REAL ESTATE IN KEARNY/NEWARK....FROM A REALTORS VIEW

Circle of life requires the snow day.. the peaceful lull of fresh fallen snow on the warm earth gives all a chance to breath and renew.......
and create potholes the size of Arizona!!!.. and help stimulate the economy in car repairs, hospital visits, winter clothes and the wonderful gas use as your cruise around the city looking for space to park your car. Heaven help you if you move the chair or cone or broken ladder that someone has staked out as their own.  SevereNJWeather on Facebook has been the perfect forecaster, telling us that Puxatawny Phil was right... 6 more weeks of winter so.... suck it up lollipop.. 
The buyers we have are all waiting for the spring thaw to defrost the home seller from his home, allowing him to see other homes in warmer climates that loosen the bones, and their needs for new vistas and horizons. Those same sellers we help market their homes for the maximum amount of dollars in the least amount of time using internet, paper and person to person advertising.. we hold their hands through the process,and make it as stress free as possible.  We work with the title company, attorney, and the other realtors to coordinate inspections and appraisers.. and then.. we help them pack their belongings on the moving truck... and ask them to leave behind the cone or chair for the new owner to put in his city snow fort of a parking space. 
If I can help, shoot me an email to Homes@MCoutoRealtor.com thank you  201-997-7860 x16
Posted in:General
Posted by Manuel Couto, CRS, CRB on February 19th, 2014 3:04 PM
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/02/04/gov-christie-declares-state-of-emergency-in-nj-for-winter-storm/

The amazing part is,as long as we have power, and internet, the work continues.  Paperwork, questions and phone calls.. Roads are still being cleared with the knowledge that soon, the towns and state will run out of road salt.... and yet..
The Real Estate market still has buyers.  Today, I was blessed to field 14 calls for buyers for properties from Elizabeth at 508 S Bond St ( 9 calls) one call for 9 5th St Ridgefield Park, and 4 calls to let me know status on emergency repairs for a property we hope to close soon on Dewey St in Cliffiside Park...That does not include emails from lenders throughout the United State checking on status' of loans, rekeys, releases and if we have snow removal schedules (yes).. and it's only 2:45 pm.  
I am home, working remotely, but unable to drive on the icy roads in my town (we must have run out of salt early, ha ha)...

In case buyer are reading this... 508 S Bond in Elizabeth we will be having a buyer open house before the first look period expires and will send out emails to all buyers that emailed me earlier for appointments (Homes@MCouto.com).  First Look is the first 20 days a property is listed that Fannie Mae will not consider any investor offers, only owner occupant offers.  (Owner occupants must occupy the property as their primary residences for 365 days within the first 30 days of closing.. it does not matter if it's cash or financing.. those are the rules).

All listings go on GSMLS/NJMLS/Hudson MLS either separately or in combination with the other mls to give our properties maximum exposure. 

Shoot me an email with any questions.  Homes@MCouto.com
Posted in:General
Posted by Manuel Couto, CRS, CRB on February 5th, 2014 2:49 PM

Here we are on September 7, 2010, late at night, the TV is off, and nothing is going on in outside or inside. Just the chirping Crickets, and the dogs waiting to go outside for the last grass killing adventure of the evening.

 

What I want to know, is where is this economy heading?  All this talk of double dips is very possible, but this weekend while watching news from Washington, two prominent economists (that and the weatherman can be wrong and still be considered Great) mentioned one thing that I was noticing.  We have just about bottomed out in the economy. How much lower can property values, jobs, hope or dreams get before something breaks. 

 

Realtors are touting the dream and affordable of home ownership, but Maslov's theory that first must come security before dreaming of stability is true.  People are afraid of the job market, and others are just lazy and happy to take the Government dole for as long as they can without looking (since they can't make what they made before the economy crashed) for work. And yet others have remodeled their lives and now work on their own, in the public sector, or doing volunteer work that, if they did not get the government assistance, they would never have done.

Roads are being closed, opened and closed again as the only real jobs (beside government) is for the highway department.  And yet, you can't complain since it's a job and helps pay the bills. Banks will always make money.. gee whiz, they've got it to a science, and only Wall St and the Government when they tried to regulate did the "old boy" network figure out a way to kill the fatted calf.. now what.

