Our current national economy is forcing a lot of relocations.  Now is not the best time to relocate just because you would like to experience living on a different coast.  However, relocating for a job has become a harsh reality for many employees.  While relocating will always involve a certain element of stress, there are ways to make this process more manageable.  If New Jersey is on your list of possible relocation sites, a local Summit NJ real estate agent can be a good source of advice and information on this area and its amenities.  Here are a few ways to minimize you stress when you relocate.

Research
As with most topics, the Internet is a treasure trove of information on relocation and moving.  You can get tips and advice on any number of subjects, from neighborhoods to packing.  You can get a great deal of information on your new community, too.  Most local newspapers are on-line as are school systems and individual schools.  You can research properties on-line and estimate your new cost of living with one of several calculators. 

Budget the Move
Don’t waste any time cleaning out your house and purging your belongings with yard, garage or tag sales.  Get referrals and estimates for moving companies.  Plan a budget for your move and stick to it.

Plan Your Tax Break
Relocating may qualify you for a sizable tax deduction if your new job is more than 50 miles farther from your home than your old job was and if you work full-time for the first year.  That means at least 39 hours per week.  You may be able to deduct the cost of shipping your vehicle and pets, packing and transporting your belongings and your lodging along the way.  Check our www.irs.gov for all the requirements and details and consult your accountant.

Make a Visit
Don’t try to do everything remotely.  Take some time and visit the area.  Make an appointment with a Summit NJ real estate agent to learn more about our area.  Drive around you new workplace and see what the commute is like.  See the city for yourself.

Don’t Forget Your Pet
Make arrangements for your pets early.  If you are relocating from another country, they could be quarantined for a short while or be required to have certain vaccinations.  Proof of health from a vet is almost always required.

Connect when you Arrive
Connect with an alumni group, professional organization or church when you arrive.  This will help you get involved in your new community.

Schedule Some Down Time
Schedule a time to rest when your relocation is complete.  You’ll need a few days to recover before jumping back into work.

With some planning and time to rest, relocation won’t be so stressful.

Radon Action Week was the third week of October this year and National Radon Action Month is in January.  Homeowners and house hunters should take a few minutes to educate themselves about this potential health risk that could be lurking in any home.  Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that can seep into a house from the ground beneath it.  Though you cannot see or feel it, radon can have serious effects on your body.  It is important when house hunting to ask your Summit NJ real estate agent about how to check the levels of this potentially health risk in any home.

Radon gas is a natural byproduct from the decay of radium and uranium in the soil.  Amount differs greatly depending on the soil, its content and location.  It gets into a home through tiny fissures and cracks.  The gas can leak in through pinhole sized openings; there is no way to perfectly seal off a home.  As the air inside a home gets warm, it rises.  As the warm air rises, colder air is pulled in at the lowest levels.  This action creates a suction that can pull in radon gas collecting beneath the house. 

Radon is classified as a serious health risk by the EPA and the Surgeon General, who both recommend testing your home.  It is believed to be the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the US.  The good news is that a radon problem can be easily found through simple testing and the threat can be mitigated.  This means that both buyers and sellers should consider testing any home.

Tips for Sellers:

• Test your home prior to listing it.  Test the lowest level that anyone would use, like basements, whether finished or unfinished.
• Check with your state’s radon office to make sure the testing protocol is being followed, whether you perform the test or hire the job out.
• Have the problem mitigated should your levels be too high, then retest.
• Make your test results (and a record of efforts to mitigate an issue) available to potential buyers.

Tips for Buyers:

• Ask the seller’s agent if the home has been tested and when.  If a radon test has not been performed in the past 2 years have been made, ask them to retest and send you the results.
• Find out who performed the test and if the followed the protocols set by your state and the EPA.
• Ask what are of the home was tested.  If it was the ground floor and you intend to use the basement as a playroom, you’ll want it tested before buying.

The EPA website has plenty of information about radon testing, mitigation techniques and prevention.  It information both buyers and sellers need to know.

