Despite both the state Assembly and Senate voting to approve a tax credit for NJ home buyers, Gov. Christie vetoed the program on July 23. The NJ Home Buyer Tax Credit Program would have allowed home buyers could claim a credit of either $15,000 or 5% of the home purchase price over the course of three years following the home purchase in [...]
A city school district in southern Texas has come up with a new way to combat childhood obesity that also makes their neighborhoods more walkable - by constructing new sidewalks, redesigning crosswalks, and adding bike racks to two dozen school campuses in Edinburg, TX, almost all of which are elementary schools. The team behind [...]
The US Senate and House of Representatives have both voted to extend the deadline for closing on houses bought by April 30 from June 30 to September 30 in the hopes of allowing around 180,000 home buyers to complete their transactions and still qualify for the tax credit. While this does not extend the period in which home buyers could [...]
By this point most of us have heard about the Russian spy ring exposed by the federal government, and starring a pretend-couple who lived in Montclair. Montclair has since become a popular one-liner for those looking to poke fun at the rather ineffectual [...]
Many first-time home buyers are intent on getting the best deal possible - not a bad strategy at all. But many buyers forget that "the best deal" depends both on house price and mortgage rate (unless you're one of the lucky few who intend to pay all cash). Remember this handy little equation: [...]
The NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection has begun a new program in which old refrigerators or freezers that are not energy-efficient can be traded in for a $50 rebate. NJ residents must meet the criteria (listed [...]
If you are reading this, you are probably one of the 90% of buyers who searched for a home online this year. According to the National Association of Realtors only 37% performed this activity 10 years ago. Here are 7 stats that have changed - or not changed over the past [...]
I'm a big fan of the rating website, www.walkscore.com, but its algorithm relies mostly on the proximity of a house to stores and community resources. But to find walkability rating, it's not just about distance -- it's also about the quality and ease of the [...]
We have a saying among real estate agents that "Kitchens sell houses." At the mere mention of the words "granite" or "stainless steel," buyers flock to a new listing, imagining themselves preparing home-cooked meals for the family or having friends gather around the "island" while the host prepares a gourmet meal and offers a little kitchen [...]
Anthropologie--the big retailer with modern urban style clothing and home goods--has opened its doors in Montclair in time for the holiday shopping season. I'm sure there is some grumbling as people roll their eyes at $200 corduroy pants and worry that chain stores will threaten the character of our very indie town. Me, I welcome [...]
