KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE's Blog

First March 2011 & Now April 2011; Stats Are Even Better!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 21:53:21 -0700

First March 2011 & Now April 2011 ; Stats Are Even Better!

As I stated in an earlier blog, concerning the increased Real Estate sales for March 2011 in Worcester County Maryland, we are seeing Buyers purchasing their dream homes at the beach! When we compare April 2010 to April 2011, we have an increase of 27.7% of homes purchased! Of the 24 counties located in Maryland, only 5 counties can claim an INCREASE during April! Ocean City's valuable Real Estate has a lot to do with these numbers climbing! I'm looking forward to this trend continuing through the rest of 2011!

KATHY OPATKA... Cell:410-430-1860... RE/MAX By The Sea... 300 Oceanview Parkway / RT 1... BETHANY BEACH, DELAWARE... Office: 302-537-3171... Licensed in Maryland & Delaware... Serving OCEAN CITY,MD and The Delaware Beaches: Bethany, Rehobeth, Dewey, Lewes, & Fenwick!

Stats Are In For Worcester County Maryland... March 2011!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 21:39:47 -0700

Stats Are In For Worcester County Maryland... March 2011!

Although March 2011 seems like a long time ago, it's great to know that Worcester County,MD actually had a 4.4% increase in Real Estate sales as compared to 2010! What is really great about this increase is the fact that out of the 24 counties in Maryland only 9 saw an increase in sales compared to March 2010! In my opinion, this statistic is the result of Buyers realizing the great values available in Ocean City Maryland, a fabulous beach town located on the Atlantic Ocean!

I think we'll continue to see increases throughout the coming months!

Memorial Day!!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:42:53 -0700

Today is the official start of THE SEASON in Ocean City, Maryland! The Tourists are arriving, the stores are packed and the beaches are getting crowded!

Although this is the start of summer, let's all remember WHY this is a special weekend! This day is the day to honor the men & women who have fought (and are still fighting!) to allow Americans to be free! Send up a good thought for those who are no longer with us and,personally, thank anyone you know who has served our country.

Happy Memorial Day!

Saturday... May 14,2011... Postman Pick-Up Day!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Thu, 12 May 2011 09:15:32 -0700

Saturday... May 14,2011... Postman Pick-up Day!

Please remember to put of bag of non-perishable food out by your mailbox on Saturday! It will be picked up by your mailman as he delivers the mail. This food will be used to replenish food supplies in pantries and shared with those people who are in need of help.

Share as much as you can spare!

Craig's List... Who Knew?

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:45:34 -0700

My friend recently had a year-round rental available for rent in Ocean City, MD. Before she advertised it for rent in one of our 2 local papers that are published every Friday, she decided to try it on Craig's List,a free internet site! She had a tremendous response and had it rented within the week!

Since my tenant of 4 years decided to move, I too decided to advertise on Craig's List for a yearly tenant. I had a very large response and quickly signed a lease with a very nice gentleman.

Then I had a call from a friend asking how to rent his unit on a yearly basis. ( We don't multiple list rentals here; each company keeps their rentals in-house. Most of our rentals are on a weekly basis.) I sent him over to Craig's List and he now has his unit rented!

While I've heard some stories about things NOT being great on Craig's List, I can only say "It was a great, FREE experience!"

Ocean City, Maryland/ The Delaware Beaches Automatic Information!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:18:20 -0700

Ocean City, Maryland/The Delaware Beaches Automatic Information!

If you're interested in following the properties that are available for sale in the above areas, please email me with your criteria.

I need to know... your name, email address, maximum price range, location of property & bedroom/bath numbers.

I'll place you in my AUTOMATIC program that notifies you in REAL TIME as properties become available!

You'll no longer need to spend HOURS searching the Web and WONDERING IF YOU'VE SEEN EVERYTHING!

I'll also do this if you are already a property owner at the beach and would like to follow YOUR CONDO/NEIGHBORHOOD'S Listings.

