James Boyer's Blog: All Categories

The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation present: 

Jeff Greenfield, senior political correspondent, CBS News
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 8:00 p.m.
Location: Dorothy Young Center for the Arts
Tickets: By Subscription Only 

Subscription-only Events: Get exclusive access to two intimate lectures: Jeff Greenfield on October 17 and Jon Meacham on March 27. Patrons enjoy reserved seating in the beautiful concert hall in Drew’s Dorothy Young Center for the Arts and on-campus parking for both lectures. Single-event tickets will not be offered for sale to the general public.

Priority Seating in the Simon Forum: Get special seating for the Madeline Albright and Newt Gingrich lectures in the Simon Forum.

Discounted Pricing: Get more than 10% off tickets.…

Headline News, The largest discount Real Estate brokerage in New Jersey, Foxtons is closing down and going out of business. 

As reported on CNBC, Foxtons will stop doing business as they are out of money and cannot continue to pay their employees.

It will lay off 350 of its 380 workers and intends to keep 4,400 listings on the market.
Senior vice president John Blomquist tells The Asbury Park Press the company no longer has the liquidity to operate as a going concern.
Foxtons was founded in 1999 on the principle that consumers shouldn’t pay a 6 percent commission. Agents were paid salaries and customers were charged 2 percent. The company was sold in 2004 and eventually commissions were raised to motivate agents to show Foxtons’ homes.  via…

To read part 1 of this 2 part series go to the FSBO fatal mistakes part 1. Fatal Mistake 4: Selling a home is a complex legal process. If you’re not using a real estate professional, hire a real estate attorney to review the paperwork and make sure you’re obeying all the applicable regulations involved. Expect to pay the real estate attorney from $800 to $1,300 depending on your area and how much help you need. Do not hire any other type of attorney; they will not know what they are doing. Pay an escrow agency or title insurance company to prepare closing statements and documents, and hold earnest money if your attorney is unwilling to do this. Certain forms must be filled out and filed with proper authorities, or fines can be levied. Other forms, if… Read Full Post

To read part 2 of this 2 part series go to the FSBO fatal mistakes part 2. Fatal Mistake 1: Owners who try to sell their own home are prime targets for bargain hunters who will try high-pressure to force you into taking offers far below market value. In other words, they want to “steal” your home. These may be market-savvy “sharks,” who will disappear if they can’t get what they want, or they may turn out to be excellent buyers who will pay a fair price if you don’t roll over for their initial, “lowball” offer. Remember, too, that the reason you’re trying to sell your home yourself is to save the money you would ordinarily pay for the Realtor fees & not give that savings & more to the buyers. Many buyers who approach “For Sale By Owner” properties… Read Full Post

Wonderful Fully Renovated 3 Bedroom Home

Fresh On The Market & Priced to Sell $494,500

48 James Street, Morristown, New Jersey 07960 

Open House Sunday September 30th 2007 1pm to 4pm

 Want to see more pictures www.48jamesstreet.com

 Property Details

• 3 Bedrooms
• 1 Bath
• Formal Dining Room
• Better Than Move In Condition 
• Trex Style Deck
• Maintenance Free Privacy Fence
• All New Windows
• New Roof
• New Siding
• Fresh Paint
• Refinished floors
• New New New

Magnificent 3 bedroom, wonderful outdoor spaces as well as indoor spaces.  Pride in ownership is evident with this home.   Fabulous gourmet…

It is that time of the week again.  Time to look at the homes that are actively for sale in the Midtown Direct towns.  In the past few weeks we started to see inventory and days on market starting to build again.  This week continues that trend.  It is not that a over abundance of homes are being listed, it is just that the banks are not lending and so many people who should be able to get a mortgage cannot, and many people have been so frightened by the news media, that they will not even look at homes.

The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates one half of a point so far.  What good does this do though if the banks will not lend?  Interest rates could be at zero but if the banks will not right loans to the average American it just will not matter. …

As the major condo projects near the Morristown central green continue to move forward, one condo project in Morristown New Jersey will not be moving forward anytime soon. 

Plute Homes had gained approval to develop  a site on Court Street in Morristown, just behind and above the Morris County Courthouse.  This site is a very steep, and difficult piece of land and rock to put any sort of development.  Prior to getting approval for this development there were 6 homes on this mountain like property, but they have since been torn down.  Now the lot is full of weeds and not much else.

Plute Homes had planed to build a 66 unit project on the 1.3 acre lot, with 4 of them being townhomes and the rest being condominiums.  Along with these Plute was going to…

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates this week.  Does this help to solve the problems in the national real estate markets.  Not really, first off there is no such thing as national real estate markets.  There is barley such a thing as a New Jersey real estate market.

Back the what the Fed did,  they cut interest rates half a point this week.  This is a step in the right direction, but by far is not the solution to the problem.  Here in Morris County, Union County, & Essex County New Jersey almost every home buyer needs to borrow more than $417,000 to purchase a home.  The type of loan home buyers need to get here is New Jersey is what is called a non conforming loan.  These are loans that are not insured by Friedy Mac or Fannie Mae.  Currently if you…