Occasional Book Reviw - "The Light Between Oceans" ... Ocean City, New Jersey   Each September our Ocean City Yacht Club "Book Club" selects the next five books for the following yacht club year which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day ... although we do have Tuesday night dinners from early May through mid October.  So when my wife and I laid the plans for the book club, we decided to have one per month from May through September ... and did not include October because we required a bit more time to read one more book. Regardless, the first book of the 2014 calendar will be "The Light Between Oceans" (2012) by M. L. Stedman.  I started it a few nights ago and have read about a third of the book.  It is set in western Australia about 100 miles out in the ocean on a small island wi... 11/04/2013

"Weekend Open House Action ... In the Northend" ... Ocean City, New Jersey   We move into the month of November ... a bit colder, but we turn up the heat in the "OPEN HOUSE" location.  I'm expecting a good turnout ... Why ... because we still have another month of sales action in the "Fall Buying Period." If you are in town on Saturday, check out our open house location in the Northend at "824 St James Place" ... a 4BR/2BA single family on one the great "800" blocks in OC with a short walk to the beach and boardwalk, gas heat and central air, in excellent condition, listed at $649,000 9am to 1pm If you are in town on Sunday, check out our open house location in the Northend at: "913 First Street" ... a 3BR/2.5BA single family on a "900" beachblock steps to the boardwalk and beach, plus ... 11/01/2013

"October-to-November ... A Fair Exchange" ... Ocean City, New Jersey   It comes around once a year ... birthdays.  And when you and your wife are both Scorpios.  Now she is an October Scorpio, and I am a later November Scorpio.  Does it make a difference?  Well, we have been married for 43 years with an educational career for both of us ... although being a high school principal for 17 years did create some varied conflicts in our life.  And now another 20+ years in my second career in real estate.  During the past ten plus years my wife recommended having her birthday continue on from the original date, October 30th, through to the day before my birthday on November 15th.  "More time for celebration," she said.  "Why not," said I.  So as you can identify by the present date ...November... 10/31/2013

"Living on an Island in the Winter Mode" ... Ocean City, New Jersey   We're not there yet ... winter only starts onthe 21st of December.  But this delayed reminder ... and the significant difference between a week ago and today, all of this reminds me (and us) what lies ahead here on our barrier island - Ocean City, New Jersey. Obviously, one significant change will be daylight savings time, just around the corner, which will cause me to almost go to work in the dark and return in the dark.  Not a great motivating experience ... not as bad as when I was a high school principal, but some days it seems quite the same. Generally, it seems like most evenings once I get home I tend to stay there for the rest of the evening.  A bit of early reading, a glass of wine by the fireplace, dinner, t... 10/25/2013

Ocean City real estate offers the east coast home buyer the opportunity for a unparalleled beach living lifestyle. There’s a reason Ocean City was named the Least Angry and Depressed Place in the US by Gallop in 2012; you can’t help but be happy here! Between miles of renowned beach, the historical boardwalk, and the shops, restaurants and great surfing, you’ll never run out of recreation options. And with everything Ocean City has to offer, not only is it an investment in your lifestyle, but it’s a great financial investment, as one of the rare places which has actually seen rising home prices over the last decade.    Ocean City is a famous vacation destination in addition to being a great place to call home. Situated in southeast New Jersey, in Cape May county,it is both an island and... 10/23/2013

"The Jersey Shore when a Touch of Winter Arrives" ... Ocean City, New Jersey   The cold weather coming across the middle of the United States appears to be arriving day-by-day as the temps begin to fall (47 degrees this morning).  But it has been such a lovely October (warm and sunny), that we haven't turned on the heat as yet.  It's a new house and well-insulated ... haven't even needed the gas fireplace in the living room as yet.   But not far off. A lot of changes arrive with the weather adjustment when you live on a barrier island ... and a shore point along the Jersey Shore.  As mentioned in earlier blogs, driving around Ocean City is now a piece of cake ... maybe could do it somewhat blind-folded, because so many owners and most rental tenants are no longer here.  Driving around a... 10/23/2013

Tech & Tech ... "My iPhone after about a Year" ... Ocean City, New Jersey   So what is "tech & tech" ... my thoughts on technology good and bad in a blog format.  This is a positive one. I'm an old school guy.  When I was born and went through much of elementary school ... we didn't have a television, later a black and white one ... maybe 2-3 good channels, rabbit ears for connection at first.  So, of course, as time rolled along ... I was not a tech sort of guy.  Now that does not mean that I have not worked hard to understand it.  My problem relates to making things work ... and solving problems when they don't work.  I just don't want to put the time into the process.  And if I did, I doubt that I would make it work anyway. Now I go back to some variety of phones in my time.  Mostly,... 10/21/2013