Verizon... Let's Talk Smart Phones!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:28:36 -0800

Verizon... Let's Talk Smart Phones!

I attended a "Lunch 'N Learn" at my Board Office today. These mini-learning sessions are presented by the Coastal Association of REALTORS (CAR-Maryland) to assist the Members in finding out about new technology/Websites/Topics of Interest.

Today's topic was Smart Phones. A representative from Verizon came to the "Lunch 'N Learn". He brought numerous types of phones, Netbooks, Ipads, etc. and discussed what each did, basic plans for each device and what was coming in the near future. It was very informative. It lasted about an hour and a half.

The representative also discussed what services Verizon has available, ie:discounts offered to businesses, if you like to update your phone frequently,just pay for the one year plan, or schedule an individual class with a Verizon rep to teach you what your Smart Phone can do. (Write down your questions BEFORE your class!)

One of the GREAT PEARLS he shared was..... When calling Verizon, AFTER you've entered your cell number.... just hit "0"! It bypasses all the gobbly-guk and gets you to a real live person!

Although the rep gave out his business card and asked that we call him if we had individual questions, there was no sales-pitch for Verizon!

Would this type of seminar be of interest at your Board or even for an office meeting?

Social Media Discovery!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:24:42 -0800

Social Media Discovery! I just discovered a new-to-me website that focuses on learning all about Social Media. It is www.doncrowther.com. Don has a great Webinar on there by a man by the name of Robert Grant. Robert (who is selling a product) does an in depth discussion on selling on a Facebook Business Page. Robert also shares other products, that can be purchased, to help launch your FB Business. I spent a little over an hour on Don's web page and only scratched the surface of the informative material there! It might be a web page that could be useful in your business. I'll spend more time there tomorrow.

Today's The Day!!!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:05:19 -0800

Today's The Day!!!

It was suppose to happen last May. And then in June. And then September. And then December.

But on January 4,2011, it actually happened! Ocean Downs CASINO opened! (Located in Berlin,MD... about 10 minutes from Ocean City,MD!)

Now this might not be a big deal if you live in Las Vegas,NV or Atlantic City,NJ. But this resort town is excited! We have tons of fun things to do while vacationing in Ocean City,Maryland. And now we have one more!

GAMBLING!

There are about 720 Slot machines available. (Table games are not available.)

I haven't been there YET! I'll give a much more detailed report after I've gotten first hand experience.

Got Slots!

Winterfest of Lights is OVER!!!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 12:58:00 -0800

Winterfest of Lights is OVER!!!

Another successful Winterfest of Lights is completed in Ocean City, Maryland! Hope you had the opportunity to visit, ride the tram through Northside Park, slurp hot chocolate and visit with Santa! If you missed it, please put it on your calendar for next year. It's a beautiful sight!

Wishing you good health & properity in 2011!

Dropbox... How Do You Use It?

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:26:49 -0800

Dropbox... How Do You Use It?

My REALTOR friend just told me about a great site to store your files, so you can retrieve them from your other computers/smart phones! It's called DROPBOX.COM, a free site to store and retrieve files.

When I think of all the times I've had to drive back to my office to retrieve a file/information/form, I know that this site is going to save me a ton of time.

It is very simple to use and it's free! Just sign up,watch the video, and download any files that you'd want to use from another computer. I'm also using it as a backup for files that I wouldn't want to recreate if they were lost/destroyed.

I'm sure this site has been around for awhile and I'm just discovering it.

If you are a user of dropbox, please share...

HOW DO YOU USE DROPBOX?

How Did I Get This Email?

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 12:04:25 -0800

How Did I Get This email?

Within the last three weeks, I've received emails from two DIFFERENT friends..... that they DID NOT SEND me!

