East Brunswick High School Top School in 2012

According to an article published by U.S. News and World Report, EBHS ranks 40 among all New Jersey high schools and 891 nationally among the more than 21,000 high schools evaluated by the magazine. According to the report, students at EBHS “have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement coursework and exams. The AP participation rate at East Brunswick High School is 36 percent. The student body makeup is 50 percent male and 50 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 38 percent. "It is rewarding to see how well our students perform with respect to their peers in the state and the nation. This is a true testament to the hard work done each and every day by our students and teachers to ensure our graduates are both college and career ready," said EBHS Principal Robert Murphy. Call Better Homes Realty for all your Real Estate Needs 732-254-0123

FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS SEMINAR IN KEYPORT

Make your dreams of owning a home a reality!  Thursday May 10th, Better Homes Realty in Keyport will be hosting a FREE First Time Home Buyers Seminar here in town at a local coffee house called Esspresso Joe's. There will be a variety of speakers and Real Estate professionals on hand to answer all of your questions and concerns in todays very challenging market.  Information on Monmouth County Grant Funds and Short Sale advice will be available! Preview available properties for Keyport, Hazlet, Aberdeen and Middletown. The meeting will start at 6pm and for more information please contact the Keyport office directly at 732-264-9593!!!

National Open House Weekend Tips!

ATTENTION BUYERS!! The time has come to get your comfortable shoes on, grab a water bottle and get the car keys, it's National Association of Realtor's Open House Weekend and in Monmouth County the balloons will be everywhere!!! Here are some handy tips that you may want to keep you from getting overwhelmed by it all. First, make it an occasion to spend some quality time with your significant other by getting a babysitter so you can see as many as possible and look forward to lunch or dinner after 4pm when most of them end. Second, have a plan! Know which areas you are most interested in based on school systems, access to work or family members, Hazlet, Middletown and Holmdel are among the most popular. Try to determine the exact style of house that you like such as a Colonial, Ranch, Split, Bi-Level or Cape. Research these different styles so you have an idea of what they look like from the street and try to resist the temptation to look at any that you know will not be your dream house so will have time to preview the right one.  Establish if you definitely want a garage, this will cut down on the amount of homes you would be tempted to preview on your drive by. Bring a pen and make notes on the print outs offered by the Realtors so you will be able to refresh your memory at the end of the day. And finally, remember to have fun and get excited about the prospect of buying your next home! Joanne Schiffres, http://joannes.betterhomesus.com Better Homes Realty, Hazlet 732-757-5013    

New Construction, Finished and Ready for Closing!

New 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home , finished and ready for a quick closing. Open and bright first floor plan, Great Room with gas fireplace, Formal Dining Room, Kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Master bedroom with walk in closet. Open House Sat.-Sun 12pm-4pm 1 Colgate Ct, Franklin, NJ 08873 $499,900.00 Contact Anita Kazmierczak for more information 732-547-2710 [caption id="attachment_4853" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="New Construction!!"][/caption]

Your Realtor Is A Valuable Resource

Realtors are more than just "door openers".  An experienced full time agent has established and maintained great industry relationships over the years in order to serve his or her clients when it comes to the largest purchase they will ever make. Your Realtor's sole purpose should be to make your transaction as seemless as possible. That is why they should be the first person you go to when you need an important referral such as an attorney, home inspector or most importantly, a mortgage representative. Real Estate transactions are only as good as the people involved in order to move things along in a timely fashion and open communication between those related industries are most important when difficulties arise. Why wouldn't you, the buyer or seller, want all parties involved in your transaction to have your best interests in mind and make this experience one of excitement and joy rather than something else entirely! Joanne Schiffres  http://joannes.betterhomesus.com Better Homes Realty 732-757-5013

