The Connections Bridgewater-Somerville Edition Sept/Oct/Nov 2019

theconnectionsnj.com • Entry Doors - Wood, Fiberglass & Iron • Garage Opening Modifications & Refinishing • Family Owned & Operated Since 1956 • Rated #1 In Service 9 Years In A Row • Garage Door & Gate Operators/Openers • NJ Lic. # 13VH07480800 • All Of Our Products Are Made In The USA • FREE ESTIMATES Days, Evenings & Saturdays #1 Seller in full Custom Doors in all of New Jersey Mon - Fri 8am-5pm • Sat 9am-2pm • Sun By Appt. Only The most convenient garage door store Senior Citizen Discount Avante Series Rated A+ Canyon Ridge Coachman Collection Full Custom Wood $ 50 OFF ANY TOTAL DOOR ORDER $100 OFF 2 OR MORE DOORS with the purchase of 2 Openers. Select Models Only. OR Must present coupon at time of order. Exp. 11/30/19. Must present coupon at time of order. Exp. 11/30/19. Largest Showroom/Warehouse in New Jersey (At the Somerville Circle) GPS Directions - 355 W. Summit St., Bridgewater, NJ 250 US HWY 202/206, Bridgewater, NJ (from the circle - 28 East, left at the Shell [Cornell], Left on West Summit) 908-725-5655 1-888-DOORS-NJ VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.doorsnj.com FOR ADDITIONAL SPECIALS Bridgewateroverheaddoor@gmail.com RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL GARAGE DOORS Like our new Facebook page to receive $25 Off your next door order. Before After OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK HILLS REALTY 285 Route 202/206 Pluckemin, NJ 07989 thehillsnj.com 908-358-3400 If you are in the market to Sell your home, odds are you will be working with a Real Estate Agent. The National Association of Realtors reports approximately 92% of Sellers use a Real Estate Agent. For Sale by Owner (FSBOs), sold for on average $200,000 vs $265,500 for agent assisted home sales nationwide. Most Real Estate Agents earn their income through commissions. A commission is usually a percentage of the home’s selling price. To under- stand how Real Estate Agents are paid, it helps to know about the rela- tionship between the Agent and a Broker. Both Agents and Brokers are licensed by the State. Agents are licensed salespersons who work under the umbrella of a licensed Broker. Agents can not work independently. Brokers on the other hand, are able to work independent- ly. All real estate commissions must be paid directly to a Broker, then the Broker splits the commission with any agent involved in the transaction. The rate of the Broker’s commis- sion is negotiable in every case. In fact, it is a violation of federal antitrust laws for anyone to attempt to impose uniform commission rates. Most agents working under a Bro- ker get a split of the commission. The split could be 60, 70, 80 percent or more of the commission going to the agent. With our 3.99% commission, Sellers can work directly with the Broker, Peter Cagnassola. To illustrate, let’s assume a Seller signs a 5% Listing Agreement. Cus- tomarily the 5% would be divided evenly between the Listing Broker and the Broker representing the buyer. 2 1 / 2 % each. The 2 1 / 2 % would then be divided between the Brokers and their Agents according to their respective employment agreements. On a $500,000 sale at 5% com- mission, $12,500 would go to the Listing Broker and $12,500 to the Broker representing the Buyer, for a total of $25,000. Working directly with the Broker, Peter Cagnassola, on a $500,000 sale at 3.99%, 1.49% would go to the Listing Broker $7,450 while 2 1 / 2 % $12,500 would be offered to the Broker representing the Buyer. This would save the Seller over $5,000 in commissions. We believe the days of 5% & 6% commissions are over. It is a myth to believe that a lower commission means less service. We offer our clients Full Service including listings on the Multiple Listing Service where we offer 2 1 / 2 %, the “customary amount,” to agents selling our list- ings. Our listings are advertised on hundreds of websites, Open Houses, Brochures, and most importantly a skilled negotiator is there every step of the process. Peter has been in the real estate business for over 36 years and has over 3,000 career sales. Join our Sell- ers who have received top dollar and saved thousands. Clients can work directly with the owner of the firm. If you are considering listing your home for sale, call Peter Cagnassola for a no obligation listing presenta- tion, 908-658-3400. Peter J. Cagnassola, Broker/Owner REAL ESTATE NEWS 3.99% Commission-Full Service Explained home & design PAGE 46