February 2nd, 2010
A New Jersey State Senate bill recently introduced would abolish the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), taking implementation of low and moderate income housing standards from the state and putting it in the hands of municipalities. It’s about time.
COAH came into existence in the late 1970’s as a result of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Mt. Laurel Decision, which basically said that municipalities cannot zone against low and moderate-income housing and must supply affordable housing. COAH set quotas for each of the state’s 567 (now 566) municipalities.
The quota system was unfair to many municipalities, setting unrealistically high numbers for some towns. Here in Cape May County, Middle Township is still required to offer 932 more affordable units by 2018 and Upper Township still owes over 500. It’s unrealistic and puts a heavy burden on taxpayers, who must fund new schools and services to meet the demand of so many new residences.
Senate Bill S1, sponsored by Raymond Lesniak and Christopher Bateman, and its companion State Assembly bill A2057, would abolish COAH. It would also do away with State-imposed calculations of affordable housing needs. Instead, it would permit municipalities to determine their own needs. The State Planning Commission would assist towns in facilitating opportunities for affordable housing.
The bill would require municipalities to re-examine their master plan and adopt an ordinance that provides an opportunity for an appropriate variety and choice of housing. They must show that they have complied with their obligations under the Fair Housing Act. Any municipality not enacting ordinances by December 31, 2011, would be required to have any developers set aside 20% of their project for low or moderate or work force housing.
What does all this mean? COAH and its assigned numbers of affordable housing units will be put to rest. But municipalities aren’t off the hook. They must still offer affordable housing, but on their own terms, not Trenton’s.
-Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: affordable housing, Cape May County, Cape May County blog, COAH, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Middle Township affordable housing, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey COAH, New Jersey Senate Bill S1, political blog, real estate blog
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January 30th, 2010
The phone call yesterday went something like this:
“Your boy got accused of cheating,” I said, speaking of PGA Tour golf icon Phil Mickelson who also happens to be City Girl’s favorite golfer.
“That’s impossible,” she replied. “There’s no cheating in golf.”
You be the judge. The PGA Tour outlawed golf clubs with square grooves, effective this year. They reasoned that they give the golf ball more backspin, hence lessening a player’s necessity to actually make a skillful shot. So at the PGA Tour’s fourth stop of the year at Torrey Pines GC outside San Diego, tour player Scott McCarron accused Mickelson of cheating by using a square-grooved wedge. At least three other players have used the same square-grooved club this month – John Daly, Hunter Mahan, and Dean Wilson.
The golf club in question is a Ping-Eye 2 wedge. It seems that in settling a court case brought by Ping against the United States Golf Association (USGA), any Ping-Eye 2 iron built before April 1, 1990 was deemed legal. The PGA Tour agreed to abide by the USGA’s concession in 1993. The Ping irons in question were manufactured from 1985-1989. No other golf club company manufactured square-grooved clubs.
So knowing that square-grooved clubs would be illegal on the PGA Tour this year, some savvy tour players scrambled to find the still-legal vintage Ping wedges. While at least Mickelson, Daly, Mahan, and Wilson succeeded, most tour players weren’t even aware that the obscure rule existed. Technically, the four did nothing wrong. They stayed within the rules.
But, golf is known as a gentlemen’s game. What other sport has players call penalties on themselves, even if no one else saw the infraction? They – in most cases – could get away with it, but it’s an honor system. “Gentlemen, honor” – that’s a heavy responsibility. It’s not the type of lingo you’d associate with the NBA or NFL.
Did Mickelson and the others cheat? Mickelson says, “No.” McCarron says, “Yes.” In question perhaps is the spirit of the rules versus some technicality.
Perhaps tour pro Robert Allenby’s take is appropriate. “I think cheating is not the right word. But it’s definitely an advantage,” Allenby said of the Ping-Eye 2. “There’s only a certain amount of players that can find them and I think it’s not right if you’re using them.”
The entire controversy may soon be a moot point. Don’t be surprised to see the PGA Tour find a way to outlaw the Ping-Eye 2 in the next week or so.
How are the players mentioned doing at Torrey Pines? After two rounds McCarron and Daly missed the cut and were sent packing. Maybe that’s a factor in McCarron’s strong accusation? Allenby is three shots off the lead, Mickelson four, and Mahan six shots behind the leaders.
Don’t worry, City Girl. Your boy still has a chance to win again this week.
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Jewell Real Estate Agency, John Daly, lifestyle blog, Mountain Man and City Girl, PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson cheating, Ping-Eye 2, Robert Allenby cheating, Scott McCarron cheating, square-grooved golf clubs, Torrey Pines Golf Club
Posted in Lifestyle, Sports | No Comments »
January 30th, 2010
The movie ‘Avatar” doesn’t have enough “curb appeal”, as we realtors say, to get us to go pay $12 apiece to see it. It’s just not the kind of movie we like.
So when the Vatican gave the movie a thumbs down, it piqued our curiosity. This morning we read a Letter to the Editor in the Atlantic City Press by Sharon Hutchinson of Buena Vista, NJ. Here’s her take on the Vatican’s reaction to the movie:
“As a nontheist, I am amused at the Vatican’s condemnation of the movie ‘Avatar’ as nature worship. A respect for and communion with nature is one of the most positive experiences that a person can undergo.
“The fact is, we depend upon nature for all the necessities of life. The religions that worship land – yes, those awful pagan religions – develop a respect and appreciation for our planet that is sorely lacking in our modern society. The belief that Earth’s resources are put here solely for man’s benefit has led to not only an estrangement from the natural world around us but also the plunder and devastation of the world.
