(Source GSMLS, except Bergen which is based off NJMLS)
November Pending Home Sales (Contracts)
——————————-
Bergen County
November 2011 – 524
November 2012 – 535 (Up 2.1% YOY)
Essex County
November 2011 – 230
November 2012 – 265 (Up 15.2% YOY)
Hunterdon County
November 2011 – 78
November 2012 – 86 (Up 10.3% YOY)
Morris County
November 2011 – 280
November 2012 – 314 (Up 12.1% YOY)
Passaic County
November 2011 – 163
November 2012 – 199 (Up 22.1% YOY)
Somerset County
November 2011 – 173
November 2012 – 173 (Flat YOY)
Sussex County
November 2011 – 87
November 2012 – 104 (Up 19.5% YOY)
Union County
November 2011 – 240
November 2012 – 248 (Up 3.3% YOY)
Warren County
November 2011 – 64
November 2012 – 68 (Up 6.3% YOY)
Despite Sandy, North Jersey manages a respectable year over year increase in pending home sales in November!
Just for reference, in the prior months we were routinely seeing 20-30% YOY increases by county, so we are seeing a significant impact from the storm.
Dedicated to JJ MIA:
http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2012/12/04/sports/web_photos/poll–300×300.jpg
Anon E. Moose says:
December 4, 2012 at 8:21 am
250k [122]; Its just like Father Guido said: “Supply and Demand”! Yes. We supply what they demand.
Moose: Have you heard of the term “innuendo”? ………it is an Italian suppository….
From last nights posting:
The Thing with River Edge is anything south of it is not desireable. To the east those 3 towns NM, BF, and DM (if I spell them out it gets moderated) , are all in decline, to the west is Paramus, which is not bad, but I have never heard it called desireable. And to the North is Oradell which commands a premium over River Edge (justified or not). What may make Oradell more desireable is the fact there are very few apartment rentals in town as opposed to River Edge. Thats why I am not sure about staying. That of course means longer commute or more money.
So this is what I ponder, do I bite the bullet and go somewhere else, or stay with the devil I know.
A couple of counties even managed to retain their strong year over year performance with regards to closings. Anything not on the list went negative YOY for closings.
I’d expect a rebound in December as rescheduled closings finally get to the closing table.
Bergen
Nov 2011 – 405
Nov 2012 – 541 (Up 33.6% YOY)
Essex
Nov 2011 – 227
Nov 2012 – 258 (Up 13.7% YOY)
Morris
Nov 2011 – 291
Nov 2012 – 312 (Up 9.6% YOY)
Passaic
Nov 2011 – 167
Nov 2012 – 172 (UP 3% YOY)
Somerset
Nov 2011 – 209
Nov 2012 – 235 (Up 12.4%)
1 –
With a pre installed generator transfer switch as the new selling point for homes in north jersey.
Closed in The Fly:
It says 183 DOM but I know that it was listed prior with an OLP around $850K the year before.
Last LP: $749,000 ML#: 1210518
Addr: 167 SERPENTINE RD RES/S
Twn: TENAFLY Zip: 07670
Orig LP: $799,999
Sold: $730,000
SD: 11/30/2012 UCD: 9/20/2012 DOM: 183
Brian – yep bear and deer season opened yesterday. Saw a bear but have no desire to shoot yogi, they taste awful. Back in my normal spot at my desk, and in DC starting tomorrow. F*cking FDA
From the Star Ledger:
Gov. Christie asks federal government to pay for 100 percent of Sandy recovery
After meeting with White House officials and Congressional leaders in D.C. today, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Gov. Chris Christie will make a similar trip Thursday to push for federal funding of Hurricane Sandy disaster relief.
…
“New York and New Jersey residents share far more than a border. The two states represent a combined regional and national economic powerhouse with intersecting and overlapping interests in terms of our local economies, U.S. and world financial markets, transit and highway infrastructure and tourism. These economic and geographic factors motivate us and our Congressional delegations to make a mutual, non-partisan commitment to bringing the appropriate federal aid back to our states as expeditiously as possible.”
Of the states affected by Sandy, Cuomo, a Democrat, was the first governor to release a damage estimate. He has said his state needs $33 billion to pay for cleanup and $9 billion more to prevent future storm damage.
Christie, a Republican, estimated Sandy caused $36.9 billion in damages and, in today’s letter to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, said the “financial impact will approach nearly $40 billion”.
Christie said full reimbursement is needed to ease the financial burden on the state and towns for at least 90 days. FEMA extended coverage for up to 319 days for Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama after Hurricane Katrina, the letter says.
“New Jersey’s communities were so devastated by this event that there are now very real concerns about the ability to afford even the cost-share associated with emergency protective measures and debris removal efforts, thereby threatening our ability to continue these activities at the pace necessary to restore the Jersey Shore, alleviate economic distress, and address public health and safety concerns,” Christie writes.
Christie – The solution is easy, just don’t send the dollars to the Fed. What are they going to do? Invade us? We’ve been paying out more in taxes than we’ve ever received back. You’ll see, you’ll never get 100% from our fair weather friends.
Good Morning New Jersey
Dogfish Head Brewery @dogfishbeer
NJ – come on out! RT @HunterdonBrew Dogfish AncientAles beer dinner this Wed. 12/5 @UnoHamiltonNJ hunterdonbrewing.com/?p=6728
The results from Satuday’s auction of classic cars owned by one individual. http://www.rmauctions.com/AuctionResults.cfm?SaleCode=ST12&SortBy=HB&View=Normal&Category=Cars&Currency=USD
I am back!!!
