Posts Tagged ‘Cape May County blog’

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Living on the Edge

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

There are two types of people in life.  Those who play it safe and those who take risks.

People who play it safe are generally conservative in everything they do.  They work 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, at a job they’ve had for decades.  They like their routine.  They eat breakfast at 7:30, lunch at 12:30, and dinner at 6:00.  Their closets are perfectly organized, with clothes probably sorted  by color.  Go out to eat one Saturday night a month with the kids and one Saturday night without.  They don’t slurge.  They watch every penny they spend.  They buy generic toilet paper and canned creamed corn.  The only charity they donate to is their church.

They are boring.  Incredibly boring.

Since their lives are so mundane, they are absolutely incapable of holding a stimulating conversation.  They can only talk about their kids and the weather, or their job.  They have no intimate knowledge of the world around them, of politics, the environment, of life and death.  Gracious, don’t talk about life and death.  The church tells them what to believe and independent thought is forbidden, maybe even blasphemous.  And scary.

Then there are those folks who take risks, who live on the edge.  City Girl and I are in this category.  We do things on the spur of the moment.  We will open a new business after a half-hour discussion.  We will buy a property after a 15-minute dialogue.  We will gamble our money that we can be successful at any endeavour we tackle.  We believe in ourselves!

Since we’re not bounded by the constraints of a conservative life, we explore every avenue.  We don’t believe that human beings are the supreme species and all others are subservient to us.  That has led us to be vegans, meaning we do not consume animal products.  We do not “own” animals, since we believe in freedom for all and slavery for none.  We are staunch environmentalists.  We do not believe in profit above the fate of our planet.  We care about the plight of the common man.  We care about the needy, which is why we’re opening a free soup kitchen in our county.

We’re hungry for knowledge.  We want to learn.  Learning never stops. 

We’re always open to something new.  For us, there is no final frontier.  There will always be exciting challenges ahead.  We thrive on the action.  We’re adrenaline junkies.  For us, life is an adventure.

How about you?

- Mountain Man

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Real Men Decorate

Saturday, February 12th, 2011

Got your attention, didn’t I?

With the opening of the second building at our New Jersey Avenue location in Wildwood Crest this past Wednesday, it’s obvious that the decor and wall hangings didn’t just appear overnight.  It took some serious shopping.  It took painting a pallette in my mind of the decor blending together.

Don’t let my rugged Mountain Man appearance fool you.  I love to decorate.  When I was a kid, my mother used to tell me that, “Someday you’ll make somebody a good wife.”  I’d give her a disgusted look as I continued to stir the spaghetti sauce.  No, I didn’t wear an apron.

Decorating is an art.  It sets the tone of the building, employees, and customers through the feelings it exudes.  Good feelings – in our real estate industry – equal good business and good sales.  That warm, fuzzy feeling gets them every time.  Oh, and our genuinely friendly demeanor helps, too.

Some guys have no taste.  To them, hang a few posters of hot chicks along with a few beer signs and they think that’s cool.  Yeah, if you’re stuck in post-pubescence.  I like to think – no, I know – that I’m eons past that stage.  I appreciate optical splendor.  I love sunsets and full moons and birds fishing in a marsh and swaying palm trees and a sailboat on the horizon.  I enjoy all forms of flora and fauna.  I love mountain streams and deer grazing and hawks circling above.  I can express my pleasure with these images through decorating our homes and offices.

You were right, Mom.

- 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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Cutting the Umbilical Cord

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

As an active and observant realtor, I’ve heard a ton of reasons why folks are behind in their mortgages and are facing foreclosure or being forced to do a short sale.  The typical reasons are loss of income for a variety of reasons, whether a cut back in work hours, being laid off, one spouse’s income being curtailed, or decreased profits in one’s own business.  They are all understandable reasons.  And somewhat unavoidable.

Then there’s the dumb excuse, which is becoming far too prevalent.  I’m talking about people who co-sign their kid’s mortgage, or continually funnel money to their whiney, manipulative kids so that they can live beyond their means.