“If I were to choose a religion, it would make the most sense to worship that which provides the necessities of daily living, rather than some ephemeral being who has supposedly placed man above all creatures. The destruction of the Earth and its resources is the result of such mythical and arrogant thinking.
“It is no surprise to hear this protest from the Vatican, as Catholicism and other forms of Christianity continue to lose ground as science and reason grow. That ‘Avatar’ has struck such a nerve is but another sign that religions are aware that more people are coming to the realization that it is the ground under our feet, not some spirit in the sky, that helps to sustain our very lives.”
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Avatar, Catholicism, Jewell Real Estate Agency, lifestyle blog, Mountain Man and City Girl, nontheist, religion, Vatican
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January 29th, 2010
We realtors can talk all we want about our local real estate market, but there’s nothing like good, hard numbers to bring out the true picture. So here are the numbers for the Cape May County, New Jersey market since 2005. These statistics are for properties sold through our local Multiple Listing Service and don’t include private sales. They also don’t include Ocean City, which belongs to the Atlantic County Association of Realtors and MLS.
In 2005, there were 3,628 properties sold. The asking price total was $2.01 billion and they got $1.92 billion, meaning sellers got 95.5% of asking price on average. The average property was listed at $555,000 and it sold for $530,000. (All prices are rounded off).
In 2006, there were 2,386 properties sold, a volume drop of 34% from 2005. The total asking price was $1.43 billion and sellers received $1.34 billion, or about 94% of asking price. The average asking price was $601,000 and the selling price averaged $563,000. Did you just notice that the 2006 price average was up 6% over 2005?
In 2007, there were 2,279 properties sold, a slight drop of 4% from 2006. The asking price total was $1.33 billion and sellers received $1.28 billion. The average asking price was $583,000 and sellers averaged $539,000. So even in 2007, prices were still higher than in the benchmark year of 2005. Of course, sales were off 37% in volume in 2007 from 2005.
In 2008, there were 1,901 properties sold, a drop of 16.5% from the previous year. The total asking price was $1.07 billion and they got $978 million, or about 91% of asking price. The average property listed at $564,000 and sold for $514,000, which is still in the ballpark of 2005.
In 2009, there were 1,879 properties sold, a 48% drop from the gold rush era of 2005, but still close to 2008 totals. But here’s where the numbers dive. The total asking price was $889 million and sellers received $813 million. The average listing price of $473,000 went for $432,000. Selling prices dropped 16% from 2008. That’s substantial. Hopefully the market found the bottom and will now level off. Short sales were a big part of 2009, driving down price averages.
Here at Jewell Real Estate Agency, our figures for sales and commissions from 2001 to 2009 tell our story. Our most sales, in order, were 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2003. Those four years had double – and sometimes triple – the sales volume of 2001, and 2006 through 2009. Our best year of gross commissions was 2005 (no surprise there), followed by 2004, 2002, and 2003. Again, 2001 (our first year in business, so it might not be a fair comparison) and 2006 through 2009 were the dog years.
We do expect 2010 to be our best year since 2005. In January, we’ve already had 25% as many transactions closing as in all of 2009. And the phones are ringing and the offers are coming in. Yeee-haaa!
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Cape May County blog, Cape May County real estate, Cape May County real estate sales, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey real estate blog
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January 29th, 2010
The Coastal Redwoods are a sight to see. Ranging along the fog-shrouded California coast from Big Sur to just over the border into southwestern Oregon, these giants can live up to 2,200 years. There are 137 of these behemoths over 350 feet tall, with the tallest living redwood measuring in at a whopping 379 feet. The largest redwood girth is a mind-boggling 26 feet across.
The battle between environmentalists looking to preserve the trees and loggers looking at profits and jobs has been going on for a century, and the fight intensified beginning in the 1960s. It’s an emotional issue, with both sides resorting to vandalism or violence at times to protect what they believe is right.
National Geographic ran a feature article in October, 2009 about the redwoods and their future. It was a politically-correct, safe article. As is NatGeo’s philosophy, they strongly presented both sides while not taking a stand.
Here is an interesting Letter to the Editor that I just read this morning in my new February issue of NatGeo, written and submitted by John Ruch of Boston, giving his views of the validity of the redwood article’s points.
“Regarding your paean to capitalist “forest management” as the solution to saving redwoods, forests already have a manager. It’s nature itself, which has a head start of hundreds of millions of years on our wisdom. Conservation has become hubristic meddling, capitalism still is barely tamed greed, and the unholy alliance of the two is a scam masquerading as hipster realpolitik.
“Here’s the truth: Redwood lumber is not a vital resource. It is a luxury item that no one has any need or right to cut. The key to an ecological future is reducing our own population by three-quarters, not turning even more people into luxury-slurping consumers. The key to ending global warming is paying people who don’t drive cars at all, not paying forest companies. And anybody who kills any living thing more than a thousand years old is simply a jerk. Your article used the word “cut” a lot. What it meant is “kill”.”
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: California Redwoods, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, National Geographic, nature blog, political blog, redwood trees, Redwoods
Posted in Nature, Politics | 1 Comment »
January 28th, 2010
It’s kinda sad that so many “twenty-somethings” in America have no clue about how to manage their lives. They make bad decisions when it comes to the financial aspects of surviving and thriving. However, they’re not entirely to blame.
We were both excellent students in school. We did our homework, got good grades, and didn’t cause trouble. What more could a school expect from us. We did our part.
