So my parents are talking about buying a shore house, which is something they've been doing for years but they're actually meeting with realtors and stuff now, and then sending listings to my brother and I.
They seem to really like this one property in a town called Mystic Island, which looks to be about halfway between AC and Manahawkin. My brother and I never heard of the place and he googled it and was reading what he felt were negative 'reviews' of it. Carrot, do you know anything about that place?
...and no, folks, no chance of them buying a shore house in another part of the country. My mother is convinced the Jersey Shore is Nirvana and won't look anywhere else... she even tried to tell me that New Jersey shore real estate is cheaper than the same in Florida. :lol: I even gave her examples showing that wasn't the case, but given her fixation my attempts were pretty half-hearted.
Quote from: Caliga on September 25, 2013, 12:22:09 PM
she even tried to tell me that New Jersey shore real estate is cheaper than the same in Florida. :lol:
It should be. Not much point to paying a premium for a beach house if the water is cold most of the time.
It's not, though, assuming you're comparing apples to apples (e.g. comparing a working class Jersey town to a working class Florida town)... of course it's expensive as balls in Palm Beach, Miami Beach, Key West, etc.
I spent a few days in Cape May, which was very nice.
the other parts of the shore I saw were petty underwhelming though. Didn't see Mystic Island, but I did swing through LBI (the nearby barrier island) and was not greatly impressed.
Looking at the map, it appears to abut against the wildlife preserve which is swampland.
I would be very wary about buying (as opposed to renting) because one nasty storm or a few feet of sea level rise could cause pretty big problems.
I go to Cape May/Wildwood Crest every summer but that's a bit further south.
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on September 25, 2013, 05:19:45 PM
I spent a few days in Cape May, which was very nice.
the other parts of the shore I saw were petty underwhelming though. Didn't see Mystic Island, but I did swing through LBI (the nearby barrier island) and was not greatly impressed.
Looking at the map, it appears to abut against the wildlife preserve which is swampland.
I would be very wary about buying (as opposed to renting) because one nasty storm or a few feet of sea level rise could cause pretty big problems.
Yeah, I would definitely check with insurance agent before buying.
Quote from: DGuller on September 25, 2013, 05:38:03 PM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on September 25, 2013, 05:19:45 PM
I spent a few days in Cape May, which was very nice.
the other parts of the shore I saw were petty underwhelming though. Didn't see Mystic Island, but I did swing through LBI (the nearby barrier island) and was not greatly impressed.
Looking at the map, it appears to abut against the wildlife preserve which is swampland.
I would be very wary about buying (as opposed to renting) because one nasty storm or a few feet of sea level rise could cause pretty big problems.
Yeah, I would definitely check with insurance agent before buying.
Shock.
:huh: I'm not in insurance agency business. I am, however, in the business of pricing property insurance, and am aware that getting property insurance in the beach areas can be very problematic (for a good reason).
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on September 25, 2013, 05:19:45 PM
I spent a few days in Cape May, which was very nice.
the other parts of the shore I saw were petty underwhelming though. Didn't see Mystic Island, but I did swing through LBI (the nearby barrier island) and was not greatly impressed.
Looking at the map, it appears to abut against the wildlife preserve which is swampland.
I would be very wary about buying (as opposed to renting) because one nasty storm or a few feet of sea level rise could cause pretty big problems.
:mad: I used to live on LBI during the summer when I was a kid. My uncle owns 4 houses on the island nowadays.
Yeah I have concerns about the swamp which I'm in the middle of relaying to my parents now via email.
Quote from: garbon on September 25, 2013, 05:29:18 PM
I go to Cape May/Wildwood Crest every summer but that's a bit further south.
I swung through Cape May a few summers back on my way to Lewes via the ferry and it seemed nice. Lewes was very nice.
Quote from: DGuller on September 25, 2013, 06:20:16 PM
:huh: I'm not in insurance agency business. I am, however, in the business of pricing property insurance, and am aware that getting property insurance in the beach areas can be very problematic (for a good reason).
No, but you make insurance agents look like daredevils.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on September 25, 2013, 07:29:33 PM
Quote from: DGuller on September 25, 2013, 06:20:16 PM
:huh: I'm not in insurance agency business. I am, however, in the business of pricing property insurance, and am aware that getting property insurance in the beach areas can be very problematic (for a good reason).
No, but you make insurance agents look like daredevils.
:)
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on September 25, 2013, 07:29:33 PM
Quote from: DGuller on September 25, 2013, 06:20:16 PM
:huh: I'm not in insurance agency business. I am, however, in the business of pricing property insurance, and am aware that getting property insurance in the beach areas can be very problematic (for a good reason).
No, but you make insurance agents look like daredevils.
Is that supposed to be an insult? Taking pointless risks is definitely not a positive trait in my line of work.
Just explaining garbon's comment since you seemed to think it was an accusation of shilling.
