Print Media Archive

2009: The year in review
December 27, 2009
Gannett / APP.com
"It was really a year of stabilization and setting a stage for what should be recovery in 2010," Jeffrey Otteau, an East Brunswick-based real estate analyst."
Read More

Trying for a comeback: New Jersey's housing market in 2010
December 23, 2009
NJ.com / Star Ledger
"On the positive side, prime houses along the Jersey Shore and on lakes or other bodies of water could be a bright spot this spring, says Jeffrey Otteau, an appraiser who tracks New Jersey home prices. Those gems on the water will start getting snatched up as people who can afford million dollar homes feel more comfortable in the new economy. Perhaps their companies won’t fold, after all. They’ll need some place to celebrate this summer."
Read More

New Jersey real estate trends don't mirror national patterns
December 21, 2009
Gannett / The Home News Tribune
"When the economy weakened, the jobs that disappear first are the lower-paying service and retail jobs that these homeowners were likely to have, according to Jeffrey Otteau, chief executive officer of Otteau Valuation Group, an appraisal company in East Brunswick that also studies industry trends and market forces."
Read More

Investors emerge from housing market rubble
December 21, 2009
NJ.com / Star Ledger
"Investors feel prices can't drop much further, said Jeffrey Otteau of the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick. "That enables them to do the math," he said. With credit tightened by the recession, real estate investors now have to come up with more cash than they did before -- in some cases as much as half of the total value of the property, Otteau said."
Read More

A Home for the Holidays
December 17, 2009
NY Times
"Jeffrey Otteau of the Otteau Valuation Group, a company that analyzes the residential market and advises brokerages, said his analysis of contract sales data through the first week of December showed that the sharp increase in the pace of sales that started in June was continuing unusually late in the year."
Read More

Wanaque home owner finds pricing home for sale is an art
December 13, 2009
The Record
"Jeffrey Otteau, an East Brunswick real estate appraiser who analyzes the market statewide, says his research shows that, for sellers, overpricing is riskier than underpricing. When buyers think a home is overpriced, they lose interest because they believe the seller “lacks motivation and is less likely to accept a fair price,” Otteau writes in a recent report."
Read More

Experts on Homebuying Offer Their Advice at Seminar
December 11, 2009
BigNews.biz
"Otteau is an expert on housing values who is sought by investors, news reporters and government officials for his expertise and insight. He will talk about the state housing market as a whole and as submarkets, where housing values have been and where they’re going. He’ll also talk about factors that help homes sell more quickly."
Read More

The Hottest Topic in Home Sales
December 11, 2009
NY Times
"Taking a look at sales statistics to see how they might correspond to tax rates in given towns and counties, Jeffrey Otteau, the president of the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick, said crunching the numbers produced “counterintuitive” results."
Read More

In Monmouth, Ocean, home prices continue to fall, but buyers remain
December 6, 2009
Gannett / APP.com
"Jeffrey G. Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group Inc., a real estate valuation and consulting firm in East Brunswick, said that since June, the "housing market has really sort of come to life" in New Jersey, thanks to lower home prices, lower interest rates and a federal home buyer tax credit."
Read More

Homes move fast in Morris if priced to sell
December 6, 2009
The Daily Record
"Jeffrey G. Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group Inc., said that since June, the "housing market has really sort of come to life" in New Jersey, thanks to lower home prices, lower interest rates and a federal home buyer tax credit. Otteau said his data show an uptick in sales in New Jersey after May."
Read More

Less expensive homes are selling better than estate homes in today's market
December 5, 2009
Gannett / The Home News Tribune
"Jeffrey Otteau of Otteau Evaluation Group in East Brunswick, said, "We've never seen this magnitude of increase (in home sales) when unemployment was rising - ever."
Read More

Cities take brunt of home sales slump
December 5, 2009
NJ.com / Star Ledger
"In a deteriorating market, declines appear first and are greatest in urban areas," said Jeffrey Otteau of the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick. "Those homeowners or potential home buyers are disproportionately affected by the downturn, and so that creates higher rates of mortgage delinquency and lower purchase prices."
Read More

Roosevelt to cut land valuations to avoid appeals
December 3, 2009
Examiner
"At the Nov. 23 Borough Council meeting, Ticktin told the governing body that due to the general decline in property values, they are now in a situation where they are vulnerable to tax appeals, which the town must defend and pay the difference if found in the appellant's favor. He said the best way to deal with it is the 20 percent reduction."
Read More

N.J. housing picture looks brighter, but clouds remain
November 23, 2009
NJBIZ
"Uncertainty still clouds the employment picture in the Garden State, which gained more than 6,000 jobs between July and August, but then lost 12,000 jobs in September, said Jeff Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick-based appraisal and consulting services firm. ‘We’re likely to see more months with job losses than there will be months with job gains,’ until the second or third quarter of 2010, he said."
Read More

N.J.'s distressed mortgages continue to grow, report says
November 20, 2009
NJBIZ
"Jeff Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick-based appraisal and consulting firm, said that the state’s foreclosure problem was worsening: “The numbers are at an all-time high."
Read More

Pulda Farm should be saved, even by eminent domain
November 19, 2009
The Home News Tribune
"Otteau Valuation of East Brunswick studied the real estate market, and estimated there is a 19-year supply of age-restricted housing either in place, or on the drawing board. Morris was looking at building homes in a market where supply was overwhelming demand. It has been a hard few years for Morris, whose plans to develop a large swath in downtown Somerville have also been thwarted by the weak economy, prompting attempts to squeeze more investment out of the borough."
Read More

Residential real estate improving, but still troubled
November 19, 2009
NJBIZ
"But 'the housing market has already made its move toward recovery’ — likely leading the job market by more than a year, Otteau said, speaking at the New Jersey Building Materials Dealers Association’s annual meeting at the Hilton East Brunswick. All three indicators of a housing recovery — more buyers purchasing homes, fewer homes on the market and housing prices starting to appreciate — 'are in play here in New Jersey,' particularly in the northeastern and central parts of the state."
Read More

Ten Questions on the Volatile Housing Market
November 17, 2009
The Wall Street Journal
"The U.S. housing market has been in a slump for the past four years. When will it ever end?...In recent years, real estate has proven as jittery and unreliable as any other market…Here is a guide to navigating a fractured and volatile market"
Read More