But in retrospect, the schools didn’t hold up their part of the bargain. Upon graduating from high school (City Girl in Philly, Mountain Man in a Boston suburb) it was time to strike out into the great, big world awaiting us. We weren’t prepared.
Like most our age, we had never been taught in school how to manage our lives. We had never been schooled in how to rent an apartment, buy a house, finance a car, pay our utility bills, and set ourselves on a monthly or weekly budget. We hadn’t been taught how to apply for a job, do our taxes, or raise a family. Through 12 years of school, we had never been offered a course on LIFE.
Fortunately for us both, we were quick learners and we each navigated the bumpy road of life. Like every twenty-something, we still made our share of mistakes.
Today’s post-school young adults have had a different experience than us. The majority can’t form a complete sentence. They were more interested in MTV and video games and texting than what we called “book learning”. Much of that can and should be blamed on the parents.
We had three young men – 18, 19 and 20-years old – working for us a few years ago. None were married, but each had at least one infant kid. One had an apartment but was constantly behind in rent and facing eviction. The other two had their kid and girlfriend living with them and their maternal unit - one a mother and the other a grandmother. They had no financial responsibility for house bills as the mother and grandmother – both only semi-literate - had become “enablers”. Only one of the three young men even owned a vehicle.
One particular week, the guys worked long hours and on payday each received about $600. As we paid them, each was warned to spend it wisely. “Don’t blow it,” we said in a big brother-type way. Each had children to feed and clothes to buy.
Monday morning, they each returned to work with big grins. “Guess what we did?” they said proudly. Unbelievably, each rolled up their sleeve to reveal their new $300 tattoo. “You mean you each spent half your paycheck on tattoos?” was our heartbroken reply.
And so it goes. Each is trapped into a life of underachievement and wasted potential and hardship. The parents didn’t have the intellectual tools to give proper guidance. That said, didn’t our educational system drop the ball on several generations?
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: education, family finances, Jewell Real Estate Agency, lifestyle blog, Mountain Man and City Girl, schools, twenty-somethings
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January 28th, 2010
After owning three successive Dodge Dakotas, we bought a new Toyota Tundra last May. It is a 2009 4-wheel drive pickup truck with the full-sized backseat. We asked the dealer to make three modifications as a condition of purchasing the vehicle. They agreed, then did none of them. No wonder car dealers have a reputation for “say anything to make a sale.”
Anyway, our Tundra was one of over four million Toyotas recalled last summer because of a reported problem with the driver’s floor mat slipping underneath the pedals. Our mat is secured by a big plastic clip and it can’t be moved even with force, so we filed the recall notice in the “if it ever becomes a problem” folder.
Now Toyota has begun a recall of over one million vehicles – again ours is on the list – because the accelerator sticks. An advocacy group, Safety Research and Strategies, has said that since 1999 Toyotas have had 2,274 incidences of “sudden unintended acceleration” leading to 18 deaths in 275 crashes.
We haven’t received the recall notice yet, but even when we do there is no hurry to get out Tundra back to the dealer. Toyota hasn’t yet come up with a solution to the problem. It’s some sort of multiple problem concerning interconnected linkage. It’s not just spraying it with WD-40 or replacing a single part and everything is okay.
Our Tundra is our third vehicle, so we don’t drive it often. We use it to get from our home in Cape May County, New Jersey to our vacation log home in mountains of Pocahontas County, West Virginia. It’s 396 miles each way.
We needed the 4-wheel drive in case of snow or ice going through the mountains, and the large size gives us plenty of room to bring along all the tools, supplies, etc that we always seem to need. But other than those trips (about 12,000 miles a year), our Toyota stays parked under cover in New Jersey. We each drive smaller, more economical vehicles in our everyday New Jersey life.
Toyota has put out some warnings of what symptoms to look for in advance of your gas pedal sticking. They say the pedal may gradually become harder to depress, and there may be a roughness or chattering when pressing or releasing the gas pedal. It that happens, call your Toyota dealer.
If the pedal does stick at full acceleration, follow these steps: Brake hard, but don’t pump the brakes, just depress the brake pedal enough without going into a skid. Then throw the engine in “neutral”. While the engine will still be running at excessive RPM’s, it won’t be pushing you along anymore. Don’t turn the engine off until you’re safely stopped and off the road. Got all that?
We’re sure Toyota will figure out a solution to the problem soon, then we can all take our vehicles to the dealer for the repairs. We’re just sorry that we have to go back to the incompetent dealer that we bought it from.
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Cape May County, Cape May County blog, Jewell Real Estate Agency, lifestyle blog, Mountain Man and City Girl, Pocahontas County WV, Toyota recall, Toyota Tundra recall
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January 26th, 2010
It’s sure tough to be the little guy - the common US citizen - isn’t it? Despite all the guarantees put forth in the Constitution, our government is still controlled by special interests. Not us peons.
The Supreme Court set us back a few decades last week when a 5-4 decision okayed companies and unions ability to spend freely on ads that promote or target particular candidates by name. It also lifts a ban on corporate and union-paid issue-based ads in the final days of a campaign.
How easy is it now going to be for a politician to climb into bed with special interests? Quite. If not, their opponent just might and then steal the election. It’s a field day for graft.
President Obama lashed out at the decision over the weekend. “We don’t need to give any more voice to the powerful interests that already drown out the voices of everyday Americans,” he said. “And we don’t intend to.”
The White House will attempt to legislate away the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision, which basically used the First Amendment’s “freedom of speech” as the reason to allow these transgressions against decency. The House of Representatives and Senate must approve any bills on the subject before Obama could sign it into law.