HIREAVETERAN Career Fair

Tuesday April 24th 11am - 4pm Merri Makers Reception Center  PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel All Branches of military service are invited to attend. bring resumes and meet with representatives from  the following organizations: (just to name a few) Centenary College, Open Road Auto Group, Magyar Bank, Creative Financial Group of NJ, Dr. Rotem, Merri-Makers, Prudential Financial, Riva Networks Inc. Primerica Financial Serv., Patuxent Enginerring LLC, USBGC, Rutgers University, Sysco Metro New York, Set Focus, Greenway Mortgage, Earle Asphalt Company, MetLife/Bridge Financial Group and many other. Info by: Independent Newspaper: Posted by Lisa Alaimo Better Homes Realty 800-531-2885 x451   www.SearchHomesInNJ.com  

Garden State Film Festival 3-22 thru 3/25 2012

The 10th Annual Garden State Film Festival at the Paramount Theatre and other area venues. See over 190 current independent films from around the globe. This fun-filled weekend includes a special FREE screening of Michael, open talent casting call, professional panel discussions, parties, and more. Special Screening:  "I want My Name Back" Sat March 24th 9PM Wonder Mike & Master Gee of Rappers Delight, followed by a historic reunion concert with special guests. GSFF Only happens once a year.. Get tickets at the venues or GSFF.ORG source: APP  posted by Lisa Alaimo Better Homes Realty 800-531-2885 x451  www.SearchHomesInNJ.com  

Kaboom Fireworks on the Navesink?

The Kaboom Executive Committee announced on Feb. 15 that Red Bank's 2012 July 3 fireworks display would not take place due to soaring security costs and insurance premiums, coupled with the difficulty of monitoring public safety. A 50 year tradition which has become victim to its own success. It has become so large, it attracts 100,000-150,000 people to town and that does so much for local restuarants and retailers. Fore more info visit: www.gmnews.com details by Kristen Dalton of Independent newspaper. Posted by: Lisa Alaimo of Better Homes Realty 800-531-2885 x451  www.SearchHomesinNJ.com  

Help for Seniors

Click here for more info from my colleague Sandra RostekFebruary 29, 2012 by Wendy Trager Email: wendytrager@optonline.net.   It comes as no surprise that some of the hardest hit in this economy are seniors.  Homes seniors have been living in their whole adult life may now burdensome to pay for and upkeep.  Many seniors feel they have nowhere else to go.  Reverse Mortgages can be the solution for a variety of problems:

• To help seniors looking to downsize and finance the purchase of a smaller home.
• To help seniors facing foreclosure
• To help seniors suffering from job loss and unable to pay their mortgage
• To help with home repairs
• To help with sale of home
• To help a senior stay in their current home and pay for home healthcare

• The homeowners must 62 years old
• The home must be their principal residence (must live in the home more than half a year)
• The home must be a single family home, a 2-4 unit building or a federally approved condominium or planned unit development
• If there are debts against the home, then the homeowner must use the reverse mortgage to pay it off
• There are NO credit/income requirements

• Traditional mortgage or home equity loans require proof of sufficient income and credit history to qualify, and you will have to repay beginning within 30 days of closing.  With a reverse mortgage, there are no monthly payments to be made at any time during the loan for as long as you continue to occupy the home as a primary residence.  Since there is no monthly payment, the FHA does not require verification of your income and does not require a good credit rating. 