One neat thing: the place they're looking at the most closely has a dock so we could visit my uncle up in Ship Bottom by taking a boat. :cool: I just plotted it on Google Earth and it's like 20 1/2 miles.
Quiet pretty much sums it up. It's off Route 9 in Little Egg Harbor Township- in that part of Ocean County, even Route 9 is sparse to moderate housing along the road. Seems like it's less dense with condos and crap than places like Sea Bright or Sandy Hook further north, but it also seems like developers are trying to change that. Also, a word of warning: not sure how your parents are about beaches, but they almost ALL require beach tags now, and shorefront property has a nasty habit of coming with a homeowner's association who build that into the price of membership.
Speaking of, there's not actually too much in the way of shorefront housing in Mystic Island proper; would this be Osborne Island/Bogan's Cove that they're looking into? Most of the rest of the waterfront seems to be wetlands, which is protected in NJ and unlikely to be developed. NVM. I just looked a little closer and saw that they've dug down into the water for the other housing in Mystic Island proper.
Still, I don't see the waterfront utopia they're seeing. In Mystic Island, your front yard is the road, your back yard is the dock, and odds are your view is about 20-30 like houses across the "way." It's not like Fortescue or the other Delaware Bay communities, which are more classical stilted houses along beaches.
Does Shitgoat play there?
Quote from: Ed Anger on September 26, 2013, 07:46:22 AM
Does Shitgoat play there?
Shitgoat hasn't even played in Kain's basement since 2005. Carolus is too busy chasing pussy on the golf green.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on September 26, 2013, 07:53:10 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on September 26, 2013, 07:46:22 AM
Does Shitgoat play there?
Shitgoat hasn't even played in Kain's basement since 2005. Carolus is too busy chasing pussy on the golf green.
Pretty sure he caught one.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on September 26, 2013, 07:41:07 AM
Quiet pretty much sums it up. It's off Route 9 in Little Egg Harbor Township- in that part of Ocean County, even Route 9 is sparse to moderate housing along the road. Seems like it's less dense with condos and crap than places like Sea Bright or Sandy Hook further north, but it also seems like developers are trying to change that. Also, a word of warning: not sure how your parents are about beaches, but they almost ALL require beach tags now, and shorefront property has a nasty habit of coming with a homeowner's association who build that into the price of membership.
Speaking of, there's not actually too much in the way of shorefront housing in Mystic Island proper; would this be Osborne Island/Bogan's Cove that they're looking into? Most of the rest of the waterfront seems to be wetlands, which is protected in NJ and unlikely to be developed. NVM. I just looked a little closer and saw that they've dug down into the water for the other housing in Mystic Island proper.
Still, I don't see the waterfront utopia they're seeing. In Mystic Island, your front yard is the road, your back yard is the dock, and odds are your view is about 20-30 like houses across the "way." It's not like Fortescue or the other Delaware Bay communities, which are more classical stilted houses along beaches.
Thanks for your feedback dude. :)
The parents headed back to south Jersey this morning to meet with realtors and look at this house again and some other ones too.
Quote from: Caliga on September 25, 2013, 06:48:25 PM
:mad: I used to live on LBI during the summer when I was a kid. My uncle owns 4 houses on the island nowadays.
Call em as I see em.
Beaches looked nice but the towns themselves are kind of non-descript.
Well TBH I'd much rather they be looking at properties someplace warmer, but they're too stubborn to ever consider that.
Quote from: Caliga on September 26, 2013, 09:07:38 AM
Well TBH I'd much rather they be looking at properties someplace warmer, but they're too stubborn to ever consider that.
It depends on when they want to use it.
Well, at least they aren't moving to Newark. ;)
Quote from: Malthus on September 26, 2013, 09:20:09 AM
Well, at least they aren't moving to Newark. ;)
Are you kidding? Like true Philadelphians, they
hate north Jersey. :)
Quote from: Grey Fox on September 26, 2013, 09:17:46 AM
It depends on when they want to use it.
Right now, the plan is to keep their main house and use it as a summer home, and eventually sell their main house and move there full-time. That might sound strange to most of you (and it does to me too), but my grandmother LOVED to go to her Jersey shore house in the winter for some reason. It doesn't snow as much down there, for one thing--in the winter when it'd be snowing at our house it would usually be raining at hers.
But you are in New Jersey!
Yeah. :P
It's also kind of weird to me that my dad is cool with this, as he's a super-conservative government hating type, and New Jersey has one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. :hmm:
Quote from: Caliga on September 26, 2013, 09:32:18 AM
Yeah. :P
It's also kind of weird to me that my dad is cool with this, as he's a super-conservative government hating type, and New Jersey has one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. :hmm:
Well, those super high tax burdens in the form of property taxes do have some effects that super-conservatives generally desire. :ph34r:
Apparently they decided to put in an offer on a different house, but I don't have any details on the other house yet.
