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5 Awesome Date Ideas in Princeton

August 27, 2015

Princeton is one of my favorite places in Mercer County and in New Jersey as a whole. It’s a dynamic town, with more awesome things to do and try than you probably know. And let’s face it, Princeton is one of the best places in New Jersey to take a date. But, as fun as it is to just “walk around Princeton” you might be wondering if there are some specific things you can do to make it look like you’ve put a lot of thought into your planning. Well, here are five complete date ideas to impress your crush, special someone, grandma, client or if you’re just looking to “treat-yo-self.”

1. Free lecture, Cross Culture/ Aurelios

We start off with one of my absolute favorite things to do in Princeton: attend a free lecture or event at the University. The University frequently invites scholars, writers, journalists, researchers, psychologists and their ilk to give lectures and presentations on a range of topics. One of my fields of study at Rutgers where I went to school was philosophy. The philosophy department at Princeton is extremely active and generally has guest speakers every single week of the academic year. There are a few other reasons these lectures are great, besides their inherent value of providing stimulation at an intellectual and emotional level.

Just just about every Princeton lecture is followed up with free wine, cheeses, juice, snacks, etc so you can mingle with other lecture goers, students and professors.

Stick around for this extra and you’ll feel quite fancy and part of something very special. Just remember to dress the part (elbow padded blazers are a plus). The other reason these lectures and events are great is that they are completely free to the public, all the way down to the fancy wine and cheese. Here's a complete calendar of lectures and events open to the public at Princeton University: Princeton University Calendar

After you’ve wrestled with the metaphysical and social justice dilemmas of our time you may have found that you’ve worked up a hunger. Take a short drive over to Cross Culture, an authentic Indian restaurant that will transport your mind and body with its exotic flavors. If Indian isn’t your thing, I highly recommend Aurelio’s Cocina Latina. My favorite cuisine is Mexican, and I can tell you that Aurelio’s is a stand-out,authentic Mexican restaurant. It’s a few minutes away from the hustle of Nassau Street but well worth wandering from the usual path. Try the El Pastor Tacos.

2. Afternoon picnic at Princeton Battlefield & Dancing

There are so many great restaurants in Princeton and I could name drop all day long, but one option worth considering is to forego the restaurants altogether. Princeton Battleground is just a few minutes from Nassau Street and is a stunning open space to have a picnic. It almost looks like something out of Downton Abbey. So, grab your paPAH, your finest linen suit and your most charming under-butler for an old fashioned picnic on a beautiful day. If you’re wondering what to bring to the picnic, you can also grab a delightful sandwich to go from Olive’s before plopping down.

The next part of your date will find you at one of Princeton’s best kept secrets: dancing. And I’m not talking about hitting up a club.

Have you ever wanted to learn to Tango? Or swing dance like they do in Hellsapoppin? How about learn to salsa?

Well, you can stop wishing because the awesome secret of Princeton that people don’t know to take advantage of is their high quality and very affordably priced dance lessons at the University. I’ve done ballroom, latin and swing dancing since I was a wee lad, and going to the University for some dancing is one of the best parts of my weekly routine. Here are the links for each club, all of which are open to the public and welcoming of newbies: Princeton Swing Club, Princeton Tango Club, and Princeton Salsa Club. Swing Club is free for all, Tango Club costs $10 per lesson, and Salsa Club costs $15 for the whole night. All of these clubs offer beginner and intermediate level lessons and have open dancing afterward. This can be a great activity for a night out with friends or family, and an especially fun date night with your special someone. If you find yourself at one of these clubs and recognize me please say hi!

Most of the clubs meet on Prospect Street which is quite close to our last stop of the night. We’ll top off the night by sitting at the fountain next to the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. The famous zodiac heads line a beautiful fountain, illuminated by the tungsten light reflecting off the water. It’ll be a beautiful place to catch your breath and talk about your fun day out!

3. PU Art Museum, House of Cupcakes, Triumph

This next one is a fantastic way to spend a romantic evening with someone special. Our first stop is the Princeton University Art Museum. Though a night at the museum is great for all couples, this is an especially nice date for early in a relationship. You’ll never run out of things to talk about since you’re constantly interpreting and judging artwork together. It’s also a nice change of pace to be walking around together rather than sitting and staring across the table at them like most traditional dinner/ drink dates. Plus, admission is completely free!

A short stroll from the museum, your next stop is to enjoy a delicious treat at Cupcake Wars Winner, House of Cupcakes.

You’ll be blown away by the bombast of their baking-ballsiness.

