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Archive for November, 2009

Ridgewood Schedules H1N1 (swine flu) Vaccinations

November 27th, 2009 categories:Ridgewood News and Events

H1NI Vaccine Arrives in Ridgewood – Call for Appointment

Ridgewood h1n1 vaccine

Ridgewood has received a shipment of H1N1 vaccine and is accepting registrations for vaccinations.  This shipment is just a small portion of Ridgewood’s overall H1N1 vaccine order so there are some restrictions and spots may fill up quickly.

Registrations are for people from 6 months to 24 years of age as well as pregnant women with a Doctors note only.  Call 201.291.6264 to register.   I called just now and after a detailed outgoing message you are asked to leave your name and number and told someone will get back to you to schedule the appointment.

As more vaccine is recieved more clinics will be posted on the Ridgewood Village Website.  Preregistration is required.

Click here for a list of Bergen County H1NI Clinics.

Click here to for more info on the H1N1 vaccine from the CDC.

Posted by Al Donohue | Discussion:No Comments »

Video: Existing Home Sales Surpass Expectations in October

November 24th, 2009 categories:Real Estate News and Advice

Buyers took advantage of falling mortgage rates, affordable home prices and tax credits as existing homes sales recorded another big gain in October.

Existing home sales have increased 23% from a year ago and home inventory levels are at a 7 month supply which is the lowest since Feb of ‘07.  Pending home sales are also up sharply.

It seems that beleaguered homeowners may soon have something to smile about as we slowly move from a Buyer’s Market to a more balanced market and perhaps, in time, back to a Seller’s Market.  Sellers will start to see higher prices and may need to give fewer concessions to buyers in coming months.

Related ArticlesPost

Ridgewood Real Estate Report – Average Sale Price Up 5.4% in October

Good News for Ridgewood Home Buyers and Sellers: Home Buyer Tax Credit to be Extended…and Expanded

Bergen County Real Estate: Lower Inventory Levels and More Homes Under Contract

New Jersey Home Sales Rise for Sixth Month In a Row

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About Al Donohue

Al Donohue heads up Marron Gildea & Donohue’s Ridgewood office and is one of the top agents in Bergen County.

ibs-photo.jpg

Al attributes much of his success to lessons learned during his years as a top sales executive on Wall Street. Most of Al’s clients are busy professionals and business owners and they love the fact that he speaks their language and understands the incredible demands on their time. Al stays in constant touch with his clients not only through phone calls and face-to-face meetings but also through email, instant messaging, and web pages created specifically for his clients. Clients can view the status of the sale of their home, read feedback from agents that have shown their home and review the status of their personal marketing plan 24-hours-a-day via their personal web page.

Al understands that technology is just a tool and says it is really his focus on providing world class customer service that has enabled him to achieve great results for his clients. He says the key to his success has been his ability to listen more than he speaks and always put the needs of his clients first.

Click below and let’s connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FriendFeed…

Connect with me on FaceBook Follow me on Twitter Connect with me on LinkedIn Connect with me on FriendFeed

Posted by Al Donohue | Discussion:No Comments »

Virtual Real Estate Bar Camp Ridgwood – Marron Gildea and Donohue

November 16th, 2009 categories:For Realtors Only

Ridgewood Virtual Real Estate Bar Camp Event Information

Date:

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Time:

12:00pm – 7:00pm – BarCamp
7pm – 10pm – Drinks at Ridgewood’s
Office Beer Bar & Grill

Location:

Marron Gildea & Donohue

Street:

50 W. Ridgewood Avenue

City/Town:

Ridgewood, NJ
 

Description 

Virtual RE BarCamp is a one day event with a series of online, interactive real estate seminars. Some of the seminars will be going on simultaneously. We will have 2 large-screen flat-panel Monitors set up in Marron Gildea & Donohue’s Ridgewood Office along with other smaller monitors so there will be enough stations set up so that you can participate in the Webinar that most appeals to you at any given time.

This event is open to all Realtors. We have agents coming from NYC, Westchester, South Jersey, etc. So please don’t feel like you have to be a MGD agent to attend. For local agents, I promise there will be no sales pitch to join our firm. This event is 100% about learning and sharing ideas. Please feel free to invite your officemates.