The first 3 emails were from a female friend who emails regularly. However, when I opened each one, they were advertisements for drugs! I called her and asked why she was sending these emails and she said I wasn't the first person to call and ask her this question! She had no idea who sent them, but it wasn't her!

The second email came from a friend that DOES NOT email me now. It stated that he was stuck in London, because his wallet & passport had been stolen! It also stated that he was in touch with his US bank and the US Embassy in London, but it would take several days before they could help. Could I please wire him money in the interim? There was also a contact phone number. When my friend was called, he reported that he was safely in his home, not in London, and HADN'T SENT THE EMAIL!

Although I would have sent him money, something told me that this was not on the up and up! Investigate, investigate, investigate! This email was definitely a SCAM setup, attempting to commit fraud!

Here is the question..... how can someone else use a "private" email address?

Magnetic Car Signs Are a Great Marketing Tool!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:32:45 -0700

Magnetic Car Signs Are a Great Marketing Tool!

I want to share something that occurred at the local Ocean City gas station this morning.

I was pumping much needed gas when I started chatting with the fellow at the next pump. He was gassing his motorcycle. It's Bike Week in Ocean City Maryland and I assumed he was a tourist. It turns out that he is a local.

He looked at the signs on my car and requested a handful of my business cards. Apparently, he is a local BUS DRIVER and likes to give REALTOR cards to the people who ride his bus and discuss "their dream of owning their own condo" here at the beach! And he hadn't had any REALTOR'S cards to give out for awhile! He got a bunch of mine!

When I returned to the office, I sent him a THANK YOU note and more business cards! He's now in my tickler file for a local gift card at Christmas!... and of course, more of my business cards!

I love those car signs!

Ocean City, MD Voted One of the Best Boardwalks!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:04:13 -0700

Ocean City, MD Voted One of the Best Boardwalks!

We knew it was fabulous! Now the rest of America knows!

Ocean City (Maryland!) has one of the 10 BEST boardwalks in America! This was determined by Sherman's Travel!

Don't take my word for it! Come and see for yourself! Almost 3 miles of shops, eateries, games and rides to help make your vacation memories! All are located right on our beautiful beach, which then leads to the Atlantic Ocean!

Who Knew??? Email CLUTTER!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:06:44 -0700

Who Knew??? Email CLUTTER!

I've blogged about not being able to go paperless and how so many of the papers turn to piles, which eventually turn to clutter! And I've patted myself on the back about filing IMPORTANT emails in their proper folders!

I've set up email systems to keep emails from piling up in the Inbox. All Listings/Sales get their own folder by their address. All Leads go into the proper email folder by their name. Buyers get their own folders where I store MLS numbers that are of interest to them. All Board newsletters get filed in their own little folder. And the file folders keep multiplying!

But what I wasn't paying attention to was THE REST OF THE STUFF IN THE INBOX!!! I had almost 400 unfiled emails just floating around in Inbox Heaven,many never even opened! How important can they be if I haven't taken the time to even open them? I just spent close to 2 hours "scrubbing" out the Inbox! Now I need a new system to keep this from reoccurring!

What systems do my AR friends use to keep their inboxes under control?

The Tourists Have Arrived in OCEAN CITY,Maryland

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:23:28 -0700

The Tourists Have Arrived! Summer has officially begun in Ocean City, Maryland! It's sunny,hot and a perfect beach day here at the BEACH!

There will be 3 sets of fireworks tonight! Northside Park, Division Street over the Ocean and 49th Street,bayside thanks to Seacret's! If you're not here in Ocean City, get in your car and start driving!

Happy 4TH of July from Ocean City, Maryland!

Tomorrow Is POST PERSON PICK-UP Day!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:02:59 -0700

Tomorrow Is POST PERSON PICK-UP Day!

Your mailman(or mailwomen!) will be stopping by to pick-up non-perishable food items TOMORROW! These food items will go a long way in helping feed the less fortunate of our communities.

