REDUCE YOUR PROPERTY TAXES NOW!!

Many homeowners are finding their taxes to be very high. This is the BEST time to do something about them. Assessed values are surprisingly found to be higher than the actual value of the home. Typically, the assessed value should be lower. If you are finding your property taxes too high you can now get them reduced! Take advantage of this market now and get your taxes reduced! Find out more information HERE. Give us a call to see how to get started.

DealsInNJ Sales Team
Cheryl Dare & Dan Mauz
Keller Williams Realty
856-685-1633

Sellers Caputuring Buyers In the Winter Months

Attention Sellers: More Buyers Expected

The new tax credit – coupled with low mortgage rates and the supply of affordably priced homes on the market – may give many people who had been ambivalent of buying that extra nudge to step into the market. And in contrast to the first-time home buyer credit, the new $6,500 credit is available to a larger part of the population, with higher incomes.

This is “a gift of $6,500” that could help cover closing costs or renovations. Over the next couple of months we suspect we’ll get a lot more people – who were in no hurry to buy before – to make a move a little earlier.


The Slow Months Won’t Be As Slow
The renewed tax credit is obviously good news for buyers, but it’s even better for sellers.

That’s because the real estate market is headed into what is traditionally the slowest months for real estate sales – October to April. Typically, sellers are advised that a home on the market in that time will probably get the least attention from buyers and attract lower offers than in busier periods. But the credit should renew interest in the market during those typically slow months -- and compel sellers to take advantage of any influx of buyers. Waiting for the Spring to list your home will be too late for sellers in this market.

Cheryl Daigle & Daniel Mauz
DealsInNJ Sales Team
Keller Williams Realty
Ofc: 856-321-1212

TAX CREDIT EXTENDED!!!!!!!!!

Well here it is...what everyone has been asking me about and wondering if this day would ever come! For first-time homebuyers it sure has....AND now for move-up buyers as well! Thats right...for anyone who has owned their home for 5years you are eligable for a $6,500 credit! Take a look at this article from Philly.com!
Email us with any additional questions to see if you qualify.

Extending the $8,000 Tax Credit?

Find out what congress is saying about the impact of extending the $8,000 tax credit will have on our economy. The government has already paid out 2x as much as they expected this year for this credit. Many are in hopes that it will be extended once again and raised to the originally proposed $15,000 in order to help those move-up buyers and not just first-time homebuyers.

Obviously, the credit is keeping us Realtors very busy but what are your thoughts?

Team DealsInNJ

Keller Williams Realty
856-321-1212

Ever Wonder Why Realtors Don't Quote Square Footage?

I just had this EXACT question last night from a buyer, "Why is the square footage not listed in the MLS?"
The article below featuring a lawsuit in Oklahoma will tell you exactly why!!

Although many buyers like to rely on square footage to compare potential homes and prices; we find as Realtors that we put ourselves in tremendous risk when doing so. Any possibly inaccurate information we provide online about a property can put us as well as our brokers in the position to be sued.
I find myself conflicted on topics like this. We as Realtors must abide by a strict Code of Ethics. If square footage is included in the MLS from a deemed reliable source, like in this case where it was obtained from the local tax assessor, then the buyer and sellers best interest were at hand. With any home purchase or sale it is the buyer's responsibility to complete their due diligence and make sure they are working with a Realtor that is doing the same for them.

Any thoughts from you folks out there?
We would love to hear from you.

ARTICLE:
Lawsuit over Square Footage Proceeds


Oklahoma’s highest court has considered whether to affirm judgment in favor of a real estate broker and seller in a dispute over a home’s square footage.

Michael Presley (“Seller”) listed his home for sale with his mother, Linda Presley (“Salesperson”) of Century 21 Bob Crothers Realty (“Brokerage”). Richard and Dana Bowman (“Buyers”) made an offer to purchase the home, and the parties agreed upon a $145,000 purchase price. The Brokerage listed the property’s size as 2890 square feet in the MLS. The Brokerage stated that it had obtained this information from the local tax assessor’s office. The Buyers claimed their purchase was motivated by their desire to acquire a larger home and they had based their offer for the property was based on the property’s listed square footage.

Following the closing, the Buyers received an appraisal report listing the property’s actual size as 2187 square feet. The Buyers later obtained an earlier appraisal made at the time Seller purchased the property also listing the square footage as 2187. The Buyers filed a lawsuit against the Salesperson, Brokerage, and the Seller for fraud, breach of contract, and also alleged violations of the state’s license laws against the Broker and the Salesperson. The lower courts ruled in favor of the Salesperson, Brokerage, and the Seller, and the Buyers appealed.

The Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma reversed the lower courts and ruled that there were issues of fact that needed to resolved by a jury. The lower courts had found that the Buyers could not claim fraud because the inaccurate square footage information had not harmed them, as the appraisal had also valued the property at more than $145,000 and so the Buyers did not have any damages. .

Next, the court considered whether the Brokerage and the Salesperson had violated the Oklahoma license laws by misrepresenting the size of the home. The Brokerage and the Salesperson argued that they had relied on the information provided by the county assessor’s office and also there was a disclaimer in the MLS stating that “this information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed”. The court found that the state’s license laws prevented “substantial misrepresentations” and required licensees to “exercise reasonable skill” in performance of duties. Committing fraud while performing brokerage duties would constitute a breach of the state’s license laws.

The court sent the case back to the trial court for further proceedings.

Bowman v. Presley, 212 P.3d 1210 (Okla. 2009).

Team DealsInNJ

Cheryl Daigle & Daniel Mauz

Keller Williams Realty

856-321-1212

For Sale: 5BR/3BA Single Family House in Buena, NJ, $205,000

For Sale: 5BR/3BA Single Family House in Buena, NJ, $205,000

Shared via AddThis

Better to Buy or Rent in this "Perfect Storm?"

With housing prices down significantly in many parts of the country and interest rates low, it may be an affordable time for twentysomethings to buy that first home.

 Kimberly Walsh, a 27-year-old Human Resource Representative in Camden County, NJ., purchased her first home in August. She were able to capitalize on what we call a "perfect storm" -- job stability, a desire to settle down, a surge in home foreclosures and the $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers. Kim felt her buying experience in this market gave her "a lot of options. There was always something new to choose from, and I found the perfect one."

Still, the move was not without its concerns. "Would I be able to afford this home comfortably?Do I have enough for a down payment? Do I have enough for moving? It's really nerve-racking when you're first doing it," said Ms. Walsh..

Here are some questions to consider when deciding if buying or renting is the right choice for you:


1. How long do you plan to stay in your home? "There are high transaction costs associated with buying and selling" a house. Home buyers should plan to stay put for at least four to five years to make it worth their investment.

2. Can you handle the monthly expense? While a monthly mortgage payment may be comparable in some cases to a monthly rent, there are other expenses to consider. To help with this a buyer consultation with your realtor and meeting with a reliable Mortgage Representative is critical. Knowing your fees upfront will relieve a lot of worries down the road.


3. To get a feel for the financial burden you'll be taking on -- and to see if you can handle it -- "practice" making payments. Each month, set aside projected mortgage and property-tax payments, maintenance costs, utilities and any other home-related expenses into a separate savings account.

4. What's the price-to-rent ratio? Home prices have come down significantly in some areas of the country, but "nobody knows what tomorrow's going to bring in the housing market".

To determine whether it makes more financial sense to buy or rent in your area, compare home sales prices with the cost of renting a similar place.


5. What is your job and relationship status? Twentysomethings are still getting a grasp on their futures and a constantly changing lifestyle might require the flexibility of renting. But "if your career stability is strong, you are comfortable doing what you're doing … and you are committed in some form to your lifestyle, buying a home becomes a more attractive option."

Are you ready to take advantage of the "perfect-storm?"

Cheryl Daigle & Daniel Mauz
DealsInNJ.com

Keller Williams Realty Ranked #1 In Customer Satisfaction

Keller Williams ranked first among home buyers in the annual J.D Power and Associates 2009 Home Buyer/Seller study. The study measures customer satisfaction with the largest national real estate companies. The most significant factor is the buyer/seller experience with the practitioner.

Other factors include overall experience with the office and satisfaction with special services offered, like referrals to inspectors and lawyers. Home sellers also rate marketing. The 2009 Home Buyer/Seller Study includes more than 3,100 evaluations from 2,801 respondents who bought or sold a home between April 2007 and June 2008.

Among the related findings:

Home sellers report that, on average, 3.2 open houses were conducted for their property in 2009, compared with 4.5 in 2008.


Approximately 64 percent of home sellers used a Web site listing to market their home in 2009, up from 61 percent in 2008.

Here are the home buyer rankings on a 1,000-point scale. (The home buyer average score was 791.)

1 – Keller Williams, 806
2 – Coldwell Banker,
3 – 801 RE/MAX, 798
4 – Century 21, 795
5 - Prudential, 781
6 - ERA, 744
7 - GMAC, 731

Here are the home seller rankings on a 1,000-point scale. (The home seller average score was 786.)
1 – Coldwell Banker, 815
2 – Keller Williams, 801
3 – RE/MAX, 784
4 – Century 21, 770
5 – Prudential, 753


(NOTE: ERA and GMAC were included in the study but not ranked due to a small sample size.) Source: J.D. Power and Associates (07/30/2009)