For more information, contact
Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007
or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com

EVESHAM (May 15) – Credit counselor Stephanie Bittner will be the featured speaker at the next “Guardian Hour of Power Lunch Seminar” to be held on Wednesday, June 13.

Bittner is community outreach manager for Clarifi – formerly the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Delaware Valley. She will address a number of issues affecting credit worthiness and mortgage acquisition for families looking to purchase homes and those looking to refinance existing loans.

Sponsored by Guardian Settlement Agents, one of the state’s leading title agencies serving all of New Jersey’s 21 counties, the seminar will begin at 12 p.m. noon on Wednesday, June 13 at Guardian’s South Jersey headquarters at 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite Two, in Marlton (08053). Lunch will be served and there is no charge to attend.

To register for the seminar, contact Guardian Settlement Agents President Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007 or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com.

“The first step to successful home ownership is getting your financial house in order,” said Guardian CEO Christopher J. Brown. “Stephanie and her colleagues at Clarifi are experts at this and we look forward to the important information she will bring to this month’s Hour of Power seminar.”

For more than five decades, the certified credit and housing counselors at Clarifi have helped consumers sort out their financial priorities. People of every income level seek Clarifi’s assistance with problems impacting their financial well-being as they are experienced in helping clients analyze, understand and get control of their personal finances.

Originally known since 1966 as Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Delaware Valley (CCCS), Clarifi has its roots in helping people who are struggling with debt. They take a complex and confusing situation and customize an action plan that can immediately produce results.

This may include a debt management plan that helps people find the discipline required to see their way to a clear financial future. Or an intervention with their mortgage company to stop a potential foreclosure and get the payments back on track.

Clarifi believes everyone should have access to the information and technology required to take control of their personal financial well-being, no matter their economic status. They call the process “financial planning for the rest of us”

The next “Hour of Power” seminar will be held on the second Wednesday of July, the 11th, and will feature Steve Royek, president of Steve Royek and Associates, a Mount Laurel-based writing, media relations and marketing communications firm. Royek will be speaking about publicity and marketing for small businesses, especially those in real estate-related fields.

Guardian Settlement Agents has offices in both Burlington County – at 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite Two, Marlton, NJ 08053 (Phone: 856-985-9007, Fax: 856-985-9977) – and Somerset County – at 54 Grove Street, Suite 3 & 4, Somerville, NJ 08876 (Phone: 908-575-9995, Fax: 908-575-9996). Both offices are on the web at www.goguardianinsurance.com.

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Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. (GSA) and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc. (GP&C) accept no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. GSA and GP&C are providing this transmission for informational purposes only. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog do not necessarily represent those of the company.

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Dear Associates:

This bulletin advises you of recommended practices relating to the receipt and disbursement of funds. This bulletin also reminds you that the settlement provider is the party ultimately responsible for receiving funds sufficient to close a transaction. Compliance with your state’s “good funds” laws or regulations is always required. However, compliance with “good funds” requirements may not be sufficient to protect you against loss.

Good Funds

“Good funds” laws provide a statutory definition of acceptable escrow deposit instruments. These laws generally regulate the types of funds that a title company or escrow agent can accept and/or the minimum length of time that such funds must remain on deposit in a bank before they can be disbursed. For example, “good funds” laws may require wired funds, cashier’s check, certified check or teller’s check to be deposited, and/or may limit the amount of personal checks that are permitted. “Good funds” requirements are the minimum state-imposed standards relating to escrow practices. They are not a safe harbor. They do not override banking procedures and collection practices. For example, certain types of checks may be deemed “good funds” under your laws, but such checks nevertheless may be subject to stop payment orders and be uncollectible or unavailable for withdrawal from the bank of deposit under certain circumstances.

Issuing offices sometimes assume that they can disburse funds immediately after they have received checks satisfying the “good funds” criteria in their jurisdiction, without regard to whether or not the funds are actually available for withdrawal and/or have been actually collected and finally settled into their escrow account. However, that assumption is incorrect. Compliance with “good funds” requirements may not protect you from loss in the event a check is dishonored and returned to you unpaid.

“Good funds” is primarily a title and escrow term. “Good funds” should be distinguished from “available funds” and “collected funds”, which are banking terms.

Available Funds / Available Balance

“Available funds” (sometimes referred to as “funds available for withdrawal”) refers to funds that a depositary bank (your bank) makes available to a depositor (you) when a deposit is made, based upon a schedule. However, the term “available” is potentially misleading.

