GLORIA LAUGHTON ALLSTON, GREEN, SRES

From what I am told, there is a movement to include a GREEN section on the MLS' that serve the NE. This is already in place out West and will include a designated section on the listing sheet/screen that will allow the Agents to include environmentally friendly features existing in their listings. This will certainly help in identifying properties for our environmentally sensitive buyers.

I welcome it and can't wait.

Summer is almost here and, from what we hear about the economy, families are planning to stick close to home and enjoy some of the local forms of entertainment. One that should be put on your To Do List is the Summer Courtyard Concert Series. It will take place every Thursday evening from 6-8 pm beginning June 18 and ending August 27. All of the concerts are free and will take place in the newly renovated Princeton Shopping Center Courtyard. Attendants should bring lawn chairs for comfortable viewing. Audiences will be delighted each Thursday evening with music from Rock to Klezmer. The series will kick off with Animus and will conclude with Sarah Donner's indie music showcase. For a performance schedule and descriptions of the musical acts please visit www.artscouncilofprinceton.org or pick-up a program schedule at the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts. The Princeton Shopping Center is located at 301 North Harrison Street in Princeton Township.

The communities of Somerset and Middlesex counties will get a taste of Caribbean culture on June 27 when New Jersey Caribbean Festival 2009 will offer the spice-infused cuisine, diverse music rhythms and vibrant art of the islands, commonly called the West Indies.

Organized by the Jamaica Organization of New Jersey, the Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition and the Hamilton Street Business and Community Corporation, the street festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 720 Hamilton St., in the business district section of Franklin Township in Somerset County, N.J.

The Caribbean festival will be rich with familiar cultural expressions, such as foods embellished with curry and jerk seasonings, steel bands, cultural dances and performances by Caribbean artists. The event will also include vendors of all cultures, illustrating the multicultural tapestry of the United States, organizers said.

The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every ten years. It covers all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. This Census data will not only shape the future of our communities and define our voice in Congress but will address some real estate trends as well. What and who will be the next housing trend? Will Boomers head West or South or stay put? Is the day of the McMansion over? Will gentrification of the cities take off again as young families flee the suburbs? All questions that may be answered once the census results are tallied.