Jewell Real Estate Agency is a family owned and operated realty that lives up to its motto, "Modern Technology, Old-Fashioned Service". We answer phones 6am to 9pm EVERYDAY. When you deal with us, you are always working with Joyce and Douglas Jewell, two experienced real estate brokers. The buck stops here.

Jewell Real Estate Agency offers the ultimate in client service - we answer our telephones 6am to 9pm, 365 days a year. That's right! You can reach us at your convenience without the confinement of the "9 to 5" mentality. You're able to talk business with your realtor before going to work in the morning, or in the evening when your day is winding down. And no more frustrating weekends where you have to wait until Monday when the office is open again to contact your agent about a promising property you spotted in your travels.

Our highly visible Wildwood Crest office is open 8am to 5pm. That makes buying or selling a property on the island easy and convenient. The Swainton office, which is attached to our home, is open 7am to 7pm. If you list "FOR SALE" property with us, you have comfort in knowing that buyers and other real estate agents have access to information about your property 15 hours a day, not just the standard 40 hours a week.

Jewell Real Estate Agency is all about "information". The latest technology, instant access to Cape May County's Multiple Listing Service, digital camera imagery, e-mail and faxing, plus our web site (http://www.jewellrealestateagency.com/), make the gathering and exchange of information fast and easy. The office also has information at its fingertips which others can't supply - that vital info you need about schools, ratables, recreation facilities, services, etc.

Jewell Real Estate Agency is a member of the Cape May County Association of Realtors, the New Jersey Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors.  The office serves 14 of the county's 16 municipalities (Ocean City and most of Upper Township belong to the Atlantic County Board of Realtors) with sales of residential homes, condominiums and townhouses, lots, and commercial properties.

Douglas Jewell

Douglas Jewell brings a unique perspective to the business with his background in surveying and having built two homes for himself from the ground up. As an active environmentalist, smart growth advocate, and former newspaper reporter, he has accumulated a keen knowledge of zoning, planning, infrastructure, land use, and future trends in the county.

Douglas specializes in finding commercial properties for buyers, especially restaurants and bars, motels, apartment buildings, and Boardwalk enterprises. He has a good command of profit/loss requirements and debt service, justifiable property upgrades for increased profits, and which businesses have been under-utilized or poorly managed and show future increased profit potential.

Douglas has earned the prestigious GRI designation - which stands for Graduate Real Estate Institute - a degree held by less than 5 percent of all realtors nationwide. He followed that by continuing his real estate education and earning his broker status.

Joyce Jewell

Joyce Jewell brings her many years of intimate knowledge and expertise about vacation home sales and rental property management to the family business. She is particularly familiar with condominium and townhome properties in the Wildwood Crest and Diamond Beach areas.

Joyce has an uncanny knack for finding the right property for her clients and helping make their dreams come true. One of her greatest pleasures is having continuing relationships with her past clients, and she truly enjoys spending time chatting with her frequent visitors.

Joyce is proud of her achievements as a realtor, having obtained her GRI and broker designations, plus numerous sales awards. She is also connected to her community by being a member of the Middle Township Zoning Board.

HOME STAGING

Experienced realtors know the tip off when Buyers have found the right property - it's the twinkle in their eyes. The potential purchasers thoughts are reverberating, "This is it. This is me. I fit here." The property seems to figuratively wrap its arms around the Buyers as if to say, "Welcome Home!"

For Sellers, their mission is to make their home as appealing as possible to potential purchasers. The Buyers need to be swept off their feet when they first enter your home. First impressions are everything. It's that "warm, fuzzy feeling" that turns prospects into Buyers.

In the tight Buyers real estate market of 2007, which is vastly different from the Sellers market of 2002-2005, a property needs to stand out from the others in order to be sold in a timely manner at a good price. Plainly stated, there is currently an overabundance of residential inventory.

A Seller needs an edge - an advantage - to make their property stand out in the crowd. That's where Cape May Home Seller Consulting can help. We offer a neutral prospective - a skilled and trained third eye to transform, mold, and showcase your property.

Joyce Jewell brings her 28 years of knowledge as a New Jersey licensed realtor to Cape May Home Seller Consulting. In the last 10 years alone she has sold over 300 homes worth over $125 million. She has personally toured over 7,000 homes and condominiums with her thousands of clients. She's judged their reactions, heard their likes and dislikes, and seen firsthand the qualities and characteristics that captivate Buyers.

