Fall 2021 SJ Real Estate Magazine

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HOME In this issue: Waiving Appraisals | Organize Your Home Fall Landscaping ...and more!

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SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

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SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

Thank You to our Expert

Contributers

South Jersey

REAL ESTATE FALL 2021 ISSUE

COO

PERRY CORSETTI VP OF SALES

ARLENE REYES PUBLISHER Amy Rossano

Kristen Foote

BRITTANY ROUGHT EDITOR

MACKENZIE FITCHETT ACCOUNT MANAGERS

TATIANA TABILE MARKETING CONSULTANTS

Recel Jovellanos

Denise Walsh

CASEY MEGLINO MEGAN MUDD KAREN RODIER MITCH SMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

TAYLOR LIER KATHY CHANG CREATIVE DIRECTOR

KIMBERLY KRAUSS

Sales Associate, Realtor

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Making Your

OPENa True HOUSE Success

SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

BY: TAYLOR LIER

W

hether or not open houses are a benefit for both buyers and sellers has been a widely debated topic for many years. While some will say an open house is crucial to a successful selling of a home, others will suggest not hosting one and relying on deals from those truly interested in a sale to come forward, is the only thing needed.

open house opportunities. This allows for finding the best alignment between the right buyer and seller,” Rossano said.

So how does a seller properly prepare for an open house to ensure its success?

Rossano provided three important tips for sellers to follow: 1- Ensure all issues in the home are fixed: Did the house recently have a roof

7

leak? Does the plumbing in the kitchen not work quite right? Before an open house, a seller should hire an inspector to come in and scout out the home for any issues. Problems like a leak or crack in the house’s foundation can hinder a sale. Make sure everything is in ideal working shape before letting a prospecplease see OPEN HOUSE, page 8

With the real estate market ever-changing in the era of COVID-19, the decision to have an open house or not has been more important than ever, especially in New Jersey. With social distancing guidelines still being observed, how does one host a successful open house? Is there such a thing as a virtual showing?

Are open houses still useful?

“Open houses are very helpful as it provides advantages for both the buyer and seller,” said New Jersey Real Estate Agent Amy Rossano.

For a buyer, an open house can be everything you need to make the decision on your future dream home. The chance to walk through each room and envision how your life and furniture would fit in is paramount.

“For the buyer, it allows an opportunity to plan to see a house along with convenience,” Rossano said. “It also allows a buyer to get a feel for the ‘competition’ if they are interested in the home.”

Regarding competition, New Jersey’s real estate market has grown to be very competitive in recent years. While all of 2020 and most of 2021has been anything but normal, particularly for the real estate market, buying a home without seeing it first is still seen as a rarity and with many sellers The need for an open house is crucial to express the importance of getting their property sold.

“For the seller, an open house allows the opportunity for convenience as well,” Rossano said. “It also allows the opportunity to provide a sense of urgency and greater interest for buyers.”

Although many realtors had to get creative these past 18 months with how they conduct open houses, with ideas like virtual walk-throughs, realtors like Rossano believe they are still very important to have.

“Our strategy is that not only is it needed in this competitive market, but it is imperative to provide both showing and

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SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

OPEN HOUSE

“We also lend different marketing campaigns for various showing strategies that all run in parallel to maximize the outcome.”

tive buyer in.

After conducting these three steps to prepare for an open house, challenges may happen.

continued from page 7

2- Focus on decluttering and design: You want your home to be as open and welcoming to a buyer as possible. Focus on getting rid of unneeded items or furniture to allow an open space. Too much furniture or displaced items can increase tension in a room, perhaps even making it look smaller than it is.

Make sure the design of each room uses the entire extent of its dimensions.

“Some possible challenges a seller can potentially face is not having

“Our group partners with a designer for our clients to give the highest probability of a “magazine-like” feel when a potential buyer enters the home,” Rossano said.

While some aspects of an open house may be different like limited capacities and showing times, the belief that one sees a home in person and falls in love with its four walls is stronger than ever.

An open house is a chance for a buyer to find a place to build a life and memories and an opportunity for a seller to extend that luxury to someone new.

