Mahwah, NJ

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner! Listed below are some of the fabulous Recreation Events that are planned in Mahwah. There is something on the list for everyone --- so come on out and join the fun. You will meet new friends, neighbors and you will enjoy the many benefits that living in Mahwah has to offer you and your family.

Youth Sports Parade - May 3

All spring sports athletes are invited to kick-off their season by marching in the annual Spring Sports Parade on May 3 rd at 9:30 AM. Parents should coordinate with their team's coaches and meet at the Betsy Ross School at 9 am. Parade immediately follows. All players and coaches are asked to wear their TEAM shirt, hat and/or uniforms. * Refreshments will be served at the end of the parade.

19th Annual Fishing Contest - May 24

It is that time of year again to test your fishing skills at our annual fishing contest at Silver Creek in Mahwah. The activities start at 10 am. Everyone aged 13 and under can compete for prizes but the entire family is welcome to fish.

Memorial Day Parade - May 26

Honor our vets on Memorial Day. Line-ups begin at 9:30 am at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church on Island Road and the parade will begin promptly at 10 am. Participants march to Veterans Park for the traditional ceremonies. The event is proudly sponsored by the VFW Post # 7124 and the Township of Mahwah. Groups that would like to participate, contact Dawn DaPuzzo at 201.529.5757 x 254.

Mahwah Summer Recreation

The Summer Rec program runs for four - one week sessions beginning June 30th and ends July 25th. All children must be residents of Mahwah. Forms will be sent home through the public schools or in person regustration will be held on May 28 from 6 to 7:30 PM at the Recreation Building at 70 East Ramapo Ave.

Paddle Days and Movie Nights - Tuesdays in July

The Mahwah Recreation Committee and Ramsey Outdoor Store will once again host Paddle Days at Lake Henry on Tuesday evenings in July from 5:30 to 8:30 PM, weather permitting. Ramsey Outdoor will provide the canoes, kayaks, paddles and they will provide instruction for their use. Participants must sign a waiver and should bring sun protection. After your time on the lake, join the Rec Committee for a family friendly movie and some popcorn under the stars. Movies begin at 8:15 PM.

Summer Concert Series - Ramapo College

Each Thursday night in July, join friend and family for a concert at the bandshell lawn at Ramapo College. Parking is $ 5 per carload. Families are encouraged to picnic on the lawn, play frisbee and enjoy the sounds on beautiful summer evenings. The first Thursday in July is the annual FIREWORKS. Schedule will be posted soon on www.Ramapo.edu .

There is a lot to do in Mahwah --- so get out and join the fun!

For those of us who live, work or play in Mahwah, we were so thrilled to be acknowledged as one of the Top 10 places to live in NJ. New Jersey Monthly Magazine (based on research from the Monmouth University Polling Institute) ranked 566 municipalities in NJ and Mahwah was the only Bergen County town to make the cut and came in at #9!

OK, what's so great about Mahwah you might be wondering... Towns were rated on property taxes, home values, population growth, land development, employment, crime rate, school performance & proximity to services. Household income was not considered, and home prices were measured based on their rate of increase over the last five years instead of their current prices.

Low crime, low unemployment, proximity to hospitals, more open land and slow growth were all rated favorably... which leads us to Mahwah! Situated right near the Ramapo Mountains, Mahwah has many county & state parks, the Campgaw Ski area which has skiing & snowboarding, golf courses, hiking, archery, swimming, fishing and plenty of open roads for biking. Mahwah has also been re-known for it's low taxes because of the large commercial companies who are located in the more industrial areas.

Mahwah is also unique because it has so many townhouse & condo developments, offering first time home buyers an opportunity to become homeowners, as well as providing people looking for a low maintenance lifestyle plenty of developments to choose from. Condo & townhouse have a large price range. Right now a one bedroom, one bath Townhouse in Society Hill starts at about $269,000 with townhouses ranging up to 3 Bedroom, 2.5 bath units with garages in Apple Ridge going for $700,000+. I'll be blogging more about what each of the townhouse developments have to offer later in the month.

Home prices for single family homes range from just under $400,000 up to $10,000,000 (yes you read that right... $10,000,000). Not many other towns offer the kind of diversity that Mahwah offers. It's no wonder Mahwah was voted in the Top 10 in NJ! Click here for more information on Mahwah Real Estate or Schools, or other Bergen County information

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Karen Lampiasi, Broker-Sales Associate & Manager,

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, 818 Wyckoff Ave, Mahwah, NJ 07430 201-891-7800 Ext 162 Karen.Lampiasi@cbmoves.com

Six major lenders including: Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Countrywide Financial Corp., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Washington Mutual Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co., have promised to help homeowners who have missed payments for 90 days by allowing an extended 30 days to negotiate reduced rates and payments. The lenders have formed what is being called the HOPE Now ALLIANCE. They have designed a program, called Project Lifeline, which is aimed at homeowners who face a real risk of losing their home, but have not yet addressed the problem.

