How safe is your new apartment?

Your new apartment has a lock on the door, but does the last tenant still have a key?

That's just one of a number of security and safety issues first-time tenants might not think about, but should.

"If that person has the key right to your apartment, they can come in on a non-forced entry," said Clifton Crime Prevention Officer Jim Flanagan, recommending a new lock as perhaps a tenant's first step to creating "home, safe home."

There may be some people, such as the landlord, who need a key for emergencies, but Flanagan said the key and its use should be spelled out in a lease. Even with emergency access, Flanagan said, tenants will want to be informed so they aren't surprised to find their belongings moved about.

Security lighting and burglar alarms work to protect any home, but if they are not provided and are too costly to purchase, Flanagan recommended multiple locks.

"Two is better than one," he said. "For a couple dollars more, get the screen door that locks," and do the same with sash windows, he said.

Renters are not the biggest targets for burglary, he said. Their proximity to other tenants provides many eyes and ears that make burglars hesitant to strike.

Flanagan also suggests a free home security check, often offered by police departments.

Any safety check of a new apartment would not be complete without considering fire prevention.

Just because a smoke detector has an active red light does not mean it's working well, said Capt. Russell Shorter of the Hackensack Fire Department. "You would have to check with building maintenance and ask questions," he said.

You'll want carbon monoxide detectors, too, if gas is used for heat, cooking or hot water, said Shorter. If the building has a fire sprinkler system, these are subject to inspections, he said, and the tenant can see if the landlord is keeping up the requirements.

The trend in new construction over the last 20 years is away from fire escapes, which rust and collect clutter, Shorter said. With two or more stairwells, buildings are freed of this requirement, but if your building has a fire escape, make sure that it's in shape and accessible.

Lt. Stephen Lindner said the Hackensack Fire Department sees more kitchen fires in apartments.

Here the burden of safety falls to the tenant, who should avoid leaving pots unattended or placing dishtowels and aerosol cans near the stove. Lindner suggested keeping a lid handy to quickly snuff out a grease fire in a pan.

For other safety issues, Matt Shapiro, president of the 50,000-member New Jersey Tenants Organization, recommended talking to other tenants. "I assume the place will be [freshly] painted so it will look good. It's hard to tell if you're going to get water damage, and so on. It would be great to go into another apartment that hasn't been painted," Shapiro said, for a more realistic view of life in this building.

Moreover, tenants can check with the local building department to see if the unit has a new certificate of occupancy, which some towns require each time a unit is rented again. To get a certificate, "they have to show the apartment itself is violation-free," Shapiro said.

For tenants with children, window guards and lead paint are special concerns. State law requires landlords to supply window guards upon written request in places where children under age 10 are to reside. Windows that open onto a fire escape are an exception.

When it comes to lead used in house paints until 1978, Legal Services of New Jersey advises on its Web site, "If your home has lead paint that is creating a hazard, you can force the landlord to remove it by withholding rent or asking for a rent abatement."

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Bring the Fresh Look of Summer Into Your Home

When the days are long and the air is warm, you want to throw open your windows and enjoy the days of summer. Bring the fresh look of summer into your home with some quick an easy additions (or removals) of color, style, and accessories.
Not everyone has the luxury of moving to the lake or mountains to enjoy the "lazy days of summer." But most everyone can bring the look of summer into the home they do have.

It's not necessary to change every room or throw out all the old furniture, but there are lots of ways to lighten up and freshen up your home for a wonderful summer seasonal change. You may even feel like you've moved away for the summer.

Why not try some of these simple, easy changes to "summerize" your home?


Restyle
Take out any dark accessories like velvet pillows, wool throws, and even that dark leather club chair and ottoman. Don't worry! You can bring them back in when the weather changes.

Repaint
It won't take long to put a fresh coat of summery paint on a hallway or on a wall of a drab room. Choose a fresh color scheme of lemon yellow, apple green, or sky blue.

Revive
Toss out leggy, brown plants that you're trying to nurse. Bring in fresh, flowering new ones and welcome summer!

Make
Try sewing a simple slipcover for the back or seat of your kitchen or dining room side chairs. The look will soften an all-wood chair and freshen the look of an upholstered seat.

Redo
Add fresh flowers and plants to your guest room or bedroom. Enjoy colorful, cheery, summery new flowered bed linens.

Add
Nothing brightens up a room like white. Add it wherever you can. How about frothy, light curtains, fresh white trims, or a painted chair or table?

Renew
Lighten up drab bookshelves. Paint the back wall (and even the side walls) with a bright, summery color. The books will really "pop out" against the contrasting color. How about lime green in dark wood shelves or sky blue on yellow. Choose a color that complements your rooms decorating scheme.

Add
Frame some simple botanical prints or landscapes and set them up on a bookshelf, bureau, or table top. Or hang a series of summery flower pictures down a dark hallway.

