Weekend Open Discussion – Part II

Posted on February 8, 2008 by grim

————————————————————–
Save the Date!
We’ll be meeting up on Saturday, February 9th in Morristown NJ.
6pm Sharp!
Grasshopper off the Green
41-43 Morris Street, Morristown NJ
————————————————————–

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251 Responses to Weekend Open Discussion – Part II

  1. lisoosh says:
    February 8, 2008 at 4:59 pm

    Frist!!!

  2. Willow says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:00 pm

    #279

    Try shopping at Trader Joe’s – good prices for jam that has sugar. I read ingredients and I’m pretty sure I haven’t run into anything with HFCS in it there. I don’t have one right near me but make the trip every two weeks or so because it is worth it. Eggs were $1.69/dozen there last week compared to Shop Rite at over $3.00/dozen.

  3. njpatient says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:05 pm

    lisoosh!
    you must frequent some other blog comment sections that I frequent.

  4. grim says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:08 pm

    From Bloomberg:

    Bear Stearns Is `Short’ Subprime Mortgages $1 Billion

    Bear Stearns Cos., the U.S. securities firm that posted its first-ever loss last quarter on mortgage writedowns, has more than $1 billion of trades that profit if subprime home loans and bonds continue to deteriorate.

    The “short” positions on subprime mortgage securities increased from $600 million at the end of November, Chief Financial Officer Sam Molinaro said today at an investor conference in Naples, Florida. The company also reduced its holdings of so-called collateralized debt obligations and underlying bonds, Molinaro said.

  5. lostinny says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:14 pm

    Are any of my DM peeps gonna be there tomorrow night?

  6. Ann says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:33 pm

    Jill, the house is what it is, but those pictures are absolutely, by far, the worst I’ve ever seen. The one of the exercise bike is awesome, thanks for the laugh.

  7. Ann says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:35 pm

    Re selling and buying

    I can’t imagine anyone who would buy first without selling now, that’s crazy. I wouldn’t even feel comfortable buying right now without having the closing done on my sell. Being under contract wasn’t enough for me.

  8. still_looking says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    grim, wanna go together? I was thinking Cardozo though. (also has a part time program)

    I got knocked up [lisoosh: pregnant, not called on the phone] the day after the LSAT and have had put it off.

    I’d have to rePrep for the LSAT (I cancelled my score after talking to my cousin – a law-dude – now a VP-Asia at GS)

    sl

  9. lostinny says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:40 pm

    still
    One of the only reasons I didn’t go to law school was the fact that I am an absolutely terrible test taker and I was afraid that I wouldn’t get through the LSAT. :(

  10. toshiro_mifune says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:46 pm

    #9 One of the only reasons I didn’t go to law school was ….

    I didn’t go to law school because I’m warm blooded, and have a soul.

    I keeed, I keeed people.

  11. lisoosh says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:47 pm

    Willow – Where is there a Trader Joes. Heard lots about it but never seen one.

    Patient – it seems we do. Glad someone got the inside joke.

    s-l – never heard knocked up as a euphamism for anything other than getting pregnant. If you heard of it as some anglicism maybe it is from the south? Common in England – Bun in the oven. Scotland has a strange one – “up the stick”, really, no idea of its genisis.

  12. lisoosh says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:52 pm

    Oh, see that Trader Joes is in fact in New Jersey. Closest one would be Westfield. Think they’ll let me or will there be an income test?

  13. bewm says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:52 pm

    They just opened a Trader Joe’s on 17N right before Midland, next to the Office Depot. Haven’t been there yet but heard it’s good stuff.

  14. rhymingrealtor says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    Trader’s Joes on 17 does’nt have wine. It’s a small one.
    KL

  15. syncmaster says:
    February 8, 2008 at 5:58 pm

    Just got this in my email – Hovnanian special. Employee pricing from 2/15 to 2/18.

    http://www.khov.com/dv

  16. grim says:
    February 8, 2008 at 6:17 pm

    grim, wanna go together?

    Sure, but you’ll need to help me prep for the LSAT. I’ve still got 2 semesters left on my MBA. Whoever it was that called me a ‘professional student’ wasn’t kidding.

  17. Rich In NNJ says:
    February 8, 2008 at 6:30 pm

    Careful Grim… ya might get pregnant

  18. njpatient says:
    February 8, 2008 at 6:37 pm

    “Where is there a Trader Joes. ”

    Brigadoon, of course!!

  19. syncmaster says:
    February 8, 2008 at 6:44 pm

    How do you pay for it all???

  20. syncmaster says:
    February 8, 2008 at 6:45 pm

    Sorry, #19 was for grim regarding being a professional student.

  21. Confused In NJ says:
    February 8, 2008 at 6:46 pm

    Sure, Wall Street likes tax cuts and other purportedly Big Business-supportive policy, said Barry Ritholtz, CEO and director of equity research at FusionIQ.

    But he said investors realize the problems in financial markets and the economy are about more than just whether or not the Bush tax cuts are made permanent. Ritholtz is an Independent.

    Ritholtz said Clinton is unique in that she’s “polarizing” and may not appeal to Wall Street. But he said a lot of Democrats on Wall Street are saying they could live with McCain in the White House and Republicans are saying that they could live with Obama.

    “The fact that we are talking about the possibility of an Obama presidency tells you how bad the economy is,” Ritholtz said.

  22. profuscious says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:01 pm

    For the 40% of you who may actually buy a house somewhere in NNJ:

    The Weichert sign goes in the yard on Monday……

    Thanks to everyone here, especially Mr. James Bednar, aka “Grim”. This has been a great place to follow over the last few years.

  23. njpatient says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:32 pm

    22
    Good luck, profuscious!

  24. Outofstater says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:42 pm

    #382 Confused: Thank you for that link. There is no way that I have enough knowledge to respond to it. I have had just one very distant acquaintance who was a POW in Vietnam (my husband’s wing commander years ago). I decided long ago that I can’t really comment on POW experiences because neither I nor anyone close to me was there. There is just too much I will never know. I believe the code of conduct was changed after Vietnam to reflect the fact that all of us will talk if tortured long enough. I think the new standard is to recover control as quickly as possible. It takes a lot of the pressure off of those being tortured.

  25. Clotpoll says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:47 pm

    patient (#365, thread 1)-

    No way I’d buy before selling in this environment. The only people who should even consider this are those who can truly handle two mortgages, PLUS buy without contingency. That narrows it down to a pretty tiny group.

  26. grim says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:49 pm

    From the Star Ledger:

    Electric rates going up for third consecutive year

    For the third consecutive year, consumers will see double-digit increases in their electric bills, effective this June as the state’s electric utilities locked in prices for the electricity they will deliver to New Jersey homes and businesses.

    The increases, ranging from 10.5 percent to as high as 17.5 percent, mean the typical residential customer can expect to see monthly bills jump by $11.16 per month if you get your electricity from Jersey Central Power & Light to as much as $18.02 for those served by Rockland Electric. The more than 2 million customers of Public Service Electric & Gas will see bills rise by 12.1 percent, or $12.57 per month.

  27. Clotpoll says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:52 pm

    prof (22)-

    “The Weichert sign goes in the yard on Monday…”

    Enjoy your experience with those assclowns. You two are a perfect match.

  28. Clotpoll says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:53 pm

    sync (19)-

    “How do you pay for it all???”

    Student loans and credit cards?

  29. Clotpoll says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:54 pm

    prof (22)-

    You guys can have yellow Kool-Aid open houses.

  30. profuscious says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:55 pm

    Clot (27)

    “Enjoy your experience with those assclowns. You two are a perfect match.”

    having a bad day, huh?

  31. Clotpoll says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:57 pm

    Had a great day. You?

  32. Confused In NJ says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:59 pm

    24.OutofStater

    The scary part of that article is it questions whether or not he became a sleeper agent during his five years, as depicted in the movie Manchurian Candidate.

  33. Clotpoll says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:59 pm

    prof-

    Did your agent try to convince you to let them keep 60% of the total commish, since “the listing agent works harder and incurs more expenses than the buyer’s agent”?

  34. grim says:
    February 8, 2008 at 7:59 pm

    Student loans and credit cards?

    Drugs and gun running, gotta pay for this Bergen Co. house somehow.

  35. Clotpoll says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:00 pm

    confused (32)-

    I thought Karl Rove discovered that McCain was, indeed, a “Manchurian Candidate”.

  36. Outofstater says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:06 pm

    #32 Yes, but I seriously doubt it. The stories I heard were of men trying to keep one another alive minute by minute.

  37. Confused In NJ says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:09 pm

    35. Clotpoll;

    Don’t know, but being a Vet myself, I have been suspicious of him, but was actually surprised to see so much literature on the topic. Personally, even a one in a million chance, disqualifies him, in my eyes. Too old, liberal & chancy. Chavez it is. We can control him with the Cocoa leaves. We don’t know the trigger with the other guy.

  38. Clotpoll says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:11 pm

    confused (37)-

    How come nobody ever gets worried about his wife, an ex-pillhead who’s all mobbed up?

    Like a Mafia version of Betty Ford.

  39. All Hype says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:13 pm

    still_looking: Are you pregnant again or was this before you had still_looking junior?

  40. Confused In NJ says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:22 pm

    38.Clot
    JFK nostalgia.

  41. still_looking says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:31 pm

    Grim – ok- just got back. I have a pile of the LSAT stuff (tests, etc – princetone review stuff.) Felt well prep’d after PR. Sooooo just need the recent tests, etc.

    Lisoosh, I was always told “to knock someone up” in England meant to call on or visit them.

