Sea Isle City Fall Events and Meetings

--A free “Write Your Own Memoirs” class will be offered on Mondays, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., starting September 10 at the Sea Isle City Library, 4800 Central Avenue. The seven-week course will be led by Sea Isle City resident Eva Feeley, a published author and member of the Jersey Cape Writers.  Pre-registration is required (263-7301).

--The Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization’s 2012 Around the World Gala is Monday, September 10, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Excursion Park, featuring over 200 wines and beers from around the globe, 20 signature dishes from local restaurants, live entertainment by The Cameos, and silent and live auctions with amazing items (263-9090 or www.seaislechamber.com).

--Sea Isle City’s 2012 Patriot Day/9-11 Ceremony is Tuesday, September 11, 9:00 a.m., Veteran’s Park, JFK and Landis Avenue (263-4461, ext. 245).

--The next City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 11, at 10:00 a.m. inside Council Chambers on the second level of the Public Safety Building, 233 JFK Boulevard.

--2012 Fall Family Festival is Saturday-Sunday, September 15-16. Saturday’s activities: Seaside Market along the Promenade with hundreds of booths, Food Court, Sand Sculpting Demonstration and Clinic, Live Music, and Free Family Activities at Excursion Park; Sunday’s activities: Free Guided Historical Trolley Tours, Live Music, Antique Auto Show on the Promenade, Beautification Awards Ceremony, and an Antique Auto Parade through town (263-TOUR or www.seaislecitynj.us).

--The 2012 Fall Invitational Roller & Street Hockey Tourney is Saturday-Sunday, September 22-23 (please note date change), at the Dealy Field Hockey Court (631-331-1220 or tazz7981@yahoo.com).

--Sea Isle’s 50’s 60’s & 70’s Reunion is Saturday, September 15, at KIX-McNutley’s, 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. (609-425-5521 or www.seaislereunion.com).

--2012 Irish Festival Weekend is September 21-23 at JFK Boulevard and Landis Avenue, featuring live Irish music and dancing, an Irish Vendor’s Market, food and more (263-3756 or www.lacosta-seaisle.com).

--The 2nd Annual Michael Fisher 5K Run/Walk is Saturday, September 22, 9:30 a.m. at LaCosta Lounge (609-861-3848 or www.michaelfisherfoundation.org).

--Harborfest, hosted by the SIC Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization, will take place on Saturday, September 29, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a variety of family activities (263-9090 orwww.seaislechamber.com).

--The 2012 Baby Boomers Rock-n-Roll Revival Fundraiser with Jerry Blavat will take place at LaCosta Lounge on Saturday, September 29, at 8:30 p.m. (263-3756 or www.lacosta-seaisle.com).

--Sea Isle’s 2012 Italian Festival, hosted by the Desiderio family, is set for Saturday, October 6, 10:00 a.m. to Dusk, at KIX-McNutley’s on 63rd Street, featuring vendors, live music, great food, a cooking demonstration, a canolli eating contest and much more (263-4461, ext. 230 or www.kixmcnutleys.com).

--Sea Isle’s 2012 Columbus Day Parade will take place on Saturday, October 6, at 2:00 p.m.  The parade will begin on JFK Boulevard near the Sea Isle Bridge, turn right (south) on Landis Avenue and end at 63rd Street, where the Italian Festival will be in full-swing (263-4461, ext. 230 or www.kixmcnutleys.com).

--The Philadelphia Firefighters Memorial 5K Run/Walk will take place on Sunday, October 7, at 10:00 a.m. on the Promenade at JFK Boulevard. This event is held in remembrance of the firefighters who died during the 1975 Gulf Oil Refinery fire in South Philadelphia (www.iaff22.org).

--Sea Isle’s Autumn Beach Clean-Up and Dune Grass Planting will take place on Saturday, October 13, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, hosted by the SIC Environmental Commission.  Families, individuals, groups, clubs, and businesses are asked to volunteer for this important event. No pre-registration is required, simply sign-in on October 13 at JFK and the Promenade. Rain date: October 14 (263-2081).

--An Autumn Card Party & Luncheon will be hosted by the Catholic Daughters of Saint Joseph Church on Friday, October 19, 12 noon to 3:00 p.m., inside the parish auditorium. Participants can enjoy a variety of card and board games during this fundraiser. For tickets, phone 609-486-6166 or 609-861-0865.

