The Community Garden to be constructed in Naaman Williams Park will be completed in April and should be ready for use by residents on May 15, in time for the growing season.  There will be 34 plots available, each measuring approximately 14 feet long by 8 feet wide.  Those interested in obtaining a plot and participating in the Community Garden can click here and provide their name, address, phone number and e-mail address by May 1.  Residents that are unable to respond to the website may register by calling Environmental Commission Member John Walker, at 732-422-0894 in the evening.  Anyone interested in serving on the Board that will oversee the operation and maintenance of the Community Garden should so indicate in their response.   If more than 34 residents sign-up for the Garden by... 03/30/2010

The Franklin Township housing market is heating-up and the home buyers tax credit clock is ticking down!  If you wish more information, don't hesitate to contact me directly This week's Somerset homes for sale features 27 Open Houses throughout Franklin Township. Regardless of the listing agent, office or MLS service if you are not already contracted with an agent, give me a call/text or send an e-mail and I will be happy to arrange a personal tour of any listed property or open house that you might find on the Internet, print media or yard sign. At the time of posting the following properties are scheduled for an Open House, this coming Sunday. Generally, open houses are held between 1PM and 4PM. Click here to view pictures of this week's Open Houses. Keller Williams Cornerstone Realty... 03/27/2010

Moving in to your new home Congratulations! You've searched online, looked at properties, made an offer, obtained financing, insurance and gone to closing. The home is now yours!  However, whether you're a first-time buyer or a repeat buyer, there are several more steps you'll want to take.  The papers you received at settlement are extremely valuable, so hold on to them! In the short-term they can help establish tax deductions for the year in which the property was purchased. In the future, such papers will be important for tax purposes when the property is sold, and in some cases, for calculating estate taxes.  At the closing, determine the status of the utilities required by the home, items such as water, sewage, gas, electric and oil service. You want utility bills to be paid in ful... 03/24/2010

This Week's Open Houses The Franklin Township housing market is heating-up and the home buyers tax credit clock is ticking down!  This week's Somerset homes for sale features 31 Open Houses throughout Franklin Township. Regardless of the listing agent, office or MLS service if you are not already contracted with an agent, give me a call/text or send an e-mail and I will be happy to arrange a personal tour of any listed property or open house that you might find on the Internet, print media or yard sign. At the time of posting the following properties are scheduled for an Open House, this coming Sunday. Generally, open houses are held between 1PM and 4PM. Click here to view pictures of this week's Open Houses. Keller Williams Cornerstone Realty Featured Homes here     Search All Homes he... 03/20/2010

The ten basic steps of purchasing a home -The Settlement Statement  At the closing, your mortgage lender will provide you with a Settlement Statement known as the HUD-1 form.  Here, I will help you to understand the HUD-1 form. This form was recently updated and all lenders were required to use the new form starting January 1, 2010.  The document gives you a complete list of the funds that will change hands during the closing.  This includes fees that are associated with the transaction but that are paid prior to the closing (denoted at "POC," Paid Outside of Closing).    Section J - Summary of a Borrower's Transaction   • This is where you'll see the contract sales prices, listing your earnest money deposit and all of your real estate taxes.  In the area titled, "Amounts paid by or on ... 03/16/2010

The ten basic steps of purchasing a home - Closing the Transaction Now that you have done the hard work of examining your finances, finding your Realtor who you connect with, secured an approval for mortgage financing, found a home that you want, made an offer that was accepted, finalized attorney review, purchased homeowner's insurance and have in hand a comprehensive home inspection report, you are almost ready for the closing.  It is extremely important that you make no large purchases until after you have closed on your new home. If seeking a mortgage, a final credit check will be done within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment.   The day prior to closing, a final walk-through of the house should be done. This final inspection gives you the opportunity to be sure the seller has mo... 03/16/2010

Posted at 6:05 PM, Mar. 5, 2010 This week's Open Houses    519 New Brunswick Rd, Somerset, NJ Sunday, 1-4PM I will be hosting an Open House at 519 New Brunswick Rd on Sunday. This house is waiting for a new family. Original owners expanded this 4 Bedroom, 2½ Bath Colonial to include 16 X 12 Master Bath & extra 1st Floor Den. Well maintained with loving care. Total of 9 rooms gives any family room to grow. Bring Mom, Dad and your friends to enjoy the oversized lot which is ideal for pool & outdoor living, Hot tub already there. Commuters delight close to major Roadways, NYC trains, RWJ & St Peter's Hospital, Rutgers!  Priced at $439,000  Regardless of the listing agent, office or MLS service if you are not already contracted with an agent, give me a call/text or send an e-mail and I will... 03/05/2010

