Newsletter
Volume 1 Number 3    November 21, 2008
333 Route 9 (Foodtown Plaza)  ]  Bayville, New Jersey 08721  ]  http://CENTURY21AtTheShore.com

Is This The Right Time To Buy?

Submitted By: Teresa Curatolo - CENTURY 21 At The Shore Realty
With all the headlines of newspapers and the evening news on TV repeating the doom and gloom of the real estate market, it is no wonder why people are waiting on the side lines till the coast is clear.
Let’s look at the situation from all sides.
Is the housing industry in a mess? Absolutely, but that is just one side of the box. The price of housing is much more affordable than it has been and interest rates are still low. When I bought my house the interest rate was 15%. I don’t know how we did it but we did. Well that is not true; I do know that we saved our money, bought within our means, and thought of houses as a place to live and not as atm machine.
Think basics and you will see that this is the best time to buy. We strayed away from the basics and that is what hurt the housing market. Talk to a mortgage specialist first, find out what you need to have financially to buy a home. Ask questions like how much of a down payment will I need and what will my payments be? Is this a fixed rate?
Remember if this is your first home it doesn’t have to be your last buy what you need for now. You can always upgrade in a few years.
If you are living in your first home and want to up grade the market is perfect for first time home buyers, so list your house and start looking for some of the upgrades you have been missing. Thinking of retiring in a few years buy now and rent till you need it. There are tons of opportunity now step out and see all the choices you have
CENTURY 21
At The Shore Realty
in support of Local
FOOD BANKS
is collecting non-
perishable donations
at their office in
Foodtown Center
333 Route 9
Bayville, NJ.
All donations
appreciated

Click HERE to see
what we are doing
in the community.
How To Sell Your Home In The Winter
Submitted by: Maria Dargan - CENTURY 21 At The Shore Realty
What makes selling a home more stressful? Selling it in the middle of winter.
The lawn is brown, the weather is usually bad and, unlike the longer days of summer, you have less time to show it off during daylight hours.
But not everyone has the luxury of waiting until the traditional spring or summer home-buying season to put in that "for sale" sign. And while it's true that in most areas you'll probably have fewer buyers during the winter, you will have less competition from other sellers.
This makes staging your home even more important. Be prepared to put a little extra effort into it. If you do it right, you can really make your home stand out.

Keep snow and ice at bay

Keeping walkways and driveways free of snow and ice. Just like trimming the lawn in the summer, you want to make the home looks like it's been maintained. If you're away or live in an area that has bad weather, it can pay to hire a service to come in and salt or shovel the driveway and sidewalks.
Read The Entire Article HERE

Mortgage
Current Rates

Today
11/21/2008
30 Yr Fix 6.000%
20 Yr Fix 6.000%
15 Yr Fix 5.625%
5/1 ARM 5.250%
30 Yr Fix
FHA 		6.000%
Closings

9/21/2008 to 10/20/2008
AreaAug.Sep.Oct.
Ocean Co. 332281244
Toms River 635052
Berkeley 231309
Lacey 312118

Nancy T. Gray
Broker/Owner		 NOTES FROM THE BROKER: - UNDERSTANDING SHORT SALES
As the nations’ housing crisis continues, millions of homeowners face foreclosure and the potential opportunity to sell their homes through a short sale. It is said that 90% of homeowners do not understand the difference between a foreclosure and a short sale. A foreclosure is the process of the mortgage company taking back title of a house due to the homeowner’s inability to pay their mortgage. A short sale is an option for a homeowner in default, delinquent with their mortgage payments, but not yet in foreclosure and the mortgage allows the homeowner to sell the property for a lower price than the outstanding mortgage balance and agrees to accept that price as a payoff.
You might be asking yourself “why” the mortgage company would agree to take less than the homeowner owes. A short sale is a “win-win” situation for the bank as they can recapture as much of the non-performing loan as possible and in most cases save thousands of dollars on the actual cost of the foreclosure and for the homeowner as they will more than likely be forgiven for the amount of the shortage when the property is their primary residence and they can save their credit.
Short sales are often complex and time consuming transactions so they are not the right purchase for every buyer. This is also an extremely delicate process and the homeowner is rightfully distressed. A homeowner facing default of their mortgage can go from distress and despair to a renewed look on life when they are saved from a disastrous hit to their credit and many years of debt. Give us a call if you or someone you know is facing a possible foreclosure and we would be happy to better inform you of the short sale process as an option to foreclosure.
Our Vision
To become the benchmark by which all others are judged.
CENTURY 21 At The Shore Mission
I dedicate myself to providing a professional environment where Realtor Associates and consumers alike are excited to become a part of. To be valuable to the people who are valuable to me. To demonstrate my interest in them; and to show that I enjoy serving them by going above and beyond their expectations.
CENTURY 21 At The Shore Realty Serving All Of Bayville NJ NANCY T. GRAY ] CENTURY 21 At The Shore Realty ] 333 Route 9, Bayville, NJ 08721
phone 732-606-9002 ]  fax 732-606-0602 ]  Info@CENTURY21AtTheShore.com
CENTURY 21 At The Shore Realty Serving All Of Bayville NJ CENTURY 21 Real Estate LLC. © 2008 CENTURY 21 Real Estate LLC. CENTURY 21® is a registered trademark licensed to CENTURY 21 Real Estate LLC.
Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.