--Sea Isle’s 2012 Halloween Parade is set for Friday, October 19, at 7:00 p.m. along Landis Avenue, 46th to 40th Street. Afterwards, a free Halloween Family Dance Party will take place at the Excursion Park Band Shell. Rain date: October 21, 11:30 a.m. (263-0050 or www.seaislecitynj.us).

--A ESA Surfing Competition will be held on the 40th Street Beach on Saturday, October 20, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. “No Surf” date: October 27 (http://snj.surfesa.org).

--The Bishop McHugh Dare to Dash 5K Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, October 20 at 9:00 a.m., JFK Boulevard and the Promenade.  Rain date: October 21, 11:30 a.m. (www.bishopmchugh.com).

--An Octoberfest celebration, hosted by the SIC Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization, will take place at Excursion Park on Saturday, October 20, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., featuring a pie-baking contest, music and plenty of family fun (263-9090).

--A Senior Seminar titled “Using Personal Networks to Reduce Stress” will be offered to Sea Isle City residents on Thursday, October 25, at 11:30 a.m. inside the Community Lodge, JFK Boulevard and Park Road.  This event, presented by the Sea Isle City Municipal Alliance Committee and hosted by Cape Assist, will include a complimentary lunch buffet.  Pre-registration is required; phone 263-0050 by October 19, 2012.

-- Personalized Bricks for the Sea Isle City Historical Museum’s Memorial Garden are available for $200 each. Bricks are a great way to remember someone you love (609-624-7929).

--Dogs are not permitted on Sea Isle City’s beaches or promenade during the summer months. Dogs will be permitted on the beach once again on September 30. As always, dogs must be on a leash, and owners must curb and clean-up after their pets.

--Sea Isle City now offers online view and payment options for municipal property tax bills and water/sewer utility bills (visit www.seaislecitynj.us and click on the "Tax & Utility Payment Center" icon at the bottom of the homepage). You can mail-in a payment as always, or pay online through your checking account, credit card or debit card. Please Note: Online viewing is free; however a convenience charge will be applied if you pay your bills online.

--The City of Sea Isle City will gladly arrange a Welcome Home Ceremony for any members of the military as they return to town. To arrange a “Hero’s Welcome” for your favorite Sailor, Marine, Soldier, Airman, National Guard or Coast Guard service member, phone Mayor Desiderio’s Office (263-4461, ext. 245) or Commander Chick Haines at VFW Post 1963 (263-1711). You can also find a “Welcome Home Ceremony” application online at www.seaislecitynj.us (via the “Quick Links” and “Downloadable Forms” tabs).

--You can properly dispose of American flags by placing them in the flag collection bin in front of VFW Post 1963 on JFK Boulevard. Please be certain to properly care for all America flags no matter what size!

--Volunteers are needed to help run the SOS Crooked Tail Thrift Shop, 4208 Landis Avenue, between 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily -- or any hours you can help (609-972-5887 or visit www.seaislecats.org).

--Beach Wheelchairs can be borrowed from the Sea Isle City Public Works Department between Labor Day and Memorial Day (263-6000).

For more information about Sea Isle City real estate contact The Landis Co., Realtors

WWW.LANDISCO.COM

Home prices post strongest growth in 6 years

MLS data from CoreLogic shows July trend continuing into August

BY INMAN NEWS, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012.

Inman News®

Housing trend image via Shutterstock.

A home price index based on multiple listing service data showed national home prices were up 3.8 percent from a year ago in July, the biggest annual increase since August 2006.

Home prices were down from a year ago in 23 of the 100 largest markets tracked by data aggregator CoreLogic's home price index, but that's four fewer than in June.

And while the index showed national home prices are still off 27.2 percent from their April 2006 peak, CoreLogic's pending home price index predicts home prices will post month-over-month appreciation of 1.3 percent in August, as they did in July. An increase like that in August would amount to 6 percent year-over-year growth.

The pace of price appreciation is moderating as markets transition to the off-season for homebuying, CoreLogic noted. But CoreLogic Chief Economist Mark Fleming predicted prices will post gains for the full year.

The five states with the highest annual price appreciation were Arizona (16.6 percent), Idaho (10 percent), Utah (9.3 percent), South Dakota (8.3 percent) and Colorado (7.3 percent).

Home prices in Arizona were still 42.8 percent below their 2006 peak. Only Nevada (-56 percent) and Florida (-44.2 percent) have fallen further. Other states with the largest peak-to-current price drops included California (-38 percent) and Michigan (-37.4 percent).

