The Bergen County Homes Blog

The State of New Jersey had a great idea – help for homeowners who had underground oil tanks.  Whether leaking or not, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) would administer a fund to reimburse homeowners who wanted to remove, replace or remediate their underground oil tank.   Thus was born the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Remediation, Upgrade & Closure Fund or UST Fund as it was commonly known. 

Actually the program worked very well.  Applications for funding were processed in a timely mannter; most homeowners only waited 2 months to receive their reimbursement check.  There was only one problem – the money to pay for all this was not unlimited and now the $20 million set aside for the UST Fund has been depleted.

Because funds are so low, the NJDEP is no longer taking new applications for non leaking tanks.  If you have a leaking tank , you can send in an application which will be date stamped and held until more funds are available.  Applications now awaiting approval will be processed with what money is left.  Whether or not funding will be restored by New Jersey is truly unknown.

  New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) has a program that pays for the removal and replacement of underground oil tanks for qualifying homeowners.  Through it’s Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Program (PUST Program), if you occupy the house as your primary residence, earn under $250,000 annually and have assets of less than $500,000 (your home & retirement accounts don’t count)  New Jersey will grant you enough money to remove and even replace your oil tank. 

The application process requires documentation to prove your eligibility and a $250 application fee but that’s it for a homeowner who qualifies.  The PUST Program pays for the rest.  So for only $250 a qualified homeowner can have their underground oil tank removed and replaced.

Steve Rich of Steve Rich & Associates came to my office today to explain the PUST Program as he is a New Jersey certified contractor for this program.  As an approved contractor, he does a lot of oil tank removals under this NJ EDA grant program.  In fact, his staff will help you prepare and process your grant application. 

Because times are tough, Steve is willing to wait until you receive the grant money to be paid.  This is a win win for everyone.  Steve gets your business and you eliminate a potential problem.

Right now the grant money is still available.  Once it runs out (and there’s no way to tell when that will happen), it’s gone.   So while  it’s available, if this program applies to you, why not take advantage of it?  If your oil tank is leaking, there’s funding now for that too.  The best bet is to call Steve Rich at 973.458.1188 for all your questions or any other certified contractor you choose.

   The Bergen County Utilities Authority is hosting a special event this Saturday at it’s headquarters in Paramus NJ – it’s a one day demonstration and sale of a compost bin machine.  Featuring the home composting Earth Machine, you will learn how to create a rich compost for your lawn and gardens.  This will help you green up your property because rich compost soil reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. 

Many people who buy a home today want to be as green as possible and creating a compost does exactly that.  Growing flowers and a green lawn is part of owning a house; there’s nothing better  than a beautiful yard with blooming flowers on a sunny summer day.  Making it that way using a compost bin is an easy and fun family project.   

The Earth Machine normally sells for over $100 and is often out of stock.  The BCUA will be selling it on Saturday for $53 which is a great deal.  The sale and demonstration will be from 9 to 2 at the Bergen County Community Services Building located at 327 East Ridgewood Ave in Paramus NJ.  All you need is a check or a money order; no cash will be accepted. 

Does this look familiar? 

If it does, then you”re like many people who’ve bought an older, charming colonial home in Bergen County.  Along with the home (and especially if you bought it in towns with large inventories of charming colonial homes like Tenafly or Teaneck or Ridgewood) you got a red brick fireplace in the living room that you figured you’d fix in the future.  An article I read in Lowes “Creative Ideas” magazine recently showed how you can transform that old red brick quickly and affordably.   

Lowes has a special program for real estate agents which I’ve found to be a great help for my clients and myself.  Recently there was an article in “Creative Ideas” that solved this problem.  By resurfacing the existing red brick with a combination of tile and slate you create an amazing, beautiful effect immediately. 

This fireplace was an old, stained, red brick unit and then the Lowes team went to work  with a combination of tile and slate.  You can, of course, use other tile and stone materials but the change is certainly remarkable.  No structural renovations were needed to make this fireplace a modern showpiece.

If you’d like to get “Creative Ideas” you can go to http://www.Lowes.com or you can get in touch with me for the full real estate agent benefits program.  Lowes has many simple and affordable solutions to design problems for homeowners and they also have a lot of good tips for you too.

There’s a new website in the internet that’s all about your house – from doing a repair or renovation to tax credits to protecting yourself from a scam artist.  Created by the National Association of Realtors, it’s in beta testing on the web right now but I’ve taken a look at it and, frankly, I’m very impressed.

Go to http://www.HouseLogic.com and take a look yourself.  Buying a house in Bergen County is the start of a long term relationship with your home and your community.  House Logic helps you ”protect, maintain and enhance the value of your home” in so many ways.  I found tips on how to do economical repairs that pay big dividends to how to get tax credits for energy efficient improvements. 

If you aren’t a homeowner and are thinking of buying a home, this site is for you too.  There is so much excellent information about homeownership that you’ll get a great education. 

The site is very detailed about all sorts of things.  For example, House Logic has an entire section on improving your insurance score.  Most people don’t realize how devastating a bad credit score can be.  When I tell my clients that a poor credit rating even affects your insurance premiums they are usually surprised.  Here you will learn how a credit rating affects your homeowner insurance premium.  It’s a fabulous website for consumers.

Have a home in Bergen County?  If so, take   advantage of the January thaw this week and get your gutters cleaned if you haven’t already.  After all, it’s still winter; snow and ice will be back soon.

Most of us don’t realize how much damage clogged gutters can do to a house.  Let’s face it – gutters aren’t the most glamorous part of anyone’s home but they’re sure one of the most important.

Gutters keep water away from your home which is critical to maintaining the structure.  When they become clogged with leaves and grit they can do tremendous damage to exterior walls, cause inside wall leaks, start foundation leaks and even help to create the perfect setting for ice dams which seriously damages your roof.  Having a gutter guard system doesn’t eliminate the need for cleaning because while these systems keep out leaves, they don’t stop a grit build up.

Getting your gutters cleaned is one of the least expensive maintenance items and, if you know how, you can do this yourself.  I’m not that adventurous so I always hired someone to do it.  If you’re in Bergen County and need a recommendation, just let me know.

Take advantage of our milder temperatures this week, get your gutters cleaned and avoid thousands in repair bills.