So the day of “the flood” I am sitting home around 8pm watching tv thinking you know what this wont be so bad. High tide that morning got up to front step but that was it, looked like no big deal. All at once around 8:07 water started rising quickly. I go to Den and start taping up door to stop water. In around a minute water was flowing in from crawl space I run to laundry room as I have a new washer/dryer and try to put them on blocks I had out in case water rise. By 8:09 before I could get washer on block if flips backwards as I got one feet of water in den,bathroom, furnance room. Power is still on. All at once my wife screams grab everything you can and start draging it upstairs. Wife two older kids and me grab the wii, flat screem, half a computer and in around two minutes I am waist deep in water, I go jesus christ power is still on and salt water about to hit box. I go down kill electric after saying hail mary and head upstairs the four of us soaking wet with the youngest upstairs. So now I got a wife, a ten year old a 12 year old, a dog, a hampster and a five year old upstairs in a matter of seconds main floor was filling up. We started dragging couches, TVs, lap tops, appliances, photo albums upstairs and just thowing them in where ever. We got entire dining room, kitchen and living room almost up the steps in three minutes. So once again I tape doors, tape towels down and water is still rising from lower level then all at once it comes through floor boards, through sheet rock, area rugs floating in water and we head to top floor.
Oddly I thought some neighbors had generators as I saw the sky lit up in the pitch black. Instead in morning it was car and home fires on every block that was in the sky, I tried to shine flashlights outside and I saw my beloved BMW floatihng with the alarm going on and off wipers going and trunk popped open, wifes monster GMC truck water was over streering wheel. Then I see the huge ice machine from 7/11 fly down my block smash into roof of wifes car can keep on going. Stupid nieghbors fence I was whining about ice machine floated right by so water was over seven feet deep in street.
Wow when sun rose we were still trapped as we had a 8am high tide. My lower level still had five feet of water. Then tide went out and I was left with three feet to pump out. Then we saw the real damage. Attached garage water was six inches over roof of my old mercedes. Apparantly a 37 year old convertible should not be under salt water over night. Den water was two feet above furnance, electrical box under water, oil tank full of salt water, all wiring shot and forget about furniture. things from crawl space, laundry room like rat poisin, bug killer and paint cut loose, absesto tiles under wall to wall carpeting cut loose as salt water killed glue, washer dryer flipped, bathroom killed. crazy and instalation under crawl space in walls already getting moldy. No cell phone service, no electricity, no cars. All the stores were gone. Even todays daughters elementary school was wiped out, I dont have titles to car as bank was submerged. I ended up pumping out basement before mold set in with a 12 hour bucket brigade.
Anyhow everyone is alive. Since I had no flood insurance I got the 31K from Fema which is max us bozos get without insurance. I know have insurance which was a requirement to get that check. Cars were covered, except they screwed me on my BMW.
We had shady contractors ripping off people, crooked home inspectors, FEMA, Red cross, national guard, adjusters, mormans, you name it in the disaster zone all of November, we only got phone service, landline or cell two weeks ago, so once in frozen zone you were stuck.
Two houses to left and right of me I am crammed between and they are corner houses believe it or not took the bigger wave hit. They have flood insurance at least they were pretty much totaled, no electrical, no heat, no sewers, first and second floor gone, just a plank, that connects to staircase to bedrooms. Thank god that was not my house.
Anyhow work was also wrecked in storm so I was home the last five weeks. I rebuilt around 70 hours a week. I blew through my 31K fema money already pretty much. 9k furnance/oil tank, 4k sewer/plumbing repair. Work I did my self I spent a few grand on renting commerical dehumidfiers, mold guard, buying sprayers, heaters, electrical box, breakers etc. Goal is to finish job for 50K using unlicensed plumbers, electricians, paying cash, self contracting and not getting permits. Me and brother in law with help from a sister inlaw and older daughter did rip out, 60 foot long ten feet high at curb twice, FEMA took it away with backhoes and massive WWII era dump trucks for free.
Did not replace the warped wood floor in living room and dining room, did my best to mold abate it, dry it and flatten it. Be a good reminder of how higher water gets and plus next flood they will fix it for free!!!!
Funny part is FEMA is giving headaches to people with flood insurance, I know they will get paid for it all but such headaches to get it.
I told my wife if Obama wins we will all be part of 47% seeking handouts from govt. Did not think it would be me.
Oh well At least Fema did better with me, neighbor whose house got hard hit did a big renovation last summer and bought flood insurance from fema, paid a 400 dollar prem and they are paying out 100K. They saved 70K by me not having flood insurance.
Oh well back at work and my five weeks of being in filth cold and dirt are over and oddly I miss it a bit. Office work is boring. I really enjoyed doing the work of a contractor. I even got contractor discounts everywhere as they assummed from look of me I was a contractor and I borrowed my inlaws ten year old wagon to boot as I had no car. In home depot mexicans ran to me.
What saved me was I was set to buy that investment property, which fell through right before storm I spent a few weeks pricing out bathrooms, renovations etc. and finding people. I did find a crew in queens that works off the books on home improvement big jobs house flips gut jobs etc. I was set to hire them for house flip I was attempting, instead they are helping me do mine. Technically I can self contract and they are handy men reporting to me. Homeowners can do own work on home. I got heat from one building inspector and one contractor confronted me for not hiring local. But in both cases with me being home I cited my right to self contract. I hired men who work under my supervision and I am on the job site leading their work and they are assiting me. Damm building inspectors and electricians and plumbers looking for kick backs from folks struggling. Dam town even cam to door on Sunday night asking if they could inspect my flood damage, I told them I have no flood damage. Guy was right. But without a search warrant they can enter my property and like a vampire they have to be invited in. Sadly I also had to manage this while doing work. Thank god I was there.
