Oct. 13, 2008 - For NJ time is running out

Voter registration ends tomorrow

If you are not registered to vote in the November presidential elections, in order to vote you must register by October 14, 2008.  To register in New Jersey you must be a US citizen, at least 18yrs of age on October 14, 2008 and a resident of the county for 30 days before the election.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

 Presidential Election

Oct. 11, 2008 - Carriage Homes at Quailbrook - October 2008 Report

What’s happening in the marketplace, now – October 11

According to the Garden State MLS, currently there are six (6) homes actively listed for sale in this Franklin Township development, at the time of posting.  Five are 2-story townhomes with 3 bedrooms-2.5 baths.  One is a 2-story 2 bedroom-2.5 bath, with den.

Three are new listings since the last report to you on September 4th. All listed prices range between $285,000 and $322,500. 

There were no sales since my last report to you:

That's what is happening in the marketplace now, October 11th.

If you have specific questions about a Carriage Home proprerty or any local property, email me at: mjadams@century21.com or call (908) 583-0409. 

Oct. 11, 2008 - Open House - 2 Bdrm/2.5Bth Townhouse

94 Driftwood Drive - $269,000

OPEN HOUSE

I invite you to tour this Quailbrook Townhouse Sunday, October 11, 2008, 1pm-4pm.

This home Priced to sell.  Move in Now!  Freshly painted throughout, new carpeting on 1st floor and stairway.  New high energy efficiency furnace (7/08).  Eat in Kitchen has new electric stove, wood cabinets, DW, Fridge, disposal and ceramic tile floor.  New A/C coil.  Spacious LR with FP, Den, DR and Loft, 2 BRS, 2.5 baths and garage. 

More pictures and details here

Directions: Eaton Ave to Demott Lane. Left on New Brunswick Rd. Left on Driftwood Drive.

Oct. 7, 2008 - Today was the day that was

A rollercoaster of a ride today

I started my day by attending a Century 21 sponsored seminar by motivational speaker, Mike Lipkin.  His message was not neccessarily designed for REALTORs, but inspirational, nonetheless.  One of his messages was keeping your eye on the prize.  And, his style and delivery was, somewhat, unique in that Mike's perspective is a world perspective.  You see, he is a South African living in Canada. While not emersing himself into our presidential politics, he informed the audience of perceptions outside our borders of the race for the White House.

Mike spoke of preparedness, being present, being generous, thinking big, listenening magnetically and energizing yourself; among other topics.  Now, all of this is not new to me, but it has helped me to refocus and recharge.  We all get distracted at times, right?

With the stock market tanking another day, I realized this evening how strongly I absorbed his message.  Yesterday morning I called my 401K administrator and made an appointment to make changes to my plan today.  I went into the meeting intent upon cutting my loses.  I wanted to protect my assests, as best I could. However, I did retain an open mind to what the expert had to say.  She was honest enough to say nobody knows how far this market will swing.  She did make it clear that she would do whatever I instructed her to do and I didn't need to make a decision today.

At at the end of the day, with mind over emotion, I remained in the game.  I had taken Mike's message to heart.  Unknowingly, at the time,I recognized the prize, for me and my family, is a more secure retirement that unfortunately will come now later rather than sooner.

As I write this, looking back over the last twenty-four hours, I went from two emotional highs; learning a nephew became a father for the first time and getting pumped by a motivational speaker to learning the market plunged 500 points, to making modest, not radical, changes to investments.  On top of it all, the evening was capped with the presidential debate without a stated plan, by either party, to get us out of this economic mess. Coney Island's Cyclone was never as wild a ride as my emotions have run today.  I think I will sleep well tonight knowing tomorrow I'll renwew my commitment to raise the level of my service to my clients and customers.

Oct. 6, 2008 - 400,000 CountryWide mortgage holders to get help

B of A to rewite some loans

Reported earlier today, Bank of America, who acquired Countrywide, agreed to pay more than $8 billion to modify home loans, allowing some to forgo foreclosure and keep their homes.  This is the results of law suits filed in California and Illinois.  Other states joining the settlement are Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Washington.  Charges were made that predatory lending practices were employed. 

The mortgage aid includes revising customers' payments so they don't exceed 34 percent of income. Other options include reducing interest rates and adjusting principal so that borrowers don't wind up actually losing equity under some payment plans.  Countrywide settled with the states without admitting any wrongdoing.

