Celebrate: The New Year!

We hope you have a great new year no matter how and when you celebrate your new year!

Here are a few links about how the start of a New (calendar) Year is celebrated in the U.S. and around the world and some related information...

Wikipedia - New Year's Day

Wikipedia - Auld Lang Syne
So What's Auld Lang Syne?
Auld Lang Syne

History Traditions and Customs

World Book - The New Year

Times Square - New Year's Eve

Visit my web site for additional resources and services: LawrenceYerkes.com

or visit BestHomes-NJ.com for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (residential, commercial, multi-family, farm, land)

Copyright 2005 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Celebrate an Unconventional New Year's Eve

In many ways New Year's Eve is the procrastinator's holiday, as the hectic pace and distractions of December can easily push New Year's plans out of mind. Those that wait are often left with a choice between hastily crafted plans or no real New Year's celebration at all. Here are some unique ways to usher in 2007 on short notice:

A Quiet Getaway -

Often New Year's plans center on places where "everything is happening" - why not take the exact opposite approach? Some out-of the way tourist areas that are crowded in the summer may have affordable off-season rates and availability on short notice during the winter months. A calm weekend at a cozy bed and breakfast can serve as relaxing coda to a long year. This is especially suited for those who want to spend a romantic New Year's with their loved one.

The Big Dinner -

It's no secret that most restaurants are booked solid months in advance for New Year's Eve dinners and private cocktail parties. However, if you plan an afternoon dinner (a la Thanksgiving), you may be able to find space at dining hot spots despite the holiday. Friends and family may appreciate the idea of taking their time to enjoy a meal, while still having the flexibility to get home or to other parties long before the clock strikes midnight.

Midnight Breakfast -

Hosting a New Year's party on short notice? Break away from the worn-out champagne and confetti formula by hosting a brunch-at-night get together. Serve mimosas, Bloody Marys, and hot toddies in place of standard party beverages. You can choose to serve a full breakfast menu or smaller fare depending on your tastes. Just remember, everyone loves an omelet bar.

Slumber Party -

If your aim is throw a memorable New Year's bash, you must remember two things:
1) everyone loves a true theme party, and 2) no one likes to worry about driving on New Year's. A pajama-style sleepover lets everyone get in touch with their inner-teenager, and can be a great family-friendly way to spend the evening. For added authenticity break out the board games and root beer floats.

Night on the Town -

While many New Year's events are booked out by now, you may be able to find some openings for a small group if you look hard enough. During the last week of December, many newspapers will run a "last minute" list of parties and events with tickets for sale. Check craigslist and the local classifieds for event tickets for re-sale from people whose plans have changed. If you're looking on behalf of a larger group of friends, call around to clubs and bars to see if cancellations have opened up any reserved areas.


The article is taken from one of our recent Newsletters that was e-mailed to all registered subscribers, via our RE/MAX of New Jersey web site



Visit my web site for additional resources and services: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit BestHomes-NJ.com for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (residential, commercial, multi-family, farm, land)

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions Showed More Direct Reductions in 2005 According to Voluntary Reports

A total of 221 U.S. companies and other entities reported to the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program that they had undertaken 2,379 projects to reduce or sequester greenhouse gases in 2005, according to Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases 2005 Summary, released December 22 by EIA. Reported direct emission reductions were 6.1 percent higher in 2005 than in 2004.

Click here for details and full report



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

NJ Assessment Fee Reimbursement Bill Proceeds

Legislation permitting municipalities to reimburse an assessment fee passed favorably out of the New Jersey Senate on December 4, 2006. NJAR strongly supports this bill, S2057 – Asselta (R1), which allows for a refund of the fee that is required to be paid when filing an assessment appeal, if that property owner’s appeal is successful.

Other provisions of the bill include that the county board of taxation shall also award to the taxpayer reasonable counsel fees, appraisal costs and other costs if it finds that the tax assessor did not act reasonably in increasing the assessment. Also, in the event that a taxpayer is successful in an assessment appeal on real property, the respective taxing district may refund any excess taxes paid, together with interest from the date of payment, at a rate of 5% per annum. (Source: NJAR)


Click here to read the New Jersey Bill (PDF file)



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Existing-Home Sales Rise Again For November

WASHINGTON, December 28, 2006 - Existing-home sales continued to recover last month following a rise in October, with the level of sales activity suggesting a turn in the market, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).

Total existing-home sales (report in Excel .xls file format) – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.28 million units in November from a level of 6.24 million in October, but were 10.7 percent below the 7.03 million-unit pace in November 2005.

David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, said modest gains are expected for home sales. “As the housing market recovers from its correction, existing-home sales should be rising gradually during 2007 – it looks like we may have reached the low point for the current cycle in September,” he said. “We’ve entered a more sustainable period of home sales now, and we expect greater support for prices over time as inventory levels are eventually drawn down.”