The White House has a number of measures it is proposing: require the approval of a majority of shareholders before a corporation can run a political ad; require the CEO to appear at the end of the ad; limit the ad spending of corporations who received bailout money; and/or limit privileges that come with corporate status concerning political ads.
If this Supreme Court ruling is allowed to stand, any candidate that stood for environmental or social issues would likely be squashed by the big businesses whose profits would be trimmed.
Isn’t democracy grand?
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Corporate interests, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, political blog, President Obama, special interests, Supreme Court, Supreme Court decision
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
January 26th, 2010
Many scoffed 20 years ago at projections that internet retail sales would be a major factor in the future. “I’ll never buy anything on the internet,” so many of us said.
Well, guess what? In the third quarter of 2009, US internet sales were $34 billion. Out of a total of $922 billion in US retail sales, that figure represents 3.7% of all sales being done with a mouse and keyboard at hand in front of a computer screen.
For someone who knows what they want to purchase, the internet is the way to go. It sure beats driving 45 miles each way to a retail store to come away either empty handed because their product wasn’t what you wanted, or with something you paid 20% or so above internet cost.
Forbes recently released its list of retail stores that are in serious economic trouble in 2010. Some are a victim of the internet, some the economy, and some have been trumped by discount big box stores like WalMart, Costco and Target.
Borders and Waldenbooks may be the first to fold in 2010. Amazon.com has stole the show. It’s so much easier to order a book over the internet and have it at your door in a week. But there’s another factor that has doomed the book retail stores. I sell my book through Amazon and 79 other internet sites, plus my own website at http://www.RoadtripBabyBoomer.com . They are printed “on demand” and I make about $5 per book. But to put your book in a retail outlet you get about $1 per book, and have to buy back any they don’t sell at full wholesale price. That often makes authors owe money instead of making it. Hence, the big box bookstores have a less diversified inventory because unknown authors shy away.
Blockbuster is also in deep doo-doo. Netflix and avenues to download movies on-line have made going to the video store to pick out a movie a fading memory. The movie rental business is on its last legs.
Ritz Camera has also been identified by Forbes as a candidate for euthanasia. If you know the camera you want, it’s less expensive and usually less of a hassle to buy it on-line. And really, who needs film developed anymore?
Other outlets that Forbes put on its death-watch list are KB Toys, Zales Jewelers, and Starbucks. The first two are basically victims of the poor economic times. Excessive purchases of toys and jewelry are easily eliminated from a family budget as unnecessary.
As for Starbucks, they expanded too rapidly. There’s only so many yuppies out there. I’m a guy’s guy. I don’t care about a Sumatra and Guatemalan coffee blend, a Frappuccino, a Ski Cinnamon Dolce Latte, or an Espresso Truffle. I don’t know what those are, but I’d be downright embarassed to stand there and order one. Give me a break!
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: internet sales, Jewell Real Estate Agency, lifestyle blog, Mountain Man and City Girl, RoadtripBabyBoomer.com
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January 21st, 2010
I’m not really one to watch MTV. It’s not my generation. I’m a couple generations past that. So when I read in the newspaper that Italian-American groups were repulsed and offended by the show “Jersey Shore”, it piqued my interest.
I feel qualified to have an opinion about the Jersey Shore (the place, not the show) because, heck, I live here. Our real estate office is located in Wildwood Crest, Cape May County. We’re just four blocks from the beach and the beginning of the 39 city block long Boardwalk. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the population on our island swells from 14,000 yearround to over 250,000.
Our closest metropolitan area is Philadelphia. It’s predominantly Italian and Irish heritage. And it’s a rite of passage for families and their kids to vacation here. It’s also an unofficial “tradition” that kids in their late teens and twenties come here in the summer to party. Party hard! Party hard away from their elders, out of sight of those who might inflict family repercussions.
I have a little more insight than most because I also owned a bar here from 2002 through 2004. Though my tavern was off the beaten track and it attracted an older (30 to 75) crowd, I did become acquainted with many other bar owners and I did make the late night rounds more than once.
Long story short, I recently did catch two episodes of Jersey Shore. It’s about these eight Italian-American young twenty-somethings who come to the shore town of Seaside Heights, NJ, about 50 miles north of us. They have an assortment of MTV-generation names like Snooki, JWoWW, and The Situation. The Situation? Give me a break.
Anyway, they primp and argue at their rented beach house, then go out and drink and carouse, and inevitably come home and be promiscious with a newfound partner. They call it “hooking up”. You can call it what you like.
They also get into fights and do other immature, egotistical things. They are an extreme example of typical summertime behavior. Tone it down a little bit and they’re just like the others who go “Animal House” at the shore.
The Italian-American groups call Jersey Shore demeaning and not reality. “That’s not how our kids act,” is their general feeling.
Bottom line:
Is this behavior the norm at the shore in the summertime? Yes. It’s called “sowing your oats” before settling down to a lifetime of responsibility and 2.3 kids and a soccer-mom vehicle and a mortgage.
Should Italian-American groups be offended? No. Get over it. It’s also Irish-American kids and CEO’s kids and teachers’ kids and mayors’ kids. And your kids!
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: beach, Cape May County, Cape May County blog, Italian-American, Jersey shore, Jersey Shore TV show, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, MTV, New Jersey blog, Wildwood Crest
Posted in Humor, Lifestyle | No Comments »
January 21st, 2010
The family’s decision to allow their house to go into foreclosure isn’t an easy one. But often there is no choice. The loss of a job by one of the spouses can cripple their finances. Even having a significant cutback in salary, such as being dropped from a full-time to part-time employee, can be enough to throw a household budget into a tailspin.
