Posts Tagged ‘New Jersey blog’
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
As realtors, we get inside a lot of homes during the course of a year. Sometimes, what we see is appalling. Senior citizens subsisting on Saltine crackers the last few days of the month and financially-strapped families bulking up on white bread and big generic bags of potato chips and cookies, so called “feel good” nutrition-deficient foods.
Three Cape May County, NJ realtors decided to do something about it and formed a non-profit corporation called “The Free Meal Center”. The goal is to serve lunch Monday through Saturday, plus breakfast on Saturdays. The double meal on Saturdays is targeted at kids, who often don’t have a decent meal after school lunch on Friday until returning to school for free breakfast on Monday.
TFMC takes possession of a 4,000 square foot former restaurant on March 15th, just 12 short days away. We’re still $4,000 short. We hope to be open to the public by Memorial Day.
Check out our website at http://www.FreeMealCenter.com . Perhaps you can see it in your heart to make a small donation.
Thank you for caring.
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Cape May County blog, charity blog, feed the hungry, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, soup kitchen, soup kitchen blog, The Free Meal Center
Posted in Lifestyle | 1 Comment »
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
Tags: Cape May County, Cape May County blog, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Lower Township, Lower Township reval, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, New Jersey real estate blog, real estate blog
Posted in Real Estate | 1 Comment »
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
Tags: Cape May County, Cape May County blog, Cape May Court House, Feeding the Hungry, Jewell Real Estate Agency, meal center, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, soup kitchen, The Free Meal Center
Posted in Lifestyle, Real Estate | No Comments »
Thursday, January 21st, 2010
I’m not really one to watch MTV. It’s not my generation. I’m a couple generations past that. So when I read in the newspaper that Italian-American groups were repulsed and offended by the show “Jersey Shore”, it piqued my interest.
I feel qualified to have an opinion about the Jersey Shore (the place, not the show) because, heck, I live here. Our real estate office is located in Wildwood Crest, Cape May County. We’re just four blocks from the beach and the beginning of the 39 city block long Boardwalk. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the population on our island swells from 14,000 yearround to over 250,000.
Our closest metropolitan area is Philadelphia. It’s predominantly Italian and Irish heritage. And it’s a rite of passage for families and their kids to vacation here. It’s also an unofficial “tradition” that kids in their late teens and twenties come here in the summer to party. Party hard! Party hard away from their elders, out of sight of those who might inflict family repercussions.
I have a little more insight than most because I also owned a bar here from 2002 through 2004. Though my tavern was off the beaten track and it attracted an older (30 to 75) crowd, I did become acquainted with many other bar owners and I did make the late night rounds more than once.
Long story short, I recently did catch two episodes of Jersey Shore. It’s about these eight Italian-American young twenty-somethings who come to the shore town of Seaside Heights, NJ, about 50 miles north of us. They have an assortment of MTV-generation names like Snooki, JWoWW, and The Situation. The Situation? Give me a break.
Anyway, they primp and argue at their rented beach house, then go out and drink and carouse, and inevitably come home and be promiscious with a newfound partner. They call it “hooking up”. You can call it what you like.
They also get into fights and do other immature, egotistical things. They are an extreme example of typical summertime behavior. Tone it down a little bit and they’re just like the others who go “Animal House” at the shore.
The Italian-American groups call Jersey Shore demeaning and not reality. “That’s not how our kids act,” is their general feeling.
Bottom line:
Is this behavior the norm at the shore in the summertime? Yes. It’s called “sowing your oats” before settling down to a lifetime of responsibility and 2.3 kids and a soccer-mom vehicle and a mortgage.
Should Italian-American groups be offended? No. Get over it. It’s also Irish-American kids and CEO’s kids and teachers’ kids and mayors’ kids. And your kids!
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: beach, Cape May County, Cape May County blog, Italian-American, Jersey shore, Jersey Shore TV show, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, MTV, New Jersey blog, Wildwood Crest
Posted in Humor, Lifestyle | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
In what can only be attributed to voter backlash to the Obama administration, the GOP completed its sweep of the three major off-year elections with a Senatorial victory in Massachusetts yesterday. So much for the political pundits who declared the Republican party as DOA a year ago.
The GOP resurrection all started in Virginia on November 3, 2009 when Bob McDonnell, the former state Attorney General, trounced Democratic State Senator Creigh Deeds by a 59% to 41% margin in the gubernatorial race. It was the biggest margin of victory in the Commonwealth since 1961. McDonnell, who took the oath of office last Saturday, replaced Democratic governor Tim Kaine.