Any Summit NJ real estate agent will tell you that going green in your home can mean getting a little extra green when it’s time to resell.  Current home values can be buoyed with “green” initiatives.  Environmentally friendly features and sustainable renovations can help boost a property’s price in the long run and keep energy costs down in the present.  But environmental responsibility does not cease at your front steps.  It must be adopted by a greater population.  When an entire community chips into go green, the benefits to overall property values are even greater. 

Summit, NJ has recently been given the honor of being designated a “sustainability champ”.  The Sustainability Champion Awards from the Sustainably Jersey program are a comprehensive set of initiatives for municipalities who want to take the essential first steps to go green and create a sustainable for the future of their residents.  These communities seek to control costs and sustain their quality of life for the long-term.  The certification program provides the tools and training to help communities identify and address environmental issues.  It also rewards progress in these areas with private and state financial incentives, like grants.  More than 240 municipalities have registered with the program and all 21 counties are represented. 

With assistance from student interns and a 500 page report submitted to the state, Summit NJ entered every one of the 47 categories in the certification program.  Municipalities must address “actions” to earn points.  Issues like buying locally and building in a green manner are examples of actions that a community might examine.  Summit earned 330 Sustainable Jersey “action points”, well beyond the 100 needed to achieve a certification.  Categories include land use and transportation, sustaining the local economy, reducing waste and protecting natural resources.  In this massive endeavor, students performed tasks like categorizing the town’s tree canopy and assisted in mapping its carbon footprint.  The community-wide effort represented a cross section of Summit, from its primary schools to its adult population.  Thousands of man hours were required to attain this recognition and the community as a whole is proud of its accomplishment.

This is a well-earned pride.  What Summit has done will benefit all its residents in the short and long run.  Planning for a sustainable future will keep the area beautiful and healthy, both in its environment and it economics, for generations to come.  Short term benefits abound as well.  Businesses are attracted to green communities and so are new residents.  Green initiative help keep the local economy stable, which helps maintain steady property values for homeowners.

Your local Summit NJ real estate agent will be glad to show you all the benefits of becoming a resident of this sustainability championship town.

Cub appeal is vital to a quick sale.  Any Summit NJ real estate agent will say that clients usually form an opinion of a home as it comes into view, even before the cars stops.  Agents spend a lot of time explaining to potential buyers that they need to see the inside or the house looks much better in the springtime.  A sale will happen faster if the buyer likes what he sees from the start.  Here are a few ways to make a great first impression, no matter the season.

Autumn

Fall can be a great time for serious house hunters.  The heat of summer is gone and the air is crisp which makes looking at properties much more pleasant.  Then fall colors can make your home look picturesque, but those leaves are the enemy of curb appeal.  A leaf-littered yard looks like a ton work to a buyer.  Keep the yard, roof and gutters impeccably clean if you are selling your home.  Loose the leaves but keep the color.  Plant mums or pansies to brighten the yard.

Winter

Snow is the curb appeal killer in winter.  It one of the primary reasons many sellers wait until the spring thaw to list their homes.  If you list in winter, you’ll avoid having as many “looky-lous” touring your home; it’s not as much fun to snoop in the snow and cold.  Your buyers, however, will largely be serious and ready to move quickly on a sale.  It will take work but keep the paths to the door shoveled and salted for safety.  If you’re flying south for the winter while your agent shows your home, ask your Summit NJ real estate agent to help you find a service to do it for you. 

Spring

This is the prime season for listing a home.  You’ll have more competition during this time of year so think of some ways you can stand out.  Clean up any debris left from winter’s storms.  Cast out some fresh grass seed to green up the lawn.  Use a pressure washer to remove the residue of salt and dirt from the house as soon as the weather allows.  Plant some bright annuals in containers that can be moved to a frost-free location in case of a sudden cold snap.

Summer

Summer’s heat may be great if you’re at the shore but it can also brown your grass and wilt your plantings.  Keep the lawn moist and use patch filler to correct any spots.  Fold down the yellowing foliage of spring-blooming bulbs and wrap the stub with a rubber band to make them look neat and tidy.  Toys and bikes should be put away promptly after use so they aren’t in the yard when a buyer drives by.

Keep curl appeal in mind for every season.  Your potential buyers will notice the effort.