Well I just got my old oil tank out, and sumppump installed, electrical fixed and heat installed in last week. Mold is abated and house is dried out, we are sheetrocking putting down a new floor, and doing den, bathroom, funance room and laundry room as well as instlation of crawl space, all in next four weeks. New Years is end completion date.
Everyone is alive, I no longer have to bounce from the house with no heat/electric to inlaws to fleabag fema flop house, wife has new car, I am trying to buy a car this week and hopefully huge super bowl party in my new den!!!
chicagofinance says:
December 4, 2012 at 8:34 am
Dedicated to JJ MIA:
http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2012/12/04/sports/web_photos/poll–300×300.jpg
All Hail JJ!
Writing style is dead on, but I think we should defer to Grim for IP identification. It smells of RE101.
Pain [8];
There’s a family of deer that wanders through my yard regularly. I actually think they bed in a corner of my property protected by a neighbor’s fence. I came home to see one sitting near my front door once, like he was waiting for me to come home. One I’ve seen in an 8-pointer. Have to take them with a bow — the neighbors would complain about the muzzle blast.
Glad to hear you’re okay and to have you back buddy!
Stuff can always be replaced. What’s important is everybody is okay.
14.JJ’s B.Se says:
December 4, 2012 at 9:46 am
I am back!!!
Mike [13];
The “John Staluppi Collection”. Staluppi owns Altantic Automall.
(linky)
That’s over 17 cars a day, every day of the year including Christmas. A Hyundai Dealer. Get rich selling cheap crap to broke working class. Check Cashing Payday Lenders, Rent-to-Own, etc. Some people would include WalMart. I picked the wrong business. This morality is expensive.
It is JJ
I goes beyond that, all the subtle tell-tale signs are there………Pat is excellent, but even she can’t pull that off……
zieba says:
December 4, 2012 at 10:03 am
Writing style is dead on, but I think we should defer to Grim for IP identification. It smells of RE101.
Moose 19 never knew that thought he made his money developing strip malls in Florida
JJ, Glad you made it back. Most important thing is family and health. And my biggest worry was over which natural gas model generator I should buy in order to appease my wife
JJ: A warm and sincere welcome back baby! I’m sorry to hear it hit you that bad and glad you’re slowly getting back to normal. Glad you didn’t get into that investment property before SHTF.
JJ…retrying…..how f’ed up is Broad Street?
http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2012/12/04/sports/web_photos/poll–300×300.jpg
Poll: Sanchise / Tebow / or Crimson Tide?
I hate to admit this, but I actually missed you, JJ. Glad to hear everyone is OK. Maybe you should start a new career of general contracting shady people. I would hire you to navigate my hassles.
I have just finished a 2-week battle to get insurance certificate from my contractor for minor bath remodel and deck…and there is no workmens comp on it. They have just installed new doors and done a beautiful job on the trim. Shall we even TALK about the runaround I’m getting from the town about sketches for the deck, which they will accept from homeowner (me, who knows nothing about how to build a deck) or architect but not contractor?
[14] JJ
Never mind that. Did you nail the Swedish bikini team or what?
Glad to hear you and your family is A1. WB jj
Stu: looks like BIDU is getting thrashed like GOOG did? You think they are SOL……they only existed because the govt fascists in China paved the road for them……..prima facie example of how Obamunism is doomed…..the market demands constant innovation and Obamufascists make you weak and soft…..then you die on the vine……
Mike [22];
A guy can’t piss it all away on hookers and blow. Might as well in vest in strip malls.
I took it a little far with the “morality” thing. Nothign immoral about selling something to a willing buyer. Personally, I always put myself on the other side of the transaction, and I wouldn’t be comfortable telling people about the ‘deal’ they got buying this Korean-made car at $500 off sticker price just because it’s already cheaper than sticker price on some Gov’t Motors Korean-made model.
Jill, is the project in NJ?
moose I have made a dent in my local poulation this year with the bow. We have been enjoying all manners of venison since late Oct.
JJ gald your Ok but unfortunately the dented mercedes may have to rest in peace.
#32: Yes, it’s in NJ.
On plane to Atlanta. No wifi, no satellite tv, and seat up against toilet. I really hate flying on gov dime.
More likely resting in pieces.
More fun in hood today, I got heat finally a few days ago. Furnace company is overwelmed with requests as everyone at same time needs a new one and most a new tank too. Guys started on mine at 8am finished at 10:30pm. They are working six days a week, anyhow the guys could not get old oil out of old tank, they just bypassed it shoved a new tank in crawl space cut a hole in foundation got heat working at 10:30pm and called it a day. Now between crawl space and whole lover area of house it is totally open and I cant close up with old tank in there. They told me sometime in 2013 they will come back when they are done giving everyone heat or give me a $250 credit. Well I got DEC to pump it out for free as they are doing toxic waste clean up, today I had some guy from flushing cut the mother out for $250 bucks and threw the 57 year old tank on side of house and some guy I got a cell phone number off another guy is going to pick it up for free and throw it in the crusher at the scrap yard as they are paying 7 cents a pound. He said he will get it quick before those building dept jerks come by and start asking why I have an oil tank laying outside. Damm building dept wants a $150 fee to remove an old tank.
