Special offer

Ocean City, NJ Real Estate News

By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
More Film Reviews ... Roma ntic Comedy This is my favorite type of film that I use as a way "to get my groove back" when I am down, but not out.  I find this type of light film with a lot of humor, slapstick, some romance (but often subtle), and often some great supporting cast members to get me an enjoyable two hours.  By the time it is over, I'm better than I was when I started.  I even have some specific films that I enjoy ... anything with Spencer Tracey and Kathern Hepburn, Doris Day and Rock Hudson, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, Jack Nicholson and "?." Here are what the experts have arrived at for this particualr type of film ... the "top ten" romantic comedy films. 1- City Lights - Charlie Chaplain ... a great actor who could do it all 2- Annie Hall - Woody Allen & Diane Keaton ...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
Sale Listing Update ... Ocean City, New Jersey   Let's take a look at the sale listing inventory for "all of Ocean City" and for "the Northend & Gardens Only."  I like to do both of these breakdowns because so many of my Buyers and Owners represent this special area from 6th Street north to the end of the island ... that area from 6th Street to North being the Northend, that area from North Street to the Longport Bridge being the Gardens.                                           All of Ocean City                                                         Northend & Gardens Only Singles                                      238                                                                                          82 Multi-Family                              66                             ...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
"WhoWere the Best Presidents?  ... as judged by a panel of college history professors   Now I can't claim to be in the same league as above, but I did teach United States History (1900 to Present) for many years.  In that time frame we spent a lot of days covering events including the various administrations who were in office at the time.  We often explored "whether the time made the man, or did the man make the time ... in terms of shaping history (the individual or the events).  In an earlier post I discussed "reading presidential biographies," and it's interesting that many of my favorite presidents were in the early period:  Washington, Jeffereson, Jackson, Grant, and Lincoln.  I also have several other favorites including Theodore Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Truman from the period ...
Comments 4
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
Downtown Ocean City ... Ocean City, New Jersey   The small barrier island community of Ocean City, New Jersey varying in size from about 12-15,000 in the winter months to 100-150,000 in the summer months is quite an interesting location.  The largest of the resort communites gong south from Atlantic City, Ocean City has a year-round "downtown area" with a lot of local businesses operating year-round with a great deal of community encouragement and support.  It's the kind of "small town feel" that many communities once had, but have lost with the sprawling developments beyond the town center.  Of course, that couldn't happen here because we are clearly surrounded by water.  There is only so much that you can do on this 7x1 mile barrier island (at its widest point).   Clearly, there are a...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
Getting Closer to Oscar Night   The Academy Awards program is always interesting, often upsetting (in terms of winners and losers), but generally memorable.  But you must always remember that the members of the academy who make the selections are typically not representative of the general public who actually goes to see the films.  I know that I am not reprsesetative either.  But obviously I'm the one writing this posting. Slumdog Millionaire is far and away the movie that should win the "Best Picture" of the Year ... and I believe that it will be the winner.  Out of India, and just barely able to receive distribution across the country, without an American actor in the film; it is an excellent and powerful film, possibly shocking to some who come to the show not quite up on what to ex...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
More Films ... The "Top 10" Suspense Films of all time ... plus some ideas of my own.   1- Vertigo - It takes place in an around San Francisco ... and in a cold gray morning or evening out there with the fog hanging in the air, it can be a spooky location in parts.  Of course, you have two great stars:  James Stewart and Kim Novak, plus Alfred Hitchcock as the director.  It would be difficult to argue this ranking ... or any other by this director. 2- Chinatown - This time we remain in California, only Los Angeles, with a private detective (Jack Nicholson) who almost loses his nose in this great film.  The other lead is Faye Dunaway with a great role for John Huston.  This is an excellent film ... one of my personal favorites. 3- Rear Window - Another Hitchcock direction again with Jimm...
Comments 2
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
Another Film Update ... Epic Films We move from the "western movies" in two other postings to "the epic" film ... the old blockbusters like "Gone with the Wind."  So my initial review will be to highlight and comment on the "top 10" identified films from the experts.  Later I will also offer my personal comments about some of these and other films. 1- Lawrence of Arabia - This one stars the great Peter O'Toole in a film that I really never watched completely.  So I gues it is about time for me to give it another turn. 2- Ben Hur - The one has Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, and Stephen Boyd in the lead roles ... and it is certainly one of my favorite top 50-100 favorite films, and it would be my pick for the best epic film of all time.  Just watching the chariot race is an excellent mini...