Display
Use simple plate holders to hold pretty floral plates. Set them on a table or buffet.

Think
Nothng says summer like "casual." Use wicker, rush, iron, or painted white garden furniture in place of heavy upholstered pieces. Add colorful pillows.

Renew
Remove the dried logs from your fireplace and replace them with an impressive artificial fern or a gurggling fountain. Replace your brass fire screen with painted hinged shutters or a piece of rusted, painted iron gate.

Go sheer
Layer sheer, frothy fabrics on tables, over a shower curtain, as a second layer on a bed skirts, and even make a sheer pillow cover for a dark pillow Add a touch of wimsey with embroidered sheer fabric.

Find
Shop at flea markets, garage sales, and discount outlets for architectural artifacts, garden ornaments, flowery china plates, ironstone pitchers, and other accessories to add to your summer decor.

Focus
Choose a summer theme, either fruits, flowers, insects, or nautical, and decorate around it. It makes the transformation easier if you have focus.

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8,000 Dollar Homebuyers Tax Credit - Better Than You Think!

You've heard about the $8,000 First Time Homebuyer's Tax Credit. And you've thought it might come in handy ... someday.

But you're not sure it'll help you now, today. With the projects that require an urgent infusion of cash.

The house you're planning to purchase is in fundamentally good shape, but the landscaping needs attention and you want to install window treatments, too.

Now you can. A little loophole in the $8,000 First Time Homebuyer's Tax Credit allows you to purchase the house between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009 and then immediately file an amendment to your 2008 tax return, in order to take immediate advantage of the tax credit.

"Hold on," you say. "How can I purchase the house in 2009 and take the tax credit on my 2008 return?"

In a word, "loophole".

The federal government is doing everything it can to get the stimulus package into circulation. The intent of the bill is to infuse the economy with cash. The feds want you to spend money on landscaping; they want you to install those new window treatments.

Keep in mind, first time homebuyers are defined as those who haven't owned a home in the last three years. Home purchases must be made between January 1 and December 31, 2009 in order to qualify for the $8,000 tax credit.

So go ahead. Work with your trusted real estate advisor. Select a solid home with a good foundation. Hire a qualified home inspector to make sure it's a sound investment. Move forward with the purchase, enjoying one of the lowest mortgage interest rates in history. And then enjoy the $8,000 tax credit.

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Seven Questions You Should Ask When Buying a Condo Hotel Unit

You may have heard all the buzz about the newest type of vacation home investment, condo hotels. These are condominiums located in four- and five-star hotels in cities like Miami, Orlando, Las Vegas and Chicago. Owners use their condos when they’d like. When not using their unit, they can place it in the hotel’s rental program and receive a percentage of the revenue it generates.

How do you choose a condo hotel unit that meets your desire for a vacation home and is also likely to produce a healthy revenue and appreciate down the road? Consider the following seven questions when evaluating a condo hotels:

1. Is a condo hotel right for you?

Condo hotels are not your typical second homes. They are fabulously-furnished condominium suites in some of the most famous hotels and resorts around the country. The properties are usually large, high-rise, luxury hotels and come with premium amenities like valet, concierge and maid service. Prices can range from $250,000 to over $1 million for prime properties.

2. Is the condo hotel well-located?

Consider whether the property is located in a popular vacation destination, one that is likely to do a healthy tourist or business trade regardless of economic factors.

Also, you must be sure you yourself like the location. Does it offer you the ocean view or golf course access you always dreamed about for your vacation home? If you’ll be flying to this vacation home, how close is it to a major airport?

3. Does the condo hotel have a major franchise?

The key to a successful condo hotel investment is the hotel operator. The better the operator and the franchise, the more likely the success of the property.

A condo hotel with a name brand like Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Starwood or Trump is likely to generate more revenue than a non-brand because it can charge higher room rates and benefit from international advertising and a centralized reservation system.

4. Will the condo hotel receive traffic from any nearby attractions or entertainment venues?

A condo hotel that is near a convention center, a theme park or cruise port will benefit from proximity to these high-traffic venues.

5. Does the condo hotel have any on-site amenities that will draw guests such as a well-known health club, spa, fine dining restaurant or golf course?

You’ll want to choose a condo hotel that has amenities you’ll enjoy using and also are a draw to attract hotel guests.

6. Does the individual unit that you’re considering in a condo hotel meet your needs?

Does it have enough bedrooms, enough square footage? Does it have a kitchen? (Some do, some don’t.) Does it offer an appealing view? Is it furnished to meet your tastes? Does it offer any owner storage?

7. Will the condo hotel unit appreciate?

While personal enjoyment should be your primary reason for considering a condo hotel purchase, it’s certainly worth thinking about whether the property you want has good appreciation potential.

