Publicity stunt worked, but will it sell?

Posted on February 10, 2019 by grim

In case you’ve been living in a cave, or basement…

From the Star Ledger:

Big uproar erupts over house with sex basement, just 30 minutes outside of N.J.

We’re not recommending you leave the Garden State, but if you’re looking to stay close by and you happen to have a fascination with some of the things that go on in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” a recent real estate listing in the Philadelphia suburb of Maple Glen could be the right fit.

From the outside, the big brick Colonial looks like it fits in with many upscale suburban neighborhoods. But the listing has gone viral since it was posted Thursday afternoon — because of one not-so-common feature.

The house has a fully furnished pleasure room, straight out of the popular series of erotic romance novels and movies.

Realtor Melissa Leonard has been fielding media requests and angry neighbors since the listing was posted. But she had no hesitations in taking on the project, she told Slate. She has since dubbed the house “50 Shades of Maple Glen.”

“I saw the first two of the movies. I only read maybe a couple of chapters of the book. That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw it: This guy has ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ going on his basement!” Leonard told Slate. “But I know that it’s a way of life for people. Philly has clubs for this. I go out, I know about nightlife, they nickname me Philly Socialite on Instagram, so I go out all the time. Nothing bothered me.”

…

If you’re interested, the asking price for the home is $750,000. And once it’s yours, you can do whatever you want to the basement.

Posted in Lowball, Philly | 65 Comments

Tax those who attempt to leave

Posted on February 7, 2019 by grim

From Fox News:

Mansion sales rise in Florida as wealthy buyers are drawn to its low taxes and sunshine

Is bigger really better? It’s true to Florida buyers. Many wealthy buyers are moving to the Sunshine State for higher ceilings — and a lower tax bracket.    

Luxury Florida homes have wealthy Americans making the move from high tax areas like New York, New Jersey and California, cutting their tax bill and increasing the size of their homes. It’s a movement many are calling “tax migration.”

Jay Parker, CEO of Douglas Elliman Florida brokerage, one of the largest residential brokerage firms in Florida and Manhattan, said New Yorkers are the new “foreign” buyers.

“We have really created the perfect storm. The age of our population, the tax benefits of moving to South Florida. Someone that wants lifestyle, amenitization, really an experience in their living environment. Larger units, higher ceiling space,” Parker said.

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act — passed by Congress and signed by the president in December 2017 — capped the federal deduction for property, state and local taxes at $10,000. As a result, high-income earners are fleeing their home states and looking to the Florida real estate market for a better quality of life.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday blamed Trump’s tax law on the number of people leaving the state, saying it had contributed to the state’s deficit.

….

“People that are moving here, they are moving quickly, they are moving consistently. They are looking for opportunities, they are evaluating the market and I think all of these things combined really are very favorable to us in the state of Florida,” said Parker.

But Parker said it’s not like New York is losing ground to Miami — it’s still the hotting market in the country.

“I still believe New York is still positioned to be the most important real-estate market in the country, if not the globe. It is just an opportunity for us now to expand our luxury market and to become a safe haven,” Parker said.

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Property Taxes | 140 Comments

See ya!

Posted on February 5, 2019 by grim

From the NY Post:

As revenue drops, concern about the proposed state budget rises

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday announced a dramatic drop in state income tax revenue of $2.8 billion, which he says will prompt him to revise his 2019-20 budget and reconsider spending on schools, health care and repairs to roads and bridges.

Cuomo, a Democrat, blamed the shortfall on a federal tax plan backed by Republican President Donald Trump. Cuomo said the law’s cap on deductions for state and local taxes at $10,000 was to blame and suggested it is, anecdotally, triggering high-earners to leave New York. 

“At this point there is no doubt that the budget we put forward is not supported by the revenues,” Cuomo said at a State Capitol news conference. “It’s as serious as a heart attack.”

