Keeping A Good Credit Standing -- What You Need To Know

Are you clueless about credit scores?  Fox Business provides information that you need to know to insure you have good credit when you require a loan, such as for a car or mortgage.
Full article: Are You Clueless About Credit Scores? What You Need to Know

Visit my web site for real estate services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com [NJ/PA]
and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land, Investment).

Copyright 2010 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved.

New NJ Shore Radio Station Plays All The Classics - Popular, Jazz, Rock 'n Roll and More!

Great Music Now Coming Your Way from Barnegat -- Over the Air and via the Internet
 

Tired of the same processed, canned, one genre radio stations?   Longing for some of the old classics, whether popular, jazz, big band, rock 'n roll -- done by the original artists?  Enjoy "discovering" artists that you may not of had a chance to hear when they first appeared in the 1940's, 50's and 60's?  Enjoy discovering current artists that perform in those styles -- artists that you would never have the chance to hear on other stations?

As of June 1st, "a new radio station has come to the Jersey Shore, more specifically to Barnegat, NJ. WBNJ 91.9 FM plays a mix of the truly great songs and unforgettable favorites from artists like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Mel Torme, Modernaires, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Mills Brothers, Rosemary Clooney, Harry James, Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller, as well as Harry Connick, Jr. and Michael Buble and so many more. In addition WBNJ brings oldies back to the Jersey Shore featuring such artsts as the Duprees, Chuck Berry, Bobby Darin, Buddy Holly, and many of your favorite DooWop groups. Oldies are featured on WBNJ every day at noon during 'Lunch Time Oldies', and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night beginning at 7pm."
 

Providing more great music with less commercials...

Listen to WBNJ via your radio or the Internet.
 

Visit my web site for real estate services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com [NJ/PA]
and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land, Investment).
 

Copyright 2010 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved.
 

How to Follow the EPA's New Lead Paint Safety Practices

Learn more about the new (in effect as of April 22, 2010) Renovation, Repair and Painting rule with videos and information about lead paint disclosure and compliance on NAR's web site.

While it, of course, contains information specific to Real Estate Agents and Brokers, it also has a general summary (as a downloadable PDF) of the new regulations, as well as information tailored for property managers and owners.


Lead Paint Renovation Rule Guide

Visit my web site for real estate services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com [NJ/PA]

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

Copyright 2010 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved.

Pending Home Sales Surge Continuing

Pending home sales have risen for three consecutive months, reflecting the broad impact of the home buyer tax credit and favorable housing affordability conditions, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).


Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI),* a forward-looking indicator, rose 6.0 percent to 110.9 based on contracts signed in April, from an upwardly revised 104.6 in March, and is 22.4 percent higher than April 2009 when it was 90.6. That follows gains of 7.1 percent in March and 8.3 percent in February.


Pending home sales are at the highest level since last October when the index reached 112.4 and first-time buyers were rushing to beat the initial deadline for the tax credit. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which usually occur with a lag time of one or two months.


Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said this second round of surging sales from the tax credit extension looks as strong as the original tax credit. “There were concerns that only a small pool of buyers were left to take advantage of the tax credit extension. But evidently the tax stimulus, combined with improved consumer confidence and low mortgage interest rates, are contributing to surging sales,” he said. “The housing market has to get back on its own feet and now appears to be in a good position to return to sustainable levels even without government stimulus, provided the economy continues to add jobs.” NAR expects a net of 1 million additional jobs in the second half of this year and about 2 million in 2011.


“The home buyer tax credit brought close to 1 million additional buyers into the market, which is now helping the trade-up market and has significantly improved the inventory situation. This stabilized home prices more quickly and has preserved about $900 billion in home equity; in turn, that is keeping additional households from going underwater and risking foreclosure,” Yun said.


The PHSI in the Northeast jumped 29.5 percent to 97.9 in April and is 24.5 percent above a year ago. In the Midwest the index rose 4.1 percent to 104.2 and is 17.9 percent above April 2009. Pending home sales in the South slipped 0.6 percent to an index of 123.9, but is 31.3 percent higher than a year ago. In the West the index rose 7.5 percent to 107.9 and is 12.0 percent higher than April 2009.


“A big concern surfacing recently is insufficient time to close the deal at the settlement table. Under normal circumstances, two months would be enough time from contract signing to settlement date,” Yun said. “However, the recent housing cycle has brought long delays related to the short sales approval process by banks, and from ongoing appraisal issues. There could be a sizable number of homebuyers who responded to tax credit incentives, but may encounter problems meeting the settlement deadline by June 30.” Because of these market challenges, NAR has asked Congress to provide flexibility on the deadline for closing.


The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

# # #

* The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.

The index is based on a large national sample, typically representing about 20 percent of transactions for existing-home sales. In developing the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activity parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the following two months. There is a closer relationship between annual index changes (from the same month a year earlier) and year-ago changes in sales performance than with month-to-month comparisons.

An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined as well as the first of five consecutive record years for existing-home sales.

Existing-home sales for May will be reported June 22 and the next Pending Home Sales Index will be on July 1; release times are 10 a.m. EDT.

Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the News Media section. Statistical data, tables and surveys also may be found by clicking on Research.

Visit my web site for real estate services and support: LawrenceYerkes.com [NJ/PA]
and visit Besthomes-NJ.com to find the latest New Jersey Real Estate property listings (Residential, Commercial, Multi-Family, Farm, Land, Investment).

Copyright 2010 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved.