VOLUME 6 ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2009

The NJMLS is expanding and because of that we have added all 21 Counties in NJ to our tax database. We have also added a foreclosure module and have workshops scheduled for tax, labels and foreclosures. We will be soon be releasing our newly designed public site. The entire site has been re-engineered for speed and efficiency and to add future core technologies. We will run the njmls.com site and the new beta site in parallel so our members and the consumer will be eased into the simple transition. This will have no affect on newjerseymls.com or your XL Paragon member system; it is for the public facing site only. The public facing site sends leads directly to you and has produced over 16,000 leads from August 2008 to date. Leads will come from “leads@njrealestate.com” so make sure you’re watching for those in your inbox.

Inside this newsletter you will find many “hidden treasures” at the NJMLS.

Please note the 1-4 family listings that went Under Contract in Bergen, Essex, Passaic and Hudson Counties from June 1st thru August 26th (2008-2009) have risen 17.6% in 2009. The median price is still down 11% so your sellers and your buyers need to be very realistic about this market.

The best of luck... Tina

We are very pleased to announce that you can now get Tax Data for all 21

counties in New Jersey through the Tax Search option in XL Paragon. This

convenient new feature allows you to:

• Search the tax information for a specific property anywhere in

New Jersey.

• Formulate tax searches using various criteria such as Sale Date or

Assessed Value.

• Create mailing labels for any area in New Jersey that you would like

to target in your marketing efforts.

• Access Tax Maps (flood, assessor, and zoning maps) for all of

New Jersey.

• Retrieve Foreclosure Activity for all 21 counties in New Jersey

through Realist.

Learn more about how to access and use this new tool by attending a

free workshop.

A free Tax, Foreclosures, and Labels Workshops will be held on Septem-ber 25th in our Haworth office from 10am to 12pm. Class size is limited; if you are interested, please register as soon as possible. You can register on line by clicking on the Register for NJMLS Classes link. You may also arrange for our instructor to come to your office for a demonstration. Please call Lorraine at (201) 387-1150.

From Our Executive Director

Miss ion Sta tement:

“To prov ide cos t ef fec t ive and comprehens ive real

es ta te in format ion us ing the la tes t proven techno logy. ”

NJMLS INTRODUCES ANOTHER VALUE-ADDED ENHANCEMENT TO XLP:

TAX DATA FOR ALL 21 COUNTIES IN NEW JERSEY

2

NEW JERSEY IS A GREAT PLACE TO TAKE IN DAZZLING FALL FOLIAGE

Did you know there are 39 State Parks in New Jersey? These are great locations to take in the beautiful fall colors

that will soon frame our state. The foliage is usually at its peak the first week of October, so why not plan now for

nature’s most rich and vibrant time of year. Here are some great NJ destinations where you’ll find the best view:

William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest: Considered the birthplace of the Nature Conservancy, these 500 acres sit in

Franklin Township in Somerset County. Centuries old oaks and hickories dominate the landscape; this forest appears

much as it did when European Settlers arrived.

Allamuchy Mountain State Park: Located in the New

Jersey Northwest Skylands, this park features miles

of hiking and mountain biking trails with levels

ranging from fairly easy riding to very rugged terrain.

For the less adventurous, pack a picnic lunch to

enjoy along the water’s edge.

Lake Hopatcong: Take a short drive to Netcong and

you’ll find New Jersey’s largest lake and some of the

most magnificent foliage in the state. When you’ve

had enough of the breathtaking landscape, head

over to Stanhope Village for lunch or shopping.

New Jersey Botanical Gardens: Located in Ringwood, NJBG offers tours every Sunday through October. While you’re there, stop and see the gorgeous Castle at Skylands Manor which is nestled in its 100 acres.

BUILDING DESCRIPTIONS ON TAX RECORDS

The information provided to us for our Tax Records often contains cryptic data that may be difficult to decipher. The

format of the information in building description is Stories-Structure-Style-Garage. As an example, you may see:

1.5S-ST-L-2AG

What this is actually letting you know is that the property you’re researching is a: One and a half story-stone-Colonial-2 car

attached garage Other commonly used abbreviations include:

• A Commercial

• C Apartments

• UG Unattached Garage

• AL Aluminum Siding

• B Brick

• F Frame

• M Mobile Home

A complete list of these abbreviations can be found in XL Paragon. On the Desktop, click on the Online Training/ News Archive link and enter Building Descriptions on Tax Records in the Search bar.

3

HIDDEN TREASURES AT THE NJMLS

The NJMLS has uncovered some little treasures in XL Paragon that you may not be utilizing. Here are seven that you may find useful:

• Wireless Access to XLP: If you’re using a PDA or web-enabled cell phone, you are able to access XL Paragon from wherever you are. Just go to www.newjerseymls.com/mobile and type in your Member ID number and password.

• Personalized Training: Just can’t seem to get the hang of running a Statistical Report? Or maybe you took a CMA class here in our office, but you really feel you need additional help. Call us! We’ll be happy to arrange for one-on-one training with

one of our informative instructors. This training can be completed in your office or in our classroom, and it is free of charge. Just one of the many perks of your membership with the NJMLS.

