Category Archives: Uncategorized
The Haviland Group Announces Foreclosure Help Center
I’m pleased to announce our new Foreclosure Help Center. This is an online Foreclosure Help Center providing information, options and hope to home owners in our community that are facing foreclosure.
The Foreclosure Help Center is found at https://sjhouses.com/foreclosure-help
The key component to this new site is a 5 part Foreclosure Education Video Series featuring local short sale attorney James Schroeder.
I’m here to help so if you know of a home owner facing foreclosure please send them a link to this site or contact me so I can offer some help and education.
Best wishes,
Matt
As You Read This Post, Who Comes To Mind First?
Here’s a quick post to let you know how I can help you, or the person you feel comfortable introducing me to.
Many of my friends, coworkers and family members have been telling me about their experience of being pushed and pulled in all directions. They call themselves the Sandwich Generation. Their homes have more
Need more space? I’m here to help!
people than space. You may know someone in one of the following situations who needs my help:
- Someone caring for aging parents while supporting and caring for their own children.
- Someone in their 50’s or 60’s, sandwiched between aging parents, adult children and
grandchildren.
- Someone in their 30’s or 40’s with young children, aging parents and, perhaps, even grandparents.
- Someone involved with elder care, special needs care, or sibling care.
The one thing the people of the Sandwich Generation have in common is that they need more space. As you think about people who may need my help, feel comfortable taking out your cell phone and call me. Let’s talk about helping your friends find the home that gives them the space they deserve.
Matthew Haviland
Your Real Estate Consultant For Life Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Shore 609-484-9890 ext 132
P.S. Who do you know being squeezed for space and could use some help now?
Smithville Village Home Show This Saturday!
This Saturday Smithville Village will host a home show featuring local vendors and merchants to help you with all your home needs. These local vendors can help you with your repair, remodeling, inspection, landscaping, insurance, financing and home projects. The event is free and hours are from 10 AM to 4 PM. Free admission and free parking.
Smithville Village is located at Rt. 9 and Moss Mill Road in Smithville, NJ (Galloway township).
Proceeds benefit KW Cares. KW Cares is a 501(c)(3) public charity created to support Keller Williams Realty associates and their families with hardship as a result of a sudden emergency.
Fun Day Monday Quiz April, 2015
Tax Appeal Time – Help With Your Atlantic County, NJ Tax Appeals.
I’ve been getting calls from clients regarding appealing their Atlantic County, NJ property tax valuations. In an effort to help I’d like to include some resources to help with this process.
The deadline to appeal taxes is April 1st. All of the information and forms required can be found here: http://www.aclink.org/taxation/homepage.asp Here is a link to the form you’ll need to download and complete: http://www.aclink.org/taxation/pdfs/FormA-1-Print.pdf
You’ll see on form A-1 that you will need to provide 5 comparable sales to justify your appeal. Comparable sales used as evidence in 2015 should have occurred between October 1, 2013 and October 1, 2014. This is where many people get stuck coming up with this information.
If you need help completing the form or obtaining comparable properties I am available to help.
For a fee of $50.00 I will locate the 5 best comparables and email them to you with full details including lot and block number and addresses. (This service is free to current and past clients)
If you need additional help completing form A-1 I can also help for an additional $75.00 fee.
Note: The county charges a separate filing fee ranging from $5.00 to $150.00 based on the assessed valuation. The filing fee schedule is as follows:
| If the assessment appealed is: | |
| Less than $150,000 | $5.00 |
| $150,000 or more, but less than $500,000 | $25.00 |
| $500,000 or more, but less than $1,000,000 | $100.00 |
| $1,000,000 or more | $150.00 |
Best wishes on saving money on your taxes!
Matt
P.S. Call me if you need my help with your property tax appeal. I have a limited amount of time set aside to help with this so call me at 609-484-9890 ext. 132 if you need my help.
How Does Someone Create a More Interesting Life?
I was reading a blog post that asked people how they would define an “interesting life” for themselves. After reading the responses, I thought I’d share one with you that I particularly liked.
Having an interesting life doesn’t mean it has to be interesting to anyone else. It also doesn’t mean you have to do the typical things most people associate with being interesting, such as travel.
The definition of the word interesting, in application to life, is different to everyone.
