Aug. 31, 2007 - We will see where this leads

President Bush to speak on sub-prime mortgage crisis

Later today, President Bush is expected to propose legislation that will help prevent sub-prime mortgage borrowers defaulting on loan repayments. Soaring default rates among sub-prime borrowers, who pay higher interest rates because of their patchy credit histories, have sent shock waves across international markets.

Bush is expected to propose that borrowers in difficulty should be allowed to refinance their debt at cheaper rates. This would be good news for American homeowners.

We will see where this announcement leads.  Stay tuned. 

Aug. 30, 2007 - This weekend's open houses

Local area open houses, Sep 1 - 2

To view a list of open houses this weekend, click the above icon.

Be certain to check Our Town Realty Open Houses

But, why wait until the weekend?  Be ahead of the crowd by scheduling a private showing today.

Contact me via e-mail or call (908) 583-0409

Learn about Buyer Agency and why home buyers should not venture into open homes alone.

Aug. 28, 2007 - September news and events around town

Programs at the Library

The Library will be closed from September 1-3, 2007 in observance of Labor Day.  Sunday hours will resume beginning on September 9, 200

Ghosts & the Paranormal

Garrett Husveth, a Forensic Examiner and co-creator of www.hauntednewjersey.org will discuss the theory and science behind modern-day ghost and paranormal research.  Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 7:00 PM.

Relief from Sciatica Workshop

Dr. Mark Strezinski, DC will discuss exercises and new treatments for Sciatica on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

Preventing Identity Theft

Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 7:00 PM.

To register for these free programs, stop by the Reference Desk or call 732-873-8700, ext. 111.

Saturday Recycling Drop-off Program Sept. 8

Due to the Labor Day holiday weekend, the next drop-off for the ‘First Saturday of the Month’ program will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Somerset County Recycling Center, located at 40 Polhemus Lane.  

As part of the program, the Recycling Center will accept VCRs, TVs, typewriters, radios, stereo equipment, modems, fax machines, cell phones and used computer electronics such as computers, CPUs, monitors, CRTs and printers. Other items that are accepted include CDs, DVDs, computer disks, diskettes, videotapes and cassette tapes.

The county Recycling Center also accepts tires, scrap metals, used motor oil, anti-freeze, used oil filters, microwave ovens and the usual curbside materials on these drop-off dates.

For more information, call the Somerset County Recycling Center at (732) 469-3363.

Quail Brook Senior Center
625 New Brunswick Rd., Somerset, NJ
(732) 563-4213

Bingo – Every Thursday, 11:00

Chair Exercise – Every Tuesday, 11:00

Country Western Dance Lessons w/Ann Gant – Wednesday, 1:30

Crochet Group – Every Friday

Dominos – Every Wednesday

Healthy Bones - Monday and Thursday, 1:00

Line Dancing - Every Monday at 10:00, and Friday at 9:30

Rummikub – Monday and Thursday

Senior Fitness (Video) – Every Tuesday & Wednesday

September 3 - Holiday - Center Closed

September 11 - Patriot Day – “Remembering September 11”

September 11 - "Mind Your Mind" program overview by Erin Toomey, Health Promotion Coordinator

September 12 - “Mind Your Mind” - 9-week program stimulates and exercises the brain.  Classes will be held two days a week: Tuesday and Wednesday.

September 13 - “Songs of the States” – Performance by the Swinging Singing Seniors of Franklin Township

September 18 - “Nocturnal Animals” presentation by Somerset County Park Commission Environmental Education Naturalist.

September 21 – “Super Foods for Optimal Health “- by Nancy Rosa-Mejias, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Aug. 28, 2007 - Road & Bridge Projects

ROAD PROJECTS

Route 28 Corridor Improvements, Boroughs of Bound Brook and Somerville and Township of Bridgewater. This Project consists of curb and sidewalk replacement along Route 28 at various locations in the towns referenced. Also included will be intersection and traffic signal improvements. At the intersection of Main St. and Division St. in the Borough of Somerville a detour will divert Northbound traffic on Division Street to South Street to South Bridge Street in order to relocate a gas line. This work is scheduled to begin on or about Sept. 5^th and is expected to take only a day or two. No other lane closures are anticipated. This schedule has been revised since the gas company is unable to relocated their gas line at this time. Work at this intersection will be postponed until further notice.

Somerset Street between Mountain Ave, and Summit St. and intersection of Summit / Greenbrook Road, Borough of North Plainfield. Work on this project will begin on or about September 15^th . This work involves the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Somerset Street and Mountain Ave. and replacement of the traffic signal at the intersection of Somerset St. and Summit / Greenbrook Ave. There will also be sidewalk, curb replacement and minor widening between Mountain Ave. and Summit Street. Construction is expected to be completed by mid November. Traffic will be maintained, therefore, delays can be expected.