"It's been six years since the housing market last experienced the gains that we saw in July, with indications the summer will finish up on a strong note," said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic, in a statement. "Although we expect some slowing in price gains over the balance of 2012, we are clearly seeing the light at the end of a very long tunnel."

Single-family annual price gains, July 2012

Market	Year-over-year change, including distressed	Year-over-year change, excluding distressed
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Ariz.	19.9%	14.9%
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas	5.4%	5.9%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va.	4.4%	4.5%
Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas	3.8%	7.2%
New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J.	3.4%	3.1%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif.	2.6%	4.8%
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.	2.5%	4.3%
Philadelphia, Pa.	1.8%	2.6%
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga.	-0.3%	3.6%
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.	-1.5%	1.9%

Source: CoreLogic

The latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, which include data through June, show national home prices up 1.2 percent from a year ago during the second quarter. All of the markets in the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city composite posted annual gains for the second month in a row, and all but two -- Charlotte and Dallas -- posted better annual returns in June compared to May.

Tips for First-Time Sea Isle City Renters

Perhaps more than any other segment of travel, vacation rental bookings require some advance research and planning. Once you've found a Sea Isle City property that interests you, be sure to ask the following questions.

• Is the property professionally managed or rented by its owners?
• Is a rental contract required?
• If not, how will all transactions be handled?
• Will you need to make a security deposit? What are its return/refund policies?
• What are the renter's cancellation policies?
• What pre-departure steps are required from renters (cleaning, laundering sheets and towels, etc.)?
• Are there fees for additional guests?

No two rental properties may be alike, although you might experience a more streamlined process working with a management company or larger brand.

"The benefits of renting from a company you can trust with your family, your credit card, and your invaluable vacation time can't be understated," says Ballotti. "Book with a company that regularly manages and inspects its properties to ensure they meet a high standard of quality and safety, [as well as] one that offers online bookings and payments, can handle booking amendments and cancellations, and provides impeccable customer service and around-the-clock check-in assistance."

Additionally, give yourself a bit of lead time when booking. "Travelers nationwide are booking on-average nearly four months ahead of time, which can be a good timeframe if considering visiting during peak seasons," advises Risser.

And of course check us out online www.LandisCo.com for the largest selection of Sea Isle City rentals. We have rentals all year round, from weekly, seasonals and weekends off season. If you have any questions at all please give any of our experienced agents a call today.

Thanks for dropping by.

Jim Sofroney

The Landis Co., Realtors

6000 Landis Avenue

Sea Isle City, NJ 08243

609-263-3400

info@LandisCo.com

Sea Isle City Fall Weekend Rentals

Sea Isle City Fall Weekend Rentals

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The Landis Co., Realtors has a bunch of weekend rentals for September and October. These are the best months to enjoy Sea Isle City's beaches and restaurants. the weather is still great so come on down.

You can do a Rental Search for weekend rentals or Contact the office for assistance. There is a two (2)
night minimum and a minimum rent amount of $250.00+ per night plus damage deposit plus booking fee.

Properties vary so please specify:
- The dates you want to rent along with check in time and check out time.
- Number of bedrooms you need.
- Location (beach front, beach block, middle of island, bay front...).
- Also indicate the number of adults and children the rental is for.
- And anything else pertinent to the rental.

Thank you. 

Jim Sofroney

Owner/ General Manager

6000 Landis Avenue

Sea Isle City, NJ 08243

609-263-3400

info@LandisCo.com

www.LandisCo.com 

Home Prices Continue Positive Trend

The Case-Shiller indexes of home prices increased again when compared to the previous month or the previous year. Both the 10-city and 20-city seasonally-adjusted (SA) indexes rose 1% and 0.9% respectively from May to June 2012. This is the fifth straight month for steady increases in the SA indexes. Since January, the 10-city and 20-city indexes have risen 3.5% and 3.6% respectively. All but two metro areas also showed positive SA May to June changes. Dallas and Charlotte declined 0.1%

The year-over-year changes were also much more encouraging than previous reports. At 0.1% and 0.5% respectively, the 10-city and 20-city annual changes were the first positive numbers since the end of the home buyer tax credit in 2010. Thirteen of the 20 metro areas experienced year-over-year increases and the seven that saw negatives were smaller (less decline) than the previous year-over-year comparisons.
Some of the positive news is the result of adjustments from extremes. The largest peak to trough drop in home prices among the 20 metros was in Miami where prices fell 64% from December 2006 to April 2011. From June 2011 to June 2012, prices increased 4.4%, third best increase of the 20 metro areas in the index. Charlotte had one of the smallest total falls at 26% from August 2007 to February 2012 while the most recent year-over-year change was 0.8%, the smallest of the positive annual increases. The relationship is mild as can be seen in the linear approximation on the graph, but does suggest some relationship between maximum decline and recent recovery.
As economic curing continues across a broader segment of the country and the inventory of both existing and new homes dwindles, NAHB expects modest home prices increases to continue with some stronger improvement in the places that had the largest declines.