I had a client come in recently inquiring about a short sale.  When he explained his income versus mortgage costs, I couldn’t see how he could be strapped for money.  Then the truth came out.  He had co-signed his kid’s mortgage and now the situation had degraded to the point where he was paying the entire $2,000 payment every month.  This senior citizen was willing to lose his home and have to become a renter just so he could continue to finance his kid’s lifestyle.  Unbelievable.

We call people like this “enablers”.  They enable their kids to be irresponsible because they will always come to the rescue and bail them out.  How pathetic!

This client staunchly defended giving his kid money.  “You’ve gotta do for family,” he repeated several times during our conversation (consultation, actually).  He made no apologies for throwing away a lifetime of hardwork and scrimping and saving.  Just as long as his kid and family could afford to drive new cars, buy cigarettes and booze, and buy their kids (his grandchildren) all kinds of status-driven material things, he was willing to lose his home.

Parents who do this type of enabling are not doing their kids a favor.  In most cases, once the parents are dead and buried, the irresponsible kids now in their 40′s and 50′s will not survive.  They don’t have the skills.  They’ll lose everything.  The cycle continues.

- Mountain Man

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Temperance Still Alive

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Ocean City, a seashore town located at the north end of Cape May County, New Jersey, was founded in 1879 by four Methodist ministers.  The town is a popular resort, with plenty of beaches, a Boardwalk, amusement rides, restaurants, retail stores, etc, even the Ocean City Pops.  The year-round population of about 15,000 swells to 150,000 on any given day in the summer.

Ocean City gained notoriety for its idiotic Blue Laws, which designated Sunday as a day of no driving, no ocean bathing, no retail sales of any kind, no recreational activities.  I guess the only thing you were allowed to do was go to church …oops, walk to church.  In 1985 and ’86, most of the remaining Blue Laws were finally repealed.  Amazingly, it was a very close vote.

Ocean City does still carry the torch outlawing liquor.  The town is “dry”, meaning no restaurants can serve alcohol and naturally there are no packaged goods stores.  Heck, you can’t even be seen in public drinking a beer.

So imagine the the gall of restaurant owners this winter in proposing permitting BYOB, which stands for Bring Your Own Booze.  They weren’t asking to sell beer, wine or liquor, just to allow customers to bring a bottle of wine to consume with dinner.  The nerve!

The backward temperance folks were outraged.  “Not while I’m mayor,” said the reigning mayor.  I was waiting for him to add, “You’ll have to pry the gavel from my cold, dead hands.”  The argument, of course, is that Ocean City is America’s “Greatest Seaside Family Resort” and the town would shrivel and die if alcohol of any sort is allowed.  How dare we subject little Johnny and Susie to have to sit in a restaurant while the adults at the next table each sip a glass of wine.  Blasphemy!

The debate will carry on this winter, but by spring no doubt the temperance clan will prevail.  In Ocean City, BYOB will still mean Bring Your Own Bible.

- Mountain Man

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Daydreaming

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

The human mind is a funny thing.  You can play tricks on it, even though your mind knows you’re playing a trick.  More simply put, you can divert your mind to thoughts of pleasant things to help blot out the unpleasant and your mind will go along with the deception.

Case in point is City Girl.  On Christmas day, she laid in tremendous pain in the hospital with a broken hip.  The ball of the femur (thigh) bone had totally pulled out of the hip socket.  The pain was constant, excruciating.  I mentioned that perhaps we should delay purchasing the building next door to our real estate office for a few months.  “No,” she replied.  “Thinking about the building is all that’s getting me through this pain.”  She was focusing on a positive to try to lessen a negative.

We all do the same thing, except when there isn’t physical pain involved it’s more appropriately called daydreaming. 

I daydream often.  In fact, I guess I actually daydream daily.  My mind is taking itself to somewhere in the future that is pleasant, soothing, idyllic.