Joyce, besides being the broker/owner of her own real estate firm, has earned the distinction of being an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP^TM) and she belongs to the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP).

Cape May Home Seller Consulting assists both the Seller and their realtor by presenting the buying public with the best possible product - at a minimal cost to the Seller.

Statistics show that a staged home sells on average for 7% more money than the same home if not staged, and it sells in half the time. Put into dollars, that means an unstaged home that would sell for $300,000 would fetch about $320,000 when staged, and an unstaged home that would get $500,000 would bring in $535,000 if staged. Hmmm. Prospective Buyers also spend twice as much time viewing a staged home versus a home untouched by a staging professional.

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In today's "technology age" of internet access and email, fax machines and cell phones, there is still one facet of the real estate business that separates the pack - SERVICE.

That's exactly what you get with Jewell Real Estate Agency. Here's what we can do for you:

1. Your property will be included in the Multiple Listing Service within 48 hours.
2. You will be listed on Realtor.com, the number one web site for people searching to purchase their dream home or investment property.
3. All our listings are enhanced with a detailed description of your property and several photos.
4. We create a virtual tour for most of our listings with detailed information and up to 24 additional photos. This is included on our web site and all other advertising.
5. Your property is included on our web site which receives thousands of visitors a month.
6. Your property is included on Point2Homes and 14 additional sites.
7. We have an 800 number for people to call 24 hours a day for information on your specific property. Your property is assigned its own extension which is widely advertised and also put on "For Sale" signs.
8. We advertise in the Cape May Homes Guide, Wildwood Properties, and locally in the Herald and Gazette.
9. We send out thousands of direct mail flyers every month with our property listings.
10. We answer our phones from 6am to 9pm EVERYDAY!
11. We have a great knowledge of land use. Joyce is on the Zoning Board in Middle Township and Douglas has been a surveyor.
12. We send out monthly updates to our clients including the advertisements for the month.
13. Joyce is an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP). Studies show that your home will sell for more money - and in half the time.
14. We appreciate your business and trust, and strive to attain lifelong relationships with our clients.

What this all means is that we represent you and your interests and will be able to negotiate the best price and terms for the sale of your property. At Jewell Real Estate Agency, service is our specialty.....and as always, you're more than a client, you're a friend.

When you're looking for KNOWLEDGE and PERSONAL SERVICE, look to Jewell Real Estate Agency.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Douglas Answers Your Inquiries

Do you handle rental properties?
Have I missed my opportunity to make money in the real estate boom?
I see properties reducing their prices. Doesn't that mean prices are going down and the good times are over?
I own a vacation property in the Wildwoods. Should I sell?
Can you find me an investment property that will pay for itself?
Why should I use a realtor? Can't I sell my property myself and save that money?
If I use Jewell Real Estate Agency to help me find a property to buy, do I have to pay you a commission?
So what exactly does the realtor do for me, as a Buyer?

Q: Do you handle rental properties?

A: No, we discontinued managing rental properties after the 2003 summer season. At that time, we were handling about 110 units and had two full-time maintenance men on our staff plus several real estate agents. It was overwhelming and we basically had no life of our own in the summer time.

After some soul searching, we decided that we had veered away from our original mission to provide "individual, personal service". So, we dropped our rental program, reduced our staff, and got back to concentrating on real estate sales.

Q:Have I missed my opportunity to make money in the real estate boom?

 

A: Only if you think you have.

In 2003 and 2004, property values in the Wildwoods and much of Cape May County were rising about three percent per month, or by about one-third each year. Many folks bought in the beginning and sold later at a significant profit. By 2005, that dramatic escalation had slowed. Now, in 2006, property values are rising at a more stable one percent a month, or about 12 percent a year. That's still a good investment.

Q: I see properties reducing their prices. Doesn't that mean prices are going down and the good times are over?

A: No. It's more an indication that the Seller set an unrealistic price in the first place.

Let's use a fictitious example. John Doe's property was worth $150,000 in 2001, before the boom. By 2003, it had jumped to $250,000, then $330,000 in 2004. So John Doe decides to list his property after the summer of 2005. After listening to advice from his neighbors and Uncle Harry, he figures it's now worth $440,000, so he lists it at $475,000. That's way too high. It's only going to fetch $370,000. Hence, you see an eventual price reduction when the Seller is getting no action on his property.

