Monthly Archives: September 2017

Otteau September Update

Posted on September 30, 2017 by grim

From Otteau Group: September MarketNEWS After declining by 7% in April, home purchase contracts in New Jersey have increased for four consecutive months. In August, the number of purchase contracts rose by 3% compared to the same month last year. … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, New Jersey Real Estate | 53 Comments

NJ’s “middle class” about to be slaughtered

Posted on September 29, 2017 by grim

From the APP: Trump tax plan kills key deductions, wallops NJ homeowners New Jersey taxpayers would lose key deductions under a proposal unveiled this week by President Donald Trump: property taxes and state income taxes, experts said. The tax reform … Continue reading →

Posted in New Jersey Real Estate, Politics, Property Taxes | 141 Comments

July home sales beat expectations

Posted on September 27, 2017 by grim

From CNBC: Case-Shiller home price index rises 5.9%, beating expectations The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index rose 5.9 percent in July compared a year ago, better than the 5.7 percent expected by economists polled by Reuters. The rise was … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Recovery, National Real Estate | 124 Comments

Good time to buy, but not gunna.

Posted on September 26, 2017 by grim

From HousingWire: NAR: Home sales may be falling, but housing sentiment is on the rise In four of the past five months, including the most recent report in August, showed existing home sales continue to fall, however this is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, National Real Estate | 165 Comments

Boomers, not millennials, are the problem.

Posted on September 25, 2017 by grim

From CNBC: Baby Boomers resist selling homes, helping to keep prices high and inventory low: Zillow’s Gudell If you’re looking for a reason the housing market is so tight, perhaps the Baby Boomers are to blame. For generations, after the … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, National Real Estate, New Development | 78 Comments

Newark is a surprisingly good fit

Posted on September 22, 2017 by grim

From Yahoo Finance: Why Newark could be perfect for Amazon’s new headquarters New York, San Francisco and Denver have all been heralded as the best city for Amazon’s new second headquarters, HQ2. But what about Newark? Yes, the city in … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, New Development, New Jersey Real Estate | 121 Comments

Choking the market

Posted on September 21, 2017 by grim

From MarketWatch: Existing-home sales fall in August for the fourth time in five months Existing-home sales in August dropped for the fourth time in five months as real-estate agents continue to blame a lack of available homes to buy. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Bubble, Housing Recovery, National Real Estate | 142 Comments

Does anyone really want Amazon?

Posted on September 20, 2017 by grim

From the Philly Inquirer: Beware, Philadelphia: Amazon could drive up housing prices When Amazon announced its search for a second North American headquarters, government officials, developers, and residents in cities nationwide embraced the prospect as decidedly good news. Including many … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, New Jersey Real Estate, Philly | 68 Comments

Best places to live in America

Posted on September 19, 2017 by grim

From Money via the Star Ledger: These 4 N.J. towns are ‘the best places to live in America’ (or so Money magazine says) MONEY magazine’s annual “Best Places to Live in America” list features four towns in New Jersey this … Continue reading →

Posted in New Jersey Real Estate | 200 Comments

Noticing some extra room these days?

Posted on September 18, 2017 by grim

From the Star Ledger: Worry as Census says N.J.’s population shrank for the first time in years New Jersey may have lost population for the first time in a decade, new data shows, potentially imperiling economic growth and the number … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, New Development, New Jersey Real Estate | 63 Comments

Will flat fee take off? (probably not)

Posted on September 16, 2017 by grim

From CNBC: No more 6% commission – these brokers will sell your house for a flat fee In an increasingly crowded and competitive real estate market, brokers are messing with traditional models, and that could mean big savings for sellers … Continue reading →

Posted in National Real Estate | 62 Comments

NJ Income Jumps to #3 Nationwide

Posted on September 14, 2017 by grim

From the Star Ledger: N.J. shoots up the state income rankings, reverses depressing trend New Jersey households made $76,126 last year, a 4 percent growth over 2015, according to recently released Census data. The growth shot New Jersey from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, New Jersey Real Estate | 146 Comments

The biggest barrier to starter homes – zoning laws and NIMBY

Posted on September 14, 2017 by grim

From HousingWire: Trulia: Housing market fails to produce what buyers really want The gap between the homes consumers want and the homes available for sale continues to grow in many markets across the U.S., according to the latest Mismatched Markets … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, National Real Estate, New Development | 79 Comments

The New Weehawken

Posted on September 12, 2017 by grim

From the Star Ledger: How the hottest real estate market in N.J. literally divided this tiny town Seemingly everyone knew this tiny cliffside town — all 1.4-square miles of it — would one day become a dynamic real estate market. … Continue reading →

Posted in Gold Coast, Housing Recovery, New Development | 256 Comments

Will rent control hinder Newark redevelopment?

Posted on September 11, 2017 by grim

From the Star Ledger: Residents win rent control battle; landlords face steeper hurdle to raise rents Landlords looking to raise rents on rent-controlled buildings will have to meet a higher threshold to do so under new measures passed by the … Continue reading →

Posted in New Development, New Jersey Real Estate | 46 Comments