OceanFest, a Prelude To The 4th of July in Long Branch

The City of Long branch holds a great celebration leading up to their fire works spectacular.  OceanFest is a day long fair set up in appreciation of the residents of Long Branch.  Held along the boardwalk on Ocean Avenue, OceanFest can best be described as a side walk festival, where local business owners offer their wears alongside local artisans and crafts people.  Typical carnival food is offered at a plethora of stands, along side some more fancy cuisine prepared by resturants in the area.  There will be sand castle contests going on, face painting stations for the kids, local politicians will be around for friendly discussions, and street preformers will entertain all day long.  There is also a stage set up for live music, and many raffles and contests for people to participate in.  There will even be chances for you to be charitable, with a few philanthropic organizations having their own booths along the boardwalk.  All in all it is a wonderful time, and an event the whole family can come to and enjoy all day long, or for as long as you want to stay.  OceanFest is also the lead up to the City of Long Branch's 4th of July Fireworks display.  After filling up on all kinds of wonderful food, you and your family can put a blanket down on the beach and get ready to celebrate our forefather's signing of the Declaration of Independance.  The 4th of July is a Great day for Americans, and Long Branch knows how to celebrate it right.  OceanFest is a great way to spend your 4th of July if you are enjoying your day off in the Long branch area, come by and see why it is bigger and better every year.

The Pit, West End's Public Beach Access

Hello again from Long Branch New Jersey,

     As a resident of the city of Long Branch, I wanted to get a few of the places I enjoy the most out there for people to read about.  At the end of Brighton avenue, in Long Branch's West End, is the public beach access point named by the locals, "The Pit."  This beach is protected by professional life guards, and is quite popular.  Swimmers, beach goers, fishermen and surfers all frequent this beautiful stretch of the Jersey shore.  The beach itself is clean, and a relatively short distance from the ocean itself.  There are two jetteys providing an excelent opportunity for anglers, the jetteys also provide a good break for surfers.  Inbetween the jetteys is a lovely swimming location perfect for vacationing families.  The Pit is a great place to spend your summer days if you are ever in the Long Branch area, and beach access is reasonably priced for day passes, season long passes are also available from the city of Long branch's recreation department.  For more information on Long Branch, or the greater Jersey shore area, please feel free to contact me and i will try to answer your querries to the best of my abilities.

JON

Another Day In Paradise

Once again Welcome,

     Today I would like to talk about the power of positive thinking.  When one thinks positively many things can happen.  First and foremost positive thinking leads to positive actions.  The positive actions will not be limited to the things you do personally though.  When one thinks and acts in a positive manner the people around them will notice, and in turn feel like they should do the same.  As Realtors we all can take this step in our professional lives, and it may just rub off on our coworkers and clients.  A positive attitude is free, but it can go a long way towards making you the best sales person you can be.  All people will notice that you stand out because you are not down...even in this market, and they will gain confidence from your ability to think and act positively.  Peple feed off of eachother, and if what you're serving up is positive then those around will try to follow suit.  Earlier on in life I was not so upbeat, or positive, and my attitude got me into trouble, because people could see that i was not willing to work to be happy.  As I have gotten older though, I found that having the wrong attitude didn't get me anywhere.  As I began to lighten up and think positively I saw that sucesses were comming my way more and more frequently.  I took the golden rule to heart, and began treating others the way I wished to be treated, and it did wonders for me and the people close to me.  God's lessons seem simple at times, but they are quite profound.  The "golden rule" for example is something that all children know about, but few of us truely follow.  The idea is simple but its practice is not, and that is God's way.  We as people need to work for the simple lessons of the Lord to become a part of our lives, but once they are we can see the positive results immediately, and over time they will only increase in frequency and potency.  God gave us free will, use it to be positive and you will see results!

Paradise takes work, but once you're there the view is Amazing!

JON

Another Day In Paradise

Welcome back friends,

     Its beautiful outside today on the Jersey shore.  I would like to talk today about giving back to our communities.  As realtors we have a job that at its best can help shape the communities that we serve.  Realtors can help people into the houses of their dreams, or into the small businesses that fuel our local economies.  But we all know that this is our job as well, and doing these good things comes with an eventual pay check.  There is of course nothing wrong with this, because again it is what we do for a living, but somehow it takes a bit of the good feeling out of what ever I do.  With this in mind I feel that there are opportunities for realtors specifically because of our flexible schedules to give back to our communities.  There are countless charities that need voulenteers, NPOs, political organizations, groups that work with children, and so on that we can be active in/with. 