Report: Central Jersey home prices dropped 8.9 percent in third quarter
November 11, 2009
The Home News Tribune
"The region's decline during the third quarter was more moderate than the second quarter, when prices fell 11.2 percent. What it tells is us that the housing market has stabilized in most of New Jersey, and that the decline in prices is ending," said Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, a research and consulting firm in East Brunswick."
Read More

Puzzling Over Home Prices
October 25, 2009
The NY Times
"Mr. Otteau said his data suggested that “a ground is beginning to form in terms of prices,” and noted that the trend had occurred as government stimulus programs that were intended to stabilize the residential real estate market were taking effect."
Read More

W is for wow: Hoboken still hopes for sky-high prices
October 22, 2009
New York Post
"According to data from New Jersey appraisal firm Otteau Valuation Group, Hoboken had a 10.9-month supply of inventory on the market at the beginning of this year. By August, that number had fallen to 8.8 months, and sales activity was up 63 percent compared to January and 34 percent compared to April."
Read More

Report: Future bright for Center City housing
October 14, 2009
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"In the post-recession economic cycle, Otteau said, incomes will actually drop, and affordable housing will be concentrated in urban areas. "Two-thirds of households will have no children at home, energy costs will rise, and vertical construction in the downtowns [will be] more sustainable."
Read More

Home run
October 11, 2009
The Asbury Park Press
"The $8,000 tax credit has increased home sales not only in the first home-buyer price range of under $400,000, but across the entire market," Otteau said. It's because, statistically, a first-time home buyer's purchase can trigger four other simultaneous home sales, Otteau said. The seller of a home is able to buy a house from someone else, such as a couple over age 55 who are looking to move to a smaller home."
Read More

Untapped niche
October 4, 2009
Philadelphia Business Today
"Jeffrey Otteau, of the Otteau Valuation Group in New Brunswick, said the dynamics of the next housing cycle - including skyrocketing energy costs, sustainability, and declining income - will favor downtown housing."
Read More

Soaring Above the Crisis
September 20, 2009
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"The residential market's upper end is also the toughest sell - continuing fallout from last year's collapse of the financial system. For homes in the region priced at $2.5-million-plus, there was 122 months' worth of unsold inventory in the second quarter, according to economist Jeffrey Otteau, of Otteau Valuation Group in New Brunswick, N.J."
Read More

First Signs of Recovery
September 18, 2009
The NY Times
"WHERE do signs of a housing market recovery show up first? In New Jersey, the answer is: in the northern part of the state, in relatively affluent towns, especially those with train stations. "Recoveries first take root in what we call the primary markets," said Jeffrey G. Otteau, a residential market analyst. "These are more desirable markets, but not necessarily those in luxury or high-priced areas. They are close to jobs, and close to trains."
Read More

N.J. housing construction up, but permits at a low
September 18, 2009
NJ.com/The Star Ledger
"Builders feel like, going forward, they'll need more houses to sell, not fewer," said Jeffrey G. Otteau, the head of the Otteau Valuation Group, which analyzes real estate industry trends. "They're actually starting to spend money to prepare for an improving housing market ahead. Otteau said, for the most part, the state's housing market has bottomed out. He added that he expects a slow, prolonged recovery of the state's housing market into 2011."
Read More

The new estates on the block
September 6, 2009
The NY Times
"Statewide, enough homes are on the market to last for nine months, compared with the six-month equilibrium of a healthy market, according to the Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick appraisal and real estate data firm. But the supply of homes listed for $1 million to $2.5 million is more than twice the state average. And above $2.5 million, the inventory jumps to more than three times the state average."
Read More

Savvy Buyers Seek the Shore
August 28, 2009
The NY Times
"THE pace of residential sales in the shoreline counties of Ocean and Monmouth has wavered a bit this summer — cresting in June over the year before, then staying flat in July. But if you look only at the subset of homes within view of the water, the cresting persisted through July and at least into early August, according to the latest data from the Otteau Valuation Group, which analyzes sales contract data for real estate companies."
Read More

N.J., Northeast real estate sales rise, signaling a bottom
August 21, 2009
NJ.com/The Star Ledger
"The state has seen signs of a bottom of the market, and perhaps a turnaround, for a few months, according to data from the Otteau Valuation Group, an appraisal and analysis company that studies New Jersey real estate."
Read More

N.J. foreclosures rise 31 percent during first half of year
August 13, 2009
NJ.com/The Star Ledger
"Foreclosed homes tend to drag down the value of nearby houses, especially when there are many in a single neighborhood. But Jeffrey Otteau, whose firm Otteau Valuation Group compiles and analyzes New Jersey housing market data, said the continued foreclosure problem will, at most, forestall price increases in other areas."
Read More

Area home prices continue to decline
August 12, 2009
APP.com/Gannett
"Figures compiled by the Otteau Valuation Group help give a picture of what is happening in Monmouth and Ocean counties. According to the East Brunswick real estate consulting firm, the median price for all homes in Monmouth County, including new houses and condos, fell to $348,463 in the second quarter, an 11 percent decline over the period a year earlier. In Ocean County, the median fell to $225,906, a 10 percent decline over the second quarter of 2008."
Read More

Rising housing sales encouraging, but market still has more ebbs to overcome
August 9, 2009
NJ.com/Star Ledger
"In some municipalities, such as Perth Amboy and Elizabeth, there were twice as many sales this spring as last year, according to figures from the Otteau Valuation Group, which studies New Jersey real estate data."
Read More

Shore bargains on pricey homes
August 9, 2009
APP.com/Gannett
"In the second quarter, the market had a 10-month supply of homes in Monmouth County and an 11-month supply in Ocean County, according to the Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick-based real estate consulting firm. That's down from an 11- and 12-month supply, respectively, in the same quarter last year."
Read More

Report: N.J. housing market on faster road to recovery
August 6, 2009
NJBiz
"New Jersey’s housing markets are recovering faster than elsewhere in the nation, and June 2009 saw the sixth straight month of increasing home sales, according to a market report released Thursday by Jeff Otteau, president of East Brunswick-based Otteau Valuation Group. About 8,300 homes were sold in the state in June 2009, compared to 7,300 homes a year earlier, he said."
Read More

A Tarnished 'Gold Coast'
July 31, 2009
The NY Times
"Condominiums make up roughly 80 percent of Hudson’s housing stock — and across the price spectrum, they have sold poorly, according to the Otteau Valuation Group, which reports to the housing industry. Even for those priced under $400,000, Otteau reported an 11-month inventory build-up."
Read More

