THE NEW JERSEY REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE:

A PATHWAY TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE

The New Jersey Real Estate Institute (NJREI) has been recognized as an Eligible Training Provider by the New Jersey Department of Labor. This certification reflects the quality of the school’s training programs and the recognition of the institution as a trusted provider of real estate education.

For individuals who are currently receiving Unemployment Insurance, NJREI offers a unique opportunity to receive full tuition coverage. This means that the cost of training for a career in real estate may be fully covered by the State of New Jersey.

Many people who are currently unemployed are searching for new career opportunities that can provide stability and financial security. Real estate is an industry that offers a wide range of job opportunities, from real estate agent to broker, and can lead to long-term success and financial independence.

At NJREI, students receive comprehensive training in all aspects of real estate, including sales, leasing, property management, and more. The curriculum is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the real estate industry, and the instructors are experienced professionals who are committed to providing a high-quality education.

In addition to the comprehensive training programs, NJREI offers students the opportunity to network with professionals in the real estate industry, providing them with valuable connections and resources that can help them advance their careers.

If you are currently on Unemployment Insurance and are interested in pursuing a career in real estate, NJREI offers a unique opportunity to receive full tuition coverage. For more information, please call 973-380-0580 and speak with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

Our graduates are at every major brokerage throughout New Jersey. NJREI is a trusted and recognized provider of real estate education in New Jersey, offering comprehensive training programs and opportunities for networking with industry professionals. With the certification as an Eligible Training Provider and the opportunity for full tuition coverage for those receiving Unemployment Insurance, NJREI is a pathway to a brighter future for anyone seeking a new career in real estate.

Visit our website NJREI – New Jersey Real Estate Institute for more details!

Housing Predictions in 2020

Analysts are always attempting to predict where the housing market will go at a given point in time. For the last few years, the prices of houses have generally recovered from the Great Recession in many parts of the country. The past few years have seen more of a seller’s market, but some analysts are starting to predict that 2020 will be the year that the housing industry will turn into a buyer’s market.

 

What Is a Buyer’s Market?

 

Some economists argue that market equilibrium in the real estate industry is a situation where a local market has a six-month supply of houses available. This is estimated as the point in which supply meets demand. When the number of houses on the market is lower than the six-month need, a seller’s market is the result. The opposite is true when the local market has more than a six-month supply of homes on the market. This would indicate a buyer’s market. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices will tend to come down, or at least go up less rapidly, as sellers want to compete to unload their properties.

 

Where Is the Market Headed?

 

Back in August 2018, researchers at Zillow, a leading real estate website, believed sellers would have more leverage through 2019. However, three out of four economists surveyed in the Zillow research expected a shift to more of a buyer’s market in 2020 or later. Markets with lower housing inventories will take longer to shift over to a buyer’s market.

 

In recent months, it seems as though the appreciation of housing prices has slowed. However, it’s important to remember that the housing prices will vary based upon the location. For example, there are signs of higher housing inventories in Chicago while real estate is really booming in Dallas. A turning point from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market, or vice versa, will not take place at once throughout the entire country.

 

Different markets will shift at different times. Even during the Great Recession, there were some local markets that held up relatively well. Not every city did as poorly as Las Vegas during the last market downturn. This would indicate that more localized research is necessary to get a true understanding of the total housing market for 2020 and beyond.

This blog was originally published on Fourte’s website.

Business Advice from Bomb Squad Experts

Bomb squad experts have skills and techniques that can be incredibly useful when you apply them in the context of business. These brave and smart individuals must be able to identify threats, think quickly, and take action to eliminate those threats in a fashion that results in the least amount of harm possible. Does that sound like something a businessman can apply? It sure does.

 

Bombs have three main components. The first part is its power source or what makes the bomb tick and able to explode. The circuitry is the second part of a bomb. It is the circuitry that activates or deactivates a bomb. The load is the final part of a bomb. It is where the detonator or the trigger for the bomb is located. The load also contains the actual explosive that can explode and cause great harm.

 

In the context of business, the power source refers to the power that one person has over another. It refers to legitimate power, such as being the supervisor of a group of employees. The ability to oversee projects and perform certain critical tasks such as making investments on behalf of a firm can also be seen as a power source.

 

Bomb squad experts must be able to clearly identify the power source in order to disable a bomb. In the business environment, the power source of individuals must be clearly recognizable. An unrecognizable source of power in business can lead to all sorts of problems, such as miscommunication and project failures. Know your power source and make sure it is clear to everybody around you.

