New homes typically have a higher sales price than comparable existing homes, and buyers are usually willing to spend more on a new home because of lower maintenance costs. Builders' warranties on new homes, when combined with a new roof, appliances, and major systems, usually make major repairs unnecessary and help to counter a slower initial rate of appreciation.

Census Bureau Housing Surveys suggests that operating costs are lowest for brand new homes and slightly higher for relatively new existing homes. Operating costs per square foot of living space are consistently higher for progressively older existing homes. Utility costs represent the largest factor in operating costs. Energy consumption per square foot depends on the size of the home, the insulation and quality of the windows, air leakage and the efficiency of the furnace.

New homes require fewer expenditures for routine maintenance. The cost of maintenance first increases with age, then declines, so you will generally spend less maintaining a home built before 1960 than for a home built between 1970 and 1975.

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Margery Ostrow
Weichert Realtors, Morristown East
20 Madison Avenue
Morristown, NJ 07960
Office: 973 539 8000
Fax: 973-230-9060
Cell: 201-874-5932
margeryostrow@NUMBER1EXPERT.com

Margery Ostrow has been in the real estate industry for over 18 years, having begun her career in New York City selling cooperative apartments and condominiums on the upper East Side, and immediately became the top-grossing salesperson her first year in business. Moving back to her native New Jersey with her family in 1991 Margery has been selling residences in Morris County ever since. With a proven track record in achieving at least 99% of list price within a 30-day time frame for sellers, Margery can definitely help the seller make more money and see the transaction move faster and smoother, from listing, through marketing and right up to closing. For Buyers she offers strong negotiating skills to help obtain the best price, attention to detail, patience, diligence and, above all, integrity. Through hard, full-time work and dedication she has achieved extreme success in helping people buy and sell their homes over the years, as a Cendant Mobility Marketing Specialist, Certified New Home Sales Specialist and Certified Corporate Relocation Specialist for ADP and other fine national companies. She has served as an active member of the community, volunteering for local school positions, serving at a local acute care nursing facility, and serving as chairperson of the grant committee of a charitable foundation. Read the testimonials of many whose lives she has touched, and then call Margery to answer all of your real estate questions and concerns!

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