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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...
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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...
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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…
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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.
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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."…
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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…
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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…
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‘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.
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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…
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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...
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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…
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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.
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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….
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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TELEVISION MEDIA

New Jersey Home Sales/Shore Homes
June 6, 2008
NJ News 12
Home Sales in New Jersey’s Beach Communities are down by as much as 23%. Analysts say it’s a trend that speaks to a broader economic down turn. And despite these statistics, shore area Realtors are reporting an up-tick.
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Struggling Home Owners in the U.S.
May 27, 2008
BBC World News
There is no reprieve for struggling home owners in the United States for the fall of house prices and sales. Not only causing problems for the economy it is becoming more difficult to put a valuation on the properties and that leaves many families in financial difficulties.
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Foreclosures at an All Time High
March 24, 2008
NJN Public Television & Radio
The Foreclosure rate in New Jersey is at an all time high and the housing market is in decline. In some cases, one person's misfortune can be another's opportunity.
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Home Prices Fall in Rich New York Suburbs Once Immune to Slump
May 9, 2007
Bloomberg TV
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..
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RADIO MEDIA
Home Prices Fall in Rich New York Suburbs Once Immune to Slump
May 9, 2007
Bloomberg Radio
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.
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PUBLISHED ACADEMIC ARTICLES
The Role of New Construction in the Relocation Appraisal
September 1993
The appraisal process relies heavily on the principle of substitution in developing an estimate of value. This principle holds that typical potential buyers in a marketplace usually are unwilling to pay more for a property than the cost of acquiring an equally desirable substitute property. In considering competing listings, the availability and pricing of new construction should be examined carefully. Since most potential buyers consider new construction more desirable than a previously owned home, the availability of new homes is a limiting influence on the anticipated sales price of a transferee's existing home.
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Understanding the Buyer's Perspective
April 1993
Real estate markets naturally tend to seek a balance between the opposing interests of buyers and sellers in the marketplace.
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The Value Added by Appraisers
November 1996
The valuation process for a relocated employee's home has long been a source of concern and controversy for employers and employees alike. This is not unexpected, given the intensely personal nature of homeownership. The unique characteristics that comprise our individual personalities lead us to create home environments in our own image. It is, therefore, natural that we, as individual, sense intrinsic value in our homes that will not always be fully recognized by others. It also seems reasonable to expect that outsiders' failure to validate or agree with that perceived value during the relocation process will be a perpetual source of conflict.
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