Under the proposed plan , lenders will reach out to homeowners via a letter offering them the opportunity to "freeze" or renegotiate their rate in hopes of helping them with a smaller monthly payment. According to the website http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp820.htm which outlines a Statement by Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr.

The banks or mortgage companies will reach out to homeowners via a letter that will suggest the homeowner take the following action:

1. Call your mortgage provider

2. Tell them that you received a letter, you want to stay in your home and you are willing to seek counseling, if necessary

3. Provide updated financial information so the servicer can explore a suitable solution

4. If appropriate, any pending foreclosure will be ‘paused' for up to 30 days during the review process until a formal decision is made and a plan is created

5. If a workout plan is established and the homeowner follows the plan for three consecutive months, their loan will be formally modified as they have demonstrated their ability to meet the requirements"

The Hope Alliance has also created a nationwide HOTLINE - 888-995-HOPE - to help answer questions. Or follow the link http://hopenow.us/ for more information and assistance.

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Thinking of buying or selling your home in Bergen County, New Jersey?

Let me help you. Know the sales value of your new home and your new neighborhood * based on actual market comps. Allow me to present a Comparative Market Analysis to you that is customized to your home, finances and your specific needs. This will give you detailed information about pricing and selling your home in the current market or BUYING your home in your new neighborhood.

For more information about buying or selling your largest financial asset, contact me at CupaT@aol.com.

http://www.pamelastetson.com/

Now is the time to register for Spring Sports!

For more information please go to www.MahwahYouthSports.org and click on your sport to register. Available sports include: baseball, lacrosse, track and field and MORE.

Those interested in Rec baseball must register by March 1 st. If you are not registered by that deadline you may not be placed on a team so... hurry ... go to the website and register NOW!

Volunteer coaches are needed as well. So, if you are interested, please go to the site and click on the volunteer link on the left hand column. Thanks to all that come out to help the kids....

In this market --- we all want to sell homes and sell homes fast!

What would help buyers decide that a home is just right for them? What, if anything, would help a buyer who is sifting through a lot of real estate inventory, reduced prices, locations or markets, and a media frenzy of not so hot real estate news --- feel better about his or her purchase decision? This is, after all, the largest financial decision of anyone's life.

I have wrestled with this over the past two years. So, I do what I always do when I don't know the answer. I do alot of research. I went through tons of online real estate trends from national and state real estate organizations and mls data. I talked with my sellers. I chatted with buyers. I even had lengthy, informal conversations with my competitors. Then, one day, as I sat in a car dealership with my family --- it hit me.

CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED!The auto industry has been doing it for years. And, they spend a fortune in advertising and marketing dollars so...they know what makes a buyer pull the trigger. I grabbed a certified pre-owned packet from the dealer, then visited several more. I gobbled all the info I could get. Then I ran - literally - to one of the owner's of my company.

He and our office manager sat stoically as I rambled excitedly about the benefits of Certifiying a home for sale. Some other companies in other states had picked up on some parts or pieces of home certification but...not one ( as far as I could see ) was offering a full package as a company. I watched as their faces change from a polite gaze to full blown excitement. Within weeks, our company put together a CERTIFIED HOME marketing package that is sure to help seller's and buyer's alike.

Now, Robert Abbott, one of the principles for Abbott & Caserta, was off to the races. He and a team of real estate agents, marketing people and our other real estate resources pooled together one of the most effective marketing programs in years. With support from some of our most valued vendors put together a program that allows the seller to sell their property at the highest possible price while enabling to sell their home faster. Buyers enjoy the comfort of knowing that some, if not most , of their concerns are all laid out on the table upfront. The benefits may be too numerous to include in one post the grid below gives you an overview.

Now, once a seller has certified his or her home, the home can be offered with confidence to the buyer.

This package if done individually would cost the seller well over $ 1,500.

Through the Abbott & Caserta Certified Home program , this will cost the sellers less than $950. Nothing is paid to Abbott & Caserta directly. The vendors are paid direct so...Abbott & Caserta does not make money on the program components. Home Certifications allows the seller to effectively market the home with confidence.

This package was completed by one of our listings about 10 days ago --- and it went into attorney review within the week!

I am proud to work with a company --- by having direct access to the company owners --- that affords us the ability to bring great marketing ideas to fruition, they build upon those ideas to maximize the benefits and exposure and they help us to bring them to our buyers and sellers --- FAST!

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Thinking of buying or selling your home in Bergen County, New Jersey?

Let me help you. Know the sales value of your new home and your new neighborhood * based on actual market comps. Allow me to present a Comparative Market Analysis to you that is customized to your home, finances and your specific needs. This will give you detailed information about pricing and selling your home in the current market or BUYING your home in your new neighborhood.

For more information about buying or selling your largest financial asset, contact me at CupaT@aol.com.

Copyright - Pamela Stetson 2008, http://www.pamelastetson.com/