Under the agreement's terms, Countrywide will reduce principal balances in some cases and cut interest rates in others. Rates could decline to 2.5 percent, depending upon a borrower's ability to pay, and remain at that level for five years. Then the rate would adjust to prevailing interest rates charged by Fannie Mae on its fixed-rate mortgages.

Hopefully, this becomes a model in New Jersey and across the country to help stem the rise in home foreclosures and provides relief to the current housing crisis.

"This settlement will help homeowners stay in their homes, which ultimately helps investors and also helps communities," said Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Chicago Democrat.

More at : MSNBC

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Oct. 5, 2008 - Rabid cat confirmed

Franklin Township Health Department Memo

A rabid cat in the area of Willow Avenue was confirmed in a memo from our local Health Department.  Rabies is curable but left untreated can be fatal in humans and pets.  The Franklin Township Health Department Director, Water Galanowsky, offers these rabies reminders:

Have your pets vaccinated against rabies.

A rabies vaccination shot will help protect your dog, cat or ferret from rabies. Make sure your pets stay up to date on their vaccination shots.

Do not go near wild animals.Stay away from stray animals.

Raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats and other wild animals may be infected with rabies and should not be touched.

Do not go near wild animals. Have your pets vaccinated against rabies.  A rabies vaccination shot will help protect your dog, cat or ferret from rabies. Make sure your pets stay up to date on their vaccination shots.   Cats and dogs that roam outdoors are more likely to be infected with rabies and may bite you. Do not try to feed or pet them.

Make sure that your home and yard do not attract wild animals. -  Keep garbage cans tightly covered.  Do not leave pet food outdoors. Cap chimneys and seal places where animals can get in and hide. 

If you are scratched or bitten by an animal - wash the wound with lots of soap and water. Call your doctor right away. Call the Franklin Township Animal Control at 732-873-2500, extension 255 (during business hours) or  Franklin Township Police Department (evenings and weekends) 732-873-2300. 

For more information call: 732-873-2500, ext. 371

Oct. 4, 2008 - September 2008 Residential Sales

Franklin Township Residential Sales

The month ended with 53 Franklin Township single family residences sold between September 1 - 30, 2008.  Sale prices ranged between $190,000 and 610,000.

Oct. 1, 2008 - Find your FICO score-free

Equifax offers free report

It has become more important than ever to know your FICO score as well as checking your credit reports with the three major agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. 

According to the site, Equifax is offering a free FICO report to the first 10,000 applicants*.  FICO scores are used by lenders to make fast credit risk decisions of how likely consumers will pay their credit obligations.  Generally the higher the score, the less risk the person represents. 

With the tightening credit market, borrowers will likely need a score of 700 and above for a home mortgage loan.  The lender will make the final decision considering additional factors such as your employment history, salary and debt-to income ratio. 

Again, the offer is free, without obligation.  However, you may opt for upgrades for various monthly fees.  I obtained mine, choosing to accept only the free offer.  Regardless, no credit card is required.  Get your free FICO score here.

Go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com to get your free credit report.  You may choose to receive all three annual reports together or apply for each separately at 4-month intervals.  The later option will allow you to monitor your credit for unusual activity over the course of the year.

* Per the site, 10,000 applicants have been reached and the free offer is no longer available -10/4.

Sep. 30, 2008 - Breast Cancer Awareness Walk

Robyn Michele Collins Memorial 5K Walk

You can register to participate or donate to this walk for a cure taking place right here, in Franklin Township, on October 4, 2008.

Sep. 29, 2008 - The wild ride ain't over yet

Congress rejects the bailout

We woke this morning to learn another bank has fallen.  Wachovia, has been bought by Citigroup.  As I write this, it's being reported that Congress voted down the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.  It seems that the members of Congress don't see this as much of an emergency as the media told us over the last ten days.  House Speaker, Pelosi will take the heat for the comment, "We sent a message to Wall Street - the party is over."  I do believe, that comment was disingenuous or stupid, at best; setting-up this bill up for failure. 

Why? Well, many Americans wanted a pound of flesh for excessive executive compensation for poor corporate performance and this bill falled to address that head-on.  Under the proposed plan, current CEO's with valid contracts would not even be affected by the new law, had it passed.  Homeowners felt left out of the cleansing of bad loans. Not only has Wall Street been spining out of control, so have American household bugets.  A successful bailout must address both. In reaction to the public's outcry congress, republicans and dems alike, voted to save their congressional seats and partisan politics raised it's ugly head...again. 