Real Estate Social Media

There’s a URL for That

By JILL P. CAPUZZO

LARRY VECCHIO, a Monmouth County real estate broker, was ahead of the curve in the late 1990s when he started buying up a number of generic-sounding Internet domain names that he thought might come in handy one day. The URLs he first went after were “Homesin(fill in the blank).com,” the blank being the names of the 20 towns his agency, based in Hazlet, served. Once he saw how easy and cheap it was to make these purchases — for a one-time flat fee or annual rentals — Mr. Vecchio started buying up every similar-sounding URL (Uniform Resource Locator) he could get his hands on. “I just thought, if you were going to look for a house, what would you type in?” he recalled. “So I looked up ‘homesin...’ and nobody had them.” Among those he learned were available were HomesintheUnitedStates, HomesinNorthAmerica and HomesinNewYork. (One that had already been spoken for was HomesinNewJersey, which was owned by someone in the Canadian town of New Jersey, from whom he was able to buy it for $1,500.) Today he owns 1,300 URLs, including “Homesin...” and “Condosin...” for just about every municipality in New Jersey, as well as towns throughout the country. He also owns the domain names, meaning that by adding a backslash and the name of any town in the United States, he has a network of some 35,000 URLs. As the vast majority of house hunts happen over the Internet, Mr. Vecchio’s URLs have a colossal resale value — far exceeding what he paid for them. For instance, he said he had been offered $100,000 for “HomesinForeclosure.com.” But this 54-year-old Web visionary has bigger plans for his holdings. Until recently, most of the Homesin... pages have had little or no content. But Phase 2 of Mr. Vecchio’s plans for HomesinYourTown.com envisions the URLs as the go-to real estate search-and-information site for anyone looking to buy a home in New Jersey and beyond. He has recently bought access to real estate listings nationwide, at a cost of $4,000 a month; he plans to populate his Web sites with these by the end of February. This will put him on similar footing with many other national real estate search sites, like Zillow.com, Trulia.com, the Multiple Listing Service, Realtor.com and Homes.com. But what he is hoping will make his sites more valuable are the “town leaders” he is trying to get to host each site: local agents or mortgage officers who will blog about area homes, schools, businesses and other community news in exchange for being the featured real estate professional on the site. By combining this hyperlocal reporting with real estate listing information, Mr. Vecchio said, he has developed “the first social media real estate site.” At the 2011 Tri-State Realtors Convention in Atlantic City in November, agents were competing for blogging rights on the URLs of some towns, said Christopher Sheridan, a real estate marketer who is signing up the local bloggers for Mr. Vecchio’s sites. “If you snooze, you lose,” said Mr. Sheridan, who has thus far signed up 180 town leaders, most of whom are paying the company $50 a month for that privilege. “If somebody wanted a town, I told them they better take it, or at least put something down.” Judith Weiniger, a Somerset County agent, recently signed on to be the featured broker on the HomesinWarren.com and HomesinWatchung.com sites. She described her venture as part of her overall commitment this year to embracing social media as a selling tool. “I’m a big believer in this hyperlocal social media strategy,” said Ms. Weiniger, an agent with Re/Max Premier in Warren Township. “People are more apt to trust a person or a business if they know someone else trusts them. I’m looking to build continued good will.” National Web-based real estate sites, too, are adding social media elements to their offerings, with blogs, links to Facebook and Twitter, and user apps. Patty McNease, the marketing director for Homes.com, said her company’s site was now posting a blog almost every day on some general-interest real estate topic. As far as localizing the information goes, Ms. McNease said, the site offers a question-and-answer section allowing readers to post queries about a given market, and “they’ll be bombarded with answers from local realtors within a few hours.” The goal at Homes.com — the country’s fourth-largest Web-based real estate site, according to comScore.com, a digital data analyst — is to “try to capture and keep visitors at our site as long as possible,” Ms. McNease said. Ian Lazarus, a broker with the Landis Company in Sea Isle City, signed on to host the Homesin... sites in Sea Isle City, Cape May and Avalon. He said he had been slow to embrace the blogging component of real estate sites, which in recent months had provided him with 50 to 60 leads, the majority of them people living outside of New Jersey. “He’s got 1,300 URLs, and every one is linked to the others,” Mr. Lazarus said of Mr. Vecchio. “That’s a lot of juice. And for me it’s important, because it’s something I can never build.” [caption id="attachment_4389" align="alignnone" width="190" caption="Real Estate Social Media"][/caption]

Let's Buy Something Together...

