On a flight to the west coast, a 6th grade student sat reading a book.  A congressional representative boarded the plane and sat next to the girl.

After the plane was airborne, the Congressman turned to the girl and said, "I’ve heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger, would you like to talk?"
  
She closed her book slowly and said to this total stranger, "What would you like to talk about?"
  
The congressman smiled smugly and said, "I don't know maybe global warming or universal health care?"
 
"Those could be interesting topics," the 6th grader said.

"But I need to ask you a question first.

"A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff – grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?"
  
This legislator is shaken and a little surprised by the young girl’s intelligence.

He thinks about it for a minute and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea."
  
So the little girl asks, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss global warming or universal health care when you don’t know poop?"

Mystic Island, New Jersey - Waterfront Homes and Chunks of History!

Mystic Island is a section of Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey...Ocean County's southernmost municipality.  

It's main road, from Great Bay Boulevard to Mystic Beach at the Great Bay, used to be known as Shore Road.  It winds through Mystic Island, Hickory Island and Osborn Island.  This thoroughfare is now known as Radio Road.

That name came about in the early 1900's with the construction of the Tuckerton Wireless Tower, the tallest and strongest radio tower in 1912.  Its guide wire foundations are still visible, though the tower is long gone.

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The tower was built by the German company known as HOMAG, The High Frequency Machine Corporation for Wireless Telegraphy.  This tower was used to communicate with an identical station in Eilvese, Germany beginning in 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I.

  

Though taken over by the US Navy to assure the messages sent and received did not violate America's Declaration of Neutrality, the tower was still manned by German nationals employed by HOMAG.  It's rumored that this tower was used to send the message ordering the attack on the Lusitania!

When the US entered the WW I, all radio stations were taken over and shut down by Executive Order. All the German employees of HOMAG were taken as prisoners of war and the Tuckerton Tower was assigned to the US Navy.  They used it as a back up for the Navy's main transatlantic wireless station north of here in New Brunswick, NJ.

After the war, the Tuckerton Wireless Tower was included in German war reparations paid to America.

  

The government then sold the tower to RCA which used it as a backup a facility in Rocky Point, NY.  It operated until 1948.  The Tuckerton Wireless Tower was demolished in 1955 and that's when the single family homes in Mystic Island began cropping up

This 820 foot wireless tower was anchored by 3 huge blocks that exist today; one is in the backyard of a home on North Ensign Drive, one in the middle of the street on South Ensign Drive, and the other in the middle of Staysail.

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South Ensign Drive, Little Egg Harbor, NJ

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Staysail, Little Egg Harbor, NJ

Many smaller foundations for supporting towers are still visible in the lagoons of Mystic Island.  If you'd like to see some great photos of the Tuckerton Wireless Tower, its construction and demolition, visit the Giffordtown Schoolhouse Museum, home of the Tuckerton Historical Society.

  
If you'd like information on the real estate market or homes for sale in Mystic Island, Little Egg Harbor or Tuckerton, give me a call!

Keller Williams Realty - Atlantic Shore
Laura Giannotta
609-384-6121
Laura@JerseyShoreViews.com

GET YOUR OWN JERSEY SHORE VIEWS!

  

New Jersey's coastal counties have been declared a disaster area by Governor Corzine.

Though the rain and wind subsided over the weekend, yesterday was the first day local and state officials could take a firsthand view of the damage.  They were out in force on Long Beach Island, calling last week's storm the worst in a decade.

Most lagoon front property in Little Egg Harbor and  Manahawkin fared well, some of the beaches on Long Beach Island were not so lucky.

Bulkheads and jetties saw some real action during the 4 days of wind and rain.

 

The beaches in Surf City handled the storm far better.  Last year, Surf City received beach replenishment help from the Army Corps of Engineers.  The wider beach and plenty of dune grass helped against the winds and high tides.

 

That's not to say the Surf City beach was debris free...

So as state and municipal officials continue to tally the costs to repair the damage on the Island, some were just enjoying the remnants of the storm.

 

The day started out like any other...but the howling wind and pounding rain reminded me the Jersey Shore was still in the middle of some strange weather confluence.

Sounds like the beginning of a bad novel, but this was my morning.  It didn't stop there! 

I drove through flooded streets to make it to a termite inspection, only to find the copy of the key that was provided by the listing office hadn't been tested and didn't work!

I wasn't looking forward to it, but then I made the hour drive an hour to my next appointment.  So, I recite affirmations and I continue on.  Appointment done.

Arriving at my home office, I check my email.  It's a habit.  In my inbox, I read the following...