Right now, in mid-January of a colder than average South Jersey winter, my mind is working overtime.  My mind is thinking of spring, of planting flowers and vegetables.  This fantasy has been helped along by the half-dozen seed catalogs that have arrived since January 2nd.  As I pour through the catalogs in my reading room (okay, bathroom) looking at tomato varieties, zucchini, spinach, hot pepper, and a host of other vegetable seeds, I envision these plants growing in my dozen raised beds behind the house.  I decide what varieties I’ll grow again this year and which new ones deserve a chance.  I think of the mistakes I made last year, like not planting enough zucchini plants to get proper pollination.  My zucchini crop was a total flop in 2010.  My peppers arrived late and my spinach bolted too early.  And I planted too many cucumber plants.  I’ll cut back on cukes this year.

With new flower beds to deal with as our real estate office expansion comes to fruition, I am debating which flowers to plant.  I want continuity so that the two side-by-side properties will become one.  Should I use impatiens, which always give a colorful display?  No, they get stressed too much in the hot July and August days because they need some shade, not full sunlight.  How about marigolds or asters or chrysanthemums?  Maybe I should start with cold-hardy pansies in March, then replant summer flowers Memorial Weekend?

My mind wanders to envisioning myself in a tee shirt and jeans, on my knees, with flats of flowers ready to find their summer home.  I think about all our customers and even folks walking down New Jersey Avenue who will be complimenting my choice of yellows, pinks, oranges, reds, whites and purples.  The compliments bring satisfaction, a feeling of accomplishment.

I feel good.  Isn’t daydreaming great?!!

- 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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On MLK Day, Let’s End Violence

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

It’s Martin Luther King Day.  Last year, I wrote a blog on this website titled, “I Have a Dream”.  You can scroll back to January 17, 2010 to read it.

This year, rather than racial equality, I want to address violence.  They go hand in hand at times, but in reality violence is the downfall of mankind.  Maybe shortcoming is a more appropriate term.  Or both.

In my 20′s, when part of the back to the land movement, I bought a few dairy goats and started getting my own goat’s milk and cheese.  One thing always bothered me – the goats fought until they established a pecking order.  Then the alpha doe always picked on the rest, the beta doe picked on all but the alpha, and on and on down the line.  Why couldn’t they get along?  After all, they’re all dairy goats and they’re all in this together.

Then I had a revelation.  They’re just like humans.  We’re always fighting to establish dominance.  Except, sometimes we kill.  Goats, along with most mammal species, fight to establish dominance, but they rarely kill and then its usually accidental.  Humans kill with vigor, with purpose.

In 2009, there were 15,241 murders in the United States.  Sure, that was down from over 24,000 in both 1991 and 1993, but it’s still despicable.  The US also had a total of 1,313,398 violent crimes in 2009.  Are we that prone to acts of violence?  Are we a nation of people who are so far from the norm of a peaceful society that hurting another human being is no big deal?  Do we have so little value for someone else’s life?  Are we, as a society, totally insane?

In the world recently in one year India led with 37,700 murders.  Russia had 28,904, Colombia 26,539, South Africa 21,553, the US about 16,000, then Mexico with 13,144.  Good old Iceland was one of the most peaceful with just four murders.  There are currently eight wars in the world that record over 1,000 fatalities per year.  There are 24 other wars taking place, with ten of them registering between 10,000 and 200,000 deaths each since their inception.

I won’t throw any other numbers at you, since I think I’ve gotten my point across.  We are a violent species.  We kill indiscriminately.  We kill for power, we kill for profit.  Sometimes, we kill because we don’t like somebody’s looks, religion, color, or politics.  People beat up their spouses, their kids, their neighbors, their rivals, or someone who possesses something they want.  Sadly, sometimes people even kill just for kicks or to prove they’re macho to their peers.

So on MLK Day, I ask that violence end.  Only then, can we truly be called “human”.  Dr. King would agree.

