Gina Suriano Barber

Listing agents must disclose beforehand that they have a legal interest in the property they have listed. I do think this is legal issue, not just an "ethical" one. Our Errors and Ommissions insurance often does not cover an agent if they list their own property. As far as "under contract", most MLS's have very specific guidelines on when a property must be entered into the mls system, as well as the time frame for reporting "in attorney review" and "under contract. If this property is in North Plainfield, then most likely it was listed with the Garden State MLS. You can contact them for their rules and regulations, and see if their rules were violated. The agency could be imposed fines if it is found to not have reported the status in a timely manner. - Sun Oct 26 2008, 15:08

There are several units currently available from $98,000-$170,000, depending on condition and location. There are also 2 bedrooms available, one of which I currently have listed for $185,000. Feel free to contact me to discuss the difference in the available units, so you can make an informed decision. - Tue Oct 14 2008, 16:54

I have dealt with Sirva for both sellers and buyers. It is important to express your concerns with your attorney, to see if the items in Sirva's contract that you don't like will actually be pertinent to you. These contracts are so standard that some items may not even apply to your situation,so you may be worried unneccessarily. I have also seen Sirva make exceptions even though they initially said they wouldn't . (Especially with inventory so high, they may be flexible, depending on what issues you are talking about) So at least give it a chance before walking away completely, and good luck! - Sun Sep 14 2008, 08:20

The Sleepy Hollow area of Plainfield has always been the "prestigious" area of Plainfield, with grand homes and beautiful properties. However, like many cities, Plainfield is not known for great schools and does have its share of crime and drugs. Sleepy Hollow has always been set apart from the downtown, where there is mostly commercial properties and multifamilies that are not as well kept , but it's still Plainfield. You must consider whether you can trade off on the ultimate resale value and appreciation on your home vs having a grand home that you probably wouldn't be able to afford in most of the surrounding communities. There is alot more inventory in many towns, so seeing many homes for sale is not unusual in this market. I would look at the school reports, and see if you would be satisfied with the statistics (if this even applies to you),and drive through the other parts of town, too. Depending on your price range, there may be other options for you in surrounding towns. I do know many affluent families that live in Plainfield and love it, but they do have the means to send their children to private schools, and they rarely venture through downtown. - Mon Aug 11 2008, 07:23

Like any city, Elizabeth has it's good and not so good areas. It has it's share of crime, but not necessarily violent crimes. You can email or call me directly and I can give you some websites that may give you more information on that. - Thu Aug 7 2008, 14:10

I agree with Joan-Elizabeth is still in a declining market, and isn't showing any signs of a turn-around like Hoboken and JC. - Tue Aug 5 2008, 18:34