Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe Well it's that time of year again. Holiday Time.  Whether you are celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or The Boston Tea Pary Anniversary, everyone loves a good cookie.  Here is a recipe for one of my favorites....The Snickerdoodle.  EAT MORE COOKIES :) Snickerdoodle Cookies 3 cups flour2 tsp. cream of tartar1 tsp. baking soda1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt1 3⁄4 cups sugar16 tbsp. unsalted butter,    at room temperature5 tsp. ground cinnamon1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract2 eggs 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat 1 1⁄2 cups sugar and the butter together in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add 2 tsp. cinnamon and the vanilla; beat for 1 minute more. Add e... 12/04/2009

Cherry Hill, NJ Old Orchard Market Report by Leander McClain, Realtor   I recently prepared this market report for a client that is considering selling their home in the Old Orchard section of Cherry Hill.  I thought it might be useful for others who are searching for homes in Old Orchard.  I had to trim it down so it would fit on the page.  If you are interested in a copy of the full report, shoot me an email (leander@kw.com) and I will send you a copy.  If you have any further questions, feel free to call me (856-685-1677 office).     Multiple Listing Service # Status Address Beds Baths Asking Price Sold Price Days on Market 5579055 For Sale 20 Lamp Post Ln, Cherry Hill, NJ 5 2.5 $315,000   112 5629095 For Sale 7 Meadow Ln, Cherry Hill, NJ 5 3 $279,900   4 Average 5 Bedroom For Sale  ... 12/03/2009

Who's Going To Triple Play Atlantic City 8-10 December 2009? Next week, I will be attending Triple Play Realtors Convention in Atlantic City, NJ 8-10 December.  I have attentended this conference for the past three years and have always found it enlightening.  I say for new realtors, this is the best $75 worth of training that you will ever receive.  Last year, I was lucky enough to catch up to several people who I had met online.  This year, I would like to meet even more of  you.  So here is the deal, if you have ever read my blog and are attending Triple Play....let me know who you are.  Let's see if we can meet each other at the convention.  Also, if you follow me on Twitter @leemack912, we can do the same.  Send me a text message 609-505-6578 or a message on Twitter. I look forward... 12/01/2009

 Cherry Hill,NJ Home Sales for Homes Sold November 1-20, 2009 by Leander McClain, Realtor  I decided to continue including the asking price along with the sold price in my home sales report.  You may ask why is this important?  I wll tell  you.  Buyers, notice that the average home in Cherry Hill sold at approximately 94-95% of the asking price.  What that means to you is that a home that is priced correctly will not be selling at a bargain basement price of 50% off list price, but at a reasonable amount below the asking price.  This is the rule and not the exception. There are still homes that are overpriced which may sell at a deeper discount. Sellers:  Bottom line, if your home is priced correctly it will sell.  During the first half of November, 2009  The average home in Cherry Hill... 11/23/2009

Cherry Hill, NJ Home Sales October 2009 by Leander McClain, Realtor Hello Everyone, This month I included the asking price along with the sold price in my home sales report.  You may ask why is this important?  I wll tell  you.  Buyers, notice that the average home in Cherry Hill sold at approximately 95% of the asking price.  What that means to you is that a home that is priced correctly will not be selling at a bargain basement price of 50% off list price, but at a reasonable amount below the asking price.  This is the rule and not the exception. There are still homes that are overpriced which may sell at a deeper discount. Sellers:  Bottom line, if your home is priced correctly it will sell  The average home in Cherry Hill, took 78 days to sell.  Yet you will notice a number of home... 11/23/2009

Leander McClain's Shrimp with Garlic Sauce If you know me, you know that I love food and I love to cook.  Here is a great recipe that I made up one day.  It turned out pretty good, so I decided to share it.  5-7 cloves garlic diced ½ -1 large onion diced small 1 small carrot shredded 1/8 green pepper dice small 2 tbs olive oil 1-2 stalks celery diced small 2 heaping tbs flour 2 cups water seasoned salt pepper  •1-1   ½ pounds of  shrimp  Mix flour in 1 cup of water and reserve (put on the side for later use)  Sprinkle 1 ½ tsp season  salt & ½ tsp pepper on the diced onions Heat oil in a stir fry pan. Add onions, carrots, green peppers and celery.  Stir fry until onions are wilted. Add Garlic  and sauté for approx 1 ½ minutes.  Careful not to burn the garlic.  Add shrimp and water with f... 11/20/2009

