JUST-IN from JUSTIN

Easy Things You Can Do To Protect Our Water Supply

2008-12-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

Easy Things You Can Do To Protect Our Water Supply

Stormwater pollution is one of New Jersey's biggest threats for clean water. As a real estate agent, I know this is a big concern for my clients particularly those with wells. Pollution from streets, parking lots, and lawns all are washed by rain into storm drains then into our drinking supply. These pollutants come from many places: detergents, pet waste, fertilizer, and oil to name a few. By making small, easy changes in our daily lives, we can keep pollutants out of stormwater. We all know the easiest way to make a difference is to recycle. But here are a couple of tips you may not know.

Investigate using natural or less toxic cleaning solutions, when possible. Did you know baking soda mixed with water makes a great scouring paste? Or plain white vinegar is great for cleaning a vinyl floor or toilet? Both are effective and much more inexpensive than traditional chemical cleaners.

Consider composting or using a mulching mower. Both are great ways to fertilize a lawn.

Dispose of hazardous products, such as motor oil, antifreeze and paints, properly. If unsure, check with your municipality. You can access the link for your municipality through the county website: Morris County-http://www.co.morris.nj.us/
Warren County- http://www.co.warren.nj.us/
Sussex County- http://www.co.sussex.nj.us/

Clean up after your pet. Use newspapers or a "pooper scooper" to pick up waste.

For more information visit http://www.njstormwater.org/ or http://www.nonpointsource.org/

Successfully Closed!

2008-10-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

15 FOOTHILL AVE BUDD LAKE, NJ 07828

We would like to welcome Mr. Tomaszewski to the Budd Lake section of Mt Olive !

Bernadette Arencibia, with the Kiliszek Team at RE/MAX First Choice Realtors, helped Mr. Tomaszewski find the perfect house in a wonderful community. “I am very excited to have him move into our great town”, said Bernadette a current Mt. Olive resident for almost 10 years.

Mt Olive is a great community! Click here to see what Mt Olive has to offer!
To find your perfect home, click here to contact Bernadette directly!

Successfully Closed!

2008-08-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

10-178 Dell, Stanhope, NJ 07874

We would like to welcome Mr. Allan Bone and Miss Katie Corrigan to the High Point Development of Stanhope NJ.

Bernadette Arencibia, with the Kiliszek Team at RE/MAX First Choice Realtors, helped Mr. Allan Bone and Miss Katie Corrigan find the perfect townhome in a wonderful community. “t was such a pleasure to work with them and I they got a great deal!”, said Bernadette a Realtor at RE/Max First Choice Realtors.

Stanhope is a great community! Click Here to see what Stanhope has to offer!
To find your perfect home, click here to contact Bernadette directly!

Get your complimentary 2008 Jets & Giants football magnet

2008-08-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

Football season is nearly upon us and there's no better way to keep on top of the action then by having a 2008 magnetic football schedule featuring the game schedules of the New York Jets & The Super Bowl Champions the New Jersey Giant! Get yours now by sending me an email with your name and address and I'll mail one out to you right away!

JUSTIN KILISZEK RECOGNIZED FOR INTERNET MARKETING EXCELLENCE

2008-05-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

RE/MAX FIRST CHOICE’S JUSTIN KILISZEK RECOGNIZED FOR INTERNET MARKETING EXCELLENCE

[Roxbury, NJ, May 7, 2008] -- Nationally renowned real estate marketing and technology speaker and REALTOR.com® Vice President, Max Pigman, has presented to Justin Kiliszek of RE/MAX First Choice the “Real Estate Online Marketing Award of Excellence”. The Award of Excellence recognizes top agents who consistently provide great marketing services on behalf of their buyers and sellers.

“There are always some real estate agents who distinguish themselves from other agents by doing a little more for their sellers. In particular; when the home they are selling is placed on a well trafficked site such as the 1st ranked REALTOR.com®,1 even simple efforts like having more photos displayed, crafting better descriptions or adding a full motion video, can make a home stand out from competing properties,” says Max Pigman, Vice President of REALTOR.com®.

