Monthly Archives: November 2006

Monetizing our assets

Posted on November 17, 2006 by grim

From the New York Times: Parts of New Jersey Government for Sale? Just Supposing Should New Jersey consider selling or leasing state assets, the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway and the lottery system are the best bets, according … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Politics | 21 Comments

“There are plenty of warnings but few are being heeded.”

Posted on November 17, 2006 by grim

From the Korea Times: Bubble Bomb Haunts Korea Deputy Prime Minister and Finance-Economy Kwon Oh-kyu concurs with the IMF view that a bubble does not exist in Korean property market but private research institutes such as Samsung said at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Bubble | 1 Comment

Big on promises, few details

Posted on November 17, 2006 by grim

From the Daily Record: No ‘short-term fixes’ for N.J. budget, taxes, Corzine says Gov. Jon S. Corzine said he supports a plan to ease property taxes by giving 20 percent credits to homeowners but raised concerns on Thursday about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Property Taxes | 2 Comments

What will 2007 bring?

Posted on November 16, 2006 by grim

From RealtyTimes: 2007 Housing Market ‘Won’t Be A Standout’ It’s not surprising reports of doom and gloom in the housing sector aren’t welcomed by those who stake their living on the industry, but that isn’t going to make it go … Continue reading →

Posted in National Real Estate | 41 Comments

Concerned about the (mis)use of eminent domain

Posted on November 16, 2006 by grim

From the Herald News: War over land On Election Day, residents in 12 states were asked to vote on a ballot question on local government’s use of eminent domain to seize private property. Voters in 10 of those states approved … Continue reading →

Posted in New Development, New Jersey Real Estate | Comments Off on Concerned about the (mis)use of eminent domain

Refinancing the American Dream

Posted on November 16, 2006 by grim

From Demos: House of Cards (Large PDF) In response to ever-increasing financial pressures, families have come to depend on high-cost credit as a way to bridge the gap between stagnant or decreasing incomes and rising costs. How are families coping … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Bubble, Risky Lending | 74 Comments

Rest in Peace Milton Friedman

Posted on November 16, 2006 by grim

From Reuters: Free market economist Milton Friedman dead at 94 Milton Friedman, the free market economist and winner of a 1976 Nobel Prize, died on Thursday morning of heart failure, a spokeswoman for his family said. He was 94. Friedman’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, General | 9 Comments

Jersey foreclosures tick upwards

Posted on November 16, 2006 by grim

From the Press of Atlantic City: Foreclosures piling up with family debt The region is seeing more sheriff’s sales. New Jersey is leading the Northeast in the number of foreclosures, according to the real-estate advisory firm Foreclosures.com. The firm said … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Bubble, New Jersey Real Estate | 17 Comments

More Jersey sellers using incentives

Posted on November 16, 2006 by grim

From the Record: Housing slump has sellers using novel incentives When the housing market gets tough, sellers offer incentives. Sometimes they are simple: Help with closing costs, property taxes or monthly maintenance charges. A free kitchen cabinet upgrade. At other … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Bubble, New Jersey Real Estate | Comments Off on More Jersey sellers using incentives

98 recommendations, even more questions

Posted on November 16, 2006 by grim

From the Daily Record: Fixing N.J.’s tax mess: 98 recommendations, many questions Lawmakers still uncertain A sweeping set of recommendations aimed at easing New Jersey’s property taxes includes bold plans ranging from 20 percent tax credits to capping tax hikes … Continue reading →

Posted in Property Taxes | 2 Comments

Green Light for the Preserve

Posted on November 16, 2006 by grim

From the Jersey Journal: Deal will allow condo project to proceed\ It’s all systems go for cleaning up chromium deposits in Bayonne’s northwest corner – which means the door is open for another big residential development. The state Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in New Development, New Jersey Real Estate | Comments Off on Green Light for the Preserve

3rd Quarter Otteau Report

Posted on November 15, 2006 by grim

The Q3 Otteau Report is now available at the Otteau Appraisal Group website. For your convenience, here are the shortcuts: Atlantic County Bergen County Burlington County Camden County Cape May County Cumberland County Essex County Gloucester County Hudson County Hunterdon … Continue reading →

Posted in New Jersey Real Estate | 115 Comments

Do big cash bonuses sell homes?

Posted on November 15, 2006 by grim

From the Trenton Times: A NEW THRESHOLD Considering all the noise consumers made in recent years about home sale commissions being too high, the last thing you’d expect to see is people throwing even more money at real estate agents. … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Bubble, New Jersey Real Estate | 64 Comments

How can we afford to cut property taxes?

Posted on November 15, 2006 by grim

From the Daily Record: Tax credit concern: Can state afford it? Lawmakers involved in an effort to ease property taxes have predicted swift action once their proposals are unveiled today, but privately some legislators have raised concerns about whether the … Continue reading →

Posted in New Jersey Real Estate, Property Taxes | 25 Comments

Central Jersey Demographic Changes

Posted on November 15, 2006 by grim

From the Courier News: Minority population booming in Central Jersey, census shows Minority groups are growing in Somerset, Hunterdon and Middlesex counties, and whites represent a smaller proportion of the overall population than they did in 2000, according to U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 15 Comments