    All-Hype! No… we are still working on kid #2! (are you going sat???)

    sl

  42. still_looking says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:33 pm

    rich in NNJ- only if grim gets too close to my scarily fertile husband!!

    And NOOOOOO the LSAT test is NOT in any way, shape or form an aphrodisiac!!!

    sl

  43. still_looking says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:37 pm

    lost: #? Princeton Review.

    Only the “games” section is torture. Reading Comp, Logic etc are fine. (If it hasn’t changed much since ’05)

    Med geeks? MCAT? Kaplan. Period. Got me through and I’m no genius, just diligent.

    sl

  44. profuscious says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:42 pm

    clot

    I had a good day thank you. Now don’t be upset at me for choosing the yellow team.

    Since we are loyal folk, we stuck with someone we’ve known and trusted, who just this past year got into this “racket”, we know for a fact is not corrupt, and surely doesn’t need to screw us over to make a living. And no, I don’t hold the Weichert thing against her. Should I?

    Re: commission
    Without going into the details, in our case, your high off the mark with the 60% of commish comment.

    And, Even if it was 60%, I’d think a buyer’s agent would be hungry for just about any scrap in today’s market. What’s your experience? Are you not a hungry man? Or maybe a little too hungry?

  45. still_looking says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:45 pm

    grim.

    Cardozo has the Innocence Project. My favorite. I want the law degree to find some way to push for dedicated Medical Courts with medically (as well as legally) knowledgeable participants.

    It would surely level the playing field in med-mal.

    My latest “knickers in a twist” was a pediatrician friend of mine who testified in a case that was clear cut s&xual abuse against a toddler whose perp was let go due to “questionable” evidence. [read: the jury didn’t understand it.]

    I consulted on an appeals case in Florida for a kid who was put away for 10 yrs due to a miscarriage of justice. My friend got him an appeal and the jury deliberated 20 mins before overturning his conviction.

    Martie Tankleff’s case is yet another example of what’s going in the courts. No one is minding the shop, so to speak.

    sl

  46. 3b says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:54 pm

    #41 to knock someone up” in England meant to call on or visit them.

    I think the expression is to ring someone up, as in calling them on the phone. Or at least that was the expression used by natives on my visits there.

  47. 3b says:
    February 8, 2008 at 8:58 pm

    #22 prof: The Weichert sign goes in the yard on Monday……

    Where are you moving to if you do not mind sharing?

  48. profuscious says:
    February 8, 2008 at 9:06 pm

    Charleston sc
    the wife and I are going to shuck oysters
    so to speak

  49. Rich In NNJ says:
    February 8, 2008 at 9:14 pm

    Clot,

    I think you may be your getting your “P” posters confused.

    SL,

    hahahaha!

  50. Rich In NNJ says:
    February 8, 2008 at 9:17 pm

    Pro,

    Directly in Charleston or in the area of, ie. Mount Pleasant?

    If on James Island head to Poe’s!

  51. MT says:
    February 8, 2008 at 9:27 pm

    Somebody! Please provide the address & OLP & DOM for MLS#2403579

  52. Clotpoll says:
    February 8, 2008 at 9:31 pm

    prof (44)-

    “Even if it was 60%, I’d think a buyer’s agent would be hungry for just about any scrap in today’s market.”

    Here’s a news flash for you: right now, buyers with dry powder- and, by proxy, those buyers’ agents- rule the game. Not a great idea to offer them LESS incentive. Somehow, Weichert regularly convinces many of their sellers to do this.

    It’s a great time to go with an inexperienced listing agent, too. Here’s a hint: when your agent is scheduling her 17th open house, you can safely assume the marketing plan’s not working.

    You ARE in real estate, right? Since you equate time in the business with corruption, how long did it take you to toss your scruples out the window? That comment has to be, flat out, the dumbest one you’ve made here (and you’ve made a lot of them).

    As far as being hungry, you’re damn right I’m hungry. I was hungry eight years ago, and I’ll be hungry tomorrow. When the hunger goes away, I’ll stop doing this.

    However, there’s a difference between being hungry and being a street-dog-ass Willy Loman. Lots of those walking around out there these days.

  53. profuscious says:
    February 8, 2008 at 9:32 pm

    Rich 50,

    we’re thinking about renting on Daniels Island. Apparrently there are quite a few homes available there for rent. It looks like they overbuilt.

    We are going take the proceeds from this house, sit tight for a year or two, shuck some oysters, find the right lot, and turn it into the next idea, which is this:

    http://www.jerikohouse.com/

    Really love this idea for lean, mean, and green living. Should be fun to build too!

    FYI, I lived on James Island for three years back in the early ’90’s. Used to ride my bike out to the Folly Beach every other day. Good times!

  54. Clotpoll says:
    February 8, 2008 at 9:36 pm

    Profuscious?? Pretorius??

    Shit.

    Sorry for the extra helping of abuse (meant for pret, not you).

    Keep an eye on your agent, though. Not a great time for newbies.

  55. Roy G Biv says:
    February 8, 2008 at 9:47 pm

    There are Good/Bad people in every town. Westfiled …. John List, need i say more.

  56. Pat says:
    February 8, 2008 at 9:52 pm

    Clot, I knew who you were sniffing out from the first post.

    Dang, Rich..why’d you have to wave the smelling salts? It was just getting good.

    Poor prof.

  57. profuscious says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:00 pm

    Clot #52,

    “You ARE in real estate, right? Since you equate time in the business with corruption, how long did it take you to toss your scruples out the window? That comment has to be, flat out, the dumbest one you’ve made here (and you’ve made a lot of them).”

    sorry if I’ve struck a nerve. I’m not sure how you got the idea I was ever in real estate.

    I simply own a home that I wish to sell. That is it. I listed with someone I know well personally. I put that, and this person’s character, above all else. As for the marketing plan, we will watch carefully and see how she does. Commission is what it is, hopefully someone, maybe even Willy Loman himself, will appreciate the scratch.

    Again, I think you have me confused with another poster (pretorious). At least I hope you do. I hardly ever post here, except when we talk college football, so I seriously doubt if it was me.

    I actually read everything you say very carefully because you are one of the straightest talkers in this group. And you seem to know your shite.

    Glad your still hungry and by the way,

    Go Tigers!

  58. Pat says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:00 pm

    SL, it’s a wonderful goal. That’s an area I truly wish I had taken up, but more on the early intervention side. Preventing abuse from happening in the first place.

    Anyway, I wish you luck.

  59. njpatient says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:18 pm

    25 clot
    Thanks. That was my take on the topic, but I’ve got two sets of friends who’ve put themselves in that position.

  60. BC Bob says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:22 pm

    Clot [54],

    You #ss. Pro is a Clemson Tiger not a Chicago Bull. He’s all ACC.

    Pro,

    I surprised the destination isn’t Clemson. Best of luck. If we ever gwt another Matt Ryan, I may be down to visit. Is the wife still a gold bug?

  61. njpatient says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:23 pm

    37 clot
    “How come nobody ever gets worried about his wife, an ex-pillhead who’s all mobbed up?”

    Thank goodness he doesn’t owe her for bankrolling his political career. Oh, wait…

  62. njpatient says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:26 pm

    Still
    “Lisoosh, I was always told “to knock someone up” in England meant to call on or visit them.”

    I’ve heard this usage there on a couple of occasions – was in Gloucester at the time

  64. Rich In NNJ says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:31 pm

    Pat (56),

    You’re evil. I love it.

  65. njpatient says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:35 pm

    “the wife and I are going to shuck oysters”

    Kinky

  66. njpatient says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:38 pm

    54 clot

    That gets my nomination for post of the month

    Almost peed myself.

  67. Pat aka "The Little Sh!t" says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:39 pm

    The origins of the subprime mess… – PART 2
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkTppdyzxJI

  68. PGC says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:43 pm

    #40 Thread 1 BergenBuyer

    Congratulations, I hope to be posting some similar numbers next week.

    I need to find the HUD-1 entry for “Flying your mother in law back from Florida, to babysit the kids for closing”.

    Hope to see a lot of you on Sat.

  69. njpatient says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:44 pm

    56

    “Dang, Rich..why’d you have to wave the smelling salts? It was just getting good.”

    Ooooooohh, Pat, you’ve got a MEAN streak!!!

  71. profuscious says:
    February 8, 2008 at 10:52 pm

    BC

    I’m so glad to see Ryan go pro, he twisted the dagger in every single game. On the other hand, too bad he won’t be able to meet Da’Quan next year.

    The next time BC and CU meet for the Atlantic Div title, we must have the tailgate to end all tailgates. I’ll even invite Clot, if he promises to eat some Blue Cheese with me :)

    Mrs. Pro has decided to sell her shiny metal when it gets to a thousand. She’s been into it for years, despite everyone telling her she was crazy. Now it turns out we we’re the crazy ones.

  72. Wag says:
    February 8, 2008 at 11:07 pm

    Clot,Profuscious,

    After that rant and very dignified response, scotch is in order for you both. I’m buying.
    See you all tomorrow night.

  73. Hobokenite says:
    February 9, 2008 at 1:13 am

    Sorry if this is a repeat, haven’t had a chance to read up on everything the last couple of days.

