You Trust Kent Blair with Your Children – So Your Money Should Be a No-Brainer

Kent Blair - Center in Cub Master Uniform

After working for nearly twenty-five years for large institutional Wall Street firms, Kent Blair has created a more personal and entrepreneurial venture.   Van Dien Asset Management is the result.  Here, Kent puts to work his significant portfolio management and research analyst skills to construct high quality technology-focused equity portfolios in an effort to deliver superior returns. The early performance results are promising: 

For the First Quarter of 2010, the Van Dien Asset Management portfolio was up 9.66% versus 5.68% for the NASDAQ Composite index and 4.87% for the S&P 500 index, respectively.   This is on top of substantial outperformance in 2009. 

In today’s turbulent investment environment, trusting your Portfolio Manager is more important than ever.  And if there is one family I know that inspires trust – it is the Blair family. 

Kent is the Cubmaster of Ridgewood’s Cub Scout Pack 55, a Ridgewood football, basketball and baseball coach and he is an active member of the Somerville-Hawes Dads’ Night organization.

Kent coaching Ridgewood Biddy Basketball

Kent’s wife, Beth Blair, is the former President of the Ridgewood YWCA Newcomers Club and currently serves on the Vestry at Christ Church in Ridgewood. 

Obviously, being involved and trustworthy people doesn’t necessarily translate into great returns.  Luckily, both Kent and Beth Blair’s resumes and credentials are even more impressive than their dedication to the Ridgewood Community.  And of course there is the fact that Van Dien Asset Management handily beat the returns of the NASDAQ Composite index and the S&P 500 index in Q1 2010.

To learn more about Kent, Beth and Van Dien Asset Management:

Call:  (201) 857-2628.

Email:  kentblair@vandienasset.com

Visit: http://www.vandienasset.com/

Read: Van Dien Asset Management Brochure

In the interest of full disclosure I do want to mention that I have not invested in Van Dien Asset Management…yet.   I also am not currently, and never will be, a financial expert and am in no way qualified to give investment advice.  Furthermore, “Past performance is no guarantee of future results” and yada, yada, blah, blah please don’t sue me.  Check out this firm.  Make your own decisions.

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Ridge Thai Awarded “Best in Bergen County” by 201 Magazine

Ridge Thai's Website (Ridgewood, NJ)

According to 201 Magazine Ridge Thai nudged out another Ridgewood Restaurant for first place on this year’s list.  Taste of Thai, in Ridgewood, was the category’s runner up.

Ridge Thai serves traditional Thai Dishes, in large portions, at its 24 seat establishment located at 50 Chestnut Street near the Ridgewood Train Station.  One local resident quoted in the 201 Article describes it as “small, inmate” while another says “The staff is accommodating, to the point of being sweet without being sugary.  The spices are real and delicious.  When I wipe the back of my neck and back of my head and they are wet with perspiration, but my mouth and throat are not burning in the least, I know I’m enjoying the best Thai food.”

Related Articles

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

Ridgewood’s Country Pancake House Serves the Best Breakfast in Bergen County

Brooklyn’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, in Ridgewood NJ, Named Best Pizza in Bergen County

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Ridgewood Sports Bar Wins “Best in Bergen” Award…Again

201 Magazine recently named Ridgewood’s Office Beer Bar and Grill as a repeat winner int he “Best Sports Bar” category.  The magazine cites the lively bar scene, large number of wide-screen TVs, sports enthusiasm and “good-eats” as the main reason for the award – and I have to agree.

The Office is a very versatile place.  There are not many sports bars that work equally well as a happy hour spot and a family restaurant – but The Office pulls it off.  My colleagues and I sometimes hit the office for happy hour and I have caught my share of games there but I feel equally comfortable bringing the family to The Office for a nice, casual lunch on weekends.  The Office is like a good utility player – it can fill many roles.

Next time you are in Ridgewood  stop by the office and check it out for yourself.

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Related Articles

Ridgewood’s Country Pancake House Serves the Best Breakfast in Bergen County

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

Ridgewood’s Van Dyke’s Ice Cream Named Best in Bergen County

Brooklyn’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, in Ridgewood NJ, Named Best Pizza in Bergen County

Van Dyke’s Ice Cream, on Ackerman Avenue in Ridgewood, Named Bergen County’s Best Ice Cream.

This is another Bergen Health & Life review I can agree with.  I’d give Van Dyke’s “A” for it’s great handmade ice cream and it’s “throwback” charm.  However, if I had to choose, I would still go with  Maggie Moo’s on Maple Avenue in Ridgewood – but you really can’t go wrong either way.

The magazine cites the Bailey’s Irish Cream, Amaretto and Chunky Strawberry as the best flavors to try.  I will have to take the family there and give it a try.  I reserve the right to change my vote from Maggie Moo’s to Van Dyke’s pending the results of my new field research.

Other related must reads:

Brooklyn’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, in Ridgewood NJ, Named Best Pizza in Bergen County

4 Great Things to do in Ridgewood this Summer

Home Staging. Is it right for you?

Yes!

“Because the way you live in your home and the way you market and sell it are two very different things”.

– Barb Schwarz

When you decide to place your house on the market, it becomes a product. Now I know it can be hard to think of your home as just a product, but it is, and the consumers that you want to attract are the buyers.

Anyone who has gone shopping knows how important packaging can be when choosing to buy something; it could be as simple as picking out a bottle of wine. You may not be sure how it tastes but you may be tempted to buy and try it because of how the bottle and label looks.

Well this is the same principal for having your home Professionally Staged. You want to package your home to make it very appealing to a large group of potential buyers.

As homeowners we can become very comfortable with how our house looks to us.  Over time we start to overlook things that can be very obvious to others buyers.

When you are ready to sell, you must be ready to be seen. And believe me, buyers are going to look at everything.

“Buyers only know what they see – not the way it is going to be”.

–Barb Schwarz

Having your home Professionally Staged will ensure that you are giving buyers a great and lasting first impression about your home.

Staging Tip #1:

Have all the windows in your home cleaned. Buyers are always looking out the windows to see the view.

For more information on Home Staging please click here: Bergen County’s Best Home Stager – Barbara Miksits

Click Below to view photos of homes staged by Barbara Miksits:

Ridgewood New Construction Staged by Barbara Miksits

Allendale Home Staged by Barbara Miksits

Ridgewood Home Staged by Barbara Miksits

About Barbara Miksits and BCM Home Staging

Barbara Cluck-Miksits is an Accredited Staging Professional and a member of The International Association of Home Staging Professionals^.  As the Design Manager of a large Retail Floral Enterprise for 25 years, Barbara has experience in on site decorating of residential homes, corporate environments, interior design for retail stores and merchandise coordinating. Click here to learn more about Barbara.