New home sales rise nearly 30 percent in Northeast
July 27, 2009
The Star Ledger
"Sales of already-lived-in homes rose 2.5 percent in the Northeast in June, according to the National Association of Realtors. Also, many areas of New Jersey have seen sharp inventory declines, meaning more competition for fewer homes, according to figures from Otteau Valuation Group."
Read More

Recession threatens to derail transit hub tax credit
July 27, 2009
NJBiz
"The expansion "has the potential for the cost savings to developers to pass through to lower housing pricing," said Jeffrey Otteau, president of East Brunswick-based Otteau Valuation Group Inc. This would be good news for employers, for which "New Jersey’s high housing costs [have] become a secondary tax … due to the need to pay higher wages to employees in order for them to be able to afford housing."
Read More

Hopeful Signs in Housing
July 24, 2009
The NY Times
"In June, according to Jeffrey G. Otteau, whose company issues monthly reports to the real estate industry, there was a "breakthrough": the number of home sales exceeded that of June 2008 by 12 percent. Such a year-over-year increase has not occurred since midsummer 2007, said Mr. Otteau, the president of the Otteau Valuation Group in New Brunswick."
Read More

Homes Sales Up in Mercer & Burlington Counties
July 23, 2009
NJBiz
"The tide is turning," said Jeffrey Otteau, a housing expert based in East Brunswick who tracks New Jersey real estate "We're not in a housing market where we have returned to the glory days of rapidly rising prices and homes selling in a matter of days or hours, but it does appear that we have seen the bottom to the housing market, which is very good news for the economy."
Read More

Jeffrey Otteau Testifies in Dallas, Texas
July 21, 2009
Jeffrey Otteau testified in July at a complex trial in Dallas County, Texas that resulted in a $178 million jury award involving the NL Industries redevelopment site in Sayreville, New Jersey.
Read More

A retail renaissance amid a recession
July 20, 2009
NJBiz
"The prospects for the residential portion of the Monticello "are very good," said Jeffrey Otteau, president of East Brunswick-based Otteau Valuation Group, which tracks New Jersey real estate data. With a median apartment vacancy rate of 2.4 percent, "there is a healthy balance between supply and demand" in the area."
Read More

New Jersey foreclosure rate falling
July 16, 2009
The Star Ledger
""The reason that borrowers walk away and mail in the keys is because not only are they having a hard time making their payments, but their houses are worth less than their mortgage balance," Otteau said."
Read More

Local couple navigate housing market in crisis
July 6, 2009
Press of Atlantic City
"The housing market in New Jersey - not as ravaged by foreclosures and falling home prices as other states - is poised for a turnaround within the next 12 months, housing expert Jeffrey Otteau says."
Read More

Getting on track
July 6, 2009
NJBiz
"The real benefit for New Jersey is that new and improved opportunities for mass transit are real catalysts for economic growth," Corbalis said. Citing research by East Brunswick-based Otteau Valuation Group, he said, "The best housing markets are near train stations."
Read More

Governor Signs Age 55+ Legislation
July 6, 2009
NJBA Membergram
On July 2, 2009 Governor Jon Corzine enacted S2577 (Sarlo/Vitale/Greenwald/ Malone). The law takes effect immediately and would allow for the conversion of certain age-restricted housing developments pending approval by a municipal planning or zoning board.
Read More

Easing Age Restrictions on Housing
June 29, 2009
The Record
"Jeffrey Otteau, an East Brunswick appraiser hired by the state builders association to study the issue, said the age-restricted market is one of the worst-hit by the housing downturn. He said many potential buyers have been unable to sell their current homes to move into active-adult communities. In addition, Otteau said, many baby boomers plan to stay in their homes as they age -- or, if they move, plan to relocate to less expensive parts of the country."
Read More

Enticed by the Water Views
June 26, 2009
The New York Yimes
And Jeffrey Otteau, whose company, the Otteau Valuation Group, analyzes residential sales statistics for brokers, said that in downtown Jersey City, the site of Crystal Point, the pace of condo sales had more than doubled since January.
Read More

Age Restricted Communities Popular, but Still a Bust in NJ
June 26, 2009
The Press of Atlantic City
But housing market expert Jeffrey Otteau says boomers may not be so quick to flood those communities now – at least not in New Jersey.
Read More

Transit Cities’ Face Roadblocks
June 19, 2009
The New York Times
As Jeffrey Otteau, a residential analyst, put it in a recent interview, “Nothing has been able to escape the economic and financial collapse we’ve seen over the last year — transit-oriented development included.
Read More

N.J. Senate vote could allow courts to overrule towns and open up senior housing
June 17, 2009
Nj.com/Star Ledger
During the construction boom of the last decade, builders rushed to provide housing for people 55 and over, and local officials gobbled it up, said Jeffrey Otteau, of the East Brunswick firm Otteau Valuation Group, which studies New Jersey housing data.
Read More

Housings analysts say rising mortgage rates mean potential N.J. buyers missed best deals
June 15, 2009
Nj.com/Star Ledger
"For those that are still waiting, they've already missed that perfect moment when prices were low and interest rates were also low," said Jeffrey Otteau, whose East Brunswick company, Otteau Valuation Group, tracks New Jersey real estate data.
Read More

How to buy a home
June 14, 2009
App.com/Gannett
People are reacting. The inventory of homes for sale at the Jersey Shore has shrunk since January as sales have increased, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation.
Read More

N.J. real estate sees steep drop in foreclosures
June 11, 2009
Nj.com/Star Ledger
"That feeds into this trend now of the bottom occurring in housing, prices firming up and things getting better going forward," said Jeffrey Otteau, of Otteau Valuation Group, which tracks New Jersey housing data.
Read More

Ray of light for Mercer homebuyers
June 6, 2009
Nj.com/Star Ledger
In New Jersey, sales of new and existing homes rose 23 percent in March and 18 percent in April, according to Jeffrey Otteau, a housing market expert based in East Brunswick. In April 2008, sales had risen just 9 percent.
Read More

Downtown N.J. conference focuses on downtown living
June 4, 2009
NJBIZ.com
Prunty said the keynote speaker, real estate expert Jeffrey Otteau, of Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick, told the conference that the growth markets in New Jersey are those downtowns with transit connections, which attract empty nesters and young adults who would rather live downtown than in far-flung suburbs lacking downtown commercial and cultural conveniences.
Read More

Renters Find Deals Galore
May 29, 2009
New York Times
The rental market in New Jersey, which up to now has only grown stronger as the sales market declined, is finally showing its own signs of weakness.
Read More

