Around Burlington County

Currently in the Mount Laurel, NJ school district, all 5^th & 6^th graders attend Hartford School and 7^th & 8^th graders attend Thomas E. Harrington.  A feasibility study was formed this year to look at the option of turning the schools into separate 5^th - 8^th grade middle schools.  Proponents of the plan say this will reduce the amount of times that kids have to change schools and help build relationships with the teachers.  Also the schools could be better designed to meet the needs of students.

Superintendent Rath will present the findings of the study at the Board of Education meeting on Jan. 23^rd.  If a recommendation is made, it could be voted on Jan. 30^th.  Public comments will be heard at both meetings, so if you have an opinion please make it known. 

My opinion...this is a bad idea.  I know this idea is becoming more and more popular in the area with the large increase in populations over the years and with Regional Schools being so popular.  But what this will do is further divide a community along school lines.  I think Mt. Laurel is already getting divided with all the new construction over the years, and with this change, families with kids the same age may never meet until they are in high school.  Also, I'm sure this will impact housing over the years.  If one particular school is deemed better then the other, you will surely see that impact in home prices, both good and bad.  We already see this in Cherry Hill.  Divided between an East and West, I have heard buyers with preconceived notions about one or the other simply based on the school lines.  I'm sure I'm probably in the minority here, but I hope the schools don't get reconfigured. 

Welcome to Delran, NJ - a small town minutes from the hustle & bustle of Philly.  For those not a fan of the cold, hopefully this will help you countdown to Spring! For being a smaller town, Delran has a lot to offer its residents in terms of Parks & Fields, below is a summary of many (not all) around town. 

Tenby Chase Soccer Fields- Along Tenby Chase drive you'll find two sets of soccer fields, one dedicated to Don Deutsch and the other to Olympian Peter Vermes

Summerhill- Located in the Summerhill Development sits the Ken Johnston Park. Here is a lighted football field, roller hockey rink, baseball field and basketball court

Notre Dame - Along Notre Dame Dr you'll find several baseball fields, basketball court and a public playground.  Off to the side is a concession stand to grab your morning coffee or snacks for the kids during the game.

Conrow Park- Designed for kids, Conrow Park has all your swings, slides & playground equipment to tire even the most energetic child!

Faunce Field- Tucked away off of Faunce down a dirt walkway hides a baseball field.  There is also a small playground to let the little ones play on while watching the game!

Again, this isn't all of them, but I wanted to highlight some of the more popular. Please note while the playgrounds are open usage, many of the fields (football, soccer) may require a permit from the township for usage.

For more information on Delran, visit our Delran Community Blog

If you have any questions about Delran, please fee to contact me - a REALTOR® who lives in town!  You can also visit my other posts on Delran here.

 -> Take a short picture tour around Delran

So the battle lines have been drawn, the teams decided, and the countdown begins.  This Christmas day will be like no other.  Now I could be talking about the actual game that will be occurring on MNF down in Dallas between my beloved Eagles vs. The Cowgirls - but no...I'm talking about the battle that will be occurring to make sure the TV is on somewhere in the house!

Like every Christmas, my wife's family gets together for a fairly large family gathering which includes good company, good times and good food.  But for the first time, tension has already reared its head as the Eagles will be on Monday Night Football at the same time Christmas dinner is served!  What to do, what to do! 

As I said, the teams have already been drawn and trash talking has already begun.  The non football fans in the family (for the most part all the wives) have declared the TV will be off.  It'll be a battle over the remote for sure! 

Either way - Merry Christmas to all, and to all - Go BIRDS!! 

Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts and advice in my previous blog Franchise-vs-Independent-Broker

Over the past couple of weeks I've been interviewing with various brokers in the Moorestown / Mount Laurel area.  I've met with the independents, new franchises and established franchises.  Using many of the comments I received through AR I formulated my list of questions and was armed and ready to go as soon as I walked in. 

Deep down I really like what the independents were offering, from commission splits to flexibility.  But I just couldn't shake that nagging feeling that they were all missing something.  Anywhere from lack of experience, support system, technology or future vision...I just didn't get that warm tingly feeling from anyone. 

So at the end of the day I have chosen Prudential Fox & Roach out of Mt. Laurel, NJ to be my next home.  Fox & Roach is a rather large franchise in PA & NJ, but this particular office is about half the size of many in the area with about 50 agents.  They are very well recognized in the area and this particular office has embraced technology, from a fully outfitted office to various internet related tools.  And above all, the Broker gave me that comfortable feeling that was just missing from the rest.

So it's time to start updating all my marketing material!  Here's to 2007!    

So I live in Delran, which is in Southern New Jersey in Burlington County and neighbors Moorestown & Mt. Laurel.  Over the past few years there has been major retail development in the area at the expense of open space and a driving range (yes, I'm a golfer wanna be).  At first glance, this is appears to be a great thing.  More stores, more homes, more residents and signs of a growing community.  But when you stop and think about it, it's all the same!  Now I'm all for convenience, but I have to say this is overkill. 

Within 5 minutes of my house in different directions, I have access to the following:

2 Targets, Chick-Fil-A's, Subway Restaurants, Dunkin Donuts

3 Drug Stores (not including the ones in the grocery or Target)

4 Grocery Stores (do we really eat that much?!?!?)

5 Starbucks - Come on now, how much coffee can we really drink?!?

And at least 7 pizza shops if not more! 

Now I know I'm in the minority here...but bring back the driving range!!

One of the local papers website just reported that the NJ Supreme Court has upheld Mount Laurel's right to condem 16.3 acres of land for open space. This land was originally approved for the development of 23 new homes back in 2002.  The case has been in county court, appellate court and finally supreme court.

Many residents around the region, and myself included, have been watching development occur all around us. While for the most part, development is a good thing, I'm glad to see that local townships and the State of New Jersey is doing what it can to preserve what little open space is left! On the other hand, future developers may not be so happy about his ruling! In case you were wondering, the development was to be built at Elbo Lane and Hainesport-Mount Laurel Road.