Issuing offices sometimes assume that they can disburse funds immediately after such funds appear as “available” on their statement or online. However, that assumption is incorrect. The deposit of a check into your account at your bank does not mean that funds have actually been transferred to your bank or to your account. Deposited funds can be considered “available for withdrawal” from your bank well before a check has been presented for payment or paid by the paying bank (also known as the “drawee bank” – the bank upon which a check is drawn). Deposited funds are made conditionally available (e.g., for withdrawal) by your bank to you as aprovisional credit to your account, based upon the likelihood that the funds will eventually be collected. If the paying bank ultimately declines to pay a check (for example, if the paying bank determines that a check is counterfeit or if there are insufficient funds in the drawer’s account), your bank will eventually reverse the provisional credit, and the “available funds” will be debited -deducted – from your account. It may take several days, perhaps weeks, for this reversal to occur. Checks drawn on foreign banks can take even longer.

The term “available balance” refers to the total amount that your bank will make available to you. However, the “available balance” is not the amount of funds that have actually been collected.

Collected Funds / Collected Balance

“Collected funds”(sometimes referred to as “actually and finally collected funds”) refers to funds that result from the process of “collection”. “Collection” is the presentation of a check to a paying bank and the actual payment of the funds by the paying bank. Final collection from the paying bank and final settlement of the funds into your escrow account can take several days, or potentially weeks, to be completed. If a check is counterfeit, it may be quite some time before you become aware that the deposit cannot be “collected,” and that the provisional credit to your account will be reversed.

The term “collected balance” refers to the depositor’s (your) balance minus deposited checks in the process of collection (i. e., minus checks that have not been actually paid by the paying bank). “Collected funds” are actual funds, not provisionally “available” funds.

Concerns Relating to Counterfeit Bank Checks and Certified Checks

Check fraud schemes often involve counterfeit bank checks (e.g., cashier’s checks or teller’s checks) and/or certified checks. A cashier’s check is a check drawn by a bank on its own funds and signed by a bank officer. A teller’s check is a check drawn by a bank either on another bank or payable through or at another bank. A certified check is a check drawn by a depositor on his checking account carrying the signature of a drawee bank officer certifying the check to be genuine and guaranteeing its payment. Both bank checks and certified checks are generally considered “good funds” and are often readily accepted. A cashier’s check is the industry preference over either a teller’s check or certified check, because a cashier’s check is generally easier to verify and more difficult to place a stop payment on.

Funds from bank checks or certified checks can be made “available” by your bank for provisional credit to your account on an expedited basis. However, such checks can be counterfeit, and it can be quite some time before they are discovered to be fake. Subtle alterations in the coding of the checks can slow the processing and discovery of the counterfeit. Perpetrators rely upon this gap to execute their schemes.

The following fact pattern is not uncommon: A perpetrator delivers a counterfeit bank check to a victim (e.g., an escrow office). The escrow office deposits the fake bank check into their account. The amount of the deposit is made “available” by the victim’s bank shortly thereafter. While the counterfeit check is being processed by the banking system, and before the depositor/victim becomes aware of the fraud, the perpetrator requests the return of the funds by wire transfer or electronic funds transfer . There is frequently a feigned urgent need, and the perpetrator pressures the depositor/victim to wire the funds immediately, to the perpetrator or to an accomplice. Since the funds from the counterfeit check have been made provisionally “available” by their bank, the depositor/victim mistakenly assumes that they are collected funds, and sends the wire. At some point, the counterfeit check is presented for payment to the paying bank, and the paying bank declines to pay it. A notice of nonpayment returns through the banking system, and ultimately the depositor/victim learns that the check was fake. The depositor’s bank reverses the provisional credit and deducts the amount of the deposit from the victim’s account.

The only way to assure that funds are immediately collected and irrevocable is to require deposits to be made to your account by federal wire.

Electronic Funds Transfers

An electronic funds transfer (“EFT”) through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) poses special concerns. Funds deposited through ACH are subject to an extended time for settlement: 3 – 60 days, depending upon the nature of the credit. During that time, the ACH credit is subject to reversal by the originator. An “ACH debit block” will not protect against such reversal. Therefore, you should not accept deposits to escrow by ACH unless you implement special procedures, as described below.