Comments 6
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
What kind of Real Estate Market Can We Expect this Spring (2009) in Ocean City, New Jersey?   Real Estate Markets across the country are all asking that same question.  One very quick response would be to have each of us carefully review and analyze our present market.  In the case of Ocean City, New Jersey we had a slower Fall Market with the national economic and financial news that just caused most of us to slow down or stop.  For us, that was followed by two holiday months (November and December) and the two slow winter months (the beginning of the 2009 calendar year - January and February).  For Ocean City the slowdown starts about Thanksgiving and continues to about the close of the professional football season with the Super Bowl. So really the only difference we experienced was ...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
Our Mission Statement ... French Real Estate, Inc. (Ocean City, New Jersey)   A few years ago (maybe 7-8 years) several members of our staff got together to write a "mission statement" for our agency, French Real Estate, Inc.  Clearly, I think we did a good job (note the "we," as I was a part of the writing team).  We tried to differentiate ourselves because indeed each and every real estate office in Ocean City, New Jersey has its own personality.  Obviously, all of the participating real estate agents in each agency also add to that evolving process of shaping and reshaping the processes of each agency.  Considering all of that, it is an important aspect of the "buying or selling process" for a buyer or owner to know and understand the agent that they might, or will, be working with a...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
Reading Presidential Biographies   During these hectic times, when the national economy seems in-and-out of the tank, and the news when bad seems a bit positive compared with other stuff; it's often when I move from reading fiction to non-fiction ... usually picking up one or two presidential biographies.  A few years ago I decided to read at least one, or two, of them each year ... going from John Adams to Washington to Eisenhower to Truman.  My order means less than when a new, well received biography arrives in the Ocean City Library. American Lion:  Andrew Jackson in the White House (2008) by Jon Meacham was my first selection for this calendar year.  Jackson was in the White House from 1824 through 1836 during some trying times in the United States.  First of all, during the two te...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
Summer Rental  Rates ... 2009 ... Ocean City, New Jersey   Let's look at the top ten rental weeks for 2009:   June 27-July4                                        August 1-8 July 4-July 11                                        August 8-15 July 11-July 18                                                   August 15-22 July 18-July 25                                                   August 22-29 July 25-August 1                                   August 29-September 5   Memorial Day (May 25th) kicks off the Summer Season here in Ocean City, New Jersey and Labor Day (Sept 7th) closes the Summer Season ... but that is too brief an overview.  In reality, the weeks of May before Memorial Day are part of the "Spring Shoulder Season;" and although the rental aspect is much lighter, it is an act...
Comments 2
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
OPEN HOUSE - this Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM (February 7th & 8th) in Ocean City, NJ   We have three "open house" properties this weekend in Ocean City, New Jersey ... all in the Northend and Gardens sections of the island.   Take the Exit 30 off the Garden State Parkway, cross the new causeway into Ocean City ... you are now on 9th Street.  Continue to the last left turn (Atlantic Avenue) ... go north until you get to Fourth Street, turn right for 818 Fourth Street - a single family listed at $742,500 - this is one of, if not the lowest priced, single family properties this close to the beach. If you decide to enjoy the warmer day, hit the Boardwalk and walk north to Second Street.  Take a look at the Atlantic Ocean on the right - lovely, but turn left and go to the th...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
A Listing Philosophy ...    Over many years I developed my own ideas about "the listing process.  Why?  Because our smaller interactive office allows for a great deal of "give-and-take," but not nearly as much office detail and structure.  It's simply very easy to meet-and-talk with many agents.  But in such an environment, there was not as much agency instruction, education, and foundation-building.  That type of assistance would certainly help, but many of us (including myself) arrived here with additional "real world" experience ... surely "people skills," maybe some writing skills, certainly organization skills, and in my paritcular case - a good bit of "negotiating" background.  The agency instruction would certainly have honed my skills and cut the edges, but being left alone was ...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
Western Movies ... Part 2 Following up my recent posting on "western films" ... the top ten as picked by the experts, here are my favorites for your review.  I like "High Noon" from the top ten in the previous posting.  Gary Cooper is the town leader that the town no longer wants, but continues to need.  The classic western with the good guy all alone.  Grace Kelly is his Quaker wife who wants him to no longer be the sheriff, and he is willing to leave.  But the bad guys are coming back to town.  A great character actor, Thomas Mitchell, is also in this one. I think Unforgiven may be the best western film ever made ... gritty, violent, excellent (4 rating) with Clint Eastwood acting and directing. One-Eyed Jacks with a young Marlon Brando and Karl Malden is another personal favorite ......
