CentraState Fitness and Wellness Center Community Outreach Program FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL HEART HEALTHY MONTH Tuesday, February 10, 2009 2pm-4pm Manalapan Township Municipal Building 120 Route 522 Manalapan, NJ 07726  Manalapan Township NJ Mayor, Richard Klauber, will lead his colleagues and constituents by example by kicking off CentraState Fitness and Wellness Center's free blood pressure screening and body fat analysis taking place on Tuesday, February 10th from 2 pm until 4 pm in the Manalapan Township municipal center lobby.  All those who participate in a screening receive a free one-day pass to the fitness center. In addition, anyone who wants to get started on the road to a healthier lifestyle by making an appointment to tour the facility can spin the Wheel of Health to win an ex... 02/06/2009

This goes out to all the Newer Agents…. As a member of Weichert’s Certified Mentor Program, the question I’m asked by new agents most often is how to combat the “experience or track record” issue. Here’s what I tell them…     If you are confident about your ability and believe in who you are and what you are selling, from your nose to your toes, they probably won’t even go there.  They never did for me!   I remember MY mentor giving me the same advice.  It didn’t matter.  I didn’t believe her either.  It was easy for her to say, she’s been a top producer every year since the day she started in this business.  Yes, I was trained by the best!  I couldn’t believe a seller could possibly NOT ask that question.               I remember my first “solo” listing presentation.  I couldn’t sleep ... 02/05/2009

  The "Negative" Projections Were Right WRONG!      More good news! For the second week in a row, there has been an unexpected improvement in the real estate market. Today, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in December, rose 6.3 percent. It had been projected that pending sales would fall. "The monthly gain in pending home sales, spurred by buyers responding to lower home prices and mortgage interest rates, more than offset an index decline in the previous month," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR. "The biggest gains were in areas with the biggest improvements in affordability." Spread the good news!      Information courtesy of: Weichert, Realtors (Marlboro ~ Manalapan office) 455 Route 9 South Mana... 02/03/2009

Here are three FUN THINGS TO DO IN NJ! Not only are they fun the entire family can enjoy, but they're educational & FREE of charge too. Each of the events takes place at the Monmouth County Library headquarters: 125 Symmes DriveManalapan, NJ 07726-3249 For more information call:  732-431-7220       STEP-INTO-HISTORY:  BEN FRANKLIN GAME SHOW Saturday, February 7 11:30 am - 12:15pm Test Your History IQ! A live, interactive game show about Ben Franklin  Ages 5 years and olderThe irrepressible puppets Dave and Augie make learning history FUN! Lots of audience participation . . . an entertaining on-screen tour of Franklin's Philadelphia . . . and a wacky music video.     LINCOLN'S LEGACYA BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION Meet "President Lincoln" Saturday, February 7 1:00 pm - 1:45pm Meet President L... 01/27/2009

  The Manalapan Township Tax Assessment notices were recently mailed out. The assessment shown represents the assessment which will appear on the municipal tax list for 2009. If you agree with the assessed value shown, no further action is required by you.   If you disagree with the assessed value shown, an appeal may be filed with the County Board of Taxation. Forms and instruction for filing an appeal may be obtained by contacting the Board at:                       Monmouth County Board of Taxation                                  1 East Main Street                                  Freehold, NJ  07728   If the assessed value exceeds $750,000, you have the option of filing your appeal directly with the Tax Court. Information for filing a complaint with the Tax Court may be obtained by... 01/27/2009

The Manalapan Arts Council is a volunteer run organization that is dedicted to promoting arts of varying genre to the Manalapan community.  New members with visionary ideas and the motiviation to move them forward are always welcome! February Events     February 7th, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm African American Festival and Step Show at Manalapan High School. Sponsored by the Manalapan High School Cultural Awareness Club, United Families of African Descent and MAC.  Food, dancing, heritage displays and the excitement of Step teams from across New Jersey passionately step dancing to win first place bragging rights.  These girls rock the house!         February 21st, 1:00 pm The Meeting by Jeff Stetson, a dramatic depiction of what Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X., the two greatest minds of t... 01/27/2009

Below is actual written correspondence I've been having with one of my clients looking to purchase a home in Monmouth County or Middlesex County New, Jersey. This type of exchange is one that occurs regularly with buyers & sellers who are unsure about the state of the real estate market. I am glad we discussed this in writing, so I can share it word-for-word with others who may have the same questions.    CONVERSATION VIA TEXT MESSAGE December 23, 2008 CLIENT:  Hey Amber this is Dxxxxx. I hope you are well. Want wish you & your family happy holidays. Thanks for the anniversary card you sent us. We were shocked you remembered us mentioning that. I know you're a pro with this text message thing but I'm new to this so go easy on me. hahahaha AMBER:  Hi Dxxxxx! Great to hear from you. I was... 01/26/2009