Buying A Home With Past Credit Problems Buying a home can be both exciting and stressful but, for those with past credit problems, the process may also seem intimidating.  The good news is that many lenders have adapted to the idea that many hopeful homeowners simply need a second chance, which means that past credit problems no longer have to define your future. Credit Blemishes When life unexpectedly takes a turn for the worst, it’s not always possible to come out without a few bumps and bruises. Every day, people are faced with late or missed credit card payments, mortgage foreclosures, bankruptcy proceedings, auto repossessions and even civil judgments that will affect their credit reports for years to come.  Whether it’s from a job loss, injury or just a simple case of temporary hardship, credit blemishes are often a part of life.  The good news is that they no longer have to prevent you from becoming a homeowner. Give Yourself A Little Credit After experiencing a credit problem, most lenders will want to see an attempt to rebuild your credit through a steady payment history with a new account.  This can be accomplished by applying for a credit card and maintaining a responsible use of the account.  If you aren’t approved for an unsecured card, you can always apply for a secured credit card. Either will rebuild your credit over time and will help to show lenders that your past credit problems are just that - in the past. Clean Up Your Credit Report Before applying for a home loan, make sure that you check your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. Every 12 months, consumers can request a free copy of their credit report from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. If anything is incorrect or found to be inaccurate, filing a dispute with the credit reporting agency can help to get the information corrected before speaking with a lender. When you apply for a home loan, the lender will access your credit report for the purpose of determining your creditworthiness. In an effort to ensure that you have the best possible chance at being approved for the loan at the best possible interest rates, making sure that your credit report is accurate is a must. Save Up For A Down Payment Some homebuyers often qualify for a mortgage with down payments as low as five percent (three and one half percent for FHA loans), but those with past credit problems may be required to shell out up to 35 percent or more for a down payment on their new home.  A buyer who pays a larger down payment obviously has more vested interest in the home and may, thereby, be less likely to default on a loan.  If you have past credit problems, check with your lender about specific down payment requirements and start saving! Creative Financing Options If you’ve exhausted all of your conventional efforts and are still turning up empty, don’t give up just yet. Alternative financing is an option that many homebuyers use to purchase a home.  Your REALTOR® can provide you with details regarding any lease purchase and/or owner financing properties, which may require no credit check, no bank qualifying, a low down payment and competitive interest rate options.

Lisa Alaimo of Better Homes Realty Hazlet selected as "2012 N.J. Five Star Real Estate Agent"!

Great News!!! Lisa Alaimo of Better Homes Realty Hazlet Branch is one of the recipents of the 2012 New Jersey Five Star Real Estate Agent award. She is among a group of fewer than 7% of real estate agents in the New Jersey area. New Jersey Monthly asked Five Star Professional to conduct research with clients, peers and industry experts to determine the r.e. agents in N.J. area who rated highest in overall satisfaction. Winners will be listed in the March 2012 issue of New Jersey Monthly. Congradulations Lisa Alaimo of Better Homes Realty Hazlet, N.J. 800-531-2885 x 451    www.SearchHomesinNJ.com

Mark the Date!!! Your Residential Real Estate Questions Answered.

Live Chat on Ustream.tv  by Lisa Alaimo of Better Homes Realty.  Present will be Michael J. Weber of Weber Law Offices in Howell, NJ.  Chat live and ask you real estate questions.  All Residential real estate questions and RE Legal Quesions. Re-sale, short sales, bank owned, foreclosure, condo's, town homes & rentals. Mark the date... March 1, 2012 at 7:PM You can email your request prior, we will respond on live chat and email you back with answers. Email to : LAlaimo@BetterHomesUS.com See you there... Channel Name:  BHRLisaalaimo or search on ustream.tv  NJrealestateagent   or just click the link below and save to your favorites. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/njrealestateagent Lisa Alaimo.. . .www.SearchHomesinNJ.com     for Michael Weber of Weber Law offices...  www.WeberLawOffices.com

Avoiding Foreclosure (Government information)

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/avoiding_foreclosure Call me with any questions. 800-531-2885 x 451 or email me at:  LAlaimo@BetterHomesUS.com  Better Homes Realty   Lisa Alaimo

Pricing your home to sell.

How to use comparable sales to sell your home.. Click the link from houselogic..  http://buyandsell.houselogic.com/articles/how-use-comparable-sales-price-your-home/ Lisa Alaimo/Better Homes Realty   800-531-2885 x451  www.LISAALAIMO.com   email me at: LAlaimo@BetterHomesUS.com

How much Mortgage can you afford?

