Friday, March 30, 2007

FREE INVESTMENT SEMINAR

This week I thought I would veer away from the usual Green Environmental topics in our Garden State and talk about another kind of Green, the money kind. We have a terrific seminar coming up on the topic of Real Estate investing. Maybe you can use your IRA's or 401K's to invest in a investment property, maybe even a Green home for investment to increase your real estate portfolio. Read on and give a call if you want to know more.............


INVEST YOUR IRA’S AND 401K’S INTO REAL ESTATE

RE/MAX Gateway, 1500 Allaire Avenue, Suite 103, Ocean Township is hosting a FREE
Investment Seminar on “Investing Your IRA in Real Estate” on Wednesday, April 11th, 1:00 pm
at their office located in Ocean, NJ. Satchie Carvounis is the Mid-Atlantic and South Regional
Manager for Security Trust Company will be a guest speaker at a seminar on
“Investing Your IRA in Real Estate.”

Security Trust Company is a full service self directed retirement administrator, and
they set up self directed IRA/LLCs so you can invest in non traditional assets such as real
estate, mortgages and notes, and private businesses/franchises.


Did you know you or your clients can invest their IRAs and their old 401k’s into real estate?

This seminar will give you information on IRAs, what you can invest in, the IRS guidelines for
investing in an IRA, what to watch out for, how to educate your clients on this subject, and how
to build your client base. Many investors do not know they can use IRA money to purchase real
estate. This gives them another pool of money to use along with personal investing to increase
their portfolio. This seminar is geared toward real estate investors, future real estate investors,
investment property owners, accountants, attorneys or anyone interested in investing in real
estate using their IRA’s.

Please call RE/MAX Gateway to reserve a seat, directions or further information,
732-695-1600, #0 or email lucyk@remax.net.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Wind Power for the Garden State

BELMAR BEACH, NEW JERSEY

On March 12, 2007 an article by Todd B. Bates, Environmental Writer for the Asbury Park Press caught my attention. In it Mr. Bates writes that New Jersey is preparing an 18 month study of birds and marine life 20 nautical miles offshore prior to the pilot project that will enable New Jersey to reap the benefits from the use of this Wind Generated Energy Alternative. This study is in advance of the Wind Turbine test that was included in the State's 2007-2008 budget at a cost of $4.5 million, including the $2 million from the Clean Energy Fund for a Wind Power Ecological Baseline Study.

I was curious to know exactly how many of these This Wind Generated Energy Alternatives were actually up and running. Last year, the US Naval Station on Guantanamo Bay Cuba completed the installation of a pair of wind turbines on John Paul Jones Hill, the base’s highest point.

The world's largest wind farm at Altamont Pass, California, USA, consists of 6,000 wind turbines generating 1 TWh of electricity per year. Wind farms supply about 1.5% of California's electricity needs.

The EERE Information Center (The US Dept. of Energy Efficiency and Renewal Energy) has listed Installed Wind Capacity data of where various Wind Farms are located http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/

Energy alternatives are topics that no one should shy away from. There are sources for questions about Wind Energy. The Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS Information Center, is an online center for Energy Development, check out the FAQ's on this site,
http://windeis.anl.gov/index.cfm

I believe New Jersey is making positive strides in helping the climate and quality of life for our residents. While there will always be PROS AND CONS to anything. In my opinion this is a winning proposition for our beautiful Garden State. I believe most of us are PRO change but there will always be critique and CONS. What do you think?

Friday, March 16, 2007

Ways to help the Climate Crisis

This Wednesday, March 21st, Al Gore will testify before Congress on the immediate action that needs to be taken to end the climate crisis. As of today, he needs an additional 55,626 people to sign their message located at http://algore.com/cards.html,they already have 294,374 signed messages. If we can do this, it will be as though 350,000 of us were there at the hearing expressing our determination to convince Congress to act.


A few suggestions for ways we can help at home, at the office, or at recreation times. With Spring around the corner, it's a good time to start. Any little bit we commit to do goes a long way. Challenge yourself and before you know it, it'll be a habit.

1. Drive less, ride a bike to and from work or take public transportation.

2. Get your car tuned up to run more efficiently.

3. Buy only produce that is grown locally.

4. Bring my own bags to the market.

5. Take shorter showers to save heating the water.

6. Plant a tree and help protect our forests.

7. Reduce, reuse, and recycle.

8. Unplug unused appliances and electronic devices.

9. Sign up to use renewable energy for my electricity need.

10. Replace old light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

URBAN SPRAWL

Since this Real Estate Blog is concerned with environmental issues and the quality of life in our lovely “Garden State” A recent article in the New York Times bears mentioning. The article is titled “Zoned to the Horizon” by George Hawkins, dated February 18, 2007. www.njfuture.org/Media/Docs/NYTOp-Ed%202-18-07.doc

In it he writes about a topic in our state that is not discussed often enough, called “Urban Sprawl”. I find this issue compelling due to the fact that Governor Corzine most recently made a commitment to take a stand to help the environment and begin measures preventing the effects of Global Warming.

“Urban Sprawl” is unplanned, uncontrollable spreading of urban development into areas adjoining the edge of a city. Characteristics often include the distance from employment to commercial centers, dependence on automobile travel, extended Public Infrastructure and little In-Fill Development. These land use choices strongly affect our Public Health and Quality of Life.

It is important that we all educate ourselves, take a stand and really look at how our tax dollars are spent.

I found a couple of websites that could give us all ideas on how we can help bring about change for the better. Not only as New Jerseyans but all over the country.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) a division of the National Research Council who serves as an independent advisorary board to government is a great source of education and ideas http://www.trb.org/.

The Sierra Club http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/overview/ is a great place to get some additional information on how we can begin making positive contributions to our beautiful planet worth saving.