"Open House" ... 137 Ocean Road ... in Ocean City, NJ - May 10th (Sat) 10am-2pm   This is one of the lower priced single family listings in the Gardens on the ocean side of the Gardens Parkway.  A 3BR/2BA rancher on a 30x100 lot with gas heat and central air, great rental history, a nice deck and small back yard in the back.  And I like to use the word "charming" whenever I talk about this house.  Just a short several minute walk to the beach ... the closest one being the East Atlantic Boulevard Beach by way of Ocean Road to Gull Road to East Atlantic Boulevard.  Or you can turn in the opposite direction at Gull Road and walk to Surf Road tothe Surf Road Beach (just a bit further).  Both of these are somewhat quieter (at times) lovely beach areas in the Gardens section of Ocean City. Li... 05/08/2014

"There is still a lot of time left in the 'Spring Buying Period" ... Ocean City, NJ It's all about the weather ... spring can be cold, or wet, warm, or dry.  The issue of buying and even renting connects a lot with how nice the weather is.  So we have about two full months to go until the summer rental season arrives.  And if all the signals are correct, and they usually are, we can expect a lot of buyers coming down to our barrier island to check out "what real estate is all about" down here.Many do it the old fashion way ... they drive down, they drift around, they visit some open houses, and they try to learn a bit about life on a barrier island.  Others who know people who have property down here try to get recommendations regarding who they might recommend to you to work with.  Now... 05/06/2014

"Ocean City" NJ ... The Island takes a turn toward summer ...   We waited out the cold and wet winter that tended to go on and on ... indeed into the spring.  We knew it couldn't last, but it did add some extra time to the process.  Often, we are able to get buyer activity even in February on a nice weekend, certainly in March, almost always in April.  Well, this year was a somewhat slower assumption.  The cold tended to linger on ... But certainly "change" is in the air.  The "spring block party" has come and gone ... "hurrah, hurrah, it's the first of May - Outdoor Showering begins Today (well very few outdoor showers as yet ... but we did turn on the outside shower - it's just a matter of time. There is ongoing "buyer activity" out there each weekend.  The "open houses" have tended t... 05/05/2014

"How does one handle the Showing of Sale Listings" ... from Ocean City, NJ   Most real estate agents utilize the lock box method of obtaining keys for showings here in Ocean City, New Jersey.  In many locations, a city or MLS will utilize the "special key to open said boxes (which we did explore several times, but we never utilized that process). However, almost all of our showings in this resort market on a barrier island in South Jersey tends to involve agents going into sale property without any owners ever being around.   That tends to be particularly true during the winter months, the later fall months, and the early spring months.  Obviously, many second home owners tend to utilize their shore properties throughout the summer and at certain times during the fall and spring.  And, ... 04/30/2014

"Spring Block Party" ... May 3, 2014 (Saturday) ... in Ocean City, New Jersey   The "Spring Block Party" starts at 9am and goes until 5pm this Saturday (May 3, 2014) in Ocean City, New Jersey.  All roads going south from Philadlephia lead to Ocean City, NJ. Food, music, and loads of craft tables run along a mile on Asbury Avenue starting around 5th Street and going south until you hit the end of the line on 14th Street.  It started over 30 years ago and continues to run smoothly. Free parking is available on West and Central Avenues.  Along with all the A fast introduction into the start of the season. Traditionally it is not a good day for an "open house" ... although real estate agents continue to have them during spring block party weekend.  And I am one of those real estate agents. ... 04/30/2014

"Professional Standards Procedures Seminar" ... Ocean City, New Jersey The Ocean City Board of Realtors held a workshop with Facilitator, Diane K. Disbrow, who has had an ongoing relationship with our participants over a good many years.  Those invited to the workshop were members of the Grievence and Professional Standards Committees of the Ocean City Board of Realtors providing us with a very complete review of revisions in "THE CODE OF ETHICS" and other related updates and ongoing reviews of critical aspects regarding how the Grievance Committee and Professional Standards Committee go about their work on behalf of the Ocean City Board of Realtors.  One of the very interesting aspects of this workshop was a taped program brought to the workshop by the speaker of a staged "Professional... 04/24/2014

"An Open House Primer" for Ocean City, New Jersey I've been doing weekend open houses here in Ocean City, NJ since 1993.  In many of those early years, I was one of a limited number doing the "open house" effort.  Now these days, it is quite different:  many more open houses out there in competition with my effort ... but the good news is that we aren't in competition, we are sharing one another's sale listings for everybody who takes the time to visit.  What could be better than this!!! I usually have earlier open houses ... starting at 9 or 10 am catching the walking and biking crowd going or coming from their breakfast out.  I also like to catch the people on the way to the beach ... and not those on the way back from the beach (for obvious reasons). I usually stay for four-to-five h... 04/22/2014

