Better Homes and Gardens Preferred Properties will be accepting donated items for a yard sale at our office located at 105 East River Road in Rumson, NJ 07760 on Saturday June 4th between 9am and 3pm. All proceeds will be donated to Share Our Strength www.strength.org for their No Kid Hungry program. The goal of this non-profit organization is to eliminate childhood hunger by 2015. Donated items can be stored at our office between now and the sale. Please call us at 732-224-9200 if you are able to drop items off for this benefit sale. Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate as well as Better Homes and Gardens Magazine are participating in this great fund raising event known as Clean Out for Kids.
Tag: real estate
A Real Estate Career with Better Homes and Gardens
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate offers outstanding marketing materials to assist agents with their real estate career. Through its affiliation with the Meredith Corporation (owners of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine ), Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate agents have access to an 85 million person database. The database is divided into many sectors which allow the agents to create target mailings using a product called Pinpoint Marketing. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate is part of the Realogy Corporation leading real estate brands and Cartus Relocation the largest relocation company in the world.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has embraced Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin to stay in contact with the agent’s sphere of influence to build relationships for life. In the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate intranet site known as The Greenhouse, agents are able to obtain training modules on various topics including the use of social media sites.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate agents are able to stay in touch with their sphere of influence by sending out an annual subscription of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine with their contact information attached to the cover of the magazine at less than $15 per year for 12 issues.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate also has an I-Phone App which gives buyers information on homes, community, and schools.
Sherry Chris, the President and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate was named the Inman News Innovator of the Year for 2010 for her leadership in directing the company to develop ways to use technology in the real estate business.
Besides all of the great marketing and training provided to our agents, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties is located in one of the most desireable areas of the country. The following is a video promoting New Jersey and the Rumson area by Mo Rocca of CBS This Morning.
Better Homes and Gardens offers a real estate business plan to help agents stay on track with their goals. Click here for the complimentary business plan. If you are wondering whether the real estate business would be the right career choice for you, please click on the Real Estate Simulator to learn more about the business.
If you would be interested in a career with Better Homes and Gardens Preferred Properties, please contact George Coffenberg at 732-224-9200 or email at info@bhgmoves.com
Living in Ocean Twp, NJ
Ocean Township consists of several sections in the town. West Allenhurst, Colonial Terrace, West Deal and Wanamassa are located in the southeastern part of the town. The Oakhurst section and Elberon Park are located in the Northeastern section of town and the Wayside section is located west of Route 35. There are also many zip codes in town (07712, 07755, 07711, 07723, and 07740). The town is approximately 11 square miles.
Television talk show host, Wendy Williams, graduated from Ocean Twp High School. She was nice enough to return home and celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with the children from the schools in town at the relatively new Ocean Twp Public Library on Deal Road which is part of the Monmounth County Library System. The library is located in a historic building that was preserved and renovated just a few years ago. The Ocean Township School System has always been rated as one of the top public school systems in the area (#3 behind only Holmdel and Rumson-Fair Haven). Recently Ocean Twp High School was listed as one of the top High Schools in New Jersey as well as number 1484 in the Country by Newsweek Magazine.
Bamm Bamm Bigelow at one time lived in the Wayside section of Ocean Twp and his children attended the schools here.
Former Oakland Raider Linebacker,Phil Villapiano, also lived in Ocean Twp and attended Ocean Twp High School. Here is a video where he returned to Oakland to cheer the team on with other former great Oakland Raiders from the 70’s.
Ashley Tisdale grew up in the West Deal section of Ocean Twp and went on to become one of the Disney Channel stars as well as a star in Disney’s High School Musical movie series. Here is an interview with her promoting her first cd called Headstrong
Bruce Springsteen lived and recorded in the Wanamassa section of Ocean Twp in the late 60’s and early 70’s at Eastern Challenger Surf Board Factory.
