Consumer comfort in U.S. rises to highest level since 2007

Posted on November 28, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

(Bloomberg) — Consumer sentiment in the U.S. climbed last week to the highest level since December 2007 as Americans grew more upbeat about the state of the economy, their financial well-being and the buying climate.

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index advanced to 40.7 from 38.5 for the period ended Nov. 23, according to a report today. All three components improved last week, with the gauge of views on whether it’s a good time to shop rising to a seven-year high.

Labor market gains, record stock values and gas prices at four-year lows are boosting household sentiment in time for the holiday-shopping season. Fatter paychecks for lower-income earners would help households across all income brackets to make more purchases.

The recent improvement in confidence is “an indication, just in time for the holiday-shopping season, that consumers at last are feeling some impacts of economic recovery,” Gary Langer, president of Langer Research Associates LLC in New York, which produces the data for Bloomberg, said in a statement. It “offers hope to retailers heading into the holidays.”

Related

Consumer confidence in U.S. unexpectedly dropped in November

The Conference Board’s index fell to 88.7 this month from an October reading of 94.1.

Today’s sentiment report showed the buying-climate measure, which asks whether this is a good time to purchase goods and services, increased to 35.1, the highest since November 2007, before the last recession began, from 32.8 the prior period.

The gauge of personal finances advanced to 56.1, the highest since April 2008, from 54.4. Bloomberg’s weekly measure about the state of the economy climbed to 30.9, the highest since January 2008, from 28.2 the prior week.

Americans are finding relief at the gas pump. The nationwide average for a gallon of fuel at the pump was $2.81 on Nov. 24, the lowest in more than four years, according to AAA, the largest U.S. auto group.

Labor Market

Further job gains will help lift household spending into next year. The unemployment rate declined to a six-year low of 5.8 percent in October as the labor market stays on course for the strongest year of payroll growth since 1999, according to Labor Department figures.

Declining gas prices and improving sentiment about personal finances and the buying climate may explain why Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is optimistic about the holiday season.

“Most restaurant concepts see a positive sales impact from lower gasoline prices, as that puts additional disposable income in the consumer’s wallet,” Lawrence Hyatt, chief financial officer of the Lebanon, Tennessee-based family-dining restaurant, said on an earnings call yesterday.

Sentiment among part-time workers gained more than seven percentage points last week from the prior period, rising to its highest since January 2008.

Stock Market

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Confidence among homeowners and households earning more than $100,000 a year rose to the highest in seven years, reflecting increases in property and equity values.

The Bloomberg Comfort Index has been presented on a scale of zero to 100 since May, rather than the previous minus 100 to 100, with the midpoint shifting to 50 from zero. The change is also reflected in the gauge’s components.

The index doesn’t affect the measures’ relationship to each other or their correlation with other economic indicators. Historical data has been revised and analysis of trends, values and other variables also aren’t affected.

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Black Friday is over-rated!

Posted on November 27, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

Millions of shoppers will once again arise before daybreak on Friday morning and descend into the traditional commercial Bacchanal that is Black Friday. But given the hyper-competitive nature of the retail business and the expectations of bargain hunting consumers, the mega doorbuster sale is losing its unique appeal. From Halloween through Christmas Eve, the door is always open and the blue light is on.

According to the National Retail Federation, one fifth of all retail sales occur in November and December. This is critical for the economy because retail spending is a major contributor to economic activity in the United States, and holiday shopping accounts for over 5 percent of U.S. gross domestic product for the entire year. Until recently, merchants have depended heavily on Black Friday to make or break the season and therefore the year.

For a number of reasons, the makeup of holiday shopping is changing and will be even more different this year. Having already breached the previously unthinkable Thanksgiving Day prohibition, stores will open earlier this year on Thursday. Meanwhile, many big boxes and online purveyors launched aggressive discounting as early as Nov. 1, extended Black Friday pricing over an entire week, offered to match competitors’ advertised prices, and guaranteed availability of popular sale items to further obviate the need to be in line at dark thirty.