Don’t forget to use the trick my dad taught me when I was a kid: ask your date if you think their cupcake smells weird. When they go to take a sniff, run out of the restaurant and leave them with the bill. Just kidding. Just get a little icing on their nose. It’s cute and your date will laugh. Or they’ll dump you on the spot. But probably they’ll just laugh.

If your date is still with you, top off the night with a frosty brew from the micro brewery, Triumph, just a few minutes’ walk from House of Cupcakes. You can get a plethora of craft brews at this hipster-hub-O’-hops.

4. McCarter Theater and Mediterra

Your next date in Princeton will start with a show at McCarter Theater. It’s a great spot to watch a performance that interests you, your family or your significant other. Shows are an especially great date idea because when you hang out after you can mutually revel and discuss how much you liked or disliked what you saw. Whether you liked the show or not, it’s a win—win since it’s engaging conversation either way! But where should you go to talk about the performance? Well I have the perfect place for you.

You’ll be taking your date to Mediterra. Mediterra is swanky, and the prices reflect that. However, since I’m a cost-friendly blogger, my recommendation is to go during happy-hour which is Monday through Thursday, 4:30-6:30 and 9:00-11:00. Let me just say, that Mediterra’s happy-hour is no normal happy hour. They should rename it “very happy-hour” because it really is a cut above the rest. This window-O’-bliss gets you $2 tapas (bites of heaven). Check out the tapas menu here to get an idea of the luxury about to adorn your taste buds. The wine selection is delightful as well and is subject to a generous discount. You’ll feel like a Queen (as I’ve vocalized to my friends when we are there) as you dine on their latest and greatest culinary concoctions.

5. Terhune Orchards

Our last Princeton date is one that is a little different but just as enjoyable as the others. This one has rustic charm and character. Terhune Orchards is beautiful little farm where you can pick your own apples. After you pick apples with the apple of your eye (make sure to drop that line while you're there,) take a walk over to the barnyard where you can pet and feed goats, ponies and chickens. I’m an animal lover so seeing the goats is probably the coolest thing about this date to me. But wait! There’s more. Sometimes (you’ll have to check the calendar,) Terhune has Sangria tastings that you will definitely want to attend.

Sangria? Goats? Nature? Good company? You’ll remember this day the rest of your life.

Your last stop will be the bakery where you’ll purchase some apple cider and apple cider donuts. You can eat these delicious treats right there on the farm, or eat them amid a setting sun at the Princeton Battlefield or even Nassau Street. The limits are endless when you have a delicious donut in your hand.

I hope you enjoyed this article on cool date ideas in the lovely town of Princeton.

My name is Brandon Rasmussen and I’m a Realtor. If you are thinking of buying, selling, or renting a home I can make it simple and stress-free. Give me a call or text at 609-651-5167. Or shoot me an email at b randon@rasmussenhomesnj.com.

4 Reasons You Haven't Bought a Home Yet

August 11, 2015

4 Reasons you haven't bought a home yet

1. You want everything

Sometimes we become so intense about finding our dream house that we forget to be realistic. If you have a long laundry list of specific features you want in a home, don’t be surprised if you can’t find a home that has exactly everything you’re looking for. Of course, you may get lucky and find that perfect home, but if you don’t, try to remember that you can always alter parts of a home to make them your own. If a home checks most of your boxes, but it doesn’t have those granite countertops you want, well that’s something you can easily alter. Be careful not to cast a home to the wayside if it doesn’t meet all the requirements at face value. Ask yourself if you would be able to make simple updates after a move-in to make it your dream home.

2. You’re waiting for that "spark"

This may come to some as a shock, but houses are not people. They don't have souls. (Unless you believe in animism, in which case skip this point, because it doesn’t apply to you.) When you think about your future home you probably do more than picture yourself in it. You can probably feel the emotions that the very idea of “home” evokes. As we shop for that home, it’s very easy for the shopping process to become an emotional one. We want to feel that instant “this is the one.” Kind of like you see on that TLC show about the wedding dresses. Sometimes the bride breaks down in tears as if they’ve reached wedding gown-nirvana. On the other hand you see some brides that come in and they’ve over romanticized what it will feel like to find that dress to the point that it is almost impossible for the reality measure up. Or, like finding that special someone, we can easily psyche ourselves out if we over romanticize what it will feel like with this person. You may find yourself passing someone up very special because “the spark” isn’t there on the first date. This can easily happen when finding a home.