If you’ve been on the fence about whether now is the right time to buy a new home, here’s the best reason yet to hop off:  your dream home just became more affordable.  That’s because the federal government has now taken steps that caused interest rates to drop considerably.  For example, a $250,000 30-year fixed rate loan could save you as much as $220 a month now versus just one month ago.* Whether you’re a first time buyer, a trade-up buyer, or a parent interested in helping your kids buy a home, you can learn why now is a great time to dive in at this seminar on home affordability.  Featured speakers will include financial and real estate specialists. Admittance is free!   Saturday January 24th, 11am Weichert Marlboro-Manalapan 455 Route 9 South Manalapan, NJ 07726 RSVP by 01/23/20... 01/22/2009

If you really believe that you cannot achieve financially what you want to in today's real estate market by selling your house, why not rent it?  Isn't it better to get some money in monthly to cover your expenses, than no money at all?  I have found that in some situations, where some people are really struggling but do not want to lose their homes, or take a huge hit financially, this may be a solution.  I have found that there are renters out there that right now do not want to purchase.  Don't you agree?  Please feel free to contact me and I will show you how I can help you. 01/19/2009

Lately I've been cleaning out my email inbox and combing through old notebooks. I use these notebooks to jot down bullet points from countless conversations and exchanges I've had with people about a myriad of real estate topics. This exercise got me thinking...there's a wealth of valuable information that could be shared to help other people who have similar questions. So I asked a number of my clients if they mind me sharing with others who might also be in need of help, and they agreed.     Going forward, I will regularly share detailed excerpts or brief tidbits from these exchanges in a NEW series called... "ASK AMBER" NOTE: I am NO "Dear Abby" but I'll give it my best shot. :)   *Please note that certain details and names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals*... 01/15/2009

Recently I received one of those dreaded calls that none of us as Realtors ever want to get;  "Uh Amber, I don't know how to say this but um..." Needless to say, my breathing paused for a second and I felt like my heart dropped to the floor.    The agent on the phone continued with something along the lines of "my sellers have decided to take a different offer."   So of course my next question was... Is the other offer for the full price listing amount?" He said it was not a full price offer but much better than our agreed to offer and it was an ALL cash deal.    There hadn't been any "action" on this home in the nearly 6 months it had been listed, so they did another price reduction. Now that I brought in qualified buyers, with no contingencies, nothing to sell in order to get a mortga... 01/13/2009

Yesterday morning I had to make a quick trip to the offices of the Monmouth County NJ Board of Realtors, to drop off a package. Once I finished running that errand, I made an attempt to drive out of the parking lot and head straight toward the NJ Turnpike North, and be on my merry way. Unfortunately fortunately for me, things turned out a bit differently. Of course I couldn't resist finally taking a peak at the brand new Jersey Shore Premium Outlets which officially opened November 13, 2008. I've been waiting for this placed to be birth for what seems like forever. I love the outside facade of this place; it sort of has a nostalgic "Wildwood days" feel to it. Can you believe that the location is actually right off a road called "Route 66?" Now is that nostalgic or what! As a recovering ... 01/12/2009

Just saw this come up on the news.... Certainly can't hurt to have another resource! New Jersey Foreclosure Hotline Toll-free number could help you or your clients keep your home The toll-free number could be exactly what the doctor ordered to help New Jersey homeowners avoid the dreaded sheriff's sale. There was a story on WNBC (New York channel 4) about the new program in New Jersey that gives homeowners FREE access to lawyers, counselors and mediators to help work out payment arrangements. Call the New Jersey Foreclosure Hotline at (888) 989-5277 for more details.   Here's a link to the original article from WNBC.com WNBC Foreclosure Hotline Article   Jo JoAnna SiminerioWeichert Realtors - Marlboro/ManalapanJoSiminerio@optonline.netwww.JoTheRealtor.com 01/10/2009

I've got Big News!  REALLYNews! of single family homes in Manalapan New Jersey in 2008! I know... you probably don't believe me.  Don't feel bad.  I don't blame you.  It's been tough for me, trying to challenge the doom and gloom that the media has been continuously feeding you guys for the past 2 years! But I'm going to keep trying!     In 2008, homes closed in Manalapan Township.  Granted, that is down about 30% from the number of homes that closed in 2007, but it still represents a huge number of families that were able to make a move!             108 Townhomes and Condominiums SOLD in 2008, down 28% from 2007.  Average price of a townhome or condo is down about 5% for the same time frame.           116 Adult Community Homes sold in 2008, representing a 10% increase... that means 11 ... 01/07/2009