Cuomo said he’s not certain what areas might need to be cut, but said the biggest spending areas now are education, health care, infrastructure and another phase-in of a previously approved middle-class tax cut.

The hole in revenues in December, which some analysts have called a December surprise, and continued poor performance in January have created a $2.3 billion drop in anticipated revenues, according to the Cuomo administration. Add that to the $500 million drop in revenues for December that the Cuomo administration had previously projected and the revenue hole is $2.8 billion, according to Cuomo Budget Director Robert Mujica.

Posted in Demographics, Economics, New Jersey Real Estate, NYC | 159 Comments

Another hit to the shore

Posted on February 3, 2019 by grim

From Shorebeat:

Legislators: N.J. Minimum Wage Hike A ‘Death Sentence’ for Jersey Shore Economy

Shore area businesses will be forced to either raise prices, cut workers or close down entirely in the wake of the state’s proposed law that gradually increases the minimum wage to $15 per hour, the state lawmakers who represent the boardwalk towns of Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant Beach said Friday.

The Shore will take a decidedly hard hit from the law because many young workers are likely to spurn the traditional summer job – where wages will increase at a slower pace – in favor of what is expected to be higher-paying jobs at non-tourism-based businesses. As a consequence, tourism-based businesses that often operate on low margins and must generated revenue in a short amount of time could find themselves overwhelmed by labor costs.

If the legislation is signed into law next week as expected, beginning Jan. 1, 2020, seasonal businesses need to pay their employees at least $10.30 an hour, and then increase that wage each year until it reaches $15 an hour in 2026.

“Restaurants, bars, boardwalks and amusement parks on the Jersey Shore will be the hardest hit,” added Assemblyman Dave Wolfe. “Even with the delayed increase, the mom and pop shops on the boardwalk will have to pay a competitive wage to attract young workers, who will undoubtedly choose to find higher-paying jobs at a supermarket or coffee shop chain instead. This is devastating to the Jersey Shore economy no matter how you slice it.”

Wolfe, along with his 10th district GOP colleagues state Sen. James Holzapfel and Assemblyman Gregory P. McGuckin, blasted the proposal, saying it would hurt the Shore area the most – doubling down on a separate tax on rental properties that is expected to increase the cost of a Jersey Shore vacation.

“This bill is yet another attempt by Governor Murphy to force residents and business owners out of the state,” said Holzapfel. “Small businesses are the backbone of the Jersey Shore and this wage increase will send ripple effects throughout our Shore economy.”


Posted in Economics, Employment, Shore Real Estate | 84 Comments

$15 here we come

Posted on February 1, 2019 by grim

From the Star Ledger:

N.J. minimum wage set to rise to $10 in July and $15 by 2024 after big votes

The Democrat-controlled state Legislature on Thursday gave approval to an historic increase in New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over five years, with a $1.15 raise coming this July.

The votes seal the deal reached earlier this month by Gov. Phil Murphy, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney and state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin — all Democrats — on a bill to boost the Garden State’s minimum wage by 70 percent for most workers while putting agricultural, seasonal and small business employees on a slower path to $15.

The bill passed the Assembly 52-25 and the Senate 23-16 on Thursday.

Murphy said he will sign the bill Monday, putting the trio of Democrats within striking distance of a major progressive policy achievement.

“History has shown us that raising the minimum wage is actually good for the business community, it’s good for New Jersey, and most importantly it’s good for the people that benefit from it,” Coughlin, D-Middlesex, said before the Assembly vote.

Under the bill, the minimum wage for most workers would increase to $10 an hour on July 1, to $11 on Jan. 1, 2020, $12 an hour on Jan. 1, 2021, $13 in 2022, $14 in 2023 and $15 in 2024.

New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal Trenton think tank, estimated more than 1 million workers will benefit from the wage hike. But about 10 percent of those employees will be put on a slower path.

