AMBER NOBLE-GARLAND, CDPE - Manalapan, Marlboro, Freehold & beyond Realtor

MarketWatch has reported that resales of U.S. single-family homes and condos rose 3.6% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million, the highest level since last October, the National Association of Realtors reported Thursday. Resales have risen for three straight months.

The housing market appears to be healing, said Lawrence Yun, the NAR chief economist. The increase was higher than expected.

Inventories of unsold homes are still elevated and putting pressure on prices. The inventory of unsold homes on the market fell to a 9.4 month supply at the June sales pace, down from 9.8 months in May. Yun said that inventories would have to be at a 7 month supply to get price stabilization.

The median sales prices fell 15.4% in the past year to $181,800. Resale activity is concentrated in lower-priced home as a result of tax incentives, analysts said. Distressed properties (meaning short sales, foreclosures and bank owned properties) accounted for 31% of sales in June.

Another important thing to note is that in New Jersey, the number of home sales in the month of June 2009 increased by a whopping 12% more than the number of home sales for June 2008. In addition, there is now a nine-month inventory of homes for sale in NJ; that number was 16.9 months in January. That is an astounding 41% improvement in the amount of homes just sitting on the market that were unsold!

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Looking to BUY or SELL a NJ home in Marlboro, Manalapan, Freehold, Old Bridge, South Amboy or any of the surrounding areas?

Are YOU interested in relocating to central NJ from Hoboken, Jersey City, Edgewater, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens or Manhattan?

Find out what a home is REALLY worth first before you BUY or SELL!

Call me directly at 917-723-5645 or email me here.

For additional real estate listings in Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean counties & beyond, visit my site at www.AmberLovesRealEstate.com.

AMBER NOBLE-GARLAND, CDPE

Strategic Marketing & Sales Expert

Short Sale Specialist

Weichert Realtors
455 Route 9 South
Manalapan, NJ 07726
917-723-5645 - cell
732-536-4400, ext 199 - office

"Your Reliable Resource For NJ Short Sales, Real Estate Listings, Local Info & More"

I'm sure you've heard that expression..."the early bird gets the worm"...right? What about "time waits for no one?"

Well both sayings are the truth and nothing but the truth.

When we step up to the plate early(be it in business or in our personal lives) not only do we free up our time to pursue other goals but we also give ourselves a chance to take advantage of great opportunities that may be right in front of us.

Since time keeps moving even when we don't, it's critical to devise a plan of action to help us accomplish our goals in a timely fashion.

Here are my Top 5 tips to help you clear off your plate early in the game, so you can seize the moment and move forward in life and business with momentum:

1. Write it down! Create a "To Do" list. Research shows that when you write something down, your chances of actually following through on the goal are increased dramatically.

2. Schedule it! When you know you have a task that must be completed, be sure to put it on a wall calendar or schedule it in your Blackberry or phone calendar.

3. Tackle the hardest or longest tasks first! If you focus on getting the biggest challenges out of the way first, doing the easiest things later will be a piece of cake.

4. Learn how to delegate! If you find yourself getting stuck on the minor things you need to get accomplished, learn how to delegate that task to someone else who can help lighten your load. Whether it's an assistant, intern, friend or relative...don't be afraid to ask for help.

5. Like NIKE Just Do It! The hardest part of doing anything is taking the first step. Don't worry about doing it "right"... Just do it. If you make a mistake, you can always go back and re-do it.

Stay positive & motivated,

Amber

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Sometimes it PAYS To Do Things Differently...

Memorial Day Weekend was quite busy for me. I spent all of Friday working with buyer clients, most of Saturday doing the same and Sunday (the day before the actual holiday) I decided to hold an open house at one of my listings, located at 57 South Shore Drive in South Amboy in Lighthouse Bay.

Oh sure, there was nothing more tempting than the thought of joining my friends and family who were basking in the sun at the beach, sipping on a cool drink, with the sounds of waves splashing in the background.

Some might call me crazy....actually a few agents in my office did call me crazy...lolol...but I know without a doubt, sacrificing a vacation in a far off land was the right thing to do for my sellers and my business. :)

You see, the community where I held the open house is called Lighthouse Bay. It's a very unique and beautiful resort-like community located in a quaint yet thriving waterfront town called South Amboy in central New Jersey.

LIVING IN LIGHTHOUSE BAY MAKES EVERYDAY FEEL LIKE A VACATION!

Lighthouse Bay is a collection of more than 250 luxury, multi-level townhouses and single family homes ranging in price from $425,000 to $1,695,000 like this beauty located at 29 Lighthouse Drive.

