real estate blog: Our 10th Anniversary - 01/29/11 09:54 PM
Our 10th Anniversary
January 30th, 2011
Looking back at our beginnings on January 29, 2001, it seems like such a long time ago.  We opened our Wildwood Crest real estate office that day.  We didn't know what to expect.  We had no idea if our "Modern Technology, Old-Fashioned Service" philosophy would work.  Would people even care?  Could we compete with the chain franchises in a decidedly down market?
Well, Jewell Real Estate Agency was a success right away.  The combination of the local vacation home real estate market taking off in 2001 and people really appreciating the personal service of … (5 comments)

real estate blog: $201,343,605 - 01/25/11 12:38 AM
$201,343,605
Catchy title, huh? 
So what does $201,343,605 mean?  Unfortunately, it's not how much money we won in the MegaMillions or Powerball lotteries.  It's not our national debt, it's not New Jersey's budget deficit.
It is the total value of all properties sold in the Wildwoods in 2010 by realtors belonging to the Cape May County Association of Realtors.  That amount includes sales in Wildwood, North Wildwood, West Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and Diamond Beach.  Just think, $200 million changed hands.  Dreams were realized for some, while broken dreams were a reality for others.  For others, it was business as usual.
In … (0 comments)

real estate blog: Daydreaming - 01/19/11 12:15 PM
Daydreaming
January 19th, 2011
The human mind is a funny thing.  You can play tricks on it, even though your mind knows you're playing a trick.  More simply put, you can divert your mind to thoughts of pleasant things to help blot out the unpleasant and your mind will go along with the deception.
Case in point is City Girl.  On Christmas day, she laid in tremendous pain in the hospital with a broken hip.  The ball of the femur (thigh) bone had totally pulled out of the hip socket.  The pain was constant, excruciating.  I mentioned that perhaps we … (0 comments)

real estate blog: Early Winter Newsletter - 01/19/11 12:09 PM
A COLD START
Forget about autumn.  Winter got off to a roaring start in early December, completely ignoring the fact that winter was still a couple weeks away.  Temperatures through Christmas day were averaging six degrees below normal for December in Cape May County.  But there is some good news: less than an inch of snow had fallen until the 17" that arrived the day after Christmas.  Let's hope that's all we get.
The snowbirds have good reason to head south to Florida for the winter.  For the rest of us, we can at least have some satisfaction knowing that the … (0 comments)

real estate blog: The Vacation Home Real Estate Market is back! - 12/23/10 07:02 AM
The Vacation Home Real Estate Market is back! Go ahead and snicker.  This Mountain Man guy (and City Girl) is full of bull, you're thinking.  Not so fast, my friend. Sure, the national unemployment numbers are still tough to swallow.  And yes, we are still seeing more vacant store fronts popping up.  Discretionary spending is off, too, though you have to wonder when you see folks descend on a mall and drop hundreds of dollars on trivial junk for Christmas. But here in Cape May County, New Jersey at the shore, the tide has turned in the real estate market.  Pun intended.  … (0 comments)

real estate blog: Late Winter Newsletter - 03/11/10 09:05 PM
ENOUGH ALREADY
The winter of 2010 is being called "Terrible Ten" here in Cape May County. The record has been set as this being the most snowfall ever, with 48" on the ground as of February 11th. At one point in the February 5-6 blizzard - which dropped 20" of wet, heavy snow - 80,000 folks were without electricity in the county.
A week later, there were still thousands without electricity. Hundreds of utility trucks from throughout the East Coast were in Cape May County to help restore power. They've had to replace over a hundred power poles and nine miles … (1 comments)

real estate blog: Lower Township's Revaluation - 02/18/10 09:14 PM
Lower Township's Revaluation
February 19th, 2010
Sometimes a municipality in New Jersey actually shows foresight and at the same time saves itself a lot of money.  Such is the case recently in Lower Township, Cape May County.
The township completed a full-blown revaluation in 2007, raising the total value of all properties from $1.5 billion to $4.73 billion.  While the new figure was more in line with reality, it came at the time when the real estate market was in a deadfall.  Property values were dropping about a half percent per month.
A petition signed by 1,500 property owners against the … (1 comments)

real estate blog: Leave it to Beaver - 01/16/10 06:08 AM
Leave it to Beaver
January 16th, 2010
The following blog is written by Douglas.  We both grew up in a much more innocent time than today.  Life was much simpler.  Douglas' home life was very similar to mine and brought back wonderful memories.  Maybe it will for you, too.
I grew up in North Jersey in the 1950's in one of those "Leave it to Beaver" families.  Dad commuted to work each morning in suit and tie, while Mom stayed home and attended to running the household.  She got us kids off to school each morning after feeding us a hearty … (2 comments)

real estate blog: NJDEP Bungles Again - 01/07/10 03:26 AM
NJDEP bungles again
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is nothing if not consistent.  It seems that if they need to be vigilant, they're not.  And if they need to be lenient, again they're not. 
Case in point.  Along the Delaware Bay in the Villas section of Lower Township, Cape May County, three homes and two utility poles are being threatened by beach erosion.  A combination of last year's uncommonly excessive rainfall - 62 inches compared to the normal 44 - and windy, stormy conditions during some of those rain events has caused the Delaware River to eat away nearly 20 … (0 comments)

real estate blog: Catholic Schools reeling in Cape May County - 01/05/10 09:33 PM
Catholic Schools reeling in Cape May County
January 6th, 2010
Just one day after school officials called rumors of Wildwood Catholic High School's closing unfounded, the Diocese of Camden announced that the school will close at the end of the school year this June.  It's just the latest round in the demise of the Catholic church in Cape May County.
In 2007, St. Raymond's elementary/junior high school in the Villas section of Lower Township was closed by the Diocese of Camden, which oversees the Catholic goings-on in southern New Jersey.  Students, parents, and teachers were saddened, outraged, and in shock.  … (4 comments)

real estate blog: Distressed Properties Affecting Appraisals - 01/05/10 02:45 AM
Distressed Properties Affecting Appraisals
January 5th, 2010
There are typically three main issues that can stop a potential real estate transaction dead in its tracks - the home inspection, the mortgage approval, and the appraisal.  Let's talk about appraisals.
The problem with appraisals in today's real estate market is that properties sold via a short sale, sheriff sale, or foreclosure are being used as comparables when evaluating the price of a regular home.  About 25% of realtors have had a sale fall apart because of a low appraisal.  The National Association of Home Builders reported that 25% of their new home … (2 comments)

real estate blog: A Common Sense Solution - 01/04/10 03:08 AM
A Common Sense Solution
January 4th, 2010
The little borough of West Cape May, like other towns in New Jersey, has to provide affordable housing thanks to the Mt. Laurel decision back in the late 1970's.  But unlike most municipalities, West Cape May has come up with a novel plan that is offering incentives and fewer building restrictions.
The Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) was created out of that controversial court ruling that mandated a required number of low and moderate income units for each of New Jersey's 566 municipalities.  West Cape May needs to provide just two units by … (1 comments)

real estate blog: A Realtor's Sad Day - 01/03/10 04:13 AM
Mountain Man and City Girl
The Blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ 609-729-8505

 A Realtor's Sad Day
My husband looks like a mountain man, but he can be such a softie inside.
January 3rd, 2010
Being a realtor has many rewards other than financial.  There's nothing like finding a young couple their first home, helping them navigate through the various stages of buying a property that are still so alien to the inexperienced.  They're thankful for everything along the way and often we become lifelong friends.
Here in Cape May County at the southern tip of … (2 comments)

real estate blog: There's Technology, then there's Tech-NO-logy - 12/28/09 01:10 AM

