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Spirit Spikers in Clinton NJ
The Holidays begin in earnest in Clinton this weekend with Dickens Days, a Victorian style celebration with exhibits, tours, music and performances along Main Street and at the Hunterdon Historical Museum.
A nice write up about The Red Mill in Clinton NJ - Click on picture below:
Paintings by Ted Mueller
Clinton Mill
by Ted E. Mueller
(Addison, IL. U S A)
I hope you enjoy! Jean Villa
Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving! from Jean Villa
Love to Shop in Flemington NJ at the Outlets? There is Midnight Madness!
Get a jump on your holiday shopping with special savings during the biggest sale of the year at Liberty Village Premium Outlets in Flemington. Most stores open their doors at midnight right after Thanksgiving; some will open even earlier. Check here for extended hours, store promotions and time sensitive savings discounts. Located at 1 Church Street, Flemington - 908/782-8550
Jean Villa
NJ Warren & Hunterdon Counties
Weichert Real Estate Agent 908-319-9556
See Listings along Route78, save searches, & receive listing alerts:
http://www.RealEstateRoute78.com
http://www.JustListedNJhomes
Minimum Credit Score for FHA loans is currently 600!!
For now, borrowers with a credit score down to 600 can close on a home mortgage. I can set you up with a mortgage rep who can help you.
Are you a homebuyer that has been denied preapproval for a mortgage for a low credit score?
Please contact me and I can provide you with a credit consultant who can coach, correct and rebuild your credit by many points within 75 days. I can also provide you with tips on how improve them in order for you to get a home loan within a year or 2.
If you are an interested buyer in West Central NJ, please contact me, Jean Villa, Weichert Realtors on 908-319-9556 or email me on JVilla@Weichert.com.
OFFER AND ACCEPTANCE - OPEN HOUSE WILL PROBABLY BE CANCELED!!
 
 
DIR: 78W Ex 3, Rt 519N, pass traffic lt, Lft on Overlook Complex, 1st Lft on Overlook, 2nd Rt on Highland
Enter this Liberty model End-Unit on a nicely landscaped Cul-de-sac location via front porch. Home features 1st flr Master BR ste complete w/ tray ceiling, 2nd flr view, 2 closets-1 a walk-in, bath w/ jetted tub, shower stall and washer & dryer area. 1st flr offers dining rm w/ gleaming hardwood floors, eat-in kitchen w/ adjacent breakfast nook, dshwasher, pantry and hardwood floors. Living rm provides a gas fireplace, tray ceiling & sliders to deck. 2nd flr offers 2 bedrms w/ dual windows, a loft that could be used as an office or small family rm. Partially finished walk-out bsmt to outside patio holds a family rm, workshop & large storage rm that can be converted to ofc, sewing room, etc. Ceiling fans accompany most rooms.
Jean Villa, Weichert Realtors - Real Estate Agent
Search and save listings along the Route 78 corridor from Lopatcong, Stewartsville, Clinton, Annandale, Flemington NJ and more at:
www.RealEstateRoute78.com OR www.JustListedNJhomes.com
HEALTH NEWS - Tips to Try & The Conspicuous Cucumber
•1. Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. Connected, they ripen faster.
•2. Peppers with three bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
•3. Peppers with four bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
•4. Use a wet cotton ball or Q-Tip to pick up small shards of glass you can't see easily.
•5. Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
•6. Sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper to keep squirrels away.
•7. Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip if you have a clingy skirt or dress.
•8. Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Pour out the hot water and add the sticky substance. It comes out easily.
•9. To warm biscuits, pancakes or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in the microwave with a cup of water. The water will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
•10. To get rid of pesky fruit flies, mix ½ cup apple cider vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid into a cup. Flies will be drawn to the cup and gone forever.
•11. Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so but it works and you don't have to worry about small children or pets.
•12. Remove the fine film on your dryer's lint filter with soapy water and a toothbrush. The film comes from the dryer sheets and may be responsible for burning out the heating unit. If you pour water on a filter laced with this invisible film, the water won't go through. Cleaning lengthens the life of your dryer.