Total housing inventory levels fell 1.0 percent at the end of November to 3.82 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 7.3-month supply at the current sales pace.

The national median existing-home price2 for all housing types was $218,000 in November, which is 3.1 percent lower than November 2005 when the median price was $225,000. The median is a typical market price where half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less. “For every 1.0 percent drop in home prices, we project an additional 50,000 buyers are drawn into the market,” Lereah said.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage was 6.24 percent in November, down from 6.36 percent in October; the rate was 6.33 percent in November 2005.

NAR President Pat Vredevoogd Combs, from Grand Rapids, Mich., and vice president of Coldwell Banker-AJS-Schmidt, said the performance of long-term interest rates is a pleasant surprise. “Mortgage interest rates are the lowest they’ve been since January, and it’s the first time since August of 2005 that interest rates are lower than a year earlier,” said Combs. “This is increasing buying power at the same time that sellers are showing a willingness to negotiate price and terms. Combined with a plentiful supply of homes on the market, there’s a window for buyers now with conditions that we haven’t seen prior to the beginning of the housing boom in 2001.”

Single-family home sales increased 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.52 million in November from a pace of 5.51 million in October, but were 10.2 percent lower than the 6.15 million-unit level in November 2005. The median existing single-family home price was $217,200 in November, which is 3.6 percent lower than a year ago.

Existing condominium and cooperative housing sales rose 3.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 757,000 units in November from a downwardly revised 734,000 in October, but were 13.6 percent below the 876,000-unit pace in November 2005. The median existing condo price3 was $224,600 in November, which is unchanged from a year ago.

Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast increased 6.0 percent to a level of 1.06 million in November, but were 4.5 percent below November 2005. The median existing-home price in the Northeast was $269,000, down 2.2 percent from a year earlier.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

# # #

1. The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns.

Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings. This differs from the U.S. Census Bureau’s series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which generally account for 85 percent of total home sales, are based on a much larger sample – nearly 40 percent of multiple listing service data each month – and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.

2. The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to the seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns.

3. Because there is a concentration of condos in high-cost metro areas, the national median condo price can be higher than the median single-family price. In a given market area, condos typically cost less than single-family homes.



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and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Business Etiquette Tips For The Holiday

Holiday cheer comes once a year, but good impressions can last a lifetime. This festive time of year offers no shortage of opportunities to network, celebrate with colleagues, and show your appreciation to clients with holiday cards and gifts. Yet with all of these cheery occasions comes the potential for etiquette mishaps... (Source: RealtorOnline)

Click here for full article on business etiquette tips for the Holidays



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and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Real Estate Cyber Tips - December 2006

CYBER MAGIC TRICKS

TRICK#1
ANTI VIRUS SOLUTION FOR TIGHTWADS!
Tired of anti-virus programs that are integrated into bloated security suites that bog down your system and frequently conflict with your other programs? If so you should check out these folks who offer a highly respected anti-virus program that overcomes these problems and is enjoyed by millions of users worldwide.This anti-virus program is easy to use and provides regular and automatic virus definition updates. In addition you get real time protection of files and e-mails and can use either scheduled or manual testing.And guess what -- all of these features are included in the version these nice folks will give you to use without any time restriction --- and without any cost!
Click Here for This Cyber Trick


TRICK#2
EASY PHISHING TEST
When you get one of those legitimate looking e-mails asking you to update your account -- the ones that look like they’re coming form from Citibank, eBay or PayPal for example - be sure to take a close look because the sender may be getting ready to empty your bank account.Here’s an easy way to check out these realistic looking messages and show if they are bogus (as most of them are) or legit. Just hover your mouse over the link in the suspected e-mail. After a second or two, your browser or e-mail software will show you the real link you'd be clicking. For example, the link in a recent “Citibank” Phishing e-mail looked like this: www.citibank.com/etc
By hovering over it, the actual phishing URL was revealed to be: www.citibankonline.com/etc.
Just remember that no legitimate company will e-mail you an unsolicited request for your password or other confidential financial account information. If you receive this type of e-mail you should strongly suspect that the sender wants to clean out your bank account.


GREAT PLACES!

GREAT PLACE #1
GET OFF THOSE MAILING LISTS!
You need to know that credit bureaus often create lists containing the names and complete contact information of consumers with good credit -- and then sell them to telemarketers and direct-mail marketers. If you are getting more than your share of unsolicited mail -- especially those credit card offers that you have to shred - there’s a good chance that this is where the junk is coming from. The Associated Credit Bureaus (the big four) have created 1-888-5OPTOUT (1 888 567 8688) where you can call to remove your information from the marketing lists and pre-approved credit offer lists sold to third parties. The automated voice system will ask you to enter your phone number and other personal information including your Social Security number. They need that information to properly locate your record. If you are squeamish about supplying this information to an automated system, you can call each of the four major credit bureaus individually and speak with a human being to accomplish the removal. This is a move that will save you a lot of shredding -- and loss of sleep. You can also access their web site and register online.