This this attractive home located at 7 Blue Heron Drive is upgraded to perfection!

There's no better time of year to appreciate a resort-like community like Lighthouse Bay and it's newest addition, Harbor Village at Lighthouse Bay, then during a beautiful holiday weekend like Memorial Day weekend.

The sun was shining on Sunday, May 24th, the waterfront was buzzing with people from all over, homeowners entertained relatives & friends at their houses, the private community pool had it's annual grand opening and everything was just perfect! So much so that I had the pleasure of entertaining nine (9) REAL prospective homebuyers at my open house at 57 South Shore Dr.

I was even able to convince a few of the buyers to also take a look at other clients' homes located around the corner at 6 Great Beds Court, also in Lighthouse Bay.

Not to mention, I have had 3 of them come back to the community for second showings Monday and Tuesday for homes like this stunning "Monterey" model victorian located at 18 Spinnaker Drive.

Part of what makes Lighthouse Bay and Harbor Village at Lighthouse Bay so special is the town is that the town of South Amboy is...

• Located 5 minutes from both the Garden State Parkway and the NJ Turnpike
• Grocery store favorites like Wegmans, Pathmark , Walmart and BJ's Wholesale Club are less than 10 minutes away
• Less than 10 minutes from two major malls (Woodbridge Center Mall and Menlo Park Mall)
• Less than 15 minutes from the Newark, NJ airport
• Less than 14 miles from Staten Island, NY
• Only 32 short miles from Manhattan (aka NYC)
• Less than 50 minutes from Brooklyn,NY
• Only 42 miles from Queens, NY
• Private yoga and ZUMBA fitness classes, as well as career networking opportunities are offered exclusively for Lighthouse Bay residents
• There is both a NJ Transit train and bus line in the heart of town so commuters adore this place!

PLUS...

• There's a public boat slip and ramp to launch your jet skis on the Raritan Bay
• Beautiful public access beach and waterfront prime for kayaking or fishing
• Lovely sidewalk cafes, restaurants and shops in town
• Public schools and private Catholic Schools that are becoming increasingly competitive
• Property taxes that are far more reasonable than just about any town in North Jersey

So while it would've been fun to have been a beach bum for a day, I'm glad I traded in my sunblock for an open house sign in GORGEOUS Lighthouse Bay on the South Amboy waterfront. If last Sunday was any indication of the growing demand for the benefits this one-of-a-kind community offers... the best is yet to come!

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Looking to SELL or BUY a NJ home in South Amboy, Marlboro, Manalapan or any of the surrounding areas?

Are YOU interested in relocating to central NJ from Hoboken, Jersey City, Edgewater, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens or Manhattan?

• Find out what a home is REALLY worth first before you BUY or SELL!
• Call me directly at 917-723-5645 or email me here.
• For additional real estate listings in Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean counties & beyond, visit my site at www.AmberLovesRealEstate.com.

AMBER NOBLE-GARLAND

Strategic Marketing Expert & Short Sale Specialist
Weichert Realtors (Marlboro ~ Manalapan office)
455 Route 9 South
Manalapan, NJ 07726
917-723-5645 - cell
732-536-4400, ext 199 - office

"Your Reliable Resource For NJ Short Sales, Real Estate Listings, Local Info & More"

SHORT SALES 101: The Five "P's" Everyone Needs To Practice When Dealing With Short Sales

"RUMOR vs. REALITY CHECK"

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Real Solutions To Help NJ Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

(May 2009 edition)

1. PREPARE: Make sure you mentally and emotionally PREPARE yourself for the level of transparency that will be required in order to complete a short sale. This means ultimately you'll be required to share details with your Realtor, your attorney, your CPA and the bank about why you are unable to pay your mortgage. Depending upon your specific circumstances this could include job loss, medical problems or any number of issues. You have NOTHING to be ashamed about!

2. PLAN OF ACTION: As a Realtor who is experienced with short sales in NJ, I can tell you that proper PLANNING is a huge part of successfully executing a short sale. The Realtor you choose to handle your short sale listing needs to have a real MARKETING PLAN to get your home exposed to buyers, as well as a real STRATEGIC PLAN to effectively deal with your mortgage lender/bank. If you are a seller who is experiencing financial trouble, and are considering listing your home with a Realtor as a short sale, please do yourself a favor..research the Realtor before you choose one.

3. PERFECT HONESTY: The only way your short sale Realtor can help you is if you are PERFECTLY HONEST with them about the obvious things about your financial status, as well as the not-so obvious. If you know of additional liens that are currently levied against your home, it's very important that tell your agent in the very beginning.

