Charles Blumenkehl

Verona - Blue Realty GMAC opened an Essex County office, merging with the Ultimate Real Estate Group, located at 59 Mount Prospect Avenue in Verona. Barbara Robinson, Broker of Record of the Ultimate Real Estate Group and Past President of the NJ Association of Realtors, will remain as Office Manager, and her sales staff are remaining as the newly formed Blue Realty GMAC office.

According to Charles Blumenkehl, president of Blue Realty GMAC, "We are very proud to have Barbara and her staff join our family of realtors. Barbara is a tremendous real estate resource with a brilliant real estate career spanning 30+ years in the New Jersey marketplace."

According to Barbara Robinson, who is still very active and serves on statewide board of realtor committees, "I am thrilled to be a part of the Blue family, and to be able to offer our great value proposition to our agents. We share a high level of integrity and commitment to our industry and clients and I am very excited about our new affiliation."

For more information about the new Verona office of Blue Realty GMAC, contact Barbara Robinson and her staff at the office directly at (973) 571-4112 or visit the office at 59 Mount Prospect Avenue in Verona. For more information about Blue Realty GMAC or to search for listings throughout New Jersey, log onto www.bluerealty.com

Riverdale - Blue Realty GMAC, with nine offices and over 200 licensed Realtors in New Jersey, has been named to the 2009 RISMedia National Real Estate Power Broker List, ranking 468 in the country in closed real estate transactions and 432 in dollar volume. The RISMedia National Power Broker List is released every year and contains the names of the top 600 Real Estate Brokerages in the country, ranked by sales units and volume.

According to Charles Blumenkehl, president of Blue Realty GMAC, "Being named to the RISMedia Power Broker List is a great achievement for our company, and a validation of all we have been doing these past few years, and will continue to do. Like everyone else, we find ourselves faced with the same challenges our peers do. Our response to these challenges, adding programs and tools that meet the times we are in, including our online real estate presence, superb E-Realty Information Generation platform, Market Value Predictor, and all our other great tools, and most importantly, the people in our company who are doing the work, have allowed us to thrive and grow in this challenging environment. I always say that a company is only as good as its people, and we are fortunate to have such wonderful people within our company providing great service to the public."

Blumenkehl noted that while his company's average sales price dropped to just under $275,000 statewide in 2008, pointing to a reduction of sales in the Elegant Homes market, their transaction volume jumped 20%, propelling the company to national rankings. Blumenkehl believes 2009 will mark a year of heightened production, particularly in the first time buyer markets, due in large part to the attractive interest rates and prices along with the tremendous incentives being offered, including an $8,000 credit to all first time buyers who buy before 12/01/09. "In the 31 years I have active in real estate, I can't recall a time when everything was lined up so perfectly for the first time buyer. This is the greatest opportunity in history to be buying your home".

For more information about Blue Realty GMAC or to search for real estate in your area, log onto the company website at www.bluerealty.com or call the company toll free at 1-800-936-SOLD/7653.

Riverdale - Every day, more people slip into the foreclosure whirlpool and spiral downward toward the day they may have to leave their home. What should you do if you are on the verge of getting a foreclosure notice?

First and foremost, according to Charles Blumenkehl, president of Blue Realty GMAC, exclusive Real Estate Foreclosure Broker for the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, you should resist the natural human tendency to freeze up. Face the issue head on and prepare for days and weeks of making phone calls and corresponding with people who may be able to help.

"Don't assume it's too late to act," said Blumenkehl, "As long as you are residing in the home, you probably have some opportunity to keep your home."

Blumenkehl, a Realtor since 1977 whose company has sold thousands of foreclosed homes on behalf of lenders since 1989, said people facing foreclosure have more avenues to pursue than they might realize - certainly more than the typical "pay up or move out" that many people think is their only choice. According to Blumenkehl, potential solutions include negotiating a modification of the loan, refinancing the loan, listing the home through an agent for a possible "short sale", selling the home to an investor on your own and declaring bankruptcy.

