Friday, January 05, 2007

Homeowner Rights vs Homeowner Assoc. Rules:
Who has the final say?

Just read that the New Jersey Supreme Court is considering a case that will decide just who has the final say in what happens in developments when a homeowner objects to the rules of the homeowner association. It is intriguing, this argument that associations act like state entities. Now don't get me wrong, homeowner associations can be rigid in their efforts to maintain a certain "look" to the development, and they have the enforcement clout through fines and liens. What theese homeowners seem to miss is, didn't the look of the development itself play a part in what attracted them to development in the first place? How did they think that look was maintained?
The dispute in Twin Rivers, New Jersey brought by five homeowners seems to have three main components: putting political signs on the lawn (size and number), extra fees for community room use, and an editorial dispute of the association newsletter content.
While some might see the suit as petty - one justice was skeptical about trying to regulate a press entity under which the newsletter falls, the part of the complaint dealing with the lawn signs has the potential to set a precedent that will affect homeowner associations rules throughout the country.
Any thoughts?


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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Great Interest Rate Makes Home Buying Easier

As the softening of the housing market continues to affect more industries the Fed continues to hold the interest rate steady. To give the Central Bank its due, they did take notice of the softening of the housing market at their October meeting. By holding the interest rate steady for the last four months, they have helped create a housing marketplace that is great for buyers. The steady lowered rate has meant lower mortgage rates. Sweetening the scene for buyers are builder incentives and giveaways which mean those looking to move into a spankin' brand new homes have some honeypot finds out there. Inventories of existing homes remain high so the marketplace has the potential of fulfilling a variety of homeownership dreams.

Read the Trenton Times Article

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Tuesday, January 02, 2007

New Jersey Tax Lies?

Oh good grief! It was bad enough when I read that NJ property taxes where the highest in the country and that NJ’s lacked sufficient affordable housing throughout its counties but now it looks like NJ raised its taxes in 2006 to the tune of $1.84 billion while the rest of the states cut taxes by $2.1 billion.
While on the one hand I want to yell at Governor Corzine and the legislature to get us off the number one list in these negative areas but the reality is the state has a $4.5 billion budget deficit. The money to pay it has to come from somewhere.
How can there be a property tax credit for anybody, much less for households making less than $250,000 a year, when there is a projected budget deficit for 2007 of $2 billion. Helloooo!! Is that tax credit going to add to the deficit or is it included in the $2 billion already. Where did the idea of the state running up so much debt come from in the first place? Five million maybe but, two billion no.
How does the government manage cash flow with that kind of deficit? Are there any reserved funds for unexpected disasters or is that what they want to dole out to taxpayers? It makes sense legislators want at the pension and healthcare benefits of unionized state workers. It’s a wonder they don’t want at Medicaid and other programs that help low to moderate income people. They are certainly not going to look at their own and their colleagues’ abuse of the pension and health care system by double dipping.
Still here it is January 2, 2007 and there have been exactly zero of the promised legislation passed or otherwise made ready for Governor Corzine’s pen. The legislature had no problem going home without passing one piece of tax reform legislation. I suppose one year’s tax credit is supposed to take the taxpayer’s mind off the fact that the legislature is looking for another way into your wallet.
Still as I sitting here looking over my computer out the French doors at the tree where my hammock allows me to recover after riding the mower over the grass during the summer, I would not want to live any place else.
Read the article


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