Recommended Practices

You can reduce the chances of an escrow loss by implementing certain practices regarding the receipt and disbursement of funds. The following practices are recommended to the extent that they are more rigorous than applicable “good funds” requirements in your jurisdiction:

* Encourage all customers to deposit funds to escrow by federal wire. When receiving wires, do not rely solely upon the sender’s Federal Reference Number to confirm the transfer. Confirm with your own bank that the funds have been received and actually credited to your account.

* Establish a practice of requiring that all deposits greater than a certain amount (e.g., $250,000) must be sent to you by Federal wire. Establish a practice of requiring that all deposits less than your Federal wire threshold but greater than a specific amount (e.g., $10,000) must be in the form of a cashier’s check (as opposed to a certified check or a teller’s check). Advise customers that any other form of payment (including, for example, certified checks, teller’s checks or ACH transfers) may experience delays before funds can be disbursed. Permit deviations from your check acceptance policy only for known customers in situations where you can contact the paying bank and confirm the authenticity and collectability of the check, or where there is sufficient time for the check to be collected and finally settled to your account.

* Establish a practice, where feasible, of verifying the authenticity of checks received from unfamiliar or out-of-town financial institutions, and any checks that appear suspicious. Where possible, it is suggested that you or your bank contact the issuing (paying) bank and verify that the check is genuine before depositing it. Do not rely upon the address and telephone number printed on the check. If the check is fake, the contact information may also be fake. Obtain the paying bank’s contact information from an independent public source. A starting point is the FDIC’s website [ http://www2.fdic.gov/idasp/main_bankfind.asp ]. Where feasible, request written confirmation (by fax or email) from the paying bank confirming that the check is authentic and that the person requesting the check is a customer in good standing. If you are unable to confirm relevant information about a check before depositing it, you may encounter similar obstacles in confirming that the check has been presented for payment and has actually been paid.

* If you are accepting electronic fund transfers via ACH, you should create a separate account whose sole purpose is to receive ACH transfers. After receipt of an electronic funds transfer into this special ACH-receiving account, you should transfer these funds to your customary escrow account, for subsequent disbursement. This transfer should leave the ACH-receiving account with a zero balance. An ACH reversal request by the originator should be rejected by your bank because there would no longer be any funds in the ACH-receiving account.

* Where feasible, arrange with your bank to provide automatic (expedited) notice of returned items.

* Do not disburse funds based upon provisional settlement (i.e., do not disburse based upon your “available balance” or “available funds”). Do not rely upon assurances that the funds are “available”.

* Strongly discourage the use of checks drawn on foreign banks. Such checks take much longer to clear or to be dishonored, i.e., to be detected as counterfeit. As a result, checks drawn on foreign banks are frequently involved in check fraud schemes. If a foreign check is accepted, it should be sent for formal collection. This is an expensive, lengthy process, taking 4 to 8 weeks to complete. The customer should bear all applicable bank service charges. No transfers out should be permitted until the collection process is complete. The best practice is to require that deposits coming from foreign banks be made by wire transfer.

* Do not yield to pressure to disburse funds (particularly by wire or electronic funds transfer) unless you are confident that you have collected funds on hand from that check. The best practice is “check in, check out”, “wire in, wire out”.

* Become familiar with your bank’s practices regarding the availability of funds and the collection of funds. Ascertain the type of assurances that your bank can provide to confirm that funds have been collected for a particular check. A good practice is to call the issuing bank to verify authenticity of a questioned item. Where possible, ask your bank to provide written confirmation (by fax or email) that the funds have been collected and that final settlement has been made to your account.

* Implement procedures to make certain escrow paper check deposits are delivered to your bank prior to deposit cutoff time and/or implement remote Check 21 deposit services (permitting you to deposit a check into your bank account remotely by scanning it and transmitting it to your bank)

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Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. (GSA) and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc. (GP&C) accept no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. GSA and GP&C are providing this transmission for informational purposes only. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog do not necessarily represent those of the company.

Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc., 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite 1000, Marlton, NJ 08053. www.goguardianinsurance.com, www.e-titleagency.com, www.guardianpnc.com.

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For more information, contact
Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007
or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com

EVESHAM (April 16) – Burlington County Surrogate George Kotch will be the featured speaker at the next “Guardian Hour of Power Lunch Seminar” to be held on Wednesday, May 9.

Kotch will address the different types of legal and procedural issues administered by his office when he addresses the topic “Doing Business with the County Surrogate.”