Agents are free to attend as many, or as few, sessions as they like and are free to come and go throughout the day.We don’t expect folks to stay the whole time but you are more than welcome to. Admission is free but space is limited.

Click below for more info:

http://rebarcamp.com/virtual

Click below for the full schedule:

http://rebarcamp.com/virtual/event-info/webinar-calendar

There will be an after-party immediately following at 7pm at The Office Beer Bar and Grill (32-34 Chestnut Street in Ridgewood).

http://www.office-beerbar.com/ridgewood_directions.aspx

The event will feature 27 real estate social media experts who will each host a 30 minute session on subjects including online real estate marketing, social media marketing, real estate social media, Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, blogging and real estate technology.

It’s basically the must attend event of the year for Realtors, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, real estate investors and other real estate professionals.

Twitter Hashtag: #VREBC

Posted by Al Donohue | Discussion:No Comments »

Ridgewood Downtown is Best in Bergen County

November 15th, 2009 categories:Ridgewood News and Events

Ridgewood’s Famed Downtown Wins 201 Magazine’s Best of Bergen 2009 Award

Ridgewood Downtown

I think 201 Magazine definitely got this one right.  Ridgewood’s wonderful downtown was one of the reasons we moved here along with the great school system and central location.  According to 201, Ridgewood’s downtown “mixes mom and pop with nationwide chain shopping in a great balance.”  They go on to say “Every age group can find something to do, eat or buy in downtown Ridgewood, from going to the movies, getting their hunger sated, or buying a new outfit for a night out”.

Ridgewood Downtown Favorites

My family and I make frequent use of the Ridgewood Movie Theater.  Some of our favorite family restaurants include It’s Greek to Me, Brooklyn’s Pizza, Baumgart’s Cafe and, of course, The Country Pancake House.  We are also no strangers to Ben & Jerry’s and the Haagan Dazs Ice Cream Shop.   When it comes to finer dining we like Marcello’s, La Piazza Bistro and Mediterraneo.

Ridgewood Downtown Shopping

Like most men, shopping is not high on my “fun things to do” list and that is precisely why I love the Ridgewood Downtown.  Shopping in Ridgewood is so convenient especially when you are always buying last minute gifts like me.  Bookends is a great place to grab a last minute book or toy or just browse the latest titles.  You have the kids covered with GapKids, Bookends, Athlete’s Foot, etc. and there are no shortage of clothing stores (of all kinds), flower shops, etc. for the ladies in your life.  This last sentence sounded a bit sexist or 1950’s-ish – didn’t it?  Well, no one ever accused me of being fully evolved.

Ridgewood Downtown Events

Holiday Tree

Ridgewood has some great events in the downtown area from the upcoming Downtown for the Holidays to the July 4th Parade, Sidewalk Sales and Easter in Ridgewood.

Related Articles

Parking in Ridgewood NJ – The Train Station, Downtown, Meters, Permits and More

Ridgewood Restaurant Recognized for Best Thai Food

Ridgewood’s Office Beer Bar and Grill Named Best Sports Bar in Bergen County

Click Here to Subscribe to The Ridgewood Front Porch

—————————————————————–

Click below and let’s connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FriendFeed…

Connect with me on FaceBook          Follow me on Twitter          Connect with me on LinkedIn          Connect with me on FriendFeed

Posted by Al Donohue | Discussion:2 Comments »

Ridgewood Real Estate Report – Average Sale Price Up 5.4% in October

November 9th, 2009 categories:Ridgewood Real Estate

October Ridgewood Home Sales Numbers…A Mixed Bag but Mostly Positive

The number of Ridgewood home sales were down ever so slightly (20 in October versus 21 in September) while the Average Days on Market declined from 79 in September to 72 in October.

Ridgewood Homes Sold and Days on Market for Oct 2009

Another positive sign was the increase in average sales price which rose roughly 5.4% from $752,614 in September to $793,550 in October.

Ridgewood Average Sales Price October 2009

Inventory levels have also come down conisdiderably over the past few months.  This is a good sign especially when combined with the other recent positive real estate news on both a local and national level.

