Can I use the expanded and extended tax credit program to buy a home in New Jersey if I don’t have perfect credit?

You might have thought that you couldn’t meet the deadline to qualify for a tax credit on a home purchase because your credit score is less than perfect.  But the expanded and extended tax credit program to buy a home in New Jersey is now law, and you have six more months!  That will give you some room to work on your credit score.
 
The extended tax credit program offers first time home buyers six more months to get a home under contract to qualify for the $8,000.  The expanded tax credit program allows homeowners, who’ve lived in their homes for five of the last eight years, to qualify for a $6,500 credit.
 
The first step to see if you can take advantage of the expanded and extended tax credit program to buy a home in New Jersey is to check your credit score, and work on improvements.
 
The best place to learn about your options to check your credit and increase your credit score is to speak with a mortgage professional.  You can click here for a list of active mortgage professionals in New Jersey…they’re part of the ActiveRain professional real estate community.

The higher your credit score, the easier the mortgage approval process.  Your credit score is made up of your payment history, the amount you owe, the length of your credit history and the types of credit you have.

Very simply, your credit score improves by paying bills on time, paying down credit card debt and having lines of credit.

But a mortgage professional after reviewing your credit report can offer suggestions to tweak your score.  It’s important to speak with some one experienced in the world of home finance because, while not mysterious, credit scores are quirky.
   
This simple step will get you on your way to taking advantage of the expanded and extended tax credit program to buy a home in New Jersey if you don’t have perfect credit.

If you’d like some suggestions on mortgage professionals I’ve worked with feel free to contact me.  And when you're ready to buy, give me a call!

Homes for sale in Tuckerton - October, 2009 Housing Market Report

Homes for sale in Manahawkin - October, 2009 Housing Market Report

The number of homes for sale in Manahawkin (inventory) was down in October, 2009 over 2008 by more than 100 units.  

As you can see, prices are also down.  With enactment and expansion of the homebuyers tax credit, I expect the prices of homes for sale in Manahawkin to continue to inch up.  The median sold price of homes in Manahawkin increased in October, 2009 more than $10,000 over September, 2009.

If you'd like neighborhood specific information on homes for sale in Manahawkin (Stafford Township, NJ), or are interested in pricing your home to sell, contact me via email or phone.

Keller Williams Realty - Atlantic Shore
Laura Giannotta
609-384-6121
Laura@JerseyShoreViews.com

Homes for sale in Little Egg Harbor - The October 2009 Housing Market Report

There are just over 300 homes for sale in Little Egg Harbor, NJ.  Last year (2008) at this time there were 435 single family homes for sale in Little Egg Harbor.   

Fewer homes were listed last month, and prices are inching up in Little Egg Harbor.  The median sales price in October, 2009 was $2,000 more than in September.  

With these market trends this might be the perfect time to buy or sell a home in Little Egg Harbor.

If you're looking for homes for sale in Little Egg Harbor, NJ, call or email me.  I'll get you the neighborhood specifics you need.

Keller Williams Realty - Atlantic Shore
Laura Giannotta 
609-384-6121
Laura@JerseyShoreViews.com

Homes for sale in Barnegat - The October 2009 Housing Market Report

Current inventory of homes for sale in Barnegat, NJ is roughly 188 single family units.  That compares to the huge inventory during the same month last year, 360 units.  

The market appears to be leveling out in Barnegat, NJ, so if you're planning to buy or sell a home in Barnegat call me for more information on neighborhood specifics.

If you're looking for homes for sale in Barnegat, NJ, call or email me.

The votes have been counted…it’s official.
  
New Jersey has a new Governor-elect, but exit polls reveal Garden State voters have little hope things will change!
 
Republican Chris Christie out polled incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine in voting yesterday with members of both political parties saying their most important concern was the economy and jobs. 

Second on their list of concerns is New Jersey’s high property and income taxes.
 
What’s most interesting though is that when asked who had a viable tax reform proposal, New Jersey voters said no one!
 
So is the outcome of this election change for the sake of change?

As the New Jersey gubernatorial campaign winds down, I'm left to reflect on yet another down and dirty Democrat versus Republican battle.

