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Use Us, But Don’t Use Us

Monday, January 31st, 2011

Can’t figure out the title?  Let me explain.

It usually starts with a phone call.  “I have a property at xxx Atlantic Avenue that I’m looking to sell.”  That always gets my immediate attention.  Oh boy, a listing!

“Would you like to list the property?”, I ask in anticipation.

“Well, no, I don’t want to list it with a realtor,” he’ll say, “I’m calling all the realtors on the island to let them know I’ll pay a three percent commission to anyone who brings me a buyer.”

I slump in my seat, the hair standing up on my back.  I’m pissed.

“Are you saying that you are NOT going to list with a local realtor?”, I shoot back.  I’ve have this same type phone call a dozen times a year so I go right on the offensive.

“No, but let me tell you all about my property in case you have a buyer.”

“Don’t bother,” I retort.  “In a couple days I won’t even remember your name or the property address.  List it with a local realtor – it doesn’t have to be us – and your property will get the attention it deserves.”

“No, I’m going to sell it myself.  I don’t need a realtor,” he says.  Of course if he doesn’t need a realtor, why is he calling all of us?  Answer – he thinks he can entice some realtor to help him save half the commission expense.

“Well, good luck,” I say in a pleasant voice.  “If you decide to list the property, consider Jewell Real Estate Agency.”  Then I hang up.

I sit at my desk and hope the other realtors on our island understand the implications of helping this guy out.  We are cheating one of our colleagues out of a three percent commission – usually about $10,000 – by going along with this guy’s scheme.  Times haven’t been tough enough on agencies that we should help cut each other’s throats?

And so I say to prospective sellers:  Feel free to use us as realtors, but don’t use us to achieve your ends while depriving realtors of their fair commission.  We’re professionals.  We work hard at our craft.  We’re constantly educating ourselves.

Treat us in our business as you’d expect us to treat you in yours.  Is that too much to ask?

- Mountain Man

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Our 10th Anniversary

Sunday, 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 a mom-and-pop realty company was a hit.  We doubled our anticipated sales earnings the first year and by 2005 City Girl herself sold $27 million worth of real estate properties. 

Our laid back demeanor and knowledge of the market, land use, zoning, and latest trends gave us a very loyal client base.  Because we so enjoy meeting people and establishing lasting relationships, we lived up to our motto “…Where you’re more than a customer, you’re a friend”.

Then the hard times hit.  In 2006, it was like turning off a water spicket.  Our entire vacation home market went from very busy to totally dead.  The phones stopped ringing at our agency and every agency in the Wildwoods.  What just happened?

While local real estate agencies began to go out of business, close satellite offices, or shrink their staffs, we adopted a business plan to keep our advertising at the 2005 levels.  Perception is everything in our business and we had to maintain our presence.  Our plan was sound and we survived the devastating years of 2006 through 2009.  Additional  keys were undoubtably our continuing to answer our phones 6am to 9pm, 365 days a year and our popular newsletter, composed by Mountain Man (a retired writer) and published six times a year.  We mail out about 5,000 a month, plus over 900 are sent free by email to subscribers.

In 2010, the real estate market turned around.  Folks who had been sitting on the sidelines the past four years seemed to lose their apprehension, much of it induced and prolonged by the media.  They figured that they had survived the recession and now it was time to live out their dream to own a second home.  Prices were about 40% less than the highs of 2005 and interest rates were under 5%, giving added incentive.

Now, in 2011, with buyer traffic like we haven’t seen since 2001, we are expanding our Wildwood Crest office.  We are currently hiring sales agents, enlarging our rental department, and have opened a cleaning company – all housed in the building next door that we’ve purchased.

With 10 years under our belts, we look forward to the next 10 years.  We’re excited.  That’s living the American dream!

- Mountain Man 

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Personal Service

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

The recent tough economic times from 2006 through 2010 have made every business and business person both here in Cape May County, New Jersey and throughout the United States take a tough, hard look at their business practices.  That is except every government entity from local and county through state and national, who still act arrogant and spend like drunkin’ sailors.  However, that’s another story to be addressed another day.

In the private sector, businesses have had to analyze their model and decide what they need to do to survive and thrive.  What will separate them from the competition?  What will help them sell more of their product and get repeat business?

One sure-fire solution, whether in the real estate business that we’re in or any other business, is personal service.  Americans, despite all their electronic gadgets and gizmos, like and appreciate personal service.  And they gravitate toward companies that give that personal service.  We all want to be treated like human beings, not just a number.

