In the last post, we spent a bit of time discussing how great the area was for local golf, but that barely touches on the benefits of owning Summit NJ real estate. There are so many great things to do here, and perhaps one of the most important involves art. Whether you’re looking to see some of the best pieces in the country, take a class to enrich your own skills, or introduce your children to basic concepts, there are lots of great places to visit.

The Montclair Art Museum should be the first stop on your art tour of the area. Packed with both American and Native American art, this inventive collection offers a number of first-time presentations as well as unique thematic approaches. With a commitment to New Jersey artists, you’ll not only find the creativity you’re searching for, but a measure of local pride as well. The museum offers regular classes for children, local residents, and professionals in the area.

The Visual Arts Center located in Summit, New Jersey, includes three interior galleries and an outdoor exhibition space. Wholly devoted to contemporary work, it has been continually recognized for both its education and exhibition programs.

The Walsh Gallery on the campus of Seton Hall University was initially opened in 1994. With a constantly shifting exhibition area, you’ll find subjects of every shape and size from fine art to historical treatments.

It’s rare to find a home in an area with so much to offer, but from great art to phenomenal communities, choosing the Summit NJ real estate market over any other is an excellent decision.

One of the things lots of new buyers search for when they’re home shopping is the availability of activities near their new home. For some, it’s something as simple as the public library. For others, it’s a simple rec center. For many buyers around here, though, the draw of the great golf courses in the area is a huge benefit. Here are just a few you may want to check out as you’re looking for real estate.

The Canoe Brook Country Club is home to two courses – the North Course and the South Course. Both are private courses, and the North Course includes a number of longer par 4s and par 5s than you can find on the South Course. The layout was designed by architect Rees Jones. Qualifying rounds for the US Open and the PGA Championship have been held here in recent years.

The Millburn Municipal Golf Course is a public course. A nine hole par-3 course, it is located in Short Hills. With sand bunkers on virtually every hole, and narrow tree-lined fairways, it provides fun for golfers at almost every level.

The East Orange Golf Course is another popular public course. Also located in Short Hills, most of the fairways are open, and with sand bunkers scattered throughout, it offers an entertaining day for golfers of all ages.

The Pinch Brook Golf Club is a public eighteen hole executive length course. With three sets of teeboxes, water hazards at eight of the holes, and large greens, it’s an excellent outing any day of the week.

The Brooklake Country Club is a private course with open fairways and fast large greens. You’ll find water hazards at nine of the holes as well as lots of sand bunkers. A beautifully manicured course, it’s as much fun to look at as it is to play.

Every time the real estate market hiccups, many people automatically believe that they have to add on a pool, a guest home and a new floor to their property to sell it. The truth is that all you need to do is make the best of what you already have to improve the chances you will sell your home sooner rather than later. Here are a few easy to follow tips you can implement over the coming days and months to add extra value to your soon to be sold home.

Paint, paint, paint
Often times, the only real touch ups a home needs is a new coat of paint put on by someone who really knows what they are doing. It is important here not to cheap out on the paint you buy or the job you do. Don’t paint the outside of your home but leave the trim untouched. If you aren’t confident that you can do a professional job yourself, hire someone. Remember, this is an investment that is going to pay off nicely in the very near future and sometimes you have to spend a little to make even more.

Landscaping
You don’t need to rush out and buy another three acres to add to the plot you already have, but a new bed of grass, some flowers and an attractive layout can add significant value to your home. If you haven’t had a survey done of your property in a few decades, you may need to have your lines looked at, but once you know your exact boundaries, you can go to work. A backyard and front yard can be a real deal breaker if the spaces aren’t up to snuff. A repaved driveway can also add value to your outside areas.

Energy Efficiency
The one advantage that new homes often have over older ones is energy efficiency. Look into replacing your hot water heater with a state of the art model and think about upgrading to double pane windows. There are a hundred and one little things you can do around your home to increase your energy efficiency and they all look good to prospective buyers.

As you can see, these simple changes to your home can significantly increase your asking price and help to make your home appear ready for prime time. A little money spent now can really pay off in the end.

If you have been looking into buying a home, you probably know that the golden rule when it comes to making an offer on a home you like is to be pre approved for a mortgage. Getting pre approval for your mortgage automatically puts you at the head of the class and leapfrogs you over other offers that don’t have pre approval. Let’s take a look at a few things your pre approval says to prospective home sellers.

You’re Serious
It is not that home buyers who make offers that aren’t pre approved are simply wasting everyone’s time, it is that the pre approval process is just that, a process. You must complete several steps to acquire your pre approval status and it shows home sellers that you have sat down, thought out what you are getting yourself into and you took the logical steps needed to demonstrate how serious you are about buying a home. As silly as it may sound, getting pre approved for a mortgage immediately earns you respect in the eyes of every home seller you make an offer to. You are here, prepared and ready to make this transaction work for the both of you.

You’re A Safe Bet
The home buying (and selling) process is so fraught with pitfalls and roadblocks that it is amazing anyone can get through it successfully. When you make an offer with a pre approved mortgage by your side, you are offering a path of least resistance for the home seller. You are also providing a degree of protection in case things fall apart at the last minute. If a home seller chooses to go with a buyer that isn’t pre approved and their mortgage application ends up falling apart at the last minute, the seller is put into an incredibly tight spot. All of that drama is avoided when they choose someone that has a pre approved mortgage.

Everyone Will Want To Work With You
Not only will you save yourself time by being pre approved, you save the home seller and your realtor, as well. When a near sale falls apart, it is a huge time and money waster for everyone involved. There are still ways that your sale could fall though if you are pre approved, but you are taking a huge obstacle out of the way by getting that magical letter from your lender before you make offers.