Maybe it's the right time to buy ????

Maybe it's the right time to buy ????
Aug. 25 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks rose as better-than- estimated consumer confidence and home prices bolstered optimism the recession is ending, while falling oil prices dragged down energy producers. Treasury yields declined after a record-tying $42 billion sale of two-year notes.
Macy’s Inc. and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. added more than 3.4 percent as the Conference Board’s measure of consumer sentiment increased to 54.1, topping the median projection of 47.9. Pulte Homes Inc., the nation’s biggest builder by market value, rose 3.5 percent as the S&P/Case-Shiller home-price index for 20 U.S. cities dropped by the smallest amount since April 2008.

It's Back to School

Back to School

Here are some great quotes at this time of year. A little bit of a sad time, but that passes quickly. What a great joy it is to help educate your children. Best of Luck!

If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers. ~Edgar W. Howe

Being a child at home alone in the summer is a high-risk occupation. If you call your mother at work thirteen times an hour, she can hurt you. ~Erma Bombeck

Labor Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to school the next day. It would have been called Independence Day, but that name was already taken. ~Bill Dodds

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. ~Sydney J. Harris

You send your child to the schoolmaster, but 'tis the schoolboys who educate him. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

GOING GREEN

GOING GREEN

1. Guests always comment on the nice breezes going through your home…but your windows and doors are all shut. http://www.greenhomeguide.com/index.php/knowhow/entry/974/C236
2. Your monthly visits to the allergist are starting to cost about as much as your mortgage payment. http://www.earthcrafthouse.com/documents/abn/abnjuly07.pdf or http://www.greenhome.com/info/articles/fighting_allergies/5/
3. No, the previous homeowner did not sponge paint your bathroom in brown – that’s mold silly. http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/fix-leaks-fight-mold.html
4. The office coffee is pretty bad, but you had to stop your morning trips to Starbucks so you could afford to pay your electric bill. http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-electricity/green-electricity-top-tips.html
5. You decide to have a home inspection before you put your home on the market (good idea) but during the radon testing, the inspector darts out of your house without giving you an invoice. http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/hmbyguid.html
6. You just spoke to your neighbor and your recent water bill is about the same – nice, but they just filled their pool last month. http://green.yahoo.com/blog/amorylovins/33/low-cost-ways-to-conserve-water-at-home.html
7. Even the White House is doing it! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29944122/
8. You’ve calculated that your carbon footprint alone is bigger than that of the First Family living in the White House. http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator
9. You can’t take a hot shower while your dishwasher is running. http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/tankless-water-heaters-460225
10. It will help you feel better about the future! http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/greenhouse-effect.htm

Lilies - Getting ready for Fall

Getting ready for Fall
Garden lilies are the rare breed of flower bulb you can plant in the spring or fall.

Lilies are winter-hardy bulbs that bloom in summer, not spring, and because they don't require the cold treatment that spring bulbs do, lilies never enter a dormant state and thus will begin growing whenever they're planted, spring or fall. Technically, whichever season you choose, you're never really planting true lilies, you're transplanting them.

Planting lilies is easy and, once established, they're remarkably trouble-free for flowers so flamboyant. But how you plant them matters:

Well-drained soil is a must. Moist soil is good; soggy soil is not. Collected water or puddles will kill lilies even faster than other bulbs.

Plant most types six inches deep (position the bulb in the hole sideways so water won't collect between the bulb scales). Amend heavy soil with compost or well-rotted manure. Sunny spots or partial shade are best.

Water well after planting to prompt rooting. Though fall planting of lilies is a great idea, it's not an absolute necessity. Unlike tulips and most other fall-planted bulbs, with lilies you get another chance to plant come spring.

Home Values New Jersey

Ever wonder what your home is worth or what your neighbors house sold for????? Sure you have.... Well, here's the answer.......

www.HomeValuesNewJersey.com

Check it out and get all the answers you need.

Virtual Tours

Virtual Tours are a great way to show off a house for sale. All of my listings have such a virtual tour. Take a look and see what I mean.

20 Coventry Drive, Freehold New Jersey

http://www.obeo.com/Public/Viewer/Unbranded.aspx?ID=547012

Check out this informative newsletter to help spruce up your home. Whether selling now or sometime in the future, keeping up on your home is a great idea.

The old saying is true.... Pay now or pay later.... Fix up now or pay the price when you try to sell. Hey, you might as well enjoy a beautiful home now.

Click the link for some great info....
http://www.crs.com/yourhome/yourhome_august09_p1.doc

Top ten ways to lose your agent

Top 10 Ways to “Lose your Agent”
1. It's not you, it's me...I admit I have a fear of commitment and would prefer having more casual relationships with numerous listing agents for every home I see.
2. I'm getting back together with my ex-agent...he sent me a beautiful postcard yesterday saying how much he missed me.
3. My therapist thinks that I would do better off selling the house on my own...I need to become more independent.
4. I can't work with you after seeing you eat that poor cow at lunch...
5. You're a Democrat?! Can you please drop me off at the next light?
6. I just don't feel special anymore, what ever happened to the lunches, the long drives to see beach houses, the free koozies?
7. Oh my, did I forget to tell you my new cell number?
8. My horoscope said that we don't make a good match...your birth date implies misfortune within my living space.
9. If you can't donate half your commission to our local "Struggling Actor's Fund", this can't go any further.
10. The dog ate our listing agreement.

Mortgage Rates Holding On

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Home mortgage rates were nearly unchanged from the previous week as investors weigh better-than-expected corporate earnings against the record volume of debt the government is selling.
The average 30-year fixed mortgage edged up to 5.56% from 5.55% the week prior, and the 15-year fixed dipped to 4.88% from 4.89%, according to the weekly national survey from Bankrate.com.
Last week, mortgage rates were nearly unchanged, as well. "Mortgage rates remain range-bound as investors sort out uncertainty about the economy, corporate earnings, and the future path of interest rates," the report noted.
Mortgage rates move in tandem with Treasury yields. In particular, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate tracks the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield.
Investors tend to buy up Treasurys, or government debt, in times of economic uncertainty, or when Wall Street is struggling. Uncle Sam's debt is considered an ultra-safe investment. Meanwhile, when Wall Street is on a run, investors dump Treasurys for more attractive yielding investments.
The Treasury market is also being affected by the record volume of debt the government is selling to fund its stimulus efforts. The onslaught of supply pushes debt prices lower, which pulls yields higher. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.
In an effort to contain the rise in debt yields - and thereby mortgage rates as well - the government launched a debt buyback program. But analysts have argued that the program is not big enough to make a significant difference in rates.