We are searching for the space where a significant portion of our lives will happen. And so, we become so acquainted in our imagination with the joy that will ensue in this place, that when we step inside it don’t get butterflies, we wonder “where’s the spark?”

I’m all about trusting your gut, but it’s important to consider that this type of approach may be a trap. Now, even if houses were people, consider this: some people fall in love at first site and fireworks are going off and its like something out of a movie. Other people think rationally and think wow this person offers a lot and the love grows over time. Buying your “dream” house is an emotional decision but don’t let your desire for that instant spark keep you from deciding on a great house. And after all, it’s not necessarily the house that makes a home special, but the people and interactions inside it.

3. You’re a maximizer

In the age of instant information we have a wonderful supply of inventory available to us, and that’s a good thing. Gone are the days of flipping through the Real Estate Book. But, think about how your perspective might be different if you didn’t have the internet to find a home. I imagine that people would feel a whole lot more in love with the homes they liked. With the internet, you might find a home you really like and instead of thinking “Wow, I’m so lucky to have found this!” you are thinking “well I like it, but there might be something better.” In psychology, they call this type of thinking maximizing. I have to admit, I’m one of them. But let me attest personally that this attitude can actually set you back in some cases. Some people just make a decision and stick with it without an overly exhausting search. Some people, like me, can’t even make small purchases without finding the best possible option via extensive research. They exhaust all of the options until they’ve found the best possible choice. But the funny thing about these contrasting types is that studies show that the person who makes a quicker decision tends to be happier with it when compared to the maximizer. Don’t get me wrong, you should search hard for the right home, and it’s a decision to be made with great care and due diligence. However, if you’re obsessed with using the internet and think there’s always something better no matter how much you like a house, then you may just be a maximizer.

4. You’re closed-minded about neighborhood

Sometimes we absolutely know where we want to live and aren’t willing to compromise on that, and that’s fine. When it gets tricky however is when the location that you’re dead set on becomes unnecessarily restrictive. When this becomes a recurring issue, you may want to consider another nearby location which is going to give you more of the features you're looking for. Another important idea worth considering is to examine why you really want to live in that area. Are you committed to Robbinsville for the school system? Or do you really want access Princeton’s restaurants and culture? Well you may or may not be able to compromise for a nearby town depending on what your reasons are, but it's worth making that clear for yourself.

When you know what you want and why, it can be empowering and helpful. Just make sure you don’t needlessly limit yourself until you see what other locations have to offer.

That’s not a knock against Hamilton.  It’s a lovely place. — *That’s not a knock against Hamilton. It’s a lovely place.*

I hope you enjoyed this article buying a home! Please share it with your friends, your family and your dog.

My name is Brandon Rasmussen and I’m a Realtor. If you are thinking of buying, selling or renting a home I can make it simple and stress free. Give me a call or text at 609-651-5167. Or shoot me an email at brandon@rasmussenhomesnj.com.

7 Reasons Your Home Hasn't Sold Yet

July 10, 2015

7 reasons your home hasn’t sold yet

1. Your home is overpriced

Probably the most common offender. You might be thinking when you start out: I can realistically get “x” for my house but maybe there’s someone out there that will pay X+20,000! This is wishful thinking. You may think “well there’s no harm in trying it out for a while and if no one bites we can lower it.” Well, I’m here to tell you why that’s wrong. While it is certainly your prerogative to price your home however you’d like, keep in mind that homes which go on the market overpriced are likely to sell slower even after price reductions. When a buyer sees that your home was lowered 20000 over the course of two months, their mindset is “there must be something wrong with that house.”

It’s kind of like being picked last for kickball. Once everyone sees you as the kid who gets picked last, it’s very hard to break that label.

After price reductions and time on the market, people no longer see the house as a great home at a fair price, but rather, they see it as “the home that no one wanted,” therefore, “I don’t want it either.” So, before you’re tempted to squeeze every last penny out of your house, consider the psychological impact an overpriced home may have on buyers out there. A good rule of thumb is to realistically determine what you would pay for your home if you had to buy it again. Try to put yourselves in the buyer’s shoes. Chances are, the buyer is in the opposite frame of mind. You may be thinking as a seller, “let me see what sucker will buy my house 20k over what it’s worth,” while the buyer is thinking “let me low ball an offer toward a desperate seller.” In fact, if the buyer sees that your house is on the market for several months because it was overpriced, he or she may think that they are entitled to a low ball offer because now you look desperate. And there’s a good chance you might be at this point, or at least highly impatient. The alternative is to come out the gate with a fair price that is based on comparable homes sold in your area. In the best case scenario, you’ll have multiple interested buyers who view your property with the “I need to get it because everyone wants it,” mentality. And then you may have multiple offers from which to choose. Some may even be over asking price if they think there’s a chance of losing it.