Sponsored by Guardian Settlement Agents, one of the state’s leading title agencies serving all of New Jersey’s 21 counties, the seminar will begin at 12 p.m. noon on Wednesday, May 9 at Guardian’s South Jersey headquarters at 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite Two, in Marlton (08053). Lunch will be served and there is no charge to attend.

To register for the seminar, contact Guardian Settlement Agents President Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007 or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com.

“We’re thrilled to have Surrogate Kotch here to share information about the duties of his position,” said Guardian CEO Christopher J. Brown. “With so many of today’s real estate and financial transactions requiring the services of the Surrogate, it’s important for us to share the correct and most up-to-date information about these issues with our attendees.”

A former sportswriter and high school teacher, Kotch received his law degree from Rutgers University in 1967 and was elected as Burlington County Surrogate in 2007. He is a member of the New Jersey bar, the District of Columbia bar and the bar of the United States Supreme Court. Born in Roebling and a life-long resident of Burlington County, Kotch and his wife Therese have four children and 10 grandchildren.

The word “surrogate” means “one who takes the place of another” and, in New Jersey, the position dates back to pre-Revolutionary War times when local officials were given the authority to probate wills, issue marriage licenses and perform other functions that originally were the duty of the Governor. The Surrogate’s Office is both a department of county government and a branch of the state Superior Court.

Under the current state Constitution, Surrogate duties provide for the administration of an estate, whether it is for the process of admitting a will to probate or to grant letters of administration to an appropriate person to carry on the duties of the decedent.

As Clerk of the state Superior Court, the Surrogate also reviews and files adoptions, declaration of death actions, appointment of a guardian for an incompetent person, trusteeships, conservatorships and accountings.

The next “Hour of Power” seminar will be held on the second Wednesday of June, the 13th and will feature Stephanie Bittner, community outreach manager for Clarifi, formerly the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Delaware Valley. Bittner will address a number of issues affecting credit worthiness and mortgage acquisition for families looking to purchase homes and those looking to refinance existing loans.

Guardian Settlement Agents has offices in both Burlington County – at 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite Two, Marlton, NJ 08053 (Phone: 856-985-9007, Fax: 856-985-9977) – and Somerset County – at 54 Grove Street, Suite 3 & 4, Somerville, NJ 08876 (Phone: 908-575-9995, Fax: 908-575-9996). Both offices are on the web at www.goguardianinsurance.com.

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Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. (GSA) and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc. (GP&C) accept no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. GSA and GP&C are providing this transmission for informational purposes only. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog do not necessarily represent those of the company.

Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc., 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite 1000, Marlton, NJ 08053. www.goguardianinsurance.com, www.e-titleagency.com, www.guardianpnc.com.

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For more information, contact
Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007
or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com

EVESHAM (April 20) – Purchasing tax liens and tax deeds as investments might be the perfect fit for your financial portfolio . . . or it might not. Joanne Musa says the only way to be sure is to do your homework.

Musa, known as the “The Tax Lien Lady,” speaking at this month’s Guardian Settlement Agents “Hour of Power Lunch Seminar,” pulled back the curtain on these puzzling yet potentially profitable investment tools in her online webinar entitled “Why Smart Investors are Choosing Tax Liens in 2012.”

“Real estate professionals and investors need to be well-informed to get ahead and stay ahead in this economy,” said Christopher J. Brown, CEO of seminar sponsor Guardian Settlement Agents, one of the state’s leading title agencies serving all of New Jersey’s 21 counties. “By providing our seminar attendees with information about tax lien investing, we continue to fulfill the educational goals of these monthly seminars.”

Musa has spent the last few years investing in tax lien certificates and tax deeds for herself, and several large investors, specializing in New Jersey liens and Pennsylvania deeds. Soon afterward, she began promoting her services online as a tax lien investing coach and earned the reputation as “The Most Trusted Authority on Tax Lien Investing in America.”

The first step in the tax lien/tax deed education process is learning the difference between the two, Musa explained. Tax lien certificates are available in New Jersey while tax deeds are offered in Pennsylvania. They are similar in many ways except that a tax lien is a financial vehicle only while a tax deed is an investment that can result in your eventually taking ownership of the property.

While most of Musa’s “Hour of Power” webinar focused on tax lien investing, she did mention that two of the more popular states offering tax deeds as investments are South Carolina and Florida, with most of these being connected to vacation properties.