Look at surrounding properties and area appreciation rates. Does the condo hotel have lots of competition? Is it different or better than area properties? How has the demand been since the property first came on the market?

A realtor who specializes in condo hotels and is familiar with the area in which you’re looking can often help you determine if the condo hotel you’re considering has good appreciation potential.

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How to have a successful garage sale

Garage sales represent different things to different people. The bargain hunter, screeching to a halt at the first sign of a garage sale, is looking for a good deal on a useful item. Dedicated garage-salers, armed with maps of advertised garage sales and steaming cups of coffee, set out early in the morning to scour the sales for the best merchandise and earliest deals. Others wander by and see a gorgeous potted plant that they simply must have, while some drivers circle the block slowly, scouting the sale for potentially “stoppable” items.


So how can you turn your garage sale into a “stoppable” sale? By using the combined assets of preparation, presentation and completion.



1. Prepare well. A week or so before your sale date, gather all of the items to be sold. Make sure they’re in good condition – cleaned, washed and polished. Stuff shoes with newspaper to “plump” them up. Wash glassware and knick-knacks in the dishwasher. Clean and press clothing. People are more likely to purchase something in clean, good condition than the same item in it’s unwashed state.


2. Prepare your home – the outside, anyway. Make sure your lawn is mowed, your sidewalks swept, your garage clean. Many garage sale holders use large curtains or sheets hung from the ceiling to keep buyers out of certain areas and to place “sold” items out of the way. This also works if some parts of your garage are messy or contain valuable items, such as tools.


3. Don’t forget supplies! A week or two before your sale, stock up on supplies. Have at least $20 in change and a small cash box. Other supplies include posterboard and markers (for making signs), ribbons and/or balloons (to use as directional markers), price tags or color dots, extra coat-hangers and/or rods for hanging clothes, tables for displaying items, boxes for books, etc.


4. Organize your merchandise. Ever go into a store and find books next to towels next to shoes? Use a logical setup when arranging your garage sale so visitors can find what they want and hopefully see something as well. Keep shoes, belts, purses and other items near the clothing. Display books near craft supplies and office machines. Holiday merchandise should be grouped together and next to the most appropriate section – Christmas merchandise, for example, can go almost anywhere, while Halloween merchandise might best be arranged near the toys and gifts.


Divide and hang clothes on rods or racks with marker signs, such as women’s clothing, girls, men’s, etc. Use some of the better clothes as “displays”, outside of the rack to show what kind of merchandise you offer. On tables, neatly fold and group clothing according to sex and style (i.e., women’s shirts).


5. Throwing a bunch of anything into a box will only attract die-hard bargain hunters. Instead, display items on a table or arrange them in a basket. Spread a large blanket or play mat on the ground and display toys where adults will see them most – at ground level. If you’re using boxes to display books, make sure they’re spine-side up so buyers can read the titles, and that prices for books are clearly displayed.


6. Don’t start too early, but don’t start too late, either. Most garage sales begin at about 8:00 AM; you can be on-hand a bit earlier or, like some hosts, specify no earlybirds in your advertisement. (If you don’t mind earlybirds, be prepared: some ardent garage sale shoppers can come as early as 7AM.) Garage saling peaks at about noon; if you’re not planning to continue the garage sale the next day, mark your merchandise down and start accepting low offers.


7. Be a hospitable host. Keep lemonade or water on hand for hot days with small disposable paper cups. Greet buyers and then busy yourself re-arranging, cleaning, doodling on a pad… whatever it takes to keep you from bugging the buyers. Let them browse the merchandise and be available when they’re ready to buy or ask questions. If you need to use the restroom, have your spouse or someone else on hand to keep an eye out (but hurry back, as husbands are notorious for taking the first bid on an item).


8. Don’t overprice. If you haven’t sold most of your merchandise by noon, chances are the $10 Baby Gap clothes and $150 coffee table have scared off potential buyers. If you’re not sure of the going rate for your items, check out the local Goodwill, thrift store or children’s resale shop for an idea.


9. When your garage sale is finished, remember to remove all of the signs and other directional markers you posted, including ribbons, balloons and arrows. Nothing makes a garage-saler more angry than following a maze of signs only to discover a quiet lawn and closed garage door. Garage-salers have long memories and you may find your next garage sale the subject of a boycott by some of your potentially best customers.


If you find yourself with a few leftover items that you don’t want but not enough to hold another sale, consider donating them to your favorite charity. They will give you a receipt so you can take a tax deduction on the items. Another option, which typically works best for higher-value items, is a consignment shop. Consignment shops will sell the item for you (usually clothing) and take a “cut”, or percentage, of the sale price. This is especially useful if you don’t need that expensive business suit or your children have outgrown their spendy winter coats.


Above all, remember that garage-salers are your customers. Treat them the way you would want to be treated – with fairness and courtesy – and you’ll have a successful garage sale every time.

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