In the Press
N.J. home sold $855k over ask — and just set local real estate record
A hot yoga room, a heated outdoor living room and Hamptons style helped a home in Saddle River sell for $855,000 more than its asking price — in less than a week.
“It’s a unicorn,” said Diane Cookson, the Compass New Jersey agent who listed the home.
Saddle River is a roughly five-square-mile bucolic town located about 25 miles from Manhattan. Its sprawling multi-million-dollar estates and historic homes sit on minimum 2-acre lots.
It’s one of the wealthiest towns in New Jersey and has been home to Mary J. Blige, Nick Cannon, Rosie O’Donnell and Richard Nixon.
Saddle River Estate Sells For $855K Over Asking After Just 6 Days
A Bergen County estate with a resort-style pool, golf simulator, and hot yoga studio sold for $855,000 over asking, taking just six days to find a buyer.
The five-bedroom home at 236 E. Saddle River Road sold for $4.75 million on Friday, Aug. 14, after being listed for $3.895 million, according to NJMLS records. The all-cash deal closed after the property went under contract April 29.
At $4.75 million, the sale was about 22% above asking. The home also ranks as the seventh-most expensive home sale in Saddle River, Zillow records show.
$2.65M Ramsey Home Sale Shatters Borough Records
The sale of a newly built home for $2.65 million has set a new residential record for one Bergen County borough, another sign of rising home values and continued demand in the community.
The six-bedroom, seven-bath house at 91 Brookside Rd., in Ramsey, sold for $2.65 million on Thursday, Aug. 6, after spending 32 days on the market, according to the home's listing agent, Diane Cookson of Compass New Jersey.
This huge mansion is the highest priced home for sale in N.J. right now
NJ has a new highest priced home for sale – and it might look familiar.
The Crocker-McMillin Mansion in Mahwah is back on the market. The 50,000-square-foot home on nearly 12.5 acres is listed for $33 million.
Chinese Billionaire Fraudster's Former Mahwah Mansion Is Most Expensive NJ Listing At $33M
A historic Bergen County estate seized from a Chinese billionaire indicted in a $1 billion fraud scheme last year has become the most expensive residential listing in New Jersey, on the market for $33 million.
Historic Bergen County mansion seized from fraudster is now listed for $33M
Mahwah's historic Crocker Mansion was officially put back on the market this month after it was seized from a billionaire fraudster in 2023.
The 120-year-old estate at 675 Ramapo Valley Road is a 58-room, four-story brick palace that boasts nearly 50,000 square feet of living space on 12.5 acres along the Ramapo Mountains. It is privately listed for $33 million by Compass New Jersey agents Diane Cookson and Carl Gambino and the Fox & Stokes team.
Record-Breaking $2.45M Sale Closes In Saddle River Luxury Community After 7 Days On Market
Saddle River Grand, home to 68 exclusive townhomes, saw a pristine, newly renovated end unit on close on Friday, Dec. 6, for $2.45 million—surpassing the previous high of $2.299 million set in December 2022.
The average Saddle River home value is $2,069,484, up 7.9% over the past year, as of Tuesday, Dec. 17, according to Zillow.
The property was listed at $2.299 million with Diane Cookson of COMPASS and spent just seven days on the market, with multiple offers driving the final sale price $151,000 over asking, Cookson said.
According to Cookson, Saddle River Grand is an exclusive gated community with timeless townhomes offering over 4,000 square feet of living space.
"It is not often they come on market," she said. "In this case, the unit had significant upgrades and was in pristine condition."
With Cookson's network and marketing expertise, she was able to secure buyers immediately.
DIANE COOKSON REAL ESTATE: THE ART OF SELLING LUXURY HOMES
Selling luxury homes requires a unique blend of business acumen and artistic finesse. For more than a decade, Diane Cookson has been a top Bergen County Realtor®, representing the finest homes throughout North Jersey and we are delighted to welcome her to Vol. 4 of TSGBC. Recently we sat down with Diane to discuss the qualities that make her such a successful agent. It is clear that beyond understanding the unique features and allure of each property to expertly price and negotiate, Diane possesses the emotional intelligence to cultivate trusting relationships with her high-net-worth clientele and the ability to craft compelling narratives around the prestigious lifestyle her listings offer.
