CNB Business News: Ongoing Commitment to Service Earns Agents 2019 Quality Service Pinnacle Award

Madison, NJ (Grassroots Newswire) February 24, 2020 — Century 21 Real Estate LLC recently recognized the following sales affiliates with the CENTURY 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award. The annual award is based on results from the CENTURY 21 Quality Service Survey (QSS) which is e-mailed to consumers immediately after the purchase or sale of a home. To earn the

CENTURY 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award, an agent must receive completed customer surveys for at least 50 percent of their transactions surveyed from January 1 – December 31, with an average survey score of at least 95 percent or better for 2 consecutive years.

* Jitka McCabe, of CENTURY 21 Alliance, of Mantua, New Jersey, will receive a customized glass trophy, in addition to being recognized at the CENTURY 21 Global Conference. For more information, Charles Meyer can be reached at (609) 654-8797 or

chuckmeyer@century21.com

* Andrea Schoelkopf, of CENTURY 21 Rauh & Johns, of Sewell, New Jersey, will receive a customized glass trophy, in addition to being recognized at the CENTURY 21 Global Conference. For more information, Joseph Rauh can be reached at 856-582-0366 or

jrauhc21@aol.com

\”The Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award is an integral part of our brands commitment to excellence and recognizes their dedication to making each and every client interaction a positive one,\” said Mike Miedler, chief executive officer of Century 21 Real Estate LLC. \”They provide their clients with knowledge and advice related to their real estate transaction and offers them confidence during what may be the most significant purchase of a lifetime.

About Century 21 Real Estate LLC

Century 21 Real Estate LLC is comprised of approximately 11,500 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in 84 countries and territories worldwide with more than 131,000 independent sales professionals. Century 21 Real Estate has numerous websites to help answer specific consumer needs. They are

century21.com

century21Global.com

commercial.century21.com

century21.com/finehomes

, and

century21espanol.com

©2020 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. CENTURY 21®, the CENTURY 21 Logo and C21® are registered service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated.

CNB BUSINESS NEWS

Features of Real Estate Insurance in the USA

Gloucestercitynews.net (February 6, 2020)–The US insurance market is considered the most developed in the world. Thousands of insurance organizations work in the country. Relations in the field of property insurance are regulated in each state separately, and not by federal laws. This system, along with geographical and climatic features in different regions, has led to the formation of various tariffs and features of the damage coverage package. In addition to property insurance against fires, residents of different states try to protect themselves from floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Many take the opportunity to insure title rights to real estate in order to avoid problems when disputes arise with other applicants. Therefore, if you plan to secure your property, make sure to visit

www.americaninsurance.com

Volunteering and Obligations

According to the law, the conclusion of an agreement with insurers is an exclusively voluntary decision. But many people are simply forced to purchase policies. The grounds may be the following:

Tenant association requirements;

Bank conditions when applying for a mortgage.

Residents of regions prone to frequent natural disasters ensure real estate so as not to stay on the streets after another natural disaster. Many also seek to protect themselves from damage caused by fires. According to statistics, they are the most common reason for contacting insurers for payments.

Many states have special natural disaster insurance programs that commercial structures have traditionally been abandoned. This includes floods and earthquakes. They are being developed at the federal level and with the local government. Home or other property insurance is conditionally voluntary for participation in such programs. Anyone can refuse to do this. But in the event of natural disasters, such people will not be able to rely on state aid, loans, and subsidies if the building was damaged during a devastating event typical of the region.

A real estate insurance policy takes effect only 30 days after its conclusion. This reduces the chances of attempts to pay security fees only when an immediate threat arises. For example, if you were insured against a hurricane and it erupted in a week, you will not be able to receive compensation.

Title Insurance

Here we are not talking about an honorary title, but about the right to a specific property. As a rule, after acquiring property, people receive identification documents. Before the transaction, the legal purity of the object is checked. But this does not exclude a dispute. After all, sometimes documents that no one has seen for hundreds of years can come up, and the court will review the rights of the owners, giving the recently acquired property to other people. Title insurance protects against such cases.

The cost of the policy is less than one percent of the value of the object. However, if an insured event occurs, the damage is calculated based on the prices that exist at the time the payment becomes necessary. For example, a house is worth a million. When buying, the price was 50,000. In case of loss of ownership, the owner who insured the title will receive a million.