4 good tips.. Click the link for info: http://buyandsell.houselogic.com/articles/4-tips-determine-how-much-mortgage-you-can-afford/ Lisa Alaimo/Better Homes Realty:   www.LisaAlaimo.com   email me: Lalaimo@BetterHomesUS.com   or call me at: 800-531-2885  x451

The Costume Shop in Keyport is Closing it's doors!!! Everything MUST GO!

Sad to say but.... The Costume Shop in Keyport is closing its doors..  Everything MUST GO!!!!  Feb. 29th 2012 it's gone! 50% off all Retail Costumes, Masks, Wigs, Make-up. Fixtures etc. also for sale.. Maybe early for Halloween, but not early for a great deal... Stop by: 41 Division St. Keyport, NJ 07735   PH: 732-264-5115   Hours: Mon/Wed/Thurs/Fri 10-6  & Sat 10-2 information provided by Lisa Alaimo of Better Homes Realty... Call Lisa for a complimentary Market analysis. 732-241-4588 * 800-531-2885 x 451

BACK ON THE MARKET AND PRICE REDUCED BY $18,900!! IN OLD BRIDGE

  BACK ON THE MARKET AND REDUCED BY $18,900!!! Desirable 500 Model in the best location in Society Hill backing to a beautiful park like setting.  This large 2 bed, 2.5 bath unit with a full bath and walk-in closet in each bedroom is perfect for a new family.  Wood burning fireplace in the living area, new carpets, paint, windows, siding. Walk to NYC bus.  Pool,Tennis w/Clubhouse.

Rent Reduction!! OLD BRIDGE, NJ Your Own Seashore Retreat With A View Of Raritan Bay

Anthony J. Gonzalez Michael Faiella Better Homes Realty (908) 565-0457 Anthony@JerseyShore102.com Mike@JerseyShore102.com http://www.JerseyShore102.com

Rental Listing Price Reduction in Old Bridge, NJ!!

Available for Immediate Rental. Quant Single Family home with a new Washer/Dryer available for immediate occupancy. Attic Storage, Fully Fenced Yard, Large Driveway, New Carpeting, and freshly painted. Perfect location for commuters; Parkway, Bus, or Train just moments away. Possible 3rd bedroom or office.  

JUST REDUCED!!! 61 CARLISLE COURT… 3 BEDROOMS, 2.5 BATHS

RENTAL LISTING!! OLD BRIDGE, NJ Your Own Seashore Retreat With A View Of Raritan Bay

Available for Immediate Rental. Your Own Seashore Retreat With A View Of Raritan.  Featuring A Large Living Room With Cathederal Ceiling. Bright Updated Kitchen & Bath. Tastefully Decorated In Neutral Decor. Two to Three Bedrooms. All Appliances Included. Attic Storage. Fully Fenced Yard, Concrete Driveway & New Roof. New Carpeting To Be Installed In LR & Back Room Mid May. Walk To Boardwalk, Beach With Playground & Fishing Pier.

Desirable 500 Model in the best location in Society Hill

Desirable 500 Model in the best location in Society Hill

Overview Maps Photos Features Description

$248,800 Townhouse Main Features 2 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 Partial Bathroom Location 117 Wilshire Court Old Bridge, NJ 08857 USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below:

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Anthony J. Gonzalez Better Homes Realty (908) 565-0457 Anthony@JerseyShore102.com http://www.JerseyShore102.com Listed by: Anthony J. Gonzalez

Our recent listings Wonderful, FULLY-FURNISHED, 2-br, 2-bath rental in Long Branch's sought-after Grand Resorts Beautifully decorated! townhouse with full finished basement Fabulous 4,700 sq ft Home BEAUTIFUL EXPANDED RANCH LOCATED MOMENTS FROM UNIVERSITY SEEING IS BELIEVING!THIS RANCH HAS LARGE ROOMS W/GREAT FLOW Subscribe to our listing feed