    Toll grades NYC as D:

    http://norris.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/toll-grades-again/

  74. lostinny says:
    February 9, 2008 at 6:34 am

    Buying or just looking? Some Realtors now skip open houses
    from The Star-Ledger via nj.com

    http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/02/buying_of_just_looking_some_re.html

  75. grim says:
    February 9, 2008 at 7:00 am

    MT,

    2403579 – 324 Jackson Ave

  76. grim says:
    February 9, 2008 at 7:11 am

    From the Philly Inquirer:

    Bucks couple struggling as debt crisis hits home

    Frank Salamone blames himself, mostly, for his small role in the subprime-debt crisis that has helped hobble the global economy.
    With his household debt soaring from a $123,000 mortgage in 1990 to a $425,000 mortgage on the same house by 2006, Frank and his wife, Joan, are a striking example of how the housing bubble’s easy credit allowed consumers to bury themselves in debt.

    Now, they are struggling to avoid the worst consequence of what Frank called “crappy decisions.” That would be the loss of their house in Bucks County’s Warwick Township. “I’m not an Oprah victim. I don’t blame anybody,” he said.

    Their five refinancings since 1997 ran the gamut of the subprime universe, including piggyback loans, no-doc loans and two-year adjustable-rate loans – sometimes known as exploding ARMs.

    Cash from increasingly onerous refinancings went toward home improvements, medical expenses and credit-card debt that ballooned out of control during the 18 months Joan was out of work battling cancer.

    In an interview last month, Frank, a quality-assurance manager at an electronics company, said a steady stream of credit-card offers and increased borrowing limits were “ruining this country. Ignorant people like me are what’s getting sucked into it.”

    The Salamones have been two months behind on their $3,148 monthly mortgage payments since Frank – who comes across as a man who can eventually laugh at anything that does not kill him – took a 10 percent pay cut last summer. At that point, all the equity had been taken out of the house and the subprime-lending market had largely shut down.

    To catch up, they took a second job in December delivering newspapers from 2:30 to 5:30 a.m. They work together. Frank needs Joan, who sat quietly during an interview paging through a training manual, as the navigator.

  77. mikeinwaiting says:
    February 9, 2008 at 7:30 am

    12 new listing on Oodle this morn these are mostly on fizber (10).As owners are forced to lower prices they are trying to save on com.This in my estimation puts the inventory #s we track higher than they would seem.I have no way of tracking fisbos & would think in this market they are at a larger % than in the past.Has anyone noticed this in their area.Do you full time re people notice it trending higher in your area.Now this is just my little town in the middle of no where if this is the same all over how many monthes of inventory do we have.
    I would add that its a hell of a time to try to go it without the exposure you get from a agency listing.By the way didn’t notice any great deals.
    Ok here is something odd after going into all 12 listings 2 are with realtors, 1 I know.Whats with that.I’m sure she doesn’t live there, maybe a flip.

  78. Rich In NNJ says:
    February 9, 2008 at 7:45 am

    Ridgewood
    SLD 156 PERSHING AVE $300,000 9/15/1987

    SLD 156 PERSHING AVE $262,000 1/19/1995

    SLD 156 PERSHING AVE $319,500 4/7/1998

    SLD 156 PERSHING AVE $435,000 5/4/2001

    SLD 156 PERSHING AVE $566,000 6/14/2004

    SLD 156 PERSHING AVE $550,000 2/8/2008

  79. mikeinwaiting says:
    February 9, 2008 at 7:48 am

    These are good for ba laugh to start your day.
    ….

    I promise you cannot read these and not laugh out loud.

    These are real notes written by parents in an ALABAMA school district.

    Spellings have been left intact.

    1. My son is under a doctor’s care and
    should not take PE today. Please execute him.

    2. Please exkuce lisa for being absent
    she was sick and i had her shot.

    3. Dear school: please ecsc’s john
    being absent on jan. 28, 29, 30, 31,
    32 and also 33.

    4. Please excuse gloria from jim today.
    She is administrating.

    5. Please excuse roland from p.e. for a few days.
    Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

    6. John has been absent because he had two
    teeth taken out of his face.

    7. Carlos was absent yesterday because
    he was playing football. He was hurt in
    the growing part.

    8. Megan could not come to school today
    because she has been bothered by very
    close veins.

    9. Chris will not be in school cus he has
    an acre in his side.

    10. Please excuse ray friday from school.
    He has very loose vowels.

    11. Please excuse Lesli from being absent yesterday.
    She had diahre dyrea direathe the shits.

    12. Please excuse tommy for being absent
    yesterday. He had diarrhea, and his boots
    leak.

    13. Irving was absent yesterday because
    he missed his bust.

    14. Please excuse jimmy for being. It was
    his father’s fault.

    15. I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because i don’t know
    what size she wear.

    16. Please excuse jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the sunday paper
    off the porch, and when we found it monday.
    We thought it was sunday.

    17. Sally won’t be in school a week from friday.
    We have to attend her funeral.

    18. My daughter was absent yesterday because
    she was tired. She spent a weekend with the
    marines.

    19. Please excuse Jason for being absent
    yesterday. He had a cold and could not
    breed well.

    20. Please excuse mary for being absent yesterday.
    She was in bed with gramps.

    21. Gloria was absent yesterday as she was
    having a gangover.

    22. Please excuse brenda. She has been sick
    and under the doctor.

    23. Maryann was absent december 11-16, because
    she had a fever, sorethroat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever an sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and
    ached all over. I wasn’t the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night.

    Now we know why parents are screaming for
    better education for our kids.

  80. JC says:
    February 9, 2008 at 8:06 am

    Willow #2: The only thing I’ve seen at Trader Joe’s that has HFCS is the frozen Asian vegetables with sauce…the sauce has it. And it’s easy enough to either make your own sauce or use Kikkoman instead (which is thickened with cornstarch).

    The thing about Trader Joe’s is it’s “gourmet”-type food without the price. The frozen fish is always good; often better than fish market fish. My mom lives in NC and is a clinical depressive, and since they opened Trader Joe’s in Chapel Hill, she’s like a new woman. True story.

  81. Clotpoll says:
    February 9, 2008 at 8:38 am

    wag (72)-

    After ranting at the wrong guy, I should be wearing Scotch, not drinking it.

    Again, sorry, p-r-o-f.

    Your basketball team is OK. Shoulda beat us last time out. They had me in my home office, door locked, curled up on my desk.

  82. Cindy says:
    February 9, 2008 at 8:47 am

    (79) mikeinwaiting – Classic examples of an
    “environmental disability.”

    (76) Grim – “Frank…took a 10 per cent pay cut last summer. At that point, all the equity had been taken out of the house and the sub-prime lending market had largely shut down.”

    Not only have people lost jobs but those of us with “secure” (yeah right) jobs are dealing with no raises, cut backs, etc. in inflationary times. My district is still trying to address the state-mandated budget cut backs for this and next year. All of that still has to “unwind” and trickle down….we may still see salary cuts or layoffs. (Non-union – they can do that.)

  83. lostinny says:
    February 9, 2008 at 8:51 am

    Cindy,
    Even those in education unions can still get cut. I’m waiting to see what happens in NYC since Mayor Mike suddenly decided every school must cut 75-100K immediately.

  84. mikeinwaiting says:
    February 9, 2008 at 8:54 am

    Cindy to bad you don’t teach in NJ you wouldn’t have to worry about cuts.The gov will just tax the hell out of us or face the wrath of the NJEA.

  85. Cindy says:
    February 9, 2008 at 8:58 am

    (83) lostinny – “Even those in unions can still get cut.”
    Wow, I didn’t know that.

    Our Faculty Senate supports my district’s fiscally responsible stance. We do have some reserves and have held onto 23 employees this year. A hiring freeze is in place. They upped our end of the medical benefits this year so the employees are already in the hole. We have one more FS meeting this month but I seriously doubt anything will be resolved by then.

    My district is considering a “golden handshake” to try to thin out the ranks of the more “expensive” teachers.

  86. Cindy says:
    February 9, 2008 at 9:14 am

    Here’s a weird one from the Fresno Bee today..
    “2,000 of Fresno’s streetlights darkened”

    “Copper thieves are ripping wire out of streetlights so quickly that Fresno officials are looking for help – from the public.”

    “Neighborhoods are blacked out, and people are scared,” said Fresno City Council Member Brian Calhoun. “It’s time for us to do a full-court press and educate the public about what they can do to help.”

    “Fresno officials announced this week that wire theft has darkened 2,000 of the city’s 85,000 streetlight and cost taxpayers more than half a million dollars in just a few months.”

    Call 911!

    Well, an unexpected consequence of the soaring price of copper ….$3.48 lb. 2/8

  87. profuscious NOT pret says:
    February 9, 2008 at 9:35 am

    clot (81)

    no worries, I had a feeling you mistook me for the other guy. Need to change my handle.

    But for a brief moment I started to feel like Griffin Dunne’s character (Paul Hackett) in “After Hours”.

    http://imdb.com/title/tt0088680/

    Re: college hoops – our teams played a great game last time out. If the Tigers we’re really good, you would have been under your desk.

    Is Lawson playing tomorrow?

  88. All Hype says:
    February 9, 2008 at 9:44 am

    Still_Looking: I cannot make it tonite. I have a bachelor party for my cousin to attend. I was actually going to come but tonite was the only good day for the bachelor party. I will try to catch you guys next time. Peace out!

  89. lisoosh says:
    February 9, 2008 at 10:08 am

    still_looking Says:

    “Lisoosh, I was always told “to knock someone up” in England meant to call on or visit them.”

    “Knock on” would be common.

    As in “I think I’ll go knock on still-looking and see what she’s up to”. (I think the door just got dropped with time).

    As 3b mentioned, “ring someone up” is to telephone them.

    Patient said he heard it in Gloustershire which is always a possibility. It’s a small island with a thousand local colloquialisms. I’ve been in parts of Somerset where I’ve had difficulty understanding the locals and lots of people have real trouble with Scots, especially in the more far flung reaches.