Sounds like a long rabble, eh?  Not really.  Just wondering what the next phase of this economy will bring before the "Recovery" starts...

 

peace and prayers to all.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Posted in:General
Posted by Manuel Couto, CRS, CRB on September 7th, 2010 6:54 PM

Hello fellow reader

    Thank you for reading and if you have time, please comment.   I have been reviewing market conditions, current listings and recent sales and under contract properties... and what I have found is....

    1.  Listings are taking longer to sell

        2.  The amount of pre-foreclosed properties, or rather, homeowners that have fallen behind on their payments has increased

        3.  Approximately 10% of the homes on the market, and on the mls are NOT really for sale because the homeowners are not motivated enough to sell and the Realtors ® have not taken the homes off the market.

    4.  Some sellers are no longer selling but would rather either wait or rent until they get what they feel they need/want/the house is worth.

        5.  Many lenders are still not in a position to lend and make their loan program offerings match with the style of homes for sale.  (Foreclosed homes and short sales cannot have as many conditions as an end user owner occupied home).  FHA buyers may be handy, but if the house needs work, many times the utilities cannot be fully functional for the appraiser. Gas and heat cannot work if their is no plumbing, or damaged plumbing.  The same goes for Conventional financing terms and conditions.

    6.  There are many a good Realtor® and mortgage lender that are about to lose their homes because of the economy.

    7.  We, the American People are trying to get out of Debt today, by borrowing Tomorrow..

        8.  This recession/depression is different from the last two that I have been through mostly because of a lack of hope and the ease of a government handout.

        9.  The buyers that are buying, still have HOPE, Still have DREAMS, still have the desire to better their own lives.

        10.  AND today's buyers are more knowledgeable, and better informed to the loan process and buying process than buyers from the 90's.

      11.  People are still selling to move up, move down, buy a second home, and buy their first homes.  How?  LOW interest rates and price roll backs to home prices from almost 10 years ago.  The gains will take LOTS of time to catch up.                

 

    But what dear reader, does this mean to you?  It means that Buyers are still buying, sellers are still selling and as the economy struggles to gain a footing and stop the free fall market place of 2007 and 2008, and early 2009, Life Goes On.  

Any opinions, please share them. Thank you for reading.  Mannie      

        

    

       

    

    

    

 

Posted in:General
Posted by Manuel Couto, CRS, CRB on December 1st, 2009 5:54 PM

 

(Edison, NJ) Reacting to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®' (NAR) 2009 Third Quarter Metro Home Prices/State Resales report, New Jersey Association of REALTORS® (NJAR®) Executive Vice President Jarrod C. Grasso, RCE, today issued the following statement:

"The real estate climate in New Jersey is heading toward stabilization. Existing home sales in the state rose 8.5 percent in the third quarter of 2009, compared to the third quarter of 2008. This pace outperformed the national rate of resales, which is up only 5.9 percent when comparing the third quarter of 2009 to that of 2008. This is also the second consecutive quarter-over-quarter increase in New Jersey this year.

"The jump in third quarter activity in New Jersey as a whole can largely be attributed to the summer and early-fall rush of first-time home buyers aiming to close in time to obtain the $8,000 tax credit. Thankfully, President Obama's approval of an extension of the tax credit will allow those purchasers extra time to close on their first home since the expiration is now extended until April 30, 2010. The legislation also expanded the tax credit to offer $6,500 to repeat buyers. These incentives, paired with the passage of increased loan limits from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae available through December 31, 2010, make for a prime opportunity for various buyers in this market.

"New Jersey's eight metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) are becoming more affordable and attainable for those buyers looking to make the Garden State their home. Median prices of existing single family homes have declined yearly when comparing the third quarter 2009 to 2008. However, each of the state's MSAs has shown a quarter-over-quarter increase in sales price. This demonstrates that the federal stimulus incentives are showing promise by bringing more first-time and repeat buyers into the arena, thus fueling competition in the marketplace."

# # #

 

More reasons to call your local Realtor, Manuel Couto, at the Rosa Agency in Kearny, NJ.  Smart Choices Made Easy

Posted in:General
Posted by Manuel Couto, CRS, CRB on November 17th, 2009 12:09 PM

Well, WE Are Half Way There.