•13. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day. Just one cucumber contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.
•14. Feeling tired in the afternoon? Eat a cucumber. It will provide a good pick-me-up that lasts for hours.
•15. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a slice of cucumber along the mirror. It will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
•16. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices of cucumber in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent that makes pests flee the area.
•17. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite or wrinkles. Rub a slice of cucumber on the problem spots. The photochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of wrinkles and cellulite.
•18. Rub a freshly cut cucumber over your shoe for a quick and durable shine that looks great and repels water.
•19. Rub a slice of cucumber along a squeaky hinge for silence.
•20. Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in boiling water. The chemicals and nutrients will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that can reduce stress.
•21. A slice of cucumber pressed to the roof of your mouth for 30 seconds can remove bad breath.
•22. A slice of cucumber can bring shine to faucets, sinks or stainless steel.
•23. The skin of the cucumber can erase ink, crayon, and marker stains.
| Q1: |
Why buy a house? |
| A1: |
Here are some frequently cited reasons for buying a house:
* You prefer to be an owner rather than to rent. *You need a tax break on your income taxes. The mortgage interest deduction can make home ownership very appealing.
* You are not counting on price appreciation in the short term.
* You can afford the monthly payments.
* You plan to stay in the house long enough for the appreciation to cover your transaction costs. The costs of buying and selling a home include real estate commissions, lender fees, attorney fees, and closing costs that can amount to more than 10 percent of the sales price.
* You can handle the maintenance expenses and problems.
* You are not greatly concerned by dropping of home values.
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| Q2: |
What home can I afford to buy? |
| A2: |
Knowing what you can afford is the first rule of home buying, and that depends on how much income and how much debt you have. In general, lenders don't want borrowers to spend more than 28 percent of their gross income per month on a mortgage payment or more than 36 percent on debts. It pays to check with several lenders before you start searching for a home. Most will be happy to roughly calculate what you can afford and pre-qualify or pre-approve (as Weichert Realtors - Financial Services does) you for a loan.
The price you can afford to pay for a home will depend on 6 factors:
1. Gross Income
2. Amount of cash you have available for the down payment, closing costs and cash reserves required by the lender
3. Your outstanding debts
4. Your credit history
5. Type of mortgage you select, and
6. Current interest rates
Another number lenders use to evaluate how much you can afford is the housing expense-to-income ratio. It is determined by calculating your projected monthly housing expense, which consists of the principal and interest payment on your new home loan, property taxes and hazard insurance (or PITI as it is known). If you have to pay monthly homeowners association dues and/or private mortgage insurance, this also will be added to your PITI.
This ratio should fall between 28 to 33 percent, although some lenders will go higher under certain circumstances. Your total debt-to-income ratio should be in the 34 to 38 percent range.
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| Q3: |
What is the standard debt-to-income ratio? |
| A3: |
A standard ratio used by lenders limits the mortgage payment to 28 percent of the borrower's gross income and the mortgage payment, combined with all other debts, to 36 percent of the total.
The fact that some loan applicants are accustomed to spending 40 percent of their monthly income on rent -- and still promptly make the payment each time -- has prompted some lenders to broaden their acceptable mortgage payment amount when considered as a percentage of the applicant's income.
Other real estate experts tell borrowers facing rejection to compensate for negative factors by saving up a larger down payment. Mortgage loans requiring little or no outside documentation often can be obtained with down payments of 25 percent or more of the purchase price.
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| Q4: |
How much will I spend on home maintenance expenses? |
| A4: |
Experts generally agree that you can plan on annually spending 1 percent of the purchase price of your house on repairing gutters, caulking windows, sealing your driveway and the myriad other maintenance chores that come with the privilege of homeownership. Newer homes will cost less to maintain than older homes. It also depends on how well the house has been maintained over the years. |
| Q5: |
Where do I get information on housing market statistics? |
| A5: |
A real estate agent like me is a good source for finding out the status of the local housing market from their MLS system. So is your statewide association of REALTORS®, most of which are continuously compiling such statistics from local real estate boards. |
This is so true. We spend so much time home staging, advertising, open houses and more to get buyers in and if a house is over-priced, there will be no offers. Via Buki Burke Ventura Coastal Real Estate (Prudential California Realty):
If your home has been for sale for more than 100 days you're probably tired of looking at the for-sale sign in your front yard. If you want to sell your property now and get on with your life, pay close attention: Your price is too high!