Posted in Economics, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 73 Comments

An Icon Falls

Posted on January 31, 2019 by grim
Posted in Economics, Employment | 35 Comments

National home prices continue to soften

Posted on January 30, 2019 by grim

From CNBC:

Home prices rise at a slower pace: S&P Case-Shiller

Home values increased 5.2 percent annually in November, slowing from 5.3 percent in October, according to the widely watched S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index.

The 10-city composite annual increase also fell to 4.3 percent, down from 4.7 percent in the previous month. The 20-city composite saw a 4.7 percent annual gain, down from 5.0 percent in October.

Home price gains have been slowing since last spring, as higher mortgage interest rates cut sharply into affordability. The gains are slowing the most in large metropolitan markets, where home prices had overheated over the past three years.
…
“The pace of price increases are being dampened by declining sales of existing homes and weaker affordability,” said David M. Blitzer, managing director and chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices in a release.

Sales peaked in November 2017 and then began falling as mortgage rates rose. After rising steadily, rates began to drop again in November 2018, following a change in policy at the Federal Reserve. But the rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage is still higher today than it was one year ago.
…
“Housing market conditions are mixed while analysts’ comments express concerns that housing is weakening and could affect the broader economy. Current low inventories of homes for sale – about a four-month supply – are supporting home prices. New home construction trends, like sales of existing homes, peaked in late 2017 and are flat to down since then,” added Blitzer.

Rising wages and continued growth in employment are all favorable, he added, and with prices moderating and rates currently not rising, the spring market could see a slight boost.

“Slower price growth will help would-be buyers feel like their goal isn’t moving away faster than they can catch up. Against incomes rising at a roughly 3 percent pace, 4 percent home price growth is nearly at just the right pace,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com.

Posted in Economics, Housing Recovery, National Real Estate | 70 Comments

Nice house, if you can afford it

Posted on January 28, 2019 by grim

From HousingWire:

Redfin: Middle class buyers are being priced out of housing market

Although housing inventory is increasing, affordability for the typical middle class household is retreating, according to new data from Redfin.

“Homeownership is increasingly out of reach for the typical American,” Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather said. “Over the last few years builders have focused on luxury homes, and there hasn’t been enough construction of affordable starter homes.”

Redfin calculated housing market data ranging from 2017 to 2018, focusing on the share of affordable active listings that were available to households making the median income across 49 metro areas.

In San Jose, just 14% of homes that were on the market in 2018 were affordable for those making the area’s median household income of $117,000. This is a significant decrease from 2017 when 26% of homes for sale were affordable, according to the company.

Redfin attributes this lack of affordability to gains in home prices and interest rates.

According to ATTOM Data Solutions’ latest affordability report, in the fourth quarter of 2018, the median home price reached its least affordable level since the third quarter of 2008.

“While poor home affordability continues to cloud the U.S. housing market, there are silver linings in the local data as home price appreciation falls more in line with wage growth,” ATTOM Data Solutions Senior Vice President Daren Blomquist said.

In fact, Redfin determined that although the share of affordable homes for sale in these 49 metros fell from 2017 to 2018, a few metros experienced growth in affordability.

These areas included Hartford, Connecticut, where the share of affordable homes grew 19%; Jacksonville, Florida, which increased 9%; and Nashville, where affordable inventory rose 4%.

Furthermore, Redfin notes homebuyers still have housing options in St. Louis, where 84% of homes are affordable to the typical buyer, and Minneapolis and Pittsburgh where 82% of homes meet the average buyer’s budget.

Fairweather said Redfin expects homebuilders to shift their attention to more affordable homes in 2019, which along with rezoning efforts by local governments should reduce this pressure to some degree over time.

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, Housing Recovery, National Real Estate | 73 Comments

Anywhere but here

Posted on January 27, 2019 by grim

From the Real Deal:

Why millionaires are fleeing NYC and New Jersey

Volatile financial markets are leading high net worth individuals to leave New York and New Jersey in droves.