  90. stu says:
    February 9, 2008 at 10:16 am

    So can we get a roll call of the regulars who expect to be there tonight?

    I’ll be there as well as my property tax fighting wife Lisa (NJ Gator).

    Good news on the tax front for us. It appears that the town wants to settle with us out of court. We’ll all let you know what kind of savings we were able to obtain within the next two weeks. It is also encouraging that the Tax Court of NJ has told us that the towns lawyer is very negotiable. So far, our out of pocket cost to fight our assessment has been $35.

  91. bubblewatcher says:
    February 9, 2008 at 10:20 am

    Clot,

    There are 6 or so posters that I dig through to read all the time. Keep your comments coming – and your tough reactions are what makes the reading more interesting and informative – even if accidentally labeled to the wrong person occasionally.

  92. t c m says:
    February 9, 2008 at 10:30 am

    3b -#59

    Are you sure about this?

    “1. The blue ribbon program ended in 1997/1998, so any school claiming this “distinction”, well it is at least 10 years old. So basing buying a house in a town with a blue ribbon district is suspect at best, since there never was a yearly recertification process. It may be blue ribbon, but that ribbon is 10 years old.”

    From the Millburn HS website:

    “Millburn High School is the only regular public High School among seven schools from the state of New Jersey to be named by the United States Department of Education as a 2007 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School. On October 2, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings named 287 schools in the United States as Blue Ribbon Schools, 37 of them public high schools.”

    I also know people from some private schools who are currently trying to become a blue ribbon school. Basically they say it’s a lot of paperwork, so it may not be the great distinction that it sounds like, but I think it exists and is current.

  93. ithink-ithink says:
    February 9, 2008 at 10:37 am

    from wfmu.org

    This Week On Foxton Realtors®: Valentine’s Day
    http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/02/this-week-on-fo.html

  94. Indigo says:
    February 9, 2008 at 10:46 am

    Grim (16)

    I completed the SHU Law evening program in 2000 – in 4 years. IMHO – well worth it. Less then 100 people in the evening program. More expesive then Rutgers – newark. BTW great site.

    I

  95. t c m says:
    February 9, 2008 at 10:47 am

    RE: gangs

    maybe already addressed:

    i don’t think a comparison of rich kids selling drugs and gangs is a good one. i just feel it’s a whole different set of problems. generally, you can avoid the kid selling the drugs if you want, the problem with gangs is that their actions spill over to the general population. who needs kids with knives and guns in school? or kids so used to violence and neglect that they don’t care how they act in school, or who they intimidate, be it other kids, teachers, the principal.

    having said all that, my biggest fear is kids with cars and alcohol. it seems that so many kids have their own cars! (some of them really expensive). i see these kids speeding all the time! (actually, everyone in nj seems to be a very aggressive driver) – and kids drink.

    even though my kids don’t have their own car, i fear the day that they may get into a car with someone who has been drinking. i think this is the biggest danger for most kids in the more affluent towns.

  96. lostinny says:
    February 9, 2008 at 11:12 am

    tcm
    I suggest you re-think your statement. Do you think that affluent kids aren’t neglected or beaten or that they don’t have knives or guns? There are many areas where a bunch of affluent kids run together and call themselves gangs. They can be very dangerous because they need to prove themselves more on the street (well as close to the street as they think they’re getting) and they have the means buy more things that can get them in trouble.

  97. HEHEHE says:
    February 9, 2008 at 11:18 am

    Come on Clot, Pretard is at a smart and wealthy people conference.

  98. RentinginNJ says:
    February 9, 2008 at 12:13 pm

    Clot or BJ,

    What do typical closing costs run on a $400k house (not inclusing points)?

  99. RentinginNJ says:
    February 9, 2008 at 12:16 pm

    …and what’s negotiable, what’s not and are there any fees that are total BS that one should argue to have removed?

  100. lisoosh says:
    February 9, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    tcm – it is a different blue ribbon system. No Child Left Behind has some standard for pulling up disadvantaged kids, not that Millburn is overrun with them. 3b was referring to the vast number of Realtors claiming blue ribbon status for districts as a selling point, when those districts had them years ago and they weren’t a prize for greatness anyway, just a symbol for passing a point system that had to be applied for.

    Cindy – one friends husband works for Verizon (telephone company) and another for a local utility. They both mentioned problems with copper thieves. Even more, people have been getting electocuted. Oh well.

  101. schabadoo says:
    February 9, 2008 at 12:59 pm

    Oh, see that Trader Joes is in fact in New Jersey. Closest one would be Westfield. Think they’ll let me or will there be an income test?

    You must be confusing Trader Joes with a different store. I’ve been there, it’s a budget-minded place; $1.99 for a box of organic granola bars, cheap prices on produce, etc.

  102. bewm says:
    February 9, 2008 at 1:11 pm

    Renting, if you’re interested, take a look at Bank of America. They’re offering a deal for first-time buyers with no closing costs (we’re pre-approved and looking). Haven’t yet locked our rate, but it’s floating at 6.0%

  103. bewm says:
    February 9, 2008 at 1:13 pm

    101: may have been confusing it with Whole Foods. We shop there, mostly because it’s close, but it’s defiantly expensive.

  104. Sybarite says:
    February 9, 2008 at 1:32 pm

    #90

    Stu: Don’t consider myself a “regular” poster, but have been intermittenly posting since mid ’07. Will likely be attending tonight.

    Fun game could be guessing who is who without giving away the handle.

  105. Ann says:
    February 9, 2008 at 1:34 pm

    95/96

    I think kettle wrote a great analysis yesterday of the difference between gangs and rich kids using/selling drugs.

  106. Ann says:
    February 9, 2008 at 1:36 pm

    90 Stu

    I’m sure I missed your story, but what exactly did you fight on your assessment and on what grounds?

  107. Commanderbobnj says:
    February 9, 2008 at 2:12 pm

    So there is going to be Shindig #2 tonite…. ?
    I,LL BE THERE— together with my kinder and ‘gentler other ‘half

    Commander BOB

  108. BuyingH says:
    February 9, 2008 at 2:13 pm

    I am bummed I will miss this one. Was really looking forward to it but the wife planned a big to-do with her mom’s group at our house for the exact time. Hopefully you guys have a great time and schedule another one real soon :)

    BH

    PS. The house is great by the way. Been about a month and a half. They built the foundations on the remaining two lots on the street and framed, roofed, and started siding the third house which was just a foundation when we bought. Hopefully our neighborhood will fill up this year.

  109. Marie says:
    February 9, 2008 at 2:21 pm

    Grim, any way that the site comments can be more focused on real estate? The free-for-all quality is getting harder to read all the time, despite your own very good postings.

    It’s a shame, because there’s not another great NJ-focused RE blog like yours.

    Thanks.

  110. Pat aka "The Little Sh!t" says:
    February 9, 2008 at 3:09 pm

    Enjoy the GTG tonight, all.

  111. 3b says:
    February 9, 2008 at 3:21 pm

    #100 lisoosh: Correct on the Blue Ribbon response.

    Sorry I will miss you guys tonight, I was looking forward to it, but have prior committments.

    Will definitely be at the next one. Have a great time!!!

  112. spam spam bacon spam says:
    February 9, 2008 at 3:32 pm

    Have fun all!

    [hint: Clot is the one with the rocket launcher angled dangerously over his left shoulder while being steadied by his right hand which is also holding a bottle of Château Margaux with a straw in it…(a bendy straw, that is…)]

  113. rhymingrealtor says:
    February 9, 2008 at 3:32 pm

    ): I am not going to make the GTG tonight.I thought I was going too, but was reminded early in the week it is my nephew’s birthday, this evening is the family celebration. I really need to have a talk with my sister-in-law, saturday nights are not for family parties, that’s what sunday afternoons are for.

    KL

  114. lostinny says:
    February 9, 2008 at 3:44 pm

    I really don’t want to drive an hour if everyone is bailing.

  115. Kelly says:
    February 9, 2008 at 3:49 pm

    Have a great time everyone!

  116. NJ Gator says:
    February 9, 2008 at 4:17 pm

    106 Ann – Will you be at tonight’s festivities? If so we can give you more of the backstory then

    We are fighting our assessment based purely on comparable sales. It also helps that Montclair was forced to revaluate at pretty much the top of the market. Values have been declining over the past year and the town knows they are pretty much sitting ducks for a successful appeal from almost anyone who will file this year.

    We are actually still litigating our 2007 tax assessment. We may have to file again for 2008, as property values this year are less than last year, and the town attorney said he can’t sweeten our 2007 tax year assessment with the current markey value for 2008. We are hoping that we can get a stiplation for both years now rather than have to file another appeal that we are pretty much guaranteed to win.

  117. Clotpoll says:
    February 9, 2008 at 4:21 pm

    I’m there.

    Unarmed.

  118. Clotpoll says:
    February 9, 2008 at 4:22 pm

    Marie (109)-

    Haven’t you heard? Real estate is dead.

    We’re all speculating on alternative energy now.

  119. HEHEHE says:
    February 9, 2008 at 4:24 pm

    Have a good time, will make the gold coast one though.

  120. stu says:
    February 9, 2008 at 4:27 pm

    “Haven’t you heard? Real estate is dead.

    We’re all speculating on alternative energy now.”

    And strollers. Don’t forget the strollers!

