Category: Real Estate

The Journey to a Calm & Happy Home

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2017-03-16_10-05-48There’s more to a beautiful home than just the decor and furnishings you put into it. Your home also needs to function well, and be a calm and happy respite from the rest of your hectic life. If you can’t say those things about your space, then it’s likely you might feel a little off-balance in your life, overall. A happy home is the finishing touch on a happy life.

How this particular deficit might manifest in your life is an overall feeling like you don’t have a good routine down; like you’re always catching up instead of keeping up. Instead of being a consistently calm environment, your home functions in cycles, first into a chaotic mess and then—after the resulting tornado of cleaning—spotless but short-lived harmony.

In order to bring your life into balance, it can help to see a top-down, bird’s-eye view.

If that sounds all too familiar, you need to find homeostasis. And a routine that works for you. Read through some of these resources to see if you can figure out how to bring this part of your life back into balance.

FULL ARTICLE >>>

Guidance for first-time home buyers

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2017-03-02_11-47-28The economy is improving, interest rates are low and many consumers now find themselves in a great position financially to become a first-time homeowner. But the booming real estate market is resulting in rising home prices and increased competition for the most desirable properties.

The S& P/Case-Shiller national home-price index recently estimated that 2016 prices are within four percent of the peak in 2006. In some areas, low inventories around the country are making the situation even more challenging.

“Don’t get discouraged,” says Travis Peace, executive director of mortgage at USAA Bank. “Buying a home requires some fortitude.” Peace says it’s easy to concentrate too much on home buying “can’ts” rather than “can-dos,” and he offers this advice on how to overcome some common barriers. Continue reading “Guidance for first-time home buyers” →

Zoom! Bayonne is on the fast track

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2017-03-01_11-01-51Stephen Sterling at NJ.com takes a look at the top ten fastest growing cities in New Jersey.

New Jersey is in the midst of a dramatic population shift, the inverse of the outward sprawl that has dominated the state for the last several decades.

The large population swings mean parts of the state are seeing dramatic growth not seen in more than 20 years. Today, we take a look at what towns are seeing the starkest positive gains.

While there are some familiar cameos from towns on our list last year, the new data show significant population movement in other parts of the state, some that have upended municipal demographics entirely.

 5. Bayonne

While Jersey City and Hoboken have gotten the lion’s share of headlines, Bayonne has quietly been growing at a rapid pace.

 

Full article on NJ.com >>>

Broadway Is Back! 19 East Breaks Ground In Bayonne

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’19 East’ rendering | Credit: Ingerman

Last summer we told you about 19 East in Bayonne, the latest project from Collingswood-based developer Ingerman. Yesterday, city officials bundled up and joined them in the cold to break ground on the six-story building. Located off Broadway at 19 East 19th Street, the $35 million project is expected to be completed in April or May 2018.

“I’m very excited about this project,” said Mayor Jimmy Davis. “The people will now be able to shop, dine, go to cafes, and just bring back Broadway the way we expect it to.”

Keep reading on JerseyDigs.com >>>

The Dos and Don’ts of Renting Your First Home

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Business woman in a cafeRenting a property isn’t always as straightforward as you might think, and there are several important considerations when starting your search for somewhere to live. Some dos and don’ts are worth observing:

Don’t rush – it’s tempting to jump at the chance of renting a property you really like the look of, but take your time and go through the following dos and don’ts carefully.

Do check the location is right for you – is the property in the best location to meet your needs? How close is it to your workplace? How good are transport links? Are the amenities you desire within easy reach?

Research the neighborhood as far as you can. Use a map resource such as this one to start, then ideally visit it and take a thorough look round and check out the whereabouts of amenities.

Do set a budget – rentals obviously vary by type of property, location and by specific area. You may have to budget for higher rentals if you have to – or simply want to – live in a specific part of the country. For example, San Francisco or New York would be at the higher end of the scale.

To get a feel for rentals by area and types of property available check out online resources. For example, if you’re looking in the Houston area you can use a resource such as ForRent to search for suitable properties in this thriving Texan city.

Keep reading at StyleMotivation >>>

More millennials buying homes without parents’ help

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first-time-home-buyersYounger homeowners are increasingly buying first homes, without the Bank of Mom and Dad.

Sometimes they go it alone out of a desire for independence; sometimes it’s a reflection of their parents’ financial realities. Whatever the reason, area real estate agents say the trend speaks well of millennial homebuyers.

According to the National Association of Realtors, millennials were the largest generation of homebuyers in 2015 at 35 percent, and 67 percent of them were first-timers. The association’s 2016 “Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers” report notes that the second-most popular way for first-time buyers to finance their down payment was a gift from a relative or friend, at 24 percent – a drop from 27 percent in 2015. (Savings was the preferred choice among 76 percent of respondents.)

Full story at NorthJersey.com >>>

The 3 Most Important Decorating Elements

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how-create-cozy-homeThe way Shannon Smith transforms a bare apartment into a cozy home might cause you to confuse her for a magician, or an interior design fairy godmother at the very least.  The Homepolish interior designer can do wonders to a space no matter how tight the budget or small the square footage.

The secret to creating a stunning home, she says, is to focus on three things when decorating. “I am a firm believer that you don’t need a lot of stuff to make your space feel finished. If you consider these three things — texture, color, and scale — you can make any space feel cozy.” – via PopSugar

#Bayonne resident awarded $5,000 @CastleLanterra scholarship

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scholarshipYolanda Toby of Bayonne has been awarded a $5,000 scholarship by New York-based Castle Lanterra Properties (CLP), announced Elie Rieder, founder and CEO. The Castle Lanterra Scholarship Program was launched earlier this year for residents and dependents living in the company’s 7,300 unit portfolio throughout the East, South, and Midwestern U.S.

Toby, whose family resides in CLP’s Harbor Pointe in Bayonne, is a senior at Howard University in Washington, D.C., majoring in management with a concentration on hospitality. A graduate of Talent Unlimited High School in New York City, she is currently gaining experience in event sales through a summer internship. With management as her ultimate career goal, she is also preparing to obtain an MBA in Finance following her graduation from Howard in 2017.

As part of CLP’s inaugural scholarship program competition, “we chose to have students write an essay covering an issue of personal, local, national or international concern,” said Rieder. “The goal is to encourage self-expression and consideration of the world today and their role in the community.”

For her essay, Toby chose the topic “Communication Between Different Cultures in the Workplace”, inspired by a class in business communications. “It is very important to make sure companies treat their employees equally and that their employees get the necessary training to facilitate effective workplace communication.”

CONTINUE READING ON NJ.COM

@CURBEDNY: 30+ DEVELOPMENTS TRANSFORMING NEW JERSEY’S HUDSON RIVER WATERFRONT #bayonne

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2016-08-29_12-57-20New Jersey’s Hudson River Gold Coast is booming with new residential development. Check out Curbed NY’s recently posted Hudson River waterfront development map to see where the Gold Coast’s most prominent multi-family buildings are rising.

With all the activity happening along the Manhattan side of the Hudson River—the World Trade Center, Hudson Yards, and the like—it can be easy to forget that there’s a slew of construction projects happening on the other side of the water.

But there is, in fact, a veritable building boom in New Jersey right now, particularly the stretch along the waterfront between Fort Lee (to the north) and Bayonne (on the southern end). The developments going up run the gamut from small rental buildings to the state’s soon-to-be-tallest skyscraper, and each will have a part in transforming the state in the next few years. Here, we’ve mapped more than 30 of those projects

FULL STORY