First-Time Buyers: Hurry for $8,000 Tax Credit
It’s time to remind first-time home buyers that in order to qualify for the government’s $8,000 gift in the form of a tax credit, the deal must close by Dec. 1.

Buyers should have a purchase contract signed by early October, so they have 45 to 60 days to arrange financing and safely close the deal.

“There’s not as much sand in the hourglass as we may think,” said Jim Merrion, regional director at RE/MAX Northern Illinois.

Bergen County Foreclosure Trends

Bergen County Foreclosure Trends - April 2009

Posted by PAULA CLARK @ 6:29 am, May 31st, 2009

Bergen County foreclosure homes have remained relatively steady in 2009 after a spike in October 2008 with 398 new foreclosure filings in April compared to 925 filings last October, according to RealtyTrac.com.

Bergen County Foreclosure Activity and Home Price Index

Bergen County foreclosure activity is based on the total number of properties that receive foreclosure filings - default notice, foreclosure auction notice or repossession notice - each month. Home price appreciation is based on month-over-month percentage change of the Home Price Index. The Home Price Index is calculated from home sales records.

Bergen County Foreclosure Geographical Comparison

The Bergen County foreclosure rate is .03% below the state of New Jersey and .16% below national statistics.

Are you or someone you know behind on your mortgage payments and facing a Bergen County foreclosure? You do have options. A short sale may be the answer to saving you, your family and your home. Give me a call for a private consultation.

After all, the process of selling a home is always complex. For assistance is selling your home in Bergen County, River Edge NJ, Oradell NJ, Paramus NJ, Emerson NJ, Fairlawn NJ. Contact Carmelo Oliveri, Coldwell Banker Realtor at (201) 618-2854. Visit our web site at www.OurNJhouse.com or www.OurBergenCountyHouse.com or www.SellWithMelNJ.com

Bergen County NJ, Creating Curb Appeal

In today’s housing market, home owners need to be more proactive than ever before when it comes to selling their homes.

Whereas the real estate boom at the turn of the century made things easy on sellers, the current real estate climate is not so seller-friendly.

To make their homes more attractive to prospective buyers, these are small and easy projects, but if neglected, they’ll give buyers the impression that other, bigger things might have been neglected as well.

If your home has a front porch or stoop, be sure to inspect it for cracks. An older porch or stoop should be replaced, and any chips or cracks in the steps should be fixed.

• Ready the roof. A new roof is very expensive, and buyers understandably often run from homes that need a new roof.

Sellers should hire their own home inspector to determine the condition of the roof before putting the home up for sale, it will likely take more time to sell the home, and buyers will wonder why the home was listed for so long.

Know the home’s ups and downs before putting it up for sale to minimize any potential concerns from buyers.

• Perfect the paint job.  For homes without siding, be sure that the paint job is up to snuff. Any areas with peeling or chipping paint should receive a fresh coat of paint, and this is another job that should be handled will before listing the home.

• Lavish the lawn with attencion. Buyers love a lush green lawn, and that lawn goes a long way to creating a solid first impression. The first thing buyers will see once they pull up curbside is the lawn. If the grass is dry with brown spots or appears neglected, many buyers will find that hard to over look.

Homeowners preparing to sell their home in the fall should lavish attention on their lawn throughout the summer, keeping it watered and possibly hiring a landscaping service to make it more appealing. Consider planting flowers or other decorative foliage.

After all, the process of selling a home is always complex. For assistance is selling your home in Bergen County, River Edge NJ, Oradell NJ, Paramus NJ, Emerson NJ, Fairlawn NJ. Contact Carmelo Oliveri, Coldwell Banker Realtor at (201) 618-2854. Visit our web site at www.OurNJhouse.com or www.OurBergenCountyHouse.com or www.SellWithMelNJ.com

Building Green Homes in New Jersey

There many never be a better time to get into green building than right now, particularly as a way to hedge your business against the slowing housing market.

“There is no slow down for my company,” says Matt Belcher of Belcher Homes in St. Louis. “Last year we did 15 green homes, and this next year we’ll do 25. I don’t build anything but green homes.”

Belcher says that a confluence of green products, how-to-build-green information, and customers easily sold on the concept have greatly reduced the obstacles builders used to face in getting started. By using the resources now readily available from nation and local home builders associations and other organizations, any builder can establish an individual plan to go green and execute it.

Emily English, director of the National Association of Home Builders’ Green Building Program, says the NAHB’s green Green Building Guidelines publication lays it all out in phased steps.

Step-By-Step Break Down

“There is a learning curve to switching to green practices,” says Emily. “So we have different thresholds of building green, starting with bronze, then silver and gold. The first part of the Guidelines is a checklist for what level of green you are building to. The second part of the Guidelines is how to do it, and a source of resources.”

The process of going green is broken into seven guiding principles (Resource Efficiency, Lot Design, Preparation, and Development, etc.) which each specific element in a principle section given a numerical value. By adopting elements from each of the seven sections into your building program, you move into green building step by step.