On balance, 2014 is shaping up as a very good year for retailers. The NRF expects retail sales growth of 4.1 percent over last year, a significant gain over the 2013 growth rate of 3 percent. However, less of that growth is expected to come on Friday, as just 28 percent of Americans plan to set foot in the stores, according to a survey by Bankrate.com. Shoppers have grown increasingly sophisticated since the recession and are learning to expect heavy discounting throughout the season. Some have gotten an early jump with pre-sale sales, while others expect merchants to discount even more aggressively later on to clear store shelves.

One interesting finding in the Bankrate survey involves the composition of Black Friday shoppers. Among bargain hunters aged 18 to 29, 54 percent expect to shop in stores or online the day after Thanksgiving, compared with just 35 percent of 50 to 64 year olds. And despite their technological proclivities, the younger generation is the most likely group to show up in person. Millennials, it seems, still want to bust the doors.

Another encouraging finding involves how consumers plan to pay for their loot this year. Three quarters of black Friday shoppers expect to use cash or debit cards to make their purchases, while just one fourth said they will slap their gifts on a credit card. This is evidence that households are maintaining the fiscal discipline they regained following the economic downturn and bodes well for continued moderate but sustained expansion of retail spending going forward.

While 2014 sales promise to be more robust, individual retailers are nervous about nabbing their share of the action. Hence the early price discounting, extended Black Week promotions, price matching and other enticements. But the best may be yet to come as Christmas approaches. Many analysts believe this will be the most relentlessly promoted holiday shopping season on record, which means that consumers should be able to enjoy their Thanksgiving and still stake their claims without having to fight the crowds.

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Build or Buy ?

Posted on November 26, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

A million dollar question, to buy a house or to build it; is foremost in the minds of every consumer looking to satiate his real estate needs. Depending on the various prevalent factors, the single decision can be a make or break choice which can differentiate a sound investment from a failed one.
While the pertinence of the decision rests on a variety of factors, one needs to understand pointers which can help the potential consumer decide the course of action. It is in pursuance of the decision, that a sound real estate partner comes handy in reaching out to the conclusion. Ten on Ten lists down factors which help in deciding the perfect investment on real estate property – buying or building.

– Land Rates – One of the most important aspects in deciding on the eternal question is land rates. We all know that there are some places where land rates are premium and some where they go a-begging. So while you decide on the land where your abode will stand, it is advisable to find out the negotiable land rates which will help you in deciding if building a house is a wise decision, or going in for a pre-built one is the best suited option.

– Taxes and Other Expenditure – If the taxes of the land are exorbitant and other governmental/local levies take up more than half of the expectant budgeting than buying a pre-fabricated house will be the suggested decision. This way one gets insulated from escalating costs and thus can keep his budget in check.

– If exclusivity is your choice – If exclusivity is your choice and you seek to shape up the abode of your dreams from scratch, then going in for building the complete home is the best advisable option. You can choose the layout, the bricks, the embellishments, the setup and the complete aura of the house as per your own wish, and can show off to your peers what your taste is all about.

– Financing Options – Some banks and credit agencies give cheaper loans and attractive schemes if you are building your own home. So look into the deals and decide if the amount of money you are getting will help you in designing your own home. If the answer is yes, then go in for building your own house. On the other hand, in today’s volatile market the home loan rates are becoming cheaper and cheaper and thus if limited loan is what you need than going in for a built-up home will be a pertinent decision.

– Low Upgradation Costs – Upgrading a built up home than buying a pre-built home is cheaper. Thus if you have money and are looking for an investment which serves the coming generations as well then we suggest building a home. Upgrading a built up home is cheaper than upgrading a pre-built home, and thus if you seek to make a one-time investment in real estate property then going in for a built-from-scratch home is the best advisable option.