The excellence award was presented to Justin Kiliszek at a recent real estate marketing and technology seminar that demonstrated cutting edge techniques for leveraging the Internet and technology in real estate marketing.

Justin Kiliszek says, “My seller clients appreciate how I can help bring more attention to the unique selling attributes of a their home and ultimately help attract more qualified buyers. Buyers are also appreciative of a well presented home that has a better description and more ways to learn about the property before arranging an appointment. While it’s certainly an honor to receive this award, I think ultimately it would be a disservice not to make REALTOR.com® and the Internet part of your standard home marketing plan. Some day soon most agents will see it as a must have requirement instead of something special. We’re already seeing that change”

“The extra steps agents like Justin Kiliszek are taking on behalf of their clients is the reason we thought it worthwhile to call out the effort we have seen these agents make online and to recognize them for providing these added value services,” says Mr. Pigman.

REALTOR.com® is just one of the many ways Justin Kiliszek is leveraging recent trends in home buyer online behavior to his clients benefit.

Pooches get their own playground in Roxbury

2008-03-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

By Nick Lioudis
Star-Ledger Staff

From the moment Roxbury Dog Park Committee Inc. president and Succasunna resident Heather Darling broke ground on the new dog park on Emmons Road last month, she'd seen owners rolling in with their pets.

Nearly a year and a half raising private funds and putting together a 40-page business plan, Darling said that challenge of getting the township's approval for the park was well worth it.

"It was something no one (initially) thought of, but when it arose it took off because it was a really good idea," she said. Although there hasn't been an official grand opening for the dog park, the one-eighth acre of land has been open since Feb. 17 to any dog owners-in or outside of Roxbury-who purchase a $20 yearly tag at the of Board of Health.

The main feature of the park - from the pea gravel spread that goes easy on a dog's paw to the 6-foot fence that surrounds it - were donated by Morris County businesses rather than paid for by Roxbury residents' taxes. Berkendorf's Landscaping donated about $10,000 worth of materials and labor, while Pet Goods of Succasunna and Abbey Glen Pet Memorial also made substantial donations, including pipes for water drainage and benches.

The committee chose a secluded area of Emmons Road Park as the site for the park, mainly because noise wouldn't be an issue for the few residents who live there,. but also in hopes that its popularity could lead to creating a larger do park in in the future. "I think there's a need for it." said Councilman Martin Schmidt, a member of the dog park committee and a pet owner who brings his dog to the park. "It's going to be a big community gathering place."

Committee member Michele Kotarski a lifelong resident of Roxbury Township and owner of gift basket store Bellisimo in Succasunna, said she's glad dog owners who come into her store no longer need to complain about the township's lack of a dog park. Even though this is the first dog park for Roxbury Township, dog parks are not unusual for Morris County. Morristown's Lewis-Morris Park incorporate a dog park years ago, and other designated dog park areas are scattered throughout the county.

A list of rules are posted on the fence, among them warnings that children under the age of 16 are prohibited without a parent for safety reasons ad that dogs must be off-leash at all times. Darling said the grand opening complete with activities and representatives from dog adoption agencies, is expected to take place towards the end of April or early May. "If someone can take their dog to the park and give it exercise instead of walking two miles, it's the perfect scenario," she said.

OLDE SUKASUNNY DAY 2007

2007-09-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 8, 2007

The Annual Olde Suckasunny Day (Succasunna Day) 2007.

This old fashioned street fair was a hit. I want to just thank all of the Roxbury residents for coming out and showing their community involment. It was a fantastic day offering everyone a variety of vendors, community booths, with festivities including activities, games, crafts, and food. The fun began at 10:00am, and ran until 4:00pm. It was a "HOT" one out today.

RE/MAX First Choice Booth -

Introducing my Podcast

2007-09-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

You might be asking yourself, what is a "PODCAST?" , The WIKIPEDIA definition is -
A portmanteau of Apple's "iPod" and "broadcasting", is a method of publishing files to the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically by subscription, usually at no cost. It first became popular in late 2004, used largely for audio files.