In New Jersey, a tax lien can be taken out on anything from delinquent municipal tax payments to severely overdue electric or water bills. For this reason, you can purchase some municipal tax liens for as little as several hundred dollars, although Musa herself does not normally buy liens that cost less than $500.

Among the advantages offered by tax liens in New Jersey, Musa said, is that you can earn as much as 18 percent on your investment. The lien is secured by real estate and you are in first position to be paid at resolution and there are no brokerage fees as you are buying the lien directly from the municipality.

In addition, Musa explained, you can start with a relatively small investment and you don’t need good credit as the properties can only be purchased with cash or certified check. You can invest in person or online and you do not have to be a resident of the municipality or the state, or even a U.S. citizen to buy a lien.

Musa offered five STEPS to tax lien investing, using the word as an acronym for the different stages of the process:
 Select where you want to invest: Stay local or travel afar, choose a tax lien state or a tax deed state.
 Track down the tax sale information: Every municipality holds at least one tax sale each year; some larger cities hold them more often. You usually can get a list of which properties have liens for sale about four weeks ahead of the sale date by contacting the local tax collector.
 Evaluate the properties on which liens are being offered: Find out the assessed value, the total tax burden and see if there are any other encumbrances on the property; know the zoning, find out the acreage and see if there are any environmental issues. If possible, look at the property in person.
 Prepare to bid: Decide ahead of time on which properties you want to bid and how much you are willing to pay for each one.
 Show up and bid: Make sure you have the right amount of cash or a large-enough certified cashier’s check to purchase your liens. You can get change from your check if necessary.

The next “Hour of Power” seminar will be held on the second Wednesday of May, the 9th with Burlington County Surrogate George Kotch scheduled to speak on the topic “Doing Business with the Surrogate’s Office.”

To register for the seminar, contact Guardian Settlement Agents President Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007 or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com.

Guardian Settlement Agents has offices in both Burlington County – at 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite Two, Marlton, NJ 08053 (Phone: 856-985-9007, Fax: 856-985-9977) – and Somerset County – at 54 Grove Street, Suite 3 & 4, Somerville, NJ 08876 (Phone: 908-575-9995, Fax: 908-575-9996). Both offices are on the web at www.goguardianinsurance.com.

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Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. (GSA) and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc. (GP&C) accept no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. GSA and GP&C are providing this transmission for informational purposes only. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog do not necessarily represent those of the company.

Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc., 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite 1000, Marlton, NJ 08053. www.goguardianinsurance.com, www.e-titleagency.com, www.guardianpnc.com.

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Joel L. Naroff, President and Chief Economist

INDICATOR: February Spending and Income

KEY DATA: Consumption: +0.8%; Inflation Adjusted: +0.5%; Disposable Income: 0.2%; Inflation Adjusted: -0.1%

IN A NUTSHELL: “Households are raiding their piggy banks to support their buying habits.”

WHAT IT MEANS: With gasoline prices near or above the $4.00 a gallon level, worries are that spending will slow. That happened in 2008 and 2011, the other times we passed that dreaded barrier. So far, that is not happening. Households are shopping till they’re tired once again, helped along by an improving labor market that is causing confidence to rise.

Consumption rose at a robust pace in February and it was not just for gasoline. Spending was up across the board but most importantly for services. This component, which makes up about two-thirds of consumption, had been going nowhere. Whether the surge posted in February is a one-month wonder or the beginning of a trend is hard to say, but I will take it for now. With the January spending numbers revised upward, it looks like consumption could be robust during the first quarter of the year.

Whether that will be sustained is a real question. Incomes are rising at a slower pace than spending. There were some decent gains in wages and salaries, but nothing near what is needed to sustain the current shopping spree. Adjusting for inflation, disposable income was actually down, not a good trend. As a consequence, the savings rate fell to 3.7%, a rate we haven’t seen since August 2009.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: This was a good report that also contained a warning. While households want to spend and will raid their bank accounts to support that habit, unless income gains start improving consumption will have to slow. Of course, the need for wages and salaries to rise faster so that demand can improve is an issue I have been discussing for a very long time. The improving job market may be starting to resolve the tension between controlling labor costs and paying the income needed to generate strong increases in demand.

A better economy allows for rising wages and that triggers growing demand which improves hiring and wages. That leads to further increases in confidence and we did see today that the University of Michigan’s index was up in March. Consumption during the first two months of this quarter is running well above estimates. I suspect most other forecasters will be joining me out on my limb and revising upward their first quarter forecasts. I have been expecting growth to be closer to 3% while the consensus is about 2.5%.

