An ad for a Hoboken estate sale catches your eye and you decide to take  a look at the home that is being offered. The home looks like a great deal, but are you aware of the disclosure process when it comes to buying a home from an estate or out of foreclosure? What many people do not realize is that a property listed by a corporate or institutional seller in many states is exempt from having to make disclosures on the property available to buyers. In contrast, when you buy a home from a private "equity seller," you must be told about the leaky roof or the bad septic tank. The bank who owns a distressed property does not have to let you know about these problems. What you don't know can leave you in the dark about a lot of what you need to know about the biggest purchase of your life.Un... 02/24/2011

Ashok 'Shoookie' Singh, GRI, ABR, EcoBroker Luxury Leasing & Sales Specialist Licensed New York/New Jersey  Gotham Realty, LLC 98 Garden St Hoboken, NJ 07030 201-469-6365         ONE MONTH BROKER FEE   Zephyr Lofts 689 Marin Blvd Hoboken, NJ 07030   Fabulous Loft Apartment   Features Include:   Loft condos in solid concret industrial building (you definitely won't hear the neighbor here) 2 Elevators Open layout with a lot of light Panoramic views od NYC Hardwood floors Walking distance to Hoboken PATH station Full service concierge building 24 hour gym IN UNIT Washer and Dryer On site garage Parking available (additional cost)      Downstairs bedroom 10' x 14'      Fabulous 18' ceilings           There are two bedrooms in the unit, both have ceramic tiled floors and silestone counterto... 02/20/2011

Ashok 'Shoookie' Singh, GRI, ABR, EcoBroker Luxury Leasing & Sales Specialist Licensed New York/New Jersey  Gotham Realty, LLC 98 Garden St Hoboken, NJ 07030 201-469-6365 (cell) BEST WAY TOO REACH ME, I GET BACK TO YOU FAST! 845-248-0923 (ANOTHER cell) BEST WAY TO REACH ME, I GET BACK TO YOU FAST           AVAILABLE APRIL 1, 2011 ONE MONTH BROKER FEE        WARNING: THE PICTURES YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE ARE EXTREMELY DISTURBING, IF YOU HAVE A WEAK HEART, WEAR A PACEMAKER, HAVE SMALL CHILDREN OR PETS IN THE ROOM PLEASE COVER THEIR EYES OR HAVE THEM LEAVE THE ROOM!   AVAILABLE APRIL 1, 2011      Washington St Hoboken, NJ 07030 The apartment is in a GREAT LOCATION, the apartment itself, not fancy at all, but if you want a great apartment in an EXCELLENT location, with large bedrooms, for two ... 02/20/2011

Calling all Hoboken Bikers! Spring is here and it is time to get your bike ready for the upcoming warm weather. If you haven’t heard already, there is a great citizen-based advocacy organization called Bike Hoboken, that was developed to make Hoboken streets safer for bikers. Bike Hoboken will be holding its first formal meeting on Wednesday, February 23, at 8 p.m. at Carpe Diem located at 14th and Grand Streets. At the top of the agenda of the meeting will be the group’s list of goals and recent accomplishments for 2011. Topics will include, the subject of more bike racks and riding lanes as well as more group rides. The group is also hoping to recruit new members to give a hand with carrying out the group’s goals. According to Josh Meyers, a group member, states, “Although Hoboken is... 02/19/2011

With Spring right around the corner you may be interested in putting your home up for sale. Have you ever heard that Realtors are overpriced, or you can sell your house on your own and save the money? There are facts and figures stating that the above statements are truly a myth. More than 80 percent of homes that first hit the market as a Sale By Owner (FSBO) eventually end up being sold by  a Realtor.  Think about the money that is wasted by trying to sell your home on your own. You need to consider the costs of advertising, signs, flyers, etc. If you do get lucky enough to sell your home without a realtor it is very likely that the buyer will come represented by a Realtor who will need to be compensated by you as the seller. Don’t forget that buyers of FSBO properties will expect to... 02/18/2011

This Week In Hoboken Real Estate: Feb 8-15 You Don't Bring Me Flowers... ...just 2010 retreads. The number of condos for sale is climbing. A lot of 2010 retreads in there though. The 2010 Hoboken Real Estate Report Is Now Available! 8 Contracts in 7 days!. 21 Price changes. 20 solds.... total available up to 369. Feb 8-15 Hoboken Real Estate Report My sellers are out there. Why? becasue they want to sell. When is the buyere going to get the best deal? Now. When is the seller going to get the best deal? Now. My sellers are going to contract, having multiple offers, and reducing prices to be competitive. The 40 page 2010 Hoboken Real Estate Report is now available. . It's my best yet. Really good stuff. I will share over the next couple of months in this blog. Get it today for free. To an... 02/15/2011