There are no rules. There is only one way forward. My town is a toxic dump. Absestos, oil, lead paint, rat poison, installation from the 1950s piled sky high in front of my house guys using a back hoe while smoking just tossing it in. Enough broken glass, nails, installation jammed in my ground kids will be wearing shoes outside for years. I saw some pipes that survived with the white stuff on it, I think I will throw it out this weekend while the free toxic throw out party is on.
real men dont wear hazmat suits apparantly, give me a tall boy, pack of marlboros ripped Jets sweatshirt with no mask and I am good for absestos and mold removal. Five gallons of mold guard and two gallons of bleach was also a nice touch in den. Freshened it out
Painhrtz – Not like you can dust for vomit says:
December 4, 2012 at 11:05 am
moose I have made a dent in my local poulation this year with the bow. We have been enjoying all manners of venison since late Oct.
JJ gald your Ok but unfortunately the dented mercedes may have to rest in peace.
I have not watched a jet game in weeks, remember I had no internet, electricity for weeks. Only bright side of storm is jets fans in the south shore did not have to watch the games. I may go to the 12-23 game as it may get flexed to a one pm game and I am taking off the next day anyhow. But only if it is one pm and only if weather good.
chicagofinance says:
December 4, 2012 at 10:37 am
JJ…retrying…..how f’ed up is Broad Street?
http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2012/12/04/sports/web_photos/poll–300×300.jpg
35 – Taker
I put a new main sewer line in, installed a sump pump, did all plumbing on lower level bathroom, put new electrical box in, rewired from the box whole lover level and installed like 26 new outlets and lights, removed an oil tank, demolished all the studs in the three rooms downstairs, and moved walls so far without a single permit.
Next I am replacing two staircases, sheet rocking, three rooms, putting down new tile floors, hardwiring a new dryer and oven, putting in a a new ceiling and installing a built in cabinet and changing doors.
No permits, no insurance, no workers comp, no licensed plumbers or electricians involved. These are “in-kind” repairs where I am self contracting. A homeowner has the right to do his own plumbing and electrical. Told the town bozo crooked town electrician who stopped by to help, step one more foot on my property and I have you arrested for trespassing. It is none of your business what I as a homeowner is doing in my house. Either you come back with tools and help me for free or go away, slapping fines and asking for kickbacks is not needed. My nieghbor to left said if I was home I would not have been so nice I would have just kicked his ass.
I tried to hire a real plumber, get this it was twice as much and was told when asked would the licensed plumber do work, he goes no, he just signs off, I go will he come and inspect, he goes no, we are paying to use his signature for CO paperwork and insurance. Non licensed plumbers will do work. I go I have no insurance and dont need a CO as I am replacing an existing bathroom. Jerk goes well either way you are paying double for his signature. Then estimate said he is only liable for $250 in case of damage due to bad piping.
Jill how much did they charge you for that in the bathroom? I am paying 6k for the bathroom.
Jill says:
December 4, 2012 at 10:40 am
I hate to admit this, but I actually missed you, JJ. Glad to hear everyone is OK. Maybe you should start a new career of general contracting shady people. I would hire you to navigate my hassles.
I have just finished a 2-week battle to get insurance certificate from my contractor for minor bath remodel and deck…and there is no workmens comp on it. They have just installed new doors and done a beautiful job on the trim. Shall we even TALK about the runaround I’m getting from the town about sketches for the deck, which they will accept from homeowner (me, who knows nothing about how to build a deck) or architect but not contractor
re # 39 – “A homeowner has the right to do his own plumbing and electrical”
JJ no stop work order issued?
Next time the ocean waves come in unbolt the house from the foundation. You are never going to be able to sell that place if you did all of that work without permits and inspections.
JJ
Glad you are doing well. Your presence was missed..
It truly is the end of days.
These are “in-kind” repairs where I am self contracting. A homeowner has the right to do his own plumbing and electrical. Told the town bozo crooked town electrician who stopped by to help, step one more foot on my property and I have you arrested for trespassing. It is none of your business what I as a homeowner is doing in my house. Either you come back with tools and help me for free or go away, slapping fines and asking for kickbacks is not needed.
JJ – This is somewhat untrue, while you can do the work yourself, you are still required to file for a permit, provide any associated documentation required/requested, and get all necessary inspections. It is also very likely, for significant repairs (something that might require engineering), or repairs that involve touching municipal infrastructure (water, sewer, gas, etc) they will make it incredibly difficult for you to self-sign permits. Likewise, expect similar pushback for anything that also requires DEP approvals or has environmental concerns.
Their position is that they don’t care if you kill yourself, but they care if the next homeowner or an innocent bystander is harmed by your negligence. They have the right to deny you a CO as a result, making it impossible to sell your home.
JJ: since you were gone there have been an avalache of calls…..f’ing unbelievable……even worse have been a bunch of corporates using there make-whole calls, and I even had Verizon pull a lottery partial call out of its a%%. I have no idea about that contract provision. I had a 2018 piece of paper bought at issue, which was trading at 139 and the company just munched down on 40% of the lot…….fcukers!
JJ #39: I am paying $16.5K for a 10 x 15 2nd floor-level cellular PVC deck with Azek railing, replacement of 6 interior doors and trim-out, a new newell post and railing for stairs to upstairs, and minor bath remodel (demo and replace ceiling, new fan vented to outside, replace medicine cabinet and patch wall, demo existing tile floor and replace, install new vanity, replace existing toilet). Deck posts have to have concrete pilings 36″ deep because it is at 2nd floor level (property slopes towards the back).
“In home depot mexicans ran to me.”
No need to check the IP…It’s JJ.
Chi…I agree with you on BAIDU. Do you really think Google wasn’t allowed in due to their unwillingness to censor searches?
I truly feel bad for the fools with their children wasting their Summers in Chinese immersion classes. On the bright side, their children will be able to order the specials written in Mandarin on paper plates stapled to walls.
Moose…notice which car fetched the lowest price?
Deck posts have to have concrete pilings 36″ deep because it is at 2nd floor level
They are generally always required to be at least 36″ deep in NJ, this is primarily for protection against frost heave.
