House Hunt Happily

Dear Friend,

House Hunt Happily

Here’s a quick note to let you know how I can help you—or anyone you feel comfortable introducing me to.

Somers Point, NJ Sunset

Somers Point, NJ Sunset

Buying a home starts with looking at homes. While some buyers find their dream home right away, others see 100 homes before finding one they love. Home buyers who search for months can get burned out, even give up. So, for buyers who are about to start house-hunting, here are three tips to help you stay cool:

First, partner with a good real estate consultant, like me, who will preview homes to help you trim your list before getting in the car. Second, do drive-bys. You can narrow the list of homes to visit by first seeing neighborhood circumstances, yard features, home condition, etc. Finally, stay within your price range. Going to homes you can’t afford wastes time and calibrates your expectations too high for your price point.

If you or someone you know is starting to house hunt, contact me at 609-338-3773. Also get a copy of my report, How to Stop Spending Money on Rent and Own a Home Instead.

Matthew Haviland,

Your Real Estate Consultant For Life

P.S. Who do you know who’s thinking about buying a home? Please let them know that I can help them with their search.

December Newsletter – Matt’s Home News

The Haviland's Christmas 2014

My wife Katrina and parents.

Click Here to download or view our december E-newsletter:  December Newsletter – Matt

Sometimes You Have to Keep Going

Most of us have experienced dire circumstances in life when we had to keep going or risk losing something of great value, perhaps even our own life. It’s one of the ways that we learn to be resilient, by having to dig deep inside and come up with more strength than we thought we had. Here’s a story about a young woman that illustrates this point:

I had gone with friends to a small resort island in Indonesia. Being 16 and invincible, I decided to windsurf alone to a small deserted island nearby. Halfway there, the wind changed and I found myself getting carried out towards open water. I panicked and began fighting the sail. Several times I dropped it into the water and had to pull it back up with brute force. Being a small girl, it took a toll on me and after a while I had lost all strength. I was afraid to paddle with my arms because I was worried about sharks, so I just lay on the board and floated out to sea.

Finally, I clamped down on my fear. I had to think my way out of this, so when I had the strength again, I picked up the sail and began very carefully tacking into the oncoming wind rather than fighting it. No one had ever taught me that, but I just figured that there had to be a way, and I refused to give up. Eventually over the course of two hours, I worked my way back to shore. The feeling of triumph did not diminish the lesson learned…that I was a fool for going out alone in the first place.

Now that my own children are teenagers, I try to warn them to look before they leap and think before they act. But I know that they will face these moments where they may have to keep going or die, and I realize that the best preparation I can give them is the strength to stay calm and think clearly in moments of crisis.

What a great story that reminds me to push through when the going gets tough. After all, there’s very little in my daily circumstances as dire as getting swept out to sea.

Sincerely,

Matt Haviland
Your Real Estate Consultant For Life

P.S. If you remember a time when you had to push through or face losing something important, I’d love to hear about it. Reach me at:  609-338-3773 to share your story.

Let the wonder of Christmas fill your heart once again!

The Christmas show combines concert choir music and multi-media with the beauty of signing in a joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Two shows Dec 6th & 7th at 6:30 pm in the Family Life Center.

Questions, contact the church office 609-927-3838 or email welcome@greentree.org

Purchase tickets online at http://www.greentree.org/article400009.htm?body=1

* Saturday show is sold out!

Date: December 7, 2014
Time: 06:30 p.m.
Event: Light Has Come Christmas Show Egg Harbor Township, NJ
Public: Public

Getting a Home Ready to Sell…

Getting a Home Ready to Sell…

Here’s a quick note to let you know how I can help you—or anyone you feel comfortable introducing me to.

A key factor in attracting (or repelling) home buyers is the cleanliness and orderliness of a home. While buyers are sympathetic toward sellersBeach House who must live in a home while selling it, most buyers can’t see past the normal clutter of a lived-in home.

Buyers view dozens of homes in a row. When they walk into a home, they’re instantly comparing it to sparkling clean, well-staged homes they’ve just seen. If a home is even slightly cluttered with toys, books, furniture and refrigerator magnets, buyers can be turned off, simply by comparison. The solution? Work with me to spot the areas of potential problem. I’ll help you figure out where to put your energy for the highest impact. Then start packing. Move 70% of your stuff out to a storage unit, and clean, clean, clean.

If you or someone you care about wants to get advice about preparing their house to sell, please contact me at 609-338-3773 or matt@sjhouses.com. Ask for a copy of my report, Five Deadly Mistakes Home Sellers Make.

Matthew Haviland

Your Real Estate Consultant For Life Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Shore 609-484-9890 ext 132

P.S. Who do you know who’s thinking about selling their home? Please introduce us so that I can make suggestions for how to get their house ready.