Last year, the region encompassing New York City, Jersey City and Newark lost more than 5,700 individual with liquid assets of $1 million to $30 million, the North Jersey Record reported. The exodus is thanks to turbulent financial markets and changes to federal and state tax laws.

“The folks that technically can afford to live here are also the people who have second homes. They could be in Pennsylvania. They could be in the Southwest. Very often it’s Florida,” said Debra Taylor of Taylor Financial Group in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. “The tax situation in those states is much more attractive.”

Taylor said she has been advising many wealthy clients to establish residency in other states, as the tax law changes capped deductions for state and local taxes, including property taxes, at $10,000. That shift has increased the cost of living for many of the area’s residents. For one of her clients to remain a New Jersey resident would cost $150,000 more annually, she said.

Even middle-class New Jerseyans are weighing their options. Their money goes farther in states like Texas and Florida, which have lower taxes and a lower cost of living.

According to a previous report, brokers in Florida have taken note. Agents and developers brokers in Florida have been trying to lure homebuyers looking to escape high-property-tax states like New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Posted in Economics, New Jersey Real Estate, NYC, Unrest | 4 Comments

Thank Trump for Housing?

Posted on January 24, 2019 by grim

From Yahoo Finance:

Shiller: Trump is a ‘psychological boost’ to the housing market

“I describe the current boom in U.S. home prices as the third largest boom since 1890. And so it’s big, and people are starting to think that housing is expensive, and that could lead to a turnaround and a drop in home prices,” Shiller said in an interview with Yahoo Finance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “But I’m not ready to forecast that yet.”

Shiller pointed out that the National Association of Home Builders’ monthly index of builder sentiment rose in January following two months of sharp declines, showing builders are beginning to look more favorably at housing demand. And in most cities, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller data – which Shiller co-created – has pointed to continued home price appreciation, albeit at a slower pace. The 20-city home price index rose 5.03% from a year earlier in October, based on the most recent release in December, from a downwardly revised annual gain of 5.2% in September.

However, Shiller said he has taken note of the past several months of weakness in the housing market. Most recently, the National Association of Realtors’ report on Tuesday showed U.S. home sales tumbled 6.4% month over month to their lowest level in three years, far outpacing the 1.5% drop predicted by economists. This extends a trend of declines in existing and new home sales in the latter part of 2018, which occurred against a backdrop of rising mortgage rates and land and labor shortages.

“The housing market, when it starts to slow, that’s a leading indicator that it could turn down,” Shiller said.
…
“You don’t have the smart money going in and out from day to day,” Shiller said. “[The housing market] shows momentum, and that momentum is slowing down a bit. There could be a reversal in home prices and a recession. But I’m not giving it a probability of greater than 50% for this year.”

The key factor leading to a contraction are changes in confidence, Shiller said. And on that front, President Donald Trump has delivered a bump to the housing market.

“I think Trump does have a psychological boost for the housing market because of who he is. He kind of exemplifies lavish living. He writes books about success. He’s our first motivational speaker president,” Shiller said. “His motivation will tell you that you have to live the life of a successful person.”

“That’s an important reason why people buy homes,” Shiller added. “They want to be part of the successful people in the country.”

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, Housing Recovery, National Real Estate | 93 Comments

Realtors confused … what else is new?

Posted on January 23, 2019 by grim

From CNBC:

The unusually large drop in home sales has real estate agents baffled

Real estate brokers are trying to figure out why sales of existing homes plunged in December.

The 6.4 percent monthly move was unusually large, regardless of direction. The tally from the National Association of Realtors generally moves in the very low single digits month to month.

In fact, the shift was one of the largest that didn’t involve some sort of change in government policy, like the homebuyer tax credit.

“The latest decline is harder to explain. Perhaps it is the decline in consumer confidence that’s been occurring in the latter half of 2018,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors. “The latest numbers do not reflect the lower, current mortgage rates compared to the November figures, so it’s really harder to explain.”

