7 Things You Will Not See in NJ MLS Listings

 

What you will have to find out for yourself regarding NJ MLS listings

The New Jersey Multiple Listing Service (NJ MLS listings) is a great tool for getting an overview of available properties in your specific area, but there are quite a few things home listings will not tell you. Every listing entered is meant to highlight the positive features of a home such as special upgrades, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and size of the property. Also, if there is a unique, attractive feature, such as a pool in the yard or game room, the NJ MLS listings will likely highlight this in the listing and provide photos; however, any of a home’s flaws will not be contained in a listing. It is important to keep in mind that a listing is merely an ad for a property meant to sell it, and not to be a critical description.

See below for other elements of an NJ MLS listing not likely to be apparent:

Value

An NJ MLS listing will not specify whether a property is a good buy or a money pit, or whether it is a good investment. Detailed research including price comparisons and Comparative Market Analyses are best done by professional, experienced NJ Real Estate agents, such as Team Chris Walsh.

Repairs

The NJ MLS will not tell you of anything in a home that is in need of repair work or how much this will cost the potential buyer. Examples of this include a weak roof or old furnace in need of replacement.

Quality of life

The NJ MLS will neglect to warn buyers of any and all little things that will ultimately determine whether a home will be pleasant to live in. The NJ MLS listings will not mention a drunken neighbor who plays loud music at all hours of the night or a teenager that throws wild parties every weekend. You will likely not find an NJ MLS listing that brags about mold in the basement or termites in the walls of the foundation.

Energy costs

An NJ MLS listing will not rate how energy inefficient an older home is or highlight if a home has old windows and walls that were insulated with newspaper during the Great Depression. These are things that potential buyers will have to research for themselves or have their Realtors do.

Spotty history

In cartoons, people are always finding out that their property secretly once held something like an Indian burial ground. Although the odds are this is not the case with your home, something else could have occurred there such as a murder or death. Any of this information will not show up in the NJ MLS listing. Finding out the history of a property and other details such as whether it has contaminated soil or a fire or flood ever occurred there is the buyer’s responsibility.

FSBO Properties

The NJ MLS listing will not help you find homes people are trying to sell on their own. The Multiple Listing Service contains homes from multiple brokers. Occasionally, an NJ Real Estate agent will have a list of FSBO properties to offer clients or is in the process of converting one to an NJ MLS listing.

Missing listings

Being that the Multiple Listing Service is not strong in every part of the country, there could be homes for sale that are not listed in the MLS. Also, if a broker selling a house is not part of an association, the house he or she is selling might not be available on the MLS. Most Realtors in New Jersey, such as Team Chris Walsh, belong to a local association as well as the National Association of Realtors, assuring clients of access to any listing in the NJ MLS listing and beyond.

 

The Real Estate market is changing rapidly and expanding into new avenues almost daily. Sometimes it can be very difficult to find the answers you need on a specific topic or issue. In times like these, you need a Real Estate professional who will provide valuable information and trustworthy advice. For more information on NJ Real Estate, call us today or click here to be connected with one of our top Real Estate specialists.