N.J. home prices haven't hit bottom yet
May 27, 2009
Nj.com/Star Ledger
Prices are expected to fall further as more people lose their jobs and homes, hitting a bottom sometime in the second half of the year, said Jeffrey Otteau, head of Otteau Valuation Group, which studies New Jersey real estate data.
Read More

Developer’s Bankruptcy Filing a Tale of Caution
May 18, 2009
NJ Biz
One-two punch of red tape and the weak economy knocked out a condominium project, according to court papers filed in a bankruptcy case that’s being argued in a Camden federal court. The tale of Marina Bay at Rio Grande LLC also highlights demographic changes and market shifts that developers need to consider, experts say.
Read More

Real Estate Experts: Its an Excellent Time to Buy a Home
May 17, 2009
The Home News Tribune/Courier News
Simultaneous falling home prices and mortgage rates have made 2009 an historic year, according to real estate experts. For buyers who have a sufficient down payment and a secure job, it's an excellent time to buy a home. But buyers' fears about job security and higher interest rates on jumbo mortgages are holding many buyers back throughout Central Jersey, according to Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Evaluation Group in East Brunswick.
Read More

New Jersey counties report record numbers of tax appeals
May 16, 2009
Nj.com/Star Ledger
"Ocean County has a double whammy," said Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, an independent firm that tracks real estate trends and prices.
Read More

A Mixed Forecast Down the Shore
May 15, 2009
The New York Times
ALONG the shore, the weather report for the real estate market is cloudy with some brightening, according to the barometer of recent sales statistics, although more severe conditions prevail at the sand line. An analysis based on fresh data from the state’s four shoreline counties shows the following, according to the housing trend analyst Jeffrey Otteau:
Read More

Home Prices Plunge 12.8 Percent
May 13, 2009
Istockanalyst.com
And many potential buyers believe that if they wait, prices may fall further. That view is supported by some real estate experts, including Jeffrey Otteau, an East Brunswick appraiser who tracks the housing market statewide.
Read More

Area home prices skid 11.3%
May 12, 2009
Asbury Park Press
Numbers from the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick help to give a closer look at what is happening at the Jersey Shore.
Read More

N.J. real estate decline tightens state and county budgets
May 12, 2009
NJ.com/Star Ledger
Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, which tracks the New Jersey real estate market, said the current losses are real-time indicators of a market gone sour.
Read More

Northeast Home Sales Drop 8 Percent, Prices Fall In March, Realtors Say
April 23, 2009
The Star-Ledger
Existing home sales in the northeast fell 8 percent from February to March, dousing a little water on the hope that a recovery had arrived. Sales in the northeast also fell 22.5 percent over the previous March, and prices sank 18.4 percent to a median price of $231,700, the National Association of Realtors said yesterday. The median is the point at which half of homes sold for more and half sold for less.
Read More

Home Prices Down but Leveling Off in New Jersey, Expert Says
April 23, 2009
The Home News Tribune
After spiraling down in 2008, home prices are expected to decline about 10 percent further before starting to stabilize later this year, according to a New Jersey real estate expert. Home prices dropped by about 7.4 percent in New Jersey in 2008, a trend matched in Monmouth and Ocean counties, said real estate consultant Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick…
Read More

NJ Builders Feel the Pain
April 22, 2009
NorthJersey.com
New Jersey builders used the words "brutal" and "unprecedented" repeatedly at a statewide trade show Tuesday to describe a housing market undermined by surging unemployment and tighter mortgage lending. Attendance at the annual New Jersey Builders Association convention is off by a third amid a U.S. recession one economist described as the deepest since World War II. The event — which normally draws 15,000 builders, developers and subcontractors — has about 10,000 registered attendees…
Read More

NJ Economy Heading Toward a "New Normal"
April 21, 2009
The Star-Ledger
New Jersey is about to enter a "new normal" as it heads out of the worst of the recession. In that new normal, consumers will spend less and save more, and fewer people will own homes. Fewer people will work in the finance industry, and they'll make less and have their practices more closely regulated…
Read More

Families need homes more than over-55s
April 7, 2009
myCentralJersey.com
Over-55 housing has become so popular in New Jersey that a glut has developed. Otteau Valuation of East Brunswick, which studies the real estate market, estimated there is a 19-year supply of age-restricted housing either in place today, or already approved.
Read More

North Brunswick officials concerned about possible housing construction law
April 3, 2009
myCentralJersey.com
Proponents of the bill say it is a cost-free economic stimulus. The New Jersey Builders Association, a trade group, points to a 2008 study by East Brunswick-based Otteau Valuation that suggests that the state has a 19-year supply of new, single-family detached homes with age-restrictions.
Read More

Housing Affordability Improves
April 3, 2009
The New York Times
These tidings may seem underwhelming in their gladness, but they are the most salutary available as prices continue to slide and the inventory of houses for sale blips upward this season, according to the market trend analyst Jeffrey G. Otteau. House prices right now are descending at the rate of about a percentage point a month, according to Mr. Otteau, whose company is based in New Brunswick. At seminars that he conducted for brokers in March, Mr. Otteau predicted an additional nine point drop in prices by the end of the year, and no likely upturn until 2010.
Read More

Age-Restricted Housing Becomes Ageless
April 2, 2009
AARP Bulletin Today
In New Jersey, "it is much more difficult to find construction financing, and many banks are saying they will not lend at all" for such projects, says Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group.
Read More

Taxation appeals soar in Mercer
March 31, 2009
Times of Trenton
Indeed, a perceived decline in the housing market has been backed up by a measurable decline in prices statewide, according to Jeffrey Otteau of East Brunswick-based Otteau Valuation, which tracks New Jersey real estate prices...
Read More

Signs of Life in the Housing Market
March 27, 2009
The New York Times
The housing analyst Jeffrey G. Otteau raised an alarm last year about potential overbuilding of multifamily housing units in Hudson County, where tens of thousands of units were approved during the boom years — and where the market for condominiums has declined from the strongest to one of the weaker markets in the state in the past year.
Read More

Rising homebuilder shares buoy housing recovery hopes
March 26, 2009
NJ Biz
Shares of Red Bank-based Hovnanian Enterprises and other homebuilders have been rising in the past month. Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick, said the strengthening “is in anticipation of the housing market seeing an improvement sometime within the next 12 months."
Read More

Learning to sell real estate in a struggling economy
March 22, 2009
Asbury Park Press
Once they pass the course and the state exam, they'll enter a rough real estate market. Last year there were 75,200 home sales, down from a peak of 145,692 sales in 2005, said real estate consultant Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick.
Read More

