Southern New Jersey Overlook

Quick Search by CountyClick on following links to open a corresponding county search page:

Burlington County
Camden County
Gloucester County
Mercer County
Atlantic County
Cumberland County
Salem County
Ocean County:
- Ocean County - North (includes Monmouth County)
- Ocean County - South
- Ocean City Area (includes part of Ocean County and North Cape May County)
Cape May:
- Ocean City Area (includes North Cape May County and part of Ocean County)
- Cape May - South

Once a county search page is selected, you will be able to select by town (municipality), zip code and MLS# within county.


Click here for the South Jersey Resource Center.

Visit my web site for additional resources and services: LawrenceYerkes.com
  
and visit BestHomes-NJ.com for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (residential, commercial, multi-family, farm, land)

Copyright 2007 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome to the ActiveRain Commercial Real Estate Group!

The intended purpose of this group is to provide a forum to share information and resources that are of specific interest to those of us involved with commercial real estate brokerage.  It is also a way for us to network and build relationships, share experiences, exchange ideas and to develop referral sources.

Please feel free to contribute and to make any comments and suggestions about the direction this group should take and the topics for discussion.

POSTING CRITERIA FOR GROUP


While most of the posting criteria for this group is based on general ActiveRain guidelines, there are a few specific to this group (although most groups have similar ones):

1. No spamming... this includes personal advertisements, advertisements disgused as announcements, etc. 

If you want people to get to know you, we have provided almost unlimited means for you to do so...

First, submit your information to the Real Estate or Lender Directory that should always be at the top of the Commercial group posts.  David Abernathy does a great job of maintaining them and quickly adding submissions to the list.

Second, start posting comments to group posts that are of interest to you and where you can contribute your expertise for the benefit of the rest of us.

Third, submit your own posts to the group, sharing your knowledge, incite, experience and ideas that will benefit the rest of us.

Depending on your situation/needs, you may want to check out the Commercial Property Haves/Wants Group.


2. Stay on focus.

Just because you write a great post for which everyone may be interested, does not mean it should also be included in this group. 

For those that have the tendency or urge to do this, allow me to make a suggestion...
It will probably be better to post the majority of your posts in the [*** make appropriate substitution here ***] group which are more generic with respect to readers and not this group, unless you want to specifically apply it to this group as a tutorial.

If you are discussing a fairly involved topic, unless it is a practical application that the majority can quickly grasp, it is my suggestion to post to "[** substitute appropriate group here ***]" and similar areas, then submit "practical application" and/or "tutorial" posts to groups like this (incorporating links to the more detailed posts as references) with specific examples oriented to this group.

I believe you will have more readership for those situations.  (And extra AR points for the posts :-)

Otherwise, most people will see it as "noise" within the group and I am being "encouraged" to filter out as much "noise" as possible that does not deal specifically and directly focus on the objectives of this group.


3. Avoid ALL CAPS in titles.

While you think you are getting more attention that way, it actually does the reverse as most people view ALL CAPS in titles as either flaming, inexperienced poster, spam, immaturity or a combination of them.  ALL CAPS in the heading, while it may make you stand out, are actually harder to read and most people tend to ignore associating with advertising.   In order to avoid the "spamming" look of other blogs, we will remove automatically (do not have the time to notify poster) any entries that are ALL CAPS in the title.  (If that happens to your entry, all you have to do is correct the title using upper/lower case and then resubmit.)


4. Properties for Sale or Desiring to Buy.

Most of us want others to know about our properties and we need a venue for other members to quickly find out about available properties.

However, we already have a great facility via Localism.com whereby we can posts listings by location.  Posting listings to the Commercial Real Estate group can result in the group posts looking like spam and often interest to none but a very few members for each occurance. 

For those that want to be able to have a place for posting and identifying commercial listings, listing their commercial real estate related needs, announcing their property needs for purchase, here's a group created just for that purpose:
Commercial Properties Haves / Wants


Let me know your thoughts and suggestions on how to continue to improve the group.

The American Thanksgiving holiday began as a feast of thanksgiving in the early days of the American colonies almost four hundred years ago. After the United States became an independent country, Congress recommended one yearly day of thanksgiving for the whole nation to celebrate. George Washington suggested the date November 26 as Thanksgiving Day. 
 
Then in 1863, at the end of a long and bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln asked all Americans to set aside the last Thursday in November as a day of thanksgiving. Later, during the Great Depression in 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving should be celebrated on the next to last Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping, never on the occasional fifth Thursday. However, it was not mandatory and not all states complied. 
 
