December 8, 2020
Member News


Local


Somerset County: Emergency Rental Relief Program Somerset County has established an Emergency Rental Relief Program for County households that had a loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants may be eligible for up to 3 months’ rent or $3,000. Read more. 

Mercer County Announces Notary Night Schedule for 2021 Notary Nights will continue to be held on the first Thursday of each month, from 3:00 to 7:30 pm. They are usually held at the Mercer County Connection satellite office in Hamilton, but the office is currently closed due to COVID-19. If this closure continues, Notary Nights will be held at the Trenton office at 209 South Broad St. instead. The next Notary Night will be January 7. 
  • For more information and how to apply, click here. 
  • For registration/renewal, click here. 
  • For information about notaries public and updates on office openings and closings, visit the Mercer County website or call (609) 989-6465.
 
City of Trenton City Hall to Auction 50 City-Owned Properties Register for the online auction. The auction starts December 9 at 10:00 am. Register here. Q&A Session video. For more information, click here. 

Somerset County Business Partnership:  Grand Opening Celebration at Somerset Hills Hotel Situated in Warren Township, Somerset Hills Hotel offers guests all the world-class comforts, services, and amenities of the Hilton brand. Read more.
SUPRA
Important Notice Regarding a Change in Supra Keyholder Payment Options Effective January 31, 2021, Supra will no longer process ACH payments for monthly debits. Keyholders who pay their Supra key fee using the ACH payment option will be affected by this change. SUPRA is implementing this change to the Keyholder payment options to streamline their processes and provide better service to their customers. 
  • SupraNET and SupraWEB will be updated in mid-December 2020 to discontinue ACH as a payment option. After the change is made, we will no longer be able to sign up Keyholders with the ACH payment option for initial or recurring payments.
  • Any Keyholder currently set up to pay via ACH will need to change their payment option to a debit or credit card no later than January 31, 2021. Pre-paid cards can also be used as a payment option (Visa/MC/Amex). Supra will notify keyholders that currently use the ACH payment option and provide them with instructions to update their payment method.
  • To view instructions about Using the Payment Management Feature in SupraWEB
  • To view instructions about Using the Payment Management Feature in eKEY
  • For questions, call (877) 699-6787
Webinars

New Fair Housing Course NJ Realtors Academy of Continuing Education offers a free online class titled, Complying with the Fair Housing Act, that will satisfy one required hour. It's an online class with videos that you can do at your own pace. Register now.

RIS Media: Real Estate’s Rocking in the New Year is for an action-packed, full-day, virtual educational event, to help real estate professionals kick off the new year like a rock star! The event will take place on January. 7, 2021 from 11 am – 5:30 pm. The one-day inspirational, motivational and skill-building event is touted as one of the industry’s largest and most viewed events of the year. Read more. 
Bright MLS

Weekly Market Trends Report for the Week of November 30th Now Available!
  • New listing volume came in at lower week to week levels moving into the holiday season, but remained above the same week last year.
  • November end of month closing activity surpassed last year at 161.8% of the same week last year, and was 2% higher than October end of month closing levels.
  • In an indication that buyers may be pulling back from the market, showing volume continued to move closer to year-ago levels.
>>>>>To view the report, click here.
New Jersey

NJ Department of Treasury: Did You Know Relief is Available to Freeze Your Property Taxes? Don’t miss out. The deadline to apply for the Senior Freeze program has been extended to December 31, 2020. Click here to see if you’re eligible today.

Gov. Murphy Executive Order Enrolling Residents Who Choose to Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine in the NJ Immunization Information System In preparation for the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines to NJ, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order No. 207, which automatically enrolls residents who choose to receive a COVID-19 vaccine into the state’s existing vaccine registry. The Governor’s Executive Order changes inclusion into the New Jersey Immunization Information System from an opt-in to an opt-out program for residents who elect to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. That group of residents will be automatically enrolled into the system and will then be permitted to opt-out of the registry 30 days after the public health emergency expires.

The Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey's Hispanic Entrepreneurship Training Program provides free business education and mentorship services to Hispanic small business owners. Click here to apply today! 
National
NAR: Real Estate Forecast Summit 
The all-virtual event will provide a year-end review and outlook on the post-election real estate market and the economy. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun and 12 leading real estate and banking economists and researchers will arrive at a consensus real estate market forecast for 2021 and beyond. Thursday, December 10, from 11:00 am to 2:40 pm. Register now.
  • The event is free. Registration is required.
  • Space is limited and is first-come, first-served.
  • For more information on the event agenda, panels and panelists, visit the NAR Real Estate Forecast Summit website here.

RISMedia: Renovation-Hesitant Clients? Here’s How to Ease Concerns Home renovations should be seen as a tool for getting your clients more home for their money, a higher return on their investment, and the ability to turn their "right now" home...Read more.

Inman: 7 ways to Connect with First-Time Millennial and Gen Z Buyers To appeal to millennial and Gen Z buyers, you should familiarize yourself with their comfort zones, priorities, and the challenges they face now. Here's what you need to know. 

NAR: FHA Is Next to Raise 2021 Conforming Loan Limits Following Fannie and Freddie’s lead, the Federal Housing Administration announced higher limits for the new year due to climbing home prices. Read more. 
 
NAR: 38% of Renters Can Afford to Buy a Home An NAR economist credits falling mortgage rates and increased incomes but says down payments still present a hurdle to many. Read more.
 
NAR: The Double-Edged Housing Boom Eye-popping home sales and prices pose longer-term problems. Read more.

NAR: YPN LOUNGE - Are You Ready to Start 2021 as a J.E.D.I. Defender? If 2020 has inspired you to promote fair housing for all, but you don’t know where to begin, then join the J.E.D.I. (Justice + Equity + Diversity + Inclusion) Defender Challenge to kickstart 2021. Read more.