Welcome! Here You Can Find Great Information on Basking Ridge, Mendham and Morristown, New Jersey Real Estate. 

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Welcome! Here You Can Find Great Information on Real Estate in Morris, Somerset & Hunterdon Counties in New Jersey.  

I specialize in the Somerset Hills-Roxiticus Valley area of New Jersey. These towns include Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Peapack/Gladstone, Far Hills, and Mendham. I also serve Morristown & Township, Harding, Chatham, Madison, and adjacent areas. Why hire me? My local knowledge is extensive over the past 20 years I've acrually lived in several of the towns I serve. 

I've summarized much of what is important about the local real estate market in this site. If you are looking for expert advice no web site, large or small, can take the place of a real estate agent. Not even mine! This site is filled with ways that you can contact me for one-on-one expert help and advice. That's my job. 

As your trusted, professional real estate partner, I will help you find the best home in your area within your price range. And together we will sell your home, for as much as the market will bear, and as quickly as possible. Buying and selling a home is one of the biggest events in your life. I have the experience and track record you are looking for. 

- Liane Dobson 

MARKET UPDATE
Basking Ridge As of 6/1/10
226 Active Listings
92 Under Contract
146 Sold 

Bernardsville As of 6/1/10
105 Active Listings
26 Under Contract
29 Sold 

Harding/New Vernon As of 6/1/10
74 Active Listings
6 Under Contract
16 Sold 

Madison As of 6/1/10
67 Active Listings
37 Under Contract
60 Sold 

Mendham Borough As of 6/1/10
52 Active Listings
15 Under Contract
22 Sold 

Mendham Township As of 6/1/10
97 Active Listings
16 Under Contract
22 Sold 

Morris Township As of 6/1/10
161 Active Listings
61 Under Contract
94 Sold 

Morristown As of 6/1/10
112 Active Listings
30 Under Contract
52 Sold 

Peapack/Gladstone As of 6/1/10
26 Active Listings
8 Under Contract
12 Sold 

Looking for available homes? Here's information on some of the towns I sell and market in, click on the hyperlinks throughout for even more information. 

Bernards Township/ Basking Ridge 

Bernards Township is a Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 24,575.  

What is now Bernards Township was originally formed by Royal Charter as Bernardston Township from remaining portions of Northern precinct. It was incorporated as Bernards Township as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Warren Township (March 5, 1806), Far Hills (April 7, 1921) and Bernardsville (March 6, 1924).  

Bernards Township is located in the Somerset Hills region and consists of Basking Ridge, Liberty Corner, Lyons, and West Millington.  

Today, Basking Ridge is the headquarters for Verizon. The well-known Verizon headquarters building (formerly AT&T's Headquarters) was designed by the architects Vincent G. Kling & Associates.  

Some facts about Bernards Township include:  

- Settled by immigrants from Scotland and Northern Ireland
- First 3,000 acres purchased from Lenni Lenape Indians in 1717
- During the Revolution, General Washington visited Lord Stirling's estate
- William Annin lodged Lafayette's troops in his house
- Basking Ridge Military Hospital treated wounded soldiers
- Thirty five veterans of the Revolution were buried under the oak tree in front of the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church
- Last slave in Basking Ridge was Nathan Woodward (died in 1901)
- Railroad arrived in 1872, brought visitors to experience country air
- By an act of Congress in 1926, the US Veterans Medical Center at Lyons was created and opened in 1931.  

Bernardsville 

Bernardsville was originally a section of Bernards Township known as Vealtown. In 1840, Vealtown became Bernardsville, named after Sir Francis Bernard, Colonial governor of New Jersey from 1758 to 1760. Nestled in the northern most part of Somerset County, just 12 miles south of Morristown, this rustic community sits in some of the last vestiges of the Great Eastern Forest. 

After the Civil War, many wealthy and prominent New Yorkers moved into the area, first as summer visitors, then as permanent residents of the Bernardsville Mountain. The Gladstone Branch railroad line was built through Bernardsville in 1872, (now NJ Transit) and played an important role in the borough's development. Bernardsville did not become an independent municipality until 1924, when it split from Bernards Township. 

The New Jersey State Review Board for Historic Sites recommended the creation of the Olcott Avenue historic district on February 10, 2009. While the Olcott Avenue School is but one historic structure within Bernardsville's first historic district area, the areas appeal and historic significance remembers the story of the rise of the middle class in Bernardsville and how this particular location impacted the entire region, from the downtown, Little Italy, and even the Mountain Colony areas. 

The borough has a total area of 12.9 square miles of which, 12.9 square miles.
As of 2000, there were 7,345 people, 2,723 households, and 2,050 families residing in the borough. 

Bernardsville is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a six-member Borough Council, with all positions elected at large in partisan elections. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.  

Public school students in grades K–12 attend the schools of the Somerset Hills Regional School District, a regional school district serving students from Bernardsville, Far Hills and Peapack-Gladstone, along with students from Bedminster who are sent to the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship. The three schools in the district are Bedwell Elementary School (K–4), Bernardsville Middle School (5–8 and Bernards High School (9–12), and are all located in Bernardsville. 

Harding/New Vernon 

Much of what is now known as Harding was an agricultural community with roots stretching as far back as the early 1700s. Bypassed by turnpikes, canals, and railroads, Harding remained a rural backwater. For almost two centuries, Harding's open and rolling landscapes reflected its agricultural use, as land had been cleared for cattle pastures, orchards, and fields of grain. The Great Swamp and the slopes near Jockey Hollow also were used by local farmers for wood supply. The communities of New Vernon, Logansville, Pleasantville, and Green Village were the centers of this agricultural community; it was not unusual for villages to have a store and post office, a school of one or two rooms, churches, blacksmiths, and sometimes a tavern.  

