People considering the purchase of their first home may be missing a valuable opportunity if they delay much longer, according to Scott Lauri, local ERA® representative. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included an enhanced First-Time Homebuyer Federal Tax Credit, a housing stimulus that provides a maximum tax credit of $8,000 for first-time home purchases.
“The credit is due to expire November 30, and given the time it takes to find a home, secure financing and close on a property, potential buyers should act without delay,” Scott Lauri said. However, Scott Lauri points out that to be eligible for the tax credit, qualified first-time buyers must purchase and reside in the principal residence before December 1, 2009. Other eligibility requirements apply, including income limits, but individuals who exceed the limit may be eligible for a partial credit. Buyers should seek advice from a professional tax advisor for specific tax calculations.
Since its inception earlier this year, the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit has brought 1.2 million new buyers into the market, 350,000 of whom would not have purchased a home without the credit, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), a leading advocate for homeownership and housing issues.

“ERA Real Estate has joined forces with NAR and our other colleagues in the real estate profession to petition Congress to keep this recovery going by extending the tax credit through 2010,” Scott Lauri said. “Housing has traditionally led our nation out of economic downturns, and can do so again.”

Scott Lauri noted that, while there are industry efforts underway to extend the tax credit deadline for first-time buyers, and others to expand its scope to include move-up and repeat homebuyers and remove or adjust income qualifications, the outcome of the lobbying campaign is by no means certain.

http://realtytimes.com/131/ScottLauri

This Newsletter is full of interesting and useful information that I think you will enjoy whether you are a buyer, seller, homeowner, or renter.

This month’s issue includes topics such as:

“Home Buyer’s Tax Credit Changes Possible”;
“Don’t Let An Over-priced Home Be a Humbling Lesson”;
“Job-hunting Strategies For Trailing Spouses”;
“Home Staging Helps Bring Top Dollar Sale”;
“How to Stay on Top of Mortgage Payments During a Short-Term Financial Crisis”;

Plus a roundup of September real estate activity as well as much more advice and information.

I hope you enjoy this monthly newsletter. If you have any comments, please e-mail them to me. Or, if you would like to see a certain topic covered in future months, let me know that too!

Smart energy use can be a big opportunity to save money and the best place to start is at home. Every window with a drafty sill and every furnace filter left unchanged eats up energy and wafts money out of your wallet. The good news is that a few simple changes around the home can make a big difference in your energy bill.

But that’s not all, as real estate experts, ERA Absolute Realty in North Brunswick wants its local customers to know that it’s not just the short term where homeowners can see the benefits of making energy efficient changes. This is a time when homebuyers, as well as homeowners, are becoming more conscious of the energy efficiency of a home. Not only can some quick fixes and updates save money while you live in your home, but they can also make your home more attractive to potential buyers when you decide to sell.

It’s up to each household to decide exactly how energy efficient it becomes. There are solutions for every budget. When the average U.S. household spends nearly $1,300 annually on utility bills and an energy efficient home can cut utility bills in half, making some changes is surely worth it. Switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs can save $40 to $60 on electric bills over the course of the bulb’s lifetime. Changing appliances to ones with Energy Star ratings can save money immediately, but can also be a selling point down the road.

To help homeowners save money, live comfortably and attract potential homebuyers, ERA Absolute Realty in North Brunswick offers 15 simple and inexpensive things that can be done today to make a home more energy efficient:

1. Turn off the lights when you leave a room for an extended period.
2. Keep your thermostat set around 78 degrees in the summer, 68 degrees in the winter.
3. Caulk, seal and weatherstrip all seams, cracks, outlets on outside walls and openings to the outside. For example, fireplaces can be a big energy leak so check dampers and screens to make sure warm air isn’t escaping when the fireplace isn’t in use. Consider installing an energy-saving firebox to help circulate heat. If the fireplace is just for decoration, cover the chimney.
4. Wrap insulation around heating ducts and hot water pipes that run through basements, crawl spaces and other unheated areas.
5. Add extra insulation to your hot water heater (Note: Do not block heater vents!)
6. Change the filters on your heating and air conditioning systems according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
7. Contact your local utility company about an energy audit and tips to increase energy efficiency.
8. Whenever you replace an appliance, choose energy efficient options such as those with the Energy Star rating (www.energystar.gov).
9. Use water efficient products to help conserve the world’s water supply and lower your water bill. Look for the EPA’s WaterSense label (www.epa.gov/watersense) on toilets, faucets, and showerheads. To save energy and money with your current toilets, faucets and showerheads, check for leaks. Fortunately, they’re easy to fix with a do-it-yourself book. Toilet tank water-savers can mean significant dollar savings, too.
10. To help your home systems and appliances do their jobs, change filters on heating and air conditioning systems yearly and keep operating parts oiled.
11. Purchase household supplies made with recycled materials; use greener “post-consumer waste” products like stationery, packaging materials, paper towels and other supplies.
12. Follow the recycling program in your community.
13. Encourage carpooling and telecommuting whenever possible.
14. Get in the habit of doing business and paying bills online via email and Internet banking sites.
15. Use the EPA’s GreenScaping practices to reduce waste, conserve water, and save energy around your lawn and garden. Visit www.epa.gov for details.

