RE/MAX Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive!

Hey guys! It's almost Thanksgiving! Our office last year put together 97 full dinners for families in need and this year we are hoping to do it again. Read an article about us on nj.com 

If you would like to help again, please feel free to stop by the Pilsner Haus Biergarten in Hoboken (14th and Grand St) with a donation from the list below. If you are free you can hang out with us on Tuesday the 20th and help assemble the dinner baskets! 

If you come by on Monday with a donation anytime between 6-9PM we will buy you a 1/2 liter of Pilsner Haus Original! :-) So you see - a great reason to come by with some goodies in tow!!

I hope you can make it, and if you can't but would like to help, let me know and I can pick up your goodies either this weekend or Monday afternoon/night. 

Thank you for reading! And if you're already helping somewhere else --- right on!

xoxooxoxox

SHOPPING LIST - WHAT WE NEED FOR A MEAL

-Turkeys! (10 - 15 lbs)

- Stuffing (14 oz)

- Boxed Mashed Potatoes (15.30 oz) Canned Whole Potatoes

- Canned Veggies: 29 oz of

---French Cut Green Beans, Peas, Carrots, Corn

- Canned , cut yams (40 oz)

- Chicken Broth (48 oz)

- Cranberry Sauce (1 oz) 

- Gravy Mix (1.2 oz) or Jarred Gravy (16 oz)

- Mushroom Soup (10 oz)

- Canned French Fried Onions (1 can)

- Spices: Thyme, pepper, rosemary, parsley

- Large Oval Roaster Pan

- Martinelli's Sparkling Cider

- Entenmann's APple or Pumpkin Pies (Please check dates for freshness)

FRESH VEGETABLES and Pies are accepted on 11/19 only

OR $50 donation feeds an entire family - we'll do the shopping for you!!

Any questions please call me at (201) 355-6171 or call my office at (201) 795-0100

We are at 56 Newark Street Hoboken NJ 07030

The Pilsner Haus Biergarten is Located at 1422 Grand St Hoboken NJ 07030

Hurricane Sandy Hoboken Jersey City Update

Picture from 415 Newark St

Hurricane Sandy Update for Hoboken and Jersey City, I compiled info from different sites and put all together here for you and my clients.. below is the email I just sent in case you aren't on my list. 

"Hello friends, I hope this email finds you at least in good health. As I know many of you have suffered losses I wanted to send you some information to keep you updated in hopes that some of it will be helpful to you.

I am in the area, if you need help with something, please contact me.

Make sure to contact your insurance providers as soon as you can to start your claim filing process. If you find you need additional assistance please visit the below.

http://www.disasterassistance.gov .

This website consolidates the application process across several Federal agencies, including FEMA and the Small Business Administration. The website also reduces the number of forms you will ultimately have to fill out, shortens the time it takes to apply, and allows you to check the progress of your applications online.

If you want to apply by phone rather than the Internet, you can call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362).

VOTING INFO - Please visit the county clerk's office for instructions on filing a mail ballot via email by today at 5PM or to find your polling location.

HOBOKEN:
Red Cross is on site and Mayor Dawn Zimmer will hold a conference outside city hall today at 2PM.
Garbage trucks are out collecting but there is tons of debris and garbage in the streets still.
The Hoboken parks have been reported contaminated, please do not take your children or dogs to play in the grass until the city clears them ok.
Health inspectors are out checking on restaurants before they can open to the public.
Part of Hoboken still do not have power - check this map for live updates as streets get lit. goo.gl/maps/Kb4PP

Food distribution locations in town are 7 PODs (10am-4pm): High School, 76 Bloomfield St, 1st & Jackson, 220 Adams, 5th & Park, 9th & Jefferson, 13th & Willow
PATH trains remain suspended. NJTransit buses resume and NYWaterway ferry is running. Both reported long wait and long lines, add extra time for your commute.


JERSEY CITY:
Jersey City still has thousands of residents without power, downtown jersey city recently announced that Paulus Hook has power.
Residents from 689 Marin Blvd and 700 Grove were forced to evacuate due to a possible structural issue after flooding created a buoyancy issue. Article here

PATH trains remain suspended. NJTransit buses resume and NYWaterway ferry is running. Both reported long wait and long lines, add extra time for your commute.


Meal Distribution Sites for Monday, November 5th, 2012,
Updated @11:00am. 

