Counsellors Title
September 12, 2019
Title Wise
Title Tips & Tactics for Today's Real Estate Professionals
 
Monmouth County values have climbed 25% since July 2012. One single factor contributing to this upward swing is the prolonged inventory shortage. We are seeing inventory shortages affect all New Jersey markets, despite lower interest rates. Another piece of good news is Home Depot's announced plans to open up a warehouse distribution center in Perth Amboy.
 
Please feel free to email me at ralph@counsellorstitle.com
if you have any questions or would like to follow up on any of this edition's articles.  
                                                          Ralph Aponte
732.914.1400
Monmouth County Then and Now     

To best understand Monmouth County real estate values, it would be prudent to consider it within the context of 2011 and 2012. In September 2011, there were 838 new listings and 356 closed sales that month. Contrast that with 958 new listings and 862 closed sales for July 2019. Those numbers demonstrate the the market in Monmouth was over 120% more active in 2019 than in 2011.  
 
What was even more profound was the inventory of listed homes in Monmouth County.
 
If one were to compare 2012 to 2019, one of the most distinct differences would be the inventory of available homes on the market. In July 2019, according to New Jersey Realtors, there were 3,058 homes available on the market. In July 2012, there were 826 homes available for sale and just 480 closed sales.
 
The median sales price in July 2012 was $384,000 and the percentage of price received was 94.2%. According to the report, there were 12.5 months of supply back in July 2012. This compares with a 5.3-month supply and 3,058 homes available for sale in July 2019. Another market distinction is that sellers in 2019 received 98.2% of the list price and the median sales price was $469,000.
 
This only goes to prove that markets change and so it is important for both buyers and sellers to consider the significance and power of trends within the context of their own homes.
  
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Owner's Title Insurance    
 
How Title Insurance Policy Protects the Owner's Interest
 
Some common examples of problems covered by an Owner's Title Insurance Policy include:
  • Improper execution of documents
  • Mistakes in recording or indexing of legal documents
  • Forgeries and fraud
  • Undisclosed or missing heirs
  • Unpaid taxes and assessments
  • Unpaid judgments and liens
  • Unreleased mortgages
  • Mental incompetence of grantors on the deed
  • Impersonation of the true owners of the land by fraudulent persons
Counsellors Title Agency makes no express or implied warranty respecting the information presented herein and assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.
 
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Home Depot Comes to Perth Amboy 
One of the most prominent property sites in Middlesex County, the vacant property site in Perth Amboy located on Elm Street, the former ASARCO property, is coming back to life. What began back in 2009 is finally coming to fruition as the Bridgeport Logistics Center.  
 
The fact that one of Wall Street's major icons, Home Depot, now is coming to build a warehouse center at the location is going to be a real boost to the Perth Amboy economy. This historic shoreline has been remediated from contaminated brownfields and is soon to be a state-of-the-art industrial complex. The site borders the Arthur Kill, a major navigational channel for the Port of New York and Newark.
 
According to an article, more than $100 million in remediation and construction to redevelop a 190-acre brownfield has been spent with the expectation that this reconstruction and rehab will result in 400 to 600 potential new jobs.
 
The specs for the site call for the work to be completed by the end of 2020, which appears to be quite optimistic.
 
The redevelopment will provide public access, waterfront, an amphitheater, a public picnic area, restrooms, a senior citizen park, as well as a mile-long green pathway that borders the shoreline.
 
The Commercial Development Company [CDC] acquired the site in 2009. The CDC has since relocated 22 tenants, demolished 13 buildings and remediated 80 years of environmental residue from ASARCO's metal smelting business. The site was a smelting and refining facility for 80 years, owned and operated by American Smelting and Refining Co., which closed in 1979.
 
The remediation also involved removing 14,000 shipping containers, rebuilding a cell tower and raising the site to post-Sandy flood elevations.
 
Phase 2 of the project will complete a total of 2.4 million square feet at Bridgeport Logistics Center. Bridge Development has invested $180 million for the construction of 3 warehousing and distribution facilities totaling nearly 1.3 million square feet, where Target has established its first distribution center in New Jersey and now Home Depot.
Home Depot is looking to build-out its warehouse to enhance its delivery to consumer and commercial customers in one day or less.

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Our Commitment to Excellence
Counsellors Title Agency wants to thank you for the opportunity to work with you and your clients to grow your business. Please feel free to click the link above or here to leave us a review on Google. We appreciate your business.

 
Careers @ Counsellors

Sales: Leading NJ title insurance agency seeks experienced licensed salespersons to help expand its market share throughout the entire state. Benefits include health insurance, 401k with an employer match, flexible spending account, expense account, & marketing support. Send resumes by fax: 732-914-8898 or ralph@counsellorstitle.com

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Free Online Title Insurance Calculator  

Counsellors Title Agency announced its updated Title Calculator for New Jersey home purchases & refinances at: Title Calculator  
 
Loan officers, real estate agents and home buyers can find out how much title insurance will cost for purchases made in New Jersey. 
 
Easy-To-Use Functionality
This online tool includes many of the endorsements involved in calculating the cost of a title policy in New Jersey. CTA's Title Calculator is a great tool for real estate salespersons, loan officers, attorneys and those who are buying or refinancing their home.

It calculates the cost of title insurance based upon the purchase price of the home, the loan amount, and the various endorsements that can accompany the loan. The calculator provides the user the scalability of selecting the various endorsements involved in the transaction. 

Counsellors Title Closing Services for Attorneys

Counsellors Title provides its Attorney Settlement Assistance Program [ASAP] with the real estate attorney in mind.

The Counsellors ASAP program offers secretarial services to assist in the process of a sale, purchase, refinance or loan closing.

Counsellors will even communicate directly with all the parties involved in the transaction to coordinate and obtain all the items necessary to assist in the close.

ASAP includes:
  • Documentation Preparation
  • Disbursement of Funds
  • Attendance at Closing
  • HUD Preparation or 
  • Post-Closing Matters
For more information about the attorney services provided by Counsellors Title call our home office: 732.914.1400 or email us at info@counsellorstitle.com.

 

Handy Guide to Real Estate Sources
 
I look forward to being of service to you, providing you with outstanding real-time information and some humor to make doing business a pleasure.
 
Sincerely,
Ralph
Ralph Aponte
Counsellors Title
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Counsellors Title Agency, Inc. specializes in providing title
insurance, title search services and loan closing services
serving attorneys, Realtors, banks and various mortgage
companies throughout the State of New Jersey. CTA offers full
search and insurance capabilities within all 21 counties of New
Jersey for commercial, residential and new construction
purchases in our Toms River, Freehold, Chatham, and Union locations. CTA is equipped with the latest digital technologies to ensure a
complete and timely transaction.

Counsellors Title Agency, Inc.
Mr. Ralph Aponte
President
Counsellors Title Agency, Inc.
504 Hooper Ave.
Toms River, NJ 08753
Phone: 732-914-1400
Fax: 732-914-8898