Hudson City reassures Street
March 20, 2009
TradingMarkets.com
New Jersey lost 8,900 jobs in January to push up the unemployment rate to 7.3 percent. New Jersey home prices are dropping an average of 1 percent a month, and will likely not stabilize before year's end, according to appraiser Jeffrey Otteau.
Read More

N.J. home prices continue to decline
March 19, 2009
The Bergen Record
New Jersey home prices are dropping by an average of about 1 percent a month and will probably not stabilize before the fourth quarter, appraiser Jeffrey Otteau said Wednesday. He predicted a 9 percent decline in prices for 2009 overall...
Read More

Analyst: Expect NJ housing price to drop again
March 18, 2009
NewsDay.com
Speaking to real estate agents attending a conference in East Hanover on Wednesday, appraiser Jeffrey Otteau predicted the housing market will continue to contract because of recession-driven job losses. Housing prices dropped by about 8 percent statewide in 2008.
Read More

Bill to scrap housing age-limits advances
March 17, 2009
The Trenton Times
State lawmakers will send Gov. Jon S. Corzine a bill allowing developers to seek the removal of age restrictions on housing projects without re-starting the lengthy local approval process. Across the state, age-restricted units that are approved but not yet built or currently under construction account for between 15 and 18 years of supply, according to Jeffrey Otteau of Otteau Valuation in East Brunswick...
Read More

State may lift age-restrictions on some housing
March 16, 2009
The Trenton Times
According to Jeffrey Otteau of Otteau Valuation in East Brunswick, age-restricted "homes that are being built now or that have approvals but have not yet been built account for somewhere between 15 and 18 years of supply in the market."
Read More

Retirees See the Value in Rentals
March 13, 2009
The New York Times
For years now, New Jersey residents who are 55 years old and over have been migrating out of the state at one of the highest rates in the country, according to Jeffrey G. Otteau, a housing analyst. His firm, the Otteau Valuation Group, conducted the builders’ study. Mr. Otteau said that the most recent census data showed that New Jersey...
Read More

A Market Going Downhill Fast
February 19, 2009
The New York Times
Over the course of three and a half years, the New Jersey residential market has headed downhill fast. In September 2006, Jeffrey G. Otteau, whose Otteau Valuation Group gathers data on the residential market for many builders and brokers, said there were 68,000 houses sitting on the market unsold for a month or longer, more than he had ever seen in his experience in this market. By spring 2007, there were 71,000 unsold houses, his firm reported, and by May 2008, that number had climbed again, to 74,000.
Read More

Age-restricted housing market goes ice-cold
February 15, 2009
The Star Ledger
The short answer from the housing trend analyst Jeffrey G. Otteau: “very different.” Economic, financial and sociological changes now in progress will effectively morph the profile of the typical home buyer over the next 15 years, said Mr. Otteau, whose company, the Otteau Valuation Group, issues monthly reports on trends to subscribing brokers and developers.
Read More

Real estate market and jobs tied together
February 13, 2009
Asbury Park Press
As real estate consultant Jeffrey Otteau, president of the East Brunswick-based Otteau Valuation Group, said in today’s story, “Fears of job security are putting a freeze on the market.”
Read More

Defining the Buyer of the Future
February 6, 2009
The New York Times
The short answer from the housing trend analyst Jeffrey G. Otteau: “very different.” Economic, financial and sociological changes now in progress will effectively morph the profile of the typical home buyer over the next 15 years, said Mr. Otteau, whose company, the Otteau Valuation Group, issues monthly reports on trends to subscribing brokers and developers.
Read More

Housing
January 29, 2009
The Times of Trenton
Real estate appraiser Jeffrey Otteau said that beginning in September, the rate of decline for New Jersey home prices doubled, from a half-percent loss in each month to a full percent per month. Otteau said that job losses are the primary reason for the continuing declines.
Read More

Price Cuts Spur Home Sales
January 27, 2009
The Wall Street Journal
"We're looking for a very tepid spring market," said Jeffrey Otteau, president ofOtteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick, N.J., appraisal firm. Mr. Otteau doesn't expect prices in New Jersey to bottom out before the second or third quarter of this year.
Read More

The Shore's economy is expected to slump in 2009
January 4, 2009
Asbury Park Press
The Shore's economy is expected to slump in 2009 as weary consumers deal with job insecurity, shaky home prices and depleted investments. The housing sector has yet to stabilize. Home prices statewide on average have fallen about 20 percent from their peak in 2005, and they are expected to fall another 8 percentage points to bring them in line with workers' incomes, said Jeffrey G. Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick real-estate consulting firm...
Read More

First-time buyers make hay in housing drought
January 3, 2009
The Star Ledger
No one should be surprised the real estate market has turned to sawdust. Home sales in New Jersey are expected to finish 2008 at just 68,000, down 20 percent from the 85,000 sold a year ago, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of otteau.com, an East Brunswick market research and appraisal firm...
Read More

As Wall Street suffers, so does nearby New Jersey
December 31, 2008
Reuters
The Wall Street upheaval that has depressed New York City's high-flying real estate market is also slowing property sales and lowering prices right across the river in the state of New Jersey. At the current pace of sales, which in November was down 47 percent from last year, it would take 24.1 months for all the properties on the market in Hudson County to sell, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group, a real estate consultancy and appraisal service...
Read More

Housing Inventories on the Rise
December 26, 2008
New York Times
A new assessment of the region prepared by the Otteau Valuation Group presents a generally unlovely picture of residential sales markets: Manhattan now has an 11.8-month supply of unsold inventory, said Jeffrey G. Otteau, whose Old Bridge, N.J., company analyzes contract sales figures and advises real estate brokers.
Read More

Transit-Oriented Housing—Shelter in a Storm?
December 2008
The New York Times
Transit-Friendly Development - Despite the ongoing housing slump (and the economic collapse), inner-ring towns with rail service to New York City have outpaced the overall market due to a demographic shift which will reshape New Jersey…
Read More

Transitions Made Easier
December 5, 2008
The New York Times
Statewide, the pace of residential sales has continued to decline each month since July, according to the latest report from the Otteau Valuation Group. In Essex County, for example, the average time a house spent on the market was 73 days in July, and 92 days in October…
Read More

Experts foresee more pain for state's homebuilders
December 04, 2008
The Star Ledger
As bad as things are for the crippled home-building market right now, it has yet to hit bottom, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group With a clinical PowerPoint presentation, Otteau offered little consolation for an industry frozen by recession. Among his more sobering points…
Read More

