With the Average Joe turning more and more to their smart phones, Ipods, PDAs and other wireless devices for instant information it is imperative that your website is "WAP" friendly. What is the simplest way to keep your website WAP friendly? Well....keep it simple. 1. Although Flash is cool and looks great on your desktop or laptap, most wireless devices cannot read Flash. Websites designed entirely in Flash are INVISIBLE on a WAP device, therefore by all means use Flash as a banner or ad, but understand it will not appear on most wireless devices. 2. Use MOSTLY text and a few graphics nicely organized in a simple table, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR LISTINGS! The more complicated a table, the more scrolling the web surfer will have to do, and it may confuse and frustrate your audience. 3. Use t... 05/15/2009

Are you thinking about selling your home? If the value of your home is less than the amount of your outstanding loan consider a Short Sale. For example, if your home is worth $250,000 but you have a loan of $260,000 then a short sale is a consideration. Obviously, if you do not have to sell your home, you could wait out the market and hope for a turnaround in real estate values. However, if you do have to sell your home you basically have three options. First, you can bring cash to the table. In the example above you would sell your home for $250,000 and pay another $10,000 to the lender out of your pocket to pay off the loan on your property. Second, you could let the home go into foreclosure. The lender will go through the foreclosure process, force you out of your home and then auct... 05/15/2009

There is the FHA First Time Home Buyer Program which helps first timebuyers who might not be ideal candidate for traditional mortgages. FHA program has the following benefits for first time home buyers. Credit Score Requirement –The FHA underwriter will evaluate the entire credit profile to determine the borrower’s likelihood of repayment. Currenty,  several lenders are requiring 620 credit scores. Bankruptcy okay – Chapter 7 bankruptcies are allowed if discharged over 2 years ago (or 1 year with extenuating circumstances). Chapter 13 bankruptcies are allowed with a minimum of 1 year of on time plan repayment and trustee approval. Less Money Needed – FHA loans allow the seller to pay up to 6% of the sales price toward the closing costs and only require a 3.5% down payment. Housing Hist... 05/15/2009

Has buyer activity increased?  Not according to last weeks stats!  Although my conversations with other agents and brokers seem to lean towards increased buyer interest,  the solid deals are not backing this up yet.   I’ll recap the April sales tomorrow.  Here’s the activity of last week. Weekly statistics 5/3/09- 5/10/09 9 condos went into contract last week, down from the 13 units from the last report. 3 condos closed last week.  14 closings the previous report. As of today, there are a total of 140 Hoboken properties pending to close (133 last week).   Here are the deals of last week….. Firm accepted offers: Studio & 1 bedroom 1 accepted offer (5 last report)     Click Here to View Listings This was on market for 115 days 2 bedrooms 6 condos had accepted offers  (7 last report)     ... 05/12/2009

  The best way to begin choosing the right paint color for your living room is to let the fabric in your living room lead the way. Fabric provides inspiration for a room’s color scheme. It’s also a good starting point since painting your living room is much easier and costs a lot less than to change furniture. Mark or rip out pages in magazines with rooms that you like. This will become your decorating portfolio and will come in handy when its time to pick a mood and feel for your room. You may even see a room with the same structure as your space that you can use as a template for your wall color and furniture placement. You want to use colors appropriate to the natural setting and lighting. It is a must to understand the psychology of color. The color wheel has two sides: warm and co... 05/08/2009

Every week we’ll highlight some of the best buys and values for Hoboken condos and row houses.  If you’re looking for a one, two, three or 4 bedroom condo or a fabulous row house, check back often as these are sure to be the homes to sell the fastest. Best buy - 1 bedroom 300 Newark St #5E, Hoboken - Downtown Hoboken 1 Bed, Balcony, NYC Views, Great PATH location!  855 square feet with excellent floor plan.  Easy walk to restaurants, shopping and Hoboken’s waterfront park / promenade.  Offered at $389,000   Click Here to View Listings Why it’s a best buy - Another unit on the 3rd floor without as nice of a view and without upgraded flooring is on the market at $469,000. Best buy - 2 bedroom 107 Jackson St #1, Hoboken - Incredible 1500sq ft Condo in Hoboken! 2 bed, 2 Bath with elevator ... 05/06/2009

  Great, some positive news.  The Commerce Department just reported that construction spending increased 0.3 percent in March, the best showing since a similar rise last September. Economists had expected spending to drop 1.5 percent for a sixth straight monthly decline. Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors said its index of pending home sales rose 3.2 percent to 84.6 in March, the second monthly increase after it hit a record low in January. The pending sales index also is 1.1 percent above last year’s levels. Typically, there is a one- to two-month lag between a contract and a done deal, so the index is a barometer for future home sales. To top it off, as of todays close, the S&P 500 is now in positive territory for ‘09.  Weekly statistics 4/26/09- 5/03/09 13 condos went in... 05/05/2009