Nearby properties for sale

Open House – 117 Wilshire Court, Old Bridge – Sunday Oct 24th, 1-4pm

Are you looking for a great townhome in unbelievable condition, updated look, neutral colors, plenty of space, and priced perfect??? I am hosting an Open House at a great townhome  in Society Hill, a townhome complex located in Old Bridge, NJ.  Come visit me from 1-4pm on October 24, at 117 Whilshire Court, Old Bridge.   117 Whilshire Court in Old Bridge, NJ is listed for $268,900 and has so much to offer.  http://listings.realbird.com/D2D7C9E4/74664.aspx                                        Click here for Virtual tour     QR code for this listing A little History of Old Bridge, NJ: Initially, Old Bridge Township was made up of farms and the population grew slowly.  In 1880, the population was 1,662 and in 1950 it had reached only 7,365.  Then the building boom started and farms gave way to developments. In 1960, the population was 22,772 and that was only the beginning. The 1980 census sited 51,406 people and even that was questioned because areas of the Township have post offices bearing the names of other communities in the area.  Today, the Township population is estimated to be 60,000 and continued growth is forecasted.  Of the Township’s 38.3 square miles, approximately one third is developed.Hundreds of Thousands of people flock to the Jersey Shore each summer. The shore is a healthy, happy and pleasant place to be during the hot and humid weather.  From an historical perspective it is evident that the Old Bridge waterfront has been a site of considerable commercial and recreational activity ever since the area was first inhabited by the Lenni Lenape. Much of this activity was directly attributed to the flora and fauna, natural bathing beaches, and access to the major navigational routes. A combination of the detrimental effects of water pollution on existing bayshore flora and fauna, storm damage and resultant beach erosion and building destruction, unsightly filling of the water’s edge in some locations, and a general neglect of this valuable asset has led to a deterioration of the bayfront area. During the past decade, the Township of Old Bridge initiated efforts to reverse this trend. Forty-seven acres of waterfront land were acquired and the first phase of the Laurence Harbor Park was developed. Additional plans for groins, erosion control and recreational facilities were also initiated. Hopefully, future historians will be able to look back with satisfaction and pride to the 1980’s as a decade of renaissance for the Old Bridge waterfront. Significantly, the State of New Jersey had established a policy of upgrading and enhancing the State’s waterways in the 1980’s. This policy evolved through continued efforts in planning and regulating development in the coastal area which culminated in a Presidential directive that 1980 be designated as “The Year of the Coast”. In 1995, as part of the Shore Protection Beach revitalization project, two new groins (jetties) were built off the Laurence Harbor beachfront and the entire beach was replenished with new sand. A New Jersey Shore Protection grant of $2,100,000 was provided for the project.  In 1998, the Middlesex County Park Commission leased the shorefront from the Township and planned the development of a major waterfront park.  In March 1999, the State Department of Environmental Protection awarded the Township with a $300,000 grant to repair the Laurence Harbor Beach groin (jetty). The award was presented to the Township through the office of the DEP Administrator, Bernard Moore, longtime Chief of the Bureau of Coastal Engineering. Since the old groin was already included in the County’s plan for improvements, the $300,000 grant will be used for additional site work and recreational amenities.

Anthony J. Gonzalez Better Homes Realty (908) 565-0457 Email: anthony@aagrealestate.comWebsite: Clark, NJ real estate

Just Listed/Open House

Just as I am getting settled at my new agency, Better Homes Realty, I was fortunate enough to list this wonderful 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in Clark, NJ. This home is beautifully landscaped and features a huge deck off the dining room, which leads you to the meticulously maintained in-ground heated pool. Inside this home, you will find 3 nicely sized bedrooms, perfect living room and dining room area, and an amazing family room. The family room features tile floors, fireplace, and wet bar! Imagine the gatherings you can have in this home!!!  Want to see more, visit my open house here, Sunday, August 29, 1-4 pm! Come and discuss with me, how I can assist you with all your real estate needs and provide “committed, invested, responsive, and trusted” service! 

Homes in Old Bridge

For a free Market Report for the homes sale in Old Bridge NJ, please send an email to LisaAnnBell@msn.com.  I will email you a free market report for Old Bridge.