00/03/69 – CHALLENGER EASTERN SURFBOARDS, WANAMASSA, NJ
Complete set details are not known. CHILD conducts it first rehearsal at new manager Carl “Tinker” West’s surfboard factory. Tinker, a legendary surfboard designer/shaper with San Diego-based Challenger West Surfboards, had come to the Jersey shore in 1966 to set up a Challenger East business. Tinker (a guitarist and skilled harp player in his own right) had recently set up a concert promotion business called “Blah Productions”. Tinker was interested in new artists who performed their own songs. It was Vini Lopez who knew Tinker and brought Bruce to meet him – resulting in Tinker agreeing to manage the group. Vini Lopez has mentioned the Springsteen composition “Jennifer” as one of the songs played at this Challenger rehearsal.
“As it looked like in the late 60’s – the legendary Challenger East factory, the major Springsteen rehearsal center and band hangout from 1969 thru mid 1971. That’s Tinker West second from the left, with several members of Challenger’s Pro Surfing Team”.
There is a home in the Colonial Section of Ocean Twp that has had it’s fair share of celebrities visiting or living there. Prior to Billy Howerdel becoming a guitarist with A Perfect Circle and Ashes Divide he would stop by to play pool. A few years later, film maker, Kevin Smith, would rent the home for actors Ben Affleck and Jason Lee during the filming of Chasing Amy.
Shortly after that, record producer, Ron Frangipane called this house, home. He played keyboards in the real band for the cartoon characters The Archies. He also produced numerous songs for artists such as John Lennon.
Helping maintain the Jersey Shore as one of the premier music spots in the world is Ocean Twp based Petillo Guitars. They are considered one of the best guitar craftsman in the country. Besides all of the Jersey Shore tallent that they serve (Nicole Atkins, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Stone Temple Pilots); they have also provided service to some of the top performers in the world including Tom Petty, James Taylor, Elvis Presley, and Jonny Cash. Here Bruce Springsteen acknowledges how great Phil Petillo was.
Eric Nies from Mtv’s The Real World Season 1 is also from Ocean Twp. His father Jack Nies was a long time NBA referee.
Ocean Township is a very convenient location for commuters. Route 18, Route 35, and Route 66 all run through the town and provide easy access to Garden State Parkway exits 102 and 105. The North Jersey Coast Line runs along the eastern boundary of the town with train Stations in Elberon and Allenhurst. There are also a lot of national retail stores in the town in the various shopping centers located along Route 35. Some of the larger retailers include Wegman’s, Kohl’s, Target, Sears, Staples, Panera Bread, and Starbuck’s. There is also a Clearview Cinema with 10 screens.
The beach area is easily accessible between Asbury Park and Long Branch for the residents of Ocean Twp. There are private and semi-private beach clubs in Loch Arbour, Allenhurst, Deal, and Long Branch along with the public beaches in Long Branch and Asbury Park. The Southeastern part of Ocean Twp borders Deal Lake.
Ocean Twp has several municipal parks. Joe Palaia Park on the corner of Deal Road and Whalepond Road is host to several popular events each year including the 4th of July Fireworks Display and the Italian Festival that attracts tens of thousands of people each August. The town also has a swim club and lighted tennis courts on West Park Avenue for the residents of town. The town recently purchased the Colonial Terrace Golf Course to create a public course. There are also two prestigous private golf clubs in town. Deal Country Club and Hollywood Country Club. Hollywood’s golf course is rated as one of the best golf courses in New Jersey.
If you would be interested in living in the Ocean Township area, please call Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties at 732-224-9200 or email us at info@bhgmoves.com . You can also down the I-phone BHG App to locate shops and restaurants as well as other features.
If you would be interested in a career in real estate, you can try the Real Estate Simulator.
Living in Rumson NJ
Rumson, NJ has always been rated as one of the best places to live in the country.
Here Mo Rocca interviews the Mayor of Rumson and takes a tour of the town.
The town borders the Navesink River to the north and the Shrewsbury River to the South and East. Just across the Rumson/Sea Bright Bridge gives the residents of Rumson easy access to the Jersey Shore beaches in Sea Bright.
The median sales price of a home is around 1.2 million but homes start around $300,000 and go well into the millions of dollars for riverfront estates. The public school system has always been rated as one of the best in the State of New Jersey. Rumson is also a relatively easy commute to New York City. The ferry-boat terminals are located approximately 10 minutes away in Atlantic Highlands as well as Highlands and Belford, NJ along the Sandy Hook Bay. The ferry service takes approximately 45 minutes to arrive at Pier 11 in the Wall Street area of New York City. 