  121. stu says:
    February 9, 2008 at 4:32 pm

    Barron’s:

    Jobless Claims Numbers Don’t Count All the Unemployed

    http://tinyurl.com/2xeelo

    “n any case, thousands of people began to earn a living by getting a slice of the housing boom. But even when they went to work for a mortgage or real-estate firm, they remained independent contractors, not employees. That meant that they weren’t on firms’ payrolls (and not counted in the establishment survey of the monthly employment report.)

    Their independent-contractor status also precludes their receiving unemployment benefits. The legions of freelancers extend beyond the salesmen and saleswomen who raked it in during the housing boom to those did the honest work in the construction trades, from electricians to carpenters, who worked for contractors (also entrepreneurs.)

    Many of this corps that swelled and prospered during the housing bubble are out of work. But they can’t file for unemployment insurance.”

  122. Frank says:
    February 9, 2008 at 4:33 pm

    another weekend, another line of people looking at my neighbor’s house. The market is catching fire!!!

  123. stu says:
    February 9, 2008 at 5:11 pm

    Don’t worry Frank. The tight credit restrictions will put the fire out quite rapidly.

    Ask the next ten people if they are even aware that consumer credit has tightened. Betcha 9 out of 10 are completely oblivious. Sh!t, 19 out of 20 couldn’t tell you who our vice-president is.

  124. ithink-ithink says:
    February 9, 2008 at 5:21 pm

    question for clot.

    we too smitten with the Tewks/Califon area, but are frightened to touch it since NJ is more of a DEP, than garden, state. Oil, well, & septic; oh my! Any thoughts on how that impacts the area?

  125. 3b says:
    February 9, 2008 at 5:29 pm

    #122 Frank:The market is catching fire!!!

    Yo Frank! What happened to the Conga line that formed at your neighbors house last week?

    I would have thought that with all those people scrambling to look at the house last week, there would have been an offer on the house by now.

    Don’t ya think? Silly boy it ain’t 2005 any more.

  126. schabadoo says:
    February 9, 2008 at 5:45 pm

    Yo Frank! What happened to the Conga line that formed at your neighbors house last week?

    They probably received too many bids, so they have to sort thru them all…

  127. njpatient says:
    February 9, 2008 at 6:57 pm

    Mrs. Patient and I are finally en route – see y’all in 20 minutes

  128. Mojo Jojo says:
    February 9, 2008 at 8:19 pm

    Marie,

    I’m in total agreement with you. There is definitely more chaff than wheat these days than previously. I usually just search for certain poster names and read only those. Just don’t have time to wade through the rest.

  129. t c m says:
    February 9, 2008 at 8:38 pm

    lisoosh Says:
    February 9th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    “tcm – it is a different blue ribbon system.”

    a ha! the old blue ribbon bait and switch!

  130. t c m says:
    February 9, 2008 at 8:52 pm

    #96 – lostinny

    let me put it another way. while i agree that kids in better school districts and more affluent areas can have knives and guns, its more likely that kids in gangs have them.

    i also believe that if a kids deals drugs in an affluent school, and your kid does not want to get involved in it, it’s more likely not to affect him. gangs on the other hand, have an intimidating influence on everyone.

    let’s face it, some schools are better for kids than others – hence the price difference. to deny that is to say that all the people all over the country are so dumb that they pay extra to be in a school district for nothing – that really it’s all the same, and the only people who know this well kept secret are the people on this blog.

    I have real life experience with both groups, and this is what I find.

    I do however, agree with you on the part about affluent kids having the means to get into trouble. That’s what I meant by the alcohol and cars part. I’m really quite surprised at how many kids have their own cars – and, I guess because they feel indestructible, they drive fast.

  131. njpatient says:
    February 9, 2008 at 10:07 pm

    Just left the GTG

    Had a great time

    Thanks, grim!!!

  132. njpatient says:
    February 9, 2008 at 10:13 pm

    And fwiw, no jerks showed up, as grim predicted. Everyone was very nice, even the people with whom I disagree about finance, politics, or the relative merits of the Bugaboo vs. the Inglesina.

  133. gary says:
    February 9, 2008 at 10:48 pm

    Hey, who was the @sshole at the get together with the Giants jersey on suckin’ down vodka and tonics like the f*cking apocalypse was upon us?

  134. Pat aka "The Little Sh!t" says:
    February 9, 2008 at 11:01 pm

    Was bi there?

    I hope he shredded the black box.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080209/bs_nm/sec_subprime_dc_1

    “The methodology and models that companies used to value the complex financial products are being examined as well.”

  135. Rich In NNJ says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:03 am

    Don’t forget the next GTG in late March / early April at or around Hoboken.

    Felidia’s… eh. At leat the staff was very attentive. And they had rye.

  136. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:33 am

    Gary
    “Hey, who was the @sshole at the get together with the Giants jersey on suckin’ down vodka and tonics like the f*cking apocalypse was upon us?”

    I’d like to know that too! I enjoyed hanging out with him.

  137. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:35 am

    “Was bi there?”

    Nah. We had to settle for Sybarite. Thank goodness.

  138. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:36 am

    All I have to say about tonight’s shindig is that ChiFi is a super freak and JMacdaddieyo can drink with the best of ’em. We closed house close to midnight. Nice to meet the faces behind the type. Gary is a punk and Clot is as nice in person as he is online. Did I mention that the wives were way cooler than the spouses? Many Kudos to JB for making it all happen.

  139. jmacdaddio says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:43 am

    Mad props to Stu for ending this GTG. Luckily he had a DD.

    Njpatient – you turned into a pumpkin a lot earlier than I thought you would. Did you have to get back to Brigadoon before it disappears for the next hundred years?

    Lostinny – do you have a sister?

  140. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:52 am

    “114. lostinny Says: February 9th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
    I really don’t want to drive an hour if everyone is bailing.”

    Hey – Mrs. Patient and I were sure glad to meet you

  141. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 1:00 am

    ‘Soosh, 3b, Pat, kl, BC
    Wish I met ya.
    Next time.

  142. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 1:04 am

    109 marie
    Sorry. My fault. Some can’t always talk RE directly, though – sometimes you have to read between the lines.

  143. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 1:12 am

    “Njpatient – you turned into a pumpkin a lot earlier than I thought you would. Did you have to get back to Brigadoon before it disappears for the next hundred years?”

    Naah. I’m just not home enough, and when I am I need some real time with Mrs. Patient. We had to hustle out to the Huntley before the kitchen closed.

  144. jmacdaddio says:
    February 10, 2008 at 1:14 am

    stu Says:

    All I have to say about tonight’s shindig is that ChiFi is a super freak and JMacdaddieyo can drink with the best of ‘em.

    Hmm… not sure if I should interpret this as a compliment or if I’ll find the cast of Intervention outside my apartment tomorrow.

    JB – great site. I wish my blog was 1% as cool as this one.

  145. serenity now says:
    February 10, 2008 at 7:46 am

    Great gig last night-
    Great to meet Grim , Gary, Lost, Clot, NJP,
    Looking, Stu, CF, Jmacdaddio and everyone
    else. Good to put a face to the name.
    Grim you rock!

  146. Johnny B says:
    February 10, 2008 at 7:51 am

    Sorry I missed the get together.

    Had baysitting duty for grandson, which is fine in my book! LOL

    Next time !

    Johnny B

  147. JC says:
    February 10, 2008 at 8:19 am

    njgator #116: By what percentage do you figure your place has dropped since reval? Mine is down about 8% but I’m hearing that that down in Hackensack, the prestigious Bergen County folks won’t even listen to an appeal till it drops 15%. That means my POS cape, which is probably worth about $429K now (vs. assessment done at peak prices from 10/05) has to drop another $20K before they’ll even consider it.

  148. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 8:25 am

    Oh well I’m not feeling too well right now. I have lost my tolerance for drinking. That stinks. Anyway, Mr and Mrs Patient, it was great to meet you as well. It was great to meet all of you. I had such a good time. Great conversation with Sybarite. I have a face to go with Chi Fi’s name now. I’m sorry I read it wrong. :)
    JMac, I don’t have a sister. Why? Do you know someone that looks like me?
    I do have to say though, I was disappointed that no one seemed to get the camo pants thing. Ah well.

  149. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 8:46 am

    Savvy home buyers may have the upper hand
    from the Staten Island Advance

    http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/02/savvy_home_buyers_may_have_the.html

  150. chicagofinance says:
    February 10, 2008 at 8:59 am

    lostinny Says:
    February 10th, 2008 at 8:25 am
    I have a face to go with Chi Fi’s name now.

    lost: I hope it didn’t give you nightmares :(

  151. chicagofinance says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:00 am

    Yours Truly,

    Sheefee

  152. serenity now says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:00 am

    Grim – enjoy “Mecca”
    From serenity’s wife.

  153. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:01 am

    No nightmares. Night terrors!

  154. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:05 am

    SA:

    A Housing Bubble Within a Bubble

    http://seekingalpha.com/article/63871-a-housing-bubble-within-a-bubble

    “The article describes that underlying the current housing boom (bubble) there has been a larger generational, boomer-driven demand function for housing also at work (i.e. a long-term bubble).”

  155. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:06 am

    Oh and speaking of terror, or humor, and you like Morgan Spurlock:

    http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809826866/video/6303854

  156. Clotpoll says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:14 am

    think (124)-

    Nothing other than the usual stuff in Tewksbury: the occasional failed septic (esp around Hell Mountain) or well. No DEP issues that I’m aware of.

  157. Clotpoll says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:16 am

    lost (155)-

    Supersize me. BTW, nice pants. Appropriate for any occasion.

    Great to meet everyone last night. Good times. A regular league of extraordinary dorks. :)

  158. jmacdaddio says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:21 am

    lostinny-

    Since you’re married, I was hoping you had a sister who is single. I need that second income so I can afford a POS house in Brigadoon.

