!

We all know how important Schools are to our communities and to home values. NJ Monthly analyzes  data on NJ’s High Schools and summarizes the results. The Top High Schools list is based on data reported by the schools to the Department of Education for the 2008-2009 school year.

 NJ MONTHLY’S ENTIRE ARTICLE

Click on the links below to read NJ Monthly’s  Top High Schools rankings in the categories listed:

Full 2010 Top High Schools rankings (pdf)

2010 Top High School rankings (alphabetical)

2010 Top High School rankings (by county)

NJ Home Buyers, Frustrated by low inventory? We have the solution!

Experts are reporting that rates are the lowest since 1956. Buying, selling or refinancing, that’s all everyone’s talking about! As a buyer’s agent , I watch the rates on a weekly basis and follow the flow of the Short Hills, Summit, Maplewood market for my clients. Bankrate.com also found record lows for the average 15-year fixed mortgage (4.18 percent) and the 30-year jumbo fixed loan (5.43 percent). The rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage this week was tied with the record established two weeks ago, the online aggregator of financial rate information reported. There is no question that if you were just looking at these numbers, it is a great time to buy.

The issue  for our buyers: Low Inventory

While the rest of the country and most of New Jersey is seeing an overflow of inventory, we along the Midtown Direct Train Line, have been spared in certain price points. Read the rest of this entry »

Family Friendly, Neighborhood Block Parties are alive and well in Maplewood and South Orange, NJ!!!

The more homes in New Jersey that I have shown you, the more you have heard me say: “I like my house, but I LOVE my street.”

I say it partly to emphasize the idea that no house is perfect and as potential home buyers we all have to make some compromises. And, partly because it is absolutely the truth.

I do love my “street”. When my family moved here, we had no idea that we landed among some of the best neighbors anywhere. And, our Annual Block Party in Maplewood, NJ is the day we come together to celebrate our luck of geography!

IMHO, this is undoubtedly the most family friendly place to live.

When the weather starts to get warm, we begin to think about “readying up” for some good old fashion family fun. Hula hoops come out for practice. Adults and kids start sizing each other up for “good” egg toss partners (must be unrelated/married pairs). And suddenly everyone is fighting over one dining room chair (only slightly kidding).

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Planning a “STAYcation” this summer? or just looking for some fun activities in your neighborhood

Many families are choosing to stay put this Summer instead of spending a lot of money on an expensive vacation. Whether this is your plan or not,  there are numerous fun and exciting things to do in our local communities.  Here are just a hand-full of interesting things happening right in your backyard.  So get out and explore your favorite NJ town.   Here are some of mine, my  family, friends and neighbors favorites! Please let me know what you are enjoying in your town this Summer, I’d be happy to post the details.

Morristown National Historical Park   A great day trip for the History buff! Washington’s Headquarters with the Ford Mansion and Headquarters Museum, the Fort Nonsense Unit, and the New Jersey Brigade Area and the Jockey Hollow Unit including the Wick house , five reconstructed soldier huts, and approximately 27 miles of walking trails.
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Millburn/ Short Hills Inventory comparison- Jan thru June 2009, 2010

It is hard to believe that half of 2010 has come and gone. Looking at our local statistics for Millburn/Short Hills we see some interesting activity in the first quarter. Inventory was up significantly over 2009 but under contracts seemed to remain the same until March and April when we see a significant jump.  Possibly due to the home buyer tax credit.

As we have all seen over the past few weeks the market seems to be slowing down a bit but inventory is leveling off.  It will be interesting to see what the third quarter numbers bring as buyers rush to complete their home purchases before school starts.

To view more charts and specific homes sales for Millburn/Short Hills Click Here

Summit NJ, Neighborhood and Town Tour Video

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If you work in NYC and are looking to move to a town with an easy commute,   Summit NJ  is a great option for you. To give you a sense of our neighborhoods, downtown and lifestyle, I’ve put together a video with clips from locals who talk about what it’s like to live here in Summit NJ.

If we’ve peaked your interest, give me a call (973)464-9129, and The Sue Adler Team will be happy to give you the REAL town tours. Read the rest of this entry »

Millburn Deli will launch The Sue Adler.Combo sandwich April 1st!

Millburn-Short Hills, NJ —No matter how you slice it, few things in life are better than a great sandwich. On April 1, 2010, The Millburn Deli will launch its latest taste sensation: The SueAdler.Combo, with $1 from each purchase going to beef up the Millburn-Short Hills Volunteer First Aid Squad.Here is the article found in the Item of Millburn-Short Hills and NorthJersey.com 

  My yummy signature sandwich, the Sue Adler.Combo, will feature grilled chicken, fresh Mozzarella cheese, ripe avocados, fire-roasted tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, tender baby greens, a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar, and a hint of pesto, served fresh on thinly-sliced whole-grain bread. The scrumptious sandwich will appear in the showcase of the Millburn Deli for 6 months. I won the opportunity to have my name immortalized in the annals of sandwichdom ( ha ha)  during a charity auction at the Newcomers/Encore Club of Millburn-Short Hills’ Winter Gala. It’s so cool to be able to give back to my community in a way that’s so much fun! What better way could there be to show your appreciation than by filling bellies and helping out a great organization, like the Millburn-Short Hills First Aid Squad, in the process?

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For Some NJ Home Buyers, It’s Chatham or Nothing

 

For Some Buyers, It’s Chatham or nothing at all. Ranked as the 2nd best place to live in NJ by New Jersey Monthly Magazine 2010, and one of the top 10 places to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2005, Chatham Township is known for its beautiful homes, tree-lined streets, a bucolic setting and only a 43 minute commute to New York City on the Midtown Direct. 

That’s why, after many home owners live  in Chatham, they simply won’t move anywhere else. They tell me it’s like “no other town.” Everybody knows everybody and they all seem to be on the street when I’m showing a house. Playing lacrosse in the yard, walking with their kids to a soccer game and let’s not forget the two golden retrievers that are always in tow. Did I stage this? You would think I did.  Read the rest of this entry »

Hey suburbia-phobic New Yorkers- we have great FREE schools in New Jersey!

Just released : the 2009 New Jersey School report card  

http://tr.im/NwwE   Our local NJ schools continue to be strongly ranked - Millburn, Livingston, Chatham, Madison, Summit, Berkeley Heights, New Providence and others are among the top ranked New Jersey public  schools.   So listen up all you suburbia-phobic New Yorkers – come in for the town tours, and visit our great schools….. OK, ”free” may be arguable since you’re paying for it in your taxes,  however, it’s still less expensive than New York private schools, and only a 25 to 45 minute direct train into midtown Manhattan.