The supply of homes for sale also rose just more than 3 percent compared with a year ago. Low supply had been holding sales back last spring, despite strong demand, so it would make sense that more supply would boost sales, unless this is a sign that demand is weakening.

“This weakness is certainly due to the sharp home price gains along with the rise in mortgage rates,” said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group.

Affordability has been blamed for slower sales over the past six months, but sales in December matched the same pace as in 2000, and Yun argues that affordability is better now.

“Today it is actually more affordable compared to year 2000, yet we have about 20 million more jobs, so for home sales to be roughly equivalent means that in 2018 there is an underperformance of the overall housing sector.”

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, National Real Estate | 67 Comments

NJ labor force shrinking

Posted on January 22, 2019 by grim

From ROINJ:

GSI analysis: 2018 jobs report shows N.J.’s lost steam, economy falling behind

Garden State Initiative has released an analysis of New Jersey’s monthly jobs report for December 2018, and in it said the economy is not moving forward the way it should.

The report showed employment losses last month as well as a depleting workforce over the year.

“This has been a troubling week for New Jersey’s economy,” Regina M. Egea, president of GSI, said. “We’ve seen the slow job growth of recent months come to a full stop and state revenue falling well below projections. These two reports send a clear message to the Administration to avoid further policy shifts that would hamper job creation.”

In the private sector, New Jersey lost 2,300 jobs in December. The report said most of the jobs came from white collar service industries. For 2018, the state was up 61,900 private sector jobs.

In December, the state’s labor workforce grew by 5,900 workers — the largest increase in 2018. However, GSI said the increase was not in line with the beginning of the year. In January 2018, the labor force was at 4.508 million. It’s currently at 4.501 million, a difference of 7,700 people.
…
When comparing New Jersey’s shrunken workforce to other states, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and New York saw their workforces grow since 2015. Pennsylvania’s workforce shrank as well, but far less than New Jersey.

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, New Jersey Real Estate | 60 Comments

Shore only for the rich

Posted on January 21, 2019 by grim

From the Star Ledger:

New rental tax worries some shore renters, homeowners

A new tax in New Jersey on short-term lodging such as Airbnb rentals is rattling some property owners and renters who worry that it could deal a blow to the state’s multi-billion dollar shore tourism industry by pushing people to consider other destinations.

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy proposed extending the state’s sales and occupancy tax to transient accommodations like Airbnb and VRBO rentals during last year’s budget process, and it flew largely under the radar as Murphy and the Democrat-led Legislature scrapped over bigger taxes such as income taxes and corporate business rates.

But since the 11.625 percent tax — higher in some towns that have their own fees — went into effect late last year, a group of property owners, some from Pennsylvania and New York, have taken their concerns to lawmakers.

The issue is rising to the surface now in particular because many shore rentals are locked up in January. The new tax law requires property owners who let out their homes, including vacation properties along the state’s roughly 130-mile coastline, to collect the tax from short-term renters. In many cases, this is affecting owners and renters who have long-standing arrangements, or who rent by word of mouth or via informal social media posts.
…
Just how many people the new tax will affect is unclear. Payne says the coalition estimates that it could be as high as 6,000. A legislative estimate that accompanied the bill found it would bring in an indeterminate amount of cash.

The state’s tourism website estimates overall the shore saw 100 million visitors in 2017 and accounted for about $43 billion in spending.

Murphy’s administration defended the tax as a way to “level the playing field” between hotels, motels and transient accommodations done through online marketplaces like Airbnb, according to a statement from treasury spokeswoman Jennifer Sciortino.

She also pointed out that the law offers short-term renters a way around the tax since transactions through real estate agents are exempt from the tax. That’s a point that rankles owners. Payne called it “discriminatory” and said many owners prefer to deal with their guests directly.
…
Kathy Coccia, 68, is a retired grandmother from Cranford, New Jersey, and has been renting a vacation house in Avalon along with her husband, daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids for the past 10 years. This year, though, when she called to inquire about renting the shore house, she said she was stunned to learn about New Jersey’s new tax on certain rental properties.