Finally, Congress ruled that after 1941 the 4th Thursday in November would be a federal holiday proclaimed by the President each year. (Source: usinfo.state.gov, census.gov) 
 

In this country we have so much for which we can be thankful.  We have our freedoms, the sacrifices protection of our military and local police troops to protect us. and the opportunity to be whatever we can dream. 

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends!
 


 
 
Visit my web site for additional resources and services: LawrenceYerkes.com
  
and visit BestHomes-NJ.com for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (residential, commercial, multi-family, farm, land)

Copyright 2007 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

According to information coming out of NAR's 2007 Conference & Expo, nearly seven in every 10 consumers believe that energy conservation is important or extremely important, but the cost of green improvements is still a significant factor in many home buyers' decisions about purchasing energy-efficient home features. 

A significant majority of property buyers think that energy efficiency is a very important consideration. Buyers who placed a priority on energy efficiency were also more likely to value other environment-friendly features, such as proximity to parks and public transportation, and existence of sidewalks in the neighborhood.

"In the past few years, consumers have been bombarded by the marketing messages of companies jumping on the green-friendly bandwagon," said Suzanne Shelton. "People are becoming much more inquiring about the bill of green goods being sold to them - not only in terms of ‘is it as green as what they say it is,' but also ‘does it matter enough to me to pay extra?'"

Some of the ways property owners can improve the energy efficiency of their property include projects such as window replacements, new appliances and systems, and insulation, as well as planning features like landscaping and - for new buildings - site orientation to take advantage of sun and shade during different seasons.

"Many consumers don't realize the benefits of green-friendly features, or that there are ‘green' mortgages available to help people purchase a home that meets certain requirements or improve the energy efficiency of an existing home," said Janet Rosenberg, a Realtor® who has integrated green practices into her real estate business. "People hear so much these days about global warming and climate change, but often don't make the connection close to home."

(Source: NAR)




Visit my web site for additional resources and services: LawrenceYerkes.com
  
and visit BestHomes-NJ.com for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (residential, commercial, multi-family, farm, land)

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  

(Source: Medford Twp PR)




Visit my web site for additional resources and services: LawrenceYerkes.com
  
and visit BestHomes-NJ.com for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (residential, commercial, multi-family, farm, land)

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  

The township of Medford will celebrate it's annual Dickens Festival, Saturday, Dec. 1st.

It's the official Medford start to the Holiday season! Kicking off the festival will be a tree lighting ceremony in the Main Street Gazebo at 18 North Main Street at 6:15 p.m.

Sponsored by the Historic Medford Village Association, its held on historic Main Street (Rt. 541). It starts at 6pm and runs until 9:30pm.   (Rain date is Dec. 2nd, 3-6pm.)
 
Area residents and visitors are encouraged to stroll through Medford's historic village and into the past to experience an 18^th Century Dickens' Village lined with dimly lit lampposts, quaint shops trimmed with twinkling lights and dressed for the holidays. 
 
Carolers will sing and hand bells will ring throughout the evening as patrons browse through the Village's many charming boutiques and eateries.  There will be live music, refreshments, Victorian trolley rides, horse drawn carriage rides, visits with Santa Claus, strolling Dickens' characters and musicians, and a live nativity scene at Tomlinson Park (across from the Pinelands Library).  All events are free!
 
This is a great evening out for couples, families and groups of friends. Lots of food, music, entertainment, historic walking tour, carriage rides and more.

Click here for more details.

What National Geographic has to say about 
The Historic Medford Dicken's Festival:

In conjunction with the Dickens Festival, the Medford Township Municipal Alliance is pleased to announce that the popular Teen Dickens Fest FREE special event for area teens is again being offered.    Last year's event attracted almost 900 teens, as this is their special social event of the season.   Scheduled from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. at Allen School, festivities will include live music, dancing and activities especially for local teens in grades 6 through 12.
 
The evening will begin with dancing and live music provided by four area teen bands.  Challenging big-toy inflatables will be set up in the gymnasium for participants to enjoy throughout the event.  For a relaxing opportunity to sit and chat with friends, "coffeehouses" offering food and beverages will be set up for middle schoolers & high schoolers in two adjacent classrooms.  In addition, awesome door prizes such as IPODs, MP3 players, boomboxes and bicycles have been donated by many local businesses, and will be drawn every 30 minutes.  Teens must be present to win.