Shockingly, there are some real estate agencies that don’t understand this concept.  They are hung up on automation.  And it’s costing them business and relationships.

I’m the type of guy who often gets into the office at 7:30 or 8 o’clock, well before the traditional real estate industry opening time of 9:00am.  I’ve got work to do and since I’m normally up and going by 4am, I am well into my day by 7 o’clock.  Heck, I started writing this blog article at 4:30.  Anyway, when running last minute errands I’ll often drive down New Jersey Avenue – the main thorofare through the Wildwoods – and notice multiple cars at a few real estate agencies just before 9:00am.  So back at the office, I’ll call a realtor to discuss a deal.  It’s 8:55am.  A voice mail comes on that says, “Our normal business hours are 9:00am to ….”.  What?  I know that three of you are sitting at your desks.  I saw your cars parked out front, so I know exactly who is at work.  You won’t answer the phone because it’s not exactly 9:00:00?  Incredible!

Then there’s the newest laziness trend.  I’m looking through the MLS to find some properties for a client.  I find a marginal property that might fit the criteria.  I go to call the agent to set up an appointment or get showing instructions when I notice on the listing “Appointment number 888-xxx-xxxx”.  Are you kidding me?  This agency is going to direct me to a central clearinghouse rather than have me speak directly to the agent?  How do I find out if there have been any offers on the property if I don’t speak to the agent?  How many times has the property been shown?  How old is the roof?  How long before the tenant leases end?

No, they’re going to send me to a generic answering center that sets up appointments.  Period.  Are they nuts?

So, being the type personality I am, I ignore the directive and call the office.  “I want to show xxx Atlantic Avenue,” I say to the receptionist. 

“You have to call 888-xxx-xxxx,” she answers coldly.  I reply that I want to talk to the agent and set up the appointment through that listing agent so I can get additional information about the property. “You have to call 888-xxx-xxxx to set up appointments,” she repeats robotically.

I won’t get into what I say next, but you get the idea.  What kind of service are these agencies giving?  They can’t answer the phone at 5 minutes of 9 and they won’t even set up their own appointments?

I smile.  At Jewell Real Estate Agency, we answer phones 6:00am to 9:00pm, 365 days a year.  We gladly speak to other agents letting them know the high points and quirks of every property of ours that they are interested in showing to the potential buyers.  We’re live and lively people, not robots.  We love our business.  It’s our life.  We’re proud of our personal service!

We’ll survive and thrive.

- Mountain Man

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Finding the Price Point

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Shows what I know.  If you told me back in 2005 that we’d ever be selling properties in the $100,000′s again I would have laughed in your face.  After all, real estate prices in Cape May County, New Jersey had escalated at 3% per month for a year and a half.  Even as the market cooled slightly, they were still going up one percent a month.

Well, here it is 2011.  It’s a brave new world.  We currently have 14 residential listings available to buy that are priced under $200,000.  And that doesn’t include vacant lots.

The market determines the price.  Okay, the owner actually decides what price to ask after weighing – and sometimes discarding – the pricing advice of their realtor.  But if there’s no action after two months, it’s time to lower the price.  After another two months of minimal interest in the unit, it’s time to reduce the price again.  It’s called “finding the price point”.  Once you arrive at the price point, the unit typically gets an offer within 21 days.  Real estate, for the most part, is no longer “location, location, location”.  It’s “price, price, price”.

Several of our lowest priced units are seasonal, meaning the water is shut off from November 1 to late March or April.  There is too much chance of water pipes freezing and bursting in the cold winters for the complexes to take the risk.  Leaking pipes can do hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage in a short time in a two or three story multi-unit building.

Our lowest priced unit is in a campground complex, complete with swimming pool, basketball courts, tennis courts, a game room, and organized activities day and night for both kids and adults.  The 35-foot long trailer, built in 2004, is cute and homey.  The property is listed at just $59,900.

We also have three units in a complex on the 300 block east in Wildwood, just a half block from the beach and famous Boardwalk.  All three units are one bedroom, one full bath, and the complex has an inground pool.  Sold as a short sale, the 336 square foot unit is going for $99,000 and the two 450 sq ft units are priced at $120,000.  They have both price and location going for them!

We have two units a couple blocks away also in the 300 block east and a short walk to the beach and Boardwalk.  Both of these short sale units are 633 sq ft, two bedrooms, and priced at $112,000.  The remodeled units, featuring new carpets and new wood laminate floors and tastefully decorated, rent for $975 per week.