The North Jersey Coast Line has nearby train stations in Little Silver, Red Bank and Middletown to take commuters to Penn Station in New York City. Another benefit to living in the Rumson area is the fine restaurants located here. If you like great water views you can visit Salt Creek Grill or Barnacle Bill’s. A well reviewed Steak house is What’s Your Beef?. Chef David Burke owns the upscale and highly rated Fromagerie Restaurant. You can make everyday St. Patrick’s Day at Murray Mac Gregors. To experience an authentic Italian Tuscany meal visit Undici Restaurant. For casual dining and pizza you can visit Val’s Tavern. An original speakeasy called Murphy’s Bar can be found in the basement of a home in a quiet residential neighborhood.
Rumson has some nice boutique shops and is also close to the upscale shopping areas of downtown Red Bank and The Grove shopping center in Shrewsbury.
Rumson has always been home to successful and famous people. The list includes musicians Bruce Springsteen, John Bonjovi, and Richie Sambora. Actresses Heather Locklear, Cher, and Queen Latifah have resided here. Film maker Kevin Smith lived in Rumson in the early 2000’s and below is a photo from his movie Chasing Amy where Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams were filmed at a riverfront park in Rumson. Sports figures Bobby Ojeda (NY Mets), Phil Villapiano (Oakland Raiders), Randy Foye (LA Clippers), Rob Petitti (New Orleans Saints) as well as sports announcer Melissa Stark (ABC, NBC and ESPN) have called Rumson home.
If you would be interested in living in the Rumson, NJ area, please contact Better Homes and Gardens Preferred Properties located at 105 East River Road in Rumson, NJ. The phone number is 732-224-9200 or email info@bhgmoves.com
New Wave of Jersey Shore Musicians
The Quincy Mumford Band is one of several bands from the Jersey Shore that are hoping to reshape the local music scene and attract national attention.
Almost there is another Jersey Shore band based out of Ocean Twp, NJ. They recently won the Myspace.com New Artist contest and here is a video of their recording experience out in LA.
Carl Chesna and Company is another band in the area that plays at Various venues in Asbury Park such as the Stone Pony , the Wonder Bar,and the Saint as seen in this video. Better Homes and Gardens Preferred Properties’s Andrea Harbison is a singer in the band (right side of the stage)
Joe Rapolla and Joe D’Urso have created a popular show called Songwriters by the Sea. Joe D’Urso also organizes the annual Light of Day Benefit concerts. Here Joe Rapolla is performing his song at one of the songwriter events that featured Nicole Atkins as well.
Another long time Jersey Shore bar band is Brian Kirk and the Jirks. In the video they are performing on the beach in Sea Bright, NJ at Donovan’s Reef with Bruce Springsteen. If you would like to purchase a little bit of history, we currently have Donovan’s listed for sale. Please contact George Coffenberg for details at 732-224-0900.
Although Nicole Atkins has already become a national figure, she is still part of the new group of musicians that will hopefully have long and successful careers like Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi who began their careers in the same clubs that the young musicians are currently playing. Here Nicole appears on the David Letterman show.
Most of the musicians mentioned have a common bond with one very talented behind the scenes family based in Ocean, Twp NJ. That is the Petillo family masterpiece guitars. Started by the late Phil Petillo and now carried on by his son David, they have made and repaired guitars for most Jersey Shore musicians as well as artists such as Johnny Cash, James Taylor,Tom Petty, and Elvis. Here is a video interview with Phil Petillo.
If you enjoy talented-down to earth people, then you would enjoy living here. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties in Rumson, NJ can help find the perfect place to call home. Our phone number is 732-224-9200 or email us at info@bhgmoves.com If you have an I-Phone you can try the free Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate app by clicking here. It will allow you to locate the various places mentioned in this article with mapping features as well as local businesses.
Living in Red Bank, NJ
Red Bank, NJ is a town for all seasons and has been voted the Hippest Town in New Jersey several times in the past. If you enjoy cultural, musical, Boutique shopping as well as fine dining then Red Bank is a great place to live or visit. Every Year Tim McLoone and his Holiday Express perform in downtown Red Bank for the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony as seen in this video from 2009.