     I have previously blogged about my little league team, and that was a terrific time with a great bunch of local kids.  I am also active in the Boy Scouts of America, which is a wonderful organization that really helps to shape boys into responsable young men.  The great thing about the Scouts is that it usually takes up about 2-3 hours of time a week, but that is enough time to feel good about myself and what i am filling that 2-3 hours doing.  The commitment isn't overwhelming, and as long as you give your time to something that you enjoy it doesn't feel like service, and its alot better than sitting infront of the TV on a Thursday night.  Being civic minded can be fun while it is rewarding.  I have also had a sucessful winter coat/clothing drive for the past few years...well it was only myself and my broker, who is a close friend, and we would buy a few coats and hats and the such for some of the underprivladged children in the area.  For the clothiong drive we both thought it best to not make a big deal about it, rather we just wanted the children to be warm.  I believe this year I will try to talk him into making it a bigger opperation, because it really does make a difference in the lives of the few children we personally can help, but it could be extended and help even more children. 

     Basically I am saying that we all have some free time every day that could be spent doing something for the better of the community, and we should take advantage of the opportunities that are right infront of us.  Here is the kicker, joining these groups, or voulenteering is also a great way to network.  Though just being helpful is worth it, you will undoubtedly be in contact with people you would otherwise not know and in so doing you may even find a new client or two.  Being a good person has built in bennefits, and the more you give of yourself, the more you can expect to be returned to you because God rewards those who go the extra mile to help their fellow man. 

Thanks for reading, and I hope you had another good time in Paradise

JONNY

Another Day In Paradise

Welcome back,

           It is another day in Paradise, AKA Long Branch, NJ.  And, I would like to talk about carpet cleaning today.  As we who rent know, apartments should be cleaned and painted before a new tennant occupies the rental unit.  I am working with an absentee owner, and the apartment was not properly cleaned before the new tennant moved in.  Normally this wouldn't be that big of an issue, but my client insists that the unit could be given the once over and she would do the rest.  At the least she hoped that we could get the carpets cleaned for them and they could deal with any of the other problems that were presant.  On my end I called around to find carpet cleaners in my area...and thats when the problems started.  Independant carpet cleaners gave me very high priced estimates of how much it would be to clean the carpets that occupy 2 rooms in the apartment.  We shopped around to try and find the best deal in town and were continually given estimates outside of our price range.  We decided to give a larger national company a chance.  Stanley Steamer said they would be able to do the job at a flat rate of 50.00$ per room, which seemed like a good deal, and was much cheaper than any of the other estimates.  The only problem is that Stanley Steamer sent over two flunkies who were not only incompitent, but just plain old fashioned rude.  They spoke to me like I was an idiot, and shot down my suggestions as to how they would be able to get thier equiptment to the apartment that needed cleaning.  In short these two men were able to turn me from a willing client to an angry/frustrated person who wouldn't use their brand if it was free.  Usually I like to use smaller companies as a rule because if nothing else they are hungrier for the jobs they can get and it puts money back into my local economy instead of into the coffers of some giant faceless corporate conglomerate.  These men then flat out told me that they would not do the job.  I was shocked and angry, but I held my temper and just asked them if they were inconvienced as much as I was...which of course they were not.  They had another job lined up a half hour later, while my client was left with dirty carpets.  DO NOT USE STANLEY STEAMER!!!!! your best bet is to go with a smaller local company who really needs the business.

So, after that terrible situation, you may find yourself asking..."How is this another day in paradise?" Well, the good thing is that I'm on the Jersey shore and there's some nice waves crashing onto the beach outside of my house...Surfs UP and I'm gonna go take advantage.

Hope your day is as good as mine!

JONNY

Another Day In Paradise

Hey There

       Welcome to Another Day In Paradise, glad to see you stopped by.  Today I would like to talk about how great my home town is.  Long Branch is one of the first real shore towns after Sandy Hook in New Jersey.  The city of Long Branch was at one time the vacation destination of the rich and famous, before HollyWood became the center of the entertainment world.  In the 1920's Broadway was were the most famous actors of the time worked, and they came to play in Long branch.  As the focus shifted from the stage to the silver screen, people also shifted away from frequenting Long branch.  Long branch is still a vacation destination, but it is much less crowded these days.  Long Branch is my favorite town all along the Jersey shore, because it is not a tourist trap.  There are beaches, and fun/touristy things to do, but by no meens is it like Sea Side or Point Pleasant.  Long branch is quieter than other shore towns.  As a surfer in the area its nice to know there won't be 40 guys waiting in the line up all to catch the same wave.  As a fisherman it is also nice to know that I can find places to fish with out having to fight for elbow room.  Long branch is a very relaxing place to be, and I find myself drifting further and further from the hustle and bustle of norther New Jersey where I grew up.  I also believe that working in a place I like so much makes me a better Realtor, because I have a vested intrest in the city and the surrounding areas.  Long Branch is a great city, and I think everyone should come visit to see what all the fuss is about!

Thanks for reading, I hope you look forward to my next post...cause I look forward to writing it.