Retiree Havens Turn Younger to Combat the Housing Bust
December 01, 2008
The Wall Street Journal
In New Jersey, the age restrictions have been lowered or dropped for at least nine new projects, while an additional 10 planned developments were scrapped altogether, says Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group Inc., a real estate market-analysis firm in East Brunswick, N.J.
Read More

A route to higher home values
November 30, 2008
The Record
Homes in towns with rail stations at their heart or nearby fare much better than those in any other market, said real estate guru Jeffrey Otteau, who has been analyzing New Jersey real estate for 30 years. "It's not enough to have a rail station," Otteau said. "But it's a really good start."…
Read More

Board OKs Alfieri's housing, retail plans
November 26, 2008
Suburban
Alfieri's professionals proposed that the board allow him to finish the residential component of the development first, since his marketing consultant, Jeffrey Otteau, testified that the market for housing is more likely to rebound first in the current economic decline. "Every home can be sold at a price," Otteau said…
Read More

Reducing property taxes is possible, but not likely
November 22, 2008
The Star Ledger
The unraveling of the housing market has caused a decline in home prices over the past three years," said Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group, a real estate research firm based in East Brunswick, which tracks the New Jersey real estate market...
Read More

Area home prices dip 3.9% over 3rd quarter
November 19, 2008
Asbury Park Press
In the third quarter, the median home price in Monmouth County fell 6 percent to $385,175, firm President Jeffrey G. Otteau said. In Ocean County, the median price dropped 9 percent to $242,665, he said. Otteau's figures include new homes, existing single-family homes and condominiums...
Read More

Keeping Afloat
November 19, 2008
The Star Ledger
Statewide, home prices fell 5 percent, to $312,437, down from $330, 396 during the third quarter, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group, a real estate research firm based in East Brunswick, which tracks the New Jersey real estate market...
Read More

Walkable Living Makes Strides
November 2008
Realtor Magazine
What's the impact of high gas prices on residential real estate? Real estate practitioners and industry analysts debate the fate of suburbia and the prospect of a future where people leave their cars in the garage. Jeffrey Otteau: We’ve been seeing a shift from the outer- to the inner-ring suburbs and urban areas at least since 2005, so higher gas prices are just a layering on top of a shift that was already developing because of demographics...
Read More

Now what?
October 5, 2008
Asbury Park Press
In New Jersey, home prices have declined about 19 percent since they peaked in the fall of 2005, and a declining housing market that looked as if it might bottom out next spring faces even more uncertainty, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, a real estate consulting firm in East Brunswick...
Read More

Rentals Remain Robust
October 4, 2008
The New York Times
The high rental occupancy rate is expected to stay where it is for the immediate future, or perhaps even tighten further. “The number of units in the pipeline in the state is, well, dramatic,” said Mr. Otteau, adding that, in fact, it was already time to start thinking about the issue of overbuilding…
Read More

Scaling Back in Suburbia
September 28, 2008
The Star Ledger
Market experts say the supersize single-family house in the suburbs is taking a harder hit than other housing types in New Jersey.
Read More

Buying New is a Winning Move
September 19, 2008
Asbury Park Press
A new market report, released by the Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick-based company, stated that " there are developing signs that we are seeing the early stages of a recovery now."…
Read More

Where to Buy Now
September 16, 2008
The Star Ledger
Jeffrey Otteau, the guru of all things real estate-related in New Jersey. Otteau's methodology for coming up with his list of top spots to buy involved coming up with a calculation he calls the "projected absorption" rate of homes…
Read More

Experts Say Restricting Development in Jersey Towns May Backfire
September 15, 2008
New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio
Jeff Otteau runs the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick. He says the prevailing mindset in many towns is if you allow new housing, it will overburden local schools and…
Read More

‘Active Adult’ Housing Loses Luster
September 12, 2008
New York Times
A FEW years ago in New Jersey, housing complexes for those 55 and older were proliferating, with new projects seeming to pop up and sprawl out nearly anyplace with acreage — be it urban, suburban or rural. Jeffrey Otteau of the Otteau Appraisal Group is offering brokers and developers new data showing reduced demand for such housing around the state, and a large inventory of unsold units.
Read More

First-Timers’ Charm
September 7, 2008
New York Times
The moment, however, is likely to last only about another six months, said Jeffrey Otteau, a market analyst whose Otteau Appraisal Group monitors statewide sales data and provides monthly reports to the real estate industry. He predicted that by next spring the subprime lending crisis, which primarily affects…
Read More

Tracking the Real Deal
September 1, 2008
NJ Biz
One might assume that with the current slump in housing demand, this would be a lousy time to launch a new product for the real estate market. Yet, Otteau.com, a real estate appraisal and data firm in East Brunswick, recently began marketing a new research tool called MarketTRAC, which tracks residential real estate trends...
Read More

Trading Up Slows Down
September, 2008
The Real Deal
Wall Street job losses and jobs migrating out of New Jersey are contributing to the "sluggish sales pace" for trade-up homes in that state, said Jeff Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group…
Read More

Report: N.J. Housing Market Continues to Hold Steady
August 29, 2008
NJ Biz
The pace of July home sales in New Jersey remained level with a pattern of activity that has been little changed since March, according to a report released today from Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick-based real estate consulting and appraisal firm.
Read More

Time to Nibble on Property?
August 24, 2008
The Bergan Record
"Since prices have declined, today's market offers significant value to the potential real estate investor," said Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick, who has been tracking and reporting on real estate trends in the Garden State for decades.
Read More

Has the Central Jersey Housing Market Reached Bottom?
No one is sure
August 23, 2008
Courier News
Jeff Otteau, CEO of the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick, agrees. His figures show that the inventory of homes for sale has been shrinking, while the number of homes sold has remained steady in the second quarter, a trend that continued in July. It's too soon to tell if we've reached bottom. Otteau said part of the reason for the decline…
Read More

Home Prices Decline 3.1%
August 15, 2008
Asbury Park Press
Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick real-estate consulting firm, said his figures also indicate a decline in prices locally. In the second quarter, the median home price in Monmouth County fell 7 percent from last year to $390,271 and in Ocean County dropped to $249,635, down 9 percent from last year, Otteau said. He cited a decline in vacation homes sales as a reason.
Read More

