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ENOUGH ALREADY
The winter of 2010 is being called “Terrible Ten” here in Cape May County. The record has been set as this being the most snowfall ever, with 48” on the ground as of February 11th. At one point in the February 5-6 blizzard - which dropped 20” of wet, heavy snow - 80,000 folks were without electricity in the county.
A week later, there were still thousands without electricity. Hundreds of utility trucks from throughout the East Coast were in Cape May County to help restore power. They’ve had to replace over a hundred power poles and nine miles of broken lines.
Hardest hit was the Wildwoods. Many streets were closed as multiple electric lines lay across the roadways. Most east-west streets had just one narrow lane plowed a week after the storm.
Somewhere in the back of our minds we can remember what spring is like. Hope it hurries up and gets here.
RENTALS ARE BACK
After being mothballed since 2004, Jewell Real Estate Agency has revived its rental program. If you remember, we scrapped the rentals after the 2004 season upon learning that Joyce had breast cancer. We wanted her to have less stress and be able to devote all of her time to fighting this deadly enemy. It worked and she won!
We are now accepting applications for weekly, seasonal, and yearround rentals for 2010. As always, we answer phones 6am to 9pm every day and you always get a real, live person. We will expand that on summer Friday and Saturday nights until 11pm to handle rental inquiries and such.
Your rental property will be advertised on our website – and others we select – with pictures, descriptions, and a virtual tour, giving your property maximum exposure to a wide audience of potential family renters.
WEST WILDWOOD RECALL STOPPED
The recall election to oust West Wildwood Mayor Herbert Frederick was halted recently by Judge Raymond Batten. Petitions had been circulated in the fall and signatures were turned into Borough Clerk Dorothy Tomlin.
She ruled that the petitions were valid and ordered the recall election. Frederick filed suit to overturn her ruling, claiming there were “deficiencies, improprieties, and irregularities” in the petitions. Judge Batten agreed with Frederick and cancelled the election.
This war is far from over. Stay tuned.
OUR BLOG
The internet reports that there are 30 million blogs out there in cyberspace, so obviously you can’t read them all. But if you enjoy our newsletters – and about 10,000 folks do six times a year – you’ll absolutely love our blog.
The popular and provocative blog website address is http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com There are several blogs added each week and they deal with everything from real estate to government policies to politics to things that, well, just rub us the wrong way. There’s stuff about the Wildwoods, Cape May County, the state of New Jersey, and life in general. It’s full of information and opinions that you might not find anywhere else.
Some of our blogs will make you laugh, some will make you mad – maybe at us, but hopefully with us – but all will make you sit back and think a little bit. So if you want to see what we Baby Boomers are gonna say next, bookmark Mountain Man and City Girl and click in regularly. And feel free to comment on any of our blogs.
PRICES BOTTOM OUT
The National Association of Realtors came out with fourth quarter 2009 statistics and it appears that housing prices have finally bottomed out, just as we have been saying all year. Home prices in South Jersey – which is Cape May, Cumberland, and Atlantic Counties – dropped an average of just $300 last year.
While prices stayed flat, overall sales in New Jersey rose 34% for the year compared to 2008. Looking at the entire United States, real estate sales were up 27%. The increase can be attributed to continued low interest rates, the $8,000 first-time buyer and $6,500 repeat-buyer federal tax breaks, and the public’s belief that the Recession is coming to a conclusion.
Here at Jewell Real Estate Agency, our phones started ringing January 2nd and stayed steady until the February 5th blizzard arrived. Once the snow melts, we expect things to pick right up where they left off.
FEEDING THE HUNGRY
We just couldn’t stand by any longer and do nothing about the hunger and nutrition problem here in Cape May County. It was time to act.
In a county that has hundreds of multi-million dollar vacation homes overlooking the ocean and bay, there is a flip side to the coin. Of 42,000 year-round families, nearly 4,000 households live under the poverty level ($22,050 for 4) and another 9,500 have social security as their only source of income. The unemployment rate is 13% and the jobless rate approaches 30%. We have so much, yet they have so little.
In February, we organized “The Free Meal Center” with a volunteer Board of Directors (Joyce & Douglas Jewell are two of the five) and incorporated as a New Jersey secular, non-profit, charitable organization. We found a 4,000 square-foot former restaurant centrally located on Route 9 in Burleigh and negotiated a purchase price. It has 4 dining rooms, 4 restrooms, a large kitchen area, and parking for 40 cars on the 2.2 acre property.
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 serve 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 it’s all no big deal. We can do it.
We’ve undertaken becoming a 501(c)(3) tax deductible entity and expect IRS approval soon. If you’d like to help us help these less-fortunate folks, you can donate through our website at http://www.FreeMealCenter.com or by mailing a check to The Free Meal Center, PO Box 863, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210. We’ll mail you back a tax-deductible receipt. Thanks for caring!
CHRISTIE THREATENING AC
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was elected to reform the state and right the financial ship. So far, it looks like he’s good to his word.
But he recently backed off on a campaign promise to allow gambling only in Atlantic City. He’s considering video lottery terminals (VLTs) at horse racing tracks. With Atlantic City already on the ropes, this move would be the knockout punch. Let’s hope there’s another solution to the drop in casino revenue being felt in state coffers.
JEWELL REAL ESTATE AGENCY
We love to talk about real estate and our island. We’re always glad to share our insights, observations, and vision with you.
Stop by our office at 5602 New Jersey Avenue and chat. Or give Joyce or Douglas a call at 609-729-8505. We answer phones 6am to 9pm EVERYDAY and you always get a real, live person. That’s service!
www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com