Southern New Jersey Overlook

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...




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