We just listed a 15′x25′ efficiency unit in the 400 block east in the heart of Wildwood Crest for $124,900.  It is totally remodeled, with new refrigerator, stove and range top, cabinets, countertops, etc.  The Caribbean theme really makes you think you’re on vacation and the swimming pool, barbecue grills, etc make life easy.  Can you say, “Pina Colada”?

Wrapping up my look at “too good to be true”  properties is a  cute, year-round single family home in Villas, Lower Township.  Situated on a 60′x86′ lot, the two bedroom, 1 1/2 bath home has an attached garage, fenced yard, and inside there’s a dining room, living room and family room with electric fireplace.  Originally, $149,000, two price reductions have brought the price down to its price point of $132,000.  It’s a great place to retire, vacation, or start a family.

There are bargains galore at the shore in Cape May County.  Maybe now is the time for you to take advantage of price, price, price.

- Mountain Man 

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$201,343,605

Friday, January 14th, 2011

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 all, 673 properties changed ownership.  Let’s break down the numbers:

148 single family homes sold at an average price of $338,950 and were on the market an average of 242 days. 

14 lots sold at an average of $216,817 and were on the market for 243 days average.

15 commercial properties sold for an average of $386,500 after being on the market an average 323 days.

38 multi-family properties sold for an average of $253,318 and were on the market an average of 234 days.

Now the big one.  458 condos and townhomes sold for a total of $137 million plus, with the average price $301,173 after 245 days on the market.

To summarize, 673 properties sold in 2010, or slightly less than two every day of the year.  They were on the market about eight months.  And condos and single family homes averaged over $300,000 apiece.  That’s not bad, and after the market conditions we saw in 2006-2009, it’s quite encouraging. 

As you no doubt noticed, the media finally acknowledged – or most of them did – that the real estate market was making a comeback in 2010.  Here at Jewell Real Estate Agency, our sales were up 205% as compared to 2009.  And guess what.  We have set our goal at again doubling our business in 2011  compared to 2010.  A bold prediction, sure, but we can do it!  The numbers don’t lie.

- Mountain Man

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Optimism on the Horizon, Part II

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Back on December 18, 2010, about 3 1/2 weeks ago, we wrote on this blogsite about our optimistic outlook on the local vacation home real estate market here at the shore in Cape May County, New Jersey.  We talked about expanding our business, but purposely left you in the dark about how it would be accomplished. 

Well, here it is.

We have a signed agreement to purchase the property next door.  A former upscale home decor business, the owners were forced to close their lucrative business due to health issues.  They listed the 100′x60′ property for sale with us, Jewell Real Estate Agency.  The building has about 1,900 square feet on both the first and second floors, plus a third floor for storage.  There are also eight parking spots in the asphalt parking lot, a valuable asset in the busy summertime.

The first floor of the new building will house four full-time real estate sales agents, plus our rental department.  There is also a stockroom with a separate outside rear entrance that will accommodate our cleaning company, Timber Lane Cleaning Service.  The second floor will undergo a makeover next year that will see the two bedroom apartment transformed with the carpet replaced by hardwood floors and the vintage 1980 wallpaper steamed off and replaced with a more modern look.  Then we’ll have room for four more desks for agents, plus a large conference room and full kitchen.

Our current building, a cramped 800 square feet, will continue as the offices for City Girl and Mountain Man – the two broker/owners – and our secretary and right-hand woman, Chris.  With just three of us in the building, we’ll no longer feel squeezed into a small space.  Adding our 50′x60′ property into the mix, we will have 150′ frontage on the main thorofare through the Wildwoods – New Jersey Avenue – with ample parking.  Our current concrete driveway will be utilized as a deck, hosting two outdoor tables with colorful beach-themed umbrellas and chairs.  We will also have an information kiosk there, loaded with maps and pamphlets about local tourist attractions.  The landscaping will feature plenty of flowers and color.

We’re excited.  You should be, too, because when a realtor expands their business capacity, it means good times are right around the corner.  As we’ve said before, the real estate market was the first to collapse in 2006 and it’s leading the resurgence in 2011.  Isn’t that great news?!!!

- Mountain Man

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Mortgage Interest Deductions

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

It has always been a given in our lifetimes that there is great value in home ownership.  It’s a concept in which we heartily agree.