If that is a brand new deck with permits you have to pay what you have to pay. If they don’t break it out hard to tell.
I paid 30K for new main sewer line, sumpump. two staircases, rewire entire lower level, new plumbing entire lower level, demo den, laundry room, bathroom and put in new bathroom, put in new floors, new sheet rock, new ceiling including materials and two new doors. My big savings was rolling electrical and plumbing into job. Neighbors for insurance did it piecemeal.
Huge price difference between cash price and pay by check or credit card price. Although it is weird having wife run to bank to keep taking out $5,000 in cash for each installment.
By comparision. Neighbor with insurance paid 10K for rip out and mold abatement and 10K for plumbing and electrical and 10K for new floors.
My boiler and oil tank killed my budget at 9k. Add in the furniture and all the other nonsense and I am at around 50k and my budget was only 31K. My wife would be kicked off a home improvement show for blowing the budget.
I should have removed downstairs shower as then bath would only be 3k and then raised toliet and pipes to sink and washer and slop sink and I would have avoided the whole pitch issue that cost 4k plus saved 3k on bathrrom. I also should have put in my own oil tank, would have saved 2k. That plus wife should have stuck to base material. I would have hit my 31K budget. But it will be super nice.
Furnace and oil tank 1955 to 2012 RIP
Downstairs shower 1955 to 2012 RIP
Washer/Dryer 2010 to 2012 RIP
Vanity/Toliet 2001 to 2012 RIP
Electrical box 2004-2012 RIP
Furniture, wall to wall carpeting and paint job lower level 2001 to 2012
Kills me if I had flood I would have a new furnance and shower for free for things that were almost 60 years old.
Jill says:
December 4, 2012 at 1:09 pm
JJ #39: I am paying $16.5K for a 10 x 15 2nd floor-level cellular PVC deck with Azek railing, replacement of 6 interior doors and trim-out, a new newell post and railing for stairs to upstairs, and minor bath remodel (demo and replace ceiling, new fan vented to outside, replace medicine cabinet and patch wall, demo existing tile floor and replace, install new vanity, replace existing toilet). Deck posts have to have concrete pilings 36″ deep because it is at 2nd floor level (property slopes towards the back).
JJ they depreciate everything with the insurance and their estimates are always low to begin with. Maybe in omaha or texas but not with the high labor cost here.
Welcome Back, JJ! Glad you are ok!
For years, I’ve been pondering how anyone can waste money on this complete and utter sh1t. Franchise restaurants are absolutely horrible.
http://news.investors.com/business/120412-635603-darden-lowers-outlook-on-promotions-shares-fall.htm
Classic, JJ making up for lost time.
JJ – glad to hear you and your family are OK! Man what a mess you had to go through, but stuff can be replaced.
I’m a little confused about some of the details though. Was the captain of the Swedish bikini team clinging to the 7-11 ice machine as it floated by, or was she already spending the night and thus that’s how she ended up in your BMW the next morning? And when your wife saw her swimming in the driveway (in her bikini, of course) was there already a Mexican guy nearby at whom you were able to point the finger? And when those two got married (the Mexican and the Swede), did you officiate and are you already the godfather of their unborn child?
Welcome back, my friend.
Fema pays the going rate. Manual unskilled labor going rate is $150 a day. Mix that in with handymen, doing it yourself and shopping around for good prices and I could do whole job within Fema budget.
The issue is mold remediation guys like servpro scaring folks into huge remediation projects at 6k that are really renting two commerical dehumidfiers and two huge fans and applying $200 bucks or moldguard spray. The Mormans were doing rip outs for free while door to contractors were 5k. You can get oil pumped out for free through DEC and mistake I made was having fuel company put in tank for an arm and a leg. I could have bought one for $500 bucks and rented the tool to cut through wall.
Contractors were scaring folks to rip out subfloor of main house when all you needed to do was remove oak, spay subfloor for mold, put in a floating floor to cover any warping on sub and lay a new oak floor for $1 a square foot from lumber liquidators.
Trouble is LI/NJ folk want FEMA to pay for everything including their white collar contractors using expensive workers and throwing in upgrades.
Salvation Army was giving free furniture, LI cares free small appliances. I think I could have redone Den for 5k if I did new sheetrock myself, paid a tape and spackle person, had an off the books electrician and put down wall to wall. Bathroom I could have done for 2k if I removed shower, demo’d two walls and put back toliet and sink which was undamaged and resheet rock. Boiler room was expensive due to firecodes and steel door maybe 3k then furnance for 6K and then refinish staircase, then maybe 2 thousand for instalation and other stuff.
Could have done it for 20K, people forget to Fema your ten year old couch is worth the value of a ten year old couch. You can buy excess flood insurance or replacement value insurance. But fema was never ment to pay your escalade driving electrician and BMW driving plumber for his time. It is for regular folks.
For instance I got a quote of 3k to remove siding, pull a few boards, replace insulation and siding. Instead I bought a siding removal tool for six bucks, a gallon of mold guard for $30, guy doing basement said just take some extra installation from basement and I did whole job for $36 bucks. What should Fema had paid on that. I guess any number from $36 to $3,000? Rips outs, one neighbor in a panic paid 15k, a few days later another paid 10K, third nieghbor hired a handiman who did it for $3,500. I did it myself, other neighbor did it himself and fifth neighbors mormans did it for free, What should fema pay? I say anything between zero and 15k.