Until the past year or so, a family could rescue themselves by taking an equity line on their house, or even write a credit card check to bolster their checking account and get them through the tough times. But too many Americans have now found themselves cut off from being extended credit through these means. Banks are taking the hard line, even if one’s credit score is still hovering around 800 and payments are always on time.
In 2009, there were over 2.8 million foreclosures filed in the United States. It’s a sad statistic that puts a damper on many families’ American dream of home ownership. Is owning a home and then losing it worse than never having owned one?
But there is one facet of these foreclosures that is particularly upsetting. About one-fourth of last year’s foreclosures were not because the mortgage payments couldn’t be afforded, but instead because families decided the mortgage payment simply wasn’t worth paying. It’s called a strategic default.
Suppose a family owns a home they bought in 2004 for $450,000 with no money down. Their mortgage payment is nearly $3,000 a month, plus PMI and real estate taxes ($500 a month average here in New Jersey). Add in minimal upkeep and necessary repairs and it’s costing about $4,500 a month.
If a family can handle that $4,500 but has nothing left at the end of the month, they begin to wonder if it’s worth the hassle. Especially because the house is now only worth $315,000, using the typical decline of 30% in value in the US. When that family crunches the numbers and compares paying $1,200 to $1,500 a month to rent a similar home, many opt to take that route.
So, despite the fact that their credit will be ruined and the pleasures and comforts of home ownership will disappear, they decide to walk away from their home. They stop making the mortgage payments – which gives them six months or so with no $4,500 payment (saving $27,000) - and prepare for life as a renter.
It’s a sad scenario. But for many, a reality.
Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: foreclosure, home ownership, Jewell Real Estate Agency, mortgage foreclosure, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey real estate blog, real estate blog, strategic default
Posted in Real Estate | No Comments »
January 20th, 2010
In what can only be attributed to voter backlash to the Obama administration, the GOP completed its sweep of the three major off-year elections with a Senatorial victory in Massachusetts yesterday. So much for the political pundits who declared the Republican party as DOA a year ago.
The GOP resurrection all started in Virginia on November 3, 2009 when Bob McDonnell, the former state Attorney General, trounced Democratic State Senator Creigh Deeds by a 59% to 41% margin in the gubernatorial race. It was the biggest margin of victory in the Commonwealth since 1961. McDonnell, who took the oath of office last Saturday, replaced Democratic governor Tim Kaine.
That same fateful November election saw Republican Chris Christie knock off incumbent New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine by 87,000 votes in a race that was almost too close to call. It was the largest margin of victory for a first-time Republican in the Garden State since 1969. Christie, like his Virginia counterpart, was a former Attorney General (US). Similarly, both states now have two Democratic senators and a new rookie Republican governor.
Christie was inaugurated yesterday. While emphasizing that he was in Trenton to implement “change”, he put his finger on the problem in New Jersey politics. “Too much time has been spent assigning blame instead of accepting responsibility,” he said.
Yesterday also marked the end of the Democratic reign of one of Massachusetts’ Senate seats. Since John F. Kennedy defeated Henry Cabot Lodge in a big upset back in 1952, the Bay State has been decidedly Democratic. When Kennedy won the Presidential election in 1960, the seat was passed to a Democratic family friend, who then stepped aside in an pre-arrangement to secede to Ted Kennedy in 1962. Teddy, who held the Senate job for over 46 years, was unable to directly take the seat from brother John in ‘60 because he wasn’t yet 30 years old. This youngest Kennedy son passed away last summer.
The Senatorial election yesterday went to Republican Scott Brown, a former State Senator, who routed Democratic Attorney General (sound familiar?) Martha Coakley. The combination of Coakley’s lack of charisma and poor campaign strategy was her undoing. Brown, who once trailed in the polls by 30% and then as recently as two weeks ago by 15%, took 52% of the popular vote.
The vote was also a reflection of the fallout from the Obama presidency, which ran on a platform of being an agent of change but so far has been decidedly ineffective. An all too-familar ring of a presidential candidate being a “Washington outsider” resonates with voters, but the reality is usually that once they set up shop inside the Beltway they get sucked into “politics as usual”. They find that compromise and cutting deals is a survival tool.
Saving the best for last, the Massachusetts election was also perhaps a yardstick for the popularity of the universal health care reform being presented to the American people. Brown will now cast the deciding 41st vote in the Senate against the bill, effectively putting the issue to rest for a while.
Maybe it’s time for the Obama administration to focus on the issue that Americans care most about – the economy and jobs.
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Governor Chris Christie, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Martha Coakley, Massachusetts election 2010, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, New Jersey politics, Obama administration, political blog, Scott Brown, Ted Kennedy
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January 19th, 2010
Internet gambling in the United States is illegal. It’s cut and dried. But a recent federal appeals court decision just may have given states the option to offer internet gambling within their own borders. In cash-strapped New Jersey, which is expected to have the seventh largest budget deficit this fiscal year of the 50 states, the notion has appeal.
State Senator Raymond Lesniak recently introduced bill S3167, which would indeed legalize such popular games as poker, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, craps, slot machines, and more. With New Jersey’s distinction of having the toughest gambling laws in the United States, implementing the on-line form seems a natural and comforting fit.
Currently, there are thousands of global internet gambling sites. They are illegal in New Jersey, in part because there is no way for the state gaming commission to determine whether these games offer fair odds. Many who do still gamble illegally on the internet complain of not being able to collect their winnings. Would you trust a gambling site located in the Philippines or Bulgaria?
