Dave Sedlak

What are mortgage rates doing?  They are slowly dropping, which is good news for home buyers and sellers.

The recent drop in rates as well as the reduction in asking prices has sparked some home sales activity.  These examples are for 30 year fixed rates with 0 points and loans up to $417,000.  

In October mortgage rates were around 6.5% and in November we saw a drop in rate to between  6% and 6.25%.  December mortgage rates fluctuated up and down a little and were between 5.875% and 6.125%.  The first of the year brought another drop in mortgage rates to below 6%.  The current rate is around 5.625%.   This is good news for all. 

The impact this has on your mortgage payment (principal and interest only) is over 10% in savings.  $400,000 at 6.5% costs $2,532. (P&I) monthly but with the drop in rates that same $400,000 will cost $2,268. (P&I) a month a savings of $264.00 monthly.

Need a mortgage contact?  Call or email me at 877-652-3224 or Dave@SeaIsleSales.com.  

By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer
Published: Friday, January 18, 2008

SEA ISLE CITY - Mayor Leonard Desiderio instituted a hiring freeze this week after introducing a preliminary $17.6 million budget to City Council.  The mayor’s budget includes about a $1.8 million increase in the amount to be raised by taxes.  Desiderio said the hiring freeze is an attempt to control spending while the city faces a new state-imposed cap on tax levies, as well as dramatic increases in health insurance costs and pension payments. Desiderio said health insurance costs will increase 10 percent and pension payments will increase 99 percent in 2008.

The state has been phasing in larger worker pension payments to be made by the municipalities instead of the state.

Desiderio said the freeze means retiring employees will not be replaced, except for public safety.
“By imposing a hiring freeze, that will ensure we won’t be adding any new bodies to the payroll except for public safety,” he said.

The mayor’s budget will go before City Council next week.  “I feel it’s kind of high. I think we have to do some real cutting on this budget,” Council President Michael McHale said. “We’ll look at it, discuss it on council and see what we can do.”  “I think there are areas where we’re going to have to cut somewhere,” he said.  The city also scheduled two budget work sessions next week, addressing revenues and finances.  The proposed tax rate under the mayor’s budget would be 25.8 cents per $100 of assessed value. Homeowners would pay $258 in local purpose taxes per $100,000 of assessed property value.  Although the tax rate dropped about 11 percent from 2007, the decrease was due to a recent revaluation that increased property values.

The city’s ratable base grew to about $4.8 billion.  The city’s budget would increase about $1.3 million under the proposal.  The city’s budget work sessions are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 and 9 a.m. on Jan. 24 at the Public Safety Building on John F. Kennedy Boulevard. 

Chief Financial Officer James Terruso said the state-imposed tax caps will be especially problematic next year.  Insurance, utilities are going up without any regard for calculations, and contracts were negotiated before the cap levy was put in place,” he said. ‘When those contracts and salaries were done, they’ll be another headache.”

To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press:

BIanieri@pressofac.com

Sea Isle may allow more homes atop businesses

By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, 609-463-6713

SEA ISLE CITY - The city is proposing a way to keep its business districts intact by giving property owners an enticing offer - the opportunity to build more.The stipulation: When you rebuild with more residential units, the bottom floor must be a business.City officials said they hope the zoning changes will help business districts by enticing stores to stay open instead of converting into duplexes.

The change, which has City Council support, faced a brief public hearing Thursday.

Although it has been met mostly with support at City Council meetings, the vote on the ordinance was postponed until 7 p.m. Jan. 15 due to several small changes recommended by the Planning Board.

The city is proposing zoning changes that would allow more residential units to be built above stores, similar to efforts or considerations under way in Stone Harbor and Ocean City. The ordinance would allow businesses in four commercial districts to rebuild properties with one residential unit per 1,250 feet of lot area on the property.So a 5,000-square-foot lot could have four residential units above a store under the proposal. Currently, one is allowed.

Resident Dan Organ said he feels the ordinance will help businesses in those districts, but he questioned the size of the buildings that could be created.

Sea Isle City Council President Michael McHale said he expects four to five property owners to start construction in the next year to take advantage of the zoning changes.

“We’re going to watch how the town expands,” Councilwoman Mary Tighe said. “If we’re growing too fast or too much, we’ll relook at it.”

One of the Planning Board’s recommended changes involved how the height of the buildings are measured, councilman John Divney said.

“I don’t have any crystal ball to tell me if it’s going to be successful or not successful,” Councilman William Kehner said.