Your parents will need to start brushing up on their Guido.
Quote from: garbon on September 25, 2013, 05:29:18 PM
I go to Cape May/Wildwood Crest every summer but that's a bit further south.
Missed the second part of your post earlier... isn't Wildwood a poor people beach town? :hmm:
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 26, 2013, 03:24:54 PM
Your parents will need to start brushing up on their Guido.
:cool:
What's weird to me is that they don't seem to be looking for property on Brigantine, where they go for at least one week a year and which is a really nice island... but one that used to literally be run by the Mafia back in the day. :showoff:
Quote from: Caliga on September 26, 2013, 03:32:43 PM
Quote from: garbon on September 25, 2013, 05:29:18 PM
I go to Cape May/Wildwood Crest every summer but that's a bit further south.
Missed the second part of your post earlier... isn't Wildwood a poor people beach town? :hmm:
Wildwood Crest is a bit different / quieter. Most of the people near my friend's parents' home are all retired with nice homes. Wildwood/North Wildwood is the party spot with lots of young people who come in from Pittsburgh. It's the part with the boardwalk.
Oh, I see. I didn't realize there were 'multiple' Wildwoods. The mantra with Wildwood when I was a kid was always just 'AVOID'. :blush:
Quote from: Caliga on September 26, 2013, 04:14:39 PM
Oh, I see. I didn't realize there were 'multiple' Wildwoods. The mantra with Wildwood when I was a kid was always just 'AVOID'. :blush:
If I had to guess it probably was just one thing and then realtors started diverging them to make things more attractive. That'd be my guess. :D
Actually wiki says I'm wrong and they all "The Wilwoods" were all started up at the same time.
Yeah, I'm just not that familiar with the shore communities south of Ocean City. When I was a kid we spent pretty much all of our time on LBI proper, and everything else was in Atlantic City and Ocean City (which always had the best boardwalk).
Quote from: Caliga on September 26, 2013, 03:24:03 PM
Apparently they decided to put in an offer on a different house, but I don't have any details on the other house yet.
:wacko:
When I asked my mother whether she bid on the first house or another one, her answer was "Yes."
Anyway, the other houses they looked at were in Tuckerton.
Quote from: Caliga on September 26, 2013, 09:27:55 AM
Quote from: Malthus on September 26, 2013, 09:20:09 AM
Well, at least they aren't moving to Newark. ;)
Are you kidding? Like true Philadelphians, they hate north Jersey. :)
Truly sad to see Eagles paraphenalia all over the place in the Giants home state. :weep:
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on September 26, 2013, 04:55:26 PM
Truly sad to see Eagles Iggles paraphenalia all over the place in the Giants home state. :weep:
Fixed.
So, assuming the home inspection scheduled for Thursday goes well, my parents will buy that house.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on September 26, 2013, 07:41:07 AM
Quiet pretty much sums it up. It's off Route 9 in Little Egg Harbor Township- in that part of Ocean County, even Route 9 is sparse to moderate housing along the road. Seems like it's less dense with condos and crap than places like Sea Bright or Sandy Hook further north, but it also seems like developers are trying to change that. Also, a word of warning: not sure how your parents are about beaches, but they almost ALL require beach tags now, and shorefront property has a nasty habit of coming with a homeowner's association who build that into the price of membership.
What's a beach tag?
Quote from: jimmy olsen on October 13, 2013, 10:33:15 PM
Quote from: DontSayBanana on September 26, 2013, 07:41:07 AM
Quiet pretty much sums it up. It's off Route 9 in Little Egg Harbor Township- in that part of Ocean County, even Route 9 is sparse to moderate housing along the road. Seems like it's less dense with condos and crap than places like Sea Bright or Sandy Hook further north, but it also seems like developers are trying to change that. Also, a word of warning: not sure how your parents are about beaches, but they almost ALL require beach tags now, and shorefront property has a nasty habit of coming with a homeowner's association who build that into the price of membership.
What's a beach tag?
Presumably the tag that let's you park at a specific beach or without it you get to pay a fine.
Nope, the tag is levied per person, not car, and you need to carry/wear it when you're on the beach. Totally lame.
They had those on nicer strips of the Schleswig-Holstein coasts. You could either choose to go to a public beach and put down your towel between rusty beer cans and used condoms, and the ferry lines passing two hundred meters from the shore. Not to mention the stink from the little grill that probably hasn't changed the oil in its deep frier since Helmut Schmidt was chancellor.
Or you could pay a few Marks and enjoy powder fine white sand and crystal clear water that almost makes you think you're in the Carribean.
The differences are not always that extreme, though.
Quote from: Caliga on October 14, 2013, 05:21:23 AM
Nope, the tag is levied per person, not car, and you need to carry/wear it when you're on the beach. Totally lame.
Oh. That's really lame.
Yeah. Taxes and such are high in New Jersey, but apparently not quite high enough so they had to come up with that. :)