finding home / 35 Despite feeling discouraged, the couple contin ued their search. Flint says they found it helpful that, “When we were considering something where it would need a lot of work, or certain specific kind of work, [Jen and Jenna] actually contacted ven dors to get us estimates of how much something would cost.” One house on Hartford Court in South Orange caught their eye. It had good bones and the price fit their budget, but it lacked curb appeal. “So many homes in SOMA, when they’re being sold, are staged so beautifully,” says Flint... “And this home was not. This home was an Airbnb and had mis matched furniture. It just wasn’t thoughtfully curated.” Fortunately, they were able to see beyond the décor, submitted an offer and won the house. They moved in during February 2025. Flint appreciates that Greenberg and Basford stuck with them for the years it took them to find a home. She says, “It felt like they were really invested in us being really happy with where we ended up.” Cochrane says, “Post the offer, finding somebody to do the home inspec tion and working with our mortgage provider and the lawyer, they were very much the point of contact, quarterbacking the process.” “We ended up on a street that’s incredibly social. Everyone’s so welcoming,” says Flint. “We actually were dog sitting the neighbor’s dog, and their kids babysit our kids. So we just have become really close with all of our neigh bors, which feels like a really great bonus and something you don’t know when you’re looking.” She adds, “We love the [town] pool. [The girls are] going to go to the camp in South Orange this summer. Chris uses the jitney every day. There’s so many assets in this town that I think are really special.” Since the sale, Flint says Greenberg and Basford have stayed in touch. “They have remembered the anniversary of the purchase and sent us flowers. They sent us homemade holiday cookies. They re membered our birthdays. So it has felt like the relationship has continued.” F I N D I N G H O M E C ourtney Flint and Chris Cochrane almost gave up on finding a home in Ma plewood and South Or ange. The couple and their twin girls had been living in a London townhouse but were interested in moving to a New York City sub urb. For Flint, who hails from Middlesex County in New Jersey, it would be a homecoming of sorts, but to a town that offered an easy commute into the city. “A friend recommended this service [in which] you give them all your criteria for the kind of town you’re looking for,” says Flint, “and they give you profiles of different towns and score sheets on different things.” Called Suburban Jungle, the service provided the couple with a list of six towns, including Maplewood and South Orange, and real estate agents for each place. After touring each town, they decided on SOMA. That’s how they met Jennifer Greenberg and Jenna Bas ford of Compass in 2021. To determine the type of home the couple were interested in, Greenberg showed them different architectural styles as well as a fixer-upper. “Just walk ing through a home with them, they know so much about the types of homes in the area, you know, the quality of the craftsmanship, when something’s been flipped, and it felt like they were really honest with us,” says Flint. Several years passed, with Greenberg and Basford staying in touch with the couple. In March 2024, Flint and Cochrane were finally set to move from Cochrane’s home country to the United States. “The first house we fell in love with was this beautiful midcentury that had been really well maintained,” says Flint. “And [Chris] was like, ‘Oh, this is it. If I’m going to move to America, this is what I want.’ Sadly, the home and other midcentury moderns were beyond their budget. Eventually, the couple found homes that were in their price range. “If we were interested in [a home], Jen and Jenna would create a five, six page docu ment which would show comps for similar homes … and just very detailed to give you the right information you needed to put in an informed offer,” says Cochrane. Flint recalls putting offers on six homes. Each time, they lost out, and not by just a little. “I think we were like fourth each time but over $100,000 under what they ended up going for,” she says. Loyal for the Long Haul Working with the Jen Greenberg Group BY ELLEN DONKER Jen Greenberg and Jenna Basford helped the Flint-Cochrane family find their home. Chris Cochrane and Courtney Flint and their twins moved to South Orange in 2025.
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