Ridgewood Home Inventory Through November 2009

Related Articles

Good News for Ridgewood Home Buyers and Sellers: Home Buyer Tax Credit to be Extended…and Expanded

Bergen County Real Estate: Lower Inventory Levels and More Homes Under Contract

New Jersey Home Sales Rise for Sixth Month In a Row

The information in this blog post is based on data provided by the New Jersey Multiple Listing Service, Inc. for the period of October 1st, 2009 to October 31st, 2009. .

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Click below and let’s connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FriendFeed…

Connect with me on FaceBook Follow me on Twitter Connect with me on LinkedIn Connect with me on FriendFeed

Why Choose Aloysius Donohue?

It’s hard to answer this question myself without sounding like a complete blowhard so please click below to see what clients and local newspapers had to say.

Clients Are Saying…

Local Newspapers are Saying…

Click here to see some of my current listings…

Posted by Al Donohue | Discussion:4 Comments »

Obama Signs Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension and Expansion

November 6th, 2009 categories:Real Estate News and Advice

Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension and Expansion – A Done Deal

Ridgewood Tax Credit Homes

From MND Newswire…

“It is finally official.  The homebuyers’ tax credit has been extended to April 30, 2010.

President Barack Obama approved the extension as part of a $24 billion economic stimulus bill signed Friday.  The bill also includes an extension of unemployment benefits to the longtime jobless and tax credits for some businesses.

The housing tax credit portion of the bill extends the $8,000 tax credit for home buyers who are purchasing their first home from the current November 30 deadline and expands the program to offer a credit of $6,500 to other homeowners who have lived in their current home for at least five years and are seeking to relocate.”

Click here to read the full article.

Related Articles

Good News for Ridgewood Home Buyers and Sellers: Home Buyer Tax Credit to be Extended…and Expanded

Top Ten Reasons to Relocate to Ridgewood New Jersey

Home Buyer’s Tax Credit Plus 4 Other Reasons NOW is the Time to Buy a Ridgewood Home

Click below to connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FriendFeed…

Connect with me on FaceBook Follow me on Twitter Connect with me on LinkedIn Connect with me on FriendFeed

Posted by Al Donohue | Discussion:No Comments »

Video: Tips for Getting a Good Deal on a Home as the Buyer’s Market Comes to an End

November 2nd, 2009 categories:Real Estate News and Advice

Did You Miss Out on the Greatest Home Buying Opportunity of Our Generation?  Maybe Not.

The video below does a nice job of outlining how you can still get a good deal even though housing prices in most areas of the country have started to rise.

You can get a better deal on a home when…

  • The property has a “clear ending”.
    • Divorce, Estate Sale, Foreclosure, etc.
  • Sellers are in trouble financially.
  • You are dealing with a scorned homeowner.
    • Owner has had a deal fall through recently.
  • Shopworn Homes.
    • Homes that have been on the market 6 months or more.
  • The home is vacant.
    • An overgrown yard is a telltale sign.

Related Articles

Good News for Ridgewood Home Buyers and Sellers: Home Buyer Tax Credit to be Extended…and Expanded

Top Ten Reasons to Relocate to Ridgewood New Jersey

Home Buyer’s Tax Credit Plus 4 Other Reasons NOW is the Time to Buy a Ridgewood Home

——————————————————–

About Al Donohue

Al Donohue heads up Marron Gildea & Donohue’s Ridgewood office and is one of the top agents in Bergen County.

ibs-photo.jpg

Al attributes much of his success to lessons learned during his years as a top sales executive on Wall Street. Most of Al’s clients are busy professionals and business owners and they love the fact that he speaks their language and understands the incredible demands on their time. Al stays in constant touch with his clients not only through phone calls and face-to-face meetings but also through email, instant messaging, and web pages created specifically for his clients. Clients can view the status of the sale of their home, read feedback from agents that have shown their home and review the status of their personal marketing plan 24-hours-a-day via their personal web page.

Al understands that technology is just a tool and says it is really his focus on providing world class customer service that has enabled him to achieve great results for his clients. He says the key to his success has been his ability to listen more than he speaks and always put the needs of his clients first.

Post

Posted by Al Donohue | Discussion:No Comments »