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

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

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

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 

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

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

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

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

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 

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