Recently, there has been a small voice in Americana that is extolling the virtues of renting a home rather than owning.  Poppycock!  Perhaps it is a reaction to the government’s threat of revoking the mortgage interest deduction (MID) that makes home ownership less attractive.  That is an ill-conceived idea and it will definitely stall the real estate market just as it’s poised for a recovery.

Let’s look at the MID.  The average 35-45 year old gets a $13,829 deduction off their gross income.  Ages 45-55 get $12,374 deducted, and 55-65 write off $11,099.  The reason it drops with time, obviously, is because at the beginning of a mortgage the principal is a smaller amount of each payment.  Farther into the loan, the interest becomes smaller as the principal increases.  Keep in mind, the amounts mentioned are NOT how much less they pay in taxes, just how much is deducted from their gross income.

The “let’s rent” folks are ignoring several facts.  Renters, by and large, do not exhibit the pride in ownership that results in nice landscaping, replacement of shrubs and pruning of trees, and minor repairs to broken fixtures, windows, etc.  “It’s not mine” is their mentality, and it shows.  There are exceptions, but for the most part their properties are not as well kept as a homeowners.  Folks who own also tend to be more involved in their community and schools.  I can go on and on.

If the MID is revoked, it’s a clear sign that the government has an interest in hamstringing the U.S. economy.  There can’t be any other reason.  Let’s hope that’s not the case!

- Mountain Man

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Optimism on the Horizon

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

We are what we think we are.

That’s a bit profound, but definitely true. 

That’s why depressed people are depressed and chronically sick people are chronically sick.  It’s also why lively people are lively and upbeat people are upbeat.  It’s mind over matter.  It’s the vibes you put out to the universe that steer your mindset.

The same holds true for the recession of the late 2000 decade.  People who go around moping about how bad things are typically find that things remain bad for them longer.  While they whine about the economy, jobs, real estate, the stock market, etc, others are going out and making a good living and seizing the opportunities at hand.  Insightful folks, those with vision, aren’t complaining about the present but instead are setting themselves up for a prosperous future.  It’s that simple.

Since City Girl and I are realtors, let me run through the real estate gauntlet.  When the Cape May County, New Jersey shore vacation home  real estate market went south in 2006, many realtors went into a funk.  Not all, but many.  They were all doom and gloom and that attitude prevailed in their offices.  They sat around and played cards all day, bemoaning the fact that the phones weren’t ringing and no prospective customers were walking through the door.  In the next four years, many offices closed up shop and the ranks of licensed realtors in the county board shrunk by one-third.

Meanwhile, Jewell Real Estate Agency took a different approach.  We saw it as a break from doing so many real estate deals and an opportunity to focus on the future and to tweak our operation.  In the boom years of 2002 through 2005, we didn’t have a chance to step back and analyze our business.  The money was flowing so we were content.  Our inward look began by us realizing that we couldn’t cut back on advertising.  In the hard times you have to maintain your presence.  The offices that cut back or even cut out advertising were amongst the first to go belly-up.

By mid-2008, we decided to expand by adding a second floor to our Wildwood Crest office.  We were positioning ourselves to be ready for the next boom.  It wasn’t until the final day of 2009 that we received our final approvals to go forward with the construction.  The winter of 2010 delayed us further and it wasn’t until late in the summer that the complicated concrete footing and block work was completed.  A busy autumn, with a renewed flush of real estate sales and prospective buyers gave us the same feeling we got in 2001 – the local real estate market was coming back.

Buoyed by the surge in activity and our own optimistic outlook on real estate and life, we decided to undergo a full-fledged business expansion.  The time was right.  We would catch the real estate wave while it was still far from shore rather than wait for the wave to nearly break at the beach.  Too many folks jumped into real estate near the end of the 2002-2005 boom and missed the ride to the top.  They crashed and burned.  

We would take our philosophy of personal attention and unbridled integrity and select a few top-notch local agents to join our real estate family.  We would offer four desks for sales agents, two for rental agents, plus house our new Timber Lane Cleaning Service and its 10 employees.

So how are we expanding without completing the construction of our second floor?  Stay tuned.  The answer comes in a couple days.

- Mountain Man

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The Land of Plenty, … and Poverty

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

Cape May County, New Jersey is known for its beaches, the Atlantic Ocean, fishing, boating, golf courses, the zoo, and a myriad of other leisure venues.  Cape May, Avalon, and Stone Harbor are known for their multi-million dollar homes – McMansions, actually – that are second homes to the rich and famous.  Ocean City, Sea Isle, and the Wildwoods attract a mix of wealthy and middle class, all pursuing a relaxed escape from the hectic pace of their everyday lives in metropolitan Philadelphia or New York City.