BRIDGE PROJECTS

Finderne Avenue Bridge, Township of Bridgewater/Borough of Manville. Reconstruction of this bridge over the Raritan River linking Finderne Ave. in Bridgewater and Main Street in Manville will begin Tuesday October 24^th. Motorists are advised to expect delays. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. The work is expected to be completed in the spring of 2008.

Bridge over Interstate 287 on Garretson Road/ Woodland Ave. Township of Bridgewater. This bridge had been scheduled to open by Labor Day, however, due to weather conditions it will not reopen until on or about Friday, September 7^th. The bridge will be open to one lane of traffic to allow passage of school busses for the opening of Bridgewater schools on Wednesday, September 5^th. It has been noted that the bridge will open only between the hours of 6:30 AM to 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM for school traffic, otherwise the road will remain closed until Friday evening.

Bridge on Burnt Mill Road (over the Lamington River) County Route 614, Township of Branchburg. Burnt Mill Road will remain closed until on or about September 31^st. A detour is posted.

Bridge on Morton Street (off of East Main Street), Township of Bridgewater. Bridge is now open.

Bridge on Southside Avenue, (at Hamilton Street), Borough of Somerville. Southside Avenue at this location is closed for a bridge replacement and is expected to reopen in December. A detour is posted.

Bridge on Centerville Road (near county line just off township section of Old York Road, Township of Branchburg. On Monday, August 13^th this bridge will be closing for replacement. The bridge is expected to reopen in approximately 60 days. A detour will be posted.

Bridge on State Route 22 at Station Road, Township of Branchburg. A new traffic pattern will be in place for the reconstruction of this bridge beginning Friday, September 9^th. Traffic along Route 22 will be maintained on a Temporary Structure constructed in the Median. Construction of this Temporary Structure will begin on Friday, September 7, at 10:00 PM, thru Monday, September 10, 500 AM. This will cause Station Road to be closed and traffic detoured to Readington Road and along College Road to Easton Turnpike (Route 28). This detour will also be required during other phases of construction. Also during construction there will be daytime and nighttime lane closures required for Route 22 traffic which will cause delays, therefore, alternate routes are suggested. The project is expected to be completed during the summer of 2008.

Aug. 27, 2007 - Mortgage lenders could be more flexible

J.D. Power conducts study on mortgage lenders

J.D. Power conducted a survey of more than 11,400 home owners to determine customer satisfaction of national mortgage lenders.  The information was gathered November 2006, February 2007 and May 2007

The study measured customer satisfaction with the process of servicing a loan based on four primary areas: the administration of the customer’s account; the billing process; the payment process; and the process of contacting the mortgage servicer.

The results indicated that lending institutions are less flexible with late payments than they were a year ago. It was also found, that customers felt that lenders were less understanding of their unique circumstances when payments were late.

Based upon a total scale of 1,000 points, the top 20 national lending institutions stack-up in the following order:

BB&T (Branch Banking and Trust) 860
M & T Mortgage 828
Citizens Bank 825
Countrywide Home Loans 824
SunTrust Mortgage 822
First Horizon Home Loans 818
Wells Fargo 817
GMAC Mortgage 816
Regions Mortgage 807
CitiMortgage 805
Chase 804
Bank of America 803
Washington Mutual 798
Industry Average 798
Wachovia 797
Fifth Third Bank 790
U.S. Bank 788
World Savings 787
PHH Mortgage 786

For the complete list and more information on home mortgage customer satisfaction visit JDPower.com

Aug. 25, 2007 - This weekend's open houses

Local area open houses, Aug 25-26

To view a list of open houses this weekend, click the above icon.

Be certain to check Our Town Realty Open Houses

But, why wait until the weekend?  Be ahead of the crowd by scheduling a private showing today.

Contact me via e-mail or call (908) 583-0409

Learn about Buyer Agency and why home buyers should not venture into open homes alone.

Aug. 17, 2007 - This weekend's open houses

Local area open houses, Aug 18-19

To view a list of open houses this weekend, click the above icon.

Be certain to check Our Town Realty Open Houses

But, why wait until the weekend?  Be ahead of the crowd by scheduling a private showing today.

Contact me via e-mail or call (908) 583-0409

Learn about Buyer Agency and why home buyers should not venture into open homes alone.

Aug. 17, 2007 - July Residential sales

Franklin Township Residential Sales

The month of July ended with 75 Franklin Township single family residences sold with an average of 74 days on the market and receiving 98% of the listing price. 