Quick and Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

Gloucestercitynews.net (January 31, 2020)–People are thinking a lot more about their carbon footprint these days, the idea of making your home eco-friendlier is not new, but it is becoming essential. From those who want to reduce their

image unsplash.com

environmental impact to those that are preparing their home to sell, being more environmentally conscious is more popular than ever. Make the right eco-friendly changes to your home, and you can even add value to your property, meaning that you can advance up the property ladder even faster. If you\’re looking for ways to make cost-effective changes to your carbon footprint, here are some of the greenest ways to make your home eco-friendlier.

Water Waste

As one of the more expensive utility bills, it always pays to be smarter about your water use. When it comes to being environmentally aware, most people look at electricity consumption, but your use of water is just as vital. Think about the many ways that you can save water, starting with making repairs on any leaking pipes or

a dripping faucet

. Consider installing a showerhead that comes with a low-flow option, and you can save thousands of liters of water every year.

Get Hot and Stay Cool

Temperature is where a lot of people fail when it comes to their carbon footprint. Relaxing at home if it’s too cold or too hot can be very frustrating, so it’s always tempting to play with the air-con or heating system to get the right temperature

to relax in. Check your air-conditioning system and your furnace, making sure to

make a note of your SEER and AFUE

. These two measurements will give you a much clearer idea of your energy efficiency and can have a large bearing on your utility bills.

Always Insulate

One of the most effective ways to use less energy is to need less. Insulated walls and attics prevent cooled or heated air from escaping outside, meaning that you aren’t going to be wasting your energy by constantly adjusting the temperature. You can even go beyond traditional materials by investing in more

eco-friendly materials for your insulation

. Sheep\’s wool and cotton are common options for greener insulation, but there are many materials to consider if you want to improve your insulation and remain environmentally conscious.

Eco-Aware Lighting

Most people have already looked at energy-efficient light bulbs, but if you haven’t researched them lately, then you might be amazed by the drop in prices. While the cost of energy-saving light bulbs used to be quite prohibitive, modern options are much more wallet-friendly. Remember, you don’t have to swap every lightbulb immediately. Buy one or two energy-efficient bulbs every payday and replace your older lightbulbs with the newer bulbs as needed. Take your time, and you’ll soon have all of the

environmentally friendly lighting

that you’ll need.

Turning your home int0 somewhere more eco-friendly doesn’t have to mean huge disruption or costs. Often, it is the small changes to your home that will have the most impact. Whether you\’re putting your property on the market or you want to reduce your carbon footprint, these quick and easy eco-friendly tips could save you a fortune and boost the asking price of your home.

How to Properly Spruce Up Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Gloucestercitynews.net(January 31, 2020)–Though it’s on the inside that counts, a properly spruced up exterior can help you boost your home’s value, your own comfort, and of course help boost the quality of your neighborhood. With luck, you might even convince your other neighbors to put effort into their own homes, so all, in all you end up living on a picture-perfect street.

You will be proud to call your house home, and when the time comes your property will sell faster and for more because of your efforts. Don’t dally, however, because the best way to spruce up your home’s curb appeal is to do it for yourself, so start today and follow this guide:

Upgrade Your Gutters

We don’t often think about our gutters. They help keep rainwater away from the sides of our house, what else do we need to know about them, right? The reality is that

keeping your gutters clean from debris is so important

, as it helps protect your foundation, stops soil from eroding, and keeps mold and mildew away from your home.

Thankfully there are options that mean you don’t have to get up on a two-story ladder and risk your safety. Instead you can opt for a covered gutter that prevents leaves and other items from falling in, but still safely manages your rainwater.

Deal with Your Exterior Wall

The exact steps you will take will depend entirely on what your wall is made of. Brick does well with being power washed to rid it of any accumulated grime. Paint needs to be washed, sanded down, and then repainted. Due to the size of the job, bringing in a professional team is definitely recommended, because when it comes to sprucing up your home,

clean exterior walls

is going to have the biggest impact.