In addition to the yearlong sponsorship of Ask This Old House, ERA Absolute Realty in North Brunswick has launched the Make a Change. Make a Difference. campaign to help the community make small changes that can make big differences. After all, making a home more comfortable and efficient doesn’t have to take a great deal of time and can actually save money.

To discover more ways to Make a Change. Make a Difference. in your home and community, visit www.era.com/ask, or contact me directly at Office@AbsoluteERA.com.

About ERA Absolute Realty in North Brunswick

To learn more about ERA Absolute Realty and the award-recognized programs and services they provide, call 732-220-6611 or visit www.HomesOFNJ.com. 

The Lauri family founded ERA Absolute Realty in 1998 and had 6 sales executives serving only Middlesex County.  In 2001 the company brought on some additional executive staff with the additions of partners Scott Lauri and Arthur Lauri III.  Now ERA Absolute Realty has over 30 sales executives and serves Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean and Somerset Counties.  To visit with one of the sales executives at ERA Absolute Realty visit online at www.HomesOFNJ.com or call at 732-220-6611.

If a dispute arises, the outcome will be governed by how the contracts actually read, not what you thought your real estate agent told you when you signed them. To avoid confusion, it is a good idea to pick up copies of the purchase agreements and closing papers ahead of time. This will allow you to read them at your leisure, without the pressure of several people waiting for you to read everything at the closing. Don’t hesitate ask questions if you don’t understand something or if the language is ambiguous or confusing.

You may find that trying to sell your own home in order to save the brokerage fee is false economy. Real estate sales are complicated, and a slight variation in language can sometimes cost you a sale and/or a lot of money. Many of our listings came from sellers who thought their homes were sold, only to lose the buyers at the last minute–on a technicality!
Read this online and get more information: Understanding The Contract

As important a landmark as buying a home is in people’s lives, you’d be surprised at how much of it can turn on snap decisions. If you’re selling a house you’ll have to put careful thought into buyers’ first impressions, because many sales will be made or lost before they reach the front door – or as soon as they walk through it. And many of the most important things you can do cost very little and can even bring a return on your investment.

First consider “curb appeal” – trimmed shrubs, new flowers – puts your prospective buyers in just the right frame of mind. The feeling customers get from the upkeep of the building and grounds helps them to easily imagine themselves as a resident. You want to do everything you can to make them see your property as their house, both outside and in.

Fresh, neutral paint is well worth the investment. Kitchens and bathrooms should be in sparkling condition – these rooms often make up the minds of many home-seekers. Odors like pet smells and cigarette smoke could distract a potential buyer, so make sure that your property smells fresh and clean. 

One of the most important things to do before showing your home is to clear out the clutter. The fewer items you have crowding your rooms and closets, the bigger your property will appear, and the easier it will be for potential buyers to envision placing their own possessions there. Remove personal effects such as family photos, children’s artwork and collectibles. Put some items in storage or hold a garage sale to make a little money during the de-cluttering process.

Buyers should feel as if they are entering what could be their own home, not intruding on the personal space of someone else. That means striving to have your home look like a model home – decorating your property with a neutral décor in a neutral color palette. Repainting rooms in a neutral color also helps convey a sense of spaciousness.

Clean windows, fresh flowers and other small changes can make a big difference in what the homebuyer sees – and remembers. From major improvements, which guarantee a return on your investment, to subtle touches that tip the scales in your favor, the features of a house that we often take for granted can be the ones that determine your homeselling success.