To many, the county is shangri-la, a place to attain nirvana.  They associate it with “the good life”.

Unfortunately, year-round residents see past that illusion.  They know the ugly truth.  Of 42,000 year-round households, over 4,000 families live below the poverty level, which is an embarrassingly-low $22,050 for a family of four.  Can you imagine trying to make it on $22,050 per year?

Recently released statistics show that the worst conditions are in Woodbine, where 24% of families live in poverty.  Wildwood is next at 20% under the poverty line, with the median income just $30,974.   To extrapolate, that means that another 30% of year-round families in Wildwood make between $22,050 and $30,974.  Yikes!

Families are also struggling in Wildwood Crest with 11% in poverty, West Cape May with 10%, West Wildwood with 8%, and North Wildwood with 6%.

Here’s another telling statistic.  Cape May County had 317 homeless people in 2010.  That number includes 54 families totaling 157 people.  Another 160 individuals were labeled homeless and nine more were classified chronically homeless, meaning they’ve gone a full year or more without a home.

So where do they all live?  Why don’t you see them pushing around a shopping cart with all their possessions, like in Philly or Atlantic City or any big city?  The answer is that the NJ Social Services Department uses a half dozen local motels to house the homeless.  Since most don’t have a vehicle, driving past one of these motels gives the illusion that the rooms are mostly vacant, but they’re not.  Families, couples, and individuals are living in these motel rooms, with little more than a couple beds, a bathroom, microwave, and old TV.  But, at least they have heat.  Some other families are put up in temporary housing provided by churches.  Sadly, some live in the woods, under the Boardwalk, or in dilapidated abandoned homes.  These poor folks don’t have heat in the winter, and stay warm by piling on layers of clothes.

It’s a shame, a disgrace, that our country with so much has so many folks with so little.  Our government “by the people and for the people” isn’t exactly for all the people.  We need to change that.  As individuals, we have compassion.  But as a nation, we have less compassion than we should.  When will we all truly care?

- Mountain Man

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The Vacation Home Real Estate Market is back!

Monday, December 13th, 2010

Go ahead and snicker.  This Mountain Man guy 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.  With interest rates hovering around 4% and prices nearly half of what they were in 2005, sales have been brisk.  We’re also seeing that folks are tired of sitting on the sidelines and after five years they ackowledge the opportunity is there to finally purchase and own a vacation home at the Jersey Shore.  If they were 55 years old back in 2005, they’re now 60 and not getting any younger.  I call it the “now or never” syndrome.  If they waited much longer to buy a second home, some would probably just say forget it.

Back in 2004, we began telling our clients that the days of buying pre-construction condos, then flipping them a year later the day after closing, were over.  We saw an overabundance of new construction and sensed that the market was shifting.  Unfortunately, we were right.  We are getting that same feeling again, except this time it’s a turn in the other direction. 

 

We believe that the vacation home market leads the way.  Our real estate market was the first to fall apart, and it is the first to recover.  And why not?  Folks who can afford second homes usually own their own business or they are high enough up on the corporate ladder to have a solid income.  When the national media began their gloom and doom predictions, the frugal upper and upper-middle class folks pulled back and stopped spending.  Now that they’ve endured five years of a recession and the sky hasn’t fallen in, they’re back.

Here at Jewell Real Estate Agency, we have sold 2.5 times more properties this year than in 2009.  We’re not bleeding greenbacks anymore.  Not only are we relieved, we’re very optimistic.  No doubt, it will take the primary home market another two years to catch fire.  But when it does, all will be well in Whoville.

- Mountain Man

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‘Tis the Season to write Blogs

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

With winter firmly entrenched here in South Jersey, it’s time to focus on writing articles for this blogsite.  As you may have noticed the past two years, we make many additions to this blogsite December through March, but with the warm weather comes other more-pressing responsibilities.

This past year, our thoughts in the warm months turned to many other diversions.  First up was The Free Meal Center, Cape May County’s first-ever daily soup kitchen.  We formed a non-profit organization on January 25, 2010 and took possession of the 4,275 square foot building situated on 2.38 acres on March 15th.  We spent the next eight months gutting the interior and improving the grounds and exterior of the building, thanks to the hundreds of dedicated volunteers who pitched in to make it a reality.  We received our building permit the day before Thanksgiving and now the renovations can proceed.