That same fateful November election saw Republican Chris Christie knock off incumbent New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine by 87,000 votes in a race that was almost too close to call. It was the largest margin of victory for a first-time Republican in the Garden State since 1969. Christie, like his Virginia counterpart, was a former Attorney General (US). Similarly, both states now have two Democratic senators and a new rookie Republican governor.
Christie was inaugurated yesterday. While emphasizing that he was in Trenton to implement “change”, he put his finger on the problem in New Jersey politics. “Too much time has been spent assigning blame instead of accepting responsibility,” he said.
Yesterday also marked the end of the Democratic reign of one of Massachusetts’ Senate seats. Since John F. Kennedy defeated Henry Cabot Lodge in a big upset back in 1952, the Bay State has been decidedly Democratic. When Kennedy won the Presidential election in 1960, the seat was passed to a Democratic family friend, who then stepped aside in an pre-arrangement to secede to Ted Kennedy in 1962. Teddy, who held the Senate job for over 46 years, was unable to directly take the seat from brother John in ‘60 because he wasn’t yet 30 years old. This youngest Kennedy son passed away last summer.
The Senatorial election yesterday went to Republican Scott Brown, a former State Senator, who routed Democratic Attorney General (sound familiar?) Martha Coakley. The combination of Coakley’s lack of charisma and poor campaign strategy was her undoing. Brown, who once trailed in the polls by 30% and then as recently as two weeks ago by 15%, took 52% of the popular vote.
The vote was also a reflection of the fallout from the Obama presidency, which ran on a platform of being an agent of change but so far has been decidedly ineffective. An all too-familar ring of a presidential candidate being a “Washington outsider” resonates with voters, but the reality is usually that once they set up shop inside the Beltway they get sucked into “politics as usual”. They find that compromise and cutting deals is a survival tool.
Saving the best for last, the Massachusetts election was also perhaps a yardstick for the popularity of the universal health care reform being presented to the American people. Brown will now cast the deciding 41st vote in the Senate against the bill, effectively putting the issue to rest for a while.
Maybe it’s time for the Obama administration to focus on the issue that Americans care most about – the economy and jobs.
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Governor Chris Christie, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Martha Coakley, Massachusetts election 2010, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, New Jersey politics, Obama administration, political blog, Scott Brown, Ted Kennedy
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
Internet gambling in the United States is illegal. It’s cut and dried. But a recent federal appeals court decision just may have given states the option to offer internet gambling within their own borders. In cash-strapped New Jersey, which is expected to have the seventh largest budget deficit this fiscal year of the 50 states, the notion has appeal.
State Senator Raymond Lesniak recently introduced bill S3167, which would indeed legalize such popular games as poker, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, craps, slot machines, and more. With New Jersey’s distinction of having the toughest gambling laws in the United States, implementing the on-line form seems a natural and comforting fit.
Currently, there are thousands of global internet gambling sites. They are illegal in New Jersey, in part because there is no way for the state gaming commission to determine whether these games offer fair odds. Many who do still gamble illegally on the internet complain of not being able to collect their winnings. Would you trust a gambling site located in the Philippines or Bulgaria?
The other reason they are not legal in New Jersey is rather obvious – Atlantic City. The state’s 11 casinos generated $3.9 billion in revenue in 2009. While down from $5.2 billion in record-setting 2006, it still is a major contributor to state coffers.
The new internet gambling bill, if eventually made into law, would require all gaming companies to be headquartered around Atlantic City. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission, also based in AC, would be able to monitor the new companies, plus develop “technical standards for approval of software, computers and other gaming equipment used to conduct internet wagering, including mechanical, electrical or program reliablility, security against tampering, the comprehensibility of wagering, …. blah, blah, blah.” Did you get all that?
Internet site operators would pay $200,000 the first year for a license, with a $100,000 annual renewal. They’d also pay a $100,000 non-refundable deposit and another $100,000 towards treating compulsive gambling. They’d fork over a 20% tax to the casino revenue fund and another tax would give money to the New Jersey Racing Commission. No wonder so many groups are salivating over the prospect of internet gambling.
AC Mayor Lorenzo Langford spoke in favor of the internet gambling concept, while casino operators seem concerned that the bill might allow video lottery terminals (VLT’s) and slot machines at the state’s race tracks. The AC casinos are currently paying the horseracing industry $90 million over three years in an agreement that bans VLT’s from tracks.