 

THE TAX CREDIT is HERE!!!   But jobs are still scarce, and you're still afraid of tomorrow.  What do you do?  What happens to "my job" and how can I pay a mortgage if I buy a house?  Will the bank throw me out?

 

Well, darn it. Doing nothing will not create any new jobs, or bring back old jobs.  But, if you take advantage of the lowest prices in the last 10 years to buy an AFFORDABLE home, a STARTER home, and in many cases your Mortgage payment after tax savings is LESS than what you would pay in rent.. and you have to live somewhere.

You can live in your own house, pay your own mortgage and work towards a forced savings plan into your own future.. AND take advantage of the Tax Credit that is AGAIN, there for YOU.  A chance to Make Smart Choices Made Easy.  Call Manuel Couto,CRB of the Rosa Agency at 201-997-7860 x16 and ask me how.

Posted in:General
Posted by Manuel Couto, CRS, CRB on November 15th, 2009 11:25 PM
 
EXPANDED HOUSING TAX CREDIT APPROVED TODAY BY BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS!!
 
(SeeDetails in Red Below!)   
 
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted 402-12 to approve an extension and expansion of the popular housing tax credit and, they hope, supporting the fragile housing market until the economy improves. The Senate passed the measure 98-0 Wednesday; the bill will now go to the White House, where President Obama is expected to sign it.

The tax credit approved today will take the housing market into the critical spring selling season.
 
To receive the credit, buyers must sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and close on the home by June 30, 2010.  As was the case with the credit that has been in use for most of this year, the extended credit will provide first-time home buyers up to $8,000, depending on the price of the home and their household income.
But there are several important differences, too. The newly approved tax credit also covers people who have lived in their homes for at least five years; they can claim a credit of up to $6,500 if they purchase a new home. Finally, Congress raised the income limits on the program, which will now allow singles who make up to $125,000 and married couples with a household income of $225,000 to be eligible for the
credit.
Posted in:General
Posted by Manuel Couto, CRS, CRB on November 5th, 2009 5:20 PM

I know, it's been a while.  A long while. About 3 months, right?  The market has been very busy.  Not just the foreclosure sales, but regular sales. Buyers looking to take advantage of the $8000 tax credit, or to take advantage of the low prices and fantastic interest rates.

I wonder how long this will last?  It's almost back to business as normal (as normal as 10 years ago) but the difference is, this economic growth is built on the future of my grandkids.  Scary, right? You see, with the Government taking control of so many different companies, and offering the banks 0% interest loans while the banks offer YOU and I 5% loans (a 5% profit from the beginning), the money has to come from somewhere.  I heard someone say, the Government.... yes.. Them.. or actually US.  The Treasury prints up the money, and doles it out, but it's still YOUR money.

 

Who knows, maybe it really is the best way to keep us out of the recession.

Posted in:General
Posted by Manuel Couto, CRS, CRB on September 20th, 2009 11:32 PM

ok, in a Nutshell... The US Government, to stimulate the economy, and to make home buying possible for Millions of American first time buyers has offered to give an $8,000 tax credit. BUT... it will be expiring soon. 

Log into http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-072.cfm for the complete HUD press release,

 

or. this is straight from YouTube.. and it best explains how the credit works.

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qeDp_w3oiqg&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qeDp_w3oiqg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

Posted in:General
Posted by Manuel Couto, CRS, CRB on June 21st, 2009 11:45 AM

Well, if you ask me for hard data, I can get it to you from both the GSMLS and the NJMLS...

REAL ESTATE IS UP IN ACTIVITY...All the entry level homes are  being snapped up by buyers that are more afraid of missing the chance to buy a home they can afford- VS -Waiting longer for prices to drop.

Yep, Activity is up. Case in point.  Last week I checked Clifton Sales (not the actives) and there were 42 sales of single family homes in the last 3 months, but in the last 2 months 92 homes have been placed under contract.

If I can be of any help, please do not hesitate to call me at the office at 201-997-7860 x16, or my cell at 973-417-8060.

 

Posted in:General
Posted by Manuel Couto, CRS, CRB on April 8th, 2009 10:52 PM

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