We also began the second story addition to our real estate office in Wildwood Crest.  The complicated footing is now in place, with a three-foot concrete block foundation above.  When the warm weather returns, we’ll begin building skyward.

We also began site work on our restaurant/sports bar in Green Bank, West Virginia.  We purchased the seven-acre bottom land on July 1st.  The beautiful property has 750-foot frontage on Routes 28 & 92 and 1,050 feet along Deer Creek, a 50-foot wide river that takes water from the Allegheny Mountains to the Greenbrier River.  The site work is just about done and the riverfront has been transformed into a beautiful setting. 

As you can see, we keep ourselves pretty busy.  And so, you’ll excuse us if we only find the time to relax and write blog posts in the winter.  Sit back and enjoy the next four months of opinions and observations on real estate and life in general.

- Mountain Man

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Lower Township’s Revaluation

Friday, 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 new valuations put the township on notice to expect plenty of costly tax appeals.  It would also cause an imbalance in values, since those folks out of a total of 15,930 property owners in the town that didn’t bother to appeal would unfairly be picking up the new burden.

Township Tax Assessor Art Amonette undertook an in-house reval in 2009, which cost just $25,000 instead of the $1 million price tag associated with a full reval.  Smart thinking, big savings!

The completed revaluation shows that the value of the township did indeed decline, from the previous $4.73 billion down to $4.1 billion, a drop of about 15%.  About 15,500 properties had their values reduced, while another 400 saw increases.

The range of change had some properties dropping 30%, as opposed to a high of a 10% increase.  Anyone who’s value dropped more than 15% will see a lower tax bill.  A reduction less than 15% will see the owner’s tax bill increase accordingly.

So once again, the playing field appears to be leveled for Lower Township property owners.  Town officials being proactive was a wise decision all around.

- Mountain Man and City Girl    http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com

The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ    http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com

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Feeding the Hungry in Cape May County

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

We just couldn’t stand by any longer and do nothing about the hunger and nutrition problem here in Cape May County, New Jersey.  It was time to act. 

In a county that has hundreds of multi-million dollar vacation homes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay, there is a flip side to the coin.  Of 42,000 yearround families, nearly 4,000 households live under the poverty line ($22,050 for 4) and another 9,500 have social security as their sole source of income.  The unemployment rate is around 13%, and when you add in those who have basically given up ever finding gainful employment the jobless rate approaches 30%. 

As realtors, we get the opportunity to go into a lot of people’s homes every year.  In one home we had listed last year, we noticed that the five kids had different colored lips.  We soon discovered why.  The only food in the house was those frozen sugar-water ice pops that come in tear-away plastic tubes.  The refrigerator was empty except for condiments and the freezer was full of different flavored ice pops.  It’s sad.  In the homes of the elderly, we have seen them subsist on Saltine crackers the last days of the month.  They are proud and they don’t complain.

While so many have so much, these others have so little.

This month, we organized “The Free Meal Center” with a volunteer Board of Directors and incorporated as a New Jersey secular, non-profit, charitable organization.  By the way, the politically correct term nowadays is “meal center” and no longer is “soup kitchen”.  We found a 4,000 square foot former restaurant centrally located in the middle of the county on the main highway, Route 9, and negotiated a purchase price.  It has four dining rooms, four restrooms, a large kitchen area, and parking for 40 cars on the 2.2 acre property.  We will be able to seat 100 or more at a time.

We take possession of the building March 15 and hope to be up and running by Memorial Day.  We will serve lunch Monday through Saturday, plus breakfast on Saturday.  Meals will be free and open to anyone who walks through our doors.  We won’t even ask their names.  Our volunteers will treat everyone with respect and dignity.

The building does need a bit of work.  Part of the roof needs repairs, the interior needs painting, the bare kitchen needs equipment, and we need tables and chairs.  A few other repairs may become evident once we’re in the building, but its all no big deal.  We can do it.

We’ve undertaken becoming a 501(c)(3) tax deductible entity and expect to be approved in the spring.  Our website, http://www.TheFreeMealCenter.com should up on-line by next Tuesday, February 16, 2010.

If you’d like to help us help these less-fortunate folks, you can donate through our website next week, or mail a check to The Free Meal Center, PO Box 863, Cape May Court House, New Jersey  08210.  We’ll mail you back a tax deductible receipt.

Thanks for caring.