This year's campaign was dominated by scare tactics and the deceptive wording of campaign messages, something not new to New Jersey politics.

What was new this year was a formidable Independent candidate, who didn't catch the attention of the trade associations and the public early enough to garner the support he deserves.  

For example, even though the Independent received public campaign financing, the New Jersey Association of REALTORS (NJAR) did not include him on their gubernatorial website.  (You'll need your NERDS # to log in and view this site.)  

When contacted about the omission, I was told that the NJAR developed its site before the Independent qualified for public financing or was considered a contender.

This is not to say NJAR is the only one at fault, most newspapers with any circulation at all haven't given us all the information.  That said, I must note the state's largest newspaper endorsed the Independent for Governor and that caused other media outlets to expand their coverage.

If New Jersey voters really want to control government spending and bring down taxes, we need to demand information on ALL the candidates.  The Democrats and Republicans have failed New Jersey time and time again...perhaps there is another option.

Tomorrow's Election Day and the debate will turn to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) tactics, which is why we say here in New Jersey...

It's very easy to get lost in the New Jersey Pinelands...acres and acres of dirt roads and protected forests.  But there are some homes scattered throughout the huge area...many are still occupied by the families of those that built them long before anyone heard of the Pinelands Preservation Act!

Recently my friend, a bagpiper, was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a man who had few family or friends.  The funeral was to be held at a cemetery in a remote area of the New Jersey Pinelands.
 
Now even if you've grown up in southern Ocean County, it's very easy to become lost on the back roads of the Pinelands.

Well, my bagpiper friend became lost.  When he finally arrived, at what he thought his destination, he was over an hour late.  

But he saw the backhoe and the crew eating lunch.  However, the hearse was nowhere in sight. 

He apologized to the workers for his tardiness and stepped up to the side of the open grave where he saw the vault lid already in place. 

He promised the workers he would not hold them up for long but this was the proper thing to do.
 
The workers were a little puzzled, but gathered around and continued eating their lunch.

My bagpiper friend said he played with his heart and soul.  He played with such emotion that the  workers began to weep.

He played and played, closing what turned out to be a lengthy session with Amazing Grace.  He walked to his car, quite pleased with himself. 
  
As he was approaching his car, he overheard one of the workers saying to another, "Sweet Jeezuz, Mary ‘n Joseph, I have never seen nothin’ like that before in the twenty years I’ve been putting in septic tanks!"

Politics has always been considered sport in New Jersey.  From our locally elected Boards of Chosen Freeholders to our off year gubernatorial elections, New Jersey voters seem to relish our down and dirty campaigns.

But this year, our gubernatorial election scheduled for Tuesday, November 3rd, will have to vie for voter attention.  You see as much as we love a good political fight, we also love battling among ourselves in a north-south showdown of Philadelphia and New York teams!

So lining up on one side you have South Jersey (roughly Trenton and south) cheering their Phillies, and our neighbors to the north doing the same for their Yankees!

Me, I'm not paying much attention to either!  I plan to vote Independent and I'm a Mets fan!  

Little Egg Harbor, NJ has received help to preserve what's left of its maritime forest.  

At one time most of the Ocean County shore area  was covered with maritime forest.  But development in Manahawkin and Little Egg Harbor, NJ started fast and furious in the 60's and much of this integral part of the Jersey Shore ecosystem was lost.  These forests are an important stop for migratory birds, and a natural barrier during storms and hurricanes.  

Perhaps the largest preserved maritime forest in Ocean County, NJ is found at Island Beach State Park.  On Long Beach Island, the protected area around the Barnegat Light House has a 1/5 mile walk through what's left of the maritime forest there.  

.  .

Now, through the efforts of the Little Egg Harbor Natural Lands Trust Advisory Committee, the Ocean County Freeholders and the Trust for Public Land, these 46 pristine acres, which were once slated for 73 new homes, are protected.

It's located  off Radio Road on the southern tip of Ocean County and surrounded by both residential development and thousands of acres of protected tidal wetlands in the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and the Great Bay Wildlife Management Area.

.  .

The total purchase price for this 46 acre tract on Osborn Island in Little Egg Harbor was $3.5 million.