The other reason they are not legal in New Jersey is rather obvious – Atlantic City. The state’s 11 casinos generated $3.9 billion in revenue in 2009. While down from $5.2 billion in record-setting 2006, it still is a major contributor to state coffers.
The new internet gambling bill, if eventually made into law, would require all gaming companies to be headquartered around Atlantic City. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission, also based in AC, would be able to monitor the new companies, plus develop “technical standards for approval of software, computers and other gaming equipment used to conduct internet wagering, including mechanical, electrical or program reliablility, security against tampering, the comprehensibility of wagering, …. blah, blah, blah.” Did you get all that?
Internet site operators would pay $200,000 the first year for a license, with a $100,000 annual renewal. They’d also pay a $100,000 non-refundable deposit and another $100,000 towards treating compulsive gambling. They’d fork over a 20% tax to the casino revenue fund and another tax would give money to the New Jersey Racing Commission. No wonder so many groups are salivating over the prospect of internet gambling.
AC Mayor Lorenzo Langford spoke in favor of the internet gambling concept, while casino operators seem concerned that the bill might allow video lottery terminals (VLT’s) and slot machines at the state’s race tracks. The AC casinos are currently paying the horseracing industry $90 million over three years in an agreement that bans VLT’s from tracks.
With New Jersey’s perilious money situation, internet gambling seems like a good revenue producer. The AC casinos will survive because, let’s face it, you don’t have the glitz of the casinos and shows and entertainers and restaurants sitting at home on your computer. And you can bet that the 11 casinos will be the first in line to get those new internet gaming licenses. They see the possibilities!
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: AC casinos, Atlantic City, atlantic city casinos, gambling blog, Internet Gambling, Internet Gambling in New Jersey, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, political blog, Senate bill S3167, VLT's
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January 18th, 2010
Today commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King, a charismatic speaker who led the fight for racial equality and an end to discrimination in America. In 1964, he became the youngest person ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He led civil rights marches and protests throughout the Southern States, which staunchly clung to their outdated and repulsive Confederacy mentality.
But it’s Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC in front of 200,000 people, that will forever define his legacy. It was named the top speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars.
Here are a few excerpts that are worth revisiting:
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”
“I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.”
So on this chilly Monday in January, take time to reflect on the inhumanity that once pervaded our land. And be relieved that, for the most part, that injustice has been rectified. Thanks, Dr. King.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Dr. Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream, I Have a Dream speech, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Martin Luther King holiday, Mountain Man and City Girl
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January 18th, 2010
Let’s face it. Unless you live in rural America and own a large tract of land, there is no place for all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s). Here in New Jersey, with a population density of 1,134 people per square mile, ATV’s are a fish out of water.
New Jersey’s Assembly and Senate recently approved a bill which would regulate ATV’s, while at the same time creating three parks for ATV’s and dirtbikes. Governor Jon Corzine, whose last day in office is today, is expected to sign the bill into law as he packs up his belongings. If he doesn’t give it his John Hancock, incoming Governor Christopher Christie no doubt will enact ATV laws in the near future.
New Jersey prohibits dirt bikes and ATV’s from all public lands, which includes state parks, preserves, utility power lines, and roads. Unfortunately, many riders have thumbed their noses at the law and police regularly have cat and mouse pursuits of scofflaws. Many municipalities, including here in Middle Township, Cape May County where we live, have had to purchase ATV’s and train officers to catch the illegal riders.
The new ATV regulations going into effect would require all owners to register their machine within six months. New vehicles have to be registered to take delivery. The cost will be $50, plus a $10 surcharge to help fund the three riding parks. The fine for getting caught without a registration will be $500. Since the ATV’s and dirt bikes would now have license plates front and rear, police and the public should have no problem spotting unregistered vehicles.
There are 85 ATV and dirt bike dealers listed in New Jersey. There are 25,000 riders, according to estimates. Acquiring three riding parks will probably be difficult. They’ll have to be located away from populations, wetlands, and water. Presumably, they’ll locate one each in North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey. Hopefully, the 1.1 million acre Pinelands will be off-limits in the South.
The root of ATV problems can often be traced to condescending parents, who buy their kid a dirt bike or ATV even though there is nowhere to legally operate it. Soon a bunch of kids are tearing through private property, destroying gates and fences and rutting footpaths to the point that they are unwalkable. The ruts also hold water, making ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. And then there are the idiots who chase deer and other wildlife. Irresponsible adults are as often to blame as teenagers for the many transgressions of riders.
That said, ATV’s aren’t all bad. In West Virginia, where we also own a log home on 19 acres, ATV’s are permitted on any road that is not a “numbered highway”. That makes zipping down to the neighbors for a cup of coffee as easy as hopping on your machine, which many have parked right outside the front door. But West Virginia has just 75 folks per square mile (6% of NJ) and plenty of families own 100-acre tracts. Riding in a National Forest, however, still results in confiscation of the ATV if caught.
Let’s hope that New Jersey’s new ATV laws put an end to the illegal trespassing that so many riders feel is their inherent right. This is a chance to legitimize their hobby.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: ATV's in New Jersey, Cape May County blog, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, political blog
Posted in Lifestyle, Politics | 3 Comments »
January 17th, 2010
The debate rages on in America. To have or have not? Health care, that is.