Please keep in mind these sites frequently change. While the changes are mostly daily, they may also be every couple of hours on any given day. With such a fluid situation, residents are encouraged to check back here frequently.
Curfew: The city just announced that the curfew has been lifted for vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Hot Meals Will Be Served At the following sites at the approximate times on Monday, 11/5:

Country Village College Little League Field	1PM & 6PM
The HUB, 360 MLK Drive	1PM & 6PM
Curries Woods Community Center, 63-65 Ruby Terrace	1 PM & 6PM
Dr Ercel Webb Pool, 303 Van Horne Street	1 PM & 6PM
Boys & Girls Club 1 Canal Street	1 PM &  6PM
St. Paul's Lutheran Church Hall, 440 Hoboken Avenue	**5 PM**
Red Cross MRE Meals & Water, West Side Avenue & Sip Avenue	1 PM
Marion Gardens Community Room, Dales Avenue	1 PM

Update from Zog Sports and Volunteer Information

Dear ZogSportsNJ Member, November 2, 2012 Sandy Update We hope that everyone is safe and doing well after the storm. Like many of you, the ZogSportsNJ office is still without power, so all staff are currently working remotely. We really appreciate your patience with cancelling and rescheduling games. We're hoping to have some leagues back and running by Monday.   All games this weekend are cancelled and we will do everything in our power to reschedule games (see gym/field conditions below).Please visit our Facebook page or call the Weather Alert Hotline at 201-604-6478 for the latest updates on the status of your games next week. How You Can Help ZogSports isn't just about playing sports or having fun, it's also about caring. It's about helping those in need and making a difference in our community.  Following the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, volunteers and donations are desperately needed throughout the tri-state area, and we are committed to helping Hoboken and the surrounding areas get back on its feet.  So fellow Zoggers, let's get together, let's give back.  See below for how you can make an impact. Volunteer A group of Zoggers will be volunteering tomorrow (Saturday, 11/3 starting at 10am) at the Boys and Girls Club on Jefferson between 1st and 2nd to help with clean-up.  If you are available, we would love to have you join us... please bring boots, rubber gloves and any cleaning supplies you might have on hand as the Club is in really rough shape - see picture below. Let us know about additional volunteer opportunities on our Facebook page. We will be looking for ways to get the Zog community together to help out during the upcoming weeks. Donations Hoboken High School (8th and Clinton) is the primary location for donated goods! The city is in most need of the following items: blankets, coats, non-perishables specifically shelf-stable milk like Parmalat, canned goods, flashlights, batteries, and baby items such as diapers and formula! To make a monetary donation we recommend doing so through Party With Purpose. Gym & Field Updates Some facilities we partner with were hit especially hard. We are working to assist them in any way we can - please visit our facebook page for opportunities on how you can help these facilities and our community recover. Hoboken Boys & Girls Club Weehawken Waterfront Park Mama Johnson Field

Sandy and Your Closing, How Does The Hurricane Affect Your Transaction

If you are wondering how Hurricane Sandy will affect your closing here are a few things you will want to do.

One, reach out to your mortgage rep, once you or they have power, to ask how far out will your closing date be pushed back if at all. 

Of course if you were due to close this week, you are undoubtedly delayed. 

When natural disasters strike, mortgage companies will require an appraiser to do an inspection of the property, usually from the exterior, to see if any damage to your property was sustained before moving forward.  

This typically happens very quickly after a disaster, and many times the agents and people involved in transaction are not notified. Your mortgage company will update you and let you know the inspection was done.

If your property did sustain damage due to flooding or fire or sewage etc, you will need to discuss with your attorney your options so you can best make a decision on how to proceed. 

If property was not damaged, and all is ok your transaction will move forward as planned.

For Hurricane Sandy, the biggest hurdle right now from a real estate perspective, is the lack of power, this means documents can't be printed, communication lines are blocked and the obvious location of the actual closing is an issue. 

If timing is of critical importance, you should reach out to your attorney or your agent to contact other side. Perhaps an arrangement can be made, such as buyer moving in early or just moving in furniture and boxes until actual close. 

This is when, being nice and reasonable throughout a transaction can help in the face of a terrible stress filled situation as the case with Hurricane Sandy and the devastation to Hoboken and Jersey City.

Remember, there are many people involved in a closing, title company, insurance company, mortgage company, attorney's, buyer's, seller's and real estate agents, they all have to be able to participate in your close. 

Hoboken The Place For Singles

Hoboken once again is rated #1 for the top place to live if you're single. Bloomberg reported that Hoboken took the number one spot among 17 other cities across the nation.

For the study Bloomberg looks at the median household income for each single member against the national average and the amount of single people living in the area from the ages 15-64 citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau of 2006-2010.

According to the report Hoboken is at the top of the list with men in that age group taking home a median income of $94,500 and women making an average of $77,631. (Lily Ledbetter Act plug here please)

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median age for a first marriage increased to 26.1 for women and 28.2 for men in 2010 up from 25.1 and 26.8, respectively, in 2000

The Fiscal Times reports that the age for marriage has increased due to the weak economic recovery. I don't know if that in itself is enough to sway us to wait longer to hitch. Personally I think cities like Hoboken and NYC are filled with people that have a deep drive for success and it's difficult to build a relationship when you're worried about getting to the top or landing your dream job.

Could it also be that marriage just doesn't seem as appealing anymore to some? From a cost analysis perspective marriage is very expensive and then there's children.

