All kinds of industries are finding ways to be kinder to the environment, and finding new ways to market environmentally friendly products to the public. The home furnishing industry is one that is relatively new to this trend. Many companies have been using environmentally friendly practices for some time. Using solar power or recycled materials to produce their furnishings. A new twist on the idea is using objects that are obviously recycled on the surface of their products.

 

In the past this practice has often been accomplished in a less than ascetically appealing way. Reusing materials that are not particularly attractive. Designers are starting to pay more attention to design and ascetics in green products and are actually achieving some very beautiful end results.  

 

Designers are also hopeful that using recycled materials that are not disguised in the final product will promote environmental awareness. Products that are constructed of obviously recycled materials allow the owners not only to do something to preserve the environment themselves but they are also conversation pieces that promote their interest in the environment. Like hybrid-car drivers who let their vehicles demonstrate their environmental awareness, buyers of these blatantly green products seem to like having them become conversation pieces.

 

Skeptics of this practice claim that these eco-friendly products do little to help the environment. The amounts of materials that are reused are minimal and the conversations about conservation that they start are typically among like minded people. Real change needs to come about in the production of mass-marketed goods to truly have an impact.

First off, I want to thank all the Re/Max Classic Group agents who put so much work into making our second annual Summer Bash a huge success, it would never have happened with out all of you. Secondly, I would like to thank everyone who turned out to enjoy the festivities despite the HOT weather!

 

The party celebrates our past and present clients and is just one of the ways we express our gratitude to the people who make as a success. The 2^nd annual ‘Summer Bash’ was held at White Oak Park and featured live entertainment, good food, carnival games & even a face painting clown! Fun was had by all. It’s good business to celebrate our clients and the wonderful relationships that we’ve made over the years. 

 

In addition to the fun and games, a silent auction was held to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network. The donation will go directly to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital to benefit the children in their care. To hold a fun event like this and also be able to give to our chosen charity makes all the hard work worthwhile. This year’s ‘Summer Bash’ was truly a success and we are already looking forward to next year.  

 

Thanks again, to everyone who participated!

The event is June 19^th from 6pm to 10pm, thats next Thursday, but you must buy your tickets by this Friday of this week. Those giving agents, who do want tickets, see your office Director of 1^st Impressions… 

Remember you get by giving!!!

Last year they raised over $25,000 for Children’s Miricle Network; I would like to see them exceed that this year.

You can’t always choose when you want to sell a home, as many people trying to sell in the current market will tell you. Job transfers, growing families, or older children leaving home are just a few of the reasons that people may decide to sell in any market. The following tips can help if you find yourself selling your home in a difficult market.

Look for local agents who are listing, marketing and selling in your community even if the market is slow. Ask several of them to make a "listing presentation" to discuss your home’s value, justify their numbers and explain how they would market your property

UNDERSTAND THE REAL MARKETPLACE

To negotiate effectively, you need to know up-to-the-minute sale prices - not just what your neighbor’s house sold for last year - and the deal-making behind them. For example, two homes may each have sold for $400,000, but if one owner gave a 3 percent credit for deck repair and a new furnace, that’s a $12,000 reduction. Your agent should be knowledgeable about the details of sales in your area and be nimble enough to revise the marketing plan for your home to reflect changing conditions.

SWEETEN THE DEAL

Sellers are reportedly offering some unusual sales incentives - plasma TVs, cars, boat slips, vacations and golf carts - but cash may still be king. For example, some sellers have agreed to pay condo maintenance fees for the buyer. Other ideas include covering moving expenses or a month’s mortgage payment.

BE FLEXIBLE ON THE DEPOSIT

To "bind" a deal, the buyer should put down a deposit (separate from the down payment), which varies widely depending on the local market. You’d like the biggest deposit you can get, but in a slow market you may have to settle for less.

MONITOR AND UPDATE YOUR LISTING

If it’s April, you don’t want the photo of your house on the Multiple Listing Service displaying a snowman on the lawn. An out-of-season picture is a dead giveaway that your home has been on the market for awhile. And with many buyers doing their first "look-see" on the Internet, the quality of the photos is paramount, too.

Any of these tips are helpful in any market, but crucial if you are selling in a difficult market. If you would like more information on buying or selling a home in today’s market e-mail me at john@bendallgroup.com.

The high price of gas is certainly a concern when budgeting for summer road trips. Another concern for many is the cost of tolls. With the introduction of Easy Pass many people who travel toll roads regularly only stop to think about it when they have to reload their Easy Pass account. For people who traveled toll roads semi-regularly in the past the use of tokens provided a slight discount to the cost. 

Tokens have not been sold since 2002, but they have continued to be accepted. The New Jersey Turnpike authority is going set a date as to when those tokens can be used. It is expected that they will no longer be accepted as of the end of this year.