Amid Housing Slump, Glut Eases Slightly
July 29, 2008
The Wall Street Journal
“We have the added weight of a recessionary economy” on what was already the weakest housing market since 1930’s, says Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick, N.J., appraisal firm. He says the market won’t recover fully until employment starts growing again and credit becomes more readily available.
Read More

Movers & Shakers: Jeffrey Otteau
July 14, 2008
NJBiz
Jeffrey Otteau, president of the 33-year-old Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick, consults with lenders, attorneys and government agencies on real estate matters.
Read More

N.J. home sales fell 30 percent in first quarter
June 14, 2008
The Star Ledger
Jeffrey Otteau, president of the East Brunswick research firm Otteau Valuation Group, said he suspected the NAR's original numbers were out of whack when they were issued May 13.
Read More

New Jersey home sales down 30%
June 14, 2008
The Home News Tribune
Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick real estate consulting firm, said it is not unusual for statistics to be revised
Read More

With New Jersey housing markets down, it's the right time to buy
June 10, 2008
The Courier News
"We'll look back in five years and conclude that this year, 2008, was the time to buy," said Jeff Otteau, CEO of Otteau Evaluation Group in East Brunswick.
Read More

N.J. housing report's hint of hope
June 6, 2008
The Star Ledger
A report by East Brunswick-based research firm Otteau Valuation Group shows April home sales increased from the March level -- the first time that has happened since 2005 -- in what may be a sign market has bottomed out.
Read More

Neighbours hit by empty homes next door
May 27, 2008
BBC News
Armed with the tools of his trade, a tape measure and a clipboard, Chris Otteau looks at a house in Matawan, New Jersey.
Read More

A Buyer's Market, a Seller's Pain
May 18, 2008
New York Times
WITH a laser measuring device clipped to his belt and a reel of yellow tape tucked under one arm, Christopher Otteau roamed around a tidy house on a corner lot in Ridgewood, preparing to deliver the unwelcome news to its occupants.
Read More

Sale prices of homes stabilizing at Shore
May 14, 2008
Asbury Park Press
Figures compiled by the Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick real-estate consulting firm, show that the market is approaching its bottom, said firm President Jeffrey Otteau.
Read More

Spring in a Cold Climate
May 11, 2008
New York Times
THE only way to know when the residential real estate market has "hit bottom" will be with a look in the rear-view mirror, according to Jeffrey G. Otteau, the New Jersey-based real estate analyst.
Read More

Banking on Rumson Home Sales
April 3, 2008
Asbury Park Press
But Rumson, which is an upper-priced market where many homes sell for more than $1 million, has seen less of a downturn than other parts of the county, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick…
Read More

Bid for Reality
March 28, 2008
The Star-Ledger
The study by Otteau Valuation Group measured and analyzed more than 15,000 transactions annually over a period of several years.
Read More

NJ Exodus Cutting Into Home Sales
March 27, 2008
Hunterdon County Democrat
Another study, by the Otteau Appraisal Group working for developer CRC Communities, says home sales in Hunterdon...
Read More

Waiting for a thaw
March 9, 2008
Home News Tribune
As the spring selling season approaches, real-estate agents say home buyers have their choice of houses at lower prices, but some experts warn of continued troubles ahead for the housing market.
Read More

To Pounce or Be Patient?
February 19, 2008
New Jersey Monthly
The premier number cruncher in Jersey real estate is probably Jeff Otteau, whose Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick provides the most comprehensive real-time snapshot of the market.
Read More

Renting Beats Buying (or Not)
February 17, 2008
New York Times
To buy or not to buy, that is the question - especially in a market where property values have been deflating, and may deflate still further. In northern New Jersey in the past year, the median home value slid 5 percent, to $403,087 according to newly compiled statistics from the Otteau Valuation Group, which monitors property values statewide…
Read More

Home Prices Up Minimally
February 15, 2008
Asbury Park Press
Price figures from the Otteau Valuation Group, Inc., an East Brunswick real estate consulting firm, show that in the fourth quarter, a median price for a single-family home in Monmouth County rose 6 percent to….
Read More

Housing Mixed Bag
February 15, 2008
The Star ledger
"We have the second-highest income in the country, which creates a higher level of earning," said Jeff Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, a leading real estate research firm based in East Brunswick.
Read More

Lucrative Spring Awaits Gypsy Moth Killer
February 11, 2008
NJBIZ
Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group, a real estate market analysis firm based in East Brunswick, says that while "there is no question that healthy, mature shade trees lend an aesthetic appeal to housing," data on how trees affect property values doesn't exist…
Read More

Home Prices Start to Dip, Recalling '90s Slump
February 3, 2008
The NY Times
Homes in suburbs within a one-hour commute have not lost value as fast as those in the outer suburbs, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick, N.J. And Mr. Otteau forecasted that the closer suburbs…
Read More

The Hard Sell
February 3, 2008
The Star Ledger
The pace of home sales in New Jersey slowed to a crawl in December, with the volume of sales contracts falling 31 percent year over year, according to Jeffrey Otteau, president of East Brunswick-based Otteau Valuation Group…
Read More

New Attempt at a Housing Turnaround
January 21, 2008
NJ BIZ
Morris Plains-based home seller Weichert, Realtors is pushing for congressional support for a tax-credit plan it hopes will drive more people to buy homes, thereby reinvigorating both the housing market and the economy. But while some real estate and economic experts say the proposed measure could help to increase home sales, the plan would be only one of many components needed to turn around the deeply troubled housing industry.
Read More

Buyers, Now Hear This
January 20, 2008
The NY Times
The market analyst Jeffrey G. Otteau told brokers in his January report not...levels until spring of 2014,'' Mr. Otteau stated flatly in the report, which is...low mortgage interest rates,'' Mr. Otteau said. Jacelyn Botti, president of Weichert...
Read More

A Housing Market Perspective of TOD
January 2008
Transit-Friendly Development
Newsletter of Transit-Oriented Development & Land Use in New Jersey At the 2007 NJ State League of Municipalities Conference, held in November, Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, Inc., offered his perspective of the New Jersey housing market, drawing particular attention to housing in transit-friendly locations. He believes that with the deep slump in New Jersey's housing market, one bright spot remains-locations that are transit-rich. Read More

Cashing Out of New York City
December 30, 2007
...statewide, house prices have dropped by about 1 percent a month in the last several months, said Jeffrey Otteau, the president of the Otteau Appraisal Group in East Brunswick. Buyers in Long Island's most desirable suburbs are finding that they...
Read More