She said she and her family are considering another destination.

“I feel I’m being taken advantage of,” she said. “It’s a lot. New Jersey asks a lot of its homeowners.”

Posted in Politics, Property Taxes, Shore Real Estate, Unrest | 29 Comments

NJ nears $15

Posted on January 17, 2019 by grim

From the Star Ledger:

N.J. minimum wage to rise to $15 an hour as Murphy, top Dems strike deal

New Jersey’s Democratic governor and lawmakers have reached a highly anticipated agreement to raise New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 an hour for most workers by 2024.

Under the deal, many workers will see their wages rise gradually to a $15 an hour, though some, including those employed by small businesses with five or fewer employees, will have to wait longer.

The deal had been held up by a disagreement over which workers should receive $15 an hour and when. Gov. Phil Murphy called for $15 for all, while legislative leaders said there must be exceptions made for some employers, including small businesses and farmers. This tension had stalled progress on one of the Democrats’ top priorities.

The breakthrough announced Thursday is a plan to raise the standard minimum wage to $10 an hour on July 1, $11 an hour in 2020, $12 an hour in 2021, $13 in 2022, $14 in 2023 and $15 in 2024.

“This is a big, big step forward for New Jersey. And particularly, it’s responsible,” Murphy said. “We are changing the lives of a million workers in this state. I can’t stress that enough.”

The impact of the deal is far reaching. New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal Trenton think tank, estimated more than 1 million workers will benefit from the wage hike. But about 10 percent of those employees will be put on a slower path.

Seasonal workers and small business employees won’t reach $15 an hour in 2026. Farm workers will hit $12.50 in 2024, after which it would be left up to state officials in the executive branch whether to keep going to $15 an hour by 2027.

A bill still must be passed by the state Senate and Assembly and signed into law by the governor. The Democratic-controlled Legislature hopes to vote on the bill by the end of the month, according to one legislative source.
…
The New Jersey Business and Industry Association, which represents 20,000 businesses, said he announcement is “another hit” to small businesses trying to absorb new rules, like paid sick leave, energy costs and higher personal and corporate state tax rates.

“Most small business owners pay what they can afford their workers. Now that it’s a mandate, it’s inevitable that some of those with the smallest profit margins will struggle, stagnate or simply fail,” NJBIA President Michele Siekerka said in a statement.

Posted in Economics, Employment, New Jersey Real Estate | 88 Comments

Need to raise the taxes

Posted on January 15, 2019 by grim

From the Star Ledger:

N.J.’s tax revenues are falling short of Murphy administration target

Midway through the fiscal year, New Jersey’s income tax collections have fallen off track, Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration reported on Monday.

Revenues for the fiscal year that began in July are expected to grow 7.5 percent over last year but slowed to 2.1 percent through December. The slowdown is driven largely by underperforming gross income tax collections that are budgeted to increase 5.4 percent — or $824 million — compared with last year. Treasury data shows they have fallen 6.5 percent below last year’s collections.

At 6.5 percent through November, all revenues had been just slightly lagging that 7.5 percent target. The income tax was beating its goal.
…
Last fiscal year, New Jersey collected $15.2 billion in income taxes, and the administration projects it will bring in $16 billion this year, thanks to a new “mega-millionaires tax” on income over $5 million. The gross income tax is the state’s largest single source of tax revenue.

Another major tax, the sales tax, remains behind the governor’s projections — growing by 1.2 percent compared with 6.2 percent. The Corporation Business Tax, which underwent a big update in this year’s budget, has grown 60.8 percent versus this time last year, where it is projected to grow 47.2 percent.

“Corporate tax revenues are expected to grow significantly due to substantial state and federal tax policy changes that influence the tax base and the timing of certain payments,” according to the Treasury Department.

Posted in Economics, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 128 Comments