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
What's that Song about the "Western Movies?"   I'm a movie fan, a film buff ... I love to recommend films that I often rate (4-great, 3-good, 2-average, 1-poor & I often add a ".5" to gain variation).  I did that for my high school faculty when I was a building principal; did it now in my on-line newsletter (BEACH NOTES) for Buyers and Owners ... so I thought I'd do a blog posting every so often.  First of all, I now only go to the "real movie theatre" (but these long thin places aren't exactly the real thing anymore).  I remember going to the old Hershey (PA) Theatre where a piano came out of the floor, and they played music for a half hour before the film.  You could also sit in the balcony ... but only if you had a date (joke), and there were stair in the ceiling during the show.  Th...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
I just got a New Listing!   Now many agents get new listings all the time ... what's important is how we do it, and what we do with it.  And it's not always a one, two, three arrangement.  Often it involves an initial listing meeting where the agent and the Owner/Seller meet and talk about it. Let's add one more important aspect right away.  In the present economic situation across the country, it is not as easy to market and sell a property anywhere.  Obviously, some parts of the country are in better housing shape than others.  A "resort market" such as ours, in Ocean City (NJ), may be a plus for some Buyers ... and a minus right now for others.  We have some particular advantages right now with a reduced inventory, a fairly stable property situation, a close proximity to some major u...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
Rental Activity in Ocean City, New Jersey   "They're Back!  No, it's not another science fiction film ... and they aren't really back ... but they will be back for "SUMMER 2009" ... where?  All over the beach and boardwalk and downtown Ocean City, New Jersey.  The "regulars" are returning - rental tenants who usually start booking from September through November have joined my January and February "regulars" ... it's summer rental time in Ocean City, New Jersey again. You won't know it by the traffic in the streets ... it's web-site hits at www.FrenchRentals.com; it's emails arriving at Dustin@BeachNotes.net; it's phone calls to 888-215-9935 ... that's the ongoing rental process these days by everybody from as close as Philadelphia, and as far away as California. They're back ... after ...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
A Couple of Days Off the Island ... But we're Back!   So I had to take my wife, Leslie, back to Pennsylvania for some difficult oral surgery.  We're back ... a long four hour drive in major Philadlephia traffic and snow avoidance all the way.  Actually it could have been worse ... we hit the traffic, but missed the snow.  She's relaxing, and I'm back at work.  Crossing the Causeway last evening around 7PM, I had that same old feeling ... back on "island time" again. Spending a couple of days in the "real world" is always an adjustment after being on the island (Ocean City, NJ) for the past sixteen years.  I was always going back and forth a couple of times a month visiting my father, seeing friends, taking care of our other home in Lancaster County.  But I have to tell you that life "on...
Comments 2
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
Downtown Ocean City, New Jersey ... 1st Restaurant Recommendation of 2009   "Jon & Patty's Coffee Bar & Bistro ... 637 Asbury Avenue, Ocean City, New Jersey (609-399-3377) Any new discovery in Ocean City is always exciting, but the discovery of a great eating establishment is much more than that ... it means there is another place to go in a very limited assortment of places particularly in the off-season.  First of all, I must give credit to my bro, Sam, who has been trying to get me down there for some time.  Well, I made it down for a cup of coffee about 6:45 AM the other morning.  There's a regular group of mostly men who talk about anything and everything in the right way ... a good bit of it, but not all, is sports in season.  The recent Sunday football games were the topic when I...
Comments 0
By Dustin A. Peters, Your "Northend & Gardens" Contact in Ocean City!!!
(Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty)
A Lot More About Ocean City, New Jersey ... Notes taken by me from a Presentation on January 6, 2009 by Jim Rutala, City Administrator, City of Ocean city   .  14,600 out-of-state property owners with PA (1st), NJ (2nd), FL (3rd), DE (4th), and MD (5th) .  The only community in NJ to get a beach replenishment project in 2008 .  8th lowest tax rate in NJ ... school, city, and county taxes .  Community Center Project @ $12 million ... largest public project ... includes library, senior citizens,   fitness ctr .  Recent Downtown Project @ $2.5 million ... lighting, paving, cross walks .  Major Redevelopment potential ... prsent Annex Site across Nineth Street from City Hall ... future anchor pt .  2nd Phase of Causeway Project ... Bridge into Ocean Cityplus new improvements along Nineth St...
Comments 0