With a passion for caring and helping others and a top New Jersey Licensed Real Estate Agent, Amy Rossano is always at your service.

Amy is a native of South Jersey, who knows the area in depth.

Integrity, knowledge, experience, as well as a positive attitude are just a few of the qualities which enable her to assist you through the entire transaction process.

Amy loves what she does and works very hard for her clients’ benefit. As a top producer and

3- Have the right type of marketing strategy: When some sellers are ready to spread the word on their open house, they solely rely on one source: the Multiple Listing Service or MLS for short. MLS is a database established by cooperating real estate brokers to provide data about properties for sale. Is a listing just through MLS enough?

“Absolutely not,” Rossano said. “Too many sellers just list ‘Open House’ on the MLS and believe that is enough. We focus on multiple strategies in parallel to give our clients the highest likelihood of supporting their success.”

much of a turnout for their open house, or to not receive much of a favorable response,” Rossano said.

Additional strategies include the power of word-of-mouth with family, friends and members of the community. Sellers can also look at tapping into local groups on social media, placing flyers and posters around the community and, if you’re tech-savvy, offering a virtual walkthrough of your home on video hosting channels like YouTube.

“The best way to rectify a situation like this is to provide the prospective buyer with more of an experience rather than a standard showing,” Rossano said.

“Making your home desirable and being a gracious host are important in giving a buyer the sense that your home is a welcoming space and one where they can see their life and family unfolding in.”

“Our belief is that there should be a good blend of showings as well as open house opportunities to provide availability and strong interest for all,” Rossano said.

Ultimately, despite the COVID-19 pandemic changing the real estate market, having an open house is still as important as ever for both buyer and seller.

achiever in the Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, and Mercer County areas, and with over 22 years of real estate experience, Amy has taken her marketing and sales experience to new heights.

Amy is proud to have been honored “10 Best Real Estate Agents of 2019 and 2020” by the American Institute of Real Estate Agents, “TOP 100 Real Estate Agents in South Jersey”, and TOP 15% Nationwide Agents, and NJAR Circle of Excellence Awards for each quarter. She is also certified as a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES). Amy truly cares about all her clients and exudes honesty and professionalism throughout the entire home buying and/or selling process. ■

SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

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The TRUTH Behind Waiving

APPRAISALS and INSPECTIONS

SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

BY TAYLOR LIER

A

s New Jersey’s real estate market faces an evolving time, while dealing with a COVID-19 pandemic, many buyers have been faced with the growing trend of waiving their home’s appraisal process due to the market growing aggressively competitive.

To question the ethics or legality behind this, one must understand what an appraisal is.

According to various mortgage sites, an appraisal is the best way to estimate your property’s true market value based on its location, current condition and recent sale activity in the community. Beyond an estimate of how much your property is worth, an appraisal also indicates the amount a lender will let you borrow for a property.

So why is this staple of the mortgage process being ignored in recent months?

With the COVID-19 pandemic making it increasingly difficult for inspectors to come into a home and determine its value, many homeowners are taking appraisers through their properties via Zoom and Facetime, however, it isn’t the same as an in-person inspection. This has allowed many to waive the process entirely.

What do realtors think about the appraisal and inspections waiving process? South Jersey Real Estate Magazine recently sat down with Recel Jovellanos, a REALTOR® Associate for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Maturo in Mount Laurel, to get some of your questions answered regarding whether skipping this process could affect the selling of your home. Being in real estate for the past two years and with most of her experience during the state lockdown in March 2020, Recel understands how the market adapted to change and has shown success in people finding homes and staying safe during these uncertain times.

11

20 minutes, and in that time the buyer is only able to make a visual assessment of the condition of the home to decide to put in an offer. We don’t know what’s hiding behind the walls, in the crawl space, or on the roof! If there are any structural, mechanical, or environmental issues that can impact the buyer’s health and safety, then the home inspection report would reveal those. For the buyer, this report can help in negotiations for repairs, price and a way to get out of the contract to avoid costly repairs that they aren’t financially prepared for.

lend up to that amount. When I am pulling comps (comparable homes that have recently sold) I give my buyers a good idea of what the home’s value could be based on similar homes in the neighborhood that have sold- style of the house, same number of beds and baths, similar square footage and similar condition. If a buyer waives an appraisal and submits an offer that’s way over asking, they could be overpaying on their investment. The appraisal helps to protect the buyer’s investment and helps prevent buyer’s remorse!