November Newsletter – Cut Holiday Costs without Cutting Value

Snow Day!Cut Holiday Costs without Cutting Value

Click here to view download or print our November Newsletter:  November Newsletter – Matt

November is a good time to talk about money. Why? Because during November and December, people spend on travel, gifts, and food at a rate of three to four times their ordinary rate of spending. The result is that many people end the holiday season in January with a profound sense of loss—in the pocketbook.

So I thought it would add value to your life to discuss some approaches to spending wisely over this holiday season. Here are some of my suggestions for cutting costs without cutting the fun.

1. Instead of cooking everything for your holiday parties yourself, invite guests to bring a dish, dessert, or drink they can share with others. Coordinate so that you don’t get too many cookie plates and too few main dishes.

2. Think of high-value gifts that don’t cost a lot. A gift basket filled with low-cost, but fun items is a big hit.

3. When someone in your life has expensive tastes, see if you can get relatives to share the cost, and that can be their gift. A 14 year old boy would probably prefer to get one new Xbox from four relatives than get four separate gifts of clothes and books.

4. Make your own decorations instead of buying them. Google DIY Christmas (or whatever holiday you prefer) Decorations, and you’ll get tons of ideas!

If you put your mind to it before you start spending, you can probably come up with even more ways to save this holiday season. Let me know what you find.

Sincerely,

Matt Haviland
Your Real Estate Consultant For Life

P.S. Another way to save is to use e-cards instead of mailed cards this Christmas season. If you want to send me an e-card, send it to: matt@sjhouses.com – I’d also love to hear from you in person at 609-338-3773. That’s free!

Relax and Smell the Roses and October Newsletter

Relax and Smell the Roses

Do you ever find yourself rushing around in a frenzy of productivity, and when you finally have a moment to yourself, you only then realize how tense and stressed you’ve been?

Here’s how that moment happened recently to me. I had just gone through a fast food drive- through line, and was sitting in my car in the parking lot, too busy to go inside to eat. The morning had been a dash to finish errands, and the afternoon looked busier still. My mind was clouded with thoughts.

DSC08243I was planning to snatch a moment to gulp down my food before continuing my errands.

As I was taking a bite, I noticed a little bird hopping around the parking lot looking for crumbs. It was so small and intent on searching for food. I tore off a piece of bread and tossed it to the bird. It hopped over, grabbed it and flew away.

At that moment I felt myself relax a notch. I tossed another piece of bread out the window and another bird flew down and snatched it up. I breathed deeply and sighed.

I drove away with a little smile, feeling more attentive to my surroundings instead of being so inwardly focused. Just that little bit of sharing in the moment had brought me back to the present.

I encourage you—as I remind myself—to stop and smell the roses, as the old saying goes. When trying to get a lot done in a short amount of time, a brief moment of getting present can give you energy to push on.

Sincerely,

Matt Haviland
Your Real Estate Consultant For Life

P.S. If you’ve got a story to tell, you can reach me at matt@sjhouses.com or by calling me at 609-338-3773

P.P.S.  Click Here To Download and View My October Newsletter:  October Newsletter – Matt Haviland

How to Sell Your House Without Reducing Your Price

How to Sell Without Reducing Your Price

Dear Friend,

Here’s a quick note to let you know how I can help you—or anyone you feel comfortable introducing me to.

No home seller wants to reduce their price because their house isn’t selling. Here are 3 ways to prevent that from happening: First, price it well to begin with. Price it no more than properties are selling for in your area. You can place a premium for things like a view or a staging-logostunning yard, but not for things like a remodeled kitchen. On the other hand, not having a remodeled kitchen could cause the price to drop. Second, make it show like a model home. Clean every crevice. Fix every bit of deferred maintenance. Remove your personal possessions. Clean up the landscaping. Third, talk to me about how to minimize drawbacks and maximize advantages. As your real estate consultant, I can tell you a great deal about how to get more from the sale of your home, possibly putting thousands more in your pocket when you sell.  As a certified Real Estate Staging Expert I can conduct a complimentary analysis of your home and provide you with a custom eight page report with staging recommendations.

If you or someone you care about wants to get more out of the sale of their home, please call me at 609-338-3773 or matt@sjhouses.com. Ask for a copy of my report, The 10 Dumbest Mistakes Smart People Make when Buying or Selling a Home.

Matthew Haviland, Your Real Estate Consultant For Life Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Shore 609-484-9890 ext 132

P.S. Who do you know who’s thinking about selling their home? Please introduce us so that I can make suggestions for how to sell for more

Thanks For Your Support For Denise Haviland

I want to take a moment to thank the many friends, family and co-workers who helped make our October 1st Golf event and dinner a success.  This event is a big help to my Aunt Denise and we raised over $7,000 profit from the event to help her with her expenses as she battles stage 4 cancer.   Thank you!  Matt