Around Burlington County

Looking for someplace to take your kids so they can burn off some steam?  Look no further then Ocean ‘n Motion in Mount Laurel, NJ.  If you live in or near Mt. Laurel, Ocean ‘n Motion is located off of Rt. 38 between Larchmont & Ark Roads.  My family has a membership for my two little ones and they love going there every once in awhile.  We also had my son's third birthday party there and the kids had a blast. 

Designed for kids up to the age of 5, Ocean ‘n Motion is open for general admission everyday except Sunday.  Sunday's are reserved for private birthday parties.  There is also an area with tables & chairs to enjoy the snacks you brought or purchased there.  Some the activities that my kids enjoy include, the sandbox - who doesn't love an indoor sandbox, ballpit, jungle gym with slide and the mini-trampolines!  So bring your socks and let the little ones run wild! 

More information can be found at the Ocean ‘n Motion website

Ocean 'n Motion
Larchmont Commons Shopping Center
3105 Route 38W, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054
856-778-9778

For more ideas on kid activities in South Jersey, visit my other posts for kids

~Ravi Shah, Mount Laurel Real Estate
Prudential Fox & Roach
856.914.4853

Did you know that one of America's most decorated Battleship's is docked right here in Southern New Jersey? That's right...the USS New Jersey is docked off the Camden Waterfront and is now open to the public as a museum.  Open all year round, this is a must see of anyone who lives in the area or just passing through. You can chose from a selection of tours, stretch out on the bunks, climb into the gun turret's and so much more. 

Building on the ship started in 1940 and was officially launched in December 1942.  The ship is the size of three football fields and eleven stories high.  The New Jersey served during WWII, Korea and Vietnam before making her final destination to the Waterfront in 2001.  The full history of the ship is detailed at the ship's website. 

More information can be found at the Battleship New Jersey Website
Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial
62 Battleship Place
Camden, NJ 08103
866-877-6262 or 856-966-1652

~Ravi Shah, South Jersey Real Estate
Prudential Fox & Roach
856.914.4853

Note: Image from Battleship NJ Website 

Are you looking for something to do with your kids?  Want something that will be fun and educational?  You'll find what you need at the Garden State Discovery Museum, located in Cherry Hill, NJ.

With various activities and exhibits designed for infants and kids up to age 10, both you and your children will keep coming back for more.  All exhibits are interactive and invite kids to touch and explore.  The Museum was named as one of the Top 20 Children's Museums in the country by Child Magazine.  It was also awarded by the Best of Philly in 2001. 

Set to open this Friday is a mock mini-ice rink set to resemble the ice that the Philadelphia Flyers play on at the Wachovia Center.  All you need is a pair of socks and an imagination to play like the pros! 

For more information:
Garden State Discovery Museum
2040 Springdale Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
www.discoverymuseum.com
(856) 424-1233

I'm currently working with a younger couple looking for their first home together.  They are pre-approved, non contingent and ready to settle quickly...sounds like the perfect buyer for any seller...right??  Well in this case, I guess not!

We recently found a home that my buyers liked and decided to place an offer.  It had been on the market for a couple of months with a new broker after having expired late last year.  So after a few days of negotiating back and forth, we finally come to terms that both sides accept and the Listing Agent has the contracts prepared.  They day that I pick up the contracts, I get a call from the agent saying that the Sellers are nervous because they haven't found a place to live yet and would like to add a Seller's Contingency giving them a few weeks to find a place.  What that means is if they don't find a place, the sellers can back out and my clients lose a month in their time-line.  Needless to say, my buyers said no thank you and have moved on.  Like I said, they are ready to move and don't want to have to wait a month to find out that they might not get the home!  The market is such that there are many homes for sale that are similar in style and price that my clients should have no problems finding another one they like. 

So I kind of feel bad for this listing agent now.  She has a listing that should be very easy to sell, but looks like her sellers are in no hurry.  If they're not ready to move, why is the home even listed?  Not sure about you - but with so many other homes for sale, would you be willing to sit around for a month waiting with a good chance of having the contract cancelled on you?  My guess is not. 