- Mountain Man and City Girl    http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com

The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ  08260    http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com

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Our Real Estate Market

Friday, 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

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Walking Away from a Mortgage

Thursday, 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

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Civil War in West Wildwood

Saturday, 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

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The Little Town That Could

Monday, January 11th, 2010

The Borough of Woodbine is located in the northwest corner of Cape May County, in southern New Jersey.  Situated in the Pinelands National Reserve, Woodbine is physically located about 20 miles from the very affluent beachfront communities of Avalon and Stone Harbor and 30 miles from trendy, historic Cape May.  But in perception, they are a million miles apart.

Woodbine shouldn’t be underestimated.  It’s the hidden gem of the county.  And continually preparing itself for future prosperity.

The rural, wooded town of 2,700 folks boasts an airport, a museum, the largest employer in the county, plenty of industry, an elementary school, recreation commission, volunteer fire department, and Belleplain State Park.

The 700-acre airport – one of only three in the county – is part of the 1,216-acre Woodbine Municipal Airport Economic Area.  It employs 27 workers with an annual payroll of two-thirds of a million dollars.  The 50-acre business park has a public sewer system in place in anticipation of future businesses locating there.  An existing rail line opens more possibilities.  A new golf course proposed by a private developer on the remaining land was scuttled when a glut of new golf courses in the county made it financially impractical.

Being one of only five towns in the 1.1 million acre Pinelands to receive the coveted Town designation, Woodbine is able to offer sewers for residences, plus commercial and industrial businesses.  That makes it attractive to businesses throughout Cape May County looking to relocated to more spacious and less pricey properties.  And the general purpose tax rate hasn’t increased in 19 years.

The little town is experiencing continual improvements.  The Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage recently completed a $2 million renovation and voters recently approved a $3.8 million project to upgrade the school, which includes solar panel installation.  At the former landfill, Garden State Ethanol is in the permit process which will lead to building a 25-million gallon a year plant that will convert algae to ethanol.

The town owes much of its success and progress to Mayor William Pikolycky, who’s been in office for a couple decades.  Last year alone he garnered $4.2 million in grants for Woodbine.  In the past he has gotten bike trails and walking trails funded and built, and made many infrastructure improvements to the vibrant, multi-ethnic community.

So while many local communities march on as well-to-do seashore tourist locales, little Woodbine chugs along with an eye to the future.  It truly is the Little Engine That Could.

- Mountain Man and City Girl

http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com

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NJDEP bungles again

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

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 feet of 6-foot high dunes.

The homeowners submitted an emergency application to the NJDEP to build a seawall at their own expense.  That’s right, they’d pay for the thing themselves.

“No way”, was NJDEP’s reply.  You see, NJDEP is still hung up on beach replenishment.  So despite the fact that the murky, churning Delaware Bay is within five feet of the corner of one home, NJDEP wouldn’t budge.  They want sand put back to rebuild the dune.  Or else leave it alone and presumably some high tide will take out the homes.

Then a new problem arose.  The beach is owned by Lower Township, not the property owners.  Lower wasn’t about to foot the bill, so they turned to good old FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency – to fund the beach replenishment.  Who knows how long that bureaucracy of red tape will take?  Plus, they fund beaches on the Atlantic Ocean side of the county, where tourists flock.  The only flock on this beach are red knots, laughing gulls, sandpipers, and such.

But the issue, in reality, is that NJDEP dropped the ball in the beginning.  Their mission – since they became the country’s third DEP back on the original Earth Day on April 22, 1970 –  is to “manage natural resources and solve pollution problems”.  What better way to manage this resource than to let the property owners install a bulkhead, then storms and natural sediment movement will put a beach back, gratis.  Everybody gets what they want.

But that’s common sense, a term that usually can’t be used in the same sentence as NJDEP.

- Mountain Man and City Girl

http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com

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Atlantic City Woes Continue

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell’s expected signature today on a bill to allow table games in addition to its existing slot machines is another bit of bad news for Atlantic City.  The bill passed the state Senate 28-22 previously and the Assembly 103-89 yesterday.  Rendell threatened to layoff 1,000 state workers if the bill wasn’t on his desk by tomorrow (Friday, Jan 8, 2010).  That got legislators moving.

Pennsylvania will now permit up to 250 table games in larger casinos and up to 50 in smaller resort casinos.  Table games are poker, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, craps, and similar games of chance.  The cost of licensing is $16.5 million for the large casinos and $7.5 million for resort casinos, which is a drop in the bucket in the scope of the big picture.  The 14 casinos in the state should add an additional $250 million per year to state coffers.