Stuff like furnace, oil tank, washer,dryer. Fema pays full price. But the other stuff is a gray area. Most folks complaining widly overpaid and are mad flood insurance does not cover it.
jcer says:
December 4, 2012 at 2:04 pm
JJ they depreciate everything with the insurance and their estimates are always low to begin with. Maybe in omaha or texas but not with the high labor cost here.
What a f’ing joke FEMA is. Massive tree down across my backyard. Put in a claim to reimburse a chain saw and for professional tree removal. First thing the guy says is he needs to do a room-to-room inspection of the interior of the house ‘to verify occupancy’. I told him to pound sand (politely). They spent more than $300 on this claim already.
Should have known. They don’t write checks in Morris County, they only cash them.
Puerto Rician, Black, White, Chinese come on now get on your knees.
Actually no mexicans for me. They jacked their prices at Freeport home Depot. I got them from the Flushing home depot. They love me long time.
Happy Renter says:
December 4, 2012 at 2:48 pm
JJ – glad to hear you and your family are OK! Man what a mess you had to go through, but stuff can be replaced.
I’m a little confused about some of the details though. Was the captain of the Swedish bikini team clinging to the 7-11 ice machine as it floated by, or was she already spending the night and thus that’s how she ended up in your BMW the next morning? And when your wife saw her swimming in the driveway (in her bikini, of course) was there already a Mexican guy nearby at whom you were able to point the finger? And when those two got married (the Mexican and the Swede), did you officiate and are you already the godfather of their unborn child?
Welcome back, my friend.
welcome back JJ,
Have you started arbitraging those 3% FEMA small business loans in high coupon munis. Time to start rolling the dice to get your scratch back.
FEMA has been messing everyone around on the insurance. My mother in law is having issues as they say her principal residence is in Florida. My sister in law looked into the citys Rapid Response Unit for her own place and reckoned it wasn ‘t worth the hassle/risk. They are sending inspectors in with buiding crews to permit and rebuild on the spot. It looks very dodgy. She has a local crew working on her own place and is telling the city “I got a green sticker, no damage here!” when they call.
I’m finally getting my truck back. It was about the only car that made it out of Breezy Point. My sister in law had borrowed it and parked it at the highest point of the parking lot While the cars around it were totaled from floating, she got in, the seat was wet, but fired up after a few turns and she rode it out. She has been hauling stuff back and forth but I need to get it back soon and strip it down before the salt starts coroding the floor pans and motor mounts.
Make sure you don’t rebuild with any Chinese Drywall. Green board allround.
Welcome back JJ! Clot made a noble attempt at filling in for you while you were gone:
Ernest Money says:
November 9, 2012 at 7:37 pm
lib (144)-
Here’s my quick jj channel:
So the house takes on 8 ft of water during the storm, so me and my pal get in his dingy, but we got no compass, no idea of direction. Pretty soon, we figure out we’re on Queens Blvd and there’s this skeezy bar that is barely above the water line so me and my pal tie the dingy to a parking meter and go in. So when we get in, the only people in there are either hookers, carjackers, tweakers or college girls out of class for the weather. My pal makes a beeline for the hookers, but me I’m class all the way so I start working the old routine on the college girls. Well I’m a little out of practice, but old habits die hard so pretty soon I’m inviting the girls out to check my dingy which to them sounds like I want them to come out for a fast rub/tug- hey nothing wrong with that- so this one girl says sure I want to see your dingy so I take her out to the dingy then pretty soon we’re parallel in the dingy trying to get some traction if you know what I mean. Then, the dingy gets untied from the parking meter and were floating down Queens Blvd in a compromising position, but I don’t care I just take each of the girl’s high heels and jam ‘em in the holes where you’d put the paddle handles and we kept playing rub a dub dub boy in the tub until I looked over the side and saw we were in the East River. So at this point I’m figuring I better get this situation under control so I use my mental powers to get us over to the other side of the river, then we got out of the dingy and went for drinks at the Water Club.
JJ… Can’t say I didn’t warn you. Good to have you bag ya prick!
FEMA does not cover any property damage or damage to trees or shrubs.
Homeowners cover that. Also if you have Flood Insurance, which is usually through FEMA anyhow but you buy through an agent it might cover.
I have FEMA flood insurance now I was required to take it out. My policy specifically does not cover trees. Also FEMA asked me for my proof of no flood insurance, copy of drivers license, copy of homeowners insurance, SS number and names of all occupants, copy of utlity bills, proof I was in country legally, Fema also told me it is totally irrelevant what it costs me to do work, they pay what the pay. Also are you in a federally declared disaster zone that had a mandatory evacuation. Was it your tree?
Professional tree removal is expensive. Can cost thousands of dollars. Stuff like your tree would cost me maybe $100 bucks to do. Also if your tree may make good firewood it may be cheaper to cut down.
Fema told my neighbor, permits, licenses, town building codes, worker comp rules, proof of insurance rules blah blah blah. For instance DEC drained my oil tank for free, I cut my old oil tank out with a guy working off the books for $250 and scrap yard took tank. Oil company wanted $1.50 a gallon to drain, $750 to remove and claimed some $150 disposal permit was needed. Total cost would be around $1,500 vs. $250.
Also FEMA is only doing stuff to make house safe to be used to Shelter in Place. Falling trees, fences, pool damage they dont care about. Nor did they care about my furniture, tools, books, clothes. Salvation army does that, redcross does food.
Borrow two chainsaws grab a mexican from home depot and get to work. I swear that is the fema budget. It gets licensed contractors upset
Anon E. Moose says:
December 4, 2012 at 2:58 pm
What a f’ing joke FEMA is. Massive tree down across my backyard. Put in a claim to reimburse a chain saw and for professional tree removal. First thing the guy says is he needs to do a room-to-room inspection of the interior of the house ‘to verify occupancy’. I told him to pound sand (politely). They spent more than $300 on this claim already.