Old Tappan townhouse sold for $72k over asking price
Is paying more with it? 8 North Jersey homes that sold over asking price in 2023
The three-bedroom, four-bathroom townhome at 5 Lakeview Drive in Old Tappan sold for $871,000 in December − $72,000 more than the original $799,000 asking price.
Located in the Lakeview Estates, the townhome offers hardwood floors, a two-story great room with a fireplace, a first-floor master suite, an updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a deck with views of Lake Tappan.
The property's listing agent, Diane Cookson — a broker associate and realtor with Compass in Ridgewood — said about 45 people attended the property's two-day open house, and they ended up receiving several offers over the original asking price.
"When the house came on the market, from start to finish — from the date it went on the market to the day it closed — was a total of only 45 days, which, in our business, is really quick," she said. "The house went on the market and we had a contract within two days."
Here’s How Real Estate Brokers Are Doing Business During The Coronavirus Crisis
In New Jersey, Diane Cookson, broker associate and No. 1 agent at Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, Saddle River, recently inked a contract for a first-time buyer on a $700,000 property in Upper Saddle River. The buyer has not even set foot in the home. “Someone called me directly. I had them look at the virtual tour. Then I sent them all the photo inventory I had. They are even buying the furniture because you really can’t get furniture right now,” Cookson said.
THE 2020 UPDATE ON THE LUXURY RESIDENTIAL MARKET
Diane Cookson, the #1 Agent at Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty Saddle River, New Jersey office and a top Bergen County Realtor knows the luxury market there well. “I see buyers looking for homes that are new construction or totally redone. Those are the properties that will most likely receive multiple offers and some over asking price in 2020.” Upper Saddle River’s luxury market is in the $1.2 to $4.5 million range while Saddle River where most properties are on at least two acres run from around $1.5 to $11 million according to Cookson. “I’m positive about the luxury market for 2020 especially where we see new construction that puts the seller in the driver’s seat.”
DIY Projects To Boost Your Home’s Appeal And Resale Value
Diane Cookson, broker associate at Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty in Saddle River, New Jersey, suggests, “It’s always great to freshen up bathrooms. Cleaning the grout in your bathroom and re-caulking your tub is a project that is definitely worth your attention. Remember that buyers will see defects—no matter how small—in your home and will start to mentally chip away at the price.”
UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NJ: QUIET & NEAT AS A PIN
Diane Cookson, a broker associate with Sotheby’s, said popular housing styles in the area include “Hamptons” cottages with gables and cedar shingles, Colonials and modern farmhouses.
A longtime resident of Upper Saddle River, Ms. Cookson said she sees some restraint in the size of new houses — fewer 10,000-square-foot leviathans and more homes that are 5,000 to 7,500 square feet. “People like to travel more, or have a summer home. Sometimes they can’t maintain a 10,000-square-foot home,” she said.
Social media tips from some of the Tri-State area's top homesellers
For broker Diane Cookson, social mediA has led to several sales. Her strongest platform is her personal Facebook page. A live Facebook video of a modern farmhouse in Upper Saddle River led to several interested buyers contacting her, she said: “The list price was $1,549,000, and it sold way over that.”
She is a frequent poster because she believes prospective clients want to connect on a personal level before meeting. “I show snippets of my life, including my boys and design features I’m using to freshen my own home,” she explained.
ONLY THE TECH SAVVY SURVIVE
(Illustration by Maria Corte)
Selling to savvy shoppers
With interest rates inching up, taking on a big mortgage is also a concern for many buyers. “They want to make sure they’re not overspending,” Cookson said.
With that in mind, she said, young buyers are saving their pennies by leaning toward houses smaller than what they can afford because they want to invest in a vacation property elsewhere.“They’re saying, ‘I’d like to buy a house on the Shore or Nantucket,’” said Cookson. “It’s more important for them to have life experiences than a home that’s 5,000 square feet.”