Atlantic City, the No.2 casino city in the United States after Las Vegas, has seen reduced revenues for over a year, putting an added strain on New Jersey’s already bloated budget deficit.  The monopoly Atlantic City once enjoyed on gambling on the East Coast is ancient history.

Connecticut has three Indian casinos that allow slots and table games, making them the first to cut into Atlantic City’s lucrative market.  West Virginia was next, first having slots at two dog tracks and two horse tracks, then adding table games in 2007.  They recently granted a full gambling license to the infamous Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs.

Delaware has one poker venue in Wilmington, plus video poker and slots at the three “racinos”, as they call their race tracks with legal gambling.  It won’t be long before table games are installed in each of the sites.

So what is Atlantic City to do?  They will lose much of their Philadelphia area gamblers once the table games open next November or so.  Delaware’s table games will debut around the same time.  No doubt entrepreneurs will add restaurants and resort hotels near the casinos, further damaging Atlantic City’s bottom line.

Atlantic City will need to take advantage of what it’s already got for the dozen casinos, employing 36,000 workers, to be profitable.  That means marketing non-gaming venues.  Upscale, fashionable restaurants with trendy surroundings are already a big draw, as are the 200 retail, brand name, and outlet stores.

Atlantic City also has big name entertainers going for it.  Not a night goes by that the city doesn’t feature a dozen acts targeting every age group.  Glitzy, nouveau nightclubs, with a regular parade of celebrity sightings, is turning AC into a mecca for the 21-40 year old crowd.  And they have bucks to spend.

AC also offers championship boxing matches, plus those new martial art/kick boxing/in-a-cage fights.  There’s also college basketball, including the Atlantic 10 tournament each March.

Last but not least, there’s the beach.  Geez, no other casino in neighboring states has the sparkling white sands and bikini babes.  And the beach is a great place to watch an air show or fireworks or lifeguard competitions or throw a frisbee or ….

Well, maybe Atlantic City should be saying, “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”  Time will tell.

- Mountain Man and City Girl

http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com

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Catholic Schools reeling in Cape May County

Wednesday, 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.  Students were offered the chance to transfer to Star of the Sea in Cape May or St. Ann’s in Wildwood.

Then in 2008 the Diocese announced the closing of Star of the Sea elementary/junior high school, merging it with St. Ann’s elementary/junior high school.  That didn’t sit well with Star of the Sea parents, who didn’t like the prospect of their kids be bussed to lowly Wildwood, a decidedly less affluent community.  The parents are still fighting the closing, recently taking out ads on the radio to drum up support for keeping Star of the Sea open.  Tuition at the school is around $3,500 for Catholic kids and a thousand dollars more for non-Catholics.

The diocese also previously announced the closing of the Assumption church in upscale Wildwood Crest, offering just summer services when tourists are in town.  Parishioners picketed and instituted a letter writing campaign to keep their church, which is self-supporting and not losing money, from merging with St. Ann’s.  The move by the Diocese was part of a plan to merge 14 Cape may County parishes into eight.

With all these closings happening, the biggest shock is the demise of Wildwood Catholic High School, an institution on the island since 1948.  The North Wildwood school boasts state titles in soccer and basketball, and their rivalries with Wildwood High School and other county high schools are legendary.  In the 1990′s, the school’s enrollment increased from 250 to 374 students.  A $1.5 million addition was built onto the school to handle the increase. 

But in these tough economic times, with tuition at the Catholic high school running about $6,000 per student, many parents balked at sending their kids there.  And yes, religion is less common in families than in previous times.  Enrollment is now down to 194 at Wildwood Catholic High.  The school will lose a half million dollars this year, with expected red ink of $900,000 next year if they stayed open.

Catholic parents of high schoolers will now have several options of where to send their kids next year.  To stay parochial, the options are Holy Spirit High School in Absecon (35 miles), St. Augustine in Richland (45 miles), or St. Joseph in Hammonton (52 miles).  Locally, the students can attend their home public high schools which are Wildwood HS, Lower Cape May Regional HS, Middle Township HS, Ocean City HS, or Cape May Technical HS. 

Unlike St. Raymond’s, which now sits unused and gathering dust, Wildwood Catholic will not be mothballed.  The school will become the new home of the St. Ann and Star of the Sea merger and used for church activities, offices, and ministry.  It presumably will be called Cape Trinity Catholic School.

- Mountain Man and City Girl

http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com

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