- Mountain Man

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Ready,… Set,… Go

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

I’ve got an idea.  I know how to put America and the world economies back on solid ground.

First of all, it’s hard to not agree that the demographics do not support our weak economic state.  We have more and more people on Planet Earth.  In fact, the world’s population increases by nearly 80 million people each year.  That’s equivalent to over 1/4 of the USA’s current population, which is 310 million.  Today’s world population of 6,868,724,935 will hit the 7 billion mark before 2011 is over.  That’s a lot of consumers, a lot of people who need housing, clothing, and everyday staples of life.

The biggest needs in the world are potable water, food, health care, education, and alternative energy.  Incredibly, an estimated 1.7 billion folks in the world live off the grid, meaning they have no electricity or other utilities we take for granted.

Okay, that’s a lot of numbers, but what do they mean?  Are you thinking what I’m thinking? 

Our world economies can gear up by providing water, food, health care, education and alternative energy to the world.  Just imagine if the 14 countries with the biggest economies turned their production toward meeting these needs.  The world leaders I’m talking about are the US, China, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Brazil, Canada, Russia, India, Spain, Australia, and Mexico.  The unemployment rates in these countries would drastically drop, putting perhaps 50-100 million people back to work.  That would create boom times not only in these 14 countries, but all countries. 

The standard of living in the 50 poorest countries would rise to unthought of heights.  Since these 50 countries also have the highest fertility rates, health care and education would result in a “zero growth” population gain.  Couples would be subsidized and forced to have just two children, just like some countries already do.  We need to stabilize our population and make predictions of 11 billion people by 2050 mute.

Sure, you’re thinking how are we gonna pay for this?  Who’ll pay the farmers to grow more crops, the manufacturers to make windmills and solar cells and water pumps and desalination plants and medicine and so on?

That’s where capitalism comes in.  The infusion of new jobs saving the world would fuel the growth of everything from more restaurants and retailers to the manufacture of more cars and TVs.  Production would boom.  Personal wealth would skyrocket.  Everyone would get a piece of the pie.  Including the tax man, who could use the tenfold or more increase in tax revenue to fund the manufacture startups.

The only variable is timing.  Everything has to start at once.  “Instant Prosperity” I’ll call it.  So let’s pick a day.  I nominate Monday, June 4, 2012 as Prosperity Day.  That’ll give us over a year to get ready to gear up.  The night before, the world sets off fireworks.  On Monday morning, we roll up our sleeves and get to work.

- 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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Making a Difference

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

We only go around once in this lifetime.  Each and every one of us has just so much time on this planet to determine our fate, set our course, and hopefully make a difference and leave a legacy. 

Sadly, most people are shallow and consumed with materialism  and their legacy is that they merely existed.  They took up air and space and helped further deplete our fragile earth’s resources.

For many folks, helping the less-fortunate of the world gives their life purpose, true meaning.  It’s a chance to give back for the excesses that we have thanks to our dedication, hard work, and honest dealings throughout our lives.

The Free Meal Center, which is Cape May County, New Jersey’s first-ever daily soup kitchen, is slated to open to the public in the late spring, 2011.  It’s a chance for many locals to help the 4,000 year-round families living below the poverty level that just can’t make ends meet.  The facility will offer lunch Monday through Saturday, plus breakfast on Saturdays, to anyone who walks through the doors.  They won’t even be asked their name.

TFMC needs another $25,000 by March 15, 2011 to complete the purchase of the 2.36 acre property featuring a 4,000 square foot former restaurant.  Won’t you help?  You can send a tax deductible donation to:  The Free Meal Center, PO Box 863, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210.  Check them out at http://www.FreeMealCenter.com . 

Helping these needy families could be your legacy!