Upgrade You Doors (and Windows)

If you aren’t happy with your home’s trimmings, then it is time to invest in them. Either paint and add decorative elements to the features you have now or replace them entirely. If you want your home to pop, for example, consider painting your window trimmings the same color as your front and garage doors.

Start Gardening, Today

Installing fully mature plants is expensive, but if you are willing to put in the work and be patient you can end up

having a stunning front and rear garden

. Add a rose wall, for example, or plant a young sapling. It won’t look its best the first year, but over time your landscaping will be stunning (and budget-friendly).

Don’t Forget Lighting

It’s not necessary to light up every inch of your property, but you will want to invest in quality lights at least for your driveway and front door. This is so that you can see clearly when dealing with keys and it helps keep you safer.

Your curb appeal adds a lot to your home but waiting to do something about it until you are ready to sell is a big waste. Start today and make the above improvements for yourself, because you deserve to be proud of where you live.

Trees Not Tombstones: New Options For End-of-Life

(NAPSI)—The vast majority of Americans have not completed their end-of-life planning. In fact, over half of those age 45-plus have done no end-of-life planning at all, according to a recent survey conducted by Better Place Forests, the country’s first sustainable alternative to cemeteries for families that choose cremation.

A beautiful forest can be a final resting place that brings comfort to family and friends.

Better Place Forests hopes the idea of a beautiful, sustainable final resting place will encourage people to create those plans. Instead of tombstones, the company incorporates ashes into the base of beautiful trees in permanently protected forests. The company performs spreading ceremonies in the forest, where families can gather to say goodbye. Currently, there are two forests in California, in Point Arena in Mendocino County and in Santa Cruz, and the company plans to open more across the country.

There is a growing trend toward greener burial options in the United States. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, nearly 54 percent of Americans are considering a green burial and 72 percent of cemeteries report an increased demand for green burials. Thousands of people have already reserved trees for themselves.

“Making plans and establishing guidelines for the end of your life means that loved ones don’t have to guess about your wishes and you can give them the experience you’d like them to have when you pass,” explained Sandy Gibson, CEO of Better Place Forests. “At Better Place Forests, we talk to people every day who find peace in knowing they have created a beautiful experience for their loved ones by selecting a family tree.”

Beyond providing a more beautiful final resting place, choosing a tree in one of these memorial forests means you are leaving a legacy of conservation. The company performs spreading ceremonies in the forest, where families can gather to say goodbye and continue to visit—a feature current cremation options can’t provide. The trusts also actively manage the land to ensure that it’s less susceptible to forest fires. They hire forestry experts to keep the trees healthy and the forests free of invasive species. In addition, more trees are planted in areas in need for every tree a customer chooses. Thousands of trees have already been planted in forests devastated by the California wildfires.

Learn More

For further facts, visit

www.betterplaceforests.com

How to Make Your New Jersey Home Sell Faster

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(January 14, 2020)–If you are thinking of selling your home in New Jersey, there are a number of steps that you can take to ensure that your home appeals to the typical New Jersey buyer, regardless of the estate agent that you choose or the time that you choose to sell your home. By following these interior design tips, you will soon be able to ensure that your home only stays on the market for as little time as possible.

Paint Your Walls

Due to the fact that

more people are looking at leaving New Jersey

than staying within the state, it is important that your home is able to stand out from the crowd of houses on the market and ensure that it grabs the attention of potential home buyers. To allow your home to do this, you need to make sure that you are able to present your house to its maximum potential, and you can do this by sprucing up your home’s walls. Although you might not want to completely revitalize your home before moving out, painting your walls can help to cover any chips, cracks, or stains which can mar the modernity and attractiveness of your home. Then, to prevent your home from looking dated, you should invest in the right

painting tools

to enable you to perfect your home’s new finish yourself without having to call in professional help.

Declutter and Depersonalize

Even if your house has the best of décor and interior design, if your home is cluttered or unclean, this can decrease the viewer’s likelihood to buy your home. Instead, your home should be both clean and tidy so that viewers can see all of the features which your home provides, as well as the potential space offered by your home. Not only this, but there is evidence to suggest that depersonalizing your home is the perfect option to get your home in New Jersey sold quickly, as this will enable viewers to envision their own possessions within your home, helping them to imagine what it would be like for them to live within the property.

