Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Are you a new home buyer?

Recently I went out with a couple in their early to mid twenties looking to purchase their first home. They currently rent, but realize that an important aspect of financial freedom is owning your own home. They are great clients. Great clients because by the 2nd house they posed several wonderful questions that all first time home buyers should know. I'll share a few here in my blog.

(1) As a first time home buyer when should we start evaluating mortgage companies?
(2) How do we find that comfort area between what we can afford and what we qualify for?
(3) Once we find a house what are the next steps with making an offer?

These questions put their financial health in the forefront and keep potential surprises to a minimum as we move forward with finding them a home. If you are a home buyer that would like help answering these questions for your individual circumstance please contact me.

Happy house hunting!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Just the Facts for Moorestown Real Estate - Pointing Down?

November Real Estate Numbers for Moorestown
Moorestown Real Estate Data - November 2006 vs November 2007

Homes listed for sale:      28 vs 26
Homes sold:                   16 vs 13
Days on market:             100 vs 114
Average sale price:        $573,156 vs $508,769
Average list price:         $659,183 vs $475,527

All signs point down when comparing Moorestown's real estate market for the month of November 2007 against November 2006. Yet, we are still over the $500,000 mark for the average sold price, we have historically low interest rates for current buyers and one month doesn't make a year. For the year we will be about flat when we compare the 2006 real estate statistics to the 2007 real estate statistics. When considering to sell your home in this market remember that it will take longer to sell and pricing is key.

Keep coming back to this blog to learn more about the Moorestown real estate market and local real estate trends. Or if you want a FREE consultation regarding your property and the impact the trends will have on selling it please contact me.

Based on information from TREND MLS for November 1, 2006 to November 30, 2007

Monday, December 3, 2007

Just the Facts for Moorestown Real Estate - All Things are Relative

October Real Estate Numbers for Moorestown
Moorestown Real Estate Data - October 2006 vs October 2007

Homes listed for sale:      52 vs 38
Homes sold:                   15 vs 12
Days on market:             61 vs 59
Average sale price:        $544,926 vs $538,728
Average list price:         $549,251 vs $703,223

Monthly trends can be deceiving; however, it is a good snapshot of what is happening in the market. Is supply increasing, staying the same or decreasing? Are prices for homes increasing, staying the same or going lower? As you can see for Moorestown there is a slight price decline in the average sale price homeowners captured from a year ago. Yet, when you compare it to 2005 and further back it is up. All things are relative and as the year progresses we will be on track to do the same number of transactions as we did in 2006.

Keep coming back to this blog to learn more about the Moorestown real estate market and local real estate trends. Or if you want a FREE consultation regarding your property and the impact the trends will have on selling it please contact me.

Based on information from TREND MLS for October 1, 2006 to October 31, 2007

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Just the Facts for Moorestown Real Estate - The Changing Market

September Real Estate Numbers for Moorestown
Moorestown Real Estate Data - September 2006 vs September 2007

Homes listed for sale:      34 vs 56
Homes sold:                   11 vs 8
Days on market:             75 vs 86
Average sale price:        $680,250 vs $350,187
Average list price:         $688,479 vs $577,420

All trends are showing a slowing market for Moorestown real estate. Supply is increasing while the average sale price is declining. However, one month does not make a trend. During the first six months of 2007 Moorestown had a few more houses sold than we did in 2006 during the same period.

Keep coming back to this blog to learn more about the Moorestown real estate market and local real estate trends. Or if you want a FREE consultation regarding your property and the impact the trends will have on selling it please contact me.

Based on information from TREND MLS for September 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007

Saturday, October 6, 2007

MiPro Stands -- History Made in Mount Laurel, N.J.

As Matthew Stoloff indicated to me via e-mail it appears the decision will stand regarding Mount Laurel vs MiPro case. For further information take a look at Petition Denied. Thank you Matthew for providing the link and let Matthew and I know what you think. Should this decision stand?

Friday, October 5, 2007

Just the Facts for Moorestown Real Estate - Should you sell now?

August Real Estate Numbers for Moorestown
Moorestown Real Estate Data - August 2006 vs August 2007

Homes listed for sale:      39 vs 41
Homes sold:                   28 vs 16
Days on market:             49 vs 80
Average sale price:        $591,954 vs $698,937
Average list price:         $572,451 vs $881,736

As you will see there are wide fluctuations from month-to-month. It is important to remember real estate is local and although one month will be up the next month in the same year could be down significantly because of seasonality market forces. For a complete understanding of the annual trend contact me

Based on information from TREND MLS for August 1, 2006 to August 31, 2007

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Use of Eminent Domain - Mt. Laurel vs MiPro

As a resident of Moorestown this article regarding the use of Eminent Domain by Mt. Laurel Township caught my eye. To read about it visit the article in the Burlington County Times

At first I was shocked and concerned how in the United States that the right of an individual (or in this case a business) to own property could be stripped away. Yes, open space is very important and useful to every community, but something about this ruling concerns me. What is next? Will the economics of purchasing a property really slow townships from acquiring land? Will land owners truly get fair market value or the potential value the land would be worth fully developed?