Cathedral ceilings have been popular in new construction for the past 15 years and they may be starting to become a thing of the past. The economy is at least partially to blame for this change in taste. Homeowners paying higher energy costs are having trouble justifying paying to heat and cool half of a room that they can not technically use. 

 

There are other maintenance issues that are causing these two story rooms to loss favor with buyers. Painting can be very difficult and often involves hiring a pricey professional to do the job. Cleaning and changing light bulbs pose similar difficulties.  Rooms with high ceilings can also be drafty and noisy, further reducing the appeal.

 

For buyers purchasing new construction the solution is adding an additional room or loft in the space that would have been a cathedral ceiling. Many homebuilders are working two story rooms out of their plans entirely as buyers lose interest

 

There are also several options for current homeowners looking to better use the space. Adding a second floor room in place of a cathedral ceiling can add 300 – 400 square feet of living space. The cost is considerably less than an addition since the walls and ceiling are pre-existing. A loft to use for an office or library is even more cost effective while still adding value and space to the home.

High gas prices and the state of the economy are beginning to play a roll in planning for summer activities. Since leisure activities are luxuries to many families they can be the first thing to go when belts need to be tightened. Six Flags Great Adventure is doing something to help families enjoy some recreation in the tight economy. They have lowered their ticket prices by $10 to ease the cost of spending the day at the amusement park. 

As gas prices rise many summer vacation plans are getting cancelled or being modified. Many drivers will be putting off road trips this summer and planning to stay closer to home. Six Flags Great Adventure offers a great alternative to driving long distances to out of state theme parks. 

The Theme park lost money last year and has been looking for ways to attract more visitors this season. One of the ways they are doing that is by marketing the park as a high value entertainment source, close to home. It is possible that the high gas prices could turn out to be a benefit to local attractions this year keeping local spending local.

But how to find this out? What to say? What to ask?

FORD
F= Family
O= Occupation
R= Recreation
D= Dreams

Family: So do have children? What do you do for the Holidays? Family around here? What was your wife’s name again?

Occupation: So what do you do? How do you spend most of your time? Do you enjoy what you do? What do you do that applies to any job? What’s a typical day look like for you?  Tell me more about what you do on a daily basis at your position.

Recreation: So what do you do when you aren’t doing what you do? When you aren’t working, what are you doing? Do you play golf, tennis, or what do you do to stay active?

Dreams: What do the next 5 years look like for you? Still working on your scrap booking? Did you meet your expectations at your job this week, year, etc. What’s next for you?  Have you made a list of 100 things you’d like to achieve in life? Great! What’s one you are going to get this year? or No? If you were making this list, what would be one thing on it?

With this simple acronym you can learn many powerful things.  You can be the best conversationalist on the planet! Ask, listen, and learn.  Compile a mini-database in your mind when you are talking to them. Then, when you are away (restrooms are great Networking Recording Facilities Write what you learned on the back of their card. Where you met them should go on there as well.  Put that into your database at your office.

What do you do after you meet them?

You follow up with a handwritten note, and more specifically, a PWR note (Personalized, Written, and Relationship-building).  Rather than just saying, "Nice to meet you" or "Thank you," you want to truly begin building a relationship with that person.  Acknowledge what you ADMIRE and what you NOTICED about that person in your note.  Try to write the entire PWR note without including the words "I", "We", "My", or "Mine".

Sample:
Bruno,
It was a pleasure meeting you at Biff and Buffy’s housewarming party.  Your stories of your home town, …… were amazing. 1 Stoplight! Your love for your family is obvious and your passion for what you do is motivating.  As you continue to strive for that 10th sale this month, just know you have support all around you.  Take care

 

For many people the investment in their home is the biggest investment they make in a lifetime. With that in mind homeowners are, of course, very concerned about maintaining their home and its value. In the current market retention of value tops the list of concerns. There are many things that you can do to retain value in your home including making improvements and just keeping up with regular maintenance. 

There are many factors outside of your control that affect the value of your home. Market conditions play a role and fluctuate over time. Another factor that has an effect is the condition of the surrounding area.  If your neighbors are among the many struggling financially and possibly wrestling growing mortgage payments and shrinking home values they may have let some of the regular maintenance of their home go. If this happens frequently in an area the over all value of the neighborhood can go down.  

You may or may not be able to have a direct hand in the condition of your neighbors’ homes. One thing you can do is continue to invest in the upkeep of your own home. This may seem difficult if the homes around yours are deteriorating but a bright well kept home can offer some inspiration in a neighborhood that needs it. A well kept neighbor can lift the sprits of potential buyers and even appraisers. For this end limited money may be best spent improving curb appeal. Other improvements that can provide immediate returns include things that could reduce insurance costs or energy consumption. 

If you have the ability or inclination to take your care of the neighborhood one step further you could lend a hand to a neighbor going through a tough time. Offering to help with yard maintenance, painting, or small repairs. You may be able to coordinate the help of other neighbors as anything you do to improve the value of homes in the neighborhood will benefit everyone.