Cherry Hill, NJ Important Phone Numbers Sometimes it is hard to find the one phone number you are looking for. I decided to post these important phone numbers to help out my fellow Cherry Hill, NJ Residents.   The most important number to remember is 9-1-1.  If you have a police or fire emergency, diall 9-1-1   Municipal Building: Office of the Mayor 488-7878 Cherry Hill Twp Council 488-7892 Animal Control 488-7892 Barclay Farmstead 795-6225 Building Inspections 488-7855 Planning and Zoning 488-7870 Drug & Alcohol Alliance 488-7889 Ombudsman for Disabled 488-4279 Recreation & Adult Ed. 488-7868 Tax Assessor 488-7899 Tax Collector 488-7880 Township Clerk 488-7892 Violations 488-7850 Vital Statistics & Licenses 488-7892   Fire Department: To report a Fire 9-1-1 Board of Fire Commissioners... 10/28/2009

Free Veterans Day Meal Applebees will be serving a free meal on Veteran's Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2009 to anyone who served in the military. If you did not serve in the military and know someone who did serve in the military please pass the message on, thanks in advance. The menu for the free meal is on Applebees website, http://www.applebees.com/vetsDay/default.aspx   Available during business hours on November 11, 2009 at participating Applebee's only. Dine-in from limited menu only. Beverages and gratuity not included. Veterans and active duty military simply show proof of military service.  Proof of Military serice include U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification Card Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) Veterans Organization ... 10/27/2009

When: 22 October 2009 ( Don't worry if you missed the first sessions, you can catch up) Where: Keller Williams, 1814 Route 70E, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 (No this is not for KW agents only, in fact our group includes agents from several well know firms.) Time:  Thursday Evenings 7-8pm Why:  Keep Reading    If you are willing to ask the question, “How do I take my real estate business to the highest point possible?” ... THIS SERIES OF ENERGIZING WORKSHOPS IS FOR YOU! The focus of each sixty minute session is how to apply the life-changing concepts of Gary Keller’s book, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, to achieve the business and personal results you want. Join us this Thursday, October 22, 2009 in the Keller Williams Realty Cherry Hill Training Room from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and con... 10/22/2009

Can You Please Sell My House For $65,000 More Than My Neighbors?  This weekend, I decided to preview homes for sale in the Point of Woods neighborhood in Cherry Hill, NJ.  In order to not be biased, I made appointments without viewing the listing price.   Here are some of my general observations of one of the homes I previewed. The front yard was landscaped with tall grasses.  The right side of the yard had a tree stump that was 5 feet in diameter.   I later read in the listing that this was "unique" landscaping.  The landscaping hid the house and decreased its curb appeal.  Many buyers will not get of the car if they don't like the house from the car (trust me; I have had more than my share of buyers in this category).  My advice to sellers: Tone Down Your Landscaping.  Simple and clea... 10/20/2009

4th Quarter UpdateLots of people consider Cherry Hill to be overpriced. But when you consider the quality of the schools, the proximity to downtown Philadelphia and the abundance of jobs, services and amenities, I'm seeing that it remains a strong segment in the Camden County market. There are simply too many strong fundamentals here to ignore. Transactional activity remains strong to date. Already, we've had 400 single family and 100 condominium sales close this year. To be sure, there are in fact two markets in Cherry Hill. Most properties (60-70%) remain overpriced, poorly prepared or staged and simply stagnate and expire leaving sellers disappointed. If mistakes, even small ones, are made in the areas of pricing, preparation or marketing it will become a "market rejected" property. ... 10/17/2009

Truila.com Workshop Learn the In's & Out's of Trulia to help your business and enhance your social media skills.  Rudy Bachraty III is the public face and voice of Trulia.  If you have followed @trulia on Twitter, you are following Rudy.  He is the social media guru at Trulia.com.  He also manages Trulia's corporate blog (Social Real Estate Chicago) Hot buffet & drink specials.  Networking & socializing (bring business cards). All Realtors Welcome Free workshop ending with Q&A and Neworking Opportunities $5.00 donations accepted at the door for Chapter With A Heart RSVP to reserve your seat:  njcrschapter@gmail.com     When: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Where: Cafe Aldo Lamberti's, Route 70,  Cherry Hill, NJ Time: 3:00pm - 7:00pm Have a Great Day Make This YOUR Best Year Ever Leander McCla... 10/16/2009

We invite you to visit the best New Jersey Real Estate School.  Our New Jersey Real Estate Courses are fully accredited and approved. Our New Jersey real estate school is one of the leading online Real Estate Schools in New Jersey offering the best prices for NJ online real estate courses available.  Licensed Instructors are available to assist you with your  New Jersey Real Estate course and  New Jersey real estate license. The secret to passing the New Jersey real estate license exam is in knowing exactly what is most important to the regulators and knowing the right information to pass the exam. Our first time passing rates meet or exceed any other provider including in-class instruction.http://www.rowlettcareerschool.com/nj-new-jersey.htm Our New Jersey online real estate school off... 10/15/2009

