Having moved homes a few times, sometimes across oceans, I have looked forward with relish to my current move. For my husband, kids and I are in the midst of moving out of a characterful home we’ve rented in Montclair for two years, to a century-old home we’ve bought – directly across the street.

Thanks to the misguided perception that the proximity of the two homes might mean an easier move, we hired muscle men (quotes for this tiny move ranged from $400 to $2,200) only to lug our empty bookcases, beds, treadmill and piano to the new premises. This unfortunately left us the remainder of the job – packing of 90 percent of our home. And fairly speedily, I realized that the best part about moving, usually, is having someone else do the packing for you. Continue Reading

Word on the street — Lloyd Road in Montclair anyway — is that the Michael and Jean Strahan mansion is under contract in a private sale. When it was first listed in 2008, the Strahans were asking $7.75 million. The price was cut to $5.8 million last year. Rumor is the final price is under $4 million. Zillow values it at $3.099 million.

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It’s late August and everybody’s either on vacation, picking up a kid from camp or dropping one off at college. So how do you get someone to visit an open house? If you’re a scion of the Matarazzo Farms empire, you offer free farm-fresh corn and tomatoes to anyone who drops by. The offer is good today (Sunday August 22) until 4 p.m. at 28 Fowler Drive in West Orange where this three-bedroom townhouse ($385,000) is being shown. James Matarazzo Jr. is the broker-salesperson.

Perfect for an August weekend, how about a house with a pool? Check out tomorrow’s open houses on Real Estate.

These dog days of summer have me longing for a refreshing oasis in the back yard. Are you ready for a jump in the pool? Check out these open houses, which offer a nice place to cool off. Properties open Sunday, 2-4 pm.
Ranch Near The Park

19 Club Road, Montclair
List Price: $789,00
Taxes: $23,332
Lot Size: 0.45 Acres
3BR/3.5BA
New on the market, you’ll find this ca. 1957 ranch-style home on a quiet cul-de-sac near Yantacaw Brook Park. An elegant, mid-century home with beautiful interior, 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths comes with a fully fenced patio, landscaped yard, pool and pool house. This property caught the attention of the NY Times real estate watch. For more info, click here.
West Orange Manse

100 Gregory Ave, West Orange
List Price: $899,000
Taxes: $33,600
7BR/5BA
Lot Size: 1.79 acres

Edgar Bamberger Tudor Estate on 1.79 acres. Inground pool; Vermont slate roof, ornate oak woodwork, high ceilings, large open rooms. Walk to NYC transit. BRAND NEW: 3 of the 7 Baths, electrical panel boxes, furnace, hot water heater, pool equipment, copper ridge cap, underground gutter piping, basement sheetrock and drop ceiling, etc. As expected, the master bedroom has two dressing rooms, a fireplace, and a marble-floored bath. Freshly painted throughout. This stately English Tudor, which was featured in a hard-covered architectural book, now has many new appointments including marble walls, a claw-foot tub, and ornate vanities in bathrooms in addition to the new pool tiles which add to its elegance-yet the land alone makes this an excellent value.

More info, here

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Update: We have a winner. Thanks. More tickets to other events later this week, so stay tuned.
Montclair’s Wellmont Theater has been closed after some ceiling plaster fell on Deadmau5 concert-goers more than a week ago. There’ve been grumblings of concern amongst Lyle Lovett fans about whether the repairs would be completed in time for the upcoming concert, slated for this Sunday.
According to The Bowery Presents spokesperson Jaime Roberts, the Wellmont has been working closely with the Montclair buildings department to resolve the issue this week, and that the concert will be given the green light.
Want a pair of tickets to Sunday’s re-opening concert? Write to us with the answer to the question below. The first correct answer gets to rock out country-style with Lyle. Baristanet will be there too, so look for our “Got Local” button in the crowd and say hi. Please don’t enter if you can’t go.Here you go, and may the quickest draw win.
Question: What Texas town was Lyle Lovett born in and who is the town named after? You must answer both parts of the questions to win.

South Orange: 377 Charlton, $719,000, 1-5

PRICE REDUCTION Remarkable, Restorable Classic – Dutch Colonial. 5 B’rooms plus 3.1 baths with library, solarium, office Porches front and rear Large Sunny Lot – Looking for TLC Leaded glass,wood etc. LIVE LIKE GATSBY…all you need is the “Sound”….. perhaps a highball. Watch the world roll by from your splendid porch. Play croquet or badminton, or practice putting on over a half acre of open flat lawn. All this at the epicenter of Montrose. Stunning formal home – one owner since 1951- looking for new direction in its third century.

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Anyone with kids going off to college ready to downsize? Maybe it’s time to take a peek inside the Siena in downtown Montclair. This 2BR, 2.5B corner apartment, listed by Jacqueline Rossi of Coldwell Banker, is offered at $570,990. Open house 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. And while you’re there, you can swing by another open house in the same building, a 2BR, 2B apartment with New York views, listed by Linda Grotenstein for $599,000, also showing between 1 and 4 p.m. on Sunday.

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Montclair realtor Adriana O’Toole talks about the merits, no matter the term, of editing your home before you sell.
Had an interesting speaker at our office meeting today on the virtues of ‘ staging’ -however her term of ‘ show casing’ is probably a better description of the activity. Sellers are averse to the word staging I think because it might imply that their home needs some ‘face lifting’ or change. Although it might be true, they don’t like to hear that. After all, that’s how they like it! However, the best features of the home and those that a buyer might like better, are the object of the exercise.
We all know that removing all the personal items, ( children’s photos, trophies, awards, diplomas, etc.) is a good idea. It is intimidating to a buyer and possibly a young couple, maybe childless by design or not, not athletic, not an Emmy or Oscar recipient, to try to emulate that as a way of living in the house. Bland is best – almost boring – but this way a buyer can visualize their furniture and art work and belongings in the space.

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The Fullerton, 5 Roosevelt Place
List Price: $279,000
Monthly: $292
1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
Listing Agent: James R. Matarazzo, Jr., John Young Realty – GMAC, (973) 885-2190
Spacious & Ideal one bedroom unit on top floor of buliding with parque wood floors, crown molding, custom built-ins, large living room with walkout to private balcony overlooking vibrant downtown and Western hills of Montclair’s valley. Gigantic Living Room/Dining Room combo 13 x 27. The unit has a walk-out to a private balcony. Master bedroom is 11 x 15. Plenty of closet space. Additional storage bin in basement area.

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