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ERA Justin’s Cathy Vick Achieves “Beyond Excellence” Award and Offers Timely Tips

Cathy Vick, ERA Justin Realtor professional and a strong market leader throughout Bergen, Passaic, Hudson and Essex Counties was selected to receive the ERA Beyond Excellence Award. She is also a certified relocation specialist and short-sale/foreclosure specialist. She sets the tone for many other Realtors within the towns she serves.
 ERA JUSTIN’S CATHY VICK ACHIEVES
“BEYOND EXCELLENCE” AWARD AND OFFERS TIMELY TIPS
 “ERA Justin Realtor Cathy Vick has been recognized as a ‘Beyond Excellence’ achiever for 2011. She exceeded thresholds set by ERA Real Estate Franchise systems, a global leader, for individual production in listings taken and sales to earn the distinction. She was also cited for outstanding service to ERA Justin Realty and the communities which she serves. Cathy has set a benchmark for all members of our listing and sales team,” stated, Broker, Ron Darby.
Cathy added, “With summer rapidly approaching and with Open House weekends in place, Cathy also offers timely tips in getting those closets ready for the sale of your house. “For many, we hardly want to think about closets, but the day is nearing, hour by hour. When your Realtor arranges for an open house or appointment, you will no doubt make sure everything is tidy and clean. The dishes are put away, beds made, litter box cleaned. But, what about your closets?   Storage is a number one priority with home buyers. They want to make sure they have a place to put their stuff. Will your closets prove to be a selling point?



You will find yourself agonizing over many decisions, but be brutal. The rule is, if you haven’t worn it for 2 years, toss it. If it is a gift that Aunt Emma gave you 5 years ago and something you will never use, get rid of it. (Just don’t tell Aunt Emma.) Pretend you are moving to smaller quarters, whether you are or not, and you can only take the things you truly love. If you are having trouble, enlist the help of a friend who can be relentless. Think about your lifestyle as you are making these choices. Maybe your former employment was in an office and you needed to wear suits every day. Your current employment is a more casual job and your attire now reflects this attitude. Keep your favorite two suits and donate the others to your favorite charity. Retain clothing that works for your current way of living, not how you used to live.
It is not going to go away by itself, so take time to tackle it head on and get organized. Allow lots of time for this task. You probably won’t be able to get through it in a day or even a weekend. Remember, it took you a long time to accumulate these items. You might want to tackle this chore in chunks of time, allowing a few weekends to get totally through the process.
 
Ready? Here’s how it goes. You get a phone call. You have a house showing is in a few minutes, so you toss everything into the closets, toys, coats and whatever. When they leave, you swear you will get to it tomorrow. Sometimes, tomorrow never comes. After a while, it becomes hard to close the door and you do not remember what is in there. It is now time to de-clutter and de-stress.
Place everything in piles: (1) Keepers; (2) Maybes or Yard Sale; and (3) Donations. It might also help to obtain some of the organized storage available for closets. These are especially useful for those small items such as ties and belts. Everything will be neater and you will be able to find things quicker. We can help arrange your garage sale for the Muscular Dystrophy Association Summer Camp for kids. We fundraise each year for the kids.


Most of us are drowning in paper. When you start sorting through paperwork, promise yourself to handle each piece only once. Papers that belong to other family members should be sorted and then handed over to that individual. Control newspaper and magazine pile-up by vowing to discard each issue by the time the next one arrives. On Sunday, Saturday’s paper goes out whether or not it has been read. The same thing goes for magazines. Some offices or charities are happy to have them, especially hospital waiting rooms. As for regular bills, they can be organized with a portable file box.” Ron concluded, “ERA Justin Realty received the prestigious world-wide 2003 through 2011‘ERA Commitment to Excellence Award’, globally.”
Toys and seasonal items are a little more difficult. If the kids have outgrown those old skates, pass them down to a friend. Holiday decorations can tug at your heartstrings, but if they are broken or no longer hold their luster, out they should go.  If you cannot bear to part with them, pack them in a storage box. By the time the de-cluttering is finished you should have room left over. Books, toys and clothing that are going to a charity should be boxed up or placed in plastic bags. If you are considering a yard sale, try to tag as you go along.
 
Cathy and all of the ERA Justin Realty full service Realtors can be reached at either of their two Rutherford offices at 118 Jackson Avenue and 57 Park Avenue.  By office phone (201) 939-7500, (201) 438-0588 or (201) 438-SOLD. View 1000s of homes at their websites at http://www.erajustin.com/ and www.ERAJustinRealty.com