A Brief History of Thanksgiving, as told by Jim Flanagan

I was inspired to create the video below by an e-mail I received this morning. Here, in their entirety, are both the e-mail and the video. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Good Morning! It is now Thanksgiving week, and every year I struggle to find the right words to express my gratitude and appreciation for your support and hard work. I think most of you would agree, as 2009 has evolved, it has turned out to be one tough year! I wonder how it would compare to the challenges faced by our forefathers as they began to shape our country. It has been nearly four centuries since the Pilgrims survived their first winter at Plymouth. As it is told, that first winter was brutal—nothing like anything they had ever experienced before. But they prevailed with the resiliency that Americans have demonstrated time and time again In so many wonderful ways, we come together at this time to cherish what unites us. As we sit down to our Thanksgiving Day meal, we must remember that not everyone will be with their family and loved ones this Thanksgiving. We have the men and women of our armed services, who have given up their holidays and time with their families to make sure we can safely be with ours. My sincere thanks to each of you, and your families for their support of your efforts. Coldwell Banker thrives because we have the best people, with a common set of values, working to make a difference in people’s lives. As you gather with your family and friends, I hope you will find many blessings for which to be thankful.

Warm wishes for a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! P.Dawn Covahey Executive Business Consultant| Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC

Tis the Season to get a Tax Credit!

On November 6th, 2009, President Obama signed, into law, legislation extending and expanding the Homebuyer Tax Credit.

What does this mean for "First Time Home Buyers"?

What does this mean for "Move Up" Buyers?

Let's see, shall we:

October Marks 4 Consecutive Months of Increased Home Sales in Toms River, NJ!

Monthly Real Estate Market Report for Toms River, NJ – October 2009

October by the numbers:

• 70 The number of Single Family Homes CLOSED during the month

• $382,092 Average LIST price for October*

• $356,125 Average SALES price for the month*

• 120 Average DAYS ON the MARKET for October

• 93.20% The SALES price to LIST price RATIO for the month

• 737 Number of Single Family Homes ACTIVE on the market in October

• 10.52 Number of MONTHS it would take to SELL OFF the existing supply of homes on the market, in Toms River, at this rate, if NONE were to come on the market!

October 2009, saw 70 Single Family Homes CLOSE in Toms River, as compared with 58 in October of 2008. THIS MARKS THE FOURTH MONTH IN A ROW; WHERE SALES HAVE SURPASSED THE SAME MONTH OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR! Of those 70 homes, 28 were in the price range of $200,000 to $299,999 (40%). Combined with the CLOSINGS from the First 3 Quarters of 2009, this represents an INCREASE in SALES of 41%, in this particular price range, over the same time last year!

*These averages include Single Family Homes from the beach communities of Ortley, Normandy and Ocean, etc.

Tax Credit Extended!

News Release

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSÒ The Voice For Real Estate®   500 New Jersey Avenue, NW Washington DC 20001

PUBLIC AFFAIRS   For further information contact: Lucien Salvant, 202/383-1176 lsalvant@realtors.org

 

Tax Credit Extension a Positive Step Toward Sustained Real Estate Recovery, Say Realtors^®

 

WASHINGTON (November 5, 2009) – The National Association of Realtors^® today commended the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for passing a bill that includes an extension and expansion of the current home buyer tax credit as an important step in ensuring a real estate and economic recovery.

"Realtors^Ò
appreciate the swift action by Congress to extend the home buyer tax credit and expand it to some current homeowners," said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Dallas-Fort Worth. "As the leading advocate of housing and real estate issues, we urge President Obama to sign this legislation into law quickly to keep the momentum going in the fragile recovery of the nation's housing market."

McMillan praised the efforts of several senators to put the recovery above politics. They are Sen. Johnny Isakson, (R-Ga.); Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.); Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.); Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

NAR economists estimate that the current tax credit has contributed approximately $22 billion to the general economy, and approximately 2 million people will take advantage of the tax credit this year.

"The substantial rise in home sales we've seen over the past few months proves that the tax credit is working and is being used by buyers who were waiting for the right opportunity to get into the market," McMillan said. "This important incentive is helping to stabilize the housing market, stimulate the economy and create new jobs in communities all across our great nation. Extending and expanding the home buyer tax credit will enable even more families to take advantage of current low interest rates and affordable prices to invest in their future through homeownership."

 

    -more-     #129    Tax Credit Extension a Positive Step – add 1

The bill would extend the present $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers through April 30, 2010. Current homeowners are eligible for a $6,500 tax credit through April 30, provided they have lived in the home they are selling, or have sold, as principal residence for five consecutive years in the past eight years. If potential home buyers have a binding contract on or before that date, they will have until July 1 to close the transaction.

Income limits for eligible home buyers are expanded to $125,000 for single buyers and $225,000 for couples. The purchase price of the home cannot exceed $800,000. To help guard against fraud, buyers are required to attach documentation of purchase to their tax return.

Detailed information about provisions in the tax credit legislation is available on Realtor.org.

The National Association of Realtors^®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

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Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the News Media section.