Whatever the case may be, Hobokenites enjoy their happy hour after work and their night out almost any day of the week. And I say it's healthy to be on the scene for a while until you figure out what you really want in life and from a partner (in that order :) )

Whether you're looking to "Put A Ring on It" or "Mr Right for now", Hoboken is yet again the number one place to look! Search for a Hoboken home on my website.

Are you single by choice? Have you met someone in town? Would love to hear!

See what other cities made the top places to live for singles and how Hoboken compares

Hurricane Sandy Update In Hoboken

Some quick updates for you on Hurricane Sandy's impact thus far in Hoboken - be safe everyone! You can sign up for automatic text alerts from the city direct to your phone by registering here.

Tweeted by @TheBoken 

As Hoboken residents brace for another storm that is expected to do significant more damage than Irene, updates are streaming in live on Twitter via residents, bloggers and city officials.

As of earlier today, the city of Hoboken announced a curfew for all vehicles on the road after 4PM. Driving is not permitted in Hoboken after 4PM

Power outages are currently being reported in Southwest area in Hoboken

Trash pick up has been cancelled for today and tomorrow

Meter's are suspended today and tomorrow

Residents who live in ground level or basement apartments were ordered to evacuated by midnight last night.

Tweeted by @michaelStefano 

All Hoboken public schools are closed today and likely tomorrow.

Make sure you avoid all barricaded streets. Run off waters are a combination of sewer water and rain water. Be careful not to walk on streets with high water levels as man whole covers could be missing and you may step into a whole. Stay away from power lines for protection of possible electrocution.

All NJTransit service is suspended today through tomorrow

Just announced that the Holland Tunnel is closing NOW

Downtown JC picture courtesy of NJ.com

Shelter info:
The City will open a shelter at the Wallace School, located at 1100 Willow Avenue at 8pm. Residents going to the shelter may bring medication, a small toiletry bag, clothing for up to 3 days, and 3 days of baby supplies including diapers and formula. Pets are permitted and must be crated. Please bring enough pet food for three days. Residents who wish to donate non-perishable food for the shelter may drop off items at City Hall.

Day dreaming Wednesday Happy #Hump Day!

Caught myself daydreaming this cool Wednesday afternoon and I am staring at this amazing picture. The person that shared it had a caption with the picture and all it said was "morocco"... I would love to know where this is, Morocco is on my top 4 next destinations to visit <3 br="br">

Can't you picture yourself sitting here right now sipping a cup of Moroccan tea and a little pastry while watching the sun go down?

 

Or a glass of chilled white wine and a chic tunic on like this one? Ahhhhh

 

Want more Moroccan inspiration? Check out my blog post on decorating!

Happy Hump Day!!Where do you escape to?

Highest and Best - Again??

Yes, this week I participated in a highest and best, twice.

As most of you that are tuned into the current Hoboken and Jersey City Real Estate Market know, the current environment is extremely competitive. Multiple bids are now common place.

Well just yesterday, we submitted an offer for a property in Hoboken that ended up having a total of 7 bidders. And, get this. Four out of the seven, made the exact same offer of $31,000 above asking price.

So when the agent realized she had a four way tie, the seller's couldn't choose and they decided to have another highest and best.

Can you believe that!? Insanely nerve wracking for the buyer's involved.

Lesson learned, if you find yourself involved in a multiple bidding war, consider also what the other buyer's may be offering, if you think they will arrive at your number too, then throw in a little extra $$ to give yours the winning edge, you never know, it could literally be a matter of $100!!!

 Have you recently won or lost a bidding war? Share your experience!

Downtown Jersey City Monthly Market Update

It's The Downtown Jersey City Monthly Market Update!

The downtown Jersey City real estate market is also experiencing a shortage in inventory. Homes are selling close to asking and sales are down from August. However, this area has more new development and inventory sold direct that is not reflected in the MLS data, so I believe Jersey City is performing better than these numbers indicate. Buildings like 77 Hudson and Dixon Mills don't report sales to the MLS. Inventory shrank from 165 units to just 134.

Sales:
For the month downtown JC reported 25 sales down from 39 sales in August.
The Median List Price was $449,900
The Median Sale Price was $442,000 - a discount of just 1.7%
and The Median Days On Market was 36 days.

Pending:
In September 56 units were reported under contract.
Their Median List Price is $487,444
The Median Days on Market is 42 days.

With just 134 units for sale and an average of about 35 units selling per month, downtown Jersey City has an absorption rate of about 3.8 months indicating a seller's market.

Now could be a great time to sell your property and capitalize on this rare opportunity. If you are considering selling please contact me for a consultation.

Search for downtown Jersey City condo's here and select your price range and number of bedrooms.

Information provided by the Hudson County MLS deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Make sure to check back for my monthly Real Estate Market Condo Sales Updates