With New Jersey’s perilious money situation, internet gambling seems like a good revenue producer. The AC casinos will survive because, let’s face it, you don’t have the glitz of the casinos and shows and entertainers and restaurants sitting at home on your computer. And you can bet that the 11 casinos will be the first in line to get those new internet gaming licenses. They see the possibilities!
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: AC casinos, Atlantic City, atlantic city casinos, gambling blog, Internet Gambling, Internet Gambling in New Jersey, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, political blog, Senate bill S3167, VLT's
Posted in Lifestyle, Politics | No Comments »
Monday, January 18th, 2010
Let’s face it. Unless you live in rural America and own a large tract of land, there is no place for all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s). Here in New Jersey, with a population density of 1,134 people per square mile, ATV’s are a fish out of water.
New Jersey’s Assembly and Senate recently approved a bill which would regulate ATV’s, while at the same time creating three parks for ATV’s and dirtbikes. Governor Jon Corzine, whose last day in office is today, is expected to sign the bill into law as he packs up his belongings. If he doesn’t give it his John Hancock, incoming Governor Christopher Christie no doubt will enact ATV laws in the near future.
New Jersey prohibits dirt bikes and ATV’s from all public lands, which includes state parks, preserves, utility power lines, and roads. Unfortunately, many riders have thumbed their noses at the law and police regularly have cat and mouse pursuits of scofflaws. Many municipalities, including here in Middle Township, Cape May County where we live, have had to purchase ATV’s and train officers to catch the illegal riders.
The new ATV regulations going into effect would require all owners to register their machine within six months. New vehicles have to be registered to take delivery. The cost will be $50, plus a $10 surcharge to help fund the three riding parks. The fine for getting caught without a registration will be $500. Since the ATV’s and dirt bikes would now have license plates front and rear, police and the public should have no problem spotting unregistered vehicles.
There are 85 ATV and dirt bike dealers listed in New Jersey. There are 25,000 riders, according to estimates. Acquiring three riding parks will probably be difficult. They’ll have to be located away from populations, wetlands, and water. Presumably, they’ll locate one each in North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey. Hopefully, the 1.1 million acre Pinelands will be off-limits in the South.
The root of ATV problems can often be traced to condescending parents, who buy their kid a dirt bike or ATV even though there is nowhere to legally operate it. Soon a bunch of kids are tearing through private property, destroying gates and fences and rutting footpaths to the point that they are unwalkable. The ruts also hold water, making ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. And then there are the idiots who chase deer and other wildlife. Irresponsible adults are as often to blame as teenagers for the many transgressions of riders.
That said, ATV’s aren’t all bad. In West Virginia, where we also own a log home on 19 acres, ATV’s are permitted on any road that is not a “numbered highway”. That makes zipping down to the neighbors for a cup of coffee as easy as hopping on your machine, which many have parked right outside the front door. But West Virginia has just 75 folks per square mile (6% of NJ) and plenty of families own 100-acre tracts. Riding in a National Forest, however, still results in confiscation of the ATV if caught.
Let’s hope that New Jersey’s new ATV laws put an end to the illegal trespassing that so many riders feel is their inherent right. This is a chance to legitimize their hobby.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: ATV's in New Jersey, Cape May County blog, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, political blog
Posted in Lifestyle, Politics | 4 Comments »
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
Tags: Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, political blog, West Wildwood, West Wildwood blog, West Wildwood politics
Posted in Politics, Real Estate | No Comments »
Saturday, January 16th, 2010
I grew up in North Jersey in the 1950’s in one of those “Leave it to Beaver” families. Dad commuted to work each morning in suit and tie, while Mom stayed home and attended to running the household. She got us kids off to school each morning after feeding us a hearty breakfast and packing our brown bag lunch. We were each given a nickel for our milk container purchase at school, later raised to an outrageous dime.
When we got home from school, Mom was there with milk and cookies, or some other goodie. The house was spotless and absolutely nothing was out of place. The beds were always made to the point of perfection and the hamper was empty. Clothes were hanging on the clothes line in the backyard.
We kids hurried to change into play clothes, then rushed out the door as Mom said cheerfully, “Dinner is at 5:30. Don’t be late.” Needless to say, a nice, hot meal of meat, potatoes, and a vegetable were on the dinner table at 5:30. What a life!
