Photos

Hi Everyone! This is a very short post. Only photos of our West Ocean City Fishing Fleet. Notice the three side by side parking, such talent!

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY!

This holiday can be as long as the Christmas season some years, since Ocean City's St. Patricks day Parade is held on the Saturday closest to March 17th. This years parade was this past Saturday on the 14th, and it was it's usual great event with the many marching bands, fire trucks, Color Guard waving our flags, bagpipe marching band, the Humane Society walking several of the dogs that can be adopted, and of course the many drinking establishments that had their floats throwing necklaces and candy to the crowds. Of course there were plenty of beer trucks serving the various brews, as well as an Irish coffee and whiskey table. I didn't win the annual basket of cheer drawing again this year, but the proceeds go to a good cause, so I will continue to try next year. Not to forget the great music and food that is always provided, it helps to keep the alcohol in check and satisfy the need to tap your feet to a snappy shanty tune.
I don't have any photos to share, so you will have to see them in the free newspapers next week.

Well the stock market was up four days in a row last week, interest rates are the lowest in decades, housing prices have dropped to atractive levels, and here in Ocean City activity continues to grow. Is this the start of something big? I don't know, but if each of our "Fellow Americans" finds confidence in what our government is trying to do to fix the system, or really believes that the stock market has made a turn around, and the newscasters begin to present a brighter outlook when it does take hold instead to the gloom and bad news that sells copy- then and only then will cars, trucks, appliances, equiptment, etc. be bought and start to shore up our economy!

Time will tell, but until then the temperatures here at the Beach will rise and people will be anxious to come here as they have every year, and new people will find our little piece of Heaven- and some will decide they want a little piece of this town for their own- and they will buy. We are always looking for new neighbors!
ENJOY!

MARCH MADNESS

Hi Again! Hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather tease we are having this week, of course next week for St. Patty's day the temperatures are going back down into the middle 40's. Our economy seems to want to firm up and take hold, but there are still many on the side lines waiting for the right chance to jump in. Here at Long and Foster in Ocean City we have seen triple the activity for showings, offers and settlements as of the second week of February until present. My investor clients are now asking me to identify the great value properties so they could pick up some bargains- this indicates to me the market has dropped enough to jump in and snatch up some low priced gems.

The confidence level still needs to grow and get stronger before we really take off, and that is not just for the housing industry. Every sector from autos to electronics has to see customers digging into their pockets and buying. This WILL happen! I hope that maybe even the weather will have an impact on spending, I know I feel up when the temperatures are agreeable and the sky is clear- what a great time to go out and spend.

Here is an article quote from the Washington Post, more and more authorities are saying this is thetime to buy.

Quote from Washington Post, March 2, 2009

By Robert J. Samuelson
Monday, March 2, 2009; Page A17

Here's a little-known fact: Housing may be more affordable now than at any recent time, thanks to lower prices and falling mortgage rates (now about 5 percent). The National Association of Realtors has an "affordability index" that estimates the family income needed to buy a median-price house, assuming a 20 percent down payment and monthly mortgage payments equal to 25 percent of income. Affordability is now the highest since the index's start in 1970.

Enjoy!