For more information about Sea Isle City or Jersey Shore property contact us at info@LandisCo.com or look us up on the web at www.LandisCo.com 

Late August Sea Isle City Sunset

Got to love a late summer sunset in Sea Isle City.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

The Landis Co., Realtors
6000 Landis Avenue
Sea Isle City, NJ 08243

(609) 263-3400
info@LandisCo.com
www.LandisCo.com

Real Estate Market Changes Aug 20th 2012

Today's real estate market has done a 360 degree turn around from one year ago. Once a strong buyers market, we now are seeing a market that is more dynamic with a sence of enpowerment by the owners to control the negotiation process. In simple terms, there are more buyers competing for less properties in most of the Jersey Shore towns. The prices have begin to rise and with low interest rates buyers are feeling the urge to be much more active today. Find out what to do to be sucessful in this environment. Ian has a few practical ideas. Check him out.

Brought to you by The Landis Co., Realtors www.LandisCo.com info@LandisCo.com 609-263-3400

Housing Better, Still Not Normal

      By Kathleen Madigan

Housing continues its slow creep toward stability. Normalcy is a long way off.

The National Association of Realtors announced July sales of existing homes rose to an annual rate of 4.47 million, close to expectations.

Interestingly, the NAR says sales could be even higher: “The market is constrained by unnecessarily tight lending standards and shrinking inventory supplies, so housing could easily be much stronger without these abnormal frictions.”

What would be normal? The NAR said current demographics would support existing home sales in the 5.0-5.5 million range if conditions were optimal.

But of course, conditions are not. First-time and move-up buyers are restrained by tight lending standards and weak job growth.

Investors are stepping into the breach. Their purchases of homes reflect the shift from owning to renting among U.S. households. It’s a lifestyle change triggered by high unemployment, stagnant incomes and tighter mortgage conditions, and one that will hang around for a few more years.

In July, investors bought 16% of homes sold. That’s on the low end of their share of sales over the past two years but that’s not because of less interest.

Instead, it’s because speculators are finding fewer bargains to buy. Distressed homes–foreclosures and short sales sold at deep discounts–accounted for 24% of July sales, down from 29% a year earlier.

Fewer cheap homes, in turn, helped to push up the median price of the existing homes sold. It rose to $187,000, a 9.4% jump from year-ago levels. Better prices should draw more homes onto the market.

“Persistent news of a solid floor in home prices should help the recovery in organic turnover as selling conditions continue to improve,” say economists at Credit Suisse.

Sales are sales, so investor interest helps overall housing demand. But the financial lift to the average U.S. homeowner may be less than the price data suggest.

Since the jump in the NAR median price reflects a change in the mix of homes sold, homeowners in a community with few foreclosures aren’t seeing their home equity rising at nearly double-digit rates. Home price indexes that adjust for housing mix are showing no gain in prices.

Consequently, U.S. homeowners on average won’t see their real-estate wealth increase by much. Weak wealth growth will remain a drag on consumer spending.

However, expectations for only modest gains in consumer spending is why a stable housing market is good news for an economy that needs all the positive trends it can get.

For more information about sea Isle city real estate or Cape May County real estate check us out on line www.LandisCo.com .

Email us at info@LandisCo.com or toll free at (888)SEA-ISLE 

Sea Isle City ~ Last minute rental

This Condo sleeps 6 with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Request for 8/18 to 8/25/2012 total $1200.

383 43rd Place 

Search Rentals Here

BEDROOMS	3	TYPE	Condo/Townhome
BATHS	2	KEY #	101430
SLEEPS	6	GOOGLE MAP	Click Here!
DAMAGE DEPOSIT	300.00
COMMENTS Cooling bay breezes and lovely bay views make this nicely appointed lagoon-side condo ideal for a summer getaway. Located near the seafood restaurant area you are only a few blocks from all the downtown attractions and activities. This unit includes a boat slip, and has NO air conditioning.