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How to Set Up a Real Estate Business Plan

Posted on November 24, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

Determine Your 1 Main Goal

Start by establishing a specific and measurable goal for your annual real estate sales production next year.  Typically agents will use objectives like total sales volume, gross commission income (GCI), number of units/properties sold, or even net income.  It is important that a main goal has a numeric value associated with it so that it can be broken down into monthly and weekly portions for measuring progress throughout the year.  For example, an agent that wants to sell 48 homes in a year knows that he or she must close approximately 4 transactions a month, or close to one property a week.

Establish 3 Priorities to Reach the Main Goal

For a real estate business plan to be effective, it must be focused.  Establish 3 priority areas that need attention over the following year.  These priorities should represent some of your more daunting tasks that will require a lot of work and help from others.  Your priorities are the big tasks that are always looming in the back of your mind that never seem to get done.  Examples might include creating a new agent website, setting up a client database contact system, hiring an administrative assistant, or developing a lead generation plan or system.

Plan 5 Strategies for Each Priority

Break down your daunting priorities into 5 manageable strategies designed to accomplish each of them.  Each strategy should represent a specific action step that is in alignment with its corresponding priority.  The key to developing effective strategies is focusing them on each priority.  Otherwise you will just have a scattered to-do list that is unlikely to ever be completed since it is not focused on the accomplishment of your preset objectives.

Example Real Estate Business Plans

We have provided two examples of one-page real estate business plans below.  The first is for an individual/solo agent, and the second example is for more established real estate teams.  Please also note that these plans are also referred to as 1-3-5 plans for their 1 goal, 3 priorities and 5 strategies.  Feel free to copy and use them to create your own plan.

real estate agent

real estate team

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Real Estate Predictions for 2015

Posted on November 19, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

Expect the home-purchase market to strengthen along with the economy in 2015, according to Freddie Mac’s U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook for November.

“The good news for 2015 is that the U.S. economy appears well-poised to sustain about a 3 percent growth rate in 2015 — only the second year in the past decade with growth at that pace or better,” says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Governmental fiscal drag has turned into fiscal stimulus; lower energy costs support consumer spending and business investment; further easing of credit conditions for business and real estate lending support commerce and development; and consumers are more upbeat and businesses are more confident, all of which portend faster economic growth in 2015. And with that, the economy will produce more and better-paying jobs, providing the financial wherewithal to support household formations and housing activity.”

Freddie Mac economists have made the following projections in housing for the new year:

  1. Mortgage rates: Interest rates will likely be on the rise next year. In recent weeks, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has dipped below 4 percent. But by next year, Freddie projects mortgage rates to average 4.6 percent and inch up to 5 percent by the end of the year.
  2. Home prices: By the time 2014 wraps up, home appreciation will likely have slowed to 4.5 percent this year from 9.3 percent last year. Appreciation is expected to drop further to an average 3 percent in 2015. “Continued house-price appreciation and rising mortgage rates will dampen affordability for home buyers,” according to Freddie economists. “Historically speaking, that’s moving from ‘very high’ levels of affordability to ‘high’ levels of affordability.”
  3. Housing starts: Homebuilding is expected to ramp up in the new year, projected to rise by 20 percent from this year. That will likely help total home sales to climb by about 5 percent, reaching the best sales pace in eight years.
  4. Single-family originations: Mortgage originations of single-family homes will likely slip by an additional 8 percent, which can be attributed to a steep drop in refinancing volume. Refinancings are expected to make up only 23 percent of originations in 2015; they had been making up more than half in recent years.
  5. Multi-family mortgage originations: Mortgage originations for the multi-family sector have surged about 60 percent between 2011 and 2014. Increases are expected to continue in 2015, projected to rise about 14 percent.

To view houses for sale – visit us at: http://www.robertjrussell.com

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What is an Annuity ? RETIREMENT 101

Posted on November 11, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

An annuity is an insurance product that pays out income, and can be used as part of a retirement strategy. Annuities are a popular choice for investors who want to receive a steady income stream in retirement.

Here’s how an annuity works: you make an investment in the annuity, and it then makes payments to you on a future date or series of dates. The income you receive from an annuity can be doled out monthly, quarterly, annually or even in a lump sum payment.

The size of your payments are determined by a variety of factors, including the length of your payment period.