"2 Properties Sold in Ocean City ... One in Gardens, Another in Northend"   In March, 2014 my sale listing at 2 Ocean Road 2nd Floor (a 3BR/1BA condominium in the Gardens) sold in mid $300,000 range.  In April, 2014 working with Buyers I sold 137 Central Avenue (a 4BR/3.5BA single family in the Northend) in the mid-$700,00 range. During that same time frame, I also listed three additional single family properties ... two in the Northend and a third one in the Gardens.  Both Northend singles are located in the "800" long beach block ... "808 North Street" (a 3BR/1BA single family in the Northend) and "809 St James Place" (a 2BR/1BA single family in the Northend).  The Gardens single family is located in the 100 block of Ocean Road ... "137 Ocean Road (a 3BR/2BA single family in the Garde... 04/17/2014

I Guess that You forgot That I Still Do Blogging" ... from Ocean City, New Jersey   I'm Dustin A. Peters, Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty, here in Ocean City, NJ.  I'm starting my 22 year in the sale and rental process in our South Jersey shore "island community.  I live and work on the island.  My area of concentration is the Northend and Gardens where I live ... but I am now working at 200 34th Street which is another road leading into the City of Ocean City. I'm a fairly regular blogger on Active Rain being the #1 in Ocean City, #1 in Cape May County, and probably still in the 'top 20" throughout New Jersey.  So what happened that I missed so many days.  My wife and I joined two other couples in taking our regular "winter cruise," a 10-day one throughout the Caribbean back i... 04/02/2014

"Getting Back in the Groove" ... in Ocean City, New Jersey Just back from my "winter vacation," but it is always a bit difficult getting "back into the groove."   Our first issue was whether or not we could land in Atlantic City on Monday with the snow.  That worked out.  The second issue was adjusting to the 70-80 degree change in temperature from where we were to where we were going.  We are not adjusted to this change ... but we are here. And now I am back to work trying to catch up with what has been happening.  It's always nice to go away ... and nice to return again.  But getting into the groove at work is always just a bit more difficult.  On the positive side I was working on one listing that was all set to go when I got back.  That looks like we are all set to move that one alo... 03/05/2014

"Back from Vacation ... I'm Feeling Great" ... from Ocean City, NJ So you've missed by blogging.  You wonder what happened to me.  Where is that realtor who writes all those blogs.  Well we took our annual cruise ... flew down to Fort Lauderdale a couple of days early just to be certain we got there on time.  Spent ten days on a Celebrity Cruise around the Caribbean islands ... five island stops, a great ship, lots to do, plus some great books for me to read.  We usually travel with two other couples ... a great time was had by all. Enough about the vacation ... upon our return we had made a 70 degree downward movement.  Real cold here in New Jersey.  But I'm hoping it will be the last of this winter's snow.  At least I'm hoping as much But we all need "breaks" ... short breaks, long br... 03/05/2014

"Weather Problems Impact Us in Many Ways ... from Ocean City, New Jersey   This has been one of the worst winters in quite a number of years.  Much colder, a lot damper, a lot of ice and snow.  Storms coming up the coast, storms coming across the middle of the country.  Frozen pipes, car accidents, and much more. But Ocean City, New Jersey remains "a point of contact" for many people ... a place to visit, a spot to go to for a second home purchase ... a rental location for the summer time along the shore ... a barrier island with a lot of personality. So when we have "a weather evident," no matter how serious or not so serious that it may be ... we experience two kinds of problems.   For those who have plans to visit Ocean City for a day, a weekend, whatever ... they always want to know... 02/13/2014

"There's a Rule of Thumb" ... When You plan to be Away, !!!???! - from Ocean City, NJ When you plan to be away, or you know you will be leaving in a couple of days, that's when evrything comes out of the woodwork, something springs a leak, all kinds and sorts of problems arise without notice. That was always true when I was a High School Principal ... and it is even truer being a realtor in his 22 year of work in this second career.  I'm sure it is true in a lot of other areas as well ... but real estate tends to be the most amazing in terms of what can happen, when, and why. Now I don't plan to talk about this in too much detail ... but I am willing to bet that every reader will agree that the same kind of thing has happened to them "over and over." So what is my goal in all of this ..... 02/12/2014