So please go to your food pantry, cupboard, under your bed or wherever you store your non-perishables and fill a bag (or 2,...3,...4). Leave the bags by your mail box for the mailPERSON to pick-up on their mail delivery route tomorrow, SATURDAY May 8th,2010.

Fill a bag! Fill the Food Pantry! Fill your neighbor's hungry tummy! Let's all do a little....

Updates From OCEAN CITY (& surrounding areas) in MARYLAND!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 13:45:31 -0700

Updates From OCEAN CITY (& surrounding areas) in MARYLAND!

This is a report from our wonderful MLS system,FLEX, for the week of April 8th thru April 15th,2010!

In Ocean City, MD: 36 New Condo Listings & 4 Single Family Listings..... 30 Condos went Pending & 1 Single Family

... 16 Condos Settled & 1 Single Settled !! It was a great week!

In Ocean Pines & Berlin,MD: 15 New Single Family Homes were Listed.... 7 Single Family Homes went Pending....

... 5 Single Family Homes Settled!! ... No new Condo activity! Lots of showings occurred!

Planning Your MAY Vacation In Ocean City,Maryland!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:15:13 -0700

Planning Your MAY Vacation In Ocean City,Maryland!

While making your May vacation plans at the beach, please consider some of these fun activities to enhance your time spent here:

May 1...Crab Soup Cookoff! For a tiny pittance, taste & help judge these yummy crab soup recipes!

May 6-9... Springfest in Ocean City! This is one of the BIGGEST Festivals of the year. It is used to kick-off the Summer Season! 2 huge tents house the Crafts, Food, & Entertainment!

May 7-8... Music Festival for the upper grades! Held at the Convention Center!

May 15-16... Salute to the Services! Special discounts to our military,EMS,police,& firemen! Bring ID!

May 15-16...Classic Chevy Festival! Years 1929-1984 can Show-off your Chevy!

May 18... International Museum Day! Free admission to the Life-Saving Station Museum on the Boardwalk!

May 20-23... Cruisin' Ocean City Car Show! Bring your favorite hobby-car and show-it-off!

May 29-30... Spring Arts & Craft Show! Memorial Day at the Convention Center!

May 30-June4... Restaurant Week! Sample yummy goodies offered at favorite restaurants at a discounted price!

And we always have the Beach, Boardwalk and Nightclubs to round out your May Vacation in OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND!

Planning Your Vacation in Ocean City,Maryland!!!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:10:52 -0700

Planning Your Vacation in Ocean City,Maryland!!! If you're planning your vacation in Ocean City,Md,here are some fun things to include!

April is a great month to celebrate our Spring season here at the Beach. If you're in Ocean city over the Easter weekend (April 2-4), take the kids to the Convention Center for the Easter Arts & Craft Fair & The Easter Kids Fair! Adults will enjoy the many items for sale ,while the kids get to meet Beanny the Easter Bunny, enjoy the Egg Hunt, puppet shows, face painting, etc. There is just a ton of fun activities to keep everyone in the Easter spirit! (This Easter Fair is put on by www.oceanpromotions.info and my friend Mike Wicklein, who always does a classy affair!)

Also, in Berlin(our nearby let's-go-back-in-time town & where Runaway Bride was filmed!)), on Saturday April 3rd, breakfast with THE BUNNY and then watch the Annual PIG RACES! Another hilarious activity!

April 9-11 are the All-star Internationals for Cheer & Dance. Lots of talent is being displayed at the Convention Center in Ocean City, MD!

April 23-24 is the Sweet Adelines COMPETITION! This competition determines who will represent Region 19 at the Internationals!

April 23-25 is the MD International Kite Exposition held right here on the Beach in Ocean City! You'll be enthralled with the tremendously beautiful kites and how they move in the airstream! You'll soon be at the Kite Loft buying your favorite kite!

April 23-25 also offers Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition & Art Festival at the Ocean City Convention Center! This is where the men have a great time watching the talented carvers do their crafts! And buying the carvings for their offices/dens/collections.