We had one car, which Dad used each day. To get anywhere, our options were to ride our bikes or walk. Mom was not our chaufeur. We kids (mostly me because I was the oldest) were expected to mow the lawn, rake leaves, and shovel snow. No excuses were acceptable.
But that’s not today’s reality. In statistics recently released by the US Census Bureau, concerning families comprised of a married couple with kids under 18 years old, you can see that the American way of life has changed dramatically from the Ward and June Cleaver, Wally and Beaver (okay, Theodore) days.
Two thirds of these American families have both parents working. That’s 17 million families where the kids probably don’t have a June Cleaver to come home to every day. Called “latch-key kids”, they come home from school to an unsupervised house. No wonder they live on junk food, fast food, and watch too much TV and spend too much time playing video games.
Now only 28 percent (7.3 million families) of fathers are the sole breadwinners. That throws the Ward Cleaver model right out the window. Another telling statistic is that in 4% of families (just under a million), the wife is the sole supporter. Maybe that’s why beer sales are up? Just kidding. A lot of that can be attributed to this recession which has eliminated many construction and trades jobs. But does Dad take up the traditional homemaker role? Only in 16% of the families, they say.
In today’s world, a family does without any frills unless both parents are employed. It’s the way it is. But how many kids can never share the memories I have of coming home after school to Mom’s freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies and a loving hug.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Beaver Cleaver, Jewell Real Estate Agency, June Cleaver, Leave it to Beaver, lifestyle blog, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, real estate blog, Ward Cleaver
Posted in Lifestyle | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
After a three year hiatus, the Ladies Professional Golf Association will once again be staging a golf tournament in southern New Jersey. The gals have been missed.
The LPGA began its 21-year run in the area in 1986 with the Atlantic City LPGA Classic, held at the Marriot Seaview CC. Two years later the venue was changed to Greate Bay CC in Somers Point, where it stayed through 1997. The tournament was moved back to the Seaview in 1998 and it played there through 2006. The event was called the ShopRite Classic beginning in 1992, when Wakefern Foods took over as the main sponsor.
The tournament was pulled after the 2006 event because of then LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens. The coveted date – in early to mid June – is the just prior to the LPGA championship, meaning most of the name players attend the event. ShopRite was pushed aside for a new upstart tournament, Annika Sorenstam’s Ginn Tribute, played in South Carolina. ShopRite was offered an unacceptable September date and the tournament folded.
The Ginn Tribute lasted just two years and Bivens controversial tenure as commissioner likewise was shot down in flames. The tour’s big name players, fed up with Bivens, forced her resignation in July, 2009. Michael Whan, a 45-year old businessman, has just taken over as the new commish.
Tail between legs, the LPGA came back to the South Jersey golf world in November and offered the 2010 date. It was gladly accepted. This year the Classic will be June 14-20, then the next four years are penciled in for the first week of June. The LPGA championship is the following week each year.
The LPGA needs the South Jersey tournament. The tour schedule has dropped from the norm of 30 tournaments a year to just 23 this year, of which 10 are being played outside the USA. The tight economy has made sponsors tough to find. The tour is on shaky footing.
The ShopRite Classic’s biggest contribution to the area has been the giving to charities. In 2006, $1.8 million went to local charities. Over the course of 21 years, about $13 million has gone to local hospitals and other youth, health, and community non-profits. Local businesses also see a gain in revenue the week all the lady pros and spectators are in South Jersey.
Welcome back, girls. Hope your stay is permanent.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCitygirl.com
Tags: Jewell Real Estate Agency, LPGA ShopRite Classic, LPGA Tour 2010, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, ShopRite Classic 2010, South Jersey blog, South Jersey golf
Posted in Lifestyle | No Comments »
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
Tags: Borough of Woodbine, Cape May County, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, New Jersey real estate blog, real estate blog, Woodbine
Posted in Real Estate | 2 Comments »
Sunday, January 10th, 2010
It’s an arctic jihad. And we’ve got proof!
The weather the last couple months has been, well, extreme. Just look at the facts. The resort town of Whistler, British Columbia received an incredible 18 feet of snow in November. That’s November, mind you. That’s 216 inches of the white powder and nearly four times the November average of 58″. In fact, it’s nearly 20% more snow than the snowiest month ever at Whistler.
In England, it was as low as 7 degrees Fahrenheit this week. There has been snow in Madrid, Spain and Paris, France. Temperatures in Alabama and Mississippi have been in the teens. In Florida, the orange, grapefruit and vegetable crops are threatened with huge die-offs due to temperatures in the 20’s. The poor iguana’s are freezing to death and dropping out of the trees.
Even here in southern New Jersey, where we’re surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay and the influence of their relatively warmer water temperatures, it was 9 degrees Fahrenheit this morning. Heck, some winters we don’t even have to wear a winter coat. For the past six weeks, my winter coat has been my best friend.
We were optimistic this autumn when meteorologists reported an El Nino was warming the Pacific Ocean. That means a warm winter, doesn’t it? But they are attributing this excessive cold and snow to an “Arctic Oscillation”. Yeah, right, whatever that is.
Anyway, we received an email this morning from my old friend Icky Kitikmeot, an Inuit eskimo living outside Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada. He shed a light on this entire weather thing.
It seems Icky was out muskox hunting last week about 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle when he came across a valley lined with giant fans. He lost count there were so many. Stealthly sneaking up to a pre-fab quonset hut, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Inside were dozens of men of apparent Middle Eastern descent. Icky laid quietly for hours, listening to their conversation.
It seems that they were definitely Al-Qaeda or something, and their goal was to disrupt next month’s XXI Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler, and at the same time cause havoc in the empirial Western World. They laughed about the 14,000 fans they had positioned on Victoria Island that were blowing the dickens out of us infidels in North America and northern Europe.
Thanks to Icky, I’m about to alert our U.S. Department of Homeland Security about this situation. Think they’ll issue a “level white alert”?
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Arctic, BC, blog, cold weather 2010, humorous blog, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, Whistler, XXI Winter Olympic Games
Posted in Humor | No Comments »
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
Tags: Atlantic City, atlantic city casinos, Atlantic City gambling, blog, Jersey shore, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, Pennsylvania casinos, real estate blog
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Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
New Jersey has the reputation of being one of the most business-unfriendly of the 50 United States. It’s well deserved. They did it the old-fashioned way – they earned it!
But solar power is the exception. New Jersey is mandated by the state’s Energy Master Plan to provide 20 percent of its energy through renewable sources by 2020. To reach that lofty goal just 10 years away, the state is offering monetary incentives to get it done. And alternative energy providers are lining up to cash in.
The state set up a system whereby solar systems – whether at a private residence or a commercial site – can earn Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. Each 1,000 kilowatt hours of energy produced earns the provider one credit. These credits are currently selling for just under $700 apiece.
The buyers of these energy credits are the utility companies, which are the ones under the gun to supply 20 percent renewable energy. If a utility doesn’t meet the 2020 goal, they will be penalized with a Solar Alternative Compliance Payment. So if they’re going to shell out the bucks anyway, why not go solar? It’s good public relations and reduces dependency on coal, oil, etc and their associated price fluctuations.
There are currently over 50 renewable energy projects on the drawing board in New Jersey. As more farmers and large landholders become aware of this new income source, more and more projects will be planned in the Garden State. The key is for the solar farm to be located near high transmission lines, which makes getting the electricity they produce easier and less costly to get on the grid. And besides getting paid via the credit system, the providers also get the current rate per kilowatt. It’s win-win.
There is one caution to anyone thinking about having solar panels installed at their property. Since this is a fairly new and lucrative business, a lot of inexperienced and unqualified companies are looking to install your solar system. Like anything, get quotes from at least three companies and ask for references and about projects they have already completed. Be careful and choose wisely. After all, this is New Jersey!
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: blog, Cape May County blog, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, New Jersey real estate blog, New Jersey solar power, real estate blog, solar power
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Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
There are typically three main issues that can stop a potential real estate transaction dead in its tracks – the home inspection, the mortgage approval, and the appraisal. Let’s talk about appraisals.
The problem with appraisals in today’s real estate market is that properties sold via a short sale, sheriff sale, or foreclosure are being used as comparables when evaluating the price of a regular home. About 25% of realtors have had a sale fall apart because of a low appraisal. The National Association of Home Builders reported that 25% of their new home sales likewise were shot down by low appraisals.
In 2009, over one third of all home sales nationwide were either foreclosures or short sales. A short sale, of course, is when a lender let’s the property sell for less than the amount of the loan, figuring its better to unload the property quickly, get some cash, and move on. These properties, on average, are selling for about 25% less than a property not in distress.