Should have known. They don’t write checks in Morris County, they only cash them.
I am applying for the max FEMA loan. Anyone with damage should. The amount of damage in excess of insurance pay out is tax deductable minus 10% of gross plus $100 bucks. However, if you estimate damage yourself it is a huge red flag.
When you apply for SBA loan they send an appraiser to your house to estimate damage to your house as a result of flood. So if appraiser says you are eligible for lets say a 100K loan and FEMA paid you 30K you have a 70K write off. So lets say you make 100K, 10% of that is 10K plus add in $100 per IRS which makes your write off 70K minus $10,100 or $59,900. You attach govt appraisal to your form 2192 and you can not be audited. You only have till 12-31 to apply.
Fabius Maximus says:
December 4, 2012 at 3:02 pm
welcome back JJ,
Have you started arbitraging those 3% FEMA small business loans in high coupon munis. Time to start rolling the dice to get your scratch bac
JJ
My advice — foist that POS on someone and GTFO before the mystery illnesses start.
Truly a red letter day!
Homeowners cover that.
Homeowners does not insure the land, only the structures. Meanwhile I’ve got a huge tree across my property and neighborhood kids see as a jungle gym — first one who slips and falls… *CA-Ching* Homeowners insurance will get involved then.
I’ve had two estimates, one twice the other. The 2x guy is, needless to say, hot to trot. Me being a desk jockey with a bad back who’s never held a chain saw, I’m not anxious to buck logs off a 80′ x 36″ trunk. Who knows what condition I’ll be in afterwards, presuming I don’t maim myself.
14. Yeah baby. Yeah.
JJ #56. I still have that “faux leather” couch I’m trying to unload. No water issues, no bedbugs. Will throw in danish modern teak coffee table if you come pick the whole mess up.
[68] I used to have a a faux leather couch that I’ve wondered about ever since I gave it up in 1996. We were living in Nutley and a neighbor offered me the couch. At first look, I thought it was a real leather couch and I said I’d take it. I wanted it for my office on the 3rd floor of this circa 1880 house we were renting. Well, it wasn’t real heavy and I got it up to the second floor no problem, but I couldn’t get the damn thing around the corner to get up the next flight of stairs, so I regrouped. It had that stuff on the bottom like you have on the bottom of a box spring, that sheer, fine, weird feeling netting-like stuff. I untacked a corner and saw there were metal bolts where the arms bolted through the wood frame attaching the arms to the main couch part. I had to use every one of my 3/8″ ratchet extensions, plus a universal joint to get at those bolts without ripping all that stuff off the bottom of the couch, needed a flashlight in my mouth too, to see what I was doing. Used some electrical tape on the socket at the end of the extensions to make sure I didn’t lose the bolts when I removed them. Got the three pieces upstairs and reassembled the couch. When we moved out of that place I made a deal with the new renters and the landlord that I would leave them that couch if they took responsiblity for some spackling and painting I hadn’t done where I marred the walls up when we moved in on the stairs. I often wonder who and when did someone try to remove that couch from the third floor. Coming down, they would have gotten it all the way down the stairs and then would be trying to figure out how to get it around the corner and it will not go. They would probably be thinking, “Someone got it up, so it has to fit going down, right?” But, of course, it doesn’t. Looking at the couch it doesn’t look there’s any way that it comes apart.
It lives! Good luck with the reno. I’m sure you will somehow come out way ahead, and after what you endured, hope this is the case. One question – what were you thinking when you decided to stay?
JJ,
We really did miss you.
Who was mentioning yesterday about having seen Bonnie Raitt in the 70’s?
http://youtu.be/HPzcZNgVfpA
Nice pull Moose. Springsteen the following year at the Capitol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3vUKBOJ5sU
Welcome back JJ. Wasn’t the same without ya.
I stand corrected, jj was south shore. Good call whoever made it
Welcome back.
[75] stan – When I first caught on here I thought JJ was North Shore too. I lived on the North Shore for exactly one year and spent a lot of time on the LIRR. But if you read between the lines of all his posts for a long enough time it’s obvious that he’s a South Shore guy, which is about the same animal as a NJ guy. When my wife and I moved to the Boston area she immediately judged the people as cold and standoffish compared to NJ, and to me they seemed exactly the same as NJ. Then one day a light bulb went on for me about that subject. There is a slight difference between NJ and MA. My wife is a bit shy so she won’t strike up a conversation. In MA, I later realized, nobody who doesn’t know you will talk to you first, usually. Me, like JJ, I don’t care and will strike up a conversation. If you’re a conversation starter, you might not see any difference between North Shore, South Shore, NJ, or MA. If you’re waiting for somebody else to speak first, you’ll probably like NJ and the South Shore but feel that the North Shore and MA is standoffish.
#4 You guys were useless today with offering advice on my quandry. Just saying.
[76] cont’d. When we’re down in NJ I notice how I’ve acclimated to MA. Strangers start up conversations with me when I don’t expect it, which is fine. Also I notice NJ accents on TV news that I never noticed before. I also hear the greeting “How’s things?” in NJ, which I completely forgot.
[77] 3b – Sell and rent. You’re welcome. How’s things?
You were upstaged by JJ. Don’t feel too bad. Everyone likes to know a victim.