On the surface, affordable health care for everyone seems like a good idea. But then again, so does communism. But implementing an ideal is another thing. Man’s inherent greed, competitive nature, and downright incompetence can turn the most well-intentioned plan into a complete boondoggle. I could have used much stronger language than “boondoggle”.
There is one showstopping point to President Obama’s universal health care plan that most everyone seems to have overlooked. It’s NOT health care, it’s disease treatment. Think about it.
If the government - and society in general - really cared about people’s health, they’d tackle the nutrition situation. Proper nutrition prevents the majority of illnesses. That’s the heart of all our health problems. Eat right and the body will help heal itself. The body is an efficient machine if it gets the right nutrients. Just like your car running on 87 octane fuel. Try running it on 65 octane and see what happens.
So a true health care plan would include education on nutrition. While most Americans will guffaw at this suggestion, we need to all become vegetarians. Ingesting animal products and processed sugars is like, well, putting sugar in your car’s gas tank. It sputters and dies.
But enough on that subject. Let’s get back to this “disease treatment” reform bill.
The House of Representatives passed their version of the bill on November 7 by a narrow margin of 220-215. On December 24, the Senate passed their version of the bill 60-39. The one missing vote was that of the late Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.
Since the two arms of government passed different versions of the bill, it will have to be reconciled and voted on again by both houses. If Republican Scott Brown gets elected in Tuesday’s special Senatorial election in Massachusetts, the Senate vote will no doubt end up 60 to 40 and the bill will die. If Democrat Martha Coakley wins, the Senate will most likely still favor the bill.
As things currently stand, no health reform will result in 54 million uninsured Americans by 2019. But the House bill would still leave 17 million uninsured by 2019 and the Senate bill 23 million. The 10 year cost is touted as $1.05 trillion for the House version and $871 billion for the Senate’s. It’s the struggling middle, upper middle, and upper classes that will be footing the bill. This recession has hurt them, too.
The major sticking point for most Americans is that coverage will be mandatory. Not getting insurance coverage will result in some sort of fines or penalty tax. That’s outrageous!
Another taint is that in order for the Senate to get the necessary vote of Democrat Ben Nelson, a former insurance industry lawyer and consultant, they granted the state of Nebraska $100 million over 10 years to cover expansion costs of Medicare. The main beneficary: insurance companies writing policies in Nebraska. There were other abuses, trade-offs, and compromises in both house’s bills.
So we’ve gone full circle. Back to greed and incompetence. Is affordable health care a good thing? Yes. Can we trust the government to oversee it? Not hardly.
Back to the drawing board.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ
Tags: affordable health care, health care reform, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, political blog
Posted in Lifestyle, Politics | 1 Comment »
January 17th, 2010
The death of US Senator Ted Kennedy last August 29 marked the end of a long political career. The Massachusetts Democrat was first elected in 1962 and it was his first of nine consecutive election victories. He served in the US Senate for 46 years, giving him the fourth longest service in Senate history. It was the only elected position he ever held.
Once upon a time, after the assassinations of brothers John (1962) and Robert (1968), it seemed logical and highly possible that young Teddy would one day became President of the United States. But the Chappaquiddick incident in July, 1969 derailed any aspirations for being Commander in Chief. Who can ever forget photos of that car sitting in the water?
Tuesday is election day in Massachusetts, when voters will decide between Democrat Martha Coakley, the state’s attorney general, and Republican Scott Brown, a relatively unknown state senator. Coakley, who at one point held a 15% advantage in the polls, has seen her lead shrink to 4%. With a margin of error of 4%, it’s just about a toss up. Undecided Independents will no doubt decide this election.
President Barack Obama made a quick change in plans and will campaign for Coakley today in Massachusetts, a typically Democrat state. On Friday, former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Coakley in Massachusetts, while New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was stumping for Brown.
So why do all these heavy hitters care so much about Ted Kennedy’s old seat? Health care.
If Coakley wins, Obama will presumably still have the 60 Senate votes needed to approve a health care reform bill. If Brown wins, the opposition gets its decisive 40th vote to shoot down any health care bill put up to a Senate vote.
How does a Republican even have a chance in the staunchly Democratic Massachusetts? Obama.
When Obama was elected and took office last January, he was supposed to be an agent of change. But now many who supported his election are disappointed and disenchanted with his presidency. Independents, especially, are leaving his camp. There is an anti-incumbent, anti-establishment undercurrent amongst the masses. This could well work to Brown’s advantage in the Massachusetts election. But is it enough to derail Coakley?
Whoever wins, they certainly have a big pair of shoes to fill.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Jewell Real Estate Agency, Martha Coakley, Massachusetts Democrat, Massachusetts election 2010, Mountain Man and City Girl, opinion, political blog, Scott Brown, Ted Kennedy
Posted in Politics | 3 Comments »
January 16th, 2010
It’s the Hatfields and the McCoys, the Blue and the Gray, the Union and the Confederacy. Whatever label you attach, it is an all-out war in West Wildwood, pitting neighbors against neighbors, one political faction against the other.
The war has taken the form of employee suspensions, court ordered re-instatements, lawsuits, and even an upcoming mayoral recall election. It’s Peyton Place by-the-Bay.
There have been undercurrents of one side versus the other for a long time, but the war intensified in May, 2008 with the election of a new set of three city commissioners – Mayor Herb Frederick, Gerard McNamara, and Scott Golden. The power had been transferred from the Hatfields to the McCoys. The muskets and long rifles are loaded and ready.
The new mayor is a political rival of former mayor Chris Fox, who chose to retire from public life and not run in the election. Along with his personable brother Alan Fox, the longtime police chief, the two Fox’s were visible leaders of the little borough of 400-something yearround residents for over a decade.
