Today's Real Estate Activities - Febuary 29th, 2012
And the words of the day are: SETTLEMENT and APPRAISAL! One very often depends upon the other, you know.
After some trials and tribulations, 18 King Street in Pennsville, NJ went to settlement. Well, I guess that isn't quite the truth.....a terrific young couple (the buyers) and a fantastic hard-working couple (the sellers) went to settlement today. Dave Wright of Riverbeach Realty and I were honored to be there, too.
Too bad there isn't a picture of everyone's bright, smiling faces. What a pleasant change from last week's upside-down smiles when we were told there was an 'appraisal issue'. No specific information about the issue was shared. We were given 48 hours to submit an appeal to the Veteran's Association, through Wells Fargo. (Yes, this was a VA Loan.)
We were not allowed to talk to the appraiser. We were not allowed to see the appraisal. We were not allowed to know anything about what was really happening.
Maddening! Can a problem ever be solved by NOT communicating??????
We figured it had to be a matter of the house not appraising for the purchase price. As the listing agent, the appeal fell on my shoulders. My boss, who is a appraiser in addition to holding a Real Estate license, helped locate comparables as we planned our argument. It really is quite frustrating to be so uninformed when you are going to battle. We had no idea if we were trying to overcome a small or a large price difference.
In the end, I decided that it didn't matter what the difference was.....I just needed to support the contract price. After Mr. Pino helped to identify four comparables, I was left to organize my thoughts and complete the report. I did the best that I could, took a deep breath, said a prayer and crossed my fingers. (this problem-solving method should be taught in Real Estate school, I believe!)
Anyhow, the verdict from the appeal was that the value had been adjusted, but it was still $1,500 less than the contract price. (uuuggghhhh)
After some intense negotiations, the buyer agreed to make up the difference so we could continue getting ready for settlement day. It was a good feeling to know that I had helped my clients at that moment. Buyers today are not typically willing to pay higher than the appraised value for a house, so I felt a sense of accomplishment.
At the closing table, I was told that the appeal had convinced the appraiser to change her opinion-of-value to the tune of $5,000! I just cannot believe her original opinion was $6,500 less than our contract price. I truly feel that her work was substandard. By not being allowed to review the appraisal report, I had no chance to review it for accuracy. I believe the new, adjusted price was still not a true reflection of the value of the property. I think the appraiser's poor judgment cost the buyer an extra $1,500 cash-out-of-pocket. It didn't seem the consumers were well-served, at all.
But in the end, as I said earlier....everyone left settlement with smiles. The buyers had a baggie full of new keys to sort out and the seller held a very nice check to purchase their next home.
The Realtors breathed a sigh of relief that they had cleared that appraisal hurdle!
My Assistant's Bad Day......
Our assistants become our family, don't they? W
ell, that is exactly how I feel about my associate, Billy. It was time for his checkup, so I dutifully accompanied him to his doctor's visit.
It was hard to watch, but I knew he was in good hands. Billy goes to Woodstown Veterinary Hospital in Woodstown, NJ.
They are all so nice there.....but Billy isn't convinced of that.
They told him he needed shots, a blood-test, a pedicure and he was overweight.
Oh yeah....poor ol' Billy has an overbite, too. I think he felt that he was being picked on.
He was a good boy though.
He stood still and behaved.
I could read in his eyes that he wasn't having one bit of fun.
What upset him the most was the discussion about his weight. Don't tell him that I told you this, but he topped the scale at 19 lbs. (definitely too much for a miniature dacshund!)
His treats must be limited now.
He beloved cheese must be cut back to next-to-none.
His walks must be increased.
In other words, he needs to conform to a doggie's version of Weight Watchers!
Looks like he'll be counting points for awhile. 
Salem County is actually very fortunate because there are several very, very good veterinarians here. The Woodstown folks have taken care of several of Billy's 'siblings' for our family......and done so quite nicely.
As the most rural county in the entire state of NJ, we really need to have a number of veterinarians. My boss likes to say that "We have more cows than people down here." (he exaggerates, but he's kinda funny!)