The ten basic steps of purchasing a home - The Home Inspection After signing a contract of sale, you may want to consider paying for a home inspection, which will identify any physical defects or environmental conditions. The contract of sale typically gives buyers a certain number of days to have an inspection. You should schedule this as soon as possible to ensure it is completed within the stated time-frame. Depending on the circumstances of the transaction note that if you are purchasing a short sale or foreclosure that is to be sold in "as is" condition, you may be unable to perform a home inspection, or have any items identified during an inspection repaired  Click to View Here are some questions you may ask the home inspector:  · What does the inspection cover?    - A good inspec... 02/20/2010

 This week's Open Houses   Regardless of the listing agent, office or MLS service if you are not already contracted with an agent, give me a call/text or send an e-mail and I will be happy to arrange a personal tour of any listed property or open house that you might find on the Internet, print media or yard sign. At the time of posting the following properties are scheduled for an Open House, this coming Sunday. Generally, open houses are held between 1PM and 4PM. Click here to view pictures of this week's Open Houses. View Keller Williams' Featured Homes  Facebook - http://tinyurl.com/y8fqwd2    Twitter - http://twitter.com/somerset08873 Listing information provided by Garden State MLS **Info. deemed RELIABLE but not GUARANTEED - ALL Room Sizes are Approx.** The links will expire 60 d... 02/19/2010

Somerset, NJ market analysis for January 2010 Compared to December 2009                   January:                                                              December:   Active Listings = 436                                                419                                              Average LP = $ 333,754                                $ 337,314   New Listings    = 104                                                 49               Average LP = $ 315,934                                $ 326,061   Under Contract= 30                                                  27               Average LP = $ 318,295                                $ 348,847   Sold Listings    = 24                                                   45               Average SP = $ 293,200                         ... 02/14/2010

New regulations are still being formed I first informed you on January 19th of new real estate legislation that was signed into law by the outgoing Governor Corzine.  On January 17, 2010, P.L. 2009, c. 273 ("the Act") was signed into law. The Act permits licensed real estate brokers to provide a purchaser of residential real property a rebate from the commission the broker receives. The law is effective immediately and is a significant change to prior New Jersey law. The Real Estate Commission intends to promulgate regulations to effectuate the provisions of this law. In the meantime, however, the Real Estate Commission urges real estate licensees to be guided by the provisions of the Act and by this bulletin. Below is a summary of several restrictions on who may provide and receive a r... 02/10/2010

What's happening in the marketplace Carriage Homes at Quailbrook townhomes are located near Demott Lane featuring models ranging from the 2 bedroom, 2 bath ranch style homes to 2 bedroom, 2.5 baths two story homes with family room and a second floor den. Then there are 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ bath homes with family room. All homes have single car garages. Many have a fireplace which might be either gas or wood burning. Some units offer French doors leading into the large master bedroom and some have a greenhouse windows in the kitchen. Some units also have decks. According to the Garden State MLS, currently there are 3 homes actively listed for sale in this Franklin Township Townhouse development, at the time of posting.  One is a 3 bedroom-2.5 bath, 2 story townhouse. The other two are single ... 02/08/2010

The ten basic steps of purchasing a home - shopping for a mortgage Ok, so you've figured a ballpark figure of how much house you can afford and you have checked your credit score. Now it's time to shop for a mortgage; step three.  It is recommended that you check with several mortgage lenders to compare costs and interest rates. Although there are different types of mortgage lenders, such as brokers and direct lenders, it is often more important to choose a good loan officer, not the institution. Each type of lender has strengths and weaknesses. Quality within each branch or office can vary, depending on the loan officer, the support staff, and a variety of other factors.Loan officers have two jobs. One is to be your advocate in getting the loan approved. The other is to deliver quality... 01/30/2010

Franklin Township - Sunday, January 31, 2010 If you qualify, there are only 91 days remaining to take advantage of the first-time and repeat home buyer tax credit! If you wish more information, don't hesitate to contact me. Regardless of the listing agent, office or MLS service; if you are not already contracted with an agent, give me a call or send an e-mail and I will be happy to arrange a personal tour of any listed property or open house that you might find on the Internet, print media or yard sign. There is no need to feel overwhelmed. Click for Buyer Advice. And most importantly, as a buyer read why you might not want to venture out on your own... http://tinyurl.com/acv5zx At the time of posting the following properties are scheduled for an Open House, this coming Sunday. Click he... 01/29/2010

