June, 2014  

David Fialk, Broker Owner, announces that Choice Realty Co. is celebrating its 40 Year Anniversary as a full service real estate company. He thanks all the company's clients for making the past 40 years so rewarding. 

Established in 1974, Choice Realty Co. is located at 1144 Green St., Iselin, New Jersey and has been providing professional real estate services to home buyers and home sellers with a commitment to service excellence since its inception.

Choice Realty's market area includes Iselin, Colonia, Edison, Woodbridge, Avenel, Fords, Menlo Park Terrace, Port Reading Sewaren, Keasbey, Metuchen, Carteret and the surrounding Towns.

Talk about the changes in real estate and in the real estate industry since 1974!

In 1974, property listings submitted to the Multiple Listing System were printed on 4' x 6' index cards and were delivered weekly. Now an owner's listed property is displayed almost instantly on Multiple Websites on the Internet with a Property Description and Multiple Photos, Virtual Tours, Videos and more!

Home Buyers needed to look at various Newspapers while searching for a home. No photos. No property addresses and very little property information. Now a quick search on the Internet provides property photos, property information, school Information, past sales and more.

Now, home buyers and home sellers can access real estate information from Desktop Computers, Tablets and Smart Phones, devices never heard of in 1974. Now they can communicate with Agents with email and text messaging.

Real Estate Brokers must continually change and adapt in how they provide and deliver marketing services to buyers and sellers in this constantly changing "I want it now consumer economy", according to David.

"Adapting to constantly changing technology and staying abreast of laws, rules and regulations in the real estate industry are probably the most important concerns a Real Estate Broker needs to focus on today", Fialk said. 

A Real Estate Brokerage Firm can be judged by the professionalism and ethics of their Sales Associates.  

Choice Realty Co. is proud of the support and length of service of its REALTORS AND REALTOR Associates', Jennie Esposito, Donald Bence, Thomas Wood, Michael Kertes, Eileen Campos, Robert Kolar, Mary Sanford, Venu Giri, Amishi Parikh, Robert Andersen, Norma Arce, James Smith, Debra Crowley, Maryann Crowley, Marie Morrell, Janine Guzman, George Balboa, Maureen Balboa, Vincent Darpino, Robert Denton, Jill Stadtmiller and Janine Piscadlo, Administrative Assistant.

 
Aside from the inconvenience or downright horrors of a blocked or overflowing drain, there is a monetary consideration. Many drain and sewer cleaning companies now have flat minimum rates for cleaning drains regardless of the cause; so whether a blockage is due to a clump of toilet paper or an errant tennis ball, it could cost you a surprising sum.

Some tips and suggestions:

■ Keep the strainer or drain stopper in place at all sink, bathtub and shower drains,

■ Keep all small objects away from the toilet; toothbrushes, and jewelry can quickly disappear for ever - or get stuck in a drain.

■ Keep your eye out for small children - a toilet bowl full of water is just one more play object to them. Anything and everything touched can end up in a toilet. And the excitement of seeing it flush away only adds to the danger. The bathroom should be off limits to young children. If the door can't be locked, at least install a toilet seat lock to prevent toilet access.

■ Only flush toilet paper; even if paper towels or baby wipes make their way down the drain, they can potentially get hung up on tree roots or other protrusions further along the drain or sewer. Beware, commercial available wipes may be advertised as flushable, but that doesn't mean they won't get stuck somewhere else in the system. It is often best to dispose of these wipes in another manner.

■ Personal feminine hygiene products should not be flushed. Once again, while they may be advertised as flushable, they often get hung up downstream and are a major contributing factor in drain blockage.

■ If you live in an older neighborhood, chances are many of the buried sewer lines have settled or shifted over the years or have been infiltrated by tree roots. Check with the local authorities on any problems known to exist in your neighborhood.

■ Fine roots can infiltrate through even small cracks or gaps in a sewer line, creating an almost impenetrable obstruction. During dry or droughts periods, root infiltration only increases as they seek out any source of water.

■ If root infiltration or other sewer line problems are known to exist or are suspected, consider pro-active sewer cleaning every few years. It may be costly, but will be a lot less than having to clean up after a sewer backup.

■ Video equipment is now available to inspect drain and sewer lines that otherwise are inaccessible without excavation or other invasive work. When problems occur and the cause is unknown and/or a recommendation is made to replace a line or section of a line, consider video imaging before attempting more expensive work.
 

Clean out strainers and drains periodically. Remove mechanical drain stoppers to clean out down below. If using commercially available cleaners, carefully read all package instructions and warnings. Many of these products can be harmful to your fixtures or plumbing system, or you. Consider environmentally safer alternatives. Even a plunger can produce good results when there is a minor drain blockage.
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 Note: These tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a professional if you have questions about a specific issue. More home safety and maintenance information is available online at www.housemaster.com.