The Woodstown Veterinary Hospital is located at 1250 Route 40, Pilesgrove, NJ 08098 (I swear Billy could smell that he was getting close!)
They can be reached at 856-769-2788.
While their sign along route 40 is very attractive, Billy's favorite is their interior sign, shown here.
After woofing at the 70lb German Shepherd waiting her turn to see Dr. Mike, Billy was happy to follow the arrow.
This Is Why I Just Love Salem County, NJ!
While driving back from Oldman's Township yesterday, something off on the side of the road caught my eye.
After swinging the car around, I quietly stepped out and snapped this picture for you.
.......and this one, too. Momma peered a me and turned her attention back to her babies.
I inched up a tad closer, but tried so hard not to upset Momma. She stole a couple of glances at me while I snapped yet another picture.
This is the closest that I could get without feeling as if I was bothering Momma. The lambs were still wobbly on their feet as they hovered near their mother for warmth and protection.
What a beautiful sight........
Have a happy day, everyone. Don't forget to look around and enjoy nature and all that it has to offer us.
"The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings." Dave Weinbaum
Oldman's Township in Salem County, NJ, 08067
Oldman's township is located in Salem County, NJ. It is bordered by the Delaware River, Oldmans Creek, Carneys Point and Pilesgrove Township. The communities of Pedricktown and Auburn are located within Oldmans Township. The population is approximately 1,800 made up of 654 households.
The Oldman's Township School District serves public school students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. The school had an enrollment of 244 students as of the 2005-06 school year.A majority of public school students in grades 9-12 from Oldmans Township attend PennsGrove High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the PennsGrove-Carneys Point Regional School District, with the balance attending Woodstown High School in the Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District.
From January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 there were 22 listings on the active Real Estate market with 9 of those houses going under contract and all 9 going to the final settlement table. The average sale price last year was $137,833; the minimum sale price was $30,000 with a maximum price of $205,000.
During the last quarter of 2011, the market was still trending downwards with a decrease in the median sold price ($137,500), a decrease in the original/sold price ratio (67.3%), an increase in the days-on-market (325) and a decrease of the total of settlements for the entire quarter. (2)
Oldman's Township is a lovely, rural community with lots of wide open spaces. According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 20.3 square miles, of which, 20.0 square miles of it is land and 0.3 square miles of it (1.63%) is water. 
Just Ask Chris for additional information: AskChris@coldwellbanker.com
856-628-2710 (phone/text)
856-678-4663, X211
Job Opportunities In The Salem County Area
The Perfect Resume Workshop recently held at The Pennsville Public Library was chock full of Resume Tips as well as good advice of how to conduct yourself on the job interview. Here are some opportunities that will allow you to put those tips to good use. Best wishes!
Customer Service Administrator: Sterigenics 75 Tilbury Road, Salem or email: salemjobs@sterigenics.com
Church Administrative Assistant: Olivet Methodist Church 16 to 20 hrs. email: olivetmethodist@aol.com
Customer Service/Logistics: Full time, college degree required, Centerton Nursery, 345 Woodruff Road, Bridgeton
Dietary Aide: Part-time MaterDei Nursing Home 176 Route 40 Elmer 
Technology Coordinator: East Greenwich School call superintendent’s office 856-423-0412
Special Education Teacher: East Greenwich School fax resume to 856-423-8116 Mrs. Beth Ann Godfrey, Child Study Team Supervisor
MUA Superintendent: Mantua Township MUA Full-time water/sewer superintendent; submit to: Mantua Township MUA, 397 Main St, Manuta, NJ 08051 or email mantuamua@mantuamua.com
Part-time Classroom Aide: Alloway Township School email: elmerk@alloway.k12.us or mail to Alloway School Atten: Personnel, 43 Cedar Street, PO Box 327, Alloway, NJ 08001
Truck & Trailer Mechanic: Fulltime 3 yrs. experience fax resume to: 769-0576
Real Estate Agent: fulltime or part time positions, Coldwell Banker Pino Agency, Pennsville & Elmer offices, 856-678-4663, NJ State license required (school information provided upon request - classes begin 2/1)
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