Basically, "Podcasting" is an exciting new technology that allows everyday people to become self-published, online radio and TV personalities. I have partnered together with TALKREALTY to give you a professional opinion on today's real estate market in my area.

You can listen to podcasts wherever, however, and whenever you choose. You can download the podcast as an MP3 or you can also subscribe to the podcast via the RSS link and or attach it to you favorite homepages like Yahoo.

Here is the link to my Podcast. http://www.talkrealty.com/justinkiliszek

Live from San Diego

2007-08-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in San Diego at Brian Buffini's Mastermind 2007 conference. Brian had a number of great speakers including Chris Gardner who's real life story has been portrayed by Will Smith in the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness" and Allison Levine, team captain of the first American Women's Everest Expedition. It's day ONE and WOW, I'm inspired!

Brian's theme this year was inspiration and being inspired.

Webster Dictionary defines Inspiration as
1. A divine influence on people.
2. To creatively stimulate. and
3. To breathe life into something.

Brian's message was quite inspiring.

At the start of the event, Brian played that an underdog story of a man who's incredible gift is knocked by the judges. The video is from a British TV show called Britain's Got Talent. The contestant is a man named Paul Potts who is a mobile phone salesman. You can see as Paul took the stage that he lacked confidence and the judges smelt it all over him. All that quickly and completely changed after just a few bars of hearing his voice. I have always found that whenever anyone nails a masterful performance, especially in music, that it creates an emotional response in people. Paul Potts not only nails the performance, but represented the underdog. This video is amazing.

Get your complimentary 2007 football magnet

2007-08-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

Football season is nearly upon us and there's no better way to keep on top of the action then by having a 2007 magnetic football schedule featuring the game schedules of the New York/New Jersey Teams! Get yours now by sending me an email with your name and address and I'll mail one out to you right away!

The Importance of Staging Your Home

2007-07-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

I came across this great 5 minute video clip from the "Today Show" highlighting the importance of staging your home. One very interesting part of the speakers opinion is how important it is to have furniture in the home as opposed to having an empty home.

A properly staged home is more important than ever. Contact me if you would like help with staging your home.

SALES REBOUND IN MAY BUT STILL LAG LAST YEAR

2007-06-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

Contract-sales in New Jersey increased by 1,090 homes in May, a 14% increase, above the April level as the housing market continues to struggle with low buyer confidence and an increasing inventory of unsold homes. Despite the increase in May sales however, that was 6% less than May 2006. So far in 2007, year-to-date contract sales are running 4% lower than the same period last year which equates to 1,800 fewer home sales.

Compounding the lagging sales pace is that unsold inventory now exceeds 71,000 homes, the highest on record for New Jersey. The prior record was 68,000 reached in September 2006. Based upon seasonal housing patterns it is likely that unsold inventory will continue to increase for several more before receding later in the year. The present supply of 71,000 represents an 8-month supply as compared to a 7-months one year ago.

The New Jersey housing market has been stalled for several months now following increasing sales earlier in the year. That this is occurring in the face of low mortgage interest rates, a reduction in home prices, increasing worker salary and fewer new home construction starts is evidence that the current slowdown is deeply embedded and not likely to reverse soon. Part of the reason is that concerns about sub-prime mortgage delinquency are sending shock waves through the housing market by causing mortgage lenders to tighten loan approval standards and at the same time creating uncertainty in the mind of potential home buyers. As a result, many buyers are either unable to obtain affordable financing or have put their home-buying plans on hold out of concern about this issue. The facts however suggest that the bark is bigger than the bite on this topic as actual foreclosures in New Jersey are few in number and have been steadily declining over the past several months. 270 in March, 162 in April, 147 in May. Even more compelling is to consider these figures within the context of 71,000 homes for sale and you can see that any real impact on the housing market to date is insignificant. The problem comes from the counting of foreclosure activity which has been dramatically overstated, casting a dark shadow over the housing market. Some relief on this issue will come later this month, largely as a result of criticisms in this newsletter, as counting methods will be revised to reflect more accurate figures (read more about this story at the following link - RealtyTrac to revise formula).