"A Word to the Wise" ... from Ocean City, New Jersey   I'm not a particularly good person to be talking "about advice."  I certainly try very hard not to give it out ... and I'm readily not very interested in receiving it.  But as a elementary and later high school teacher, an assistant junior-senior high school principal, later a middle school principal, and finally a high school principal for 17 years; a part of my role related to advice for teachers, for students, and even for parents.  So when I decided to get into real estate (now starting my 22nd year in my second career), I thought a great deal of my former role in education might become a thing of the past.  No such luck!! So an article in a recent WALL STREET JOURNAL, of the same title ... a long sought-out recommendation seems... 02/07/2014

"The 1st Full Week of February, 2014" ... from Ocean City, New Jersey It's ever so slowly getting closer to the "Spring Buying Period" here in Ocean City, New Jersey.  The only thing that isn't cooperating (and that's an important aspect) is the winter weather.  And anyone connected to real estate knows that "weather"plays a major role in when, how, and what Buyers will be doing in getting down here to our lovely barrier island. The good news is that indeed we are getting more people down here over the weekends, but it is all based on weather between where they come from and where they are going to.  And, as I often mention, if you are going into some cold houses (no heat) ... it is colder inside than outside. It is certainly too cold to have many "open houses" at this time of year ... ... 02/04/2014

"Cruising" may be our best vacation choice ... from Ocean City, New Jersey   We live on a barrier island in Cape May County, New Jersey ...  just a couple of miles from the mainland in Ocean City, NJ.  Of course, from May through mid-October; it was beach time with a lot of walking, later swimming, etc.  But the winter months at the beach tend to be very windy, some cold rain ... and, if it is like this particular winter, much more of everything including snow. So where do we go in the winter ... usually south to Florida for some outside time in the warmer air, maybe California where some locations can be much warmer than our present location.  One year we took a cross country trip taking a 2004 Chevy out to our son and his wife outside of San Francisco. But almost every year we have al... 02/03/2014

"Just Lost a Listing" ... from Ocean City, New Jersey Well, what can you say ... it happens to almost every real estate agent.  It's just a part of the real estate process.  You work very hard to make a contact, get a referral, or just run into someone who wants to sell.  You visit the property, talk to the Sellers, and you write a "Comparative Market Analysis" providing the necessary information to back up your particular point of view regarding market value and a listing price range.  And you provide justification for all of this.  And this particular effort about 18 months ago was done by me without competing with any other agents. Now I'm an "open house" guy ... over that time frame, I may have had 30-40 open houses ... mostly by myself, on occasions with my junior partner who cover... 02/02/2014

"Every Weekend Reading" ... from Ocean City, New Jersey I look forward to the arrival of Friday morning and Saturday morning because I get the Wall Street Journal delivered to my house with these two issues being the best of the week.  There is no Sunday "Journal" so they pack it in on Friday and Saturday.  It includes two special sections which go into great detail on films, books, and other aspects of the entertainment world including book reviews and special sections written by some excellent writers.  I also receive the Monday through Thursday issues of the "Journal" also delivered, but they are not as interesting as the Friday and Saturday ones.   However, it is interesting to read a conservative point-of-view from this newspaper as well. But Sunday is the time for the pick-up by m... 02/01/2014

"Frozen Pipes" ... from Ocean City, New Jersey I guess that tells it all ... particularly when you are talking about "second homes or rental properties" located from one-to-three hours away from our cold, but lovely, barrier island with no where to sled except from the Boardwalk down in some few locations (mainly for those children between 3-5 years of age). Now there is a somewhat simple arrangement to assist those who decide to keep their property heated during the winter months, there is a service by a number of plumbers and others who visit the property each day when the temperature is below freezing.  There is another option as well ... if an owner has a good working relationship with an agent, they can also turn up the heat, but obviously not visit the property on a regular basis.... 02/01/2014

"The Winter of our Discontent" ... Anywhere on the East Coast ... Ocean City, NJ   I read something in one of the papers I get regarding the title line:  "The Winter of our Discontent."  Clearly, this has been the winter ... maybe the worst on thatI can recall going back twenty years here in Ocean City and maybe another 20-30 years going back when I was a teacher and high school principal. We normally take a vacation in January each year with two other couples ... usually a cruise going south somewhere or anywhere.  Well, we moved our time frame to February this year.  If there was one year that we wanted to get away sooner, it would have been in January 2014. Now I am really hoping that the February weather improves even if we are away.  But, at this point, it still appears not that we... 02/01/2014