Hoboken Open Houses Map Feb 12th & 13thI'll be at 300 Newark Street Sat 1-3 and sun 12-2. Be My Valentine House hunting is a lot like looking for love. Open House here, open house there. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince (ss). A good realtor is a lot like having your own Patti Stanger, just nicer. These free maps are a service of Brian Murray. Open houses are a great way to get a high level view of the market when just starting your search but keep in mind the following important items: 1) Open houses only represent a small portion of what is available. On any given week end in Hoboken, there are between thirty and sixty open houses. This represents as little as 5% of the total inventory. A buyer who is just starting out should see open houses in different pric... 02/12/2011

Here is a quick summary of the condominium sales activity in Hoboken & Downtown Jersey City for January 2011. All information is gathered from the Hudson County MLS.HobokenActive: 347Under Contract: 122Sold: 38Downtown Jersey CityActive: 302Under Contact: 77Sold: 15To view additional market detailas & the Top 3 condominium sales for January in Hoboken & Downtown Jersey City, please visit Living on the Hudson.   02/11/2011

Where Can I Find A Notary Public in Hoboken? Hoboken Notary Public New Jersey state commissioned Mobile Notary Public in Hoboken.  Member of the National Notary Association.  Errors & Omissions insured. Safe & Secure. As a Mobile Notary Public in Hoboken, I will drive to your location... your home, the hospital, businesses or even your local Starbucks.  Flexible nights and weekends.  Call for an appointment today. Mobile Notary Public in Hoboken 02/11/2011

There is great news on the education front in Hoboken and another one of the many great reasons to purchase a home in Hoboken. The New Jersey School Report Card has announced that the per pupil spending rose in many Hudson County school districts last year. Hoboken led the pack with the county’s highest amount spent per pupil at $18,726 per student. The students inJersey City were not as fortunate with the per pupil spending decreasing by more than $1,000 from the 2008-2009 school year. The report also states the salaries of administrators and teachers. The highest-paid faculty members were in Hoboken, where the median was  $80,337. As a whole the report displays statistics that includes class sizes, the median salaries of teachers, and student performance on standardized tests. For he... 02/11/2011

The New Jersey Department of Transportation will be appropriating $4.3 million in funds divided among 12 Hudson County towns. Hoboken is scheduled to receive $400,125.000 for “various roads.” The money will be coming from grants in the Fiscal Year 2011 Municipal Aid program. Hoboken will receive the largest amount of money for Hudson County towns. As a total, the state is giving out 370 grants worth $78.75 million. The goal, according to the state’s release, is to “help municipalities advance street improvement, safety and other projects without burdening local property taxpayers.” The breakdown of the $4.3 million is as follows: Guttenberg – 68th Street – $100,000.00 Hoboken – Various Streets – $400,125.00 Jersey City – Various Streets – $1,300,000.00 Union City – West Street – $281,3... 02/06/2011

If you have been considering purchasing a new home think about the following: With a new home you will have the option to customize it with kitchen appliances, flooring, counter tops and color choices. There is minimal maintenance involved with a new home and materials used are newer and do not pose a possible health risk compared to older homes. A majority of homebuilders will give you a home warranty in case of building defects. This also includes warranties on appliances. Newly built homes are generally prewired for technology, including high speed internet, multiple phone lines, and cable. New homes will often be more energy efficient with more effective windows, insulation, and an up to date heating and cooling system. If you are concerned with have the most stylish décor, a new h... 01/30/2011

If an FHA or VA loan is in your future to purchase a condo, be sure to check into the specifics for the area you are interested in. The majority of condos must be purchased with conventional financing (20% down payment) or all cash. To qualify for FHA and VA loan programs, condos must meet certain criteria, and be approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for FHA, or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the VA. Not very long ago, there were ’spot approval’ processes where an individual unit could be approved on a case-by-case basis, but at this time those options are no longer available. What is the best way to find out if a condo is VA or FHA approved? Following are two online tools that buyers or sellers can use to find approved condo communities. The to... 01/23/2011

According to the National Association of Home Builders, Hoboken and other home builders are going smaller with the size of new homes. The average size of a new home has been reduced and is expected to shrink more during the next few years. In 2015 the average home size is predicted to be approximately 2,150 square feet. In 2010 the average home size was 2,377 square-foot based on a U.S. statistic. That’s significantly lower than the 2,500 square-foot average size in 2007. However, the current average home size in the U.S. is 50% larger that the average home size was in the 1970s. Housing researchers have stated that the current downsizing of homes is due to the poor economy and a switch in consumer tastes. One thing is for certain is that buyers will not downsize when it comes to stora... 01/21/2011