You can opt to receive payments for the rest of your life, or for a set number of years. How much you receive depends on whether you opt for a guaranteed payout fixed annuity or a payout stream determined by the performance of your annuity’s underlying investments variable annuity.

While annuities can be useful retirement planning tools, they can also be a lousy investment choice for certain people because of their notoriously high expenses. Financial planners and insurance salesmen will frequently try to steer seniors or other people in various stages toward retirement into annuities. Anyone who considers an annuity should research it thoroughly first, before deciding whether it’s an appropriate investment for someone in their situation.

Annuity Quote Request

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Top Websites to Help Manage Your Money

Posted on November 10, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

Take control of your finances with these budgeting and credit sites, tax software, health care tools and more.

As part of our annual list of the best personal finance products and services, we picked the top money-management tools, from sites to help with budgeting and monitoring your credit to services that will help protect your identity .

Budgeting Web site

Mint.com makes it easy to set up and stay on a budget. The free site securely tracks your financial accounts (you provide log-in info), alerts you when bills are due and monitors progress toward your financial goals. It also notifies you about unusual spending patterns

Car Insurance

InsurancePricedRight.com has it all. This site available for residents of Texas, Louisiana and North Carolina will give you the lowest rates on Car, Home, Life, Dental, Health and IRA’s. No need to look any further – this is the last site you will need.

Tax software

With TurboTax, you can electronically download W-2s and 1099s from thousands of employers and financial institutions, a time-saving feature that reduces errors (H&R Block tax software’s list isn’t as comprehensive). For tax year 2014, users can also arrange to be notified when their W-2 is available for download.

Person-to-person payments

Square Cash is free and easy to use, and users don’t have to register. You send cash from an account tied to your debit card to the recipient’s account securely via e-mail or text. Most payments are deposited in minutes.

Health care tools

Healthcare Bluebook calculates “fair prices” (the amount that providers usually accept from insurers) for hundreds of services searchable by zip code, and it offers tips on how to shop for better deals. GoodRx’s search engine estimates how much your prescription drugs cost at nearby pharmacies and flags generic options. Scheduling a hospital stay? Medicare.gov’s Hospital Compare looks at quality measures, such as readmission rates, in relation to state and national averages.

Free credit site

Drawing data from credit agency Trans­Union, Credit Karma provides your credit score and lets you access your credit report. It also monitors the report for suspicious activity. The tool’s “report card” offers tips on how to improve your mix of accounts and payment history to raise your score.

Immediate annuity

Payouts can vary a lot from company to company based on your age, sex, amount and type of payout. The best way to find out which insurers offer the highest lifetime payouts for you is to go to Annuities. It provides quotes for most of the top annuity companies.

Password manager

LastPass stores a plethora of passwords using military-grade encryption. A browser add-on save your log-in information on each Web site.

ID protection service

The TrustedID Essentials package ($125) a year or $14.99 a month) monitors your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus for suspicious activity, provides an Equifax credit score and scans black-market sites for your Social Security, credit card and bank account numbers. Plus, TrustedID helps you cancel and replace cards if you lose your wallet and provides insurance to help cover costs that you incur after identity theft.

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Oops to Wells Fargo….

Posted on November 7, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

NEW YORK, Nov 5 (Reuters) – Wells Fargo & Co said on Wednesday it is in discussions with the U.S. government to resolve a lawsuit accusing the nation’s largest mortgage lender of cheating taxpayers by submitting ineligible home loans to a federal insurance program.

Wells Fargo, the fourth-largest U.S. bank by assets, disclosed the talks in a quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

In October 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the San Francisco-based bank, saying it failed to report more than 6,000 loans that did not meet requirements for insurance under the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and failed to properly review early payment defaults.

The government said this caused the FHA to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars in claims on loans that did not qualify for insurance.

Wells Fargo asked a federal judge in Washington, D.C. shortly after the complaint was filed to excuse it from the Justice Department’s claims, but was rebuffed in 2013. The bank’s appeal also failed.