In good markets or bad, price is the key factor in selling a home. Regardless of location or condition, any home will sell at the right price.
Properties that sell fastest sell closest to list price. Those that are on the market longer sell for much less than those which were priced realistically when it was first placed on the market. This is especially true in a declining market, such as we have had.
Pricing a property is a complex exercise. Many factors are considered in preparing a comparative market analysis, and of these, experience is the most important. When sellers ignore a properly-prepared CMA and insist on listing their property more than 2% above recent closed sales, they are making a big mistake which will ultimately cost them dearly.
Realtors do not determine market value. Neither do sellers. Market value is the amount a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept for a specific property. Sellers should never price their homes based on what other sellers are asking. The only prices that matter are those of comparable homes that have recently sold.
Buyers want a good deal, and will not knowingly pay too much. They are selective and price-conscious, and look at many propertiesbefore making a decision. The property they eventually choose will be the one which gives them most of their want and needs at a price they perceive to be fair market value, and in this kind of market, what they consider a "deal".
Some sellers believe it's easy to get market price, and that a Realtor's job is to sell the property for whatever the seller wants or needs. Some believe if they wait long enough, a buyer will come along who is smart enough to have the money and income to buy the house and too dumb to know it's overpriced. Not likely. Buyers also want to see a market analysis.
A common seller statement is "we're in no hurry; we'll just leave it on the market until we get our price." In fact, the longer a home is on the market the less likely a seller will receive asking price.
Some sellers say "If my price is too high, buyers can always make an offer." True, but they usually won't. Many realtors won't show overpriced homes, except maybe to convice clients what a good deal a competing property is.
Sellers often tell their agent that they must sell at a certain price because they need the money. Real Estate Economics Law #1 is that "a seller's need for money does not increase the market value of the home." If you were a buyer, would you pay a premium for a home just because the seller needs more money?
Sellers often say, "Couldn't we just try it for a couple of weeks?" Of course they could, but 90 percent of the showing and previewing activity happens in the first two weeks. These buyers are looking for a specific house and are called by their realtor to see the new listing. They need to be captured, as they are probably the best buyers.
When a property hasn't sold, sellers think their agent is not exposing the property to enough buyers. No matter how much exposure their home gets, it won't sell if it's overpriced, and if it did, it probably would not appraise.
Pay attention to the pricing of your home. The long market time will cost you thousands of dollars that rightly belonged to you.
This is so true. We spend so much time home staging, advertising, open houses and more to get buyers in and if a house is over-priced, there will be no offers.
Via Buki Burke --(805)377-0236 Prudential California Realty (Ventura, California):
If your home has been for sale for more than 100 days you're probably tired of looking at the for-sale sign in your front yard. If you want to sell your property now and get on with your life, pay close attention: Your price is too high!
In good markets or bad, price is the key factor in selling a home. Regardless of location or condition, any home will sell at the right price.
Properties that sell fastest sell closest to list price. Those that are on the market longer sell for much less than those which were priced realistically when it was first placed on the market. This is especially true in a declining market, such as we have had.
Pricing a property is a complex exercise. Many factors are considered in preparing a comparative market analysis, and of these, experience is the most important. When sellers ignore a properly-prepared CMA and insist on listing their property more than 2% above recent closed sales, they are making a big mistake which will ultimately cost them dearly.
Realtors do not determine market value. Neither do sellers. Market value is the amount a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept for a specific property. Sellers should never price their homes based on what other sellers are asking. The only prices that matter are those of comparable homes that have recently sold.