Make a Great First Impression

However, the interior of your home is not what makes the first impression on guests to your property. Instead, the front garden will be the first view that potential buyers have of your home, and so it is important to maximize the impact of this first impression. You can do this by creating a lavish and decorative outdoor space, ensuring that weeds are eradicated and that your garden is filled with bright and budding flowers and plants. You can also add to this sight by ensuring that your fences are strong and painted well. You can also have benches and other forms of outdoor equipment in your garden to transform it into a relaxing and peaceful space that can instantly appeal to potential buyers.

Conduct Repairs

With

house prices in New Jersey

reaching over a high $360,000 on average, potential buyers in Jersey City and beyond want to know that they are getting a good property for their money and that they will not have to spend extortionate amounts on repairs within the first six months of their tenure. You should make sure that any issues with your home are fixed efficiently before you have any viewings, and these include issues such as blocked drains, which can lead to nasty smells, leaks in the roof, and poor electrics, for instance.

Add Finishing Touches

With there being a lot of competition in

the best locations to buy houses in NJ

, it is important that you are able to add finishing touches that can wow your viewers and make them want to immediately buy your property. Your finishing touches can be added on the day of the viewing to ensure that everything goes smoothly, and these can include adding simple items such as plants and increasing natural lighting to allow your home to appeal to viewers. You may also consider adding incense burners or candles around your home to give off great smells that can influence the ambiance of the interior of your property and stun viewers into instantly loving your home.

Modernize Your Home

New Jersey is infamous for its

inspired home design trends

, and keeping up with the latest fashions is important if you want to appeal to homeowners in the state. In order to modernize your home, you should consider applying rules and trends such as neutral or feature walls, as well as minimalism to help your home look like an up-to-date and fashionable space that will appeal to all ages.

Summary

There are many reasons why you might need to sell your home fast, such as if you are part of a chain or if you need to take on a job in a new area. Although the New Jersey housing market can be competitive, with a few home improvements, as well as a good estate agent and selling platform, it is easy to sell your home fast and move as soon as possible.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

People Like Pennsylvania But…..

By Steve Bittenbender |

The Center Square

The number of Americans on the move might have reached a 65-year-low in 2019, but Census Bureau data shows Pennsylvania ranked among the top states for both attracting and losing residents.

A recent report

by STORAGECafé, which bills itself as a storage rental marketplace, reports that Pennsylvania is the 10th most popular destination for people moving from another

state. In 2018, the state attracted 253,000 newcomers.

Pennsylvania attracted more residents from New Jersey than anywhere else. The site reported that 44,000 people crossed the Delaware River to make the Keystone State their new home.

Yet, the report, which uses Census Bureau data, indicates only six states lost more residents. Pennsylvania saw 240,832 move out, with 17,000 moving next door to Ohio.

Part of the reason why so many may be making those moves is due to the fact they’re inexpensive. Moving the possessions from a two-bedroom home in New Jersey to Pennsylvania cost, on average, about $2,400. That was the least expensive interstate move.

Pennsylvanians moving to Ohio paid average moving costs of about $2,500. Nearly 10,000 people moved from Pennsylvania to Delaware, at an average cost of up to $3,700 per move.

STORAGECafé worked with United Van Lines in determining the moving costs and did not factor packing or insurance.

Earlier this year, the Pew Charitable Trusts

released a study

about the migration patterns for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city. The study noted that about 60,000 residents leave the city annually, roughly 10,000 more than it attracts.

Of those who left the region, the main reason for moving elsewhere was because of job opportunities. Pew research indicated that 44 percent moved away for work; the next highest response – moving closer to friends and family – garnered just 11 percent of respondents.

Pew said since it was the first time such a study had been conducted, it was uncertain if these issues are lingering ones within the city.

“What is clear is that there is not one overarching reason for relocating,” the Pew report states. “Most of those who left Philadelphia characterized themselves not as fleeing the city but, rather, as seeking new opportunities elsewhere.”

The Census Bureau reported that 31.4 million Americans moved in 2019. That’s the lowest total since 1954, and the percentage of Americans who moved, just 9.8 was an all-time low since the bureau began tracking residential moves in 1947.