 

Circuitry in business refers to the business environment a company is in and the organizational culture a business has. It is important to understand the business environment and organizational culture if one is to be successful in making profits and staying in business for both the short-term and long-term. A failure to recognize the business environment and organizational culture can lead to a loss of a competitive edge and employee turnover.

 

The load in the business context refers to the capabilities a person has and the performance they have achieved. Knowing the load of your employees is vital if you are to be successful in business. Poor employee performance and a lack of capabilities can cripple businesses. Pay attention to the load of the employees and do what you can to improve it, else your business might blow up in your face one day.

This blog was originally published on Fourte’s website.

How To Know You’re Ready For The Military

After finishing high school, most people typically continue on to college. Others either find a job or switch from working part-time to full time. There are also several who decide to go into the military. Either they’re working on becoming or already are able to face the challenges of the military. Being in the military requires physical ability. Anyone who decides to go into the military is likely into sports, working out or staying physically active.

Anyone who plans on joining the military knows what physical weaknesses they have and how they’ll hold them back. They also know how to address them. Whenever they’re physically active, they push themselves to their maximum limit. They build up the strength and endurance to stay physically active for a long period of time.

When people think of the military, they imagine wearing a camouflage uniform and running through an open field carrying a backpack that’s half their weight. Anyone who goes into the military should be able to carry a heavy amount of weight while continuously traveling.

Being physically fit is required for being in the military, and there will be a fitness test that will determine if someone is physically capable of being in the military. Someone going into the military will make sure they’re able to meet these requirements possibly to the point of excelling. Passing the fitness test with flying colors is much more promising than just barely passing.

Being in the military requires running, rucking and swimming. It requires a variety of different workouts throughout the day. There will be no finding time for a break or taking a nap on a regular basis. Anyone wanting to go into the military should be used to periodically continuous physical activity. They should be able to satisfactorily complete every session.

Work out or training sessions can be at any time of the day or night. Military work can drag on late into the night and into the early hours of the morning. This may mean running on little to no sleep. Anyone who can jump out of bed and head out to their morning workout is in good shape for the military. And lastly, they should be able to recover quickly and be up again at a second’s notice.

This blog was originally published on Michael Fourte’s website.

LOCAL, STATE, OR FEDERAL: WHO HAS JURISDICTION?

Jurisdiction. It’s a term that you hear in the news, on television, and in the paper, but do you understand how it works? The United States Constitution specifies whether certain rights and responsibilities should be handled by the federal government or individual states. The federal government handles national matters such as trading between states, while states and local governments are in charge of matters such as speed limits.

Different states don’t have jurisdiction over each other. They each operate independently and laws in one state don’t apply to others. This is why lawyers have to get licensed in each state they want to practice in. States break down the responsibility even further to a local level. Towns, cities, and municipalities have jurisdiction over issues such as parking, curfews, and zoning laws.

Jurisdiction for courts is a little more complicated. State courts are permitted to hear federal matters, and federal courts can rule on state matters if the right conditions are met. States usually have a limit on how much or what kind of claim is filed before the issue is escalated to the federal level.

Federal courts only have two ways of obtaining jurisdiction. They are when a federal issue is present or if the diversity of citizenship exists. Diversity of citizenship occurs when the parties are in different states and it would be unfair to handle the case at a state level because one party would unfairly benefit.

Appellate courts can overturn a decision by a trial court if an error occurred with the judgment. These courts can choose which cases to hear and selectively choose cases that settle important and controversial legal issues. Courts can only hear cases which they have subject matter jurisdiction over.

Other institutions, known as administrative bodies at both the Federal and State Levels, can enforce laws or rules through judicial proceedings. These organizations have the same jurisdiction as the governing body that created them. The same applies to police agencies with local cops patrolling their towns or cities, sheriffs handling matters within the county, and state police patrolling state roads and highways.

Jurisdiction is a complex matter that isn’t always the easiest to understand but understanding the basics can help create a foundation of understanding.

This blog was originally published on Michael Fourte’s website.

5 Branches of the U.S. Military

As Americans, we are afforded the freedom we so often take for granted by the brave men and women who voluntarily serve in our nation’s armed forces. Here’s a quick look at all five of the branches of our US Military system and what they do.

Army
The United States Army is the oldest of the service branches we have. Formed by George Washington at the very dawn of our nation, the US Army is responsible for protecting both the United States’ security and resources. The Army has multiple established bases in our nation while there are other permanent bases on multiple other continents. The Army offers a mind-blowing 150+ career options. While many think of the full time level of Army service there are part time options including the National Guard. Length of commitment varies, but some service terms are as little as 2 years.