GREAT PLACE #2
SCRUB - ERASE - REMOVE
Think you’ve removed a file from your computer when you “delete” it? Wrong! When you simply delete a file you only hide it until someone with evil intent goes digging.Here’s a good utility to have on hand when you really want to get rid of a file containing sensitive information - the kind identity thieves thrive on. You can also use this utility when you get a new computer, have transferred the content you need and discover that, even if you format your existing hard drive, your valuable information still lurks there ready to be ripped off.This program is a security tool that allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. Obviously you will want to be sure to read and completely understand the directions before using this tool. Keep it handy -- this can protect you by doing its job well -- and the price is right - it’s on the house.
Click Here for This Great Place


The information contained in Real Estate CyberTips is believed to be true and correct but no warranties or guarantees are provided and readers should rely solely on their own information and advisors in connection with any sites, services or products reviewed. All content Copyright 2006, RECS. All rights reserved.

Visit my web site for additional resources and services: www.LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit BestHomes-NJ.com for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (commercial, residential homes, multi-family, farm, land)

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Delaware Valley Commercial Real Estate Associations

The following are associations that either have an official chapter and web site just for Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley or are based in the Region...

AI — Appraisal Institute
Web: www.phila-ai.com

ASA — American Society of Appraisers
Web: www.appraisers.org/philadelphia

BIA— The Building Industry Association of Philadelphia
Web: http://www.biaofphiladelphia.com/

BOMA — Building Owners and Managers Association BOMA - Philadelphia
Web: http://www.bomaphila.com/

CCIM — Commercial Investment Management Real Estate Institute (PA/NJ/DE) Chapter
Web: http://pa-nj-de.ccimnet.com/jsp

CII Council — Chester County Commercial Industrial Investment Council
www.ciicouncil.org

CIRC — Commercial - Industrial Realty Council
Web: www.circdelaware.org

CMAA — Mid-Atlantic Chapter
Web: http://chapters.cmaanet.org/chapters/mac

CoreNet — Corporate Real Estate Network
Web: www.corenetglobal.org

CREW — Commercial Real Estate Women
Web: www.crewphiladelphia.org

IREM — Institute of Real Estate Management IREM Delaware Valley Chapter - Riverton, NJ
Web: www.irem3.org

SMPS— Society for Marketing Professional Services
Web: http://www.smpsphiladelphia.org

The Philadelphia District Council of ULI
Web: http://www.philadelphia.uli.org/



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Celebrate: Christmas Holiday Season

Wishing you and your family and loved ones a warm and joyous Christmas Holiday. Here are some past resources articles that I compiled in case you missed them to help you enjoy the holidays..

The Meaning of Christmas - Why it's celebrated and how it's celebrated throughout the U.S. and the world.

Christmas Carols and Song - Words, chords, music, downloadable versions

Christmas Music On The Internet - links to a variety of styles and formats of continous holiday music with good quality sound.

Tips - Filling Your Home With Christmas Cheer:
Decorating Made Easy
Holiday Lighting Safety
Tips For The Holiday Part Host

Music Christmas Card - Santa and Singing Reindeer - an animated music Christmas card that made the rounds last year, based on a classic golden oldies version of White Christmas. It's still fun to listen to and watch.



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

N.J. Supreme Court Committee Issues Opinion 710

According to our NJ Association of Realtors (NJAR), "The New Jersey Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics, appointed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, recently issued Opinion 710 regarding the misrepresentation of purchase price or other material fact regarding a real estate transaction. As a result of the Opinion, attorneys may refuse to close on properties."

Click here for a downloadable copy of Opinion 710 (in PDF format).

This opinion, according to my understanding, deals with attorneys participating in schemes to inflate the sale price of property in order to get more mortgage money.I would assume that this has more of an impact in North Jersey (vs South Jersey) where almost all real estate transactions involve legal representation in order to close.


UPDATE: The chair of the New Jersey Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics, Melville D. Miller, Jr., Esq., issued the following clarification of Opinion 710 on December 22, 2006. Opinion 710 concerns the misrepresentation of purchase price or other material fact regarding a real estate transaction.