During the Holiday Season you can have the opportunity to ride in a classic horse and carriage through the streets of downtown Red Bank.
Red Bank has a long history of ice boating on the frozen Navesink River during the winter season. Here is a video from a very snowy and abnormal winter in 2010 which saw over 5 feet of snow in the area.
Red Bank is host to the largest fireworks display in New Jersey. The event attracts well over 100,000 people to view the display and turns the downtown area into a pedestrian only zone. Here is a video of the fireworks display from 2008.
Although Asbury Park is generally considered the areas leading musical venue, Red Bank has its share of music as well. Many of the downtown bars and restaurants host local live entertainment. The Two River Theater was host to Bruce Springsteen’s VH-1 Story Tellers special which is also available on dvd. Countless famous musicians from across the globe have performed at the historic Count Basie Theater which is named after the musician Count Basie who was from Red Bank. Southside Johnny usually performs a New Years Eve concert at the venue and will be welcoming in 2011 for the upcoming New Year. This is a video from last years Christmas Show with Southside Johnny and Jon Bon Jovi performing at the Count Basie Theater.
Brian Fallon of the band Gaslight Anthem was born and raised in Red Bank. Here they perform with Bruce Springsteen in London.
After this performance Brian joined Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band for the concert dvd London Calling live in Hyde Park and sang the song “No Surrender”
Kevin Smith owns a store in downtown Red Bank known as Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash. He has filmed several of his movies in the area including most of the movie Chasing Amy. You can catch him every once in a while at his store or performing at the Count Basie Theater.
If living in or near Red Bank, NJ would be of interest to you, please contact Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties at 732-224-9200 or email us at info@bhgmoves.com
Jersey Shore Beaches
It’s been pretty cold outside lately but here are some videos to remind you of summer time at the Jersey Shore. The summer season along the beach area is the primary reason why people choose to live in the Eastern Monmouth County area. Several times a year due to either nor’easter or Hurricanes passing along the coast, the waves can get extremely high and make the area perfect for surfing. Although not the norm, waves can exceed 10 to 12 feet a few times a year and some hurricanes in the past have created 18 to 20 foot waves along the coast. Normal waves are usually in the 4 to 6 foot range. You can check out the daily surf report to see the current ocean and beach conditions.
Pier Village in Long Branch, NJ is a newly created oceanfront development of stores, bars, restaurants and housing. It is one of the few Oceanfront shopping districts in New Jersey and the most popular oceanfront destinations in the Monmouth County area. The complex was created using eminent domain. Long Branch has agreed not to use eminent domain any longer as a way of redeveloping the city. They lost a court battle last year with some of the residents just north of the Pier Village development. The Ocean Place Hotel at Pier Village was recently acquired by United Capital Corp.
Asbury Park is also creating a new Oceanfront commercial and residential area through redevelopment. The boardwalk area now has many popular restaurants mixed in with their well-known entertainment venues such as the Stone Pony located along the oceanfront area. Asbury Park recently was voted as one of the top beach areas in New Jersey for 2010. During the off-season such as yesterday (Dec 7, 2010) Bruce Springsteen filmed an up-coming show at the boardwalk in Asbury Park.
The real Jersey Shore is not the one depicted in the popular Mtv reality show although visitors from a neighboring state may act that way while vacationing here as identified by Governor Christie in the video above. The video below is a spoof of the Mtv show from Saturday Night Live. The show is filmed at Seaside Heights in Ocean County. Most of the Monmouth County beachfront areas have become family friendly areas and have moved away from the night club atmosphere shown on the reality show.
The job of selling real estate at the Jersey Shore is not a difficult one. Most realtors here would agree that they truly believe in their service of locating housing for people in one of the nicest areas of the country. If you would be interested in a real estate career at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties, please contact George Coffenberg at gcoffenberg@bhgmoves.com or visit our website at www.bhgmoves.com
Visit New York City from Monmouth County, NJ
Recently Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey has received a lot of attention over his decision to eliminate an additional train tunnel to New York City. In the video above is Jimmy Fallon’s joke about how New Yorker’s find New Jersey. Governor Christie then appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show to confront him on the joke.
Now the federal government is suing the taxpayers of New Jersey for money already spent on the project as this video demonstrates.