Any benefits of the recounting however will likely come too late to avoid a further decline in home prices as the housing market now faces the additional challenges of rising mortgage interest rates and the likelihood of a further slowing of sales pace during the approaching fall and winter selling seasons. As a result, any significant recovery will likely be pushed off until 2008 at the earliest. Given the current situation, home sellers should understand that Right-Pricing! will take on even greater significance in coming months. From the buyer's perspective, rising mortgage rates and increasing seller flexibility will present significant opportunities during the 2nd half of the year that will likely disappear in 2008.

Time to Buy; Wait to Sell. What Should You Do?

2007-04-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

There are so many prices on homes in the market that it is becoming harder and harder not to jump on these deals. There's only one kink in the process: most of the buyers looking at these special prices and incentives already own a home. With the inventory approaching peak levels, and increased competition from builders, is that unbelievable deal on the new home worth the price cuts and headaches of being a seller in today's real estate market?

I am approached every day by owners who tell me they just want to sell their home and would be happy just to break even. They just need to move the home at whatever price the market will bear.

Unfortunately, for someone who bought at the height of the market in early 2005, this may not be possible. It is becoming more and more common for the seller to bring money to closing because after closing costs and real estate commissions they have negative equity in their home. For some owners, they have no choice but to stay in their current home and wait out the current buyer's market. Others consider renting their home and becoming a landlord.

This brings an entirely new set of risks to the forefront.

How much can I charge for rent?

How long will it take me to have a renter with a lease in place? Will they maintain the place well, pay on time and not nag me with every minor detail that goes wrong with the home? These are all very serious questions you need to ask yourself before moving forward into the landlord business.For those owners who bought their houses before the huge price increases of 2005 and have a significant amount of equity in their home, there is another choice.

Do you cash out on your current situation because you have the ability to undercut the rest of your competitors on price? Most research tells us that if you have a well maintained home in a nice neighborhood and price it about 3% under the market, you can still get it sold pretty quickly. This would leave you in the best position of all: having a chunk of cash in your pocket to negotiate with desperate sellers, really desperate investors and extremely desperate builders. You can get homes for over $100,000 below appraisal, builder paid mortgage for the first 6 months, no closing costs, and your pick of the finest lot and nicest interior upgrades. You can find an investor that needs to sell under any circumstances you name, or an owner nearing foreclosure which is becoming more and more common.

You may wind up simply refinancing your current home, choosing to wait out the market, renting a place until you are comfortable with the market conditions, or jumping on a deal that is too good to pass on. Just promise me you will not buy a new house without knowing the details of how long it could take to sell you current home or what price you will realistically attract in today's market. Too many people are going through tough times because they have two mortgages and cannot sell. Research and diligence could be the difference between financial difficulty and growing old in your dream home.

Are Open Houses worth while?

2007-03-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

There is some debate on the effectiveness of open houses to sell a home, but it's still a common tool in the Realtor toolbox. Some agents work an open house for one reason...to get new buyer leads. You might find at an open house that the agent sitting there isn't the one that has the home listed. It's often an agent from the same office that doesn't have many clients of their own just yet and sitting at an open house gives that agent an opportunity to talk to potential buyers and hopefully make them a client. But back to the question at hand.

It's my opinion that open houses DO IN FACT HELP SELL YOUR HOME. But they should be done infrequently and at the right time. If you have an open house every weekend, you might convey the message that you are desparate to sell and a potential buyer might pick up on that if or when they make an offer. I prefer to hold an open house once every six weeks. And it depends on the house I'm trying to sell what time and day is best. Family oriented homes seems to do well with Sunday afternoon open houses, after the church crowd get's out. Homes that interest the first time buyer seem to do better with Saturday mid-day open houses.