    I found an interesting post on Housing Doom about the UK crash. The videos take about 30 minutes to watch. I felt bad for the girl who bought into a development on the premise that it was for upscale Londoners only to watch it turn into a crime-ridden cesspool when the builder started to desperately unload units for pennies on the dollar.

    http://housingdoom.com/2008/02/07/uks-housing-bust/

  159. lisoosh says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:32 am

    “njpatient Says:
    February 10th, 2008 at 1:00 am
    ‘Soosh, 3b, Pat, kl, BC
    Wish I met ya.
    Next time.”

    Same here. Late working husband and two small kids means I don’t get much of anywhere very often at night.

    On the other hand it maintains the mystique!

  160. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:34 am

    JMac- sorry no sis but thanks for the compliment. But if we were to afford any POS in Brigadoon, I’d have to quit my job and go into private practice. How do you feel about loonies coming in and out of the house? :)

  161. jmacdaddio says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:59 am

    Lost-

    Loonies coming in and out of the house? Nothing new to me. If you met my family you’d understand.

  162. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 10:25 am

    “A regular league of extraordinary dorks. :)”
    Aw, c’mon, we’ve also got nerds and geeks – we’ve got range!

  163. Clotpoll says:
    February 10, 2008 at 11:00 am

    I want my portfolio redemptions in loonies.

  164. 3b says:
    February 10, 2008 at 11:07 am

    #141 njpatient: Wild horses will not keep me away from the next one. Sounds like everyone had a great time.

  165. Everything's 'boken says:
    February 10, 2008 at 11:37 am

    Great meeting all that attended th GTG.

    I have a question. I am sseing odd pricing on some properties in some searches.
    What does an asking price like 465,942 tell you?

  166. Pat says:
    February 10, 2008 at 11:42 am

    http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_8221629?source=most_emailed

    Folks out in the country in PA are questioning the types of housing permitted.

    Will the backlash from the bubble end up creating a kinder, gentler attitude toward housing, or is this a fleeting practicality that will go poof?
    Is anything like this going on in any towns in NNJ?

  167. Clotpoll says:
    February 10, 2008 at 11:52 am

    broken (165)-

    Some agents use their lucky numbers, or ask the client if they have any.

    About as useful as burying one of those statues in the yard.

  168. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 11:54 am

    “What does an asking price like 465,942 tell you?”

    That the alcohol has not worn off since last night!

  169. Clotpoll says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:00 pm

    The host of the party I went to after the GTG had Knob Creek. Silent, but deadly.

  170. NJ Gator says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:01 pm

    147 JC: That 15% does not apply if your assessment is actually over fair market value. State law does not allow you to be assessed at over 100%.

    The 15% comes into play in the years after a reval. The state releases a director’s ratio for each town comparing assessments to sale prices. The average ratio becomes the common level for the municipality and then 15% above and below the common level are the upper and lower range for all tax appeals that year. So if your town has a director’s ratio of 80% for the current tax year, then the lower level would be 68% and the upper level would be 92%. In order for you to successfully appeal your assessment downward, your assessment would need to be greater than 92% of true market value.

    In a reval year, the 15% does not apply, as everyone’s assessment should be 100% true market value.

    Additionally, if 15% above them commen level is above 100%, the cap is 100%, as state law does not allow your assessment to be higher than true market value.

    Montclair had a revaluation last year where all assessments were brought up to true market value as of October 1, 2006. The director’s ratio for Montclair for is 102% for tax year 2008. That means that in calendar year 2007, the average assessment for homes that sold in 2007 in the municipality was 102% of the sales price.

    As home prices in Montclair have been steadily declining since the revaluation, many Montclair homeowners have a winnable tax appeal for the current year. Of course you have to take the initiative to file and do all the legwork in finding comps or attaining an appraisal. Many homeowners do not realize they can do this and will just keep paying taxes based on their overvalued assessment. My husband and I intend to file a tax appeal with the County Board every single year until we believe the value of our property is no longer declining. If my neighbors don’t bother to file appeal an appeal of their own, we will see some significant tax savings in the comming years. Montclair’s tax rates are pretty steep, so by reducing the assessment on out property by around 10%, we stand to realize almost a $1500 reduction in our property tax bill. That’s pretty powerful, especially considering that all our future increases will be smaller based on our lower assessment.

    If you’re willing to do the research and work, which is not at all that difficult with tax assessments online and willing realtors sending you comparable listings and sales from the MLS, you can reap quite nice rewards.

    If you have any more questions, feel free to get my email address from JB.

  171. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:12 pm

    The Market Oracle:

    The Great Depression 2008 – It can’t happen to us….can it?”

    http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3656

    “How can we ever hope to focus the population on the urgency of our current predicament when our leaders are willing to make it worse by handing our freebies, bailing out those who willingly make poor investment choices and telling us everything can be ‘free’ if we’ll only pull their lever on election day?”

  172. gary says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:14 pm

    It was a pleasure talking with everyone last night, I really enjoyed it. My head still hurts though… can’t handle it like a I used to. ;o

  173. rhymingrealtor says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:16 pm

    I’m so jealous…..It took so long to explain to my husband, a man who has never laid a hand on a computer, where I would be going, and also assuring him I would have a ride, and then to have it fall apart early in the week because of my nephew’s birthday.
    I really hope to be able to make the next one especially if it ends up in Hudson, which is closer to my neck of the woods.

    KL

  174. Hobokenite says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:22 pm

    Foreclosures up in the Hamptons:

    http://www.easthamptonstar.com/dnn/Home/News/foreclosures/tabid/4758/Default.aspx

    Courtesy of NYC housing bubble blog.

    “Although it may not be apparent amid the giddy headlines of record-breaking rentals and multimillion-dollar sales, a parallel foreclosure crisis on the South Fork might be more imminent than previously thought. With banks waiting longer to take action on their delinquencies, some longstanding problems may just be emerging.”

  175. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:23 pm

    Gary,

    I used one of my old hangover helpers and it worked pretty well.

    On the way home I drink a large cup of coffee. Just prior to falling sleep, I drink a large cup of water and take 2 Advil.

    Somehow I woke up without a hangover, and that was after drinking 7 Smithwicks and a Guiness.

    Even more surprising is that I somehow didn’t have to get up in the middle of the night to relieve myself.

    I usually don’t believe these home remedies, but this particular one seems to work for me.

  176. lisoosh says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:24 pm

    So….is Gary as Garyish in real life or is it all magnified by the computer?

    I would have loved to have seen the live version of those apoplectic rants.

  177. gary says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:27 pm

    stu,

    I think the last two drinks I had were basically vodka on the rocks. lol!

    A lot of coffee this morning basically did nothing. I can’t wait for the sun to go down so I can open my eyes a little more.

  178. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:35 pm

    Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis

    Borrowed Reserves And Tin-Foil Hats

    http://tinyurl.com/259eol

    and

    Reuters:

    Dozens of U.S. banks will fail by 2010: analyst

    http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSN0143367820080201

  179. afe says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:37 pm

    lost,

    are you a therapist?

  180. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:38 pm

    Grim… 178 is in moderation and I am clueless as to why.

  181. Sybarite says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:40 pm

    #176

    Yes.

  182. gary says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:42 pm

    lisoosh,

    Nah, I really toned it down… after they put out the fire, removed the busted bar stools and put the men’s room door back on, they only had to ask me twice to leave.

  183. Sybarite says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:46 pm

    Grim,

    Had a great time at the Counter Party; looking forward to the next one.

    It was great to finally meet the humans behind the text. Imagine my surprise to find that Kettle1 actually works at my company!

    To Grim, Ket, Chi-Fi, Mr. and Mrs. Serenity, lost, jmac, Mr. and Mrs. Gary, the Patients, Disco Stu, Clot, ‘boken: it was a pleasure meeting you. If I missed anyone, sorry it was the pints’fault.

    To those who missed it: you have plenty of advance notice for the next one!

  184. lisoosh says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    Grim – this demographia group did an international study on housing affordability that you might find interesting:

    http://www.demographia.com/

    I don’t agree with their conclusion which is that affordability is a function of government control of land, they seem to have completely ignored the credit markets so there is definitely an agenda there. However, the data is interesting.

  185. Sybarite says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    #181

    Speaking of the men’s room; how weird is it to have a toilet and urinal side by side 2 feet from each other, with no partition? Bizarre.

  186. gary says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:54 pm

    Sybarite [184],

    That was a urinal? Geez, I must’ve been buzzed, I thought it was a sink. :o

  187. grim says:
    February 10, 2008 at 12:58 pm

    Amazing number of open houses today, welcome to the Spring Market!

    Never seen so many FSBO open house signs.

    I’ve got to hit the road, we’ve got 19 stops to make.

  188. afe says:
    February 10, 2008 at 1:10 pm

    is it just me or are more REAs holding open houses this spring than in the last few years?

  189. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 1:17 pm

    Afe,
    Yes I am.

  190. Jill says:
    February 10, 2008 at 1:21 pm

    NJ Gator #170: I am JC, just changed initials to same name as work PC for consistency. Not sure I understood all the numbers. In 2006 we had reval based on September/October 2005 market values. Market value assessment for that time is about on the money. Of course it’s dropped since then. Comps are hard to come by, because there have been a lot of bash-and-build flips since fall of ’05. And so far what comps there are don’t help me much. When a smaller cape with NO updates closer to the main drag (we’re on a dead end) goes for $416K in November, I’d say $429 is about the value of mine since I’m on a dead-end block. But an updated ranch in my neighborhood went for $510K in December, so I’m not sure I have a lot to work with yet.