The moral of the story - with so many places for a buyer to chose from, having a Seller Contingency added into your contract probably isn't the best selling point right now. 

If you haven't heard yet...Baseball has begun!  Pitchers and Catchers have begun to report kicking off the start of Spring Training!  I'm rooting for my Phillies to make it big this year!  With the additions of Freddy Garcia and Adam Eaton - and the resigning of Jamie Moyer, I'm hoping the pitching staff can hold their own this year.  Jon Lieber is still on the roster and even reported this week, but most are expecting he'll be traded soon enough.  If Ryan Howard can repeat what he did last year...watch out! 

Since I'm not a Basketball or Hockey fan...I'm counting down to April!  Go Phils!!

The Moorestown Teen/Tween Spring Movie Series schedule has recently been announced.  The movies are shown on the 3rd floor of the Church Street Recreation Center on Friday nights.  Admission is free and snacks and drinks can be purchased.  Movie times start at 7:30 and the schedule is as follows:

If you are interested in more information on Moorestown or other towns in South Jersey, please email me or you can Search Homes for Sale at my website.  

~Ravi Shah, Moorestown Real Estate

Welcome to the Riverside NJ Real Estate January 2007 update.  Riverside a relatively small town located in Burlington County down Rt. 130 from the Betsy Ross Bridge.  In Riverside you'll find older homes that are reasonably priced which works out well for a family just starting out or with limited resources. 

In January 2007, 5 homes sold and the details are as follows:

Based on information from Trend for the month of January 2007, on Feb. 12th 2007

In Southern New Jersey, we've had a pretty mild winter so far - but for the past week and into the short term future we're going to be facing freezing temperatures.  With the cold temperatures, make sure you have a winter kit stored in your car in case of emergency. 

Your kit should contain:

These items will help keep you warm, alert other motorists of your location and just make a scary situation easier to deal with.  Take care out there!

~Ravi Shah, South Jersey Real Estate
Prudential Fox & Roach
856.914.4853

The New Jersey Department of Education released its annual School Report Card, which contains detailed statistical information about all public schools in the state.  Here is a summary for Cinnaminson High School.  Cinnaminson has consistently meet or exceeded State averages and last year was no exception.

The Graduation Rate jumped from 97% to an amazing 99% compared to the State average of 93.2%.  Of those graduating, 57.4% went on to attend 4 year colleges and 32.7% attending 2 year colleges.  The rest headed to vocational schools, military or full time jobs with 5% still undecided.

SAT scores have shown slight declines over the past couple of years but still remain on par with State averages.  For Math, Cinnaminson averaged 515 vs. State average of 516 and for Verbal, Cinnaminson averaged 498 v.s the State average of 494.

Additional statistics and indicators can be found at the NJ Department of Education website.  All the statistics show that Cinnaminson continues to have a strong school district and remains a top reason why many people choose to call Cinnaminson home. 

~Ravi Shah, Cinnaminson Real Estate

The New Jersey Department of Education released its annual School Report Card, which contains detailed statistical information about all public schools in the state.  Here is a summary for Moorestown High School.  As expected, Moorestown once again exceeded State averages and improved in most categories over last year.

The Graduation Rate remained at high levels (Moorestown - 96.2% vs. State - 93.2%) with 79.1% going on to attend 4 year colleges and 13.4% attending 2 year colleges.  The rest headed to vocational schools, military or full time jobs.

SAT scores continued to improve and exceeded State averages as well.  In fact, Moorestown scored the highest compared to area schools!  For Math, Moorestown averaged 583 vs. State average of 516 and for Verbal, Moorestown averaged 567 vs the State average of 494.

Additional statistics and indicators can be found at the NJ Department of Education website.  As the statistics show, Moorestown continues to be a leader in Public School education and remains a top reason why many people choose to call Moorestown home. 

~Ravi Shah, Moorestown Real Estate