The month also ended with 640 active listings which remained on the market. This is a decrease of 8 new properties from the previous month.

If you have a question about a specific property, or stats for surrounding areas, please do not hesitate to contact me.

AREA MARKET ANALYSIS REPORT - BY TOWN, BEDROOMS (Month To Date)

SEARCH CRITERIA County Code: 27 Town Code: 2708 Period 1: 7/2007 Period 2: 7/2007

BY TOWN: Franklin Twp. (2708)

#Beds Active Listings New Listings Under Contract Sold Listings SP/LP   # Avg. LP Med. LP # Avg. LP Med. LP # Avg. LP Med. LP Avg. DOM # Avg. SP Med. SP Avg. DOM   0 0 00 00 0 00 00 0 00 00 0 0 00 00 0 0% 1 3 157,933 149,900 1 178,900 178,900 0 00 00 0 0 00 00 0 0% 2 210 293,148 280,000 48 271,340 259,900 34 281,970 274,950 56 31 272,459 270,000 84 98% 3 185 372,624 345,000 45 372,208 354,000 17 363,018 339,900 76 21 375,433 335,000 84 97% 4 201 521,341 459,500 36 524,117 465,000 11 566,671 585,900 78 16 478,906 455,000 55 98% 5+ 41 726,424 649,900 4 629,925 629,900 0 00 00 0 7 607,857 605,000 45 97% TOWN 640 414,911 349,999 134 383,138 338,000 62 354,704 317,200 66 75 376,637 323,500 74 98%

ALL TOWNS 640 414,911   134 383,138   62 354,704   66 75 376,637   74 98%

© Copyright, Garden State MLS, L.L.C. **Info. deemed RELIABLE but not GUARANTEED - ALL Room Sizes are Approx.** MICHAEL ADAMS

Aug. 9, 2007 - BOA and Chase offer special mortgages

Extra Security for Community Heroes and Union Workers

Bank of America (BOA) announced a mortgage program exclusively for police officers, firefighters, teachers and medical workers with an insurance feature that will repay all or a portion of their outstanding mortgage balance, up to $300,000, in the event of accidental death, permanent paralysis or dismemberment.

This mortgage program offers the availability of 100 percent financing, competitive loan rates, little or no down payment options and flexibility on credit scores and credit histories.

Applicants who meet the occupational eligibility requirements can obtain home financing under the Neighborhood Champions Protected Mortgage Program.  The program applies to:

• Full-time educators or employees at the elementary, secondary or college/university education level, including administrators, librarians, counselors, administrative support and custodial staff. Part-time teachers are also eligible.
• Full-time sworn members or employees of a police department, sheriff's office, corrections department or other law enforcement agency.
• Full-time sworn members or employees of a local, state or federal fire department or agency, including emergency medical response and patient care.
• Full-time medical professionals including but not limited to nurses, nursing assistants, medical technicians, dental assistants, pharmacy assistants or employees of hospitals, nursing facilities or doctors' offices.
• Retirees from eligible occupations are also eligible.

Eligible homebuyers can receive guidance for this exclusive program by contacting a local BOA mortgage loan officer by calling 1.800.344.9403 or visit one of the nearby branches.  Also, find more information at: www.BankofAmerica.com 

******

Chase Home Finance is offering a special mortgage program through Union Plus for Union members that could save on fees and offers free strike, disability and unemployment benefits. 

The program benefits are:

• Easy application process for Chase mortgages right over the phone, in-person or online
• Unemployment/disability and strike benefits to help you make mortgage payments when you're out of work
• Mortgage loans to purchase or refinance your home
• Mortgage programs for borrowers with "less than perfect" credit
• Down payments as low as 5% - and even lower for qualified buyers
• $350 toward closing costs of mortgages (for buyers who use both the real estate and mortgage portions of the program
• Parents and children of union members are also eligible for Union Plus mortgages

Aug. 8, 2007 - Home and property safety

Residential Burglaries

Burglary and theft from residential premises impose a significant cost upon the community. Most burglaries occur during daylight hours, when homes are often vacant. However, burglars can also strike at any time of the day, with some burglars even risking the possibility of confrontation when they commit the crime while residents are asleep. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that your home is secure at all times.

Burglary can be Prevented

Research suggests many burglaries can be prevented, but crime prevention is the responsibility of the whole community not just the police. Many burglaries appear to occur when an offender discovers an open window or unlocked door, and takes the opportunity to enter a home and steal cash or other items of value. Making sure that your home and other buildings (e.g. garage/garden shed) are always secure is an effective way to reduce the likelihood that opportunistic burglars will see your home as an easy target.

