Title Wise
The New Jersey Real Estate News You Can Use
|
Greetings!
We at Counsellors Title Agency are immensely proud of receiving the Premier Agent Award for 2020. This is our fourth year in a row that we have been the recipient of this highest honor within our industry. In normal situations this would be a great honor; but in the midst of a pandemic, this achievement is the culmination of a team of consummate professionals exceeding all expectations. In addition, we have a brief podcast for parents and grandparents trying to make the most of their children's increased screen time.
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
|
Counsellors Title Named 2020 Premier Agent
TOMS RIVER, NJ – Counsellors Title Agency, Inc., www.counsellorstitle.net, announced that Ralph Aponte and the agency has again been recognized by Old Republic Title Company with its highest honor, the Premier Agent Award for 2020. This is the fourth year in a row that the agency has received this commendation. Considering the demands placed upon the real estate industry in general, Counsellors Title Agency’s staff of over 40 employees and industry professionals has delivered its unwavering signature service in more transactions in the past year than in any other year since Ralph Aponte founded it back in 1996.
In addition to its explosive growth, Counsellors has opened new branch offices in Monmouth, Morris and Union Counties.
“Premier Agent” Award from Old Republic Title is a designation that identifies agents and agencies for their outstanding work and production.
In addition to its new office locations, Counsellors Title has entered its 25th year of operation, which is marked by processing over $15.5 billion in orders and nearly 38,000 orders since its founding.
Since its founding, the team of Counsellors Title Agency professionals has dedicated itself to delivering the highest level of professional title insurance and closing services within the industry.
“The numbers only reflect the level of commitment that the Counsellors Title staff gave to our customers every single day. To observe all the protocols associated with this pandemic without missing a beat is an extraordinary feat that I am sure we will all look back on with a sense of professional pride. The majority of our staff have been with our agency for over a decade, so when the time came to perform above and beyond, everyone stepped up their game,” stated Ralph Aponte, President of Counsellors Title Agency, Inc.
“Counsellors Title will continue to deliver its signature ‘glitch-free’ service through 2021 and beyond.”
# # #
|
Times They Are A-Changin'
Back in October 2018, it was a normal market. Even though the inventory of homes seemed to be dropping at a precipitous rate, sales and new listings continued to maintain levels that were considered to be normal.
New listings back in October of 2018 were calculated to be 10,795. If we compare those numbers to February 2020, we would see 10,229. Frankly that wasn't a big difference in a matter of nearly 1 1/2 years. And yet in just 12 months, new listings fell dramatically in February 2021 by 34.4% to 6,713.
And in 2018 and 2019, even with new listings and inventory falling, pending sales climbed only 3.5% in 2019 from the prior year. And in addition, days on market did not dip by any significant amount from 67 days to 65 days.
So what happened? And how long is this atypical condition going to stand?
The collapse of the available inventory of homes on the market for sale has been an ongoing trend. But it hadn't taken on the massive proportions really until 2020.
Take a look at the two graphs that we have posted from 2018 and 2019, and 2020 and 2021.
The pending sales appear to be clearly in line, between 6,000 and 7,000 pending sales reported. And even days on market for 2018, 2019 and 2020 were very normal, 67, 65 and 75 days, respectively. But the big hit came in 2020 when days on market in New Jersey fell to an average of 50 days in February 2021. With the average days on market falling by 33%, the average sales price for a single-family home appreciated by 25.6% to $492,000.
Inventory shortages will continue to be the single largest factor affecting the real estate market throughout 2021. There is literally more demand for houses than supply can provide the surging buyers. As long as bidding wars continue to drive houses well beyond their asking price, we can rest assured that there will continue to be shortages of housing for single-family homes throughout New Jersey.
I estimate that it will take two years to bring inventory back to levels of 4 months or more supply.
# # #
|
How One Parent Creatively Conquered Excessive Screen Time
Excessive and unproductive screen time is a reality. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that children ages eight to 10 spend an average of 6 hours per day in front of a screen, kids ages 11 to 14 spend an average of 9 hours per day in front of a screen, and youth ages 15 to 18 spend an average of 7.5 hours per day in front of a screen." Mark shares how he "conquered" this elephant in the room with his kids by combining Legos and YouTube.
He also gives parents 3 key pieces of advice:
■ When working together with your kids to creatively collaborate to put to use their screen time, build a channel, not a wall.
■ Engage with your kids and celebrate, otherwise it will become "work."
■ Finally, no names (first or last), locations, school information or even mention of trips and vacations.
For more information on how to go about collaborating with your kids on creating YouTube Channels, contact Anthony DiMaio counsellorstitle@gmail.com.
# # #
|
Get This Month's Free Rental Planner Spreadsheet |
Rental Income Planner in Excel Spreadsheet
|
|
A.S.A.P. Attorney Settlement Assistance Program
|
Our real estate secretarial services are able to assist you in every aspect of the sale, purchase, refinance or loan closing process. We will directly communicate with all the parties involved in the transaction and coordinate and obtain all the items necessary to bring the matter to closing.
Our ASAP services can be individually customized to fit your needs. These services include:
- Documentation Preparation
- Disbursement of Funds
- Attendance at Closing
- HUD Preparation or
- Post-Closing Matters
|
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. |
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
|
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.
|
Handy Guide to Real Estate Sources |
Here are some of the most widely used governmental websites for the real estate industry.
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
|
|
 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Ralph Aponte
Our Office: 504 Hooper Avenue,
Toms River, NJ 08753
Phone Number: (732) 914-1400
Fax: 732-914-8898
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