In an appraisal, the appraiser uses an approach in determining value by comparing similar recently sold properties in the same area. Allowances are made for differences, such as more or less bedrooms, a detached garage, swimming pool, etc. In a normal real estate market, where foreclosures are rare and short sales nearly unheard of, this is an effective method to determine true value.
But in today’s topsy turvy real estate market, appraisals show no differentiation in a distressed sale vs non-distressed sale. And therein lies the problem. They are, after all, two different markets. And so, the family that always paid their mortgage is being penalized because their property is being weighed down by those that didn’t or couldn’t handle their financial responsibilities. Is that fair?
Buyers attempting to purchase a conventional property nowadays basically have three options when the appraisal comes in under the agreed upon price. Either make up the difference in cash, get the buyer to lower his price, or do a cash-only deal (using a home equity if necessary).
Until the real estate world returns to normal, “appraisal” will continue to be a four-letter word to realtors, builders, buyers, and sellers. Let’s hope the end is near.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: appraisals, blog, distressed sales, foreclosure sales, Jewell Real Estate Agency, New Jersey blog, New Jersey real estate blog, real estate blog, realtor, short sales, Wildwood real estate
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Monday, January 4th, 2010
The little borough of West Cape May, like other towns in New Jersey, has to provide affordable housing thanks to the Mt. Laurel decision back in the late 1970’s. But unlike most municipalities, West Cape May has come up with a novel plan that is offering incentives and fewer building restrictions.
The Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) was created out of that controversial court ruling that mandated a required number of low and moderate income units for each of New Jersey’s 566 municipalities. West Cape May needs to provide just two units by 2018, but they’re offering breaks for those creating the first 10.
Called “accessory apartments”, they can be in garages, above stores, in existing homes, or even new construction, as long as they’re in an area of the town where public sewer and water already exist. No planning board approval would be necessary, just the usual construction permits. The landlord would have to sign an agreement stipulating that the unit be rented below the market rate for 15 years. But the town’s $25,000 to $75,000 incentive would help make up the difference. After 15 years, the landlord is free to charge the usual market rate.
The borough will create a pool of tenants after determining their eligilibility based on income. Landlords can ban smoking or pets or such, and do criminal backgrounds and credit checks, plus charge a security deposit. The rent can’t be raised as unless a tenant leaves and a new one moves in.
In an expensive shore resort area like the Cape Mays, rentals are beyond the financial scope of many young families. City officials hope that this will allow more to stay in the area and not move on to less pricey locales.
While West Cape May is just two units short of its COAH goal, two other Cape May County municipalities have a rougher road ahead. Middle Township is mandated to provide 934 units and Upper Township 566 by 2018. That would overcrowd the schools and burden the two towns’ services, not to mention the added real estate property taxes that residents would be forced to shoulder. The towns have minimal areas of infrastructure and over 50% of each municipality is either federal, state or preserved land and not buildable. Providing this absurd number of units definitely would promote sprawl and change the character of the towns.
Perhaps Governor-elect Christopher Christie, who has spoken out against COAH, will do something to abolish this forced build-up of semi-rural communities.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Cape May County, Cape May real estate, COAH, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Middle Township, New Jersey blog, real estate blog, Upper Township, West Cape May
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Thursday, December 31st, 2009
When I was a youngster, I thought everything always stayed the same. I thought the corner general store would always be there and always be called Percy’s. The same for Al’s Barber Shop, and the same for Green’s Luncheonette and Woolworths and the A&P. I was naive and too young to understand the evolution of change.
Then reality began to set in. First, the knifeman no longer drove up and down the neighborhood streets with a familiar bell ringing on the back of his truck. Mom would send me running to flag him down and she’d follow with a basket full of kitchen knives to be sharpened. A few years later there was a note in the milk box saying that Sicomac Dairy would no longer be delivering milk, eggs, sour cream, etc to our door. About the same time the local dry cleaner also stopped doing home deliveries. What was the world coming to?
Change continued through my teens and twenties. I used to peddle my bicycle delivering the Bergen Evening Record newspaper every afternoon after school. They became a morning newspaper, following an industry trend, and next thing you know newspaper home delivery was done by adults in cars at 5am. Yikes!
My next job was as a caddy at a golf course. We made $2.75 for carrying a golf bag 18 holes, and $5.50 if we were big enough to carry two bags for 18 holes. With tip, that came to $6 for about five hours work. I was on top of the world and “rich” compared to my fellow high schoolers. But you know where this story is going. Within a decade, caddies were as extinct as dinosaurs. Golf carts put us out of business. The end of an era.