At a June hearing in New York, a Justice Department lawyer said the bank and the government had tried several times to resolve their differences but were unsuccessful.

Jennifer Queliz, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan, declined comment.

Wells Fargo is not the only big bank to face such allegations. JPMorgan Chase & Co, Bank of America Corp , Citigroup Inc and Deutsche Bank AG all reached settlements with the Justice Department over related issues in recent years.

The bank lowered its estimate of projected litigation-related losses to as much as $950 million above the sum already set aside at the end of September. That is down from an estimated $1.2 billion at the end of June, according to the SEC filing.

Wells Fargo shares rose 1.1 percent to $53.48.

For more information about Home Buying visit: http://www.robertjrussellcompanies.com
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Save Money with a TV Antenna

Posted on November 6, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

As more people rethink ways to get television programming outside the traditional cable and satellite companies, the unsung TV antenna is becoming a fundamental component of their cord-cutting strategy.

That makes sense. Not only are broadcast TV signals free, but even a simple antenna can produce the best picture you’ve ever seen on your TV because the high-definition signals are less compressed than through cable or satellite.

And new flat, wall-mounted indoor antennas are a cinch to install and far less offensive aesthetically than the old rabbit ears; some can be affixed to a window behind drapes, for example. With a one-time cost of about $50 for about 50 channels – including almost all the most popular 50 shows – the switch is a frugal-spender’s delight.

HBO recently announced it would offer streaming online HBO service without a cable or satellite subscription, removing yet another reason people remain tethered to a paid-TV provider. ESPN, perhaps the largest hurdle to cutting cords, reportedly is looking into the same thing.

Antenna sales spiked several years ago with the switch to digital broadcast signals, but the antenna business has continued to flourish, said Ian Geise, senior vice president of Voxx Accessories, the largest seller of TV antennas under such names as Terk and RCA.

“It’s really been this shift in mindset for people and (their) television entertainment,” he said.

And it’s not all older consumers and cheapskates. Young adults who grew up on streaming content are becoming big customers of antennas as a way to complement their online video entertainment, he said.

A typical cord-cutting setup would include an antenna, supplemented with online programming that can be sent to your television via such streaming boxes as Apple TV and Roku and many of the newer “smart” television sets that allow you to log in to online programming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Of course, you would still need Internet service, potentially from the cable company, which results not in cord-cutting but cord-trimming. Even if you don’t want to use over-the-air signals for your main TV, an antenna might work well for televisions in a bedroom or den, avoiding the monthly cost of extra cable boxes.

Interested in free TV? Here are questions and answers about antennas and getting some of your video entertainment over the air:

Q: What equipment do I need?

A TV and an antenna. If you have an old TV without a digital tuner, pre-2007, you might need a digital converter box.

Q: What channels can I get?

All the big broadcast channels, such as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW and PBS. All but three of the top 50 shows were on broadcast networks during the last TV season and could be picked up by antenna, according to TV Guide’s list for the 2013-14 TV season. You’ll also get independent channels and subchannels of main networks that provide additional programming, such as old TV shows and foreign-language shows.

Q: What programming won’t I get?

No “The Walking Dead” on AMC, “Monday Night Football” on ESPN or “Duck Dynasty” on A&E. No CNN or MSNBC, and no pay channels, such as HBO and Showtime.

Q: How is the quality of over-the-air TV?

Once you are receiving a strong signal, excellent. No snow or ghosting picture. “You have a cliff effect; you either have a signal or you don’t have signal. If you’re not receiving your signal properly, for the most part, you’ll just get a blue screen,” Geise said. Otherwise, the picture is likely to be noticeably better than cable or satellite.

An exception might be broadcast subchannels, if there are a lot of them. They might be slightly lower quality than the main channel, but still high definition, said David Wilson, vice president of technology and standards at the Consumer Electronics Association.

Q: How do I buy an antenna?

