Princeton Real Estate Podcast

Join me as Tom Pinneo and I chat about residential construction, from remodeling a kitchen to building the home of your dreams. What is the timeline now to obtain building materials, and what do they cost these days? How much is it, per square foot, to renovate or build anew? Can we be more strategic, when it comes to installing home energy systems, for the good of both our wallets and our planet? We tackle these questions and more in this episode.

https://pinneoconstruction.com/

Tom Pinneo Bio:

I am a graduate of Princeton High School and Middlebury College and hold a M.A. in East Asian Studies from Stanford University, which, if you get me talking, was the perfect preparation for a career in building. It turns out we don’t know much today that the Taoists hadn’t figured out a long time ago.

After training at the North Bennet Street School in Boston and working for builders from New England to the Pacific Northwest, I started Pinneo Construction in 1996. After a quarter century of restoring, remodeling, adding on to, and building some of Princeton’s most distinguished homes, the gratification that comes from collaborating with area architects and clients remains as strong as ever. 

I live in Princeton with my wife Julie and son Steven though I seek out places with mountains for fun skiing, biking, and running.

A mortgage expert for almost three decades, Tom Gates, of loandepot, is the perfect guest for Episode 4. In this segment, he and I thoroughly dissect the topic of mortgage lending, particularly as it pertains to the home-buying process. Should you seek a fixed rate or an adjustable rate, conforming loan or jumbo, and what does it really mean, numerically, to have good or excellent credit? How does the mortgage process differ for those who are self-employed or retired, and, of course, the multi-million dollar question...where are those loan rates going in the future? These questions and many others are explored, so please listen and enjoy!

Link to webpage: www.loandepot.com/tgates

A veteran of over 27 years originating mortgages, Mr. Gates joined loanDepot in the spring of 2010. Since then, he has consistently ranked in the Top 1% nationally of all loan originators.

Before joining loanDepot, he was a perpetual President's Club performer in mortgage origination with Arlington Capital Mortgage. He also served as vice president, directing the marketing and training initiatives for the sales and operations staff. When Arlington became Gateway Funding Diversified Mortgage Services, LP in 2008, Tom co-managed the Princeton Office. Prior to this, Mr. Gates was a top performer with Xerox in Boston, MA.

Outside of business, Mr. Gates pursues his passion for playing tennis, and since the summer of 2011, he can be found every week volunteering on a local sustainable farm in Hopewell. He became a grandfather in January 2019.

A native of Princeton, Mr. Gates, his wife Tracey, and their two kids have relished their "move home" since 1993. Tom is the chair of the Real Estate Business Alliance at the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the board of Governors of Pretty Brook Tennis Club. Tom has served as an Elder and a Trustee of the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, has served on the Golf and Tennis Committee for the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Steering Committee for the Blood Donor Program at Princeton Healthcare System. Mr. Gates is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Princeton Day School, where he also served as President of the Alumni Association.

Mr. Gates received his BA in Mass Communications from the University of Vermont, Burlington.

My guest here in Episode 3 is the highly respected appraiser, Beth Ogilvie, of Ogilvie Appraisals in Princeton. Beth is undoubtedly one of the best in the business, when it comes to appraising residential properties, and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to explore with her the often misunderstood subject of home appraisals. The appraisal can often be a very confusing and sometimes stressful piece of the buying and selling process. Does a pool add value to a home in an appraisal? How about a recent kitchen renovation? What about landscaping? Take a listen.

Nick Dogias, of Vitale Inspection Services, is my special guest here in Episode Two, as together we tackle the topic of the Home Inspection process . Home Inspections are imperative for buyers, and yet, are often dreaded by sellers.  In this episode, Nick and I delve deeply into: the evolution of inspections over the past 15 - 20 years, what typically gets inspected and what doesn't, how sellers can improve the process, frequent misconceptions, and where home inspections are headed in the immediate future.

Nick Dogias, NJ Licensed Home Inspector

Vitale Inspection Services, LLC

Nick Dogias is currently a team member of Vitale Inspection Services, LLC. He takes pride in providing his clients with professional home inspection services, while building relationships, and sharing his extensive knowledge of home systems and structures.

Nick has over 16 years of inspection experience covering all types of structures from single family homes to condos to multi-family dwellings and commercial spaces. He treats his clients like family, providing a comprehensive inspection experience that ensures every question is answered. In addition to his NJ home inspector license, Nick is also ASHI certified and an Affiliate Member of the Core Association of Realtors®.

Prior to his position with Vitale Inspection Services, Nick served as lead inspector for another Mercer County based inspection company. He has also served as a facilities leader for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Co., in Skillman.

When not inspecting homes, Nick enjoys spending time with his wife, their 2 dogs, family & friends. He is a fervent car enthusiast and a dedicated lifelong Philadelphia sports fan.

In Episode One, I am honored to have Katie Eastridge, of Eastridge Design in Princeton, as my guest for a conversational chat about how to approach preparing your house for sale. With the current lack of residential inventory on the market in the Greater Princeton area, combined with the high demand from buyers for houses to purchase, this is a great time to sell your home. What may seem like a daunting task at first, the reality of selling your home doesn't need to be overwhelming.

Katie Eastridge is a lifelong visual artist and creator, both curious and aware, with a gift for working with people and a passion for design. Since 1991 she has worked in the medium of making people’s homes delightful and unique. Her mastery stems from long experience, savvy editing, and an open spirit. She genuinely strives to reflect the customer’s heritage, history, culture, and possessions in such a way as to live with understated splendor.

https://eastridgedesign.com/

Laura Huntsman brings to her work an ebullient personality and a smorgasbord of skills, that combine in such a way as to create the highly professional and successful Realtor that she is. She knows exactly how to ‘kick in’ to her in-depth information gathering mode, diagnosing complex data, relevant players, potential outcomes and obstacles, and can become a ‘terrier on a pant leg’ when she needs to be. Her nurturing people-skills and uber-savvy negotiating skills were perfected during her eclectic career journey. Laura grew up surrounded by renowned journalists, actors, directors, politicians and writers. It has definitely shaped who she is now, and why she is the perfect host of Princeton Real Estate Podcast.