To view the redistricting map approved by the Board of Education on Jan. 6, 2009, click here.... The map is a depiction of the sending areas for the Grades 1-5 neighborhood schools. Use the magnifying glass in Acrobat Reader to zoom in for a closer view of streets. The boundary lines may not be totally accurate on the map.  Letters will be sent home to identify which school students will attend in the 2009-2010 school year.       Jo JoAnna SiminerioWeichert Realtors - Marlboro/ManalapanJoSiminerio@optonline.netwww.JoTheRealtor.com   01/07/2009

With so much negativity and bad news on TV, the radio and Internet, I think it's about time we start spreading the GOOD NEWS!   There are plenty of GOOD LOCAL NEWS STORIES of Manalapan, NJ residents and business owners who are making great things happen, locally and around the world. Sometimes those folks' stories make the news, and other times they're just ordinary hard-working people who achieve extraordinary things but go unnoticed.   I will regularly bring you a Top 5 series of stories that will highlight the exciting accomplishments of everyday who live and/or work in Manalapan, NJ. Simply click the links below to read each story. Enjoy!      1.  Orthopedics site names Manalapan, NJ resident, Gail Plaza, as wellness director. 2.  Manalapan, NJ resident and college freshman, Kristin... 01/05/2009

Mulchfest 2009 The Manalapan Township Environmental Commission invites you to Recycle Your Christmas Tree! Pick-up and Drop-off will be available to all Manalapan residents who wish to mulch their Christmas trees.  Central Jersey Waste and Recycling will be picking up trees to recycle this Thursday, January 8th, Friday, January 9th and Saturday, January 10th.  You may also bring your tree to the Public Works Yard (Route 522 just east of Tennent Road) and have your Christmas Tree mulched on Saturday January 10th or 17th.  The mulch will be used to enrich Manalapan Township Parks and property.  Please join with the Manalapan Township Environmental Commission and Central Jersey Waste and Recycling to help make and keep Manalapan Green!!   01/05/2009

 MONMOUTH COUNTY NEW JERSEY SALES STATITISICS (as of December 12, 2008)  Sales Statisticsfor MONMOUTH County NJ Realist's most recent recording date for this county is 12/12/2008   Single Family Residence  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Oct 2008 531 $375,000   Oct 2007 660 $400,000   Sep 2008 547 $400,000   Sep 2007 647 $407,500   2008 YTD 5,580 $390,000   2007 7,918 $410,000    Condominium  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Oct 2008 133 $281,001   Oct 2007 155 $300,000   Sep 2008 140 $277,698   Sep 2007 114 $332,000   2008 YTD 1,268 $295,000   2007 1,527 $300,000  Although the data indicates a slight dip in the # of sales in 2008 vs. the same period during the preceding year in 2007, a decline in sales activity didn't take anyone by surprise, given the co... 01/05/2009

Today I made a discovery that totally caught me by surprise! I was doing routine maintenance on my website, when I stumbled across nearly 20 hyper-links/click-through links that were complete duds. I clicked the links, and they each took me to absolutely NOWHERE but an "404 error" message. Of course my mind began racing 110 mph, and all sorts of questions ran through my head.   How could this be? When did this happen? Does this mean that the increased traffic my site received in December was all a wash?  Have my site visitors been feeling like were clicking links that put them on a bridge to nowhere? Will they come back to visit my site again? Have I missed an opportunity to engage qualified buyers and sellers looking for a reliable Realtor in Marlboro, Manalapan, South Amboy or one of ... 01/04/2009

Internet Marketing Really Works!  For me AND my sellers!   I received a call last week from a prospective Seller letting me know he was interviewing agents to list his Marlboro NJ home, which had recently expired.  He invited me over to hear my presentation. When I got there, I asked how he got connected to me and he said "How could I not?  You're EVERYWHERE!"  Everywhere meaning... ALL over the Internet! He starting by Googling "Manalapan Realtor" and found many links to me and my listings, many on the first page! I'm sure glad I've been getting lots of Google Juice! He connected to me: On my website (JoTheRealtor.com) My enhanced listings on Realtor.com Testimonials and a Realtor Interview on Incredible Agents My Featured Listings on Homes.com Answering questions on Trulia.com My Acti... 01/04/2009