After you've visited the above, grab our $2-a-day bus and just ride the 10 mile island! See all the new stores and restaurants that have sprung up since your last vacation in Ocean City. Then get off the bus at the Inlet and walk our 3 mile Boardwalk!(You'll need this exercise from all the goodies you'll be scarfing down!) Grab some fudge at Jessica's Fudge, get in line (quick moving!) at Thrasher's for their world famous French fries (no ketchup allowed!), Fisher's Popcorn has expanded their yummy popcorn store,and since you're exhausted from all this fun, grab a bench and PEOPLE WATCH! It's an amazing activity!

April is a great time to plan your vacation in Ocean City. If you can't vacation in April, come on back to my Blog and see what's available in MAY !

A Special Thanks to... Robert Brown of Michigan!!!!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:44:26 -0700

A Special Thanks to... Robert Brown of Michigan!!!!

My last blog was a plea for help in getting recommendations for a new printer. The last 10 days had been a nightmare of printer disasters! I had several ARers give their recommendations, for which I'm very grateful!

Active Rainer Robert Brown of Bellabay Realty in Grand Rapids, Michigan went one step further.... he called me! Robert not only told me about his workhorse of a printer, he also looked it up on the Web, found the store, discussed the special features of each new model and found the price for me!

Now that is a true Random Act of Kindness... by a true Active Rainer!

I'm happy to report that I took Robert's advise, went to the store he suggested, and got a fabulous printer!

THANK YOU, ROBERT BROWN!!

I Need Recommendations!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:17:03 -0700

I've had a fiasco of a week trying to order a new printer! I ordered, it didn't come, I re-ordered, the 1st one came, it was the wrong one (discovered this after getting someone to carry it up to my office and then back to my car!), I cancelled second order, it's coming ANYWAY, I'm driving from Ocean City, Md to Dover, Delaware tomorrow to return first printer and BUY one while I'm standing in the store!!!!... at a DIFFERENT STORE!!!

Can anyone recommend a workhorse of an all-in-one PRINTER for under $250?

I Need Recommendations!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:15:40 -0700

Can anyone recommend a workhorse of an all-in-one PRINTER for under $250?

First the Snow and Now the Rain! What's Happening in OCEAN CITY,MD?

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:42:59 -0800

First the Snow and Now the Rain! What's Happening?

This is Ocean City, Maryland, known for it's WARM, SUNNY weather, beautiful beaches and fun activities! Of late, you'd think we had moved the town about 200 miles to the north! We've had tons of snow, which has finally melted , but, apparently, we're now in the monsoon season!

It's pouring and foggy!

I'm still hoping that we awaken to bright, sunny skys tomorrow ,so we can all enjoy the St. Patrick's Day Parade and all the fun at 45th Street!

However, if Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, we can still all have a great time at all the LOCAL establishments that are celebrating the Wearing 'o the Green Day!

See you at... Seacret's, or Shenanigan's, or BJ'S, or Sunset Grill, or Smitty McGee's, or Duffy's, ReMax(LOL!) and the list goes on and on! Ocean City ,MD the place to celebrate St. Pat's Day!

Enjoy your corned beef and cabbage!

Ocean City, MD -St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival!

KATHY OPATKA Ocean City, MD & Bethany Beach, DE (RE/MAX By The Sea) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:21:01 -0800

Ocean City, MD -St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival!

It's not too late to make plans for this weekend! March 13, 2010 is the official St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival in Ocean City, Maryland! It start at 11 am and goes until 4... officially! But we all know the party goes on until the wee hours of the night!

Parade route is from 61st Street south to 45th Street! And then visit our local taverns for that corned beef and cabbage and GREEN beer!

It's the 30th anniversary of the St. Pat's Parade in Ocean City!

Wear as much green as you can possible fit on your person!

Make your plans NOW!