“We didn’t have any major objections with the ordinance, so everybody must agree we want to give our business community a shot in the arm, and with that in mind I have no problem endorsing it,” he said.

In several local shore communities, the concern about the future of their business districts has prompted consideration of zoning changes that would offer incentives to businesses owners to stay in business.

In Stone Harbor, Borough Council introduced a controversial ordinance last month that would have created a waterfront district and allow an extra residential unit above a business. At a meeting last week, that ordinance was tabled until January.

To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press:

BIanieri@pressofac.com

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By DEBRA RECH For The Press, 609-463-6719

SEA ISLE CITY - What started as a temporary job as public relations director for Sea Isle City turned into a 17-year career for Irene Jameson, best known for her role as the city’s Polar Bear Queen. Jameson will retire as of Dec. 31 at age 83.The walls of Jameson’s office are filled with awards attesting to her ability to serve the community and the town she loves, remain active as a senior and do it all with a laugh. Anyone who knows Jameson also knows she is rarely seen without a smile on her face.Jameson was a teacher of English in Philadelphia from 1956 to 1972 and an information specialist for the Philadelphia School District from 1972 to 1976 before moving to Sea Isle City. On her resume Jameson writes that she and her late husband, John, shared 51 years of “love and laughter, especially laughter.”

Some of Jameson’s awards include the Golden Hot Dog Award in 2001 for taking part in Ocean City’s annual Doo Dah Parade, an award from Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio in 1995 for her job at promoting the city, the Delaware Valley Surf Angler’s Club for allowing their event to be held in Sea Isle in 1994, even the Young at Heart Award from Medicare.

Jameson’s most recent award brings her full circle.  “My first award was from the city’s Knights of Columbus as Senior of the Year and I just got that award again,” Jameson said with a smile. “What a better way to end a career I kind of just fell into but have loved just about every minute of it.” Jameson also won the Golden Whelk Award for excellence in tourism in 1991 and many others. She has a collage of photos from her 13 years as the city’s Polar Bear Queen, an event she started with 15 participants that now has about 700 with 10,000 spectators each February. One year, Jameson jumped in with AARP written on the bottom of her swimsuit, at another she was a 1920s flapper. For many years Jameson has arrived at the event to much to do sitting on a throne of ice, and she isn’t shy about baring her body in a bikini.“One year a woman yelled to me that I looked like Britney Spears, so I started wearing a fake belly button ring,” Jameson laughed. “I actually used a hot glue gun to make it stick!”

Jameson also began many other events to promote tourism in the city including Thursday night dance parties in the summer that draw huge crowds on the Promenade, Tuesdays For Tots (programs for small children), the Sara the Turtle Festival and more. She also added the Junior Miss Sea Isle City Pageant, Friday dance parties to Skimmer Weekend held in the fall and initiated the city’s Heart Walk (held the Saturday after the big walk in Ocean City but still benefiting the American Heart Association) as well as the Charlotte Moretti Race for the Cure, which benefits the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Society. The race is named for Jameson’s dear friend, who passed away in 2006.

“I also added the costume contest to the Polar Bear Plunge and the family tent area, the post-Halloween party to follow the awards ceremony each year,” Jameson said. “I’m also involved with the North End Association, the AARP and Beachcomber Program. I intend to stay active in those three organizations and the Top Ten Book Club, but I finally realized I have to scale back. I have bad knees; arthritis and I think it’s time to slow down a bit.”

Jameson looks forward to retirement.

“I want to do some traveling and I’ll still go to the dance parties, I just won’t be up there telling jokes,” Jameson said. “My son, Robert, has been at me for doing the Polar Bear Plunge for years so he’s happy I’m retiring. But it was so much fun and I did enjoy it. But let’s face it, at 83, I really shouldn’t be jumping into the freezing ocean. One year I couldn’t stop shaking afterwards.”

Jameson plans to visit Florida, where her daughter Jorene Jameson lives, and Greece. Her biggest plan is to write a novel based on characters she knows from Sea Isle.

“If it gets published, though, I’ll have to move,” Jameson said with a laugh. “The first thing I’m going to do is write my own obituary. I know that sounds morbid but I want to be the one who writes it. I plan to be cremated like my husband was and both of our ashes will be taken out to the ocean off Sea Isle to be thrown in the water. I’m also going to do a photo album about the Polar Bear Plunge for the city’s museum.”

Jameson has been training the woman who will replace her, Kathy Custer, and the city is on the lookout for a new Polar Bear Queen, although a “code of conduct” is now required.