Success Ain't For Everybody.  Is It For You?  First, let me give my apologies to my first grade teacher Sister Eleanor. I know that my title should have read "Success is Not for Everyone" I appreciate the value of the proper use of the English language....however there are times when you must get "down and dirty" to get the attention of your audience.  Why do I say that success ain't for everybody?  Because not everyone is willing to do what successful people do.  Let me illustrate this with a short story.  I spent a short time at Union County College in Cranford, NJ.  During that time, I went to school during the day, and then at night I drove my Volkswagen Rabbit an hour north to work at Prudential (paying insurance claims).   I had many people ask, why are you driving 2 hours round t... 10/13/2009

View Larger MapI live in Cherry Hill NJ and I've been a regular customer of The Clip Joint for nearly 10 years.  Sure I've gotten haircuts at other places.  There was one time when I waited till Friday afternoon to go get a haircut for a Saturday wedding, only to find that The Clip Joint was closed for the Staff's annual Summer Vacation.  So I was forced to go to one of those national chain hair places, where the girl who cut my hair seemed about as happy to be there as I was.  Was the haircut ok?  Eh, yeah it was "ok"... But the next month I was happy to be back in the chair at The Clip Joint to hear about all the Summer Vacation hijinks and share a few laughs with Al and the girls (Jackie, Alexis, Chris, and Laurie).  When Al was done cutting my hair, I was happy...much happier than I... 10/07/2009

Cherry Hill Home Sales Report September 2009 by Leander McClain.   Whoever said that real estate was not selling, forgot to tell the buyers in Cherry Hill, NJ.  Over the past month, 71 homes have sold.  I've had people tell me that Cherry Hill is an expensive town.  However, 17 of the houses that sold were under $200,000.  The average price of the homes sold was $271.000.  I  think those prices are excellent.   A very important thing to notice is that the average property in Cherry Hill sold for 95% of the asking price.  This means that homes are begining to be priced correctly.  Buyers should be aware that homes in Cherry Hill will most likely not be available for rock bottom prices of 50% of the asking price (of course there are exceptions).  Sellers should be aware that homes that a... 10/06/2009

    FHA streamline loans are very beneficial in many ways. A few things to keep in mind. FHA streamlines don't take that long, up to 10 days, and the FHA streamline rates are the same as regular FHA loans. When comparing FHA streamlines to conventional refinances, depending on your credit score, the FHA rate in many cases will be much better.  Keeping this in mind, use a loan officer that is very familiar on how these types of refinances work. Just because it's easy to the naked eye, one still needs knowledge of how to make this work for you.       There are two types of FHA streamlines. Changes have been made as of September 18th, 2009 :   1. Streamline refinance with an appraisal : This is where you can include your closing costs within the loan amount.  The lower of the two below wou... 10/05/2009

Now Is NOT the Time to Buy a Home in Cherry Hill, NJ  You do not want to Call Me TODAY to discuss your home buying options. I am sure that many of you are surprised to hear these words coming from me....Leander McClain, Realtor & Real estate consultant.  According to a study cited by the National Association of Realtors, "8 out of 10 economists agree that home prices will rise in the next 5 years".  Last week, the National Association of Realtors said the number of signed sales contracts rose for the seventh straight month in August, as homebuyers rushed to take advantage of a tax credit for first-time owners that expire in November. According to Freddie Mac, rates on 30-year home loans dropped below 5 percent for the first time in four months, but still remained above this year's recor... 10/05/2009

    FHA loans to 5% down?  A 5% down payment for FHA loans?       I totally understand the issues at hand, that many agencies are now having more loans foreclose, that more loans are being lost on the books, and that lawmakers are re-looking at FHA's 3.5% downpayment to possibly raise it to 5%. Here is the article in question written by Rich Edson of Fox Business. Proposal would boost FHA Down-Payment Requirement. I have a few concerns, not only what some politician wants to do, but the reasoning behind it. If you read the article, Here is a comment by Chairman Ben Bernanke.. "I think it’s undeniable that the FHA loans -- because of the low down payments and so on -- are riskier than other mortgages being made, and therefore have a greater risk of loss which would be made up by the taxp... 10/02/2009

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Dress Barn locations are kicking off a campaign to raise funds for breast cancer research. Beginning Oct. 1, all Dress Barn stores will allow customers to "adopt'' Biscuit, a stuffed plush dog, for $5.00. The profits from the sale will result in a profit of $2.  All of the profits will be donated to the American Cancer Society to support local and national breast cancer initiatives. The campaign will continue through Oct. 31, while supplies last. 1800 Clements Bridge Rd, Woodbury, NJ 08096, (856) 384-27111606 Kings Hwy N, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034, (856) 310-196518 Centerton Rd, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 722-0001123 N Black Horse Pike, Blackwood, NJ 08012, (856) 232-77551013 White Horse Ave Trenton, NJ 08610, (609) 585-0221 formation, ... 09/25/2009