Amongst the goings-on recently have been the firing of the city clerk – an ally of Fox – by Frederick. A judge ordered her back on the job. Frederick then suspended police lieutenant Jackie Ferentz, another Fox ally, in March, 2009. He accused her of a number of violations, amongst those performing duties only allowed by the chief. But documentation alleges that Chief Alan Fox, who has suffered with illness for over a decade, appointed Ferentz as acting police chief before he retired.
Ferentz countered by suing Frederick for interfering with her ability to do her duties as chief. She also joined with two other West Wildwood residents to successfully get enough petition signatures to force a recall election of Frederick. You guessed it. Frederick has filed a lawsuit to stop the February 23rd election.
And so life goes on in the sleepy little fishing town on the backbay. Stay tuned. We’ll have more stories of strife from the frontlines in the future.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, political blog, West Wildwood, West Wildwood blog, West Wildwood politics
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January 16th, 2010
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 breakfast and packing our brown bag lunch. We were each given a nickel for our milk container purchase at school, later raised to an outrageous dime.
When we got home from school, Mom was there with milk and cookies, or some other goodie. The house was spotless and absolutely nothing was out of place. The beds were always made to the point of perfection and the hamper was empty. Clothes were hanging on the clothes line in the backyard.
We kids hurried to change into play clothes, then rushed out the door as Mom said cheerfully, “Dinner is at 5:30. Don’t be late.” Needless to say, a nice, hot meal of meat, potatoes, and a vegetable were on the dinner table at 5:30. What a life!
We had one car, which Dad used each day. To get anywhere, our options were to ride our bikes or walk. Mom was not our chaufeur. We kids (mostly me because I was the oldest) were expected to mow the lawn, rake leaves, and shovel snow. No excuses were acceptable.
But that’s not today’s reality. In statistics recently released by the US Census Bureau, concerning families comprised of a married couple with kids under 18 years old, you can see that the American way of life has changed dramatically from the Ward and June Cleaver, Wally and Beaver (okay, Theodore) days.
Two thirds of these American families have both parents working. That’s 17 million families where the kids probably don’t have a June Cleaver to come home to every day. Called “latch-key kids”, they come home from school to an unsupervised house. No wonder they live on junk food, fast food, and watch too much TV and spend too much time playing video games.
Now only 28 percent (7.3 million families) of fathers are the sole breadwinners. That throws the Ward Cleaver model right out the window. Another telling statistic is that in 4% of families (just under a million), the wife is the sole supporter. Maybe that’s why beer sales are up? Just kidding. A lot of that can be attributed to this recession which has eliminated many construction and trades jobs. But does Dad take up the traditional homemaker role? Only in 16% of the families, they say.
In today’s world, a family does without any frills unless both parents are employed. It’s the way it is. But how many kids can never share the memories I have of coming home after school to Mom’s freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies and a loving hug.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Beaver Cleaver, Jewell Real Estate Agency, June Cleaver, Leave it to Beaver, lifestyle blog, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, real estate blog, Ward Cleaver
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January 15th, 2010
It looked like such a cute plant sitting there on forest floor near the back corner of our property here in Cape May County, New Jersey. It had pretty purple flowers and an intriguing stem that sprouted out a couple leaves every few inches. The perennial plant sat there all by itself, yearning to be saved. Always a sucker for flora and fauna, we transplanted it to a safe, sunny spot in our garden and forgot about it.
The next growing season it spread some via an underground root system. Again, the purple flowers were beautiful. By the next year, it was springing up nearly ten feet from where I planted the first one. Still, I figured it had just about used up the open area and it would not keep spreading.
Then one morning in July I opened up the morning newspaper and there was a story about an invasive plant that had been imported from Asia. The accompanying picture left me speechless – it was my little purple-flower plant. The more I read the story, the more I realized I had to dig this perennial plant right up and destroy it.
Now, two years later, I think I finally have seen the last of this bugger. It seems everytime I thought it was all dug up, another shoot would spring up elsewhere.
It is estimated that there are 50,000 alien species in the United States, and they do $138 billion damage to the US economy. The biggest problem is that many of these foreigners have no natural pests or diseases here to keep them in check. So they spread like wildfire, choking out native species. Since one plant species in an area supports about 10 animal species, a monoculture of one plant can substantially reduce animal habitat and diversity.
Some of the invasive plant species in New Jersey – many planted by well-meaning landscapers – are the Norway maple, Japanese barberry, Asian bittersweet, English ivy, mimosa, wisteria, Japanese honeysuckle, bamboo, and day lily. Geez, we have four of those right in our yard. Who knew? Even the multiflora rose (planted along highways) and crown vetch (to stabilize hillsides) are foreigners.
In Avalon, an upscale shore community here, they planted Japanese black pines back in the 1960’s to help stabilized the shifting sands of the dunes. Little did they realize how quickly they would grow, pushing out native species. And with pine needles eventually coating the ground underneath them, that area became barren.
Avalon is now cutting out the dead black pines and pruning all the lower branches of the live ones. They will be replaced by native species – Eastern red cedar, black cherry, wax myrtle, and Northern bayberry – which all can perform the same role of stabilizing the sand. It’s a win-win.
With spring just two months away, the ground will soon begin revealing a new crop of summer plants at our home. I better keep my shovel ready just in case any of those Asian purple-flower plants show up.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Avalon, Cape May County NJ, invasive plants, Jersey shore, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, nature blog, new jersey invasive plants, NJ
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