This ruling's impact is still unknown, but in my mind it just became a little tougher for land owners. What do you think?

For more intellectual analysis and some historical perspective regarding Mount Laurel Township v. Mipro Homes, LLC visit the following sources and then let me know what you think about this ruling.

(1) A Taste of Things to Come?: Eminent Domain in the Name of Population Control by Matthew Stoloff

(2) Fresh Twist on Eminent Domain as seen in The New York Times

(3) Use of Eminent Domain to Halt Development by Vincent J. Mangini

(4) N.J. Supreme Court Affirms Eminent Domain Decision in Mt. Laurel v MiPro Homes by Bill Ward

(5) N.J. Justices say towns can seize developers' land - Ruling expands eminent domain by Kate Coscarelli from The Star Ledger as seen on New Jersey Conservation Foundation News Coverage

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Featured Moorestown Home

TOO LATE: RENTED - $1750 per month


3 beds, 1 full bath and half bath. This twin has granite counters, new oak cabinets, new hardwood floors, new powder room, new main bathroom, upgraded electric, new HVAC, new wall-to-wall carpeting, and much more. For more information contact B.T. Edgar & Son Realtors or visit www.MoorestownAreaHomes.com

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Just the Facts for Moorestown Real Estate - Moorestown Real Estate Data

In "Just the Facts" you will have access to monthly data from TREND MLS and learn:
(1) How many homes are listed for sale in Moorestown
(2) How many homes sold in Moorestown
(3) On average how long a home takes to sell a home in Moorestown
(4) Average sale price of Moorestown homes
(5) Average list price for a home in Moorestown

All this data at your finger tips 24/7. Or if you need a customized analysis for a specific town in the Moorestown area or certain statistics in Moorestown analyzed please contact me with your request by e-mailing:
NMoriuchi@EdgarRealEstate.com.

Moorestown Real Estate Data - July 2006 vs July 2007

Homes listed for sale:      64 vs 28
Homes sold:                   22 vs 30
Days on market:             66 vs 104
Average sale price:        $577,836 vs $551,136
Average list price:         $629,975 vs $650,875

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Message from the EVP of NJAR - Megan's Law

Recently Joyce Andreoli was asked by members of the New Jersey Association of Realtors about our ability to notify buyers when we are notified of a convicted sex offender in the neighborhood.

Here is the printed answer in the New Jersey Realtor August 2007 edition.

"No, you may not inform a potential buyer that there is a convicted sex offender in the neighborhood. In accordance with N.J.S.A. 2C:7-6 through 11 (Megan's Law) and the guidelines promulgated, licensees shall make no inquiry about and provide no information on notification from a county prosecutor issued pursuant to that law.
In response to requests for such information, licensees shall inform the person making the inquiry that information about registered sex offenders is maintained by the county prosecutor. The NJAR contract of sale contains a section that notifies the buyer that New Jersey law establishes an Internet registry of sex offenders that may be accessed at www.njsp.org."

STOP a potential new TAX on your home equity

As I was reading my August 2007 edition of New Jersey Realtor magazine I was informed about four legislative bills (A3190, A3341, A3387 and S2080) that would allow municipalities to impose their own local realty transfer fees.

In my opinion this is horrible. Why should homeowners have to pay another realty transfer fee? If passed this legislation will erode more of your home equity and provide you less money for your next home or retirement fund or _________. You fill in the blank.

To learn more about these bills you can contact Jarrod C. Grasso, NJAR's VP of Government Affairs, at (732) 494-5616 or contact your local representatives in the New Jersey Assembly or Senate.

Friday, July 27, 2007

New home sales fell 6.6% in June

As reported by The Wall Street Journal:

"The Commerce Department also said new-home sales dropped for the fifth time in six months in June. Sales of single-family homes fell 6.6%, a larger-than-expected drop, while the national median home price ws down 2.2% to $237,900."

Naoji Moriuchi's editorial:
Remember real estate is local. Yes, real estate is slowing more in other parts of the country, but take solice in Moorestown's
flat to growing median home price and the number of real estate transactions occuring in Moorestown. Stats to follow...

To Blog or Not to Blog?

Over the past several months I’ve debated whether I should start a blog relating to the Moorestown area real estate market. Common questions I asked were:
(1) How can I maintain the confidence of my clients while sharing valuable information to other buyers and sellers?
(2) Do I appear less professional by creating a blog?
(3) How much time will it take to provide valuable content to you, the reader?
(4) What is the goal of this blog?
(5) How do I keep the needs of buyers and sellers at the forefront of this blog?

The list continued on and on, but at the end of the day I decided it was important to provide this innovative real estate marketing solution for both buyers and sellers.

In establishing this real estate blog for the Moorestown area I developed one simple rule.
--> You, the reader, will always receive valuable information that can be used to make important real estate decisions while maintaining the confidence of my clients.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my initial post. Through it I hope you learned a little more about me and how I came to the decision of starting my blog on Moorestown real estate. Thanks again and please hit the RSS button to receive new postings from http://MoorestownOpenHouse.blogspot.com.