I did have an investor buyer that waived a home inspection because the house was completely fire damaged and no utilities were turned on, which home inspectors need to perform the inspection. In this situation, the buyer paid cash so there weren’t any appraisals either, but I still encouraged them to do their due diligence on the property and had them sign a form from the Department of Housing and Urban Development “For Your Protection: Get a Home Inspection” so they understand the risks of waiving a home inspection.

Q2- To the best of your knowledge, is it ethical for sellers to ask for an appraisal to be waived?

The appraisal gives you the market value of the house and the lender would only

I don’t think it is ethical to ask for an appraisal to be waived because, as agents, we have a responsibility to protect the public, be truthful, be fair and disclose everything. In this seller’s market, homeowners are very adamant on conveying their homes in as-is condition, and that’s fine for a buyer that is financially prepared to cover repairs, renovations and if the home doesn’t appraise. Since there have been so many buyers waivplease see APRAISALS, page 12

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Q1- As someone working in real estate, what is your opinion on the waiving appraisals/inspections process? Do you think this helps a prospective homeowner more in their buying process?

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As an agent that works with many firsttime home buyers, I don’t recommend waiving home inspections because the inspection report is such a useful tool.

An average showing at a property can be

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SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

APPRAISALS continued from page 21

ing appraisals New Jersey Realtors® has a form available to sign called “Buyers’ Waiver of Inspection and/ or Appraisal” Q3- What are the possible repercussions for sellers with an appraisal being waived? Can they face a later lawsuit or anything else dangerous or are they safe since it is in writing on paper?

To my knowledge, I don’t think the seller can be sued for anything dangerous that has already been disclosed.

There is a Seller’s Property Condition Disclosure form that goes over everything in the house, top to bottom, and the seller’s knowledge of any major repairs, updates, treatment for pests etc.

If the seller does not fill out this property disclosure and the buyer waives an appraisal and inspection, I think it’ll be hard for the new buyer to come after the previous owner without proof that they had prior knowledge of any dangerous issues.

Q4- Walk our readers through a bit

of the background with this waiving trend? Did you see it happen or requested more often with the start of the covid-19 pandemic?

The pandemic changed how people view their home and the time spent there.

Maybe before, people thought of their homes as just a place to sleep because they work so much. When we all locked down and pivoted to working and schooling from home, people started to realize they may need more space for a home office and where kids and do remote schooling that is separate from their bedrooms and not everyone work-

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We’ve all seen videos of zoom calls being interrupted by family members and dogs! With that demand for bigger space and interest rates being at historic lows, this made it a perfect time for buyers to make a move. But where are the sellers?

Early in the pandemic, we didn’t know how the virus would affect real estate.

We weren’t allowed to host open houses, only the main decision makers were allowed at the showings and even title companies had drive-thru settlements.

Last summer, when our area started opening back up, I went to an open house that had a line down the driveway, into the cul-de-sac and down the street.

I had asked people coming out of the house what it was like inside, and they said it was wild, people shoving to get a look at each room, being shoulder to shoulder and already many offers were in. Buyers knew they had to make their offers stand out when they can clearly see everyone else gunning for the same house. This was the moment I started seeing offers that waived inspections and appraisals and the trends of where these buyers were coming from. There was a time where a good number of buyers from Philly, North Jersey, and NYC were coming down to South Jersey.■

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SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

BY KATHY CHANG

S

outh Jersey has become the new New York City, North Jersey, Central Jersey and Philadelphia.

That is the way Real Estate Agent Denise Walsh, of Weichert Realtors in Mo o r e s t o w n , sees the current real estate market, which she described as “unbelievably insane.” She services the South Jersey area including the Jersey Shore.

“It has been history in the making for this life-

M O O R E S T O W N

time,” she said of the real estate business.