• Supra Integration with XLP: If you leased your display key from NJMLS, you have a simple way to assign a keybox to a listing so you can view showing activity and keybox hours. Just use the three keybox icons that appear at the top of the listing report.

• Online Training: From your Desktop click on Online Training which is found under System Links. Here you can search for tips and training on just about any subject that relates to the MLS, from how to add Associated Documents to your listing to a handy guide on architectural styles.

• Online Registration for Classes: Did you know you can register for MLS training any time of the day or night just by looking on your XL Paragon Desktop? Click on the link that says Register for NJMLS Classes, and you’ll be able to register for class by using the name, date, or location of the class.

• Pay Your Bill Online: Brokers may view their monthly statements, and quickly and easily pay their NJMLS fees at their convenience, by using the Broker Pay Bill link on the Desktop. No more worrying about mailing a check, just click and your account is up to date!

• NJMLS Library: We have just created a wonderful resource library that is available to use during business hours in our Haworth office. In addition to Sold Books dating back to 1985, we also have stocked several books about the real estate business and related topics. These include The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies, and The Radical Leap, a Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber.

BLOCK AND LOT AUTOFILL

It is very important for you to get in the habit of using the

Block and Lot Autofill when entering a listing into XL

Paragon. Once you start using this you’ll see that it saves

lots of time! The Autofill will automatically populate the block,

lot, block suffix, lot suffix, and in the case of a condo or

townhouse, the Tax Condo ID number. This information must

all be accurately entered into the system in order for you to

get an MLS number.

Please note that even if the owner name has changed from

what is in the tax records, you should still use Block and Lot

Autofill because you will be able to change the owner name

before you save the listing.

REQUIRED LANGUAGE

FOR SHORT SALES

Please remember that when listing a short sale

in XL Paragon, you must indicate this in the

Remarks section of the listing, alerting buyers

that this is a “potential short sale and subject to

lender/bank approval.”

PROPERTY SEARCH ENHANCEMENT

An option for “NOT” has been added when searching in the Remarks field. Use this when you would like to remove certain words from your search.

JUST A REMINDER

If a listing is active in XL Paragon, it must be

available for showing. If the listing cannot be

shown for a short period of time, as in the case of

your seller going away for the weekend or having

work done on the home, you should mark it “WT”

which means it is temporarily withdrawn. You may put it back on the market when the house

becomes available again for showing.

160 Terrace Street

Haworth, New Jersey 07641

PRSRT STD

US POSTAGE PAID

PARAMUS NJ

PERMIT NO. 107

4

NJMLS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING FOR

DESIGNATED REALTORS

Designated Realtors are invited to

attend our Annual Membership

Meeting to be held during the Board of Directors Meeting on Tuesday,

October 6, 2009. The meeting starts

at 9:30am in our Haworth office.

Meet your Board of Directors, hear

the latest NJMLS news, and enjoy a

Continental Breakfast.

Location: 160 Terrace Street, 2nd

floor, parking in the Municipal Lot.

When you choose Access Features when entering a listing, you are indicating that the home has elements that should make it easily accessible to someone with a handicap, such as a person who is wheelchair-bound. Access Features should not be chosen when you are describing the property’s proximity to a park, school, or public transportation. These attributes can be chosen separately in the features section.

ACCESS FEATURES

We love to eat here at the NJMLS! Here are some of our favorite food experiences. Please share yours and we may print it in an upcoming issue of NJMLS Highlights. Submissions may be emailed to: mcucci@newjerseymls.com. Bon Appetit!

“Hands down, it has to be my Mom’s meatballs. They are simply the best and there was nothing better than waking up on Sunday morning and smelling the meatballs frying along with the garlic in oil for the start of the gravy which cooked for hours.” Karen

“New England clam chowder from Captain Parker’s Pub in Yarmouth, on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. I’m not sure if this is the very best thing I ever ate because that’s a bold statement, but it’s awesome and the best clam chowder I’ve ever had!!!! And I just had it so it’s still in my head! Worth the trip! p.s. even Rachel Ray was there with her show!” Alyson

“One of my favorite food experiences is when my husband and I were in Anguilla. There is a very casual restaurant in a place called Scilly Cay. A little boat takes you and drops you off on their beach. They only have two things on the menu- grilled whole lobster and grilled chicken and they serve it with spicy slaw and a very potent rum punch. The combination of the beautiful location and the simple, delicious food is just wonderful.” Michele C

“The best thing I ever ate is Corn on the Cob from our garden growing up. We grew yellow and white corn and would have corn parties. We would eat about eight ears apiece.” Candie

"Steak at Peter Luger's in Brooklyn. Established in 1887 and rated #1 New York steakhouse 24 years in a row." Jim

“The absolutely greatest thing I ever ate was Ribollita which is Tuscan Soup. It really is a vegetable soup with fresh tomatoes and beetroot, carrots, celery and cabbage. Also had onions and fagoli beans but it has Tuscan Bread and olive oil and parmesan cheese and it is out of this world. It is a complete meal and we just stumbled on it. We ate it in

Florence at a restaurant called Lambertasca” Tina

THE BEST THING I EVER ATE