Whether you decide to travel by auto, train, or ferry, it is relatively easy to get to New York City from Monmouth County, NJ. Many Monmouth County residents commute daily to New York City using mass transportation. The train line is electrified from Long Branch to New York City which eliminates the need to switch trains before entering New York City. Diesel trains cannot enter the train tunnels leading to Penn Station in mid-town Manhattan which is located in the same building as Madison Square Garden. NJ Transit operates the train line known as the Northern Jersey Coast line which runs from Bayhead in Northern Ocean County to New York City. There is also connecting service via the PATH train line from Newark, NJ to the Wall Street area in lower Manhattan.
Everyone’s favorite transportation from the northern Jersey Shore area to New York City is the high-speed ferry service located at Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Belford, NJ. Service is provided by Sea Streak in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands and NY Waterway in the Belford terminal to the Wall Street/South Street Seaport as well as mid-town on the eastside of Manhattan. Within the next few years there will be an Oceanfront ferry terminal at Pier Village in Long Branch, NJ with Service to New York City as depicted in the rendering above. The current routes to New York City take you past the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazano Bridge.
For Automobiles to New York City you can take the Lincoln Tunnel to the mid-town area of Manhattan or the Holland Tunnel to the lower Manhattan area. There are also commuter bus terminals at various points throughout Monmouth County to bring riders to points in Manhattan including the Port Authority bus terminal in mid-town just outside of the Lincoln Tunnel.
If you would be interested in relocating to Monmouth County, NJ; please call Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties in Rumson, NJ at 732-224-9200.
Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season
The Monmouth County area has always been blessed by the generosity of the people who have the ability to give back to their community like those who participated in this Holiday Concert for Charity (Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny, Nicole Atkins and many other talented musicians from the area that call Monmouth County home). We are also fortunate to have great local venues like the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ featured in this concert and currently under-going a major renovation. Although we have many successful and wealthy people in our area, we also have families that need assistance, especially during the holiday season. During this recent recession, many more families are in need of help from their neighbors. Even if you are not in a position to assist financially, there are always charities and non-profit organizations seeking people willing to donate their time to help others. In Red Bank, NJ there is a great organization known as Lunch Break which provides meals daily to the less fortunate. There is also an organization known as The Food Bank of Monmouth & Ocean Counties based in Neptune, NJ that provides meals as well. At Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties we are participating in the Toys for Tots program with United States Marine Corps Reserve.
You may drop off an unwrapped toy at our office located at 105 East River Road in Rumson, NJ which will be delivered to a needy family by the United States Marines. Everyone from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties wishes you a Very Happy Holiday Season and a Great 2011. Here is a list of Holiday activities in Monmouth County.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate is the Better Brand
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate is a partnership between the Realogy Corportation and the Meredith Corporation. Realogy Corporation is the largest real estate and relocation company in the world and Meredith Corporation is one of the leading marketing and media companies best known for Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate is currently the fastest growing real estate brand with plans to become a global real estate company.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties has agents and staff with over 350 years of combined real estate business experience. The company’s origins date back to 1978 and it is located in Rumson, NJ serving the Northern Jersey Shore in an area where many residents commute to New York City via Ferry Boat, Train, and Bus. Commuting times vary from a little under an hour to a little over an hour depending upon location and means of transportation to the City.
The agents at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties are provided numerous marketing tools to better serve their clients. Some of the tools include the Enhanced Realtor.com package, Toolkitcma, and digital and print marketing through www.mybhggreenhouse.com . Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate also has a luxury property division known as Elegant Properties which will be launched shortly. There is also a commercial real estate divison which will be known as BHGRE Commercial. The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand is a little over 2 years old and the company is always adding new marketing products to better serve the needs of our clients as well as our agents. The brand is heavily involved in web based marketing to promote “Green Living”. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has embraced the use of Social Media for marketing as well as staying in contact with their sphere of influence.
At Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties we also try to help our agents save for the future and protect their families. Our agents are encouraged to take advantage of our retirement plan as well as participate in the company health insurance and dental plans. If you would be interested in a real estate career with a brand that is leading the industry with state of the art marketing tools as well as providing the best service possible for their agents and clients, please contact us.
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