Buyers want a good deal, and will not knowingly pay too much. They are selective and price-conscious, and look at many propertiesbefore making a decision. The property they eventually choose will be the one which gives them most of their want and needs at a price they perceive to be fair market value, and in this kind of market, what they consider a "deal".
Some sellers believe it's easy to get market price, and that a Realtor's job is to sell the property for whatever the seller wants or needs. Some believe if they wait long enough, a buyer will come along who is smart enough to have the money and income to buy the house and too dumb to know it's overpriced. Not likely. Buyers also want to see a market analysis.
A common seller statement is "we're in no hurry; we'll just leave it on the market until we get our price." In fact, the longer a home is on the market the less likely a seller will receive asking price.
Some sellers say "If my price is too high, buyers can always make an offer." True, but they usually won't. Many realtors won't show overpriced homes, except maybe to convice clients what a good deal a competing property is.
Sellers often tell their agent that they must sell at a certain price because they need the money. Real Estate Economics Law #1 is that "a seller's need for money does not increase the market value of the home." If you were a buyer, would you pay a premium for a home just because the seller needs more money?
Sellers often say, "Couldn't we just try it for a couple of weeks?" Of course they could, but 90 percent of the showing and previewing activity happens in the first two weeks. These buyers are looking for a specific house and are called by their realtor to see the new listing. They need to be captured, as they are probably the best buyers.
When a property hasn't sold, sellers think their agent is not exposing the property to enough buyers. No matter how much exposure their home gets, it won't sell if it's overpriced, and if it did, it probably would not appraise.
Pay attention to the pricing of your home. The long market time will cost you thousands of dollars that rightly belonged to you.
Thank you for your tips. I will try these ideas out and see how well they work. Via Jeremy Blanton (210 Consulting~ Social Media Advisors):
The concept of getting your website to the first page of Google seems like an almost impossible task to many. People spend months writing  more and more content for their site, getting backlinks, and editing things without ever getting your website to the first page of Google. You feel defeated when your site stays on page 17 and just won't budge. Then one day you get a call from a company who promises “if you give us $395.00 per month, we will put your site on the first page of Google.” The part that these telemarketers neglect to mention is that the moment you stop paying them, your website will drop faster than lead balloon. As a former real estate agent, I used to get these calls regularly.
So, how can you actually get your website to the first page of Google? Well, there are a couple of really basic principles that you’ll need to implement. The “basics” are just that – basic. Before I share these, first you need to learn to not over-complicate things. Here are 3 easy steps to getting your website to the first page of Google:
1. Good, solid, keyword-rich content. So what is quality keyword-rich content? Basically, it’s content that gives something of value to consumers and search engines. You need to have keyword-rich posts that answer the questions your consumers have. Do not just spit out some random words and call it a post. If you write just to write and do not really have purpose, you are basically wasting your time if you are trying to get business. Develop a gameplan for your content and stick to it.
Ten well-written, targeted, keyword dense posts will bring a greater result than 100 posts that are thrown together quickly, with topics all over the place, and which contain piles of typos, grammatical errors, and more. This is a prime example of the principle of quality over quantity for the greatest result possible.
2. Writing Consistently on Your Blog. Many times people start working on getting their website to the first page of Google and after the first month or so they simply give up. One of the key factors to getting your website on the first page of Google is to consistently offer fresh content on your site. The easiest way to do this, of course, is to integrate a blog into your page.
You don’t need to have a Masters degree in English to have an effective blog. You just need to publish 2-3 good, quality posts each week that offer valuable content to your readers that are also written with your primary keywords in mind. One of the biggest excuses that I hear is that a business does not have time to write. According to HubSpot, businesses who blog receive 55% more visitors than companies who do not.
Here’s a simple time management strategy: On the weekend or whenever you have a few spare hours, (watching a football game, relaxing by the fire, etc.), sit down and write 2 or 3 really good quality posts. Then, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday you can launch these pre-written posts. You can then take the rest of the week to respond to comments, etc. To the consumers and search engines, it appears as though you have written new content on three different days.