- Mountain Man

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I’m No Homer

Monday, January 10th, 2011

I have lived in many places in the United States during my life.  One thing in common each had is that I absolutely despised their hometown sports teams.  The homers turned me off, made me sick.  They have an undying and somewhat pathetic loyalty to their local pro sports teams, so I am the type personality that purposely takes the opposite tact.  I hate the teams they love.  Aren’t I annoying?

I grew up in New Jersey just across the Hudson River from New York City.  I hated the NY Yankees through one World Series championship after another.  I loved the Dodgers, even though they had bolted for the West Coast.  Same for the SF Giants.  I liked the Pirates, too.  In football, I hated the NY Giants.  I liked the Baltimore Colts and Green Bay Packers.  I didn’t like the NY Knickerbockers, instead my allegiance went to the Philadelphia Warriors and big Wilt Chamberlain.  And yes, I also didn’t like the NHL’s NY Rangers, instead being a devoted Montreal Canadiens fan.  As you can guess, I was very popular in school.  Not.

In high school and college I lived in suburban Boston.  Needless to say, I hated the Bruins, Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics.  Oh, I especially hated the Celtics as they won title after title.  I got in many verbal spats concerning the merits of Wilt over Bill Russell.  However, once the dynasty broke up and the Celtics became a .500 team, I became a big fan.  Why?  Because the homers turned on them.  I guess I like the underdog.  And I like my role as an anti-homer.

When I later lived in San Diego, I predictably didn’t like the Chargers or Padres.  I did, however, like the San Diego State Aztecs football team.  I am a loyal local college and high school fan.  I guess that’s because the homers tend to stick to pro sports.  No matter where I lived, I liked the nearby high schools and the in-state college teams.  One exception – I have never and will never like UCLA.  Screw them!

Now I live in South Jersey and all the locals are obsessed with the Philadelphia sports teams.  I hate the Eagles (they call them I-G-G-L-E-S).  When they lost in the first round of the NFL playoffs yesterday, it made my year.  That’ll shut up all the “this is our year” idiots.  Revenge is sweet!

My favorite NBA team is now the Celtics.  I kinda like the 76ers, but that’s because they’re incompetent.  I also kinda like the Phillies, but that’s because they were cellar dwellers most of my life.  I cheered them to their World Series victory a couple years ago.  As for the Flyers – who cares.  The NHL is all Eastern Europeans and Nordics now, so I’ve lost total interest.

In boxing, I hated Cassius Clay.  Oh, I heard he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.  His fight style was boring and his mouth was too big.  I liked Joe Frazier and George Foreman.  I did and still do like Mike Tyson, but he was a tragedy waiting to happen and we didn’t have to wait too long.  I sympathized with the guy. 

The PGA Golf Tour shows my disdain for the top dog.  When Arnold Palmer was on top, I liked Julius Boros and Doug Ford.  When it was Jack Nicklaus, I loved Lee Trevino, Chi Chi Rodriguez, and Gary Player.  Now that they are the elder statesmen of golf and no longer dominate, I do like Palmer and Nicklaus.  I even admire them.  As for Tiger Woods, I never liked him.  Too cocky, too aloof, too “I’m great”.  And my dislike has nothing to do with all those hot chicks.  I could care less about that, although I cheered because now lots of people hate him as much as I do.  But, maybe someday, around 2040, I might begin to accept him as a legend. 

No, I’ll be gone from this earth by then.  That’ll give all the homers something to cheer about.

- Mountain Man

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Please, No More Snow!

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

Enough is enough.

Last winter, South Jersey was blasted by four big snowstorms which set a record for the winter by leaving behind 58 inches of snow.  Okay, we looked back at it all summer and decided it was an anomaly.  C’mon, we don’t get that kind of snowfall here in Cape May County, a 5-mile wide peninsula where the half dozen golf courses stay open year-round.  With the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south and the 13-mile wide Delaware Bay to the west, our weather is tempered by the waters that are much warmer than the air.

