Category Archives: Politics

The Trump Housing Market – Up or Down?

Posted on November 16, 2016 by grim

From Forbes: How President Trump Could Affect The Value Of Your Home In July the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the homeownership rate in this country had hit its lowest level since the government began measuring the stat in 1965. … Continue reading →

Posted in National Real Estate, Politics | 71 Comments

Open your wallets, someone needs to bail out Atlantic City

Posted on November 11, 2016 by grim

From the Morning Call: Will demise of North Jersey casinos bring $100 million in new building at Bethlehem Sands? While the rest of the country was transfixed by the presidential race, Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem officials kept one eye on … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, South Jersey Real Estate | 142 Comments

NJ Votes!

Posted on November 9, 2016 by grim

From the Star Ledger: N.J. votes to dedicate gas tax revenue to transportation projects New Jersey voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment dedicating gas tax proceeds to transportation projects, locking in more than $1 billion a year in new … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 249 Comments

“Inner Cities” Thriving?

Posted on October 11, 2016 by grim

From Forbes: Trump May Think Inner Cities Are A Disaster, But Home Prices Tell Another Story Donald Trump mentioned “inner cities” 10 times in last night’s second presidential debate, using words like “disaster” and “devastating” to describe them. When neighborhoods … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, National Real Estate, Politics | 104 Comments

Tax tax tax tax tax tax tax

Posted on October 8, 2016 by grim

From the Star Ledger: N.J. Legislature passes 23-cent gas tax hike, road funding plan New Jersey is poised to lose its claim to the second-lowest gas taxes in the nation. The state Legislature on Friday passed legislation raising the tax … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 91 Comments

Looks like PA’s tax benefit is dead (good riddance)

Posted on September 12, 2016 by grim

From NJ Biz: Editorial: Christie makes right call to nix Pa. tax deal Gov. Chris Christie last week signaled he will end the income tax reciprocal agreement that New Jersey has shared with Pennsylvania for nearly 40 years. To quickly … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, South Jersey Real Estate | 53 Comments

NJ/PA Tax Reciprocity Agreement Nearly Dead

Posted on September 3, 2016 by grim

From the Philly Inquirer: Christie ends income tax pact with Pa.; commuters could pay more Cross the Delaware River for work? Your taxes could go up in 2017. Gov. Christie on Friday scrapped a decades-long agreement between New Jersey and … Continue reading →

Posted in New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 52 Comments

Sorry Pennsylvania

Posted on July 3, 2016 by grim

From the Star Ledger: Christie eyes scrapping tax deal with Pa., which could cost some N.J. residents more Gov. Chris Christie will contemplate ending a 38-year-old agreement with Pennsylvania that allows New Jersey and Pennsylvania residents who work across the … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 43 Comments

Will 24 mortgages even make a dent?

Posted on July 2, 2016 by grim

From HousingWire: New York launches “first of its kind” program; will buy delinquent mortgages from FHA In what officials are calling a “first of its kind” program, the city of New York announced Thursday that it is plans to buy … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosures, NYC, Politics | 20 Comments

Casino!

Posted on June 4, 2016 by grim

From the WSJ: Debate Heats Up Over Gambling for Northern New Jersey After a bitter battle over a proposed state takeover of Atlantic City, supporters of a gambling expansion are ramping up efforts to convince voters to allow two new … Continue reading →

Posted in New Development, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 11 Comments

A billion dollars in the hole

Posted on May 18, 2016 by grim

From the Record: N.J. facing possible $1.1B budget gap over 2016, 2017, official says New Jersey’s state budget could face a revenue shortage of $1.1 billion over two fiscal years, the state Legislature’s nonpartisan budget office said Tuesday, a dire … Continue reading →

Posted in New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 76 Comments

NJ’s shell game taxes

Posted on April 19, 2016 by grim

From the APP: Prieto: No estate tax deal without gas tax increase Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto said he won’t move forward with any plans to eliminate New Jersey’s estate tax without a broader deal to increase the state’s gasoline tax. … Continue reading →

Posted in New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 128 Comments

Freddie and Fannie to reduce principal

Posted on April 15, 2016 by grim

From HousingWire: FHFA makes it official: Principal reduction is coming A day that many in the housing industry thought would never come is finally and actually here, as the Federal Housing Finance Agency is making official what was first reported … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosures, Mortgages, Politics, Risky Lending | 116 Comments

More settlements … no guilt … no prosecution

Posted on April 12, 2016 by grim

From the Star Ledger: Goldman Sachs to pay $5 billion for its role in housing bubble Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay more than $5 billion to settle charges it sold mortgages it knew were likely to fail during the … Continue reading →

Posted in Mortgages, Politics, Risky Lending, Unrest | 69 Comments

Note to NJ – Stop making promises you can’t afford

Posted on March 23, 2016 by grim

From the Record: Standard & Poor’s revises N.J.’s credit outlook to ‘negative’ New Jersey’s finances are still a mess, Standard & Poor’s said Tuesday, and the state’s weak credit outlook will not improve until officials make lasting reforms. The Wall … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 80 Comments