Of those who moved, about 4.6 million moved to a new state.

published here with permission of The Center Square

Pittsburg/Scranton Market Lucrative for House Flipping

By Dave Fidlin |

The Center Square

Homebuyers snapping up residential properties and subsequently selling them in short order were able to more than double what they initially paid in two areas of Pennsylvania, according to a recent report.

Researchers with ATTOM Data Solutions, a company specializing in property and real estate records, stated home flippers in the metropolitan statistical areas within Pittsburgh and Scranton were able to sell homes at greater price points in the third quarter of 2019.

The information is included in ATTOM’s

recently released report

on home flipping trends across the U.S.

Home flippers historically have bought and quickly resold homes for a profit, typically after making a series of repairs or improvements to raise the property’s value.

Between July and September, homebuyers who flipped homes and condos in the Pittsburgh area saw overall margins of 132.6 percent, while homebuyers in the Scranton area experienced overall margins of 122.5 percent.

The high flipping yields in the Pittsburgh and Scranton areas bucked a national trend, according to ATTOM researchers, where profit margins in most areas of the country were on the downswing.

The two Pennsylvania metropolitan areas were among eight across the U.S. where home flippers experienced returns on investment of 100 percent or more during the same statistical period. Pittsburgh and Scranton also topped the list.

Other areas of the country with high yields, close behind the two Pennsylvania areas, included Flint, Mich., at 111.2 percent; Cleveland, at 109.8 percent; and Hickory-Lenoir-Morgantown, N.C., at 109.7 percent.

a separate report

from the same statistical period, ATTOM researchers also revealed the Pittsburgh area had some of the largest amounts of all-cash purchases for home flipping.

In metro areas with populations of 1 million or more, Pittsburgh ranked third for all-cash purchases, according to the report, clocking in at 77.2 percent.

The metropolitan area with the greatest preponderance of all-cash purchases was Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio, at 79.2 percent, followed by the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MSA, at 78.9 percent.

On the whole, 56,566 single-family homes and condos were flipped across the U.S. in the third quarter of 2019, according to ATTOM’s analysis. The figure represented a 12.9 percent decrease from the previous quarter and a 6.8 percent decrease from the third quarter of 2018.

In a statement, Todd Teta, chief product officer at ATTOM Data Solutions, said the home flipping declines point to narrowing profits across many areas of the country.

“The retreat back to more normal levels of sales comes amid broader market forces that are making it harder and harder for investors to complete the kinds of deals they were getting as recently as last year,” Teta said.

In the ATTOM report, Maksim Stavinsky, co-founder and chief operating officer of Roc Capital, said homebuyers in a number of areas of the country have opted to hang on to renovated properties and rent them, rather than sell them at a loss in the current marketplace.

“We have been seeing a decline in projected and realized profits for borrowers on projects, despite the fact that borrower financing costs have been meaningfully coming down,” Stavinsky said in the report.

published here with permission of The Center Square

Linda D. Sherry, 72, of Haddon Township; West Deptford School Educator; GCHS & Chestnut Hill College Alum

Haddon Township – Linda D. Sherry (nee Dewey) age 72 passed away December 23, 2019. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Raymond A. Sherry, her son, Beau (Shanon) Sherry, and her daughter, Kristen (David) Kandel, and was predeceased by her son, Sonny. She was the proud grandmother of Brady, Lucah and Reese Sherry, and Cole, Logan and Riley Kandel. She also leaves a dear sister, Diane Nastinski, sister-in-law, Laraine Clements, brother-in-law, Martin J. Sherry and cousins, Sharon and Sandy.

A graduate of Gloucester Catholic High School and Chestnut Hill College, Linda became an educator who spent most of her career in the West Deptford School District. She derived great satisfaction and joy as an educator and helping children. In addition to her hobbies of doll-making and crocheting, she enjoyed the theater, movies, dancing and TV dramas. Her family brought her great happiness; she especially relished time with her grandchildren. She was a very independent woman of exceptional loyalty.

Relatives and friends are invited to her Visitation, Saturday 11:00a.m. to 12:30p.m. at EVOY-BANASZ FUNERAL HOME, 129 White Horse Pike, Haddon Heights NJ. Her Service will follow at 12:30p.m.