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October 2008 – Week 3 Issue
Why house in Alpine
Recognition for Alpine
Dumont takes on green initiatives
Political freedom for Dumont residents
Alternative energy sources reign
While housing market continues to spiral downwards, real estate in Alpine continues to remain steady. Studies reveal that people who come here are mainly seeking culture and affluent lifestyles. Privacy is given prime importance and residents love the seclusion provided by their stately mansions situated on large acres of land. The township of Alpine is spread over 9.2 square miles of which 6.2 square miles comprises of land while 2.8 square miles comprises of water. This region is also home to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, New Jersey section. The township also provides facilities of yachting, private golf and tennis. The township offers good schooling facilities through the Alpine Public School, which is a K-8 community school district. Moreover, the township provides easy commute into New York City through buses, trains and ferries also. It is only 9 miles away from Manhattan. As per experts, proximity to train lines continues to be a key reason that keeps the housing market strong in this region.
Known for its celebrity neighborhood and stately mansions, Alpine has received much recognition over the years by various entities. With some of the most famous addresses in the state, the township of Alpine was designated as having the seventh most affluent ZIP in the US for the year 2005 by the American Demographics magazine. Between July 2006 and June 2007, the region also ranked no. 1 with Fisher Island and Florida on the ABC news list for having the most expensive zip codes. For its 2008 rankings of the ‘Best Places to live’, the township was awarded the 15 th rank by the New Jersey monthly. Along with Miami Beach and Florida, the Forbes magazine also gave Alpine the no. 1 position on ‘Most expensive zip codes for 2007’ list. With a 2007 median home sale price at $3,590,000 the region was ranked at no. 2 for the year 2008 by the Forbes magazine. Forbes bases its rankings on median home sale prices that include all residential land transfers and arms length transfers.
Dumont takes on green initiatives
The borough of Dumont will soon take up more green initiatives to help improve the environment. These initiatives will mainly focus on using bio-fuels in diesel operating vehicles. In this regard, the borough would work with local restaurants to recycle their used cooking oil, which will be mixed with diesel fuel to power vehicles used by the borough. Currently the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environment Protection Agency allows for using 51% of alternative fuels for government owned vehicles. With this aspect on their side, the borough of Dumont is working with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities for obtaining a grant that would convert the borough owned vehicles to work on the alternative fuel sources. The alternative fuels pilot program is meant to be a revolutionary concept that will not only help the environment but also save tax money for residents of Dumont. Borough officials are of the opinion that with high prices of gasoline, quality of services to Dumont residents can only be maintained through such new initiatives. The borough has also been active in promoting environment friendly measures, as is obvious from the implementation of the Dumont Environment Commission and the Dumont Shade Tree Commission. The project on alternative fuels would be tested for a six month period before taking a final decision.
Political freedom for Dumont residents
Residents of Dumont are now free to put as many as four political signs in their yard. Also businesses in the district can place business signs on their properties. This came up after a sign ordinance that had initially restricted the number of political signs to one per yard was scrapped. While the new ordinance allows for up to four signs being placed in one’s property, owners are still restricted to placing only one sign per candidate. The previous ordinance had also imposed a permit fee of $35 on business signs. As per officials, this ordinance that had been implemented a year ago was scrapped due to complaints from residents regarding confusion as many people were unclear whether the fee was levied per sign or per business. Now residents of Dumont can begin placing political signs in their properties from 48 days before Election Day, as compared to only 30 days with the previous ordinance. However what remains unaltered is that Dumont residents are still required to remove signs within five days after elections. Violators of the ordinance would be charged $250 to $1000 in fines. While many residents are pleased with the new developments, there are few who feel that too many political signs could lead to an eyesore in the neighborhood. Few residents also pointed out that the focus should be more on important issues than on signs.
Alternative energy sources reign
Alternative energy sources and energy saving mechanisms are fast gaining popularity in Bergen County and the neighborhood. Amidst the various gadgets used by residents, geothermal heat pump systems are proving quite beneficial. These systems are used to either heat or cool homes by using the warmth from the ground. As per experts, usage of such gadgets often reduces costs of heating and cooling by 30% to 60% annually. As per the International Ground Source Heat Pump association, these pumps are over 50% more efficient than other heating systems. The association also adds that the pumps are also 20% more efficient than cooling systems also. Its other benefits include less pressure on the non renewable sources of oil and natural gas. While the picture may seem all too rosy, critics are quick to point out the flaws of the system. For one, it can prove quite expensive as the cost of a single unit starts at $18,000 and can go up to $50,000 depending upon the size of the home, its topography and duct work. Also it may be difficult to find qualified experts to install these systems properly. Finally they are not suitable for properties that are small in size or that are located on steep slopes. Those who are interested can access more information atwww.energyfinancesolutions.com.
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