Wealthy city residents in search of rural tranquility bought great swaths of farmland, enlarged old farmhouses and landscaped the grounds. Several estate owners, desirous of better roads and wishing to deter suburban development, led the movement to form Harding Township. And so, in 1922 the township was created from the northern half of what was then called Passaic Township (present day Long Hill Township) and named after the incumbent President of the United States, Warren G. Harding.  

The desire to preserve Harding's rural character was quite evident by 1928. An unusual private land preservation effort was begun with the New Vernon Neighborhood Restrictive Agreement, when several estate owners convinced many others to place restrictive covenants on their land. This pre-zoning, voluntary effort to limit development and save the pastoral qualities of over 1000 acres (4 km?) across Harding Township influenced subsequent zoning codes and helped preserve the landscape to the present day.  

Today, the Township contains two national landmarks:  

- The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
- Jockey Hollow National Park  

The recreational areas of Lewis Morris County Park and Loantaka Brook Reservation are also partially located in the municipality. The remainder of Harding is comprised of large estates with minimal commercial development located along Rt. 202.  

Current zoning in Harding is a 6 acre minimum with one of the lowest tax rates in the county. The center of Harding, New Vernon is home to churches, Harding Elementary School, the municipal building and town tennis courts. Secondary students in Harding attend Madison High School or one of the many local private schools. Not surprisingly, Harding Township has the highest median income in all of Morris County.  

Madison 

The Borough of Madison, population 15,460, is located in southeast Morris County. It is in the center of five other communities: the boroughs of Florham Park and Chatham and the townships of Harding, Chatham and Morris.  

Madison is favored for its location, transportation network and many other community assets. Madison's downtown is a thriving district of restaurants, retail shopping and small businesses with easy access to transportation.  

The downtown is centrally located within Madison. The Downtown Business District is on the New Jersey State and National Registers of Historic Places. Performing arts and culture organizations are found within the downtown area, and these organizations are represented by the Madison Arts and Culture Alliance. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, the Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey and the Shanghai Jazz restaurant and club are critically acclaimed in the performing arts in the tri-state region and beyond. The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is popular with young and old alike, and hosts numerous school visitors from throughout the area.  

The schools, universities and lifelong learning programs in Madison provide opportunities for everyone. The public schools are ranked by performance in the very top tier of schools in New Jersey. There are also Montessori, nursery and Catholic elementary and preschools. Drew University, Fairleigh Dickinson University and the College of St. Elizabeth add an important intellectual element to the diversity of the town's corporate, business, professional and occupational mix.  

Madison has developed into a center for health, fitness and recreation, largely through the Madison Borough health services for the region, the Madison YMCA, the many public and private recreation programs, the access to three area hospitals, Madison's own local private golf course and other public and private regional courses, and numerous other local opportunities for biking, walking and touring.  

The town of Madison is home to a number of neighborhoods integrated with the downtown and the municipal complex by sidewalks and tree-lined streets. Madison has been recognized nationally as a Tree City USA for 20 consecutive years, based on its Shade Tree Management Board and the active support of many individual volunteers. Neighborhoods regularly come together for block parties, and utilize neighborhood parks and playgrounds.  

Mendham Borough & Township 

Mendham Borough is a picturesque community with an historic past dating back to Colonial days. Mendham is generally characterized as an upper income residential community with residents commuting to New York City and North Jersey business and industrial firms. Route 24 provides quick access to major metropolitan arterial highways, such as Routes I-287, I-280 and I-80. Mendham Township's rolling hillsides and wooded terrain make it one of Morris County's most picturesque municipalities. Many historic farms and estates still dot the landscape. Several newer estate neighborhoods help provide a wide variety of upscale homes. At present Mendham Township has a population of 4,537 concentrated mainly in two centers: Brookside and Ralston. Both the Borough and Township have excellent public elementary school systems. Secondary school students attend West Morris Mendham High School. There are also many fine private schools (Delbarton, Gil St. Bernards, Far Hills Country Day) available in the area.

Morris Township & Morristown 

Incorporated in 1865, Morristown serves as the county seat. The town has maintained its historic character while allowing redevelopment to revitalize its downtown semi-urban atmosphere. Theaters, Morristown Community Theater, shops, hotels, restaurants, and government offices are all located within walking distance of bus and rail service. The Green in the heart of town and Washington's Headquarters are Morristown's more famous landmarks. Founded in 1740, the Township of Morris completely encircles Morristown. Earlier in it's history the township was the location of large estates, some of which are still intact. The easy access provided by Rts. 287, 202 and 24 make Morris Township host to companies such as Mennen, Honeywell and Pfizer. There are extensive parks and recreation in the area. The school system for Morristown and Township is combined consisting of six neighborhood elementary schools, Frelinghuysen Middle School and Morristown High School.  

Peapack-Gladstone 

Peapack-Gladstone is a borough in Somerset County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2000 Census, the borough population was 2,433.  

Peapack-Gladstone was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 28, 1912, from portions of Bedminster Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 23, 1912.  

Education:
Students in grades K-12 attend the schools of the Somerset Hills Regional School District, a regional school district serving students from Bernardsville, Far Hills, and Peapack-Gladstone. For grades 9 through 12, students from Bedminster are sent to the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship. The three schools in the district, all located in Bernardsville, are Bedwell Elementary School (K-4), Bernardsville Middle School (5-8), and Bernards High School (9-12). Many of the high school students use the train that links the two towns together.  

Gill St. Bernard's School is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational day school, serving 645 students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.