JONNY 

Another Day In Paradise

Today I'd like to talk about some of the hidden costs that can be incurred by real estate agents.  Of course the dues we owe for variuous organizations is something the avarage person may not know about realtors, but there are other fees that can occur which you might not think about before getting in to the business.  I am renting out an appartment, and the owner is from another part of the state...and pretty far away for him to do some regular maintanence.  My client needed to get into the apartment ASAP but there were a few problems.  The owner was not around to clean up the place, or to have the carpet steamed.  Though I will be reinbursed for these two services, it was still my responsability to pay to have them done so the renter could move in as quick as possible.  These kinds of costs show up more than I would have thought before I got into the real estate business.  Usually they are not too expensive, but if you have enough clients it can add up before the reimbursements start rolling in.  The key to not having this problem balloon up is to be in close contact with absentee owners, and to plan ahead for move in days.  This could either be seen as an inconvience, or a chance to network and build up relationships with local cleaners and other business owners.  I have managed to team up with a cleaning company in town, and now use them exclusively for apartment/rental cleaning.  This cleaner happens to also own other busniesses in town, and he has refered cliewnts to me because of the business I throw his way.  Sometimes the costs you may have to take out of pocket can lead to more business, and rather then get bummed out at having to shell out money, you should make it a point to build up relationships around your area by working along side with cleaning people and the such.  A clean rental is the renters best friend, and its great in a time when the economy is slow to give back to the community you work in.

Thanks for reading,

JONNY

Another Day In Paradise

Hello again,

     Just figured I would give some closure to those who read my last posting about my little league team.  This past Wednesday was our end of the year awards diner.  All of the children involved recieved a trophy and were given the chance to be infront of everyone involved and take a bow.  The kids loved it because they got some momento, and they were the collective center of attention for a couple minutes.  This diner was exactly what we were looking for as realtors.  As a coaching staff, my boss and I were also asked to stand up and accept some praise for the work that we did for the league.  Having no children, my broker and I simply wanted to help out in the community.  Not only have we gotten business from some of our team's parents, but now all of the parents league wide have had a chance to hear our names and see us in person.  If you would like a way to drum up new business try coaching or helping out for your local little league program.  As a former college athalete my skill set was going to waste not doing anything, but you don't have to be the best at anything in order to coach...you just need to have a basic understanding of the game.  Using coaching as a way to get business is a great thing to do because you also get outside and active while coaching...which with some of our busy schedules exercise can find a way to be skipped for other past times.  All of us are interested in making our community better and this is one very easy/rewarding way to get your name out there.  Also many of the parents are young, and hwo knows they might just need your services.

Yours truely

JONNY

Another Day In Paradise

Hey all

     It really is another day in paradise today, because the heat wave finally broke up here in the northeast.  Five or so days of it feeling like a hundred degrees out there was rough.  Being that i am still fairly new in the business I still handle alot of residential rentals.  I have worked with college students and vacationers mainly, and this past week was pretty rough for me to get my clients out to see prospective properties.  Did I complain? Yes, but only to my girl friend.  I feel like its my responsability to my clients to be as upbeat as possible even when confronted with rough conditions.  If my clients can see that I don't let minor inconviences get me down I feel that it makes them more confident that I will do the work necessary to fulfill their specific needs. 

     Briefly I would also like to congradulate the little league team my Broker and I coach in our spare time. The DeGeorge Realty White Sox, finnished up their season of instructional little league with a close loss in the first round of the play offs.  Our team ranged from 6-10 years of age and they all made the most of their spring playing baseball.  Our innitial goal for helping out with the league was obviously to get some new contacts and to put the DeGeorge Realty name out to the public, but as the season began to take shape we found that this was much more than just drumming up business.  These kids were like a diamond in the rough, and it was our job to polish them up.  Each one of our boys and girls had a good time, and they all learned the game of baseball is something that is FUN and that a little hard work never hurt anybody.  Ok, I feel like I'm gushing but it was a great way to spend my early evenings after getting out of work.  Having games three times a week was really good for turning the volume down on other matters.  And of course, the company has bennefited from our participation, but I like to think that I would have done this eventually if I had not picked this line of work, but never before i had my own children and not before I was 30 at the very least.  Great Job White Sox, and thanks for reading Another Day In Paradise! 

Another day in paradise

Its another rainy day in Long Branch, and all over the east coast.  Which makes me think that mother nature is at times against the real estate sales person.  On a day like today in the east, it is ugly out there and I would personally not like to engage in showing properties, or even driving around looking for potential business.  One may think that this cuts out alot of options for salespeople, but there are other things that can take up our time.  Today my office is involved in revamping our website, which in today's market is an indespensable tool for generating business.  Any other ideas on how to keep rainy days productive would be much appreciated!!  Don't leave me out in the rain and cold, I need new ideas!