Clarification of Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics
Opinion 710

In response to numerous inquiries concerning “seller’s concessions,” the Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics hereby clarifies Opinion 710, “Misrepresenting Purchase Price or Other Material Fact Regarding a Real Estate Transaction.” The Opinion is based upon the particular facts submitted by the inquirer and recited in the Opinion. It addresses fictional and deceptive increases in purchase prices unrelated to the actual circumstances or costs of closing, and contrary to the expectations of the lender or the ultimate holder of the mortgage. As stated in the Opinion, a prohibited transaction is one that is not premised on “a legitimate charge against the seller on account of any actual costs assumed by it and otherwise payable by the buyer.” Accordingly, the Opinion does not implicate a contract of sale that explicitly states that the seller shall provide the buyer with a credit against legal and legitimate costs or expenses related to the sale, which would otherwise be absorbed by the buyer, such as actual closing costs.

The clarification is available online at www.judiciary.state.nj.us/notices/2006 /n061222a.htm.



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Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Philly Cheesesteaks - In Search Of A Great Philly Steak

Everyone has a general idea of what is in a basic cheesesteak. But, unless you're from or have visited the Delaware Valley area, few people know or understand the exquisite flavor, aroma and satisfying taste that only a true Philadelphia (or as more affectionately known, "Philly") cheesesteak can provide. The basic ingredients create a synergy that is much more than the sum of it's parts.

As most people know, a basic cheesesteak consists of a bread roll, thinly sliced or shredded meat (usually beef, but now chicken is frequently offered, in which case it's called a chicken cheesesteak) grilled with onions and/or mushrooms or green peppers and of course, melted cheese. Condiments can include sweet peppers, hot peppers, dill pickles and ketchup (never mustard), according to taste. Cheese is usually in the form of American (white American cheese only), provolone or Cheez Whiz. It sounds simple, but the culinary art skills, experience, environment and ingredients necessary to produce the consistent quality of cheesesteak that will pass muster in the Delaware Valley is not easy to acquire and often too sophisticated to effectively reproduce for those deficient of a Delaware Valley heritage. ;-)

However, I'll let you in on some of the local "secrets" to enjoying great Philly cheesesteaks and to highlight a few of the best sources of true Philly cheesesteaks in the Delaware Valley, some of which will even ship direct to your door...


Click here for the full article, "In Search of The Great Philly Cheesesteak"


What are your favorite sources of great cheesesteak and what makes their cheesesteak great?



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Turn Off Cruise Cruise Control In Bad Road Conditions

I just received one of those emails that gets passed around warning about a supposed situation that happened and cautioning everyone to avoid the same thing happening to them... This story is about someone whoe was driving in bad road conditions, such as wet and/or slipper from rain or snow, with their cruise control ON and the resultant accident that occured because the vehicle hydroplaned and lost control. Regardless of whether the story was exactly factual, it still made a good point about the importance of not using the cruise control in rainy or icy conditions. At good indicator for turning it OFF is when you need to use your windshield wiper.


Wipers ON = Cruise OFF


Wet, Icy or Slippery - YES = Cruise - NO


Here are some good winter safety tips from the Canadian OSH
Here are some teen driving tips for driving in bad weather that are valid for any age
Here are safe winter driving tips for the Iowa Department of Transportation



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Local Menus Online For Dining Out

Here is a great resource for viewing the full menu for local eating establishment whether a Pizzeria, Hoagie Shop or regular restuaruant. The link below will take you to the menus for Medford Township. For other towns, just select from the pull-down menu towards the top of the page next to "To view another town, please select here:".

Currently menus are available for most places that serve prepared food in Burlington and Camden counties, and some in Mercer County, Princeton.

MedfordMenus



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Patent Searches Now Available Through Google

For you inventor hopefuls out there, or for those entrepreneurs considering building a business around some new invention idea, now you can search for patents through Google's new patent search portal:

Google Patent Search

Click here to read a PC World article discussing the new feature.


The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office also offers online access to patents and trademarks in its Electronic Business Center. (Click here for it's "how to search" page.)

European Patent Office - The European Patent Office also allows searches. It covers patents from European countries, the U.S., Canada, and other patent authorities.

Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

eFannieMae

For those of you that want to access some of the same mortgage information that your mortgage professionals access here is one of those places:

eFannieMae.com


"eFannieMae.com is Fannie Mae's business-to-business Web site for our customers and partners in the mortgage industry. This site contains information and tools to help our customers transact business with Fannie Mae."

Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Celebrate: The Holiday Season - Interesting Facts From The Census Bureau - 2006

The holiday season is a time for gathering and celebrating with friends and family, gift-giving and general cheer and rejoicing. To commemorate this time of year, the U.S. Census Bureau presents the following holiday-related facts and figures from its data collection.

Click here for the Cenus Bureau's "Facts for Features and Special Editions" statistics relating to this celebration season.



