http://MariaMcEwen.cbintouch.com/

Maria McEwen - Realtor, 2 E. Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Livingston, NJ (2026)

11/29/2021

If you’ve been trying to find the right agent, your head is probably swimming with real estate terms—buyer agent, real estate agent, broker, listing agent… What’s the difference between all the different titles?

A real estate agent is a professional with a license to help people buy or sell real estate. They can represent both buyers and sellers and are commonly called buyers agent, sellers agent, or listing agent. Agents guide their clients through the real estate process, facilitate transactions, negotiate with other agents, and help clients through the closing process. Real estate agents are required to run their transactions through a broker, which is why they often work as part of a team. When you work with a real estate agent, you’re really working with them and their broker, even though you may never see the broker.

A real estate broker is an agent with a lil extra. On top of their real estate license, they have at least a few years of experience, have completed extra education, and have obtained their real estate broker license. Brokers do basically the same thing as a real estate agent and can represent sellers and buyers. But they can also oversee the more technical parts of the transaction and are responsible for making sure the transactions abide by the rules. With their broker license, they can work independently (without working under a broker) or start their own brokerage.

As a buyer or seller, you can choose to either an agent or a broker and expect a great experience.

Have any other questions about real estate agents or brokers? Call/Text Me: 📲 (201) 396-4637

11/28/2021

What’s the thing that keeps buyers up at night but sellers dream of? Multiple offers and bidding wars, baby.

These are super common in our competitive market right now, and if you’re trying to buy a home, you’ll likely deal with a multiple offer situation. Here’s what you can do to come out on top:

📝 Submit a large earnest money deposit. If you know the home is going get multiple offers, make your deposit large when you make your offer to show that you’re really serious about the property. This money goes back into your down payment if your offer is selected, and if it’s not, you’ll get it all back.

📝 Show up PRE-APPROVED. When you’re pre-approved, you show that you have the finances to back up your offer and that you won’t waste the seller’s time with an offer you can’t follow through on.

📝 Write an escalation clause into your offer. Basically, this clause says that you offer a certain amount on a house. BUT if a higher offer comes in, the escalation clause will automatically bump your offer up above that offer. An escalation clause ensures that you always have the highest offer, but note that the seller doesn’t have to choose you.

📝 Be strategic. If you’re at the top of your budget, you can still sweeten your offer. Pay attention to the seller and their wants/needs so you can craft your offer to appeal directly to them. For example, if the sellers haven’t bought a house yet, you can give them time to move.

Make sure to save this post so you’re prepared for a multiple offer situation. And if you have any questions, call/text me: 📲 (201) 396-4637

11/28/2021

May be an especially happy and peaceful time for you and yours.

11/26/2021

Contingencies in real estate are kind of like your morning coffee. You don’t think about it too much, but it’s super important and you’d notice it if it were gone.

A contingency is basically an out clause so you don’t get stuck in a bad deal. It’s the part of the real estate contract that says “hey, if this isn’t right, then this contract is OVER.” There are several different kinds of contingencies, but here are the most common:

🧐 Inspection: After signing the contract, the buyer will be able to conduct an inspection. Once they get the report back, the inspection contingency gives them the ability to negotiate with the seller on repairs. If an agreement can’t be met on repairs or the inspection comes back in the red, the buyer can just walk away.

💰 Financing: This contingency gives the buyer time to finalize their mortgage. If for some reason they can’t get the financing, the buyer can back out. This contingency typically comes with a set number of days.

📈 Appraisal: A home appraiser will look at the house and determine its fair market value. If the value is less than the specified amount in the contract, the buyer can call off the contract with an appraisal contingency.

🏡 Home sale: If you enter into a home purchase contract while still trying to sell your home, you can say that you’ll sell your home by a certain date. If you can’t get it sold, you can back out of the contract.

Your real estate agent will help you negotiate contingencies and keep your interests safe throughout the closing process.

Have any questions about contingencies? Call/Text Me: 📲 (201) 396-4637

11/25/2021

May the blessings of hope and be with you this Day!

11/24/2021

Know the difference! Inspections and appraisals might seem similar, but they play very different roles in the home closing process.

An appraisal determines the fair market value of the home. An appraiser will walk through the property and take a general assessment of the home. They then use their report and comparable sales to determine the property’s fair market value. Lenders require appraisals to make sure that the home is worth the mortgage amount. They don’t want to lend money on something that is worth less than the mortgage.

An inspection is an in-depth look through the home to determine its condition. An inspector will go through the house, test all of the major home systems and then create a report with recommendations on repairs and concerns. Inspections aren’t typically required for a mortgage, but they’re super important and shouldn’t be skipped.