  191. Clotpoll says:
    February 10, 2008 at 1:21 pm

    grim (187)-

    Those FSBOs should have some interesting prices- and rationales for them- awaiting you.

    The FSBOs I’m coming across right now are either underwater, clueless or both.

  192. Clotpoll says:
    February 10, 2008 at 1:21 pm

    grim (187)-

    Those FSBOs should have some interesting prices- and rationales for them- awaiting you.

    The FSBOs I’m coming across right now are either underwater, clueless, or both.

  193. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 1:23 pm

    They are all clueless here. If you ever get a chance check out listings in SI on craigslist. It’s pure comedy.

  194. afe says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    so am i…well more in research right now but trained in clinical. too bad, i missed last nite, always good to meet others in the field. hopefully next time.

  195. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:21 pm

    Afe,
    That’s great. Please do go to the next gtg. I’m sure I’ll be there. What is your field of research?

  196. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:29 pm

    “lisoosh Says:
    February 10th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
    So….is Gary as Garyish in real life or is it all magnified by the computer?”

    I think Sybaraites humorous answer is the right one. I’d just add that, having met gary, I now find his posts twice as funny – maybe because I can see that big smile on his face

  197. 3b says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:29 pm

    Hey did reinvestor show up last night, was he asking for me?

  198. NJ Gator says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:31 pm

    190 Jill – The first thing you need to do is find your director’s ratio for tax year 2008. Your assessment for tax year 2008 should be based on you true market value as of Oct 1, 2007.

    If your town’s current assessments were based on Oct 1, 2005 values, there’s a pretty good chance that the director’s ratio for tax year 2008 will be at or above 100%, which means you just need to prove that your assessment is over market value…even 5% over market value should still get you a reduction. Here’s a link to the 2008 tax year Chapter 123 ratio for each municipality in NJ. http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/lpt/chap123/chapter123statewide.pdf

    If you find you are overassessed, you are going to want to file an appeal with your county tax board. The deadline for filing such an appeal is April 1. If you don’t think that you have solid comps that are indeed comparable to your own home, you might want to consider obtaining an independent appraisal of your home. However, if you are going to rely on the appraisial as proof for your county tax board hearing, you will need to have the appraiser testify as a witness at the hearing, which might be costly.

    My husband and I are relying on comparable sales. We are fortunate enough to have 5 property sales, which are multi-families like our own home very close to our location. We picked homes that had equal or greater property size and square footage to our own property. Each of these homes was assessed during the reval for more money than our home, yet sold for many thousands of dollars less than our assessment.

    I feel that we are on very solid ground, especially considering that prices are declining across the board. Our hearing in state tax court is scheduled for the end of this momth, and the town proactively reached out to us to settle.

    In our appeal, we did not even hire an attorney. We are representing pro se. Our filing fee to file with the state tax court was a whopping $35!

  199. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:39 pm

    I was listening to the Disneyworld themepark album with the wee Patients this morning (gotta numb them to their bread and circuses early), and the Haunted Mansion theme came on.
    Never really thought before about the line:

    “Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize”

    But this time it made me think of last night and I almost peed myself.

  200. afe says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:39 pm

    lost,

    Looking at health disparities in mental and physical health outcomes in immigrant communities. afe

  201. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:45 pm

    Mr. Patient,
    I didn’t even know there was a haunted mansion theme. But that was so very fitting!

  202. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:47 pm

    Afe,
    We must talk at the next gtg.

  203. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:50 pm

    “3b Says:
    February 10th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
    Hey did reinvestor show up last night, was he asking for me?”

    I don’t think so, though there was a guy all alone in the corner slugging down Vendange White Zinfandel and mumbling over and over about how flipping has ruined his life. Coulda been him, I guess.

  204. afe says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:53 pm

    will plan on it

  205. Sybarite says:
    February 10, 2008 at 2:53 pm

    #203

    LOL @ Vendange white zin reference.

  206. PGC says:
    February 10, 2008 at 3:40 pm

    Sorry to have missed out. Our 3yr olds birthday party turned into an impromptu BBQ. Sounds like everyone had fun.

  207. Ann says:
    February 10, 2008 at 3:45 pm

    167
    Hey, no knocking the St. Joe statue. Mine is proudly displayed on our mantle.

    When I went to buy it at the Irish store, I sheepishly went in asking for the “Statue section” and the guy said, which one you looking for, St. Joseph? See the barrel over there?

    It’s apparently their biggest seller. But I do believe it works.

  208. afe says:
    February 10, 2008 at 3:53 pm

    What does an asking price like 465,942 tell you?

    Sounds like they are playing some game on “The Price is Right”…

  209. afe says:
    February 10, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    you know as in “Bob, is the next number a 2?”

  210. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    “Hey, no knocking the St. Joe statue”

    When I purchased my current home back in 2004, there was a little shrine to some Catholic saint in the rear of my backyard. The brick and mortar structure was in terrible shape (and it didn’t help that my wife and I are Jewish) so I decided to take the sledgehammer to saint whomever. For some reason, I felt kind of guilty about it, but the swing set had to go somewhere. Call it an epiphany if you want, but before the structure was finished, I definitely did some kind of ligament damage to my wrist that took over a year to heal.

    I live in a predominantly Italian neighborhood. Essentially, everyone over the age of 70 and still alive is of Italian descent. They all have these shrines, some more elaborate than others, in various places on their properties. And I’m not talking about those simple Mary-in-front-of-the-cement-surfboard type structures.

  211. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 4:41 pm

    Help for homeowners behind on their mortgages

    from the Staten Island Advance

    More than 2,000 Staten Islanders are behind on their mortgage payments by at least a month, with some as much as 60 days delinquent and headed down the path toward foreclosure.
    But there is hope. Those homeowners can expect to receive letters from their lenders inviting them to a workshop Feb. 24 at the College of Staten Island, where they will meet directly with banks to discuss ways to save their homes.

    http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/02/help_for_homeowners_behind_on.html

  212. Ann says:
    February 10, 2008 at 4:42 pm

    210

    Ha! That saint got you back!

    I’ve never seen full out shrines like that though, interesting.

  213. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 4:43 pm

    Lostinny,

    What are the banks charging for this workshop?

    I know that Chase now charges me $3 when I use another banks ATM.

  214. Pat says:
    February 10, 2008 at 4:46 pm

    Stu, your wife’s names not Sherry is it? I’ve heard this story before.

    You realize now that you were supposed to call one of us to come and spirit away the remains to some secret sanctified statuary, right?

    When I was in the fourth grade at Public School X, we had to make a project – creating an American Indian Village. We didn’t have much at home to use.

    My teacher, Miss A. was a former nun and I was an unlucky kid that year. It wasn’t the chicken pox or fights. I just never knew what made her lift up my project and look at the bottom, but I should have known better. Holy Spirit?

    It was last year’s church calendar.

    I had to kneel down, and take the ruler on both palms in front of the class. Seven days detention, and I failed the project.

    Scott K., the only jewish kid, told me after that he was going to try to watch out for me after that.

  215. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 4:48 pm

    Nice Pat, and my wife’s name is not Sherry, it is Lisa.

    This story is totally true and I never heard it before. I suppose maybe I should now convert?

  216. lostinny says:
    February 10, 2008 at 4:54 pm

    I don’t know Stu. I just know that I have to go out of my way to make sure I get to Commerce so I don’t get charged $1.75-3.00 every time I need the ATM.

  217. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 5:07 pm

    About the ATM fees. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that banks don’t even charge each other for ATM usage.

  218. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 5:43 pm

    “I’ve never seen full out shrines like that though, interesting.”

    Ann/stu
    They’re also pretty common in certain parts of Boston

  219. Clotpoll says:
    February 10, 2008 at 5:45 pm

    ann (207)-

    The St. Joseph statue is only surpassed by the bathtub Madonna.

  220. Clotpoll says:
    February 10, 2008 at 5:52 pm

    Next GTG should be outdoors. I’m thinking vacant lot, plenty to drink, and potato cannons:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JTEAiMUTsY&feature=related

  221. gary says:
    February 10, 2008 at 5:54 pm

    Can anyone give me the history on MLS# 2464779? Thank you.

  222. jmacdaddio says:
    February 10, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    # Everything’s ‘boken Says:
    I am seeing odd pricing on some properties in some searches.
    What does an asking price like 465,942 tell you?

    I was told that oddball asking prices were designed to make a listing stick out in the crowded marketplace. Some friends did this for their ranch in Franklin Twp. and they moved it relatively quickly after dropping the price every few weeks. They were moving out of state with a relo package so they didn’t need to get top dollar.

  223. Sybarite says:
    February 10, 2008 at 6:11 pm

    221

    35 pinetree dr
    Wayne, NJ

    MLS 2464779
    List Date: 11/28/07
    OLP: $669,900
    LP: $649,900
    DOM: 74

    Couldn’t find any other listings, or last sold price.

  224. Frank says:
    February 10, 2008 at 6:31 pm

    RE inventory in NJ up by 2000 last week, nice start.

  225. Sybarite says:
    February 10, 2008 at 6:31 pm

    Grim,

    Any observations from today’s open house run?

  226. gary says:
    February 10, 2008 at 6:50 pm

    Sybarite,

    Thank you!!

  227. tom says:
    February 10, 2008 at 6:56 pm

    Toll’s own daughter trying to get out of condo contract !!!

    http://norris.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/toll-daughter-wont-pay/

  228. BC Bob says:
    February 10, 2008 at 6:59 pm

    Did Eli show up last night with the MVP trophy?