Q: I own a vacation property in the Wildwoods. Should I sell?

A: Often, the answer is NO. It all depends on what your next move would be. Are you leaving the island forever? Are you heading to the mainland to get more bang for your buck? Are you going from condo to single family home, or vice versa?

A common scenario is someone trying to sell their existing property, which may be outdated or in need of repairs, with the expectation that they can take those proceeds and buy a new condo or townhome and have no mortgage. That's unrealistic. A lateral move on the island is going to cost you money. If you are not willing to accept $100,000 to $200,000 in debt, you shouldn't sell. You won't sell your existing property for the same amount as you'll need to purchase new.

Selling that same unit with the hopes of finding a property on the mainland - which offers much more land, a garage, and room for a swimming pool - while not having to carry a mortgage, is possible. In that case, yes, put your property up for sale.

There are other good reasons to sell: 1.) you are looking to buy a vacation home in the mountains or another state, 2.) you don't use your vacation home down here much anymore, 3.) you're tired of lawn work and want a condo, 4.) you miss having a yard and are tired of the restrictions of condo life, or 5.) you like the prospect of selling this property and using that money to eliminate the mortgage on your primary home.

Q: Can you find me an investment property that will pay for itself?

A: Probably not, unless you're willing to put a lot of money down - more than I'd recommend.

Some Buyers come into the market searching for a property that will carry the mortgage and taxes through rental income, whether it's a condo or a multi-family property. Putting a traditional down payment of 10-20 percent, that's not going to happen. It will be necessary to fund some of the yearly expenses out of your pocket. That's the reality.

That's not to say that you can't make money buying an investment property. However, your profit comes through the equity you build as prices steadily rise and you don't realize that profit until you sell the property.

Q: If I use Jewell Real Estate Agency to help me find a property to buy, do I have to pay you a commission?

A: Absolutely not! All commissions are paid by the Seller. That commission amount has already been agreed to and signed by the Seller and his realtor back on the day the Listing Agreement was originally signed. You owe no commission and we charge you no fees whatsoever.

Q: Why should I use a realtor? Can't I sell my property myself and save that money?

A: In some instances, Sellers do successfully complete a real estate transaction on their own. But they have to know the pitfalls, or else their attempt to save themselves money can actually end up costing them money.

One problem with selling your own property is that almost every potential Buyer immediately starts calculating what the commission would have been with a realtor involved, then they deduct that from their bid. They feel that amount is theirs to save, not the Sellers. So you are back to the same amount of money, but without the expertise of a realtor.

Also, most people are not good negotiators. So the Seller tends to buckle under at a lower price, make concessions that are unfavorable, or settle for terms weighted toward the Buyer. Even if the Seller gets his way, there are often hard feelings between the two parties that fester during the one to three month duration of the transaction.

Q: So what exactly does the realtor do for me, as a Buyer?

A: Let's compare your transaction to a football team. You are the owner of the football team. The realtor is your quarterback. You are in control, but the realtor oversees the action and makes sure all the team members are performing as required and in a timely manner. Other members of your team are a mortgage person, title company, insurance company, surveyor, home inspector, pest inspector, and fire inspector, and sometimes a plumber, electrician, contractor or other service specialist.

Your relationship with a realtor begins with the search for a suitable property. Especially in a vacation home market like Cape May County, the realtor has valuable local knowledge that is especially helpful. The realtor knows what neighborhoods have good resale value, what floor plans are outdated and not functional, where new construction projects might take away that nice view or a strip mall might change the character of an area. There are dozens and dozens of things that your realtor - who lives locally and follows local land use decisions in the newspapers - knows that can save you much heartbreak and sorrow. You can't put a price on that information!

Once you and your realtor find that right property, it's time to put in a bid. Your realtor knows how to structure that bid so that the terms are favorable to you and your circumstances, without going overboard and offending the Seller. The negotiations proceed between your realtor and the Seller's realtor, with each realtor reporting to his client every step of the way. The Buyer and Seller often never meet until the day of closing, and without the strain of having negotiated face-to-face the parties usually have an amiable transfer of title and part friends.