Marines
The US Marine Corps currently has approximately 180,000 members. These men and women are stationed all over the globe and are generally the first boots to step on the grounds of combat wherever needed. A US Marine generally serves a term of 4–6 years.

Navy
The US Navy, while offering part time reserve opportunities that allow you to train close to home while being willing to serve in the US or abroad should the situation arise is responsible for protecting both air and sea security. The Navy offers an impressive 60 specialized career opportunities. Navy service time usually lasts four years but there are options for shorter service times.

Air Force
Obviously, this branch focuses primarily on controlling the air space. The Air Force operates with a three pronged mission of global vigilance, reach, and power. With over 300,000 current active duty members, Air Force training is based in San Antonio, Texas but there are bases all around the globe.

Coast Guard
While the smallest of the branches by number (41,000 full time active duty members), the US Coast Guard has a plethora of responsibilities. They are responsible for an array of maritime duties from performing rescue missions at sea to providing both safe and lawful commerce. Basic training in New Jersey combines fitness, swimming, and classroom instruction to properly prepare the men and women who will serve in this branch.

While this post could never contain everything these men and women do, we are eternally indebted for their service.

This blog was originally published on Michael Fourte’s website.

ONE BIG MISTAKE WITH A GRADUATE SCHOOL’S BAR EXAM

The bar exam is one of the final but hardest barriers for those pursuing a career in law. When the result emails come out, law graduates run to their account site as quickly as possible. They open the page, filled with anxiety, and hope to see a passing score. However, on an autumn day in 2019, law graduates were unable to access their scores because the log in portal was missing. They refreshed the page hundreds of times hoping that it was just a fluke.

Very few graduates were able to actually access their scores as soon as the email came out, and only a select few were able to access the score hours later after refreshing all day. Some unfortunate graduates were never able to find access on that day. The crisis was so large that the Texas Supreme Court Justices got involved, demanding answers from the Texas Board and relaying this information with the worried students. Despite this, those unable to access their scores were angry with their futures still being in the air.

The following day, the website seemed to be working again, but many examinees never received a notice that their scores were available. The Texas Board eventually released the list of those who passed publicly so that the stress could wane in those filled with worry. However, the website was slow and barely functional. For some, even the public list did not work, leaving them with renewed stress regarding their future law career. Since that time, the web page hosting this public list has since died.

Ultimately, the Texas Board handled this situation poorly. The updates surrounding the information were inadequate and did not come from a direct source. The fact that the website was down in the first place is bad enough, and the fact that it remained down is even worse. The Texas Board should have been better prepared to deal with a situation like this in a much timelier manner and able to provide detailed updates to those who had taken the stressful exam.

The bar exam is the deciding factor in a law student’s future. Without passing, one cannot practice in their state and must wait until the next test date to try again. Law graduates in Texas experienced an excessive amount of stress and disrespect at the hands of the Texas Board. The Texas Board, and other state boards, would deeply benefit from using this situation to ensure it never happens again.

This blog was originally published on Michael Fourte’s website.

THE ORIGIN OF LAW AND LEGAL SYSTEMS

When we consider the subject of law, we tend to think about police departments, court systems, attorney firms, and legislatures. Some of these agencies and entities are dedicated to enforcement while others focus on the administration, application, analysis, and creation of laws. What they all have in common is a framework that dates back to the ancient Egyptian civilization. The first codification of laws was probably contained into a dozen books utilized more than 4,000 years ago, but the first archeological evidence is the Codex Hammurabi of Babylon, which was engraved into stone tablets and displayed in public places sometime around the year 1760 B.C.

Five centuries after Hammurabi, the early writings of the Old Testament served as the legal code in the region known as the Promised Land. By the year 800 B.C., Athens was ruled by philosophical treatises that incorporate religious, social, and customary doctrines. The Roman Empire was more comprehensive in its codification approach and administration of justice with the development of courts and implementation of legal maxims that served as rules of procedure.

The canon of Roman law, the Corpus Juris Civilis, would become the basis of legal systems around the world. The other major legal system, known as common law, is mostly practiced by member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, which are English-speaking jurisdictions ruled by parliamentary democracies. Common law follows the doctrine of legal precedent, which means that court cases can be decided on the basis of jurisprudence and by a jury. In legal systems that follow Roman law, courts may only decide cases based on the facts that apply to the law, and rulings come from the bench instead of jury panels.