If you’re buying with cash, you don’t have to do either. But it’s still worth the time and money to get them done to make sure that you’re putting your money into a safe investment.

P.S. Do you have your copy of my buyer guide? It’s packed full of info like this that you won’t want to miss. Text me 📲 (201) 396-4637 to get yours!

11/22/2021

Ugh, another fee wrapped into your mortgage. But a house is probably one of the largest investments you’ll make, so it makes sense that you’d insure it, right?

Let’s say that, in a turn of terrible luck, your brand new house gets struck by lightning. The entire place burns down, taking all of your possessions with it—including all your new West Elm furniture (the horror). As your house collapses in on itself, it damages your neighbor’s property and now they want to sue you. With homeowners insurance, you’d be covered. If you didn’t have homeowner’s insurance, you’d pay for EVERYTHING out of pocket. And probably quickly go bankrupt.

Clearly, homeowners insurance is not something you want to skimp on, and it’s required by lenders if you have a mortgage.

Most homeowners insurance policies cover damage to the interior or exterior of your house, theft of your possessions, and liability. There are 3 levels of insurance coverage:

📋 Actual cash value (the value of your house and belongings minus depreciation)
📋 Replacement cost (cash value, no depreciation taken into account)
📋 Extended replacement cost/value (pays for whatever it takes to replace/repair your house and belongings, even if it’s more than your coverage)

You can choose your level of coverage, and just like auto insurance, you’ll want to shop around and get several quotes (at least 5 is good!). But as you get quotes, don’t just look at the premium—make sure you compare the policies as well.

Have any other questions about homeowners insurance? Text me! 📲 (201) 396-4637. I’ll answer them!

11/21/2021

Let’s be real: our market right now is far from perfect. But guess what? It’s never going to be perfect. Why waste time—time you’re never going to get back—by waiting for the right opportunity and the perfect conditions to come along?

The perfect home is waiting out there for you. It’s time to jump in and follow those real estate dreams.

And if you want some help along the way, make sure to send me a text: 📲 (201) 396-4637 to get access to some super helpful real estate resources so you can make the most of the market!

11/19/2021

Waiting for your home to close is like getting excited for a Christmas present in October…. No matter how much you might want to open that present, you’re going to have to wait until it’s time. But that waiting makes Christmas morning so much more exciting right? Same concept here, too.

The time you sign the contract to the time you get the keys to the house (or give them away) can take anywhere from a week to a few months.

Most of that lead time comes from the inspection and appraisal process and the mortgage application process.

By default, the closing process will move faster if the buyer pays in cash because you can cut out the mortgage processing time.

Buyers, this is why most sellers will choose a cash offer over a financed one. But don’t lose hope! Being pre-approved is a good way to stand up to cash offers. And you can often negotiate on closing times to give you (or the seller) a longer closing window, if needed.

Make sure you save this post so you’re prepared for closing!

11/17/2021

Ring the alarm cuz you’re not going to stand a chance if you’re not pre-approved in our market.

Seriously, if you find the home of your dreams and put in an offer without pre-approval, the seller is going to throw it out.

Why? They have no proof that you can actually pony up the funds to buy the house, and they probably will have several other offers that do have proof.

That proof is a pre-approval. Basically, a lender will look into the nooks and crannies of your finances to determine how much mortgage you can afford (read: how much a bank will probably let you borrow).

It’s an easy process, but you need to get it done before you start seriously looking at home, lest you encounter a case of house heartbreak when ~the one~ gets away.

So save this checklist by tapping the bookmark button and then crack open your file cabinet/email archive and start pulling out these docs. You’ll want at least 2 years of history to show, too.

Have any questions about getting pre-approved or how to start the home search process? I’m super happy to answer your questions. Call/Text Me: 📲 (201) 396-4637

11/15/2021

As a seller, you have the upper hand in our market right now. Major score. Whatever your asking price is, you’re likely to get offers that go above it.

But instead of just accepting the highest offer, you can negotiate even more in your favor. You can negotiate on things like

🤝📃 the replacement of the air conditioner
🤝📃 the home warranty
🤝📃 the time to close
🤝📃 and more

You can even ask the buyer to cover all of the closing costs and even your own fees. Yeah, like I said, major score.

And buyers, don’t despair. Once the market shifts into the buyer’s hand (which will happen sooner than later….), you can negotiate and ask the seller to cover these things.

Have any questions about how you can get the most out of selling your home in this market? Call/Text 📲 (201) 396-4637 and I’ll get you my best tips and tricks.

11/14/2021

I truly want this for every single one of my clients. I want them to have a beautiful home where love abounds and they can truly live their best lives.

Want to find the perfect home for you? Just call or text me: 📲 (201) 396-4637 and I’ll help you out.

Maria McEwen - Realtor

11/29/2021

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