I have done things such as swim with dolphins, ride a horse along the beach, rappel down a steep cliff, star in high school plays, have my picture in the newspaper, ride home on the first train of morning because I missed the last train the night before, roll around in a large plastic ball on water, walk on stilts for a circus company, teach a college course, sew my own clothing, make actual useful things in woodshop, and more. The list of random things goes on and on.
Are these things going to make me famous? No. Are they exciting enough to make a book out of? Probably not. Do you think any of those things are interesting at all? I have no idea. But I feel I’ve had an interesting and meaningful life so far.
Sometimes what we think of as interesting is some external idealized life. But if you listed all the things you’ve done in your life, I’ll bet you’d have a fairly long list of things that you found interesting at the time, and even more so in hindsight. From that list, you may find yourself feeling motivated to do something a little different to recapture that feeling of doing something interesting. Go for it!
Sincerely,
Matt Haviland
Your Real Estate Consultant For Life
P.S. I’m amazed at the interesting things people have done with their lives. Next time we talk, I may just ask you about some of the interesting things you’ve done. You can always reach me at: 609-338-3773.
P.P.S. If you’d like to view or download my entire February newsletter filled with interesting articles and ideas click here: February 2015 Newsletter – Matt
Why Sign an Agreement with Your Agent?
Here’s a quick note to let you know how I can help you—or anyone you feel comfortable introducing me to.
Real estate agents often ask home buyers to sign a formal agreement that commits the buyer to working with that agent. Usually no money exchanges hands for this agreement, but it does commit the buyer to working with that agent for a period of time. Why would a buyer do this? Primarily to ensure that they are working with the best real estate agent they can, which will matter the deeper they go into the home buying process.
Happy Buyer Clients
The buyer doesn’t pay the agent, but the agent will invest significant time working with the buyer. Without a commitment, a real estate agent can’t guarantee they’ll make money in exchange for the time spent with that buyer. If a buyer wants to work with a great agent, they’ll be willing to make a commitment in exchange for that agent’s time.
If you or someone you know wants to buy a house in the next few months, please let me know at 609-338-3773. Also get a copy of my report, Making the Move Easy On the Kids.
Matthew Haviland,
Your Real Estate Consultant For Life Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Shore 609-484-9890 ext 132
P.S. Who do you know who’s thin
king about buying a home? Please introduce us so that I can help them have a great home buying experience from start to finish.
Helping Happy Home Buyers And Sellers
Mildy, Augustin and Lilliam. New home buyers.
I love helping home buyers and sellers make their dreams come true! In today’s real estate economy there are many challenges and opportunities. I’m grateful that my clients choose me to help them buy and sell their home.
Fruit basket
Earlier this month I helped a family purchase their first home. And to my surprise a few days later I received this wonderful edible arrangement at my office. Congratulations to Augustin, Mildy and Lilliam and your family. Matt
Getting Perspective This New Year
Sunset Beach, Cape May, NJ
Each of us can probably identify times when a moment, a day, a year, or even our whole lives changed in an instant—not because we did something different—but simply because our perspective shifted. Here is a very small story from the website peopleandpossibilities.com that illustrates how simple and powerful a different perspective can be:
One day I was shopping with my child after work to pick up supplies needed for an employee celebration. I was exhausted and wanted to get in and out quickly. My child was tired and cranky and wanted out of the shopping cart. She was grabbing for every item we passed.
I was losing my patience and temper when an elderly woman came over to us. She took my child’s hand, and said “What a lovely child.” My little girl was quiet immediately. The woman looked at me. She had an angelic smile and then again said, “They are so wonderful at this age.”
At once I felt peaceful and in control of the situation. After the lady walked away, I found a snack that pleased my little one and we had a pleasant shopping trip.
This year, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to make an effort to seek a fresh perspective whenever I find myself feeling stressed, angry, or stuck. It won’t be easy, but maybe by thinking of the opposite of whatever I’m thinking, I can gain some distance that will help me move on and be a bigger person in that moment.
I hope you are having a wonderful New Year so far, and wish you success and joy as you kick off 2015!
Sincerely,
Matt Haviland
Your Real Estate Consultant For Life
P.S. I would love to hear about your New Year’s resoltuions. You can always reach me at: matt@sjhouses.com or phone 609-338-3773
To view or download my full January 2015 Newsletter click here: January 2015 Newsletter – Matt