Washer		Non Smoking-No Guar.		Sofa Bed	1
Dryer		Garage - Tenant Use		Elevator
Dishwasher		Groups (OLDER=O)		Pet Friendly
Ceiling Fan	1	Deck # of	1	DVD - not warranted	1
A/C: X=Central W=# of		Outside Furniture		Boat Slip
Internet Service		King Beds		Microwave
		Queen Beds	1	Heat [G],[E],[O]
VCR - not warranted		Double Beds		Outside Shower
Cable TV - not warranted		Single Beds	2	Telephone - No Guarantee
Parking # Cars	2	Bunk Beds		Grill: C,G,E - not warr

2012 WEEKLY RENTALS

WEEK	DATE BEGIN	AMOUNT
		-
33	8/18/2012	1,200.00
34	8/25/2012	-
35	9/1/2012	1,200.00
36	9/8/2012	900.00
37	9/15/2012	900.00
38	9/22/2012	900.00
39	9/29/2012	900.00
40	10/6/2012	700.00
41	10/13/2012	700.00
42	10/20/2012	700.00
43	10/27/2012	700.00
44	11/3/2012	700.00
45	11/10/2012	700.00
46	11/17/2012	700.00
47	11/24/2012	700.00
48	12/1/2012	700.00
49	12/8/2012	700.00
50	12/15/2012	700.00
51	12/22/2012	700.00

Sea Isle City - 1st Annual Holiday Extravaganza Nov. 23-24

We are proud to announce the Sea Isle City 1st annual Holiday Extravaganza on November 23rd -24th.  This is a 2 day event that kicks off the holiday season, with ice skating rink at Excursion Park, Christmas Parade, Tree Lighting Ceremony, Visit with Santa, and Entertainment.  

Thinking about renting a place in Sea Isle City for the weekend? Let us know! We have properties available!

Click here to view rental properties 

The Landis Co., Realtors

609-263-3400

info@LandisCo.com

6000 Landis Avenue

Sea Isle City, NJ 08243

Do I need to get pre-approved before I look at Sea Isle property?

“Why are you asking me if I have been pre-approved for a mortgage already? We haven’t even looked at homes yet.”

I get this question from buyer clients all the time when I ask them if they are pre-approved in our initial buyer consultation.

Either that or, when I ask a new client for their pre-approval, I receive responses stating that they are sure they are fine for a mortgage and that their credit is good.

So why do I persist and make sure my clients get pre-approved for a mortgage ?  First, try to remember, as your buyer agent, I am on your side!  And one of the first steps in the buying process is receiving a pre-approval letter from a Mortgage Lender.

7 Reasons to Get Pre-Approved for a mortgage before viewing homes

1. I don’t want you to be disappointed when you locate a property and cannot make an offer. Given all the turmoil in the financial markets, there are virtually no sellers who will even look at your offer without a pre-approval - never mind accept it.

2. I want you to understand your buying power. Not only how much you qualify for in a mortgage but how much you are actually comfortable spending.  Getting pre-approved for a mortgage and understanding the costs involved in buying a home helps you discover that.

3. Did you know that the credit used by a mortgage company is different than the credit reports you can get online? Guess which one the mortgage company will want to use? You need to make sure you’re seeing the same credit report the mortgage lenders are.

4. Have you had your credit pulled to make sure there are no errors that could adversely hurt your credit?  Did you know that a good mortgage lender can help you correct any mistakes? They can also work with you to bring your credit score up!

5. I want you to understand how much money you can and should use for a down payment.  Your down payment can seriously affect the type of loan you can get AND the type of property you can buy.  For instance, if you are going the for a low down payment loan (like an FHA 3 ½% down loan), there are some condos you cannot purchase (more to come in another blog…stay tuned).

6. Do you really know the difference between a 30 year fixed and an adjustable (ARM) loan? Depending on your needs, one or the other may be a much better option. And again, there are some condos that you will not be able to buy depending upon which loan you choose.

7. Are you self employed? Or have a short job history? Most banks require a 2 years of income tax returns. But there are lenders who will work with you and make sure you can qualify for a loan that suits your needs.

These are a few of the reasons that I am asking you to get pre-approved. If you have questions, ask them in the comments below or please schedule a buyer consultation  with me.  I am happy to meet with you privately to review your home buying and financing needs!

For more information about Sea Isle City or Jersey Shore real estate contact The Landis Co., Realtors. www.LandisCo.com , info@LandisCo.com or call us at 609-263-3400.