Can I Safely Store My boat with 10% Ethanol (E-10) Gas?
By Karen Reuther - CENTURY 21 At The Shore Realty
Recipe Of The Month
In this economy waste not! The good ol’ fashioned turkey soup always seems to be popular. Who doesn’t look forward to that? The following ingredients will be needed:

•1 meaty turkey frame
•4 cups water
•4 cups turkey or chicken broth
•1 large onion, quartered
•1 clove garlic, crushed
•½ tsp. salt
•Chopped cooked turkey
•¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes cut into thin strips		 •1-1/2 tsp. dried Italian Seasoning
•¼ tsp. ground black pepper
•3 cups sliced or cubed veggies (carrots, celery, parsnips or turnips)
•1-1/2 cups high-fiber or whole wheat pasta such as rotini or penne
•1 15-oz. can Great Northern beans or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
•Grated Parmesan cheese (optional but I personally love it)!!
Read The Entire Recipe & other Thanksgiving Ideas HERE
Thanks to Chef-Kristyn Laycock

Now that Boaters and marine operators have had some time getting used to 10% Ethanol blended gasoline (E-10), we’ve put together some information on winter storage you may find helpful.

This gasoline is more apt to cause issues in boats than in automobiles due to the requirement that marine fuel tanks be vented. Ethanol is hydroscopic; it absorbs water out of the air that can enter a boat’s fuel tank through the vents. If enough condensation enters the tank and the boat is unused for long periods of time, such as during winter storage, the water can mix with the Ethanol and drop to the bottom of the tank forming a separate layer underneath. This process is called phase separation and it is a problem for boats manufactured prior to 1984. Why? Because when the water/Ethanol layer at the bottom of the tank rises to the level of the fuel pickup, it will be sucked up into the engine, shutting the engine down. The water/Ethanol layer WILL NOT support combustion. There is no quick fix. Once phase separation occurs, additives and water separators can't help; the only remedy is to have gasoline/ethanol/water professionally pumped from the tank.

Read The Entire Article HERE

Affirmation: Every night before you fall asleep, give heartfelt thanks for the wonderful day you just had (no matter what kind of day you had). Think about the next day, and intend that it is going to be wonderful. Intend that it is going to be the best day of your life. Intend that it is going to be filled with love and joy. Intend that all good is coming to you and everything is going to flow perfectly, etc. Then when you wake in the morning, BEFORE you get out of bed, again declare your intentions for the day and give deep thanks as though you have received them all. As you do this, you will begin to create your life deliberately, and you will experience firsthand the power that is within you to create the life you want.
-Karen Vilardi
Holiday Safety Tips
The winter holidays will soon be here again. It's the time of year when the kids are off from school, people take a break from work and many hours are spent cooking, cleaning, celebrating, and entertaining friends and family at home. While the increased traffic around the house is a pleasure (for most), it can also be a danger. So, before you send out your party invitations it's a good idea to do a quick audit of your home to ensure its safe, child friendly and hazard free. Following these few simple guidelines will help make your holiday season safer & more enjoyable.

Holiday Decorating & Lighting

Use caution with holiday decorations and whenever possible, choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant or non-combustible materials. Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees. Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings and replace damaged items before plugging lights in. Do not overload extension cords. Don't mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire insulation (i.e., using clips, not nails). Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical decorations. Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving the house or going to bed.
Read The Entire Article HERE 		  Improving Indoor Air Quality At Home
Contributed By Bruce Needhammer - CENTURY 21 At The Shore Realty
Over the past few years energy efficiency within homes has been greatly improved upon. The modern approach to home design goes another step further by also greatly improving indoor air quality. By following a few simple tips and guidelines, you can work to better your family's repertory health. Here's a room-by-room checklist for homeowners looking to achieve optimal health at home.
Let's start on the lower level. Basements are prone to water leakage. Once the walls or floors have become moistened, mold can begin to grow in the drywall or carpet making you or your family sick. According to Dan Vandervort of HomeTips.com, gutters are an easy solution to routing water runoff away from from the home. You can also easily regulate humidity levels with a dehumidifier or air conditioner.
In the basement you'll also find the heating system. Furnaces can easily be inspected to make sure they're not leaking dangerous gasses. And keep in mind that newer units usually have far fewer problems than older ones.
In the garage, it's essential to install a weatherproof door between the garage and the rest of the home to keep gasoline and other odors at bay. The American Lung Association (ALA) also warns that you should never leave a car or lawn mower running in an attached garage or shed.
Let's now move to the kitchen. The ALA recommends that if you have a gas range, you should fit the range with a hood fan that exhausts outdoor air. Using the fan or opening a door or window when cooking will also serve to remove gas fumes. Have all fuel burning appliances professionally inspected yearly to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Read The Entire Article HERE

Featured House of The Month

Listing Agent: Dawn Kologi and Maria Dargan
 
Agent Of The Month: Diana Haskell

I work as a full time Agent and love every minute of it. I am a member of Monmouth/Ocean MLS, Jersey Shore MLS, National Association of Realtors, N.J. Association of Realtors and Ocean County Board of Realtors. I recently transferred to the CENTURY 21 At The Shore Team and couldn’t be happier.
My desire and dedication brings you from start to finish, in any transaction. My goal as your Real Estate Agent is to provide you with the level of professional service and personal attention that you expect and deserve.