“Inspections waived, houses selling $20, $30, $40,000 over the asking price, 30, 45, to 50 people coming through an open house and offers made [the night of the open house].”

Buyers have been taking the risks of waiving appraisals, inspections and making mortgage contingencies just to make a deal in the competitive real estate market.

For Walsh, real estate is in her blood.

She grew up hearing her father, Joseph William Clarke, meet with all walks of life to help them buy and/or sell a home.

He owned a mom-and-pop real estate agency in Haddon Township, Camden County before the growth of the big real estate companies.

“I listened to it,” she said, earning her real estate license in 1984. At the time, she put real estate on the side as she worked in the corporate world.

Fast forward almost three decades later, Walsh entered the real estate industry on a full-time basis to mainly focus on investing in properties. First with A real estate agency in Collingswood and now please see MARKET, page 18

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Contact me today to discuss your personalized marketing plan or buyer strategy

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SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

MARKET

ings in June, four closings in July and eight closings in August.

continued from page 17

with Weichert Realtors in Moorestown.

What drew her to Weichert Realtors is the family dynamic. It is a family-owned and operated business led by co-presidents, Jim and James Weichert.

“It’s like how I grew up in the business,” she said. “We’re a big family, that is why I love it.”

Walsh said the current market has made their jobs stressful at times while working on getting the best offer for their clients. The competitive market has seen countless offers - outbid after outbid - deals falling through because some buyers in the end couldn’t afford higher offers.

“It’s very discouraging as buyers want to buy at the same time,” she said. “It’s the world we are living in with the market. I don’t see it going down, it may level off, but prices will remain high.”

Usually, the real estate market sees a slow down in the summer months when people go on vacation. For Walsh, the market remained strong with three clos-

“I was really hitting my numbers,” she said. “I expect the market to remain strong through the end of the year.”

It was just last year when things were up in the air for the real estate industry because of the moratorium put in place due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The South Jersey real estate market saw people from the cities flock to the suburbs seeking comfort, an oasis, since travel was not an option.

“People were investing in their homes,” Walsh said, noting a demand for pools, which had not been a requirement prior to the pandemic.

On the flip side, sellers were taking advantage of the market and seeking the best profit by selling their homes.

“People were either staying with relatives or trying to find a rental in the meantime,” Walsh said, noting that rentals have become difficult to find in the market because landlords were also taking advantage of the market by selling. please see MARKET, page 19

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19

MARKET

continued from page 18

Walsh said as they move ahead, there needs to be more education for the buyer in the new post-COVID real estate market. She explained with the competitive market buyers must understand negotiating a house under the asking price is not possible.

That is why she said “communication is important between agent and client” in order to make sure nothing falls through the cracks at the last minute. She said even though the market is moving fast, it’s important to still scrutinize the mortgage process and make sure the title is clear.

This year – from January to August - Walsh was rated top 200 producers at Weichert Realtors out of 1,499 agents for the entire region. Her office services Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties. ■

Discover the Joy of Fall In Your New Home...

FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS, CALL/TEXT ME TODAY! Denise Walsh

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SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

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SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

Backyard on a

BUDGET

SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

23

BY KATHY CHANG

A

demic.

need to create an oasis at home essentially became a byproduct of the novel coronavirus pan-

For Paul Kawoczka, and his business partner Dan Nichols at Enliven Planters, they saw it firsthand when customers started calling for their services.

“We couldn’t keep up with the demand,” Kawoczka recalled, noting his commercial accounts saw a minor bump in the road while his residential accounts grew tremendously, whether it was a want for planters or window boxes in front of the home or in the backyard to create one’s own oasis.

Enliven Planters is an innovative subscription gardening business that brings joy and beauty to homeowners by creating affordable seasonal planters and window boxes. The business services Greater Philadelphia, Mainline, Hunterdon, Mercer and Camden counties, according to its website.

For their residential accounts, Kawoczka said the short transition between fall and winter changes makes the holiday season hectic, as well as April to June. In May, the business works on their commercial contracts which include a variety of different industries from bars and restaurants to hospitality, landscape design, interior design and real estate.