Several websites can help you determine the reception at your address, the nearest TV transmitters and the channels you’re likely to receive. Some help you choose an outdoor antenna model with color codes. Consumer Reports recommends antennaweb.org, antennapoint.com, TVFool.com and the FCC’s DTV Reception maps at transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/dtvmaps.

Q: What are the types of antennas?

The basic choice is between indoor antennas, if you’re roughly 25 miles or closer to transmitting towers, or outdoor and attic antennas if you are farther away. Outdoor antennas are better, but indoor antennas are smaller and more discreet. Some flat, flexible, magazine-size plates can be mounted behind a TV, for example, or even painted the same color as the wall.

Some newer outdoor antennas are smaller than traditional models and can be mounted to the side of a house, similar to a satellite dish, Geise said. Besides Terk and RCA, Mohu brand indoor antennas get good reviews. There’s no such thing as an HD or digital antenna, which are marketing terms.

Q: Is installation difficult?

For indoor antennas, you attach it to your TV with the familiar coaxial cable and perform a channel scan to see what stations you get. See your TV’s manual for instructions on performing a scan. Moving the antenna around the room might change which channels you receive. Mounting an outdoor antenna will depend on how handy you are and whether you are comfortable working at heights. Hiring an installer is an option.

Q: Which is best?

Terrain, trees and buildings can all affect signals and the type of antenna that works best at your location, so you might have to try a few. There is no “best.” “There are so many factors that can come into play to get the best signal you can,” Geise said. So, buy from a retailer that offers no-hassle returns.

Consumer Reports says that for indoor antennas the wood or metal in your home’s walls might interfere with and degrade digital signals. It found the best placement is usually near a window facing the direction of your local TV transmitters. But again, your best strategy is trial and error.

Q: Do features matter?

Antennas that are amplified and omnidirectional sound like they’re better, but they are not necessarily. A nonamplified, directional antenna might work best.

Q: How much do they cost?

Consumer Reports found little correlation between price and performance. The antenna that was generally able to pull in the most stations during its test was a $32 model from RCA.

Q: Can I feed several TVs with one antenna?

Yes. You can use a splitter for the cable, possibly adding amplifiers for longer runs, as you would with cable and satellite TV.

Q: Is there a downside?

Potentially. Besides the inability to get non-broadcast channels, recording shows and movies can be expensive or a hassle. You can record broadcast TV on DVRs, but some, like Tivo, have monthly service costs, mitigating your cord-cutting savings. Channel Master is another brand that is more expensive but has a DVR without a subscription. Tablo and Simple.tv are others.

The biggest downside is that some people just won’t be able to get a good enough signal to make an antenna work in their locations.

Q: Just try it?

If you are close enough to TV towers to use an indoor antenna, consider trying one. They are relatively inexpensive and low hassle to set up. If it doesn’t work, it’s no big deal. Just return it to get your money back.

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Wierd NJ Road

Posted on November 4, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

There is a strange and lonely road in Tinton Falls called Essex Road. Like many of the roads less traveled throughout New Jersey, Essex Road’s lore includes tales of ghosts, Satanists and unseen cannibals lurking in the woods, lying in wait to attack any motorist unlucky enough to wander onto their turf.

Unlike other such legendary streets though, Essex Road at one time had an added attraction to enhance its mystique – body outlines on the pavement that are drawn or laid out in tape on the black top to mark the places of the fallen victims. In recent years, development has encroached on this once lonely stretch of road through the woods, but old legends such as the ones told of Essex Road die hard. Weird NJ readers share their experiences on this bizarre byway…

Body outlines

Essex Road has a bunch of Satanic stuff written on the asphalt and no matter how many times that it is repaved, the symbols keep reappearing. There are stories of kids being killed by cars, and their body outlines can still be seen on the road. I saw this stuff myself, not knowing what it was, until I stopped and looked, then it hit me!

–Doug

Murderous albinos

While working in Freehold, my cousin and her friend told me about Essex Road in Tinton Falls . They said that in the late 1800s, families of albinos lived along the road deep in the woods. People used to come from all over just to get a look at them. I guess they got fed up and began murdering curious onlookers and putting the bodies in a slaughterhouse.