“Its easier to go green this year than it was last year,” says Belcher, who will chair the NAHB Green Building Conference March 25-27, 2007 in St. Louis. “There is so much more information out there. Our local HBA of Greater St. Louis and Easter Missouri just adopted the NAHB’s Guidelines. We tweak them for our area, but there isn’t much tweaking needed.

“On the product side, all the manufactures of building components saw the writing on the wall, Belcher adds. “Green products are about all they’re pushing.”

Selling the Green Bling

Belcher said the two largest potential stumbling blocks to going green have been selling the green concept to dubious customers and turning concepts into practice on the job site. Although these are the most crucial aspects a builder needs to get right when switching over to green practices, Belcher doesn’t view them as obstacles any longer.

“I sell the customers with what I call ‘green bling.’ I tell them about things like photovoltaic, structural insulated panels, and the fact that lenders are raising the value of green homes by as much as 18%,” says Belcher. “And when I tell them we are going to build a 3,500 square-foot home and their electric bill won’t be more than $125 a month, it gets them going pretty quick.”

English and Belcher offer a couple of tips for builders to keep in mind as they go green:

• Getting the trades on board was more of an issue in the past than it is today, as the green trend generates infomation, products, workshops and buzz. Still, English says, builders switching to green should plan on spending extra time training the trades and supervising crews on site.

• Belcher advises builders to tell their trade contractors from the very start exactly what they are doing -and why. “These guys pride themselves on being craftsmen, and they appreciate being involved in these advanced building techniques.”

“I can say that using the Green Building Guidelines has improved my bottom line dramatically. I am not wasting a thing,” says Belcher. “After my first few green houses, I was thinking. ‘Why haven’t I been doing this all along?’”

After all, the process of selling a home is always complex. For assistance is selling your home in Bergen County, River Edge NJ, Oradell NJ, Paramus NJ, Emerson NJ, Fairlawn NJ. Contact Carmelo Oliveri, Coldwell Banker Realtor at (201) 618-2854. Visit our web site at www.OurNJhouse.com or www.OurBergenCountyHouse.com or www.SellWithMelNJ.com

Should you buy or rent in today Economy? Bergen County NJ Real Estate Tips

With an “iffy economy and the recent changes in first time home buyer incentives, figuring out if you should rent or buy can be tricky. Can you afford the down payment? Or, is it cheaper to rent? Luckily, here are two awesome tools to help you make that hefty decision. First, find a home you like. Then, try the Rent vs. Buy Calculator to find out how much you can save by renting or buying. Or, use the Mortgage calculator to get an idea of what your monthly payments would be. What do you have to lose?

After all, the process of selling a home is always complex. For assistance is selling your home in Bergen County, River Edge NJ, Oradell NJ, Paramus NJ, Emerson NJ, Fairlawn NJ. Contact Carmelo Oliveri, Coldwell Banker Realtor at (201) 618-2854. Visit our web site at www.OurNJhouse.com or www.OurBergenCountyHouse.com or www.SellWithMelNJ.com

Bergen County NJ Home Buyer Tips___www.OurNJhouse.com

Tips For Bergen County Home Buyers

Posted by PAULA CLARK @ 8:34 pm, June 12th, 2009

It’s easy for Bergen County home buyers to get overwhelmed. A home is the biggest investment most of us make and the entire process can be a bit scary! Here are Bergen County home buying tips, sure to calm the most timid among us!

1. Research before you look.
Decide what features you most want to have in a home, what neighborhoods you prefer, and how much you’d be willing to spend each month for housing.

2. Be realistic.
It’s OK to be picky, but don’t be unrealistic with your expectations. There’s no such thing as a perfect home. Use your list of priorities as a guide to evaluate each property.

3. Get your finances in order.
Review your credit report and be sure you have enough money to cover your down payment and closing costs. Then, talk to a lender and get prequalified for a mortgage. This will save you the heartache later of falling in love with a house you can’t afford.

4. Don’t ask too many people for opinions.
It will drive you crazy. Select one or two people to turn to if you feel you need a second opinion, but be ready to make the final decision on your own.

5. Decide your moving timeline.
When is your lease up? Are you allowed to sublet? How tight is the rental market in your area? All of these factors will help you determine when you should move.

6. Think long term.
Are you looking for a starter house with plans to move up in a few years, or do you hope to stay in this home for a longer period? This decision may dictate what type of home you’ll buy as well as the type of mortgage terms that will best suit you.

7. Insist on a home inspection.
If possible, get a warranty from the seller to cover defects for one year.

8. Get help from a REALTOR®.
Hire a real estate professional who specializes in buyer representation. Unlike a listing agent, whose first duty is to the seller, a buyer’s representative is working only for you. Buyer’s reps are usually paid out of the seller’s commission payment. Give me a call…it won’t cost you a penny!!

After all, the process of selling a home is always complex. For assistance is selling your home in Bergen County, River Edge NJ, Oradell NJ, Paramus NJ, Emerson NJ, Fairlawn NJ. Contact Carmelo Oliveri, Coldwell Banker Realtor at (201) 618-2854. Visit our web site at www.OurNJhouse.com or www.OurBergenCountyHouse.com or www.SellWithMelNJ.com