Home for Sale By Owner in Hoboken, NJ 07030 - Flat Fee MLS Listing $395   Hoboken, NJ 07030 - Realtors welcome, buyer agent commission paid at closing! 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms Condo/Townhome/Row Home/Co-OpClothes dryerClothes washerDishwasher, MicrowaveRange and oven, RefrigeratorWall/window air cond.Wood flrs If you are interested in this Home for Sale By Owner in Hoboken, NJ 07030 - Flat Fee MLS Listing $395, please call 1-888-362-6543, enter the MLS# 100015549. You can make an appointment or ask any questions about the property. Realtors welcome, buyer commission is paid to any realtor.  Please see additional listing details at Realtor.com featured by Realmart Realty. If you have a Home for Sale in Hoboken, NJ 07030 and would like save up to 6% commission, we can list your home on th... 01/17/2011

Paint industry forecasters  are saying that homeowners will be very budget conscious when choosing paint for their home during 2011. Since painting your home is one of the best and inexpensive ways to update the look of your home the possibilities are endless. Sherwin-Williams’ has introduced “Today’s Colors” 2011 by dividing colors into four palettes titled: Purely Refined, Bold Invention, Restless Nomad and Gentle Medley. The Purely Refined group includes muted blues, lilacs, greens, grays and understated neutrals. Bold Invention will bring you vivid greens, turquoises and blues, with an urban theme. You will find the Restless Nomad palette with dusky darks, bright pinks, reds and earthy food-influenced hues.  If you are looking for a mix of earthy neutral tans combined with freshwat... 01/15/2011

Hoboken and Jersey City are not immune to the foreclosure wave that has been sweeping across the U.S. over the past 2 years. Realty Trac, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties released its Year-End 2010 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™ which showed 3,825,637 foreclosure filings-default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions which was an increase of 2% from 2009 and an increase of 23% from 2008. Following are the current statistics from Realty Trac’s site for Hoboken and Jersey City. The statistics include condos, single and multiple family homes. Hoboken: Pre-foreclosure: 114 Auction: 2 Bank owned: 21 Jersey City: Pre-foreclosure: 2124   (yes, that's two thousand one hundred and twenty four!) Auction: 62 Bank owned: 296 If you or someone you know is at ri... 01/13/2011

Home for Sale By Owner in Hoboken, NJ 07030 - Flat Fee MLS Listing $395   Hoboken, NJ 07030 - Realtors welcome, buyer agent commission paid at closing! 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms Features: Clothes dryerClothes washerDishwasherDisposalMicrowaveRange and ovenRefrigeratorWood floors If you are interested in this Home for Sale By Owner in Hoboken, NJ 07030 - Flat Fee MLS Listing $395, please call 1-888-362-6543, enter the MLS# 110000092. You can make an appointment or ask any questions for the property. Realtors welcome, full buyer commission is paid to any realtor.  Please see additional listing details at Realtor.com featured by Realmart Realty. If you have a Home for Sale in Hoboken, NJ 07030 and would like save up to 6% commission, we can list your home on local MLS and Realtor.com for a l... 01/13/2011

I recently looked back the Hoboken condo market for 2010 to see what the overall top sales were. The most expensive sale according to the Hudson County MLS occurred in May at the W Hotel & Residences.  A 3 bedroom north/east facing condo sold for $2,400,000.Other notable sales include a penthouse at the Garden Street Lofts selling for $2,300,000 in June and a 3,600 sq.ft. penthouse at 2 Constitution Court selling for $2,200,000 in September.To view the complete list of the top 10 Hoboken condo sales of 2010, please visit Living on the Hudson. 01/12/2011

When counseling buyers and sellers on their Hoboken metro area real estate, I prepare them for what is becoming a somewhat common occurrence…..the low appraisal.  That’s a situation where an appraisers estimation of value for a particular property is lower than the accepted offering price.  For instance an offer is accepted for $550,000 but the appraisal estimation of value is only $515,000.  If the appraisal is too low, buyers may not be able to borrow enough to purchase the property. First of all, I’m a real estate agent, not an appraiser however we deal with appraisals as part of the normal course of our business.  Some points to consider that I’ve encountered from over 10 years of buying and selling real estate personally, and professionally: The appraisal is an opinion of value.  ... 01/11/2011