Visit my web site for additional resources and services: LawrenceYerkes.com

or visit BestHomes-NJ.com for the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (residential, commercial, multi-family, farm, land)

Copyright 2005 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

South Jersey Resources Centers

To help you find the information within the South Jersey area, here are some Southern New Jersey - County Resources and Welcome Centers:

Atlantic County NJ

Burlington County NJ

Camden County NJ

Gloucester County NJ

Mercer County NJ


Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DOJ Myths Debunked About The Real Estate Industry

Regarding the recent NAR vs. DOJ litigation, and regardless of points of view, I have been disappointed with the failure of the real estate industry and the press to adequately flush out the issues and present them in a rational manner within a practical context, based on experience. That is, until a recent ActiveRain blog by Lenn Harley, a Maryland real estate broker:

A Real Estate Broker's Thoughts on The DOJ Suit and DEBUNKING MYTHS


Background:
According to a U.S. Newswire report, "The U.S. District Court in Chicago issued a 29-page opinion [on Monday, 11/28/06] allowing the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to proceed. The court rejected NAR's argument that last-minute changes to its policies prevented judicial scrutiny. In denying NAR's motion to dismiss the case, the court stated in its opinion that 'NAR has failed, with all respect, to demonstrate that this case should be dismissed at the outset.'" The Justice department representative went on to state that they were pleased with the opinion and looking forward to trial. (Click here for the U.S. Newsire Report on the Court's decision.)

See also:
NAR's DOJ Lawsuit web page,
REALTOR® Magazine Online article


See also my other blog on ActiveRain

Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Commercial Growth Spurred By Record Investment

The commercial real estate markets are continuing to grow with record investment, and individual sectors in many areas seeing tighter vacancy rates and higher rents, according to the latest Commercial Real Estate Outlook of the National Association of Realtors®(NAR).

“The office and industrial markets continue to shine, supported by job growth and trade, while the rental apartment sector is seeing healthy rent increases,” he said. “The retail sector is essentially flat, but the hotel industry is doing better than at any time since 2001.”

James Marrelli, NAR vice president of commercial real estate, said there is a record flow of capital into commercial real estate. “We’re setting another record this year for investment in commercial real estate,” he said. “Institutional investors, pension funds and foreign investors have focused on commercial grade properties to diversify portfolio assets, with expectations of solid long-term gains.”

Outside of the hotel sector, over $236.0 billion in commercial real estate transaction volume was recorded in the first ten months of 2006, up from $231.9 billion in the same period of 2005, not including properties valued at less than $5 million.

The NAR forecast for five major commercial sectors includes analysis of quarterly data for various tracked metro areas. The sectors include the office, industrial, retail, multifamily and hospitality markets. Metro data were provided by Torto Wheaton Research and Real Capital Analytics.

Source: NAR

Click here for full NAR news release and summary of the 5 major commercial sectors.



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PAR Opposing Pennsylvania Transfer Tax Proposed Rate Hikes

The Pennsylvania Association or Realtors (PAR) is opposing proposed transfer tax rate hikes recommended by a PA Senate panel. For more details about their concern, visit their web the "STATE AND LOCAL REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAXES" page on their web site.

Recent Post-Gazette article on PA Transfer Tax




Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Read Great Books For Free

Here are links to many of the greatest books ever written that are available for reading online or downloading on your PC and/or smartphone or PDA. They incorporate different formats, some text only, some images only and some a combination. And best of all, they're free!


Google Books

Google provides their Google Book Search which not only allows you to do full text searches of books, but
allows you to read online (electronically "turning" the image of each page) and even download the full text (readible scanned image of each page and covers) of out-of-copyright books in PDF format. (Click here for their "About" page.) Take a break and read a good book!

Also, search the full text of books that are in the public domain or view sections of copyrighted books to find ones that interest you and learn where to buy or borrow them. Promote Your Books On Google - for free:
http://books.google.com/

Click here to see the complete plays of Shakespeare - now at your fingertips.

NOTE: To only search books for which a full version is accessible online, make sure you select the "Full View Books" option as part of the search.


Leaf Through Great Books And Magnify The Details at the British Library

The British Library contains many millions of books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, magazines, patents, music scores, sound recordings, photographs and stamps.

Their Online Gallery has currently selected 15 wonderful treasures, chosen to show the range of their unique collections. Turning the Pages^TM uses the Shockwave plug-in, which can be downloaded from the Macromedia website, to simulate the action of turning the pages of a real book. Audio and text translations/explanations are also provided where appropriate. (The volumes may not open if you block popups on your computer.)

View Leonardo da Vinci's art sketches in his personal notebook, Mozart's musical diary with 75 audio excerpts, the original Alice written and illustrated by Lewis Carroll, Versalius' stunning 16th century anatomy and more classic publications.

Also, view additional online samples from Handel's Messiah, Shakespeare's first folio, the Gutenberg Bible, Magna Carta, Duke's plan of New York and more.

Click here for Turning The Pages main page.