Personally, I would start looking someplace else. I don’t see the attraction of Bergen County at all. I grew up in East Brunswick and Bergen County is very similar to East Brunswick, where I grew up. Lots of residential with all of the strip malls running for miles on end on one major thoroughfare. For me it was 18 from Old Bridge to New Brunswick. For BC it’s routes 4/17/46. I can’t recommend enough how much we like Glen Ridge. The small size makes it extremely friendly and the stuckupishness I expected to find has refreshingly been extremely rare. Just a couple of obnoxious parents in the rec leagues and all else is fine. The schools are great too. And traffic really isn’t bad around here. There are enough mom and pop joints in Montclair and Bloomfield that you don’t have to venture out to 46 or 3. I don’t remember your specific reasons for wanting to live in BC, but I can’t help but notice that people from BC remind me of people from Brooklyn. They often find themselves morally and intellectually superior to everyone else. Of course in reality, they are just the fodder of strategic marketing.
And the problem isn’t River Edge becoming North Hackensack. The problem is that the well-heeled will not tolerate $10K-$20K tax bills much further into their retirement when they don’t need the proximity to NYC or the schools anymore. They may even sell as the passive-agressive “out” to their able-bodied adult children’s refusal to leave the nest. There simply is not a big enough crop of qualified buyers to meet the demand of all the soon-to-be Bergen County sellers. Gary will buy one house and then you’re pretty much fu.cked after that.
jj is worried about floating rat poison. I’m worried about all the floating Mexican turds that may have resettled in his yard.
And what will the Mexican landscapers do once jj calls them back in this spring to give his yard a once-over for old times’ sake?
I eat rat poison for breakfast.
#79 Sold rented, current rental is being sold.
#80 Lib:Need to stay in BC spouse works nearby, and commute to NYC is good. Liked Midland Park, no inventory. Liked Hillsdale, flood zone for my price range. Kids are done with the blue ribbony schools. Could do Wash Twp, but just kind of indifferent to the place, and it means longer more expensive commute plus drive to train station. Could do Oradell, just don’t think its worth the premium. Or stay in RE and take my chances, as the surrounding towns decline (Hackensack, BerFld, Dmont, and New Mil).
Only I can make the decesion I know, but like to hear others thoughts.
[76] expat
Exactly!!!
3b (86)-
Just wait until the entire BC market collapses. It’s going to happen.
3b – I know BC well just pick a nice quiet street and suck it up..
Here you go
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3-Oak-St-Hillsdale-NJ-07642/37936583_zpid/
[86] Need to stay in BC spouse works nearby, and commute to NYC is good.
Sounds like one or more of the following three: 1)addiction 2)delusion 3)disease
3B – Other than Total Wine where I procured my emergency fuel on Tuesday night after Hurricane Sandy there isn’t much there now that appeals to me and for you it must be even less. If you want to go but stay in BC move north of River Edge/Oradell and the land of the Unicorns. Even when I was a kid that town never had any appeal for me and I spent many summers fishing on that green bridge in Oradell by the train station. Same bridge that says no fishing now. I will tear down that sign one day, and cut a hole in the reservoir fence so the kids can fish again. Be sure to move to the western edges of those towns closer to the Parkway where the lots are larger and there are more buffer zones with trees etc and closer to wealth so you are not repeating a NJ version of Gran Torino. The Teterboro bound private jets alternate patterns so you don’t go crazy every weekend with all of the noise from those rich dbags as they land on Sunday afternoon.
Yay JJ’s back! Welcome home.
re # 69 – I had a black leather a faux leather couch. When i was single lots of 69 on that couch, the cushion covers were real leather and the sides and back were faux. Wife made me dump it after she moved in. Sad day as I had to Sawzall it and the pullout couch with was aptly named…..
Moose, thanks for the link. Lowell George was a bonus.
Anon E. Moose says:
December 4, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Who was mentioning yesterday about having seen Bonnie Raitt in the 70′s?
http://youtu.be/HPzcZNgVfpA
Clot [84] – Trust us, we can tell from your mood. Every day.
3b [86] – Sounds like your mind is made up already.
JJ – Glad to see you weren’t a casualty aside from the hit to your wallet. The famine of BS has been a hardship for us all.
Teacher union dollars at work (in California). A propaganda video called “Tax the Rich”. Will the NJ Teachers union be far behind?
http://youtu.be/cwg4DB-EeEA
SACRAMENTO – A new video produced by the California Federation of Teachers – which could be playing in your child’s classroom as we speak – drums up the typical class warfare images we’ve come to expect from Big Labor.
“Tax the Rich: An Animated Fairy Tale,” written by CFT staffer Fred Glass (2011 compensation: $139,800) and narrated by proud leftist actor (and 1 percenter) Ed Asner, advocates for higher taxes on the “rich” as the cure for government’s insatiable thirst for spending.
The video claims the rich got rich through tax cuts and tax loopholes and even tax evasion.
But when the 99 percent fought back, the “rich” apparently urinated on the “poor,” at least according to the video. What a classy way to frame your argument for children, Big Labor.
The video also claims that when the housing market crashed, the government printed money for “rich people” but they didn’t give any to “ordinary people whose houses and jobs were broken by the crash.”
The California Federation of Teachers’ video is little more than unsurprising leftist propaganda, aimed to indoctrinate children with no basis in fact. Do you know if your child is watching it in school?
It seems like a requirement to jump on the “Tax the rich” or “Down with the 1%” bandwagon is a demonstrable void of even cursory mathematical skills.
We now have a nation of the ignorant, taught by idiots.
This bodes well for the future.
“We have shown the recent surges in both sales and capitalization of several far, far smaller weapons-makers in the US: Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger (along with the world’s seemingly inexorable demand for ‘bulk ammo’), but one can only wonder whether the market cap. of Kalashnikov (the maker of the world’s most popular rifle) would be greater than that of AAPL if the firm had been based in the US and gone public at inception.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-12-04/most-popular-rifle-history-infographic
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