It should be noted that religious law can still be found in modern national legal systems where there is no clear separation of church and state. Similar to the Promised Land, once being ruled by the Old Testament, the legal systems of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran are ruled based on the Muslim holy book of the Qur’an. Canon law, which is based on Christian ecclesiastical codes, rules the Vatican, but many of its precepts and principles have been codified into the democratic legislatures and constitutions of Roman and common law jurisdictions alike.

 

This blog was originally published on Michael Fourte’s website.

Major Moments In US Military History

The military of the United States is arguably one of the best-armed forces in the world. The US spends the most money on the military compared with every other country in the world, and this results in a highly sophisticated military. The military was not like this at the beginning of US history though. It has grown and developed as the US has grown and developed. There are some key moments in military history that have helped define the military as it is today.

 

The American Civil War redefined how Americans perceived war and what a military should be. At the beginning of the war, the military was small and designed to stop Indian assaults. The Union army was further limited as the southern states left to form the Confederacy. In the Union, the volunteer army eventually grew larger than the regular army, leading to many Union losses. When the Union finally won battles at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the tide of the war turned, and the Union was able to secure the win. Sadly, the Civil War is among the bloodiest wars in the United State’s history.

 

World War I brought along a transition period into how wars are fought, and the US army grew into the millions. Shortly after joining, US forces were vital in breaking German lines and winning the war. World War II was also brought to a close once the US army stepped in to liberate Europe and stop Japan. Together, these two wars firmly established the United States Army and government as a global superpower, allowing the US to establish itself throughout the world.

 

The Vietnam War is seen as the worst mark in the army’s history. The public despised the war, the use of drafting rather than army reserves, and the restrictions enforced by politicians served to bring the authority of the US into question. In recent years, the US army has become deeply involved with conflicts in the Middle East that bring varying amounts of support and dissent from the public. Technology in the army is at an all-time high, but more focus is being placed on the mental health of army personnel, which will likely yield more changes to the US military.

 

The US military has grown from an infancy of relative weakness into an adulthood of tremendous strength. History has brought about both wins and losses, all of which serve to inform the military as it stands today. The future is sure to bring more changes that will continue to improve upon the military.

 

This blog was originally published on Michael Fourte’s website.

Best Organizations Helping Military Veterans

It can be difficult to choose a charity when you’re searching for organizations to donate time or money to. There seems to be a never-ending list of charities, for almost anything you can imagine. If you’ve decided that you’d like to make a difference in a veteran or servicemember’s life than the next step is to select which charity to help. 

The best charities are those that focus on serving those in need. There should be transparency about their practices and it should be clear that the organization is financially responsible. There are a plethora of trustworthy organizations that provide a broad range of services.  There are groups that focus on boosting troops’ morale and others that provide assistance with rent, utilities, or medical expenses.

Here is a list of a few highly-rated American charities to consider donating to.

The Gary Sinise Foundation
Actor Gary Sinise has been an advocate of American servicemembers for decades. His foundation offers support to veterans, first responders, and those on active duty. The mission of the Foundation is to show gratitude to American heroes through all types of programs. The Foundation provides meals to families, hosts morale-boosting celebrations, and has built homes for severely wounded veterans.

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
Founded in 1962 the Foundation provides scholarships for children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen so that they can further their education after high school. To date the charity has helped provide over 40,000 scholarships, valuing over $125 million. The Scholarship Foundation awards children based on need. The rising cost of education calls for increased support for charities like this one.

Freedom Service Dogs of America
This charity is fairly unique. The organization takes shelter dogs and trains them to become service dogs. Many of the people the dogs are rehomed to are injured military veterans and personnel. The FSD is completely donor-funded and they provide lifetime support to all owners and their dogs. No client is charged for any of the services FSD offers.

Operation Second Chance
At Operation Second Chance wounded servicemen and women are assisted in transitioning either back to duty or into civilian life.  The organization also helps to accommodate disabled veterans by modifying housing and assisting family members. Overall, the charity supports soldiers in their recovery and rehabilitation.

If a monetary donation is not something that you’re comfortable doing there are many other great ways to offer support and help our military. Things such as volunteering at a veteran’s hospital, writing letters, providing calling cards, or baking homemade treats are all things that can show our troops that they are appreciated. As the holidays approach, consider taking some time to help those that serve their country.

 

This article was originally published on Fourte’s website.