More Online Publications

Here are links to free online books and publications that are available for you to read. Most are in the public domain. Enjoy!

Eldritch Press - Free, accessible books. "Read them and go in peace." View online or download text. Includes notes, citations, teachers guides and supporting publications.

Henriette's Herbal Homepage - Herbal medicine and culinary herbs: one of the oldest and largest herbal information sites on the net.

Project Gutenberg - Project Gutenberg is the oldest producer of free ebooks on the Internet. It
currently has over 17,000 free books in it's online book catalog.

Christian Classics Ethereal Library - Classic Christian books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, outlines and
hymns in electronic format, selected for your edification. "There is enough good reading material here to last you a lifetime..."

Ibiblio Collection of eBooks - Public library and digital archive (collection index)

http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/ - (Univ. Georgia) - Facsimile Books and Other Digitally Enhanced Works.


Free EBook Library and Other Collections at UVA's Etext Center

Access and view over the web, or download and view on your PC or PDA (using Microsoft, Palm or Adobe readers), over 2,100 publicly-available ebooks from the University of Virginia (UVA) Library's Etext Center, including classic British and American fiction, major authors, children's literature, American history, Shakespeare, African-American documents, the Bible and other religious books, the writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, and much more.
Click here for UVA's Free eBook Library.

Electronic Text Center
The Electronic Text Center's holdings include approximately 70,000 on- and off-line humanities texts in many languages (including online Chinese and Japanese literature) and hundreds of thousands of related images (book illustrations, covers, manuscripts, newspaper pages, page images of Special Collections books,
museum objects, etc.)

Whenever legally possible, they provide public access to their browseable and searchable texts, and have thousands available in this form, including the following highlights: African American, including
Letters from Liberia; Native American; American Civil War; including the letters and diaries in the Valley of the Shadow, alongside the Booker and Nettleton collections; Thomas Jefferson; William Shakespeare;
Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Women Writers; Young Readers.



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Travel Safe and Smart this Winter

Gloomy weather, icy roadways, and crowded airports aren't likely to prevent thousands of Americans from traveling this winter. The fact that Christmas and New Year's fall on Mondays this year may help spread out the "heavy" travel days, but overall the volume of travelers is expected to reach or exceed record volumes as it has during each of the past two holiday seasons.

Here are some tips and reminders for winter travel:

Drain water from outdoor hoses and faucets before leaving home, and make sure outdoor faucets are covered with insulating material. Make sure all interior pipes in unheated areas are properly insulated.

For long trips away from home, leave a set of keys with a friend or neighbor who can check in on your home.

Pets should be kept indoors during cold winter months. Board your animals at a shelter or with friends, even for short weekend trips.

If driving, make sure your car is prepared for the elements. Things to check:
Battery/lights
Windshield wipers
Defrost and heater
Antifreeze level
Tires/tire pressure

Keep an emergency car kit, including tire chains, jumper cables, road flares, blanket, flashlight and water. If you don't own a cell phone, invest in an inexpensive portable CB radio.

Stay up to date on road conditions, particularly snow tire/tire chain advisories or requirements.

Leave yourself extra time to reach your destination, and leave extra room behind the car in front of you during wet or icy conditions.

Holiday travel often translates to long lines. Arrive at the airport an extra 30 minutes early for domestic flights and at least 45 minutes for international flights.

Inclement conditions (even in other cities) can cause flight delays or cancellations. Opting for early morning flights leaves you a cushion should you need to catch a later flight.

Leave gifts unwrapped when flying or riding the train. Security screeners may have to un-wrap gifts found in your baggage, causing further delays.

Don't forget the TSA's 3-1-1 rule:
Liquids, aerosols and gels must be in containers three ounces or less,
Items must be put in a one quart, clear plastic zip-top bag, and
Only one zip-top bag per passenger.
Note: that this applies to items received as gifts on your return trip (jams, lotion, perfume, even snow globes). Liquid/aerosol items purchased once past the security checkpoint are not restricted, as they have been previously screened.

Don't count on in-flight meals - bring healthy snacks for you and your family.

With cold and flu season in full swing, keep antiseptic hand wipes in your carry-on.

Keep prescription and over-the-counter medication in original containers.

When booking hotels, look for properties with indoor activities/amenities and a hot breakfast included.

When flying to a skiing or snowboarding vacation, consider renting skis or a snowboard at your destination.

If you do bring skis or a snowboard along, get travel insurance to cover damage that may occur in transit.

MP3 players, portable video games, digital cameras - in other words, stock up on batteries.


The article is taken from one of our recent Newsletters that was e-mailed to all registered subscribers, via our RE/MAX of New Jersey web site.

Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Existing-Home Sales In 2007 Projected To Recover

WASHINGTON, December 11, 2006 - Existing-home sales are expected to rise gradually in 2007 from current levels, with annual totals comparable to 2006, while new-home sales will continue to slide, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).