Up until a few years ago, I didn’t even own a winter jacket.  A heavy sweatshirt was sufficient.  Sure we had a couple cold mornings with temperatures in the upper teens, but it usually got in the mid-40s in the day and often broke the 50 degree mark.  Our winter was more like those found in South Carolina and Georgia, or so we told ourselves.

This winter, the day after Christmas, we received 17″ of snow.  Fortunately it was light and fluffy.  We all told ourselves that it was going to be the only snowstorm of the winter.  We collectively decided to ignor the fact that the temperate zones of the world – like the good old USA – were subject to weather extremes in this age of global warming.  Just a quick peek back to last summer and its intense heat and lack of rainfall should have been a sufficient reminder.

Yesterday, the TV meteorologists had the local populace scared about snow, but we didn’t even get enough to show on the ground before the sun popped out.  They switched their negative prognostications to today, a Saturday.  They talked about 1″-3′ here at the shore and up to 6″ farther inland.  Well, here it is 11am and we’ve got two inches of fresh snow on the ground and it’s still coming down with reckless abandon. 

 

Worse yet, they’re talking about a possible nor’easter on Tuesday.  Snow that wraps around and comes from the northeast is always our heaviest snowfall.  People on the East Coast love to talk about past nor’easters.

A few minutes ago, I had to go preview a property for one of  my real estate clients.  That’s what realtors do, rain or shine.  As I sloshed down a back city street in my 4-wheel drive, I pondered why anyone would tolerate this snow.  Everyone hated it, right? 

Then up ahead, I saw three boys about 8-years old each sitting on an old December 26th snowpile.  They had on full snowsuits, ski caps and hoods, mittens, and boots.  Each had carved out a spot in the hill that was custom-fit to their derriere.  They were having a great time and were oblivious to the blowing snow and chilly conditions.  It was then that I had an epiphany.  I flashed back to my youth.  Gosh, how I loved to sit and play in the snow, just like these three young lads.

The negative thoughts about snow left my mind.  Of course, snow is for the children, the innocent souls.  Have fun, kids!

- Mountain Man

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Guys Don’t Know

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

I’m a guy.  That’s not a bad thing, but there are some things that are second nature to City Girl that are Greek to me.

As you may know from reading two of the blogs I wrote since Christmas, City Girl broke her hip on Christmas morning when we were walking down the railroad tracks to feed some homeless fellows.  She’s had hip replacement surgery and is now in a convalescent home receiving physical therapy.  That makes me a bachelor for a while longer.

I’m pretty good around the kitchen, and in fact I do all the cooking in our household of two.  My mother even used to tell me that, “someday you’ll make somebody a good wife.”  She was right.

But I found one of my limitations this morning.  Since City Girl can not climb stairs, I am converting the dining room into a temporary bedroom.  It’ll be convenient for her being on the first floor and close to a bathroom, her office, and the kitchen.  I had no trouble disassembling the dining room table and along with my buddy Keith we got the table top, extension, legs, and six chairs into an outbuilding for storage.  The new full-sized bed I purchased was quickly assembled.  So far, every task had been regular guy stuff.  Easy to do.

Yesterday I bought a mattress pad, bed skirt, and a matching set of fitted sheet, top sheet, and two pillow cases.  I went 300 count thread, which is decent, and picked a nice beige color which City Girl approved via phone as I stood in the store aisle naming the color choices.  So far so good.

This morning I decided to assemble the bedding.  First I put on the mattress pad and it fit nicely.  Then I took the bed skirt and hit a brick wall.  I tried putting it over the mattress pad, but that couldn’t possibly be right.  I knew it didn’t go over the fitted sheet, so I pulled a chair up to the foot of the bed to contemplate my predicament.  Where the heck does the bed skirt go?  I could have gone upstairs and simply seen where City Girl had it on our bed, but that would be admitting I couldn’t figure it out.  No way!

Then it hit me.  It must go between the box spring and mattress.  Voila.  That was the answer.  Ten minutes later I had the entire bed made.  It looked nice. 