 Laura,

You have really impressed me throughout this process.  Thank you for looking out for the small details to make things go so smoothly.

Dawn J, Wells Fargo 

This email was sent before I drove through flooded streets.  The email was sent before I did what I promised today.  We'll close in the next few weeks on this home, but this little note will stay with me forever!

Take the time to say good job; to another agent or to a contractor you're working with.  Yea, we're doing our jobs, but we all love to know we're doing it well! 

So, go ahead make my day!!!

Or more important...make someone's day.  It doesn'T hurt!

A friend of mine watches her grandson after school because both parents work.  Sean is in second grade and never ceases to amaze her.

It seems Sean came home from school last week and announced that they had learned how to make ‘babies' in school that day.

My friend was a little shocked; after all we never learned that in second grade.  But she took a deep breath and trying to remain calm said, "That's interesting Sean, how do you make babies?"

Munching his after school cookies, Sean said, "It's really easy, you change the ‘y' to ‘i' and add ‘es'."

Can I use the expanded and extended tax credit program to buy a home in New Jersey if I don’t have perfect credit?

You might have thought that you couldn’t meet the deadline to qualify for a tax credit on a home purchase because your credit score is less than perfect.  But the expanded and extended tax credit program to buy a home in New Jersey is now law, and you have six more months!  That will give you some room to work on your credit score.
 
The extended tax credit program offers first time home buyers six more months to get a home under contract to qualify for the $8,000.  The expanded tax credit program allows homeowners, who’ve lived in their homes for five of the last eight years, to qualify for a $6,500 credit.
 
The first step to see if you can take advantage of the expanded and extended tax credit program to buy a home in New Jersey is to check your credit score, and work on improvements.
 
The best place to learn about your options to check your credit and increase your credit score is to speak with a mortgage professional.  You can click here for a list of active mortgage professionals in New Jersey…they’re part of the ActiveRain professional real estate community.

The higher your credit score, the easier the mortgage approval process.  Your credit score is made up of your payment history, the amount you owe, the length of your credit history and the types of credit you have.

Very simply, your credit score improves by paying bills on time, paying down credit card debt and having lines of credit.

But a mortgage professional after reviewing your credit report can offer suggestions to tweak your score.  It’s important to speak with some one experienced in the world of home finance because, while not mysterious, credit scores are quirky.
   
This simple step will get you on your way to taking advantage of the expanded and extended tax credit program to buy a home in New Jersey if you don’t have perfect credit.

If you’d like some suggestions on mortgage professionals I’ve worked with feel free to contact me.  And when you're ready to buy, give me a call!

Homes for sale in Tuckerton - October, 2009 Housing Market Report

Homes for sale in Manahawkin - October, 2009 Housing Market Report

The number of homes for sale in Manahawkin (inventory) was down in October, 2009 over 2008 by more than 100 units.  

As you can see, prices are also down.  With enactment and expansion of the homebuyers tax credit, I expect the prices of homes for sale in Manahawkin to continue to inch up.  The median sold price of homes in Manahawkin increased in October, 2009 more than $10,000 over September, 2009.

If you'd like neighborhood specific information on homes for sale in Manahawkin (Stafford Township, NJ), or are interested in pricing your home to sell, contact me via email or phone.

Keller Williams Realty - Atlantic Shore
Laura Giannotta
609-384-6121
Laura@JerseyShoreViews.com

Homes for sale in Little Egg Harbor - The October 2009 Housing Market Report

There are just over 300 homes for sale in Little Egg Harbor, NJ.  Last year (2008) at this time there were 435 single family homes for sale in Little Egg Harbor.   

Fewer homes were listed last month, and prices are inching up in Little Egg Harbor.  The median sales price in October, 2009 was $2,000 more than in September.  

With these market trends this might be the perfect time to buy or sell a home in Little Egg Harbor.

If you're looking for homes for sale in Little Egg Harbor, NJ, call or email me.  I'll get you the neighborhood specifics you need.

Keller Williams Realty - Atlantic Shore
Laura Giannotta 
609-384-6121
Laura@JerseyShoreViews.com

Homes for sale in Barnegat - The October 2009 Housing Market Report

Current inventory of homes for sale in Barnegat, NJ is roughly 188 single family units.  That compares to the huge inventory during the same month last year, 360 units.  

The market appears to be leveling out in Barnegat, NJ, so if you're planning to buy or sell a home in Barnegat call me for more information on neighborhood specifics.

If you're looking for homes for sale in Barnegat, NJ, call or email me.