2. Your Realtor hasn’t utilized contemporary marketing vehicles

The MLS is not internet marketing. Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com are a step in the right direction, but more could be done. Here at Rasmussen Homes we utilize all of the above as well as a social media marketing campaign optimized for Google search. Furthermore, we use professional photography and video walkthroughs of every home. These facets of home marketing are data driven methods proven to sell homes quicker and for more money. Make sure you are using all tools at your disposal to reach your audience. Not every buyer is going to show up to an open house. Some buyers will only go to open houses after selecting a few that catch their eye on the internet. So, if your pictures are average (ours are not) no one is going to come see it in person. And better yet, if you have a video, the lazy buyer whose only day off is Sunday has already seen your home from their couch and have the luxury of showing the video to their friends and family who will talk up your awesome home about how awesome it is.

Buyers want instant information and instant gratification. Play their game and you’ll reach your goals quicker. You never get a second chance at a first impression, so make sure you succeed out the gate!

3. Your description is not honest

What’s more appealing to you: A meh house that is described as “immaculate,” or a meh house that is described as “solid bones with great potential.” Believe it or not, buyers are not morons. Calling a house “immaculate” that clearly is not immaculate in the photos does not convince anyone. In fact, it probably makes them question everything else you’ve said about the home and potentially even what you’re not saying about it (such as concealing a flaw or defect).

Using hyperbolic or overused words like “immaculate,” “stunning” and “motivated seller” statistically prolong the sale of a home by up to 10%.

Also, and this hopefully is needless to say, but do not use an agent that is going to use improper grammar or WRITE IN ALL CAPS in the description. Not only is it tacky, but a buyer is going to wonder why you are yelling the word “immaculate” at them. I immediately don’t trust a Realtor when they write in all caps, or don’t know the proper usage of words like “your/you’re” or “there/their/they’re.” You’re paying a Realtor to market your home. No marketing agency will ever put out copy with improper usage, and neither should your Realtor. Their improper grammar will reflect poorly upon the sale of your home and your intelligence as a person.

4. Location, location, location

Here’s the solution: pick your house up and move it somewhere more desirable. Don’t you wish it could be that simple? You may have updated your whole house to look like something out of a magazine, and that will surely increase the sale price, however, there is a realistic cap upon which that home will sell based on your location. Schools, amenities, taxes, accessibility and the like are items that are out of your control. They nonetheless are going to have the number one impact on the sale of your home. So keep that in mind and be realistic about how location impacts the listing and selling price of your home.

5. Staging

Staging is important not only for walkthroughs and open houses but for photos and videos you’ll use in your online marketing campaign. Repainting in neutral colors, pre-packing and de-personalizing your space can make or break your home to a buyer. You might be thinking to yourself, “You mean buyers don’t like my lime green walls and billboard commandment of ‘live laugh love’ streaked across my living room wall?” The answer is no. And no one wants to see your dirty razor on the bathroom counter either. Staging is hugely important.

Check out my other articles on staging here:

· 5 Benefits to Staging Your Home

· 6 Tips for Staging Your Home

6. You’re emotionally attached

This is one of the reasons you hire a Realtor to sell your house. Maybe you think your home which has been passed down for five generations really is worth 2 million dollars. And to you maybe it is. It may even be priceless.

Unfortunately, your emotional attachment doesn’t equate to dollar signs on your home. Approach the sale from an objective, non emotional standpoint based on comparable sales.

Fortunately, Realtors are there to do this for you and should be able to talk you down from your overly attached metaphorical ledge. Buyers don’t have the memories you have of Johnny learning to ride a bicycle, or Susie learning how to pogo stick, or that time at dinner you laughed so hard you peed your pants (take the table and chairs with you.) Like I said, Realtors should make this plain enough so make sure to use one.

7. Just plain luck

Sometimes all the right pieces are in place and you just have to stick it out. It may be that you aren’t doing anything wrong and it’s simply because the right buyer hasn’t come along yet. Different regions of the country sell better at different times of the year. That might be worth looking into if your home hasn’t sold yet. A tactic that may work if your home has been on the market for a long time is to take it down, wait a week or two and re-list it. You may find that you just listed at a bad time originally and this may solve your problem. Or, nobody wants your house and you’ll live there forever.

I hope you enjoyed this article about selling your home! Please share with your friends, family, and your dog.

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