With all these experiences in my rear view mirror, allow me to gaze into my crystal ball and look into the future. The biggest change I see is in the world of retail stores.
The internet is going to decrease the number of retail stores. We’re already seeing it in the demise of such venues as movie rentals – adios Blockbuster – and music stores. The internet allows you to download movies and music from the comfort of your home. And heck, just about every new movie is on cable within six months anyway, so why not wait?
Stores that sell appliances will be the next victim. Just ask Circuit City or Linens ’n Things. Circuit City had 576 big box stores and Linen ‘n Things had 571. All their stores are now shuddered and they sell, yes, on the internet only. Who’d a thunk it?
Just about any store that sells things that are also readily available on the internet is in trouble. The exception, of course, is things you need to touch or try on first. I’m not gonna buy shoes or pants from the internet. I need to try them on to make sure the fit is just right. And I want to physically see some items before purchasing to make sure they are of sufficient quality. A picture on the internet doesn’t relay the quality.
Stores that cater to “touch and try on” and large selection will survive, like WalMart and Target and Costco and such, because high volume of sales will carry them. But smaller stores, not to mention Mom & Pop’s, are in trouble. The cost of rent and utilities and inventory and employees makes them unprofitable, or at least not worth the bother.
Look around. I’m sure you’ve noticed how many empty storefronts are in your community. Nationally, the vacancy rate for retail stores is about 7% and malls is nearly 10%. It seems like more. Expect those numbers to increase.
But all’s not lost. Restaurants will survive and thrive. In fact, anything related to food will stay around. Who buys a hamburger or a cantelope on the internet? Doctors, dentists, lawyers, realtors, accountants and other similar occupations will continue to occupy a physical space in the community. So will hardware stores and lumber yards and florists and other “drop in and buy quick” businesses.
Thanks to internet sales, a good bet on the future would be to buy stock in FedEx, or UPS, and any other delivery company. Hey, wait. Haven’t we just gone full circle?
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: blog, future retail sales, internet impact, Jewell Real Estate Agency, lifestyle blog, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, real estate blog
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Saturday, December 26th, 2009
Since Atlantic City, New Jersey approved legalized gambling back in the late 1970s, the city has always been in the shadow of Las Vegas. Everything the tarnished city did to revitalize and rebuild and build a world-class casino atmosphere drew comparisons to Vegas. And frowns.
Meanwhile, the “Little Engine That Could” plodded on, eventually erecting 13 casinos. The first, Resorts Atlantic City, opened in May, 1978. A year later Caesars debuted, then in December 1979 Bally’s opened. The Sands, Harrahs and the Hilton each opened in the latter half of 1980 and the Playboy Casino and Tropicana were ready for business in late 1981. Atlantic City now had eight casinos.
The recession of the early 1980s (sound familiar) halted construction while prospective casino companies sat out the downturn and waited for the economy to get going again.
Trump Plaza got things moving again, opening in May, 1984, then Trump Marina debuted a year later. The Showboat opened in 1987 and the Trump Taj Mahal in 1990 and then new construction came to a halt. Time to once again wait for better times.
In 2003, the first modern mega-casino, the Borgata, opened to grand revues and it continues to this day to be the top earner in the city. The Playboy Club Casino, of course, has long since been closed, then torn down.
The Sands was torned down in 2007 by Pinnacle Entertainment after purchasing the obsolete casino and its 20 Boardwalk/oceanfront acres for $400 million. Pinnacle has not begun construction and the company refuses to comment if the $1.5 billion megaresort will ever be built.
Meanwhile, MGM and Boyd Entertainment purchased a 72-acre lot next to the Borgata, envisioning a 3,000 hotel room, 280,000 square foot casino resort to be called the MGM Mirage. Plans for that project are “on hold” until the economy improves and funding becomes available.
One new Atlantic City hotel casino, the Revel, is about two-thirds through the construction phase. They broke ground in November, 2007, but in January, 2009 had to lay off 400 workers, leaving 500 to get the steel work and exterior completed. They need another $1 billion in funding to finish the $2.5 billion project, which is still hopefully scheduled to open in the summer of 2011. The Revel is 53 stories high, with 1,800 rooms, 20 restaurants, 40 retail stores, and a 5,000-seat theater, plus 150,000 square feet of gambling.