So, now what?  Will we see the world stop turning, as promised by President Bush, Secretary Paulson, Chairman Bernanke and the leaders of Congress because this deal wan't quickly done?  I seriously doubt it. Congress and the president's advisors will be forced to go back to work and draft a plan that is more acceptable to middle-class America.

But, in the meantime, I suspect that the FDIC will foster more mergers, the stock market will drop, mortgage rates will continue to rise and credit will tighten for prospective homeowners. The political blame game will go on, as usual.

On a positive note: with the threat of a larger recession, one benefit we could see is a drop in oil prices.  Maybe, just maybe, Americans have moved-on from the motivation of the politics of fear.  Every incumbent should be very afraid on election day.

Sep. 25, 2008 - Walgreens 2-day coupon

Clip and Save

September 26 and 27, 2008 you can save $5 off a purchase of $20 or more* with a printable coupon.

 

Sep. 25, 2008 - A crisis twenty years in the making

Wall Street revisited

Honestly, I do not fully understand all that the current Wall Street meltdown/crisis entails.   But, what I do know and understand is that greed is clearly at the center.  Not just greed on the part of Wall Street bankers, corporations, politicians, but greed on the part of some mortgage brokers who pushed through unqualified borrowers, borrowers who knew they could not afford the homes being purchased and, yes, some lousy real estate agents hungry for another fat commission check.

Greed has been a cornerstone of a rabid culture that permeated American business and politics for more than twenty years.  Golden parachutes became a standard for senior managements that ensured their personal wealth whether or not companies performed well or even survived. It was "justified", in part, as a trickle down theory that said the wealth would well; trickle down from the top to the bottom.  Fictional character, Gordon Gekko, told the world in the movie Wall Street, "Greed is good." Greed is never “good” and is seen throughout the world as one of the seven deadly sins. Sadly, some of us believed him.

Watch Scene from "Wall Street"

Sep. 19, 2008 - Century 21 launches new ad platform on Zillow

Ads targeted to users' searches

If you haven’t been to Zillow.com today, then you haven’t noticed that Century 21 is now placing its branded listings right on their home page. In addition, you will find two other local listings.

Inman News reports that such placements exposes the listings to more than 8 million visits every month.  That’s a lot of hits. 

Zillow and Trulia are changing online real estate and Century 21 is right there with them.  For now, this clearly differentiates the Century 21 brand from other brokerages. 

Building on this announcement, next month, Century 21 enhances its presence on Trulia.com by enabling real-time streaming of home sales data to the web page as a display next to a consumers search results. 

Days ago, I wrote about how important sites, such as Zillow, are becoming in the search to find a home today.

Sep. 18, 2008 - Your email and hackers

Protecting yourself and online accounts

With news that Alaskan Governor and GOP vice-presidential nominee, Sarah Palin's yahoo email account was hacked, it could be the perfect time to determine just how safe is your email account(s).  I find it a little disturbing that the Governor was conducting state business using a Yahoo account, but that's another story.

In order to better protect yourself and your online accounts the areas that need special attention are 1. Password Security Questions and 2. Secure Passwords.

Lifhacker.com provides a quick tutorial on protecting your email from hackers.  Be careful out there, folks.

Sep. 15, 2008 - Buyers find their real estate agent online

Internet use for home search is up

 Reported today on Inman.com, “An individual real estate agent's web site was cited as the most useful web site during the home-buying process.  What surprised me is the survey found “About 90 percent of buyers in the Internet group found their real estate agent using the Internet…”

That is an extremely high number and a no-brainer why an internet presence is vital to survival as a real estate professional in the 21^st century.  According to the survey the top visited real estate sites, in order, are: Realtor.com, individual realtor websites such as mine, specific home listings, real estate brokerage sites, Zillow.com, Craigslist.com and Yahoo Real Estate.

For the complete article go to: InmanNews.com

Sep. 12, 2008 - You can ask, but I can't tell

Megan's Law

Yesterday, I attended a conference where the guest speaker was a prominent local New Jersey real estate attorney.  One of the topics covered was Megan's Law. 