Where Sales Are Buoyant
November 4, 2007
The New York Times
The three Monmouth County towns - Asbury, Belmar and Long Branch - outperformed their county, which showed no increase in median sales price over the first nine months of the year compared with the same period in 2006, according to a market analysis done by the Otteau Valuation Group at the request of the New York Times…
Read More

Sales History
November 4, 2007
Asbury Park Press
Home prices have declined after several boom years. Prices rose 131 percent in New Jersey from 1998 - 2005, before declining 8 percent in 2006, according to Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group…
Read More

With Buyers Sidelined, Home Prices Slide
October 25, 2007
The Wall Street Journal
Foreclosure headlines create a "fear factor" among buyers and prompt more to think they should wait before taking the plunge, says Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group…
Read More

Merrill beaten up over writedown
October 25, 2007
Star Ledger
Home sales fell 17 percent in September, the worst performance of the year, according to Jeffrey Otteau of the Otteau Valuation Group, whose firm tracks pending sales contract…
Read More

Housing market weathers crisis
October 25, 2007
The Times
Real estate appraiser Jeffrey Otteau, whose firm is based in East Brunswick, said the current downturn in real estate…
Read More

Where the Deals Are
September 16, 2007
New York Times
Jeffrey G. Otteau, President of the Otteau Appraisal Group in East Brunswick, N.J., picked out the pattern while analyzing the unsold housing inventory in towns on and around the commuter rail lines…
Read More

Aging Gracefully
September 16, 2007
Asbury Park Press
The age-restricted housing market has been hit hard as well, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick real estate consulting firm. Those who want to buy such homes still need…
Read More

Slumping Builder Slashes Home Prices
September 13, 2007
The Star Ledger
One homebuilder, Lennar, slapped huge discounts on some of its homes late last year, according to Jeffrey Otteau, President of the Otteau Valuation Group…
Read More

Census: More N.J. Homeowners are Over-extended
September 12, 2007
The Star Ledger
Jeffrey G. Otteau, President of the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick and a housing analyst, predicted New Jersey faces a future with…
Read More

Good, Bad News for N.J. Housing
August 23, 2007
The Star Ledger
Foreclosures shoot up, but total is fairly small. Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, a leading real estate research firm in New Jersey, said while the increase appears large, the number of homes foreclosed on is still quite small…
Read More

Softer Landing
August 16, 2007
The Star Ledger
The inventory of unsold homes in all of New Jersey has soared to a record 72,000 homes, compared to only 39,000 in June 2005, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of East Brunswick-based Otteau Valuation Group…
Read More

Central Jersey Real Estate Sales Fickle
August 5, 2007
Courier News
Location, commuter access and structural upgrades all factors when putting home on market, experts say. Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick, specializes in compiling data throughout the state…
Read More

Revving Up Interest
July 29, 2007
Asbury Park Press
With the high number of houses sitting unsold on the market these days, some real-estate agents are finding innovative ways to market their listings to attract attention. "In the future, as the housing market evolves, marketing will become even more important," said Jeffrey Otteau, President of the Otteau Valuation Group…
Read More

The State of the Slump
July 26, 2007
The Wall Street Journal
Tighter Credit Helps Keep Housing Inventories Rising, Though Some Hard-Hit Cities See Signs of a Turnaround. Jeffrey G. Otteau, President of Otteau Valuation Group, says the parts of New Jersey popular with commuters…
Read More

Demand for Office, but Not Homes
June 15, 2007
New York Times
AFTER more than five years, the huge inventory buildup of commercial office space in New Jersey is beginning to diminish. Coincidentally, as best the pundits can tell, the inventory of unsold homes has hit a record high. "Markets do have lives of their own," said Jeffrey G. Otteau.
Read More

RealtyTrac to revise formula
June 12, 2007
The Star Ledger
When RealtyTrac releases data on home foreclosures each month, media outlets across the country rush to print and broadcast the news. But housing experts such as Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Valuation Group, a leading real estate research firm in New Jersey, believes RealtyTrac's existing methodology is highly misleading.
Read More

It's Spring. Somebody Tell the Buyers
May 27, 2007
New York Times
IT'S spring, the traditional time for hope and growth in residential real estate sales. But beyond the borders of New York City, there are indications that a wintry chill besets the market in much of the region..The number of sales contracts signed in April declined in 20 of 22 counties monitored by the Otteau Valuation Group, which does market analysis.. ...
Read More

This Housing Slump Is for Real but Overblown
May 21, 2007
The NJBIZ Interview - Jeffrey G. Otteau
Housing analyst Jeffrey G. Otteau is widely seen as a sobering voice in a market frequently in the throes of a boom-or-bust mentality. Otteau, the president of Otteau Valuation Group Inc. in East Brunswick, acknowledges that delinquencies and foreclosures in subprime loans have worsened the current downturn by making mortgages harder to get and pushing some prospective homebuyers out of the market. However, he calls the foreclosure problem exaggerated and says the fear of a crisis could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Otteau discussed the New Jersey housing market with NJBIZ Staff Writer Shankar P.
Read More

Home Prices Fall in Rich New York Suburbs Once Immune to Slump
May 9, 2007
Bloomberg Print Media
The U.S. housing slump has hit New York City's richest suburbs. Wealth and excellent credit have until now spared bedroom communities in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York's Westchester County from declines in home prices. Now the tightening of credit in response to rising subprime defaults has disrupted the real estate food chain, bringing the national housing slump to Manhattan's doorstep. First-time home buyers are more likely to be subprime borrowers. Every purchase of an existing house by a first-time buyer triggers four other sales in the housing market, said Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
Read More

Why Sellers May Be Disappointed
March 11, 2007
New York Times
HOME sellers beware. Despite what real estate industry data might suggest, sales prices were down around the state last year - and prices are still flat in most locales, according to Jeffrey G. Otteau, who heads Otteau Valuation Group...
Read More

Public payroll swells, private sector shrinks, housing prices fall
January 27, 2007
Press of Atlantic City
Those conclusions come from Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group Inc, which tracks housing trends for the real estate market. His latest report, the 2007...
Read More

Housing Glut Gives Buyers Upper Hand
January 25, 2007
The Wall Street Journal
Amid a continuing glut of homes for sale in most of the country, buyers should have lots of choices and plenty of bargaining power in the spring selling season.. Mr. Otteau figures home prices fell an average of about 10% ...
Read More

Northern New Jersey market starts to drag
September 2006
The Real Deal
Home sales statewide declined 17 percent during the first half of 2006 and inventory rose 70 percent, according to a widely followed market report from Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group....
Read More