The media has been recording increased average home prices and activity on the national scene.  What's been happening in Central New Jersey?  Cooper and Andrew review the stats for Middlesex County. To find out more, call us at 732-297-0600 or email us at zastko@zastko.com.  

North Brunswick's 31st Heritage Day is right around the corner, with some big changes in store!  Check out the video to find out some of what's going on.

The Zastko Report March 2013 Reports in the real estate market continue to be very positive.  Is this also consistent with our local market in Central Jersey?  What about rising interest rates and fees?  This month, Andrew Zastko and Cooper Ford take another look at the activity in the local real estate market and the shortage of available homes, and what it means.  Also, they discuss the rising mortgage rates and fees and how it impacts home buyers and sellers. Curre [...]

Last month, NJ Transit announced plans for a new train station in North Brunswick on the Northeast Corridor line, a key component for the development of the new Transit Village in North Brunswick.  Many are seeing this as great news for the community, for a whole host of reasons.  In their latest video, Andrew and Cooper review some of the key benefits of a train station to a town. For more information on the proposed Transit Village, click here.

The Zastko Report - October 2012 North Brunswick Market Update Activity in the North Brunswick real estate market continues to be very active. The number of homes sold continues to exceed performance from the previous year. For example, the 2nd Q had approx a 15% increase from 65 to 75.  Similarly,while activity traditionally slows down in the 3rd quarter, it has exceeded its 2nd quarter pace and its increase from 58 homes sold last year to 75 this 3rd quarter is almost a 30% increase [...]

The Zastko Report August 2012 The Summer is coming to end, but is it the same for the Central Jersey market?  This month, Andrew Zastko and Cooper Ford take another look at the activity in the local real estate market, the shortage of homes, and what it means.  Also, they take a look at the latest on the Transit Village in North Brunswick, as well as the rise of rentals.  Finally, an explanation of "average home prices" and what it really means for local homeowners [...]

The Zastko Report June 2012 The momentum continues to build in the Central Jersey real estate market.  This month, Andrew Zastko and Cooper Ford discuss the current state of affairs locally, as well as some of the continued challenges.  Also, they highlight their experience with a new, no-PMI program from Sun Home Loans that's helping many buyers save money on buying a home.  Finally, they discuss some helpful tips for buyers preparing to buy a home, as well as sellers p [...]

Recently, the Los Angeles Times reported a shortage of available quality homes in several different real estate markets, as buyers are competing over those that are currently available.  Locally in Central Jersey, we've seen similar trends, where quality homes that are priced well in certain markets are selling quickly, whether it's new construction townhomes in North Brunswick or larger colonial homes in neighboring South Brunswick.  Even investment properties are [...]

The Zastko Report May 2012 This month, we focus on mortgages.  While it's not usually the first thing people think of when buying or selling a home, it plays an important role in the process, because it is what enables the vast majority of people to purchase a home.  So, what impact are mortgages having on the market?  Can investors take advantage of them?  What does the future hold?  Andrew Zastko, one of Central Jersey's top Realtors, discusses some of th [...]

News was out that the real estate market was picking up.  Mary and Jim, who had been neighbors for years with nearly identical homes, decided it was time to sell, both with the same agent and broker.  With the positive news, Jim decided to price 5% above what his agent suggested (after all, he wanted negotiating room and the home had many nice features).  Mary, on the other hand, followed her agent's advice on price.  While Mary quickly received multiple offers and ende [...]

The Zastko Report April 2012 As the spring market moves along, we continue to see movement in real estate, not only locally, but also on the national scene.  What's happening specifically and what's the impact for the future?  What are the financial experts saying about the outlook on today's prices?  Why are so many houses failing to make it from contract to close, and what can be done?  We answer all these questions and more on the Zastko Report, with Andr [...]

Click to view the video Things continue to pick up in the Central Jersey real estate market. What's been happening locally and what can we expect? Andrew reviews some of the latest statistics and insights on The Zastko Report. In This Month's Zastko Report: A look back at activity in Middlesex County in February 2012 compared to the year before Why we're seeing a growing number of multiple offers on homes Discussion on some of the latest opportunities for p [...]

Click to view the video Spring has sprung! National reports are that real estate activity is up. Is that what we're seeing with homes in Central Jersey? Andrew Zastko of Gloria Zastko Realtors shares the driving force behind some of the latest trends, as well as some of the opportunities for buyers and sellers in the near future In This Month's Zastko Report: A look back at activity in Middlesex County in January 2012 compared to the year before Why the monthly payment [...]

Click to view the video When buying a house, many people understand that they need to get a mortgage.  Yet, there are cases where they will only get a pre-qualification letter, which may cause them to lose a potential home, or not even get one until they have found a home they like, only to discover they don't even qualify!  So, what are the signs of a quality pre-approval letter?  What should one look for?  Alan DiGiovanni, a mortgage professional, answers some of [...]

Click to view the video As we look towards 2012, we have a perfect storm of low home prices and interest rates, creating significant affordability.  But, are homes really that affordable?  What would a monthly payment look like?  Would it be better than renting?  Dave McDermott from Well Fargo Home Mortgage shares his perspective.

Click to view the video There are some in the media that say that real estate is improving. Is that the case in Central Jersey? What's going on now and what can we expect for 2012? Andrew of Gloria Zastko Realtors lays out some of his observations. In This Month's Zastko Report: A look back at activity in Middlesex County from December 2011 Why is there greater affordability? Are more people looking for homes now, or are they still waiting? Real estate is local.& [...]

Click to view the video There are some in the media that say that real estate is improving. Is that the case in Central Jersey? What's going on now and what can we expect for 2012? Andrew of Gloria Zastko Realtors lays out some of his observations. In This Month's Zastko Report: A look back at activity in Middlesex County from December 2011 Why is there greater affordability? Are more people looking for homes now, or are they still waiting? Real estate is local.& [...]

There seems to be a persistent misconception that people need perfect credit or a huge downpayment to buy a home.  In reality, the short answer is that it depends on each individual, but many people are successfully able to make it happen.  To provide some clarity as to the truth of the matter, we went directly to the source and brought in Alex Rivera, Vice President and Mortgage Banker at Jersey Mortgage.  He shared with us some fantastic insights about today's process i [...]

There seems to be a persistent misconception that people need perfect credit or a huge downpayment to buy a home.  In reality, the short answer is that it depends on each individual, but many people are successfully able to make it happen.  To provide some clarity as to the truth of the matter, we went directly to the source and brought in Alex Rivera, Vice President and Mortgage Banker at Jersey Mortgage.  He shared with us some fantastic insights about today's process i [...]

What is happening in the local real estate market in Central Jersey?  How does that affect buyers and home owners in the North Brunswick and South Brunswick areas?  Check out this month's Zastko Report for the answers!