Megan's Law is the result of Megan Kanka's 1994 rape and murder by a convicted sex offender who moved across the street from the Kanka family.   The law is divided into two parts; registration of sex offenders and the notification to the community.  Here, I am dealing with the notification component.

In New Jersey, it was explained that the law prohibits the use of information about the registration of sex offenders, such as for the purpose for obtaining or denying any housing or accommodations. It was further said, "the county prosecutor determines whether and how to provide notice of the presence of convicted sex offenders in an area.  In their professional capacity, real estate licensees are not entitled to notification by the county prosecutor under Megan's Law and are unable to obtain such information for you." 

In addition, the New Jersey Real Estate Commission specifically prohibits real estate licensees from making any inquiry or providing any information about registered sex offenders.  Real estate agents are directed to inform the person making the inquiry that information concerning sex offenders is maintained by the county prosecutor.

It was made clear that real estate licensees are prohibited from providing any information about a possible sex offender living in the immediate community.  You can ask, but even if I have personal knowledge, I can't tell.  It's the law.

For more information contact the Office of the Somerset County Prosecutor, located at: 40 North Bridge Street, Somerville, N.J. 08876 Telephone: (908) 575-3300.

Sep. 10, 2008 - Remembering our Heroes

On the eve of another anniversary of the attacks on America, we honor those who lost their lives September 11, 2001. 

We Will Never Forget

A Special Tribute to the Airline Crews of UA 93, 175 and AA 11, 77

You are missed.  Rest in Peace

http://www.unitedafa.org/res/o/911/memoriam.asp

http://www.unitedafa.org/res/o/911/memorial/services_2008.htm  

http://www.legacy.com/Sept11/Home.aspx 

Sep. 9, 2008 - Save seller funded gifts

Time is getting short to act

There is a movement in Congress to save the use of seller-funded down-payment assistance scheduled to end October 1, 2008.  This was made a part of the sweeping housing bill that President George W. Bush signed into law this past July.

The Bill, HR 6694, proposes to revise the requirements for seller-financed downpayments for mortgages for single-family housing insured by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under title II of the National Housing Act and to authorize risk-based insurance premiums for certain mortgagors under such mortgages.

Contact your Congressional Representative to request s/he co-sponsors this legislation, today.  Send Representative Rush Holt an electronic message or call his office at: 609-750-9365, 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (toll-free)

Read more on the subject at Inman News.

Sep. 7, 2008 - Paulson pulls the big bazooka

The first reactions are positive

Today, CNN reported that the Federal Government has seized control of Freddy Mac and Fannie Mae to help shore up the damaged housing market that could cost taxpayers $200 billion.  It is anticipated the bailout should result in lower mortgage costs and make credit more available.  Rates could drop by 1 per cent. Higher lending standards will remain tight and risky borrowers wills till pay extra fees.

Two months ago Secretary of Treasury Hank Paulson said that Congress had given him a bazooka by granting him power to intervene to support Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That comment might have very well exasperated the money problems, resulting in today's announcement. 

However, the first reactions are positive.  Both presidential candidates agree on the takeover.  CNN reports, "Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., a member of the Senate Banking Committee, said that Paulson had "threaded the needle just right" with the plan, noting that it will likely be met with praise from other lawmakers. At first blush, Wall Street seemed encouraged by the news, although the true test will come when financial markets around the globe open Monday. Pimco's Bill Gross, a widely followed bond fund manager, said that the Freddie-Fannie plan was the right move. This is a significant step and almost exactly what we had hoped for,"  

Here is the statement made by Paulson today on the takeover. 

Sep. 6, 2008 - Stepping up my Web 2.0 tool chest

Staying ahead of the pack

Well, at least I'm trying.  In the effort to better serve you and other potential clients; over the last year I've been incorporating new tools to keep pace with new real estate technologies.  I'm still learning all that the Blackberry can do.  But I keep up with my emails easily.  

Most recently, I have signed onto Twitter.  What is Twitter?  Twitter is a service to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?  This is a great tool to let potential buyers of a new listing or price reduction.  You are welcome to follow me at: http://twitter.com/somerset08873

Another tool added to my box is recently discovered Retaggr.  What is Retaggr?  Retaggr is an interactive web 2.0 social and business card.  It appears with your comment made on other sites, if you wish.  You can take a look at mine at: http://www.retaggr.com/card/mjAdamsSellsHomes

And of course I maintain a presence on MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube, Outside.In  and ActiveRain.