Short sales - in which the lender agrees to take less than is owed on the home, writing off some or all of the loss to avoid the expense of a foreclosure - typically are handled by real estate agents, which at least takes some of the pressure off of a harried homeowner. Many professional real estate agents are working more short sales these days and have buyers lined up looking for bargains, though the process can be slow and frustrating.

"The banks are just not moving quickly. They are sitting on these non performing loans, and it's ridiculous. Hopefully, something will be done to expedite the process, but in the meantime a knowledgeable agent will do their best to streamline the process and get the deal done" said William Lawrence, General Sales Manager with Blue Realty GMAC. Lenders may also reject short-sale offers, sometimes leaving the seller with little or no time to prevent the foreclosure.

Blumenkehl invites anyone seeking additional information to log onto the company's foreclosure assistance site at njforeclosureassistance.com. The site will provide insights as to the process, options and terminologies. For personal assistance in foreclosure work-outs, contact your Blue Realty GMAC Realtor directly at (973) 835-1400 or log onto the company site at www.bluerealty.com. Blue Realty GMAC is the largest independently owned GMAC Real Estate brokerage in New Jersey with 9 offices servicing northern, western and central New Jersey. Blue Realty GMAC also runs its own Mortgage, Title and Insurance agency.

Riverdale - In a year that brought bad news followed by even more bad news, at least one company found a way to grow their business in 2008.

Blue Realty GMAC Real Estate Services, largest independently owned Real Estate Brokerage firm in the New Jersey GMAC Real Estate network, increased its Residential Sales Volume in 2008, topping all previous office highs. According to Charles Blumenkehl, president of Blue Realty GMAC, "We are very proud of our tremendous achievement in our New Jersey offices. Our success in this very challenging environment is a testimonial to our most valuable asset, our people, and to the tools and support we provide them."

Supporting his agents and company's growth in 2008 were, according to Blumenkehl, a result of his company maintaining their highly effective business model, and creating programs designed to meet today's challenges that lent themselves to the elements of the company's model. Highly effective internet Consumer Relationship Management tools, upgrades in the print and online company marketing systems, introduction of the highly heralded Market Value Predictor, upgrades in the company coaching and support systems were just a few of the reasons Blumenkehl gave for his company's achievement in 2008.

"Success," Blumenkehl continued, "isn't doing any one thing right. Rather, it's doing a combination of things right, and surrounding yourself with the best associates you can. I have always said a company is only as good as the people within it, and we are very proud to have our family of Realtors who make us the great company we believe we are."

Founded by Blumenkehl in 1983, Blue Realty GMAC Real Estate Services maintains 9 sales offices in central, northern and western New Jersey. For more information about Blue Realty GMAC Real Estate services, log onto the company web site at www.bluerealty.com or call the company directly at (800) 936-SOLD/7653.

Riverdale - With so many realtors uncertain as to where to find the optimum marketing position for their listings today, Blue Realty GMAC has created a product which allows sellers to see the exact market trajectory of their home based on actual local data. By using the MVP, sellers know what their house will sell for today, 30, 60 and 90 days from now, and can make their moving plans with confidence. All Blue Realty GMAC Realtors are trained and equipped with the Market Value Predictor platform and will effectively engage their services, along with the Market Value Predictor, at no cost or obligation.

According to Charles Blumenkehl, president and founder of Blue Realty GMAC, "With the Market Value Predictor, we have created more ways for our clients and agents to engage technology resulting in a more successful marketing experience."

Blumenkehl continued, "We see our MVP tool resulting in multimillion dollars in real estate sales, and we envision a time when all Realtors will use similar and accurate pricing tools to correctly advise their clients in any real estate climate."

The Market Value Predictor uses active, pending and closed competing properties, actual average market time for closed properties in the specific area of the property, and then pinpoints the exact price and pricing channel for the subject home. In doing this, properties will sell at prices that exactly meet the market at the point they are listed for sale. Properties listed using the MVP have sold as much as 1000% quicker than competing properties on the market.

For more information about the Market Value Predictor or for a no cost, no obligation, confidential presentation of MVP, contact your local Blue Realty GMAC office at (800) 936-SOLD/7653 or email the company at mvp@bluerealty.com, or log onto the company website at www.bluerealty.com.