The Rental Process ... "Being a Property Manager" ... Ocean City, New Jersey   One of the important roles for both a sales agent as well as a rental agent is to identify owners who you might work with as "a property manager."  It's significantly better to be both a sales and rental agent because you are then able to effectively work with the owner on rental rates, problems, etc.With my move to Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty in May, 2013; I had to identify those owners who were not renting with my new realty firm so that I could lock them up becoming their property manager.  In most cases, having been their property manager and also a rental agent who placed rental tenants in that property; I was a good fit for continuing in that role with that particular Owner. So the ongoing ... 10/18/2013

"Weekend Open Houses in Northend/Gardens" - 10/19-20/2013 - in Ocean City, New Jersey   Four Open Houses scheduled by Dustin A. Peters, Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty in Ocean City, New Jersey ... two on 10/19/2013 and two more on 10/20/2013.   On 10/19/2013 we will have an "OPEN HOUSE" at 824 St James Place from 8:30 am to 11:30 pm (on Saturday morning only) ... a 4BR/2BA gas heat/central air single family with a great deal to offer ... just reduced to $649,000 ... a short walk to the beach and boardwalk. A second "OPEN HOUSE" on 10/19/2013 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm (on Saturday afternoon only) will be held at 845 Stenton Place #2 ... a 1BR/1BA first floor beach side very close to the beach with super location and top-of-the-line condominium ... $267,500.   Check this one out!!... 10/17/2013

Personal Notes ... "Maintaining A Paper Trail" ... Ocean City, New Jersey   I come from the background of "pulling everything on my desk into one or two carriers" and walking out of the building with my night work.  Better to call it "the clean desk syndrome."  Obviously, it doesn't please my wife upon arrival at home.  During my teaching years and my later 17 years as a High School Principal, I carried a lot of stuff out of the building ... remember "the clean desk" ... and brought it home.  Into my real estate years, I unfortunately brought my education background ... and my "clean desk phobia" resulting in "often" much more paper than during my education years.  Why?  I have a varied real estate role:  sales (listing owners and buyers), rentals (rental owners and tenants), work in th... 10/16/2013

Personal Notes ... "Three Great Wine Stores - 1/2 Hour Away" - Ocean City, New Jersey   If you happen to be a wine drinker, and you are always on the lookout for new wine or a particular one that you can't find; there are three (actually five) great wine stores within a half hour of our little barrier island, Ocean City (NJ). I can't think of a better arrangement than these locations so close to our little corner of the world.  Of course, the main-stay would be "Circle Liquor" on the old "round-about," now gone in Somers Point before getting on the #52 bridge/drive over to Ocean City.  Passion Vines has a smaller store in Somers Point in the Wal-Mart Plaza behind the Acme, and a second one on the back road passing the Shop-Rite a few miles from Somers Point.  There is another crossing t... 10/14/2013

"Personal Notes" ... It's Not All Work on the Island ... Ocean City, NJ   I tend to work most days ... always catching up on things or staying ahead of them.  But I tend not to work all day.  So that's seven days of being around.  For example, Saturdays and Sundays are "open house" days ... an opportunity to get potential buyers and others into my sale listings.  I often do 4-hour open houses and take the balance of the day off.  But sometimes I do two 3-hour open houses taking a hour or 1.5 hours for a longer lunch.  This is also the time when Buyers come to town ... so sometimes, I obtain coverage for my open houses in order to take buyers around to selected sale properties. Today I played doubles tennis from 9 am to 10:30 am ... my partner and I won two of the three sets ... we blank... 10/14/2013

Home for sale by owner in  OCEAN CITY, NJ 08226 flat fee mls listing  395 only.Home for Sale By Owner in OCEAN CITY, NJ 08226 - Flat Fee MLS Listing $395 609 E 12Th St OCEAN CITY, NJ 08226 - Realtors welcome, buyer agent commission paid at MLS# 418811 4 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms This location allows you to park your car and leave it. It is just steps to the beach and boardwalk and a short walk to all of the downtown shops and restaurants. The property features an extra large living area with both eat in kitchen and separate dining room. Relax on the private fenced in patio or sun on the 2nd floor balcony. This house has been totally remodeled and features many upgrades in addition to a new 2 year old roof. This property was high and dry during Super Storm Sandy with zero damage. Read more on... 10/12/2013