With a landscaping design background, Kawoczka said he and his business partner saw a need and created Enliven Planters in 2013.

“I wanted to create a way to brighten a house and backyard for everyone,” he said, noticing planters were either only done on the side for larger landscape projects or done by personal gardeners.

“Our customers range from people in starter homes to retirees in the 35 to 55 age range.”

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SOUTH JERSEY REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE | FALL 2021

How to Make Your Home

MORE APPEALING to the Buyers Eye

Protect the home you love.

BY LAUREN LAMANTIA

A

If you need home coverage, I can help.

home is supposed to be a place to relax and unwind after a long day, not a place to be overwhelmed by clutter. When preparing a house before it goes to market, homeowners can benefit from decluttering and organizing, just as much as buyers coming to view it.

I live and work right here in our community. I know what the homes are like in the area. So I can offer advice you can trust to help you get the protection that fits your needs.

If you’re ready to talk home insurance or need some advice about protecting all that’s important to you, call me today.

As a homeowner, when you consider changing the way you view your home and the items that are snug on your shelf, you may feel different about your space and its potential after decluttering and readjusting. Even if the items in your home are sentimental and please see DECLUTTER, page 25

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AFTER

BEFORE

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go from there.”

As a homeowner, this change will help guests and potential buyers see how well the home is taken care of and they will appreciate it even more. Delany also spoke about how homeowners and buyers can benefit from an organized space, suggesting how a clean space can promote positive energy within the space.

“Having less to look at can make it feel freer and lighter and less encumbered.

Just being cognizant that our stuff really comes with this kind of charge. Having things put away is super helpful and calming and beneficial.” Delany said, “In terms of selling your house, certainly having everything tucked away and in some form of order would be beneficial to someone buying your house.”

DECLUTTER

continued from page 24

ones to hold close, obtaining control of the environment you live in is crucial.

In this way, a clean space will help invite in potential buyers due to them being able to visualize themselves being in the space.

Realtor Kristen Foote expressed how important it is to take control of your space and prepare your house before it goes to market. Foote suggests to all her sellers, before going to market, to purge all items in their home they do not want.

According to Foote, this helps keep the home tidy throughout the prepping process before displaying it to the public.

Delany, spoke about how starting small in your home can easily help you conquer clutter that can be overwhelming.

“When you start small you build momentum, so if you are totally overwhelmed by your whole house, pick one room, one closet.” Delany said, “Little by little, just start small once you see your accomplishments, you’re kind of like ‘Okay I can do this’. Build and grow and

“A lot of people don’t know what they should be doing, you can’t just say declutter, it helps when we go room by room and very specifically what needs to be done. I find that when people do this and spend all this time doing this and getting it ready that they want to keep it that neat and that clean. It helps longterm throughout the listing.” Foote said.

In addition to taking the necessary measures to prepare your home to go to market, taking into consideration the mindfulness of decluttering will benefit how you and others will feel about your space.

Founder of Easily Organized, Megan

Photo courtesy of Megan Delany

Before and after shots from Megan Delany from Easily Organized LLC

What’s better than having the power of a brand that has been a part of the American home for over 90 years?

Having the best tools, technology and marketing to help you with all of your real estate needs. If you’re looking to buy a home, or sell your property, I am here to help you every step of the way.

Foote also emphasized how keeping a put-together space in the inside of your home is equally as important as the outside of your home.

“That’s your first impression of a home.

So, when people say, ‘Wow that looks so beautiful on the outside, what’s it going to look like on the inside?’” Foote said, “Its curb appeal. It’s a buyer’s first impression of the home. They are going to notice that.”

By incorporating small goals and determination in decluttering and organizing one’s house, the buyer and homeowner can both benefit from an appealing put-together space, leaving everyone involved feeling satisfied. ■

EXPECT BETTER® Recel Jovellanos Sales Associate Contact me today!

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE MATURO 251 Masonville Rd. Mount Laurel, NJ, 08054 Office: 856.316.0777 Mobile: 856.396.9071 buyandcel@gmail.com

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