Thinking about buying but not sure…read “I want to buy my home at the bottom.  Me too!” Check out this weeks newest listings and price reductions. 33 new condo listings (29 last week) and 1 new 1-4 Family home (1 last week) hit the Hoboken market.   35 condo price reductions (29 last week) (3) 1-4 family homes had price reductions  (2 last week) Check them all out. Studio condo no new listings (1 last week) 2 price reductions.  (0 last week)     Click Here to View Listings 1 bedroom condos 14 new listings starting at $285,000  (10 last week)       Click Here to View Listings 9 price reductions  (10 last week)       Click Here to View Listings 2 bedroom condos 13 new listings starting at $399,000 (23 last week).      Click Here to View Listings 17 price reductions   (16 last week)      ... 05/01/2009

Buying a condo is one of the biggest and possibly best decisions you can make If you are looking to either rent or buy, here are some reasons that buying may work out better for you. When you pay rent you are putting money into something that you cannot call your own. Every month you pay rent but once your lease is up, the apartment is no longer yours. Putting so much money towards an apartment is very similar to throwing money away. In the end, you do not get anything out of rent once the lease is done. When you buy a condo, the value of the home appreciates over time. As time goes on, the value of the home gets greater (providing the economy is doing well) and when want to sell your home you typically get more out of it than you paid, especially if you added a room or fixed up some a... 05/01/2009

When we get to the bottom of the market, will somebody please ring a bell.  One has to be very lucky to purchase a good suitable home at the bottom or sell at the top. These pricing peaks and valleys usually come to light after they have moved considerably from their respective highs or lows. If purchasing at the absolute lowest price is your main concern and you are flexible with location, price and condition, you should focus on foreclosures and/or short sales. On the other hand if purchasing a home that best fits your family needs (location, condition, floor plan, school district etc.) is of importance, an effective strategy might be to determine if you are in the “ballpark” of reaching a pricing bottom and this bottom will hit and rebound all within your time frame of owning. For i... 04/30/2009

Hope everybody was able to enjoy last weekends sunny weather.   We are now firmly into the Hoboken real estate markets spring season.  We did not see an up tick in pending contracts from last week and our overall inventory has risen substantially. Weekly statistics 4/19/09- 4/26/09 10 condos received firm offers that cleared attorney review which is the same amount as last weeks report. 9 condos closed last week.  6 closings the previous report. As of today, there are a total of 131 Hoboken properties pending to close (133 last week).   Here are the deals of last week….. Firm accepted offers: 1 bedroom 4 units received accepted offers (2 last report)   Click Here to View Listings These averaged 50 days on market 2 bedrooms 6 condos had accepted offers  (7 last report)     Click Here to... 04/28/2009

Sunny days are here again….at least weather wise.  What a great weekend to get out and shop for your new home. Here’s what’s new and has recently been reduced. 29 new condo listings (34 last week) and 1 new 1-4 Family home (7 last week) hit the Hoboken market. 29 condo price reductions (39 last week) (2) 1-4 family homes had price reductions (2 last week) Check them all out. Studio condo 1 new listings (0 last week) Hudson Tea 735 sqft studio listed at 439,900 Click Here to View Listings No price reductions. (1 last week) 1 bedroom condos 10 new listings starting at $315,000 (8 last week) Click Here to View Listings 10 price reductions (12 last week) Click Here to View Listings 2 bedroom condos 23 new listings starting at $339,000 (19 last week). Click Here to View Listings 16 price re... 04/25/2009

Every week we’ll highlight some of the best buys and values for Hoboken condos and row houses.  If you’re looking for a one, two, three or 4 bedroom condo or a fabulous row house, check back often as these are sure to be the homes to move the fastest. BEST BUYS-1 BEDROOM 1102 Washington St #6 Excellent uptown location with NYC bus at the corner and the Hudson River promenade just 2 short blocks away.  Newer kitchen with stainless appliances & granite counters.  Offered at $349,000 Click Here to View Listings 650 2nd St #2H Garage parking, almost 800 square feet and only 2 years young.  Seller is offering $1,500 towards closing costs plus 6 months free maintenance fee’s!  Offered at $369,000.   Click Here to View Listings BEST BUYS-2 BEDROOM 301 Monroe St #501 Top floor, corner condo in... 04/24/2009