At a local gas station, we asked the attendant where Essex Road was and he said, “So, you want to see the albinos.”

– Jennifer B.

Plagued by rumors

Essex Road is an isolated, unlit road, partially bordered on both sides by marshland, and cut into the wooded outskirts of town. It’s only about one-half mile long, partially running parallel to the Parkway, with some industrial buildings at one end.

Picture driving down this desolate road at night, as you turn off the headlights and observe your path being illuminated by the blue-green glow of the mist covering the road in the moonlight. As you approach the end, you notice a lone dirt road projecting into the woods, a driveway of a house, by an unmarked mailbox. Curiosity makes you turn into this driveway, which is only wide enough for one car. You can’t turn around for there is dense woodland on either side. Then up ahead, there it is: you can just make it out: The silhouette of a big old house — the kind that you might find while peering through the Spanish moss-draped trees in the backwoods of Louisiana. Suddenly, you see the lights of the house turn on, and out come running all these people with clubs and guns. You’re now surrounded by the “Albinos.”

Well, this was always the perfect setting to scare the pants off of your friends on a Saturday night. This is an urban myth that was circulated through the halls of nearby Neptune High School back in the ’60s and ’70s. If you weren’t riding the “circuit” in Asbury Park on a Saturday night (which can no longer be done, because the sewer treatment plant now blocks the end of Ocean Avenue), you were being chased by the “Albinos.”

The previous story is true, with two exceptions. The “Albinos” were just a normal elderly couple who had lived on the spooky, desolate Essex Road for years, and just wanted to be left alone. But they were constantly plagued by this urban myth. The mysterious glowing mist was explained by my Neptune High School chemistry teacher, Mr. George Monahan. It was just swamp gas mixed with humid atmospheric conditions, and the added moonlight gave the appearance that it was glowing and blue-green in color.

Fast-forward to 2014. The elderly couple’s house has now been replaced by Seabrook Village, a senior assisted living facility. I hope that they got a generous price for their land, because this place is huge. The other end of Essex Road, that had a few industrial buildings, has now been augmented by the addition of the Asbury Park Press Building, and most recently the Jersey Shore Outlet Center.

– Dr. A. J. DeVivo

Fear run

I remember Essex Road used to be a true “road to nowhere,” that is now the site of developments. Some friends and I had a scary experience there back in the summer of 1983. We had all heard the tales of albinos that used to live back there who would terrorize people, so we felt it was due time to check it out. We drove down the unpaved road in a convertible Volkswagen bug. It was truly creepy out there – so much so that only my friend and I decided to venture further on foot. The other person that was with us decided to wait in the car. We made our way down toward the first of what looked like run-down, very small houses. I remember it was eerily quiet as we cautiously approached the mini- house to see what we would find. As we got within maybe 20 or 30 feet of the house, flames shot out of two of the broken windows! My friend and I turned around and ran back towards the car, scared as hell. I think we both dove back into the convertible and got out of there as fast as we could. We refer to our getaway from the house as our “fear run.”

– Ghoul Runnings

Ritual magic

Albino families supposedly lived namelessly in the woods behind Essex Road. When development started in the woods, an accidental death of one of the albinos caused a war between the workers and the albino family. Another tale tells of a romance between an albino girl and an “outsider” which was ended quickly and painfully by the girl’s father. Also, Satanists supposedly practice secret rites in these woods.

Cars have been forced off the road by unseen forces and slammed into barriers and trees. Misty forms appearing in the middle of Essex Road startling drivers into stopping or veering off the road. If you went around the hard curve on the road two little girls who supposedly died in a car crash there are said to appear, in warning.

When I was in high school, it was common to drive down this spooky road. People were dared to get out of the car and go into the woods, but no one ever did. There were pentagrams and other symbols painted on the street, though the presence of ritual magic users was never noticed.

Essex Road has a very strange effect on many people. In reality the road is only about a two minute long drive, but when you drive down at night the drive seems infinite, as though you’d never get off the strange road.

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