The prospect that first quarter growth will not be as modest as currently predicted should buoy investor confidence. As for the Fed, another 3% quarter would raise more questions about its target date for tightening of mid-2014. I have it happening by the end of next year and this report only adds to that belief. Even if that happens, though, rates would still remain low for a very long time.

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Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. (GSA) and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc. (GP&C) are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice. You should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. GSA and GP&C only are providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.

Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc., 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite 1000, Marlton, NJ 08053. www.goguardianinsurance.com, www.e-titleagency.com, www.guardianpnc.com.

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For more information, contact
Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007
or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com

EVESHAM (March 23) – A look inside the puzzling yet potentially profitable world of tax lien investing will be the focus of the next “Guardian Hour of Power Lunch Seminar” to be held on Wednesday, April 11.

Joanne Musa, known as the “The Tax Lien Lady,” will present an online webinar entitled “Why Smart Investors are Choosing Tax Liens in 2012” and will address ways investors can reap the rewards of investing in tax lien certificates and tax deeds.

Sponsored by Guardian Settlement Agents, one of the state’s leading title agencies serving all of New Jersey’s 21 counties, the seminar will begin at 12 p.m. noon on Wednesday, April 11 at Guardian’s South Jersey headquarters at 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite Two, in Marlton (08053). Lunch will be served and there is no charge to attend.

To register for the seminar, contact Guardian Settlement Agents President Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007 or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com.

“Real estate professionals and investors need to be well-informed to get ahead and stay ahead in this economy,” said Guardian CEO Christopher J. Brown. “By providing our seminar attendees with information about tax lien investing, we continue to fulfill the educational goals of these seminars. Joanne is an expert in the field and I know she will help clarify this sometimes confusing issue.”

Musa, known as “The Most Trusted Authority on Tax Lien Investing in America,” has spent the last few years investing in tax lien certificates and tax deeds for herself and for a large investor, specializing in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As she began promoting her services as a tax lien investing coach online, new investors from all over the United States began asking for help with how to get started – and Musa’s Tax Lien Lady persona was born.

In presenting her exclusive Tax Lien Secrets e-course, Musa will answer such questions as “What are tax liens and what do you need to know to buy one?” “What happens at a tax sale and how should you prepare?” and “How do you protect your investment after the purchase?” Her series of e-books, including one that features a step-by-step guide on how to buy tax lien certificates in New Jersey, can be purchased and downloaded through her website, www.taxlienlady.com.

The next “Hour of Power” seminar will be held on the second Wednesday of May, the 9th with Burlington County Surrogate George Kotch tentatively scheduled to speak on the topic “Doing Business with the Surrogate’s Office.”

Guardian Settlement Agents has offices in both Burlington County – at 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite Two, Marlton, NJ 08053 (Phone: 856-985-9007, Fax: 856-985-9977) – and Somerset County – at 54 Grove Street, Suite 3 & 4, Somerville, NJ 08876 (Phone: 908-575-9995, Fax: 908-575-9996). Both offices are on the web at www.goguardianinsurance.com.

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Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. (GSA) and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc. (GP&C) accept no liability for the content of this email/blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. GSA and GP&C are providing this transmission for informational purposes only. Any views or opinions presented in this email/blog do not necessarily represent those of the company.

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Douglas Tomson, Government Affairs Director for the New Jersey Association of Realtors, will present a “State Legislative Update,” including a look at some of the more than 8,000 pieces of legislation the NJAR has reviewed in the past two years.

Sponsored by Guardian Settlement Agents, one of the state’s leading title agencies serving all of New Jersey’s 21 counties, the seminar will begin at 12 p.m. noon on Wednesday, March 21 at Guardian’s South Jersey headquarters at 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite Two, in Marlton (08053).  Lunch will be served and there is no charge to attend.

To register for the seminar, contact Guardian Settlement Agents President Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007 or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com.  This month’s seminar is co-sponsored by Infinity Home Mortgage Company of Cherry Hill (www.ihmci.com).

“This will be an important seminar for anyone in the real estate field to attend,” said Guardian CEO Christopher J. Brown.  “We all need to stay current in our knowledge of state rules and regulations surrounding our business and what better person to hear from than the government affairs director of our industry’s top advocacy group.”