Oops.  One more thing.  Standing back to admire my work, I realized that the bed skirt was very wrinkled.  It needed to be ironed.  City Girl, once she’s home, will immediately point out that I should have ironed the bed skirt. 

I thought for a split second.  No, I won’t iron the bed skirt.  If I did, she wouldn’t feel like I really need her, which I do.  I’d rather have her smirk and think to herself, “He’s just a guy!”

- 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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A Happy Ending?

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

City Girl’s surgery took place on Sunday morning, the day after Christmas.  “The surgery went well,” said Dr. TJ, who performed the operation.  “The new ball snapped right into place and fit snug.  We didn’t have to bond it at all.”

That was good news.  The only trouble they had was resusciating her from the anesthesia, but they injected some drug and she soon regained consciousness.  I got to visit her about 2 o’clock in the afternoon and her spirits were high.  She was groggy, but she knew the operation was a success and we shared our relief.  They had her legs strapped together with a large padded block in between.  That would deny her any chance to twist her hip during sleep or while awake.

The next day they got City Girl up out of bed and she used a walker – with help – to travel a couple steps to a special chair.  She sat in the chair for a couple hours before needing to stretch out again in a bed.  They also removed her intravenous drip and oxygen hose.  Today, they gave her more rehab and at 4 o’clock this afternoon they are moving her to Court House Convalescent Center from her three day home at Cape Regional Medical Center.  The staff at CRMC was professional and friendly and we have no complaints.  Even the food was okay.

So now she’ll be spending a few days in “an old folks home” receiving physical therapy.  In Cape May County, New Jersey, there are no locales that do strictly physical therapy.  The only option, without traveling 40 miles up the Garden State Parkway to Atlantic County, is to spend time in a nursing home. 

Typical of City Girl, she has turned this chapter in our lives into a positive.  With me now charged with overseeing the daily operations of Jewell Real Estate Agency,  she will be free from the responsibility of showing properties, writing contracts, arranging inspections, and attending closings.  She is looking forward to being at home with her laptop computer and cell phone, tools which will enable her to follow up with contacts and prospect for new clients. 

Leave it to City Girl to turn lemons into lemonade!

- Mountain Man

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A Good Deed Turns Sour

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

“No good deed goes unpunished” is the old expression.  Now we know exactly what it means.

We woke up Christmas morning and I had an idea in keeping with the seasonal spirit of love and charity.  City Girl & I would go down to Rio Grande and find the homeless guys who live outdoors near the railroad tracks and take them out for a hot meal, or at the very least see if we could bring them some warm food and coffee.  We knew they lived there in the warm months and had been recently told they were still there.  We felt an extra incentive to do this kind deed because the soup kitchen we founded, The Free Meal Center, was still undergoing renovations and not yet open to the public.

We parked our truck near the railroad tracks and proceeded to walks the tracks north to find the down-on-their-luck guys.  After a couple hundred feet, City Girl fell and landed with a thud.  She couldn’t get up.  She couldn’t even move.  She is in top shape, exercises every day, and weighs barely over a hundred pounds, so we knew her injury was for real.  Her upper right leg was in agony.

I called the Middle Township police and in just minutes two police cars and an ambulance were on the scene.  They brought in a gurney and took her back to the ambulance.  The ride to the hospital was quick and she was in the Emergency Room right away.  For hours we shared a concern about how severe was her injury?  Hopefully it was just a bad bruise or maybe a sprain.  Unfortunately, the worst case scenario played out.  The hip was broken.  The hip ball was so far out of the socket that hip replacement surgery was necessary.  Since it was Christmas day, they scheduled the operation for the next day, Sunday, December 26th.

So now, just five hours before the operation, I spent an almost sleepless night worrying about my life partner, my best friend.  I’ll give an update on her condition later today or tomorrow.

In lieu of flowers or cards, City Girl asks that you send a donation to The Free Meal Center, PO Box 863, Cape May Court House, NJ  08210.

- 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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