Atlantic City reacted to gambling being legalized in many more states by improving its non-gambling options for visitors. Shopping opportunities within walking distance of the casinos include the 27-store The Quarter, The Walk with 47 stores, and the Piers at Caesars with over 50 stores.
However, the approval of gambling in Pennsylvania poses a new threat. The casinos in AC once employed 40,000 people, but that’s now down to 36,000. Gambling competition also comes from nearby Delaware, New York, and the Indian casinos in Connecticut.
Atlantic City must once again reinvent itself. The more non-gaming options the better. The city owns 140-acre Bader Field, a former small airport, just outside of town but practically in the shadow of the casinos. Maybe a theme park or something similar is the answer. Whatever, it has to be a FAMILY destination.
If the casinos are to prosper, they must break their long-standing tradition of not supporting anything outside walking distance of their establishments. Minor league baseball didn’t fly, and pro hockey and basketball were also financial flops. The casinos must get behind some sort of grand family entertainment at Bader Field. If not, their market share will continue to drop and Atlantic City, within a four hour drive of 30 million people, will be the punchline of many a joke.
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: atlantic city casinos, atlantic city revel casino, Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, Jersey shore, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, New Jersey real estate blog, ocean, opinion, real estate blog, Wildwood real estate
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Friday, December 25th, 2009
Everyone is blessed at Christmas, whether they are aware of it or not. And you don’t have to be a Christian for Christmas to have an effect on your spirituality.
I’m a perfect example. I’m not a Christian. I don’t buy Christmas gifts or have a Christmas tree. Bah humbug. The materialism of Christmas turned me off nearly a half century ago. And a lifelong examination of my religious beliefs and the religious philosophies of the world has pretty much made me conclude that I’m perhaps an atheist.
But I am blessed with a great wife, who happens to be my best friend and business partner. Her unbridled enthusiasm for Christmas makes that a time of year that I especially appreciate all she’s done for me and all that she means to me.
I recall a quote, “Love is the soul’s recognition of its counterpoint in another.” That wraps up my feelings toward our special relationship.
So I ask on this Christmas day that you not dwell on what things you did or didn’t find under your Christmas tree. Instead, think longingly of the ones you love. For it is that love that carries you through the other 364 days of the year.
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainmanandCityGirl.com
Tags: blog, Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, Christmas blog, Jewell Real Estate Agency, lifestyle blog, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, New Jersey real estate blog, North Wildwood, opinion, Real Estate, real estate blog, West Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Wildwood real estate
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Friday, December 25th, 2009
Joining their fellow banking CEO cohorts, the heads of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were approved for $6 million in pay each for 2009. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to refresh your memory, purchase bundles of mortgages to ensure that money is always available to lending institutions which give loans to homebuyers. They are quasi-private companies backed by the federal government.
Fannie CEO Michael Williams and Freddie CEO Ed Haldeman each received $900,000 in salary and another $3.1 million in salary with payments deferred to 2010. That’s $4 million apiece. Each also is eligible for another $2 million in performance incentives. Considering that Fannie and Freddie needed a combined $111 billion, yes billion, in federal bailout money, one wonders exactly what their performance bonus was contingent upon. Perfect attendance? Turning their homework in on time? Spelling their names correctly?
The argument by their cheerleaders is that the former CEO’s of the two companies, who were both fired in September, 2008 when the bailout money was proposed, made a lot more money. The Fannie CEO received $10.2 million in 2008 and the Freddie guy nailed $13.1 million. It practically took an act of Congress to stop them from awarding themselves another combined $24 million in termination pay.
The case for Williams and Haldeman continues that each would command up to $10 million in yearly pay in the private sector. The argument typically concludes with, “No one else would do the job for less money.”
Bullfeathers!
I’ll do the job for one year for a measly $500,000. I’ll move to Washington, DC for one year, rent a condo, and work 365 straight days. A lot of qualified people would do the same thing. And I’ll donate $100,000 of that money to DC soup kitchens for the homeless. That would make my take home pay about $250,000. Not extravagant, but fair!
I really get tired of hearing how top company management and all government workers – federal, state, and municipal – feel justified in making a lot more money than their small business and working stiff counterparts because, “No one else would take this job.” And the benefits they receive, including health insurance and retirement packages, are way beyond reasonable and equitable.
Is anybody mad yet?
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: blog, Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, Diamond Beach, Jersey shore, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, North Wildwood, political blog, real estate blog, realtor, West Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Wildwood real estate
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