Happy Monday.  A couple more condos went under contract this week than the previous week but not a significant amount. Inventory is rising as expected going into the spring.  I’ll keep monitoring how this effects the market as we move forward. Weekly statistics 4/12/09- 4/19/09 10 condos received firm offers that cleared attorney review which is up from 6 condos from last weeks report.   6 condos closed last week.  6 closings the previous report. As of today, there are a total of 133 Hoboken properties pending to close (125 last week).   Here are the deals and opportunities from last week….. Firm accepted offers: 1 bedroom 2 units received accepted offers (2 last report)   Click Here to View Listings These averaged 158 days on market 2 bedrooms 7 condos had accepted offers  (4 last rep... 04/20/2009

Hoboken Real Estate Market’s Newest Listings & Price Reductions   Wow, how about a true 2 bedroom with a top floor corner exposure, skyline view, elevator building and hardwood floors for just $324,711!!   Click Here to View Listings  This was just listed. Here are the other new listings / price reductions: 34 new condo listings (30 last week) and 7 new 1-4 Family homes (4 last week) hit the Hoboken market.   39 condo price reductions (20 last week) (1) 1-4 family homes had price reductions  (2 last week) Check them all out. Studio condo No new listings (1 last week)    1 price reduction.  (0 last week)    Click Here to View Listings 1 bedroom condos 8 new listings starting at $275,000  (14 last week)    Click Here to View Listings 12 price reductions  (7 last week)     Click Here to V... 04/17/2009

With all of the talk about President Obama’s Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, have you wondered if you could quailify for refinancing?Following are the main provisions for refinancing: 1. Have a conforming loan backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Approximately 60% of single-family “conforming” loans are backed by these two programs. These are the companies that buy the loans from your bank/servicer and then sell them to Wall Street. A conforming loan is one under $417,000 in many areas — or up to $729,500 in certain high-cost areas. Call your lender to find out if you qualify under Obama’s housing plan. 2. Your Loan to Value ratio can now be as high as 105%. Under current conditions you cannot refinance mortgages where the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio exceeds 80 percent withou... 04/17/2009

I am sure you have heard by now that Hoboken is the home of a newgreen building. The Garden Street Lofts located at 1401 Garden St. was once was a coconut processing and storage warehouse is now transformed into Hoboken’s hippest, smartest, and only green residence. The Garden Street Lofts is committed to a belief in building green by demonstrating its decision to seek LEED (Leadershipin Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S.Green Building Council,the standard bearer for ecologically-conscious building practices in America.   Green buildings are sited, designed, constructed, and operated to enhance the well being of their occupants and support a healthy community and natural environment. In practical terms, green building is a whole-systems-approach to building th... 04/17/2009

  I hope everybody had a nice weekend enjoying the holiday with friends and family or just plain relaxing.  This past weeks real estate activity in Hoboken was rather uneventful, unless you were one of the transactions.  Here are the numbers. Weekly statistics 4/05/09- 4/12/09 6 condos received firm offers that cleared attorney review which is down from 9 condos the previous report.   6 condominiums closed last week.  7 closings the previous report. As of today, there are a total of 125 Hoboken properties pending to close (124 last week).   Here are the deals and opportunities from last week….. Firm accepted offers: 1 bedroom 2 units received an accepted offer (3 last report)   Click Here to View Listings These averaged 90 days on market 2 bedrooms 4 condos had accepted offers  (6 last ... 04/14/2009

    An estimated 6 million families could be facing the question of foreclosure in the next three years, with nearly 1 in 10 mortgage holders either delinquent or in foreclosure. Following are facts about foreclosure we all need to be aware of: 1 out of every 200 homes will be foreclosed upon.Source: Mortgage Bankers Association Every three months, 250,000 new families enter into foreclosure.Source: Mortgage Bankers Association One child in every classroom in America is at risk of losing his/her home because their parents are unable to pay their mortgage.Source: Mortgage Bankers Association A slower real estate market can translate into falling prices and home values. As a result, homeowners who opted for adjustable rate mortgages may now find that as their mortgage rate adjusts higher,... 04/09/2009

Here are the final numbers for March compiled using the Hudson County Multiple Listing Service. I was surprised to see that the year over year average sold condo prices were up slightly in March. Pending sales were down dramatically however   March 2008 March 2009 Comparison: Units Sold: 53 45 -17% Avg. Price: $517,389 $523,442 +1.1% Median Price: $499,000 $493,000 -1.2% Pending: 70 40 -42.8% March 2009 Sold Condominiums: 45   High Low Average Median Total Price Listing Count List Price: $1,350,000 $224,900 $550,250 $510,000 $24,761,255 45 Sold Price: $1,325,000 $200,000 $523,442 $493,000 $23,554,917   DOM: 503 4 86 63     Studio: none sold   1 bedroom: 13 sold. Average asking price: $425,620 Average selling price: $399,084 (-6.2% of asking price) Average days on Market: 98 2 bedroom: ... 04/08/2009