This practice is far healthier for your rankings than writing a bunch of content one day, then waiting 7-10 days to write more. Why? The search engines are constantly visiting your page to index more content. The freshness is important when it comes to Google’s indexing algorithm. Also, they see a constant stream of new stuff instead of a bunch on one day, then a week of dormancy until you get around to posting again. This is also helpful for your consumer audience of readers. If you publish 3-4 posts all at once, the likelihood of those posts bringing you good consumer traffic from those subscribed to your blog is minimal. Most consumers will read maybe one post, but will not have the time, attention span, or energy to read multiple posts.
3. Link, Link, Link! The more sites that are pointing links at your page (especially when titled with the keywords you are  trying to achieve) will produce a great return. One easy way to get some great links pointing to your site is to make sure you have added your business site to your profiles on any and all networks you participate in. Links from higher ranking sites help the search engines realize that these sites recognize your website.
It is kind of like when Oprah endorsed KFC’s new grilled chicken promo. In no time, there were over 2 million coupons printed and many were left missing out on the promotion because of lack of supply. Links from reputable sites make your own site seem more reputable.
One thing for sure, you need to make positive that the links you insert places are actually working for you. Many networks block the search engines from following the links to prevent spam. (I will be writing more about this in the future.)
Another great way to get links, is to ask your friends and family members to place a link on their blogs, websites, etc. Two things with regards to linking: do not pay a link farm service. Search engines don’t value these links – I could go into great detail about why, but just rest assured that it’s a waste of time and money. The other tip is to not do a reciprocal link when possible. This means, if your brother links to your site, do not put a link back to his.
A detour. An easy alternative to reciprocal links is to have a link triangle. In this case, your brother links to your site, you link to your parents, and your parents link to your brother’s page. All links are one-way and none are going back and forth. The more links you can have pointed at your site, the better it will help in getting your website to the first page of Google. You can think of each link as a “vote” for your site.
If you implement just these three tips, it will help get your website onto the first page of Google. Obviously, there are plenty of other factors that contribute to this phenomenon. If you take these and not only integrate into your website, but also into your blog, the most vital part to your website, you will start seeing results in a rather quick fashion. These three items I discussed alone can make or break the effectiveness of a website.
If you have any questions, let me know. And by the way, 210 Consulting- Social Media Advisors offers some really great personal coaching taught by myself and Jason Crouch on this subject.
Photo Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mklingo/245562110/ & http://www.flickr.com/photos/spiderpop/2798740868/
OPEN HOUSE - Overlook - 1111 Highland Ct, Lopatcong NJ $269,900 - Sun Sept 19th from 1 to 4 pm
http://1111highlandct.epropertysites.com/
DIR: 78W Ex 3, Rt 519N, pass traffic lt, Lft on Overlook Complex, 1st Lft on Overlook, 2nd Rt on Highland
http://1111highlandct.epropertysites.com/
Enter this Liberty model End-Unit on a nicely landscaped Cul-de-sac location via front porch. Home features 1st flr Master BR ste complete w/ tray ceiling, 2nd flr view, 2 closets-1 a walk-in, bath w/ jetted tub, shower stall and washer & dryer area. 1st flr offers dining rm w/ gleaming hardwood floors, eat-in kitchen w/ adjacent breakfast nook, dshwasher, pantry and hardwood floors. Living rm provides a gas fireplace, tray ceiling & sliders to deck. 2nd flr offers 2 bedrms w/ dual windows, a loft that could be used as an office or small family rm. Partially finished walk-out bsmt to outside patio holds a family rm, workshop & large storage rm that can be converted to ofc, sewing room, etc. Ceiling fans accompany most rooms as well as a phone system w/ intercom.
Jean Villa, Weichert Realtors - Real Estate Agent
Search and save listings along the Route 78 corridor from Lopatcong, Stewartsville, Clinton, Annandale, Flemington NJ and more at:
www.RealEstateRoute78.com OR www.JustListedNJhomes.com
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