"It's a Lot of Things, but it's Always Weather on a Barrier Island" ... Ocean City, NJ   We are getting a lot of rain ... plus high tides during the middle of the day and around midnight this evening.  So I left my high ground in the Gardens and headed to work today in my low lying VW.  I decided to not park in the city lot across the street (which I paid for through the summer and into the end of parking meters for a time) because it floods on 10th Street which makes it almost impossible to get out without going back through the one-way. Who knows what will happen at noon today. I may decide to work at home for the balance of the day.  But I'm here at 8:30 am ready to go.  Remember that it is always "about weather" on a barrier island ... along with everything else.  I started watching... 10/09/2013

Summer Rentals 2014 ... It Can Be a Year-Round Job ... Ocean City, New Jersey   For those not in the rental trenches here in Ocean City (NJ), the rental world from one year to the next just seems to go on and on.  Sure, we know almost all of the rental season ends about Labor Day (even though some of the best weather continues to be here for at least another month).  But the very next step in the rental process involves making contact with Owners, collecting forms again, changing rental rates, and hearing from interested former and new rental tenants.  Often the rentals for the next year begin when tenants leave.  However, the major work during the late summer and early fall involves getting owners to return all of their updated information including rental rates so that we are able to ... 10/09/2013

The October "Fall Shock" arrived last evening with the Rain ... Ocean City, New Jersey   We have been living on some borrowed time (in terms of shore weather) here in Ocean City (NJ) for the past three or four weeks.  And although almost all of us knew it was going to last much longer, we just continued to count on the next day being as warm and wonderful as the last one.  Plus it had been dry (no rain) for almost all of that time.  If not a perfect September and early October, it was one of the best in some time.  And then the report said a heavy rain coming along and would also hit the shore.  Most of us battened down the hatches and prepared for a wet wind arriving in the early evening.  It arrived, and it turned out to have been over-rated.  But if you had been listening more closel... 10/08/2013

"My Home Is An Island" ... Ocean City, New Jersey   My home is a barrier island just off the coast of south Jersey ... a 2.5 mile four land connecton including two bridges links us with Somers Point and Ocean City.  Another 1 mile bridge is at our northern end of the island connecting with Egg Harbor Township leading back to Somers Point again or over to Longport and the back way to Atlantic City. Two other bridges lead from the southend of the island over to Upper Township (Cape May County) at 34th Street and over to Strathmere, another island south of us at 55th Street. The entire island is about 5.5 miles long and maybe 5-10 blocks in some parts of the Southend and about 1.5 miles in part of the Northend and Gardens areas. It is an unusual place in that we have about 100,000 to 150,0... 10/07/2013

Single Family Sale Listing ... "Price Reduction" - Ocean City, New Jersey   824 St James Place ... Single Family on the "800" Long Beachblock in the Northend ... about a 2 minute walk to the beach and boardwalk ... now listed at $649,000. 824 St James Place is a 4BR/2BA single family with off-street parking for two cars, gas heat and central air conditioning.  It is about 15 years old in great conditon, a one-of-a-kind with a large great room downstairs with a vaulted ceiling in the living room, a dining room with a sliding door to the side of the property, a open modern kitchen, a first floor bedroom, and a full bath.  The upstairs includes room for three additional bedrooms, a full bath, a laundry area for a full size washer and dryer, and a room for the gas heater and hot water heate... 10/06/2013

Northend/Gardens Condominiums ... Ocean City, New Jersey   There are 107 condominiums for sale in the Northend and Gardens sections of Ocean City, New Jersey ... that area north of Sixth Street to the end of the island at the Longport Bridge.  That's 107 out of a city-wide total of 617 total condominiums for sale. The Northend/Gardens average list price is $528,661 and median price of $485,000.  The average and median prices throughout all of Ocean City are a bit higher because of the higher number of condominiums for all throughout Ocean City that are closer to the beach area as rental properties. Back to the Northend/Gardens ... we find 12 condo properties under $300,000 with 7 of that total within a five-minute walk or less to the beach.  So one can find condo sale property that coul... 10/03/2013

"Broker Open House" - Get Out the Word ... Ocean City, New Jersey   One of the best ways to reach a good many real estate agents regarding your sale listing is to sponsor a "Broker Open House" by asking a title company or mortgage vendor to help you with some lunch expenses and emails around your particular location.  We usually have two or three properties with one or two agents which enables everybody to take some time and check out the new sale listings. We often ask them to also help us by responding to several questions related to asking price, building condition, etc.  It is a great way to get very useful feedback from people in the business. Mostly, we run these events from 12-2 enabling as many agents as possible to drop by, check out the property, have some lunch, and go back t... 10/01/2013