“The city just did that and I said I never had a code of conduct,” Jameson said. “In fact, I’ve been known to do a kind of strip tease at concerts. Not all the way though. I do have a sense of morals. I loved being part of Sea Isle City, but I also think I’ll love just living here and being retired.”

To e-mail Debra Rech at The Press:

DRech@pressofac.com

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 SINKING FEELING IN SEA ISLE / WEEKEND STORM TAKES BIG BITE OF SOUTH END

Author:    JEANNE DEWEY Staff Writer

The weekend’s northeaster ate away about 30 feet of precious dunes in the city’s south end, prompting officials to call for emergency funding for sand to replenish the depleted area. “We have been hit very, very bad and we are expecting to get help from the state,” said Mayor Leonard Desiderio. “What we are asking for first is to have sand trucked in.”

1997-11-11 http://pressofatlanticcity.com/index.html

Published: Saturday, December 15, 2007

When an opportunity opens up between weather fronts, local anglers show that there is still some action left in the fishing season.Ed Bronstein, Mike Dechert and Tom Adams hooked up 77 striped bass Wednesday morning while fishing close to the Strathmere beach. Dan Sheeler at Fin-Atics in Ocean City said they were fishing about 200 feet off the beach. They were casting swimming shad toward the beach, where peanut bunker were schooled up.Dave Showell made a quick run from his Absecon Bay Sportsmen Center to Absecon Inlet on Friday morning and picked one 34-inch keeper from a catch of three fish. Showell dragged an eel, but all three fish were caught by slowly bouncing a jig with a Gulp across the shoals across from the Atlantic City Coast Guard Station. He said he saw a couple of other fish caught in the hour or so he was out there.

Norm Wagenheim of Brigantine trolled off Brigantine with a Stretch 30 and had 12 stripers, six of them keepers, according to Andy Grossman at RipTide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine. Grossman verified that Absecon Inlet is still giving up good striped bass catches.

A huge school of bass gathered off Harvey Cedars Lump, which is about one mile off Long Beach Island. Josh Falcone at Barnegat Light Bait and Tackle said bass in the 15- to 30-pound class are taking bunker spoons. Falcone reported jigging also works. Small bass are in the LBI surf. Clam takes them.

There are a lot of small bass with some keepers mixed in around Cape May, which is pretty much the way it’s been for awhile, according to Bob Lubberman at the Miss Chris Marina. Lubberman said the tautog fishing is pretty good out on the reefs.Charley Zaimes died at age 87 on Wednesday in Lackawaxen, Pa. He operated Angler’s Roost on Amherst Avenue in Margate from 1971-81. I believe he started what has become a tradition in this area: back-bay pontoon fishing partyboats with the Duke of Fluke. When he left Margate for Lackawaxen, he opened Angler’s Roost and Hunter’s Rest with son Dimitri. His life was colorful and varied. He was one of my memorable mentors. Check out The Press’ Web site at:www.PressofAtlanticCity.com
and go to the Shep on Fishing blog for a detailed story from his son Jon.

A group of local people in the fishing industry attended a meeting Thursday night of an organization forming to fight future cuts in flounder. It was at the Absecon United Methodist Church.

They are trying to build support from tackle shop and marina operators, boat captains, etc. The organization is called Save The Summer Flounder Fishery Fund. A meeting for the public is set for 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21 at the Manasquan Elks Lodge 2534, 17 Stockton Lake Blvd. in Manasquan. That’s where anglers and concerned citizens can get involved.

There is the possibility that the summer flounder season could be closed completely in 2009, according to members of the panel. For more information on how to join the fight against severe recreational restrictions on summer flounder, go to the group’s Web site:

www.ssfff.net.
The Press Fishing Contest puts a wrap on the 2007 season today. Contestants have a week to get any last-minute entries submitted. The winner’s list and a season-ending story will appear Jan. 15.

An updated list of all of the season’s entries appears on The Press’ Web site:

www.PressofAtlanticCity.com.

Michael Shepherd is sports editor of The Press. His Shep on Fishing column appears Thursday of next week. Call 609-272-7180, fax 609-272-7191 or e-mail mshepherd@pressofac.com

Hi, welcome to the shore blog about Real Estate and Happenings at the South Jersey Shore.  I will post information about Real Sales and Rentals and items of interest in the community.  Most of the information will be about Sea Isle City but will cover Cape May County as well.  I welcome Real Estate questions and comments.