A little effort up front can save you a lot of time on the market. Good first impressions can help your property sell faster. That’s why ERA Absolute Realty in North Brunswick participates in the ERA® Gold Star Property program that helps sellers make the most of their properties and helps assure buyers that the Gold Star Property listings they see are move-in ready.

As part of the ERA Real Estate Make a Change. Make a Difference. campaign launched as a complement to the yearlong sponsorship of “do-it-yourself” home improvement icon Ask This Old House, ERA Absolute Realty in North Brunswick wants you to know that small changes made now can result in a big difference in your future. After all, making a property more appealing doesn’t have to take a great deal of your time or money, and can help it sell faster.

To discover more ways to Make a Change. Make a Difference. in your home and community, visit www.ERA.com/Ask, or contact me directly at Office@AbsoluteERA.com to learn more about ERA Gold Star Property and preparing your home for sale.

About ERA Absolute Realty in North Brunswick

To learn more about ERA Absolute Realty and the award-recognized programs and services they provide, call 732-220-6611 or visit www.HomesOFNJ.com. The Lauri family founded ERA Absolute Realty in 1998 and had 6 sales executives serving only Middlesex County.  In 2001 the company brought on some additional executive staff with the additions of partners Scott Lauri and Arthur Lauri III.  Now ERA Absolute Realty has over 30 sales executives and serves Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean and Somerset Counties.  To visit with one of the sales executives at ERA Absolute Realty visit online at www.HomesOFNJ.com or call at 732-220-6611.

Before your house is shown, walk through each room with an eye to creating a pleasant ambiance through lighting. Accentuate the natural light by keeping curtains open and windows sparkling clean. Arrange your furniture to take advantage of the best view. You may want to install indirect lighting to highlight a vaulted ceiling or to draw attention to indoor plants. Dimmer switches can create simple and inexpensive lighting appeal. Place a lamp and table arrangement in a dark alcove or corner to brighten up the area.
Read this online and get more information: Lighting Up the Sale

http://realtytimes.com/125/ScottLauri

This Newsletter is full of interesting and useful information that I think you will enjoy whether you are a buyer, seller, homeowner, or renter.

This month’s issue includes topics such as:

“Five Ways to Wow Buyers”;
“Where Housing is Headed”;
“What You Need to Know to Buy a Home Today”;
“Investor Report: Refinancings”;
“Seller’s Home Appeal for Today’s Market”;

Plus a roundup of March real estate activity as well as much more advice and information.

I hope you enjoy this monthly newsletter. If you have any comments, please e-mail them to me. Or, if you would like to see a certain topic covered in future months, let me know that too!

If you do not wish to receive this Newsletter each month, please reply to this e-mail with the word ‘REMOVE’ in the subject line.

Sincerely,
Scott Lauri

It is difficult to get a buyer excited about your home if he or she is sneezing continuously or unwilling to cross the threshold because your dog is barking away intruders. If your agent knows there might be a problem, they can arrange ahead of time for you to walk the dog, vacuum the cat dander or do whatever is necessary to make sure that the showing goes smoothly.
Read this online and get more information: Houses and Pets

ERA Real Estate and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) have created the Home Grown Hero program, an online fundraiser that makes it easier than ever for you to help support this worthy cause. The Home Grown Hero program gives all ERA® members the opportunity to participate in the network’s fundraising activities for MDA on an individual basis.

“Dolores and Sandra’s commitment to making difference for this worthly cause is inspiring,” remarked Scott Lauri, Broker/Owner with ERA Absolute Realty. “By using the latest technologies, Dolores and Sandra were able to collect more donation than many others.”

To learn more about ERA Absolute Realty and the award-recognized programs and services they provide, call 732-220-6611 or visit www.HomesOFNJ.com.

The Lauri family founded ERA Absolute Realty in 1997 and had 6 sales executives serving only Middlesex County. Now ERA Absolute Realty has over 45 sales executives and serves Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean and Somerset Counties with two offices in North Brunswick and Monroe Township. To visit with one of the sales executives at ERA Absolute Realty visit online at www.HomesOFNJ.com or call at 732-220-6611 (North Brunswick) or 609-409-5959 (Monroe Twp).

Pictured Above Left to Right, Dolores Christmas, Abby Umali (2009 MDA National Goodwill Ambassador), Bradley Walker (2007 International Bluegrass   Singer)