A graduate of Rider University, Tomson has been with the NJAR since 2003 and has been Government Affairs Director since 2008.  In this position, he serves as a lobbyist in Trenton where he is charged with following, analyzing and working with lawmakers to amend legislative and regulatory measures that have an impact on homeownership and the real estate industry.

In addition to the 8,000-plus pieces of legislation the NJAR has reviewed since 2010, the association has actively lobbied on 400 bills that would have a direct impact on the way real estate is transacted in New Jersey.  From local realty transfer fees and inspection requirements to bi-lingual leases and bedbugs, any proposed law or regulation that could possibly affect the real estate industry will be reviewed in this seminar.

The next “Hour of Power” seminar will be held on the second Wednesday of April, the 11^th. Entitled “Why Smart Investors are Choosing Tax Liens in 2012,” it will be presented via online webinar by Joanne “The Tax Lien Lady” Musa, known as “The Most Trusted Authority on Tax Lien Investing in America.”

Guardian Settlement Agents has offices in both Burlington County – at 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite Two, Marlton, NJ  08053 (Phone: 856-985-9007, Fax: 856-985-9977) – and Somerset County – at 54 Grove Street, Suite 3 & 4, Somerville, NJ 08876 (Phone: 908-575-9995, Fax: 908-575-9996).  Both offices are on the web at www.goguardianinsurance.com.

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For more information, contact

Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007

or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com.

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For more information, please contact Guardian Settlement Agents President Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007 or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com.

“Hour of Power” February seminar

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For more information, please contact Guardian Settlement Agents President Drew Whipple at 856-985-9007 or awhipple@goguardianinsurance.com.

“Hour of Power” January seminar

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INDICATOR: January New Home Sales

KEY DATA: Sales: -0.9%

IN A NUTSHELL: “Rising builder confidence should start showing up in more contracts for new homes being signed as we go through the first half of the year.”

WHAT IT MEANS: Home construction has slowly been on the rise and that trend is likely to continue. While new home sales eased in January, it came after a large upward revision to the December numbers. When I see the data revised upward, it usually means that activity is accelerating through the month and that trend is not picked up in the first calculations.

The National Association of Homebuilders’ confidence index hit its highest level in four years with the sales index surging. That may not have shown up in the sales data yet but it will. Thus, the small drop in new home purchases in January should not be taken as a signal that the sector is faltering again.

What is of concern was the huge differential in demand across the country. Sales jumped sharply in the Northeast and South but fell by double-digits in the Midwest and West. Weather issues in the Midwest may have played a role there while the overhang of distressed homes is likely keeping down new home purchases in the West. Prices are still quite soft and three-quarters of the homes are going for less than $300,000.

The McMansions of the past two decades have become the MiniMansions of this decade. Builders are keeping the supply of new homes on the market tight and the number of homes for sale is lowest in the nearly fifty years the data have been collected. At current selling rates, the inventory is at its lowest level in six years.

MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: While sales eased, all the signs are for the new housing segment to continue to recover this year. However, housing in general is being restrained by mortgage and appraisal issues while the new home portion will continue to be buffeted by the acceleration of the foreclosure process.

There were about 7,000 jobs added in the residential construction industry in January and we could be seeing those types of gains continue for a while. We are starting off the year at a sales pace that is well above what was recorded during 2011 so I expect the market to improve and add to growth all year.

Investors may look at the headline number and be a little troubled. But the pace is actually above what most of us had forecasted given the original December sales pace so people should not be disappointed. As good as the economic data may seem, the issue remains energy and the surge in the price due to uncertainty over Iran.

You have to hand it to the Iranians, as long as they can sell their oil, by saber rattling they have managed to get the price up sharply and their revenues are surging. Of course if the bank restrictions sharply curtail their exports, oil prices could rise even further so until the Iranian crisis eases, look for high and rising gasoline prices.

The jump in gasoline prices curtailed the recovery last spring and it is likely to slow things once again. And of course the Greek situation is still a work in progress. It just seems that the only luck the recovery has is bad luck.

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Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. (GSA) and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc. (GP&C) are not licensed financial advisors, and are not providing any financial advice. You should consult with a licensed financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. GSA and GP&C only are providing this economic statement from Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc. for informational purposes.

Guardian Settlement Agents, Inc. and Guardian Property & Casualty Agency, Inc., 1000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite 1000, Marlton, NJ 08053. www.goguardianinsurance.com, www.e-titleagency.com, www.guardianpnc.com.

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