It is not always necessary to spend a lot of money on home security. A number of strategies such as those that follow can be an effective deterrent to would-be burglars:

• When you go out, always lock the door and close the windows - even if you are just going out for a short time.
• Window locks, especially on older windows, will help stop people getting in (and remember a burglar is less likely to break in if they have to smash a window).
• If you have deadlocks, use them. They make it harder for a thief to get out again. But don't leave the key near the door, or in an obvious place.
• Don't leave spare keys outside, or in a garage or shed, and put car keys or garage keys out of sight in the house.
• Use timers for lights and radios if you need to be away from home overnight. They will create the impression that someone is in.
• Consider motion-activated flood lights.
• Visible burglar alarms, good lighting, and carefully directed and limited security lighting can act as deterrents. But make sure that lights don't disturb your neighbors, and that alarms have an auto turn off mechanism.
• Fences at the back of the house may make this area more secure, but walls and solid fencing may let a thief break in without being seen. A good compromise is chain-link fencing, or trellises with prickly shrubs.
• Fitting a 'spy hole' allows you to see who is at the door. Having a door chain means you can open the door a little way to talk to them.
• Photograph and record serial numbers of all valuable property and retain in a safe place.
• Ask your neighbors to keep an eye on your home particularly if you are going on a vacation.
• Don’ let mail or newspapers pile up in visible areas if you are gone for a few days. Stop the mail and paper or have a neighbor pick them up and hold them until you return.

Other considerations

If you come home and find a broken window or tampered entrance, there may be a burglar inside. It is most likely best not to go into the house. Instead, go to a neighbor’s house and call the police, or use your cell phone to call for help if you have it available.
Many people believe that once their homes have been burglarized they are unlikely to be burglarized again. Mostly likely this is the case. However, sometimes offenders may return and attempt to burgle the home again based on the following reasons:

• The burglars know there are additional items of value in a home and view it as an easy target because they cannot see any obvious improvements in the security of the home.
• The burglars may try and burgle a home again in 4-6 weeks because they think the goods previously stolen will have been replaced through insurance.
• The burglars may return because they now have a buyer for some particular item they saw on the first occasion.

For those reasons outlined above, it is strongly recommended that you address any security shortfalls that may leave your home vulnerable to break-ins.

Source: Crime Stoppers of Somerset County 

Aug. 8, 2007 - This weekend's open houses

Local area open houses, Aug 11-12

To view a list of open houses this weekend, click the above icon.

Be certain to check Our Town Realty Open Houses

But, why wait until the weekend?  Be ahead of the crowd by scheduling a private showing today.

Contact me via e-mail or call (908) 583-0409

Learn about Buyer Agency and why home buyers should not venture into open homes alone.

Aug. 6, 2007 - State legislators givith and take away...if we let them

Aug. 3, 2007 - Warning from FDA

Canned food products and pet food

In an Augsust 2nd update, the FDA is warning consumers not to eat certain canned food products or to serve certain dog food produced by Castleberry's Food Company of Augusta, Ga., due to possible botulism contamination. Botulism can be fatal.

Castleberry's is recalling all of the potentially contaminated products and is cooperating with FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the states' investigations into the cause of contamination. The list of recalled products includes cans of hot dog chili sauce, various types of dog food, chili with meat, corned beef hash, and a number of other products.

For a complete report on recalled food items go to fda.gov

Aug. 2, 2007 - This Weekend's Open Houses

Local area open houses, Aug 4-5

To view the list of open houses this weekend, click the above icon.

But, why wait until the weekend?  Be ahead of the crowd by scheduling a private showing today.

Contact me via e-mail or call (908) 583-0409

Learn about Buyer Agency and why home buyers should not venture into open homes alone.

Aug. 2, 2007 - A new tool for home buyers

Terabitz.com was launched July 16th

In addition to zillow.com, realestate.yahoo.com and neighboroo.com there is a new entry in the real estate information arena called terabitz.com (www.terabitz.com).   

Terabitz allows home buyers to create a mashup that uniquely integrates a large variety of local information into one site. Their idea is that real estate is more than just listings.  Home buyers can create a personal page from for-sale listings, valuation tools, local news, maps, crime statistics, weather, banks and airports.  As with any on-line real estate site, you might wish to verify any data found with a local real estate agent or Realtor.

The application is simple to use.  You type in a street address, city or ZIP code.  Using tabs such as "listings" or "education" you will find icons representing different items. By dragging and dropping the icons into the "workspace,” you can choose which information you want to search.   You can then save a snapshot as well as e-mail the results.

I am honored to announce that this very Blog, Somerset 08773, is the featured local news source for Somerset, New Jersey on terabitz.com