Fellowship Alliance Chapel (FAC) is the co-sponsor of this activity, and will be providing their impressive sound and video systems to make for an exciting event.  Fellowship Alliance Chapel will also be providing complimentary munchies throughout the evening.  This teen event is FREE and no pre-registration is required.

(Source: Medford Twp PR)




Visit my web site for additional resources and services: LawrenceYerkes.com
  
and visit BestHomes-NJ.com for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (residential, commercial, multi-family, farm, land)

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  

Copyright 2007 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved.

For those of you that enjoy music and have an interest in learning more about it or even trying your hand at playing music or perhaps even writing your own, there is a ton of information throughout the Internet.   I've provided some links to help you isolate and locate information about musical chords, scales, chord progressions plus software you can download on your PC or handheld.

Online Virtual Piano (lookup up and analyze chords, scales, some with audio)

Piano Room:  Chords and Scales    (Site: LookNoHands also has Guitar Room in it's ChordHouse)

8Notes.com: Piano Chord Chart

Virtuall Piano Chords  (plus Interactive Virtual Piano Keyboard, Audible Harmonized Piano Scales)

Piano Chords(and online game)

teoria  (music theory on web - tutorials, exercises, articles)

For Palm Handhelds:
ChordLab - a tool for song-writers and musicians in general assists with chord spelling tasks. Features a built-in Circle of Fifths and chord finder for when you know the pitches, but not the chord.  (Also check out other music resources by RoGame.)

McChords- displays the notes of sixty chords and forty-eight scales. It also has a four octave (six if your device has a collapsible graffiti area) playable piano with pitch pipe capability. The key and chord are selectable via onscreen buttons. There is an option to play the notes of a chord or scale as well as a pitch pipe.

BeatMatch- for determining how many beats per minute (BPM) is the music your are hearing or in your head.  Also works as a metronome. (free)

Metronome - free metronome with many features, including a 16 beat cycle, presets and user patterns. You can build up simple or complex rhythmic patterns with a choice of three tones for each beat and an option to select different notes, to match the key of the piece that you are playing.  Tempo is selectable from twenty up to three hundred beats per minute, with a tap tempo feature. A selectable autostart feature will start the metronome after a configurable number of steps. Allows you to see and/or hear beat patterns.

BanjoChords- shows basic chords for the Banjo: Major, Minor, 7th, and Minor 7th chords in A thru G keys (open 'G' tuning). (free)



Click here for more music education and enjoyment resources provided in previous blog articles.


Click here for more BreakTime articles




For real estate resources, help and support services in acquiring or selling properties in New Jersey,
Visit my web site: LawrenceYerkes.com
    
and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to shop for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).   
  
Copyright 2007 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved.  
 

The ninth edition of the "Truth in Renting" guide is now available online for viewing and download (as a PDF file) through the Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards (DCA/DCS) website.

The guide, which is now obtainable at no cost, includes an outline of the various laws and responsibilities that apply to residential tenants and landlords in New Jersey. Landlords are responsible for disseminating the booklet to tenants upon entering into a lease. 

The DCA/DCS  Bureau of Homeowner Protection's web page provides a Landlord-Tenant Information Service where, in addition to the "Truth in Renting" guide, landlords and tenants can obtain forms, bulletins and explanation of laws, regulations and renter's rights.

Landlord-Tenant laws may be accessed on-line at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us.gov/.  (Source: NJAR)




Note: If you are a rentor, click here for our Rent vs Buy calculator resource page to determine if you should continue renting or consider purchasing a home.



For real estate resources, help and support services in renting, acquiring or selling properties in New Jersey, Visit my web site: LawrenceYerkes.com
    
and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to shop for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).   
  
Copyright 2007 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved. 

The 2007 Annual Commercial Real Estate Show (2007 A.C.R.E.S.), presented by TriState REALTORS Commercial Alliance experienced another successful event on Thursday, Oct 26, 2007.  It's theme was, "Building Bridges, Making Connections". 

Besides the exhibitors representing service providers and leading practitioners in the Delaware Valley commercial real estate industry, a big feature was the Corporate Real Estate Executive Panels.

The panel members were primary members of established organizations involved in the commercial real estate industry either as brokers, clients or service providers.  Three main topic areas were covered and some key points from the discussion are summarized below... 