My husband is  a rather unique person as you will see from the following blog.   That's why we work so well together.  One half complements the other.
There's Technology, then there's Tech-NO-logy
December 28th, 2009
I'm stubborn, I admit it.  I have embraced modern technology, but only as far as needed to be the owner of a successful real estate agency. 
I've had a cell phone for 10 years, and now 85% of Americans do too, according to statistics.  Judging from my older friends, I think I personally know many of the 15% who don't.
I bought my first … (1 comments)

real estate blog: A Christmas Blessing - 12/25/09 03:07 AM
My Husband surprised me and wrote this blog this morning.  I, too, am truly blessed with a husband that supports me in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.  Our wish for the world is peace, health and the wisdom to try to make this a better place for all.  MERRY CHRISTMAS! A Christmas Blessing  
Friday, December 25th, 2009 Everyone is blessed at Christmas, whether they are aware of it or not.  And you don't have to be a Christian for Christmas to have an effect on your spirituality.
I'm a perfect example.  I'm not a Christian.  I … (3 comments)

real estate blog: More Banker Greed - 12/25/09 01:48 AM
More Banker Greed  
Friday, December 25th, 2009 Joining their fellow banking CEO cohorts, the heads of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were approved for $6 million in pay each for 2009.  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to refresh your memory, purchase bundles of mortgages to ensure that money is always available to lending institutions which give loans to homebuyers.  They are quasi-private companies backed by the federal government.
Fannie CEO Michael Williams and Freddie CEO Ed Haldeman each received $900,000 in salary and another $3.1 million in salary with payments deferred to 2010.  That's $4 million apiece.  Each also is eligible for another … (5 comments)

real estate blog: Developers Can Get It Right - 12/24/09 05:05 AM
Developers Can Get it Right
December 24th, 2009
The legendary battles between developers and environmentalists are well documented, but the two aren't always polar opposites.  The Tejon Ranch is a good example of the two marrying and having a happy ending.
Tejon Ranch is the largest private land holding in California, measuring around 270,000 acres, or over 400 square miles.  The massive Kern County tract had not been viewed by the public for 140 years.  The property is located along the main north-south route on the West Coast, Interstate 5, situated 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of … (1 comments)

real estate blog: Banks: Tight Purse Strings - 12/23/09 10:45 AM
Banks: Tight Purse Strings  
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 As any active realtor knows, banks are more tight-fisted with loan money now than in the past decade.  In the spirit of this Christmas season, you could even call them Scrooge.
The tried and true banking tradition is that banks took deposits from customers, paying a certain interest rate, then lent money to borrowers at a higher rate.  The difference in the interest rates was their profit.
The model has changed since the number of bank failures rose from three in 2007 and 25 in 2008 to 140 in 2009. 
Banks are … (2 comments)

real estate blog: Weather Extremes - 12/21/09 04:22 AM

Mountain Man and City Girl
The Blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ 609-729-8505

 Weather Extremes
This weekend's snow storm - or "storm event" as the weathermen seem to be calling it nowadays - was the conclusion to a crazy autumn of weather in Cape May County,  and the mid-Atlantic states for that matter.
With our local weather influenced by the close proximity of the Atlantic Ocean and 13-mile wide Delaware Bay, snowfall totals were much less than the 23″ that Philadelphia officially received.  The Wildwoods had about 2 inches, with Rio Grande about 4″, Cape May Court … (5 comments)

real estate blog: New Jersey: Not Business Friendly - 12/18/09 11:58 AM
New Jersey: Not Business Friendly
December 17th, 2009
Let's face it.  If the economy is to recover quickly, the bottom line is jobs, jobs, jobs.  Put people to work and everything else falls into place.
Businesses, of course, are the key to creating jobs.  And two-thirds of jobs are with small and medium size businesses.  So to get businesses to hire more employees, the economic climate must be favorable.
New Jersey, unfortunately, ranks last or near the bottom of every business-friendly list generated, based on several factors. New Jersey ranks well in transportation, easy accessibility to large markets, having an available labor … (2 comments)