Once again The Villagers Theater invites you to ring in the New Year with them, where they will revel in the joy and excitement of the last 50 seasons, and the anticipation of the next 50; all this in one spectacular show starring many of your (and our) favorite Villagers performers. Nicole Sigur  Kidsville "Winnie The Pooh" Tyler Piccone  Teensville "Rent" Jessica Pfeiffer  Cinderella, Jekyll & Hyde Bryan Murray  Jekyll & Hyde Francine Mondi  Jekyll & Hyde Barbara Gursky  Damn Yankees Kathy Graham  Leader of the Pack JC Gibriano  Guy who will just not go away Jeff Dworkin  Another Guy who will just not go away With    Drew Cyburt    Marc Suznovich    Jenna Zielinski    Raven Dunbar    Chris Abbot   Scott Morris     To order your tickets please call (732)873-2710. The early show starts ... 12/28/2009

The Mortgage Market AdvisoryTMThe Week of December 14, 2009 Provided by Karl Peidl             Mortgage pricing moved slightly higher last week by about 20 bps, but had at one point moved up 100 bps mid-week after fairly weak Treasury auctions and much stronger than expected Retail sales and Consumer Confidence readings. In fact, Retail sales were triple the expectations when excluding auto sales.Mortgage rates still closed the week firmly under 5.00% on the Conf 30-Year Fixed for well qualified borrowers. The very positive employment report from the previous week coupled with last weeks strong retail sales has added more confirmation that the economic recovery is underway. The 10-year Treasury had dropped to 3.21% following the news out of Dubai, but has now rebounded to close the wee... 12/14/2009

          The Villagers Theatre proudly presents a one man show on December 12 at 8:00 pm.   A Christmas Carol - from the public readings of Charles Dickens will be performed by Michael Kroll at the Villagers Theatre in Somerset, NJ.  This tour de force one-man show inspired by the tour Charles Dickens performed of his classic holiday work in the United States during the late 1860s.  In finest tradition of the troubadour-actor, Michael Kroll takes the stage with only a few hand props, a table and chair and carries the audience into this classic Christmas tale.  Mr. Kroll not only becomes narrator and story teller, but also portrays the entire ensemble of unforgettable Dickens' characters in an evening of "A Christmas Carol."   This is not a reading of the story, but rather Mr. Kroll act... 12/08/2009

Children and adults alike will be ENCHANTED by Sunday's traditional celebration of Sinterklaas. The fun begins at 1 p.m. with coloring and story time, Dutch street organ music, klompen dancing by the Van Wickle House Dutch dancers, Sinterklaas songs, Dutch baked goods for sale, and crafts for the kids. St. Nicholas himself will arrive on his white horse between 2-2:30. A parking donation will be appreciated. Come and join in all the fun on Sunday, December 6, 2009! 12/02/2009

Mortgage rates equal all time low and tax credit extentions The average rates for 30-year mortgages fell this week, matching a record low set last spring and more than a full percentage point below what they were a year ago, Freddie Mac said Wednesday. Rates for 30-year mortgages averaged 4.78 percent this week, down from 4.83 percent last week and equaling the record low reached the week of April 30. Freddie Mac has been tracking rates on 30-year fixed mortgages since 1971. Last year at this time, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.97 percent.Rates for 30-year fixed mortgages are 0.8 percentage points below this year's peak set in mid-June. Refinancing at the current rate shaves roughly $100 off monthly payments on a $200,000 mortgage, said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief ec... 11/28/2009

  "Take Control of Your Health" is a six-week education workshop for adults and caregivers who want to take  charge of chronic health problems, including arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis.  Participants will receive a book, titled "Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions," and learn practical skills to live a more fulfilling life and get relief from pain, fatigue and other symptoms.  Sessions will be held 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, 12 and 19, Dec. 3, 10 and 17 at the Franklin Township Senior Center.  Class size is limited.  Advance registration is requested by calling (908) 704-6339. This program is sponsored by the Somerset County Office on Aging and the county Retired & Senior Volunteer Program. The education workshop is an evidence-based progr... 10/28/2009