The Investment Outlook for the Delaware Valley
1. The market is becoming more dynamic and the area is just starting to be seen as a global market center.
2. Where 6 months ago everything worked, in the past 60 to 90 days credit availability has made financing more difficult to do. 
3. Global markets have taken up some of the slack.
4. Mezzanine Loans - not much liquidity.
5. Market should strengthen out, but not back to where it was.
6. Price of capital has increased, creating opportunities for well capitalized buyers.
7. High leveraging of upward of 95% is gone for now.  Best to expect is 80% or lower.
8. Uncertainty creates opportunities for those who have the capital to take advantage of it.
9. Last 3 years were equivalent to prior 10 years.  Pace is still tremendous, but driven by a different buyer.
10. Foreign buyers, using Euro dollars providing a 4-5% discount against value of U.S. dollar.
11. German, Italian and Middle East buyers are most active in area.
12. Fundamentals look good for 2nd half of 2008.
13. A larger % of institutional investors are putting money into real estate.
14. There has been a slow down in last 3 months, resulting in a lag that will benefit the 1st quarter of 2008.
15. Corporate gains will have an effect.
16. When looking at standard B class office property with good location: pricing will be down about 10%, cap rates will be in the 5% area or less.
17. Multi-family properties are still aggressive, much better than most other players. Due in part to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae being very active in the multi-family arena.
18. Prices may take a little dip, but sellers will hold from market until they can get their price.


Retailers' Site Requirements & Expansion Plans
The panel was represented by a range of site buyers and tenants, that are planning on acquiring (lease and/or purchase) from 5 to 500 sites per year, with sizes ranging from 500sf to over 40,000sf.
1. Some work only with preferred developers within an area, but will of course work with brokers who are representing property that may be of interest.  Others not working with anyone specific but preferring established local brokers.
2. All want information to be supplied electronically, with property information, pictures (important), good site plans, maps, parking and demographics tuned to their type of business requirements.
3. Price points were critical.
4. Franchises were especially sensitive to franchise owner's first 3-5 years cash flow requirements during startup, and were seeking aggressive rent reductions for for those first 3 to 5 years to allow location sales to take hold (at minimum first 2 years are critical). Numbers need to work for the franchisees. They are more flexible on the back end to offset the discounting up front.
5. Some franchises require their store owners to remodel every 8 years, so they want 8 year leases.
6. Most of those on panel were looking for community shopping centers or property convenient to the community it will serve; and power centers.
7. Most are not looking for lifestyle shopping centers, feeling that they are too expensive at this point in time and most don't provide the convenience they desire.
8. Some have found their most successful stores to be in the inner city.  Ofen working with a reduced foot print.

Office/Industrial - Topic Challenges in Corporate Real Estate
1. Some owners are using brokers to sublet properties.
2. One of the biggest challenges is where labor is difficult to attract and maintain.
3. Looking for "B" class for branch offices, operations and off-shore.
4. Centers are having difficulty hiring when long driving times required.
5. For attracting knowledge workers, you need to be near "center of gravity" of cultural, entertainment, recreation and sports.
6. Technology changes require careful planning and upgrades.  Sometimes cost analysis shows that it's cheaper to start over than remodel.
7. Buildings get "tired" after 7-8 years.  Often cheaper to move out and start over.
8. 1st priority is parking and phone/communications service.
9. High performance buildings obsolete more quickly.
10. To bring a "tired" building back to state-of-the-art may require putting 25% back in improvements.
11. In 8-10 years you will have to retrofit IT at least once during the time span.
12. Lease terms are critical with flexibility.
13. Many, especially the larger leasers, preferred triple-net leases with flexible lease terms as they felt they could control costs better.
14. Flexible lease terms are most critical.
15. Those that used competitive bidding for leasing and services stated that "the best and final" is when they stop lowering their price.
16. Recompete contracts on a regular basis.
17. Facilities cost is in excess of 10% of lease cost.
18. Tenant improvement allowances were made in to turn-key operations with competitive bidding.
19. LEEDS projects - concern that a lot of people want to put "plaque on door", then nothing happens.
20. LEEDS projects - need to be cost effective up front and over long-term.
21. LEEDS projects - sustainability is key, not plaque or points; developing buildings that will NOT be functionally obsolete as soon.

Keynote Speaker
The event was topped off by a luncheon and keynote speaker, Charlie Pizzi, President and CEO of the Tasty Baking Company.  The company and it's Tastykake brand is an icon of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley.  Prior to joining the company in 2002, Charlie was president and chief executive officer of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and prior to that he was Department of Commerce Director for the City of Philadelphia.  His discussed how his background in the public service sector was a great asset for working with state and local governmental organizations to help keep the company in Philadelphia, and obtaining public sector financing to move the company to the Naval Shipyard (Philadelphia Naval Business Center) and to implement a state-of-the-art manufacturing and headquarters facility.  He pointed out the importance of developing networks in the public sector and effectively leveraging them, stressing that its takes fortitude and patience to work through the details, but the results are well worth the effort.