4. PATIENCE: Short sales typically take a bit longer than most traditional home sales. In order for the buyer, seller and the agents to get what they all ultimately desire (a closed transaction), everyone is going to have to commit upfront to remain PATIENT during the process.

5. POSITIVE ATTITUDE: In addition to being PATIENT, everyone involved in a short sale transaction needs to keep a POSITIVE ATTITUDE. This means the seller of the short sale home and their Realtor needs to support each other as they navigate through this tough process. The buyer's agent needs to regularly check-in on the short sale buyer to make sure they keep a POSITIVE ATTITUDE while everyone waits for the bank to render a decision about approving the short sale. Being pesimistic and negative will only get you frustrated. Keep a POSITIVE ATTITUDE throughout the short sale process, and you will likely wind up with a positive outcome!

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Looking to SELL or BUY a NJ home in Marlboro, Manalapan, Freehold or any of the surrounding areas?

• Find out what a home is REALLY worth first before you BUY or SELL!
• Call me directly at 917-723-5645 or email me here.
• For additional Marlboro, NJ short sale optionsand other real estate listings in Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean counties & beyond, visit my site at www.AmberLovesRealEstate.com.

AMBER NOBLE-GARLAND

Strategic Marketing Expert & Short Sale Specialist
Weichert Realtors (Marlboro ~ Manalapan office)
455 Route 9 South
Manalapan, NJ 07726
917-723-5645 - cell
732-536-4400, ext 199 - office

"Your Reliable Resource For NJ Short Sales, Real Estate Listings, Local Info & More"

SHORT SALE 101:

"RUMOR vs. REALITY CHECK"

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Solutions To Help NJ Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

(March 2009 edition)

RUMOR: Let's say a financially distressed homeowner owes a mortgage lender/bank a certain amount of money for a mortgage note, and the bank agrees to allow a SHORT SALE. This means the seller should purposely list their home at a high price since the bank will accept an offer from a buyer for 10%-20% less than what the sellers actually owe the bank, right?

REALITY CHECK: NO. This is NOT necessarily true! Many lenders understand the general public has "caught wind" to what a SHORT SALE home actually is, and because of that, the rules of engagement are changing. Every mortgage lender is different and is governed by various rules when it comes to what price is acceptable vs. unacceptable. Now don't get me wrong; often times mortgage lenders are willing to "bend" a bit and accept a less than attractive offer from a buyer for a SHORT SALE home. However, I have had lenders tell me directly "we will let certain homes go to FORECLOSURE before we will just give it away for almost no money in a SHORT SALE."

They didn't make that statement based on principle, but rather on mathematics. If a home is listed on the market for sale, and it doesn't yield contract offers high enough to cover the mortgage + the fees to sell the home + any delinquent utilities + delinquent home owners association fees (if applicable), the lender may feel it could be less costly to allow it to be FORECLOSED on. Lenders are often willing to negotiate when it comes to what "sale price" they eventually accept for a SHORT SALE, but a 10%-20% discount to a potential buyer is often NOT accurate when the SHORT SALE home is: #1 priced appropriately for the current market and #2 the home shows well.

SOLUTION = If you're a homeowner who is financially challenged and it seems like you can't figure things out on your own, make sure you speak to your mortgage lender immediately. Be honest with them about your circumstances, and ask them for all possible solutions to help improve your situation. If they don't offer you any favorable options, then ask them about their specific steps to get you consideration for a SHORT SALE.

After doing your research with them, interview and select a Realtor who understands how the SHORT SALE process works. Be certain the Realtor is upfront with you about where the current prices of homes comparable to yours are. This way you will have realistic expectations about what to expect, and you can price your home appropriately based on current market conditions. By following these suggestions, you'll be one step closer to attracting a buyer that will write a contract to purchase your home, and even closer to getting your mortgage lender to say SHORT SALE APPROVED!

Here's last month's edition (February) of Short Sales 101: Rumor vs. Reality Check

Look at this GREAT 3-bedroom + 2.5 bath "BANK APPROVED SHORT SALE" townhouse for sale in Marlboro Township's Point de Jardin community

Luxury homes like this in Manalapan can also offer short sale opportunities

Information courtesy of:

AMBER NOBLE-GARLAND

Short Sale Specialist
Weichert Realtors (Marlboro ~ Manalapan office)
455 Route 9 South
Manalapan, NJ 07726
917-723-5645 - cell
732-536-4400, ext 199 - office

www.AmberLovesRealEstate.com

"Your Reliable Resource For NJ Real Estate, Local Info & More"