David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, said there are mixed conditions around the United States. “Roughly three-quarters of the country will experience a sluggish expansion in 2007, while other areas should continue to contract for at least part of the year,” he said. “Most of the correction in home prices is behind us, but general gains in value next year will be modest by historical standards.”

“Buyers, especially first-time buyers, with the combined benefits of seller flexibility and an unexpected drop in mortgage interest rates, have a window of opportunity. These conditions will persist in many areas until early spring when inventory supplies are likely to become more balanced,” Lereah said.

Existing-home sales, finishing the third-best year on record, are projected for 2006 at 6.47 million, a decline of 8.6 percent. In 2007, they’re expected to rise steadily from the current cyclical low and reach an annual total of 6.40 million, which would be 1.0 percent lower than this year’s total.

“By the fourth quarter of 2007, existing-home sales will be 4.6 percent higher than the current quarter,” Lereah said.

New-home sales in 2006 are expected to fall 17.7 percent to 1.06 million, the fourth highest total on record, before sliding an additional 9.4 percent in 2007 to 957,000. Much of the contraction in the new housing market results from cuts in builder construction to support pricing for current inventories. In addition, high construction costs in many areas are minimizing potential profits.

Total housing starts for 2006 are likely to drop 12.3 percent to 1.82 million units, with another 15.1 percent decline in 2007 to 1.54 million.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is forecast to gradually increase to 6.7 percent by the fourth quarter of 2007. Last week, Freddie Mac reported the 30-year fixed rate dropped to 6.11 percent.

The national median existing-home price for all of 2006 is projected to rise 1.4 percent to $222,600, with another 1.0 percent gain next year to $224,700. The median new-home price should ease by 0.5 percent to $239,700 this year, then rise by 0.8 percent in 2007 to $241,700.
“Keep in mind that overall home prices were still appreciating at double digit rates in the first quarter of this year – prices in this buyer’s market are temporarily a little below a year ago when we were in a strong seller’s market,” Lereah said. “This correction is one of the factors drawing buyers into the current market, but most sellers are still seeing very healthy long-term gains.”

The unemployment rate is expected to be 4.8 percent in 2007, after averaging an estimated 4.6 percent this year. Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, is forecast to be 3.4 percent for 2006 and 2.3 percent in 2007, while growth in the U.S. gross domestic product is likely to be 3.3 percent for all of this year and 2.3 percent in 2007. Inflation-adjusted disposable personal income is projected to grow 2.6 percent for 2006 and 3.5 percent next year.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
# # #
Existing-home sales for November will be released December 28; the Pending Home Sales Index is scheduled for January 5 and the next forecast will be January 10.



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FinCEN Sees Growth in Suspected Money Laundering in Commercial Real Estate Lending

The Department of Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released a report that analyzed suspicious activity reports (filed by financial institutions to FinCEN) and found that commercial real estate reports are on the rise. The reports referenced the involvement of property management companies, development companies, real estate investment firms, real estate agents and title companies.The report concludes that the increase in suspicious activity likely stems from the strong commercial real estate market -- it is unclear whether activity will decline if the market cools.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) Regulatory affairs will meet with FinCEN officials in January to discuss the report in more detail and explore ways that NAR and Treasury can work together to address some of the issues raised in the report.

Real the online report: Money Laundering and The Commercial Real Estate Industry



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

NA Businesses Ill-Prepared For Vista

More than half of North American businesses ill-prepared to run Vista.

What is the general readiness of North American organizations planning to deploy the new Microsoft Vista operating system? That's the question solution provider Softchoice Inc. set out to answer with a new study of more than 472 organizations recently, and the results indicate that the majority of PCs in use today are not equipped to handle Vista's enhanced requirements. Not only did the "Softchoice Vista Readiness Study," -- out at month's end -- state that roughly half of the businesses surveyed are unable to meet the minimum requirements of Vista, it also reported 94 per cent can not meet the OS's premium requirements. (Source: eChannerlLine)

Click here for full story about businesses being poorly prepared for Windows Vista.



Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Windows XP Tweaks and Other Stuff

For the more adventurous and brave-at-heart, here is link to "Tweaks" for customizing, altering and enhancing the look, feel and standard behavior of windows.

Use at your own risk!

Warning: This should not be attempted unless you understand what is being done, how if effects the system and (MOST IMPORTANTLY) you've backed up your system just prior to making any changes.

Tweaks and Tips - Registry Edits for Windows XP (part of "Troubleshooting Windows XP")
Tweaks and Tips - List by Category

**** DO NOT Click on any link until you know what it is (putting you mouse pointer over link will display URL in display area at bottom of window) as some of links are direct registry updates ****

Click here to access Microsoft's TweakUI and other XP PowerToys from Microsoft.

Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Microsoft Office 2007 and Related Applications

Microsoft has announced that they will be releasing their latest Microsoft Office 2007 applications in January 2007, around the same time as Windows Vista will be available to the general public. Some have questioned the wisdom of releasing two of their biggest income producing products at the same time. However, after spending some time with both Vista and MS Office 2007, it makes sense to me, as they need each other to provide the maximum benefit of their capabilities. (Note: I'm focusing here on the personal workstation side of the Office product line, there are also several related server products, but that is outside the scope of this article.)

Many current users of MS Office 2003, if it is currently meeting their needs, will have little incentive to upgrade. However, if you purchase a new computer systems with Vista installed or want to take advantage of the updated menu/toolbar interface ("Ribbon") and new features, especially the extensive collaboration capabilities, then Office 2007 may be a no-brainer for you.

Some other Office features include a Live Preview, Zoom Slider, option Galleries, and an Office add-on that allows you to save your documents as a PDF or an XPF file. (Not available for all Office applications.)

Office 2007 has changes made to its main suit of applications, as well as to the supporting programs that interact with it. There are 7 different official Office 2007 Suites, which vary according to the applications that are included, based on their intended users.

Here are the list of the applications that will make up the various Office 2007 Suites (and a few of the new highlights for each application):

Word - Improved menus, ability to publish and maintain blogs directly from Word, Building Blocks (allowing boilerplating from pre-existing content), Tri-Pane review (compare and track changes to two versions of a document).

Excel - Improved menus, handles up to 1M x 16,0000 rows, builds charts with fewer clicks, and when scrolling large tables it keeps its headings in view.

Outlook - Improved Instant Search, integrated To-Do bar, advanced calendar sharing, improved junk e-mail filtering and e-mail tasking; read and manage RSS feeds and blogs. Optional: Business Contact Manager.

Powerpoint - Better integration with Sharepoint Server; create hierarchy, workflow and relationship diagrams; create digital signatures, ability to mark documents as "Final" to protect it from changes, Slide Library for saving and reusing slides.

Access - Automatic data type detection, new field types for attachments and multiple field values, better reports preview, better audit trails and viewing of audit trails with roll-back of edits.

Publisher - Convert from one document type to another, frequently used content can be saved for reuse in Content Store, templates automatically filled in with company data where appropriate.

Infopath - Collect and manage data with forms now useable from a browser, email forms and have them filled out in Outlook, auto conversion of Word and Excel forms, built-in data validation, Template Parts for grouping controls for later use.

Project - Create custom templates, analyze changes before committing, improved cost resource management and analysis for reporting, date can be used by Visio and Excel to create charts and diagrams, project schedule can be managed as a 3D Gantt chart.

Visio - PivotDiagrams to visualize data, groups and relationships; link shapes and data to shapes, dynamic objects link to external data, new shapes, new theme behavior.

OneNote - Supports multiple notebooks and sharing across multiple computers, tasks synchronized with Outlook, OCR performed on images to to capture any text for searching, audio and video can also be tagged, indexed and searched, diagram drawing tools, can "print" to OneNote, hyperlinks between notes and from outside OneNote.

Groove - "Work together and share information with team members - anywhere, anytime, with anyone." This is a new application for communication and collaboration between small groups (peer-to-peer) or enterprise teams using a relay server. A user creates a "Workspace" and then invite others to share in it via an encrypted link.

Communicator - "For anyone who needs to communicate with other people in real time, using a variety of different communication methods including instant messaging (IM), voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), and video."

SharePoint Designer - A web site development application for enterprises incorporating Sharepoint technology. Support for creating workflows and data reports, from external data sources; allows XML data to be displayed using XSLT; easily make or undo changes across Sharepoint sites; create workflows to automate business processes.

Frontpage Is No Longer Part of Office

Frontpage - is no longer part of the Office suite of applications and has been replaced. It's replacement, Expression Web, is now part of the Microsoft Expression product group -- together with Expression Graphic (for graphic design) and Expression Interactive (for app design) -- of web site development applications:

Expression Web - Expression Web was designed to create code based on CSS and XML. It is the new replacement for Frontpage. However, if you know Frontpage, after some orientation to new features you will feel right at home, as it retains a lot of the characteristics that were Frontpage. It features an enhanced interface, XML and XSLT support, and improved, efficient Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) support. (While it is currently known as "Expression Web", it was previously called "Expresssion Web Designer" and you will still see references using it's previous name.)

See also:
Wikipedia - Office 2007,
Wikipedia - Office Groove,
PC Magazine - Microsoft Expression,
Wikipedia - XSLT,
Wikipedia - CSS,
CSS Tutorial

Visit my web site for additional services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com

and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land).

Copyright 2006 by Timon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.