  229. Frank says:
    February 10, 2008 at 7:04 pm

    Merill is doing major layoffs this week in Southern NJ, this should help the RE market in Southern and Central NJ.

  230. Clotpoll says:
    February 10, 2008 at 7:27 pm

    BC (228)-

    Yeah. But funny thing: up close, he looks a lot like Gary.

    He also kept muttering something about a “dank, cabbage-smelling POS cape”…

  231. chicagofinance says:
    February 10, 2008 at 7:34 pm

    According to unnamed sources, the best location of any Commerce Bank is here….

    350 State Highway 22 West
    Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889

  232. jmacdaddio says:
    February 10, 2008 at 7:40 pm

    Will TD Bank’s takeover of Commerce turn Commerce into a less “friendly” institution? I’ve been trying to find out when the changes are supposed to happen – anyone here have any info? I haven’t found much. Not that it matters to me, since my DP money and checking is sitting with ING and I use Commerce only as a place to deposit paper checks.

  233. Jaywalk says:
    February 10, 2008 at 7:42 pm

    Stu 210

    “Mary-in-front-of-the-cement-surfboard type structures.”

    My favorite term for those is “Mary on the halfshell”.

  234. Cindy says:
    February 10, 2008 at 7:46 pm

    (178) Stu’s posting on banks was informative and scary…complete with an implode-o-meter.

    Does anyone know..I’m hearing different stories..Is the rebate actually a rebate or… is it a “cash advance” on our 2008 taxes?

  235. njpatient says:
    February 10, 2008 at 7:47 pm

    Clot

    “The St. Joseph statue is only surpassed by the bathtub Madonna.”

    I wasn’t going to say it.

    “Next GTG should be outdoors. I’m thinking vacant lot, plenty to drink, and potato cannons”

    My bro and I had a slingshot that could chuck a water balloon over 400 feet. We went to the same college. Good times were had by all.

    He (same guy who built his own house) also built a butane-powered soup-can cannon that fired tennis balls several hundred feet, and liked to duct tape shut soda bottles filled with sparkler shavings, light them thru a hole in the top and stand back for the 30-foot high jet of flame.

  236. Seanhttps://njrereport.com/index.php/2008/01/25/weekend-open-discussion-part-ii-7/#comment-152426 says:
    February 10, 2008 at 7:57 pm

    re: 227 Tom

    That is unreal!

    Why the hell didn’t Bob Toll just buy the place for his daughter?

    You would think he would want to contain the bad press, it is not like he could not afford it with the $400 Million plus stock options he cashed out over the last few years.

  237. Eli Manning says:
    February 10, 2008 at 8:04 pm

    Hey all, had a great time at the counter party and Gary, thanks for the tip on adjusting my throwing motion, it came in handy with that completion to Tyree.

  238. RentinginNJ says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:34 pm

    “Next GTG should be outdoors. I’m thinking vacant lot, plenty to drink, and potato cannons”

    Haven’t had the potato gun out in a long time. Clifton isn’t as conducive to launching potatos.

    Wish I could have made the GTG…boring family function instead.

  239. mikeinwaiting says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:45 pm

    Renting try 10 11 year old girls for a sleep over (daughters Bday).Boring would have suited me just fine.Sounds like all had a good time,sorry I missed it.

  240. Wag says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:47 pm

    Clot,

    Re the next gathering…a while back, you made reference to a alcholic concoction made in a garbage can.
    That,mixed with outdor location, served up with a potato cannon… we can use the stimulus checks for bail money.
    Just a thought…

  241. Hobokenite says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:53 pm

    The stench of ’89

    http://nymag.com/news/features/43574/

    “The last great New York recession was prolonged and deep. And it’s eerily familiar.”

    Not sure if it’s a repeat or not, so apologies in advance if it is.

  242. stu says:
    February 10, 2008 at 9:58 pm

    “we can use the stimulus checks for bail money.”

    Did my taxes today. I will not be receiving any stimulus. Well, at least not from the Fed.

  243. Confused In NJ says:
    February 10, 2008 at 10:17 pm

    Fact Sheet: New Growth Package Meets Criteria to Keep Our Economy Healthy

    White House News

    President Bush Discusses the Bipartisan Economic Growth Agreement

    Today, President Bush announced his Administration reached a bipartisan agreement with House leadership on an economic growth package, and he encouraged Congress to deliver a bill to his desk as soon as possible to bolster the economy this year. The President’s advisors and many outside experts expect that our economy will continue to grow over the coming year, but at a slower rate than we have enjoyed for the past few years – and there is the risk of a downturn. The agreement reached today meets the criteria the President set forward last week to provide an effective, robust, and temporary set of incentives to protect the health of our economy and encourage job creation. If enacted in a timely manner, it is expected to help create more than half a million jobs by the end of 2008.

    The Growth Package Includes Measures To Bolster Both Business Investment And Consumer Spending, Which Are Critical To Economic Growth

    1. The agreement reached today would allow Americans to keep more of their money to stimulate consumer spending. The growth plan provides approximately $100 billion in temporary relief that will allow Americans to keep or spend more of their incomes. Under the agreement:

    In 2008, taxes would be cut from 10 percent to zero percent on the first $6,000 dollars of taxable income for individual taxpayers and the first $12,000 of taxable income for couples. Taxpayers could receive rebates of up to $600 for individuals and $1,200 for couples. A minimum of $300 per person and $600 per couple would be available to those with at least $3,000 of earned income. This relief would be available to everyone with adjusted gross income less than $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly. It will be phased out for taxpayers above those income thresholds.
    Everyone eligible for this relief would also receive an additional $300 per child. For example, this would mean up to $1,800 of tax relief for an eligible couple with two children.
    2. The agreement would also offer incentives to spur business investment. The agreement would save businesses approximately $50 billion in near-term taxes through a temporary change to the tax code that will allow American businesses that buy new equipment this year to deduct an additional 50 percent of the cost of their investment in 2008. This will encourage businesses to expand and create new jobs now because buying equipment, software, and tangible property this year will dramatically lower their taxes. The agreement also increases expensing for small businesses.

    The Agreement Reached Today Adheres To Principles President Bush Set Forward Last Week To Guide Deliberations

    The growth package:

    Is big enough to make a difference in an economy as large and dynamic as ours. The package is approximately $150 billion, an amount sufficient to provide a boost to the economy.
    Is built on broad-based tax relief that will directly affect economic growth, not Federal spending that would have little immediate impact on our economy. The package is not a collection of spending programs – it does not include any government outlays beyond the minimum rebate check and refundable child tax credit.
    Is temporary and will take effect right away so we can get help to our economy when it is needed most. The personal tax relief will begin to stimulate consumer spending and additional economic growth within about 60 days of enactment, when the first rebate checks are expected to go out.
    Does not raise taxes or include wasteful spending provisions.
    The Growth Package Announced Today Would Use Proven Methods To Keep Our Economy Healthy

    The experience of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts shows that providing tax relief to families stimulates the broader economy by boosting household spending. For example, rebate checks increased total consumption by about 0.8 percent in the quarter that the 2001 rebates were received and about 0.6 percent in the subsequent quarter. As the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office noted, “Most analysts agree that the 2001 rebate stimulated the economy.”

    The approximately $100 billion of individual tax relief included in the growth package represents a substantially larger amount than the tax rebates of 2001. In 2001, $38 billion was distributed in rebate checks, amounting to 0.4 percent of GDP. $100 billion amounts to 0.7 percent of current GDP.

  244. Jill says:
    February 10, 2008 at 10:54 pm

    NJ Gator #198: The average ratio for my town is 95.77 with a low of 81.4 and an upper limit of 110.14. So does this mean I’m not quite there yet?

  245. RentinginNJ says:
    February 10, 2008 at 11:13 pm

    Amazing number of open houses today, welcome to the Spring Market!

    Went to one with my wife & another couple. The realtor gave us the “this is the best time to buy in years” line, the “my office had the busiest January in years” line & a new one; “people relocating to NJ to take jobs are buying lots of houses” as she tried to justify the asking price.

    Needless to say, my friend and I tore apart her arguments.

    My wife doesn’t want to go to open houses with me anymore.

  246. Sybarite says:
    February 10, 2008 at 11:20 pm

    #245

    Did you make the realtor cry?

  247. RentinginNJ says:
    February 10, 2008 at 11:32 pm

    Nah. But she was silenced. I kept it civil, but I let her know I wasn’t some dumb buyer that was just going to swallow her BS and ask for seconds.

  248. Rich In NNJ says:
    February 11, 2008 at 12:25 am

    Ridgefield Park
    SLD 22 ELM ST $435,000 1/11/2006

    ACT 22 ELM ST $449,500 9/16/2007
    PCH 22 ELM ST $432,000 10/25/2007
    EXP 22 ELM ST $432,000 12/17/2007

    ACT 22 ELM ST $429,900 12/20/2007
    PCH 22 ELM ST $399,900 2/10/2008

  249. shuky says:
    February 11, 2008 at 12:35 am

    MLS ID# 2487998
    please, could you help me with the address?
    thansks a alot

  250. NJGator says:
    February 11, 2008 at 8:45 am

    Jill #244 – What that means is if you are really assessed above fair market value, you should file. If you’re successful, you would knock your assessment down to 95.77% of fair market value.

  251. 8yzvnum3y1 says:
    February 25, 2008 at 12:55 am

    8qgafalqo2 [URL=http://www.647773.com/685604.html] 43ph1x2fr97a [/URL] wy19yrsyvb

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