 
The TriState REALTORS® Commercial Alliance is the preeminent advocate for the Commercial and Industrial practitioner in eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
 
 
Click here for last year's summary report.
 



Visit my web site for our additional services and experienced support: LawrenceYerkes.com
   
and visit BestProperties-NJ.com to learn more about our commercial services and resources.   
  
Copyright 2006 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved. 

Here are some of the Realty Reality blog articles that appeared during the month of October:
  
Energy Efficienty Ranks #1 In Consumer Green Building Priorities
A new survey conducted for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) confirms that a desire for greater energy efficiency drives consumers to choose a green-built home... 
 
Three Things Every Seller, Buyer and Their Agent Should Know
In today's market, it's not only the agents who need to be on their toes when it comes to staying ahead in the changing market, but buyers and sellers as well. Here, three agents discuss the three most important things every one involved in the real estate transaction needs to know...

Americans Prefer to Spend More on Mass Transit and Highway Maintenance, Less on New Roads
Three-fourths of Americans surveyed believe that either being smarter about development or improving public transportation are both better long-term solutions for reducing traffic congestion than building new roads, according to a survey sponsored by the NAR and Smart Growth America.  The 2007 Growth and Transportation Survey details what Americans think about how development affects their immediate community, and traffic congestion was a top concern. Nearly half of those surveyed think improving public transit would be the best way to reduce congestion, and 26 percent believe developing communities that reduce the need to drive would be the better alternative. Only one in five said building new roads was the answer...

Down-Payment Assistance Programs Cut By Government 
For a decade, credit-challenged homebuyers have used a regulatory loophole that lets them get Federal Housing Administration mortgages without putting their own money down, while at the same time avoiding costly subprime loans. About 7,000 buyers per month were exploiting the loophole, and now the feds are squeezing it shut...

Selling Tactics: Buyer's Incentives for a Slow Market
In a slowing market, sellers can find it tempting to believe in magic solutions. With unsold inventories growing in most areas, some sellers resort to offering flashy incentives for buyers. Everything from big-screen TV's to vacation packages are being tacked onto listings in the hope of luring in interested buyers. In truth no amount of flash or gimmickry will change how buyers feel about your home's core qualities, but incentives that appeal to a buyer's wallet can be effective in certain situations...

Using Programmable Thermostats
One of the smartest ways for homeowners to cut down on energy costs is to install a programmable electronic thermostat. While commonplace in new construction, many older homes rely on manual mercury thermostats...

Ameridream Rescued by HUD Until 2/29/2008
At the request of AmeriDream, HUD has voluntarily agreed today that the HUD rule banningseller-funded down payment assistance will not be effective with respect toAmeriDream until February 29, 2008. HUD will recognize all applicationsthat have a signed sales contract prior to the effective date, according toits Congressional testimony...

Federal Reserve Beige Book October 2007 Report
Anecdotal reports from the Federal Reserve Banks suggest economic activity continued to expand in all Districts in September and early October but the pace of growth decelerated since August. Growth was similar to that observed in the last Beige Book in seven Districts--Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis. The economy grew at a slower rate in five Districts--Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, Richmond and San Francisco. The expansion was variously characterized as "moderate," "modest" and "mixed."...

Mortgage Applications Increasing
Demand for loan applications to purchase homes and refinance existing mortgages rose last week, after total loan requests fell the prior two weeks, an industry trade group said Wednesday...

White House To Help Mortgage-Holders
The Bush administration announced a new mortgage industry coalition on Wednesday aimed at helping homeowners avoid being trapped in a rising tide of foreclosures...

HUD Awards Over $18 Million To Fight Housing Discrimination
This week The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded 88 grants totaling $17.1 million to recipients in 37 states and the District of Columbia to help fight housing discrimination...

Skydiving In New Jersey
Leading Skydiving dropzone and training facilities are available in New Jersey and the Delaware Valley.  Click here for my blog article about my recent first-time skydiving adventure with daughter and son this past weekend...




For real estate resources, help and support services in acquiring or selling properties in New Jersey, Visit my web site: LawrenceYerkes.com
    
and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to shop for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).   
  
Copyright 2007 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved.