Debbie's Blog

Oct 3, 2008

Check out the SCARLET WOMEN series at the Rehoboth Library put on by Delmarva Discussions.  The program funded in part by the Delaware Humanities Forum and the Friends of the Rehoboth Library and has discussed Hester Prynne of Nathaniel Hawthorne's SCARLET LETTER; Scarlett O'Hara of GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell; Lily Bart of THE HOUSE OF MIRTH by Edith Wharton and now, in October, Lady Brett Ashley from THE SUN ALSO RISES (October 14th) and Janie Crawford of THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston (October 30th).  The program is a the Rehoboth Library and runs from 5:30-7:30; the program is free and the books can be obtained from the library in advance so that participants can read them before the discussions./dw

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Oct 2, 2008

Support Sussex County's no-kill animal shelter, SAFE HAVEN, by participating in the 1st Annual "TAILS ON THE TRAIL" 5K run and 1 mile walk. Dogs on leashes are encouraged to participate, and I plan on bringing JoJo the beagle to work off some of that cheese he loves so much! The event is on November 1st. Registration starts at 7:30AM and the race begins at 8:30AM, both at Cape Henlopen State Park. Awards will be given for Overall, Masters, 10 year age groups and top 10 dogs in the 5K run. There will also be a K9 Costume Contest. For race info, people can also contact Tim Bamforth, of Seashore Striders, at 302-644-8952 or Safe Haven at 302-856-6460./dw

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Sep 30, 2008

A quick note about CONFUCIUS, my favorite Chinese restaurant in Rehoboth!  Lovingly owned and managed by the ebullient Sean Xiong and his talented wife, Danielle, it has become (for my family) a reliable respite from leftovers & diner fare.  My favorite dishes are the ginger chicken soup, the kung pao chicken and the spicy shredded duck.  Danielle makes a special chicken and broccoli in light brown sauce for my seven year old that he eats every time - much to my surprise and delight (since the kid barely eats anything!) Sean and Danielle have quickly become active in the Rehoboth community - at town events, at Rehoboth Elementary in the PTO and more.  Stop by and meet them - they're great people and they run a fantastic restaurant. /dw

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Sep 29, 2008

Check out TruTV’s “Surf & Rescue: Dewey Beach," a new show about the hard working Dewey Beach Police and Dewey Beach Patrol, which shows the seamier side of Dewey Beach in a sometimes comic, sometimes harrowing, sometime gross way.  With mixed reviews from locals (some feeling that the darker side of Dewey was over-emphasized for dramatic effect), the web-based show has four episodes available for viewers to decide for themselves in the TruTV online library./dwOAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1');

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Sep 22, 2008

Though the news is rife with doom and gloom reports about the economy, The Debbie Reed Team has recently seen improvements in its corner of the real estate market, as well as attractive opportunities for the savvy investor with a plan.  Recently, Thomas McGlone of Wachovia Financial introduced the team to an innovative investment-planning process called ENVISION which helps potential investors make just such a plan.  Specifically, Envision helps people clearly define measurable goals for themselves – such as “Can I afford a second home this year or not?” or “What kind of mortgage product would I need to move into a larger primary home?” ENVISION uses sophisticated “real world” simulations, which analyze the balance needed for individuals to make progress toward their goals while avoiding unnecessary investment risks.  First, financial goals are identified in both an optimal “dream” investment plan (called your “Ideal Investment Plan”), as well as in an "Acceptable Financial Plan" which includes goals which are not optimal but still acceptable.  Next, variables are isolated to help determine the likelihood of achieving your Ideal Investment Plan versus achieving your Acceptable Investment Plan.  By systematically prioritizing goals, a “Recommended Investment Plan” can be developed, based on the norms and simulations utilized by the state-of-the-art ENVISION program. Timothy B. Hidell, a mortgage banker with MetLife Home Loans, looks forward to working with clients who’ve gone through the ENVISION process.  “It could be a seamless process,” says Hidell, “A client could identify a property they want with the Debbie Reed Team, go through the Envision assessment and gain confidence and data supporting their plans to purchase a property at this time and then come to me for the appropriate mortgage product.  The difference being that customers who’ve been through this program will be far ahead of the game in knowing what they are able to afford in their current financial situation, and exactly what the right mortgage product is for them!” McGlone, who splits his time between Rehoboth Beach and Baltimore, is a financial advisor who is truly excited about the possibility of helping people achieve their dreams by clarifying their goals and making a better, more personalized financial plan.  More important, he wants to help people improve their financial situation and increase the balance and enjoyment in their lives.  To find out more about Envision, you can email McGlone at tmcglone@wachoviafinet.com.  And after you’ve received your Recommended Investment Plan, if it happens to include an Ocean Block Townhome, a Waterfront Retreat or a cool Beach Condo, give the Debbie Reed Team a call at 1-800-263-5648, and we’ll show you the best available deals in town!  To round out the process, customers can check out highly competitive mortgage products by contacting Timothy Hidell at MetLife Home Loans at 302-383-1181 or by emailing tbhidell@metlifehomeloans.com.

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Sep 20, 2008

September is here and fall starts tomorrow.  This is the perfect time to enjoy some of the fun off-season events going on in Rehoboth, Dewey and the surrounding areas.  Over in Ocean City next week, for example, the WINEFEST ON THE BEACH is happening - an event taking place 11am-7pm on September 26th & 27th.  Located right in front of the famous Ocean City Boardwalk, more than 100 wines from over 10 different regional wineries will be offering tastes of their various grape-derived products.  There are also various food vendors, arts and crafts tables and music by Bird Dog and the Road Kings.   And on your way down to Ocean City, stop off in Dewey and check out a great deal at 3 Anchor Way - a cool beach townhouse on a Rehoboth Bay block and walking distance from the beach offered by The Debbie Reed Team for $649,000 and hosting a Public Open House on 9/27 from 2-4PM.  Check this place out!/dw

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Sep 9, 2008

Journalist Jennifer Merritt recently gave Rehoboth Beach a nice plug in the Wall Street Journal.  Locating our status in the resort-town universe as somewhere between the Hamptons and the Jersey Shore, she did mention that the Rehoboth Boardwalk and Rehoboth Avenue have retained some unique and individual charms - citing Funland, particularly, as an example of a pleasantly retro throwback to simpler, happier times.  Merritt also noted the area's rising popularity with golfers - making mention particularly of Baywood Greens and The Rookery as local favorites.  Other areas discussed included the beaches of Cape Henlopen State Park, as well as the Lewes-Rehoboth bike path.  Bike rental and sales shops mentioned included Atlantic Cycles, Bob's Bikes and Bike To Go.   For entertainment, Merritt gave a thumbs up to the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand. Among local dining establishments, Merritt made mention of Gus & Gus Place, as well as Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, Nage & Nicola's Pizza!  Dolle's & Snyders were the picks for sweet treats.  For lodging, the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel & The Avenue Inn & Spa were both top picks!/dw

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Sep 9, 2008

The government seized control of the nation’s two largest mortgage finance companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,  on Sunday. The bailout plan is similar to a government conservatorship as in a bankruptcy reorganization.  The plan also reorganizes  management of the companies.  The rescue package is one of the most monumental interventions in private enterprise by the federal government ever, and it could well become the costliest financial bailout in US history. Treasury secretary, Henry M. Paulson Jr., created the plan, was vague as to its impact on taxpayers.  Two months ago, the Congressional Budget Office estimated costs of $25 billion; that figure is now considered too low. The CEOs of both companies were replaced.  Herbert M. Allison Jr., former chairman of TIAA-CREF, will take over Fannie Mae, while David M. Moffett, of the Carlyle Group will take over at Freddie Mac. The government will provide up to $100 billion to each company to prevent their collapse from capital shortfalls.  Under the new terms, the Treasury can buy the companies outright at lower cost.  The companies can no longer lobby lawmakers, moreover.  Some, notably Alan Greenspan, have argued that the two mortgage giants have long held an overly favored position in the financial world, dominating the mortgage market while cutting out private financial institutions who did not have the benefit of government subsidies and less oversight.  Most experts agree that this bailout marks the end of the two companies relative domination of the mortgage market for the forseeable future./dw

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Aug 25, 2008

THE DEBBIE REED TEAM of RE/MAX Realty Group of Rehoboth Beach, is happy to announce its participation in the BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE for Rehoboth Elementary School. The team recently supplied Janet Urdahl, Social Worker at Rehoboth Elementary School, a supply of brand new book bags to kick off their own participation. Debbie Reed, Team Leader of The Debbie Reed Team, is glad to help this great program and wants to encourage all area businesses to do the same. "Through the end of August and through the first two weeks in September," says Reed, "The Debbie Reed Team will be accepting donations for the needed items in the Back To School Supply Drive, at our offices at 319 Rehoboth Avenue during regular office hours." The supplies will then be taken to Rehoboth Elementary for distribution. Ms. Urdahl was delighted with the contribution and says any of the following items are urgently needed for "kids who just need a little extra help" in this school year. Items needed include: back packs, loose leaf 3-hole paper, AA batteries, Crayola Crayons 24 packs, Crayola Crayons 8 Pack Large Crayons, erasable pens, medium point markers, highlighters, eraser caps, large pink erasers, pencil boxes with latches, zipper pencil pouches for 3 ring binders, green ball point pens, glue sticks, scissors, dividers for 3 ring binders, 3 ring binders 2" and 3", boxes of tissues, hand sanitizer, table top wipes." The Debbie Reed Team of RE/MAX Realty Group is located at 319 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 and can be directly contacted at 302-227-3818 or 800-263-5648.

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Aug 22, 2008

It has started.....the annual slow-down to Fall, and the best time to be in Rehoboth Beach. Now don't get me wrong. I love our summer guests. There are some delightful people who vacation here each summer, and, frankly, the area wouldn't have much of an economy without them. However, all of the visitors do make it a little difficult to get around town, and to find a place to park. In fact, whenever possible in the summer, I walk or take my bike. I would ride my bike to work each day if I didn't need a car at the ready for showing property. But now that it's mid-August, Maryland schools have started up again, high school sports and band practices have begun and one can now get across town in a vehicle in a reasonable amount of time and even find a parking space on Rehoboth Avenue (at least during the week). So if you're looking for a place to come for a few days, unwind and relax, enjoy the sunshine, boardwalk fries and ice cream, and maybe even look for property, come to Rehoboth Beach, DE. The name roughly means "Room for All," and now there really is!/by Dianne Deming of The Debbie Reed Team.

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Aug 20, 2008

The names for this posting have been gathered from The Great Delaware Sports Book by Doug Gelbert, a really helpful resource in this area of Sports History! The books mentions in chronological order these Delaware Olympic champions: KKV Casey; George S. Dole; John W. Hessian; Louis Stoll; Marian Z Jessup; John B. Grier; Frank Shakespeare; Vic Swolak; Dave Johnson; Donnan Sharp Plumb; Art Redden; Chris Dunn; Steve Gregg; Frank Masley; Tom Barnes; Aldis Berzins; Terri Dendy & Vicki Huber. On a separate not, big congrats to Rehoboth Beach local Carrie Lingo and the US Women's Field Hockey Team - great work!/dw

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Aug 18, 2008

According to a recent article in THE WEEK, a news magazine sourcing US and international journalism, experts are in a quandry about whether to advise buyers (with money to invest) to jump back into the housing market now or later. The article quotes Brian Louis of Bloomberg saying that prices have dropped “an average of 18 pecent since July 2006.” The article continues by saying some experts warn that prices will “continue to fall” until the current inventory of for sale homes is absorbed by the market. According to National Association of Realtor stats, the supply of unsold properties is at its highest level since 1982. The good news, the article notes, quoting Amanda Gengler in MONEY magazine, is that local regions can always be doing much better than the country as a whole. Prices in some metro areas are actually higher than a year ago. A rule of thumb, the article says, quoting David Stiff of Fiserv Lending solutions, is to look at the local market and judge whether the inventory and length of time on the market looks healthy or not. His measure – 1) does the local housing market have about a six month supply of houses for sale – based on houses selling in approximately 90 days. 2) Three months of smaller and less price drops in the local market is the second facet of local real estate market health. What I take away from this article, is that these could be very useful indicators in deciding whether a local market is ready for your investment dollars or whether you need to wait and give the real estate market in that area more time to correct itself./dw

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Aug 14, 2008

A quick note about taking dogs to the the beach in Rehoboth, Lewes and the surrounding area beaches. According to the Division of Parks and Recreation, one of the main priorities in regulating pet visitations to the the state beaches in Sussex County is the protection of fragile coastal sand dunes, the comfort of sunbathers, swimmers, surfers, sail-boarders and the protection of native shorebirds. They caution that pets visiting any Delaware State beach or park need to have appropriate vaccination and licensing, as regulated by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife. Pets have to be leashed (not to exceed 6 feet) except when in designated off leash areas, actively training for hunting in designated dog-training areas or when hunting with the appropriate permit. Guide dogs are permitted in all pedestrian areas. Owners must clean up after their pet and never leave them unattended. At state beaches, pets are prohibited from all swimming and sunbathing beaches from May 1 to September 30th. Areas closed to pets year-round, besides those areas designated by signs to prohibit pets, are picnic areas, nature trails, bird nesting areas, park buildings, cabins or yurts. The four beaches available to pet owners, with the above limitations and some additional restrictions are: the Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve, which is one of the last areas of undeveloped barrier island in Delaware; Cape Henlopen State Park, which seeks to accommodate pet owners, while protecting endangered beach-nesting species such as the federally protected piping plover; the Delaware Seashore State Park, which is a critical habitat for the least tern; and the Fenwick Island State Park, which has four protected areas in which pets are not allowed from May 1 through September 30th. That said, it is fun to watch the beagles, greyhounds and other pooches romp around (on leashes in the properly designated areas, of course) on a sunny day at the beach!/dw

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Aug 12, 2008

Another cool thing about living here in Rehoboth Beach is watching how some things change, some things don’t change and some things look the same but have somehow kept up with the times. Carltons Men's and Women's Apparel, the wonderful clothing store on Rehoboth Avenue, falls into the latter category for me. The business is now owned by Trey and Marcia Kraus (who are our fun neighbors in The Glade, by the way). They have managed to retain the charm of the old Carlton’s (where I got my tux 15 years ago for our wedding at The Rehoboth Beach Yacht and Country Club), while updating their inventory and approach to meet the needs of the incredibly eclectic crowd that now makes up our year round and visiting demographic. What I really want to say is, everything old really is new again. Just last year, I attended the wedding of my niece, Ashlee Reed (of The Debbie Reed Team), to Tim Hidell (now working with First Horizon as a mortgage broker). And where do you think Tim and his groomsmen got their tuxes? Carlton’s, of course. I think of it as our little Nordstrom's by the sea. Check it out and deck yourself out for some stylish fun in Rehoboth this summer!

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Aug 11, 2008

A recent article in REALTOR magazine discussed the use of improv as a tool for realtors who wanted to think more quickly and creatively "on their feet." In my other life, when not doing the advertising for The Debbie Reed Team, I run Delaware Comedy Theatre, a local improv group. I was recently talking to Nora Martin, the broker for RE/MAX Realty Group in Rehoboth Beach, and she mentioned reading the article too and thinking it was a great idea. So then I offered to do a free training for RE/MAX agents just for fun; Nora is actually considering it (so she says) and I really hope it happens. But, if that doesn't come together (although I hope it does) another way to get a little taste of what doing improv involves is to attend a free workshop I'm giving at Bayside Community in Fenwick Island this Saturday from 10AM to 11:30AM. It's a low impact way of seeing if improv is something that might help with your public speaking, business presentations or just better party chat. For more information about what improv is exactly, you can also go to the great online Improv Encyclopedia.

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Aug 7, 2008

My friend, the talented and wise Maribeth Fischer, founded the Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild a few years ago and it has become a great resource for established writers - who live or summer in Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach and the surrounding areas, as well as a fine way for brand new writers to ease into the writing life.  The group also has provided wonderful opportunities for kids and teens who are interested in writing.  One of the Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild's best offerings is the remarkable Free Write! program - the name given to an informal gathering of writers of ALL skill levels who meet to practice their writing in a friendly and nurturing atmosphere. These gatherings happen in Rehoboth, Lewes, Milton and other areas regularly. There are also Free Writes for young writers - ages 10-11 in Lewes. The group also has a Young Writers Contest with entries due by next Friday - August 15th! Check out the link and have your young writer enter. There is also a contest for adult writers with a due date in October 20, 2008. Winning writings will be published in the spectacular regional magazine Delaware Beach Life - a coup for any writer, young or old! Besides being the heart and soul of the Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild, Maribeth is also a very fine novelist - the author of The Language of Goodbye, which was awarded Virginia Commonwealth University's First Novel Award for 2002. Her second novel, The Life You Longed For, was a BookSense Notable Book and a Literary Guild Alternate Selection. It was cited by The Library Journal as a perfect book-group selection comparable to Jane Hamilton's A Map of the World or Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres. Maribeth 's literary essays have appeared in such journals as the Iowa Review and the Yale Review, and she has twice been cited as a notable essayist in Robert Atwan's Best American Essays. She has also received a Pushcart Prize for her essay "Stillborn," as well as a Smart Family Prize for her essay "Lottery." Last year, Maribeth and some of her Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild crew helped me out on National Young Readers Day at Rehoboth Elementary School - an incredible event in which celebrity authors and local business folk read to every grade and class at Rehoboth Elementary and talked about their love of reading and writing. In short, this woman is a local gem - check out her books, her classes, her Free Writes and her readings around town - maybe you'll even pick up a pen yourself!/dw

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Aug 4, 2008

Sunday was surely one of the most glorious days of summer we've had down here in Rehoboth & Dewey in a looooong time.  The weather was perfect, and we all went for a picnic and some surf fishing at the beach at Key Box.  Some one caught a skate, which fascinated the kids, and an enormous pod of dolphins swam incredibly close to shore - herding fish for there dinner, which would be tossed up in huge bunches, when the dolphins all got together and cornered them.  It was an unbelievable sight.  The kids swimming among them were literally just yards away.  Someone commented that you had to pay big bucks to swim with the dolphins in Mexico, and here we have it for free.  I also saw a really incredible display of the latest sport of the day - kite surfing.  The guy I saw was doing flips like he was in a sort of sea-going Cirque Du Soleil act - amazing!  Finally, a gentle breeze was blowing, and it reminded me that my pal, Rachel Hughes, had hand picked a special kite for my son, Will, at her great store, Rehoboth Toy and Kite Company; I have to remember to bring it next time - someone call and remind me next Sunday, please.  Afternoons and evenings like this are why our family has chosen to live in Rehoboth & Dewe.  Sometimes, it just takes some happy kids, a pod of splashing dolphins and a few spectacular kites to jog my memory and my gratitude a bit./dw

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Aug 1, 2008

James B. Lockhart III has been named the director of the new Federal Housing Finance Agency or FHFA.  The agency was created this week, following President Bush's signing of the extensive Housing Rescue Bill into law this week.  Among his primary responsibilities will be regulating the troubled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  The agency will also oversee the nation's Federal Home Loan Banks.  The new FHFA will be comprised of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (which currently regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and which Lockhart currently manages) with the Federal Housing Finance Board, which oversees the home loan banks and a small part of HUD.   The reorganization will be made in consultation with the Federal Reserve and Chairman Ben Bernanke.  It's certainly a thankless job to have to reorganize and increase regulation over two huge entities, and it is a move that apparently has been resisted by top officers at both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for several years.  Good luck, Mr. Lockhart; looks like you'll need it./dw

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Jul 30, 2008

President Bush signed the historic Housing Bill into law today.  Though many have doubts that the bill will help a wide enough demographic of those hit by the mortgage crisis of this last year, it appears that lawmakers and the President came together for this partial measure to shore up some of the biggest leaks - namely Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.  More to come, as we hear about it.  Love to hear what you think about the bill - please comment!/dw

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Jul 29, 2008

The Senate recently cleared a sweeping Housing Bill, still awaiting signature by the President at this posting time. The legislation will attempt to remedy the home-foreclosure crisis and prevent further bleeding out of the government-sponsored mortgage entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The House passed the bill last Wednesday by a vote of 272-152. In summary, the bill would give the Treasury Department the power to extend Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac an unspecified line of credit and to purchase their stock, if necessary, to keep the mortgage companies from going under. The two companies back or own approximately $5 trillion in U.S. mortgages — nearly half of the nation's total mortgages. The bill would ostensibly allow qualified homeowners facing foreclosure to apply for lower fixed-rate, 30-year mortgages backed by loan guarantees from the Federal Housing Administration. The original lenders would have to agree to take a loss on their loans. In addition, the bill would create an independent regulatory entity to oversee Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the future, in order to prevent future crises in these giant lenders. This regulatory agency would have the option to establish minimum capital requirements for the two companies and set limits on their portfolios. It would also have approval power over the pay packages of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives. The bill would also provide $3.9 billion in grants to communities with the highest foreclosure rates enabling them to purchase foreclosed and abandoned properties; it would also give about $15 billion in housing tax breaks, including a credit of up to $7,500 for first-time homebuyers who bought homes between April 9, 2008, and July 1, 2009; and it would cap, at $625,500, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans in certain high-priced areas, and put a cap in other areas of up to 15 percent above the median home price. Finally, the new regulator would count any federal infusion for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under the debt limit; this would in effect cap how much the government could spend to stabilize the companies without additional approvals from Congress. At the last check in, the national debt, which counts toward the aforementioned limit, was approximately $9.5 trillion, which is roughly $360 billion below this statutory cap. (Information for this recap came from the Associated Press and NPR.)/by David Warick

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Jul 28, 2008

Rehoboth Beach was once known as "the nation's Summer Capitol," because of the migration from Washington, D.C. to this convenient beach retreat every summer. In a bold reversal, I spent several days in Washington itself this week, in the charming company of my sister, her husband and their two children (aged 10 and 11). We enjoyed some sites I'd never visited before. First, we toured the amazing and meaningful "Daniel's Room" at the Holocaust Museum. This display was developed for children, 8 years and older, with the help of child development professionals to insure an insightful, educational explanation of what life was like for a Jewish child in Nazi Germany, without being traumatizing. It was excellent with many hands-on activities such as reading Daniel's journal, looking for his father's WWI medal and watching how his neighborhood and life changed as Hitler rose to power. This exhibit was free and required no special tickets. That same day, we went to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving to see money being made. As the Bureau's promotional materials said, "The Buck Starts Here. " This was a fun and interesting tour which was also free but required tickets picked up in advance earlier in the day. It is not possible to acquire tickets before the day of the tour, either. Oh, and there are no free samples. The last "new" thing to me was becoming a spy at the International Spy Museum. This ingenious museum combines fantasy and interactive displays to enlighten its audience as to the life and work of international spies. Upon entering the museum, each visitor chooses a "cover"--a fake identity to use while on their self-guided romp through the facility. A diverse selection of media are used to make the experience entertaining and educational. Definately worth the price of admission, although that price is not cheap. Even though my 3 days in Washington, D.C. were fun-filled and fabulous, I was happy to get out of the hot, humid city and return to the nation's summer capitol with its ocean breezes and slower pace. If you or one of your clients is looking for a beach retreat, give The Debbie Reed Team a call and I will be happy to help you find just the right place for you./dd

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Jul 25, 2008

Okay, a quick note to check out my friend Valorie Jarrell's daughter Katie Moshaver in Clear Space Productions SOUTH PACIFIC revival now playing in Rehoboth Beach. The talented cast will also be performing in Dover at the Schwartz Center for the Arts and in Bear Trap Dunes and as part of the Summer Arts series at Bayside in Fenwick Island. This musical is, of course, Rogers and Hammerstein's wonderful adaptation of the famous James Michener book, TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC. There was also a movie version, with some of the weirdest Technicolor craziness I've ever seen, as well as a televised version with Glenn Close. Finally, the show is running in a revival at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in Manhattan, right now, and is receiving positive reviews. Okay, ready set... go!/dw

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Jul 23, 2008

I am constantly being asked, "What's happening with the market?" In our Coastal Delaware market, the statistics are in. January through May, 2008, total units sold (condos and single family homes) are down 31% from last year, but the average sales price is only down 2%. On the other hand, inventory is up 7%. What does this mean? As the National Association of Realtors has been saying for months, IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BUY!! There is more to choose from than ever before, prices are down a bit and reasonable Sellers are realizing that they may need to negotiate a bit in order to get their property sold. Interest rates continue to be relatively low, and developers are also offering very attractive incentives for home buyers. So if you’ve been considering the purchase of a place to call your own at the beach, give us a call! The Debbie Reed Team would be happy to help you find just the right place for you./by Dianne Deming

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Jul 18, 2008

Okay, it's not a surprise that every guy 50 or under (and most women too) want to leave work in the middle of the day today and go see the brand new "THE DARK KNIGHT" with Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger. It's THE hot summer movie, but I've already been cautioned, it is absolutely not for kids, so don't make the mistake of bringing your seven year old (as I did with mine to IRON MAN - thanks for the gratuitous waterboarding scene, guys!). Anyway, Rehoboth is really lucky to have the Movies At Midway here - it gets all the big release films but you can actually get in most of the time - even if it's a really big movie in the middle of summer. Some other flicks, which have either gotten great reviews from critics and friends or are generating a nice happy family-friendly buzz, are KUNG FU PANDA (my wife and son's favorite), SPACE CHIMPS, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH and KIT KITTREDGE, which (note to my son) I even hear is semi-tolerable for macho little boys. But remember to check those ratings - you may not always agree with them, but they're there for a reason. If you wait a while, you can probably catch all of these "on the cheap" at the super inexpensive Rehoboth Mall Cinema, which actually shows movies as cheaply as they did when I was a kid. This is scary, because I'm approaching middle age. So, this is a really cheap way of having fun for both locals and visitors to Rehoboth, Lewes and Dewey!/by David Warick

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Jul 16, 2008

My wife, Amy, as well as my son Will and our good friends, the Doaks, had an incredible time yesterday at a fabulous bluegrass concert in Lewes. part of the WSFS Band Music In The Park series - put on by the city of Lewes, in Stango Park adjacent to the Lewes Public Library. With the fine vocals and intricate instrumental work of Tydewater, the bluegrass group from Maryland who performed, all my troubles seemed to melt away. It also made me remember why I relocated to this area in the first place: warm summer nights in a beautiful park, happy children catching fireflies, dancing and clapping in time to really good music, sleepy dogs cuddling with their owners, enjoying tasty picnic food from Big Fish Grill and visiting with great friends. Truly, a perfect summer evening - check out some of these concerts this summer./by David Warick

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Jul 14, 2008

I don't know if any of you have noticed, but there is a veritable entertainment explosion going on in Southern Delaware right now. From my own comedy group (full disclosure alert!) Delaware Comedy Theatre, to Clear Space Productions, to venerable groups like the Possum Point Players and the Henlopen Theater Project, shows are bustin' out all over! The Milton Theatre has become a true powerhouse as a permanent venue, and the old Epworth Church on Baltimore Avenue has recently become the Rehoboth Beach Theater of the Arts. Finally, the Carl Freeman Company is building the ambitious Joshua M. Freeman Center for the Arts at Bayside in Fenwick Island and have already started a Summer Stage Series in the current amphitheater at Bayside. What does all this mean for Rehoboth, Lewes, Dewey Beach and the surrounding areas? I think it shows a further transition from this being exclusively a three-season resort area to becoming a four-season/year round living and retirement magnet. I could be wrong, but either way, having arts and entertainment only makes both the second home market and the relocation market stronger. The main thing is, I hope people check out all the great shows available this summer and throughout the year. It's nice to have an alternative to reality TV and the overpriced, (mostly) poorly written summer movies./by David Warick

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Jul 12, 2008

I have the fondest memories of growing up in Rehoboth in the 70’s and 80’s. Rehoboth Avenue was and still is, the lifeline of the town. Many things have changed since those days. There were a few places that stayed open year round but for the most part every thing closed after Labor Day weekend and didn’t open until Memorial Day. Now in December, I have to circle the block to find a parking spot outside the Summerhouse, and the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand is jam packed with audience members no matter what type of entertainment is being offered. Back in the good old days, I used to get off the school bus and go to the Rehoboth Pharmacy to get an ice cream at the fountain or go to Walsmith’s to get a candy bar. The Rehoboth Pharmacy is still there but the fountain and Walsmith’s are long gone. On Friday nights we used to go to the roller skating rink above the bowling alley, which is now home to Browseabout Books. Sometimes Mom would take us out to dinner at Pappy’s on the corner of First Street. We would suffer temporary blindness as our eyes adjusted to the extreme darkness of the low light 70’s décor. That spot has changed a couple of times from McDonalds to Kemp Mill Records and is now the Record Trader. I remember practically ruining my summer the year I went to see “Jaws” at the Beachwood Theater now home to Carltons. There was an ongoing dispute about who had the best French fries in town, George’s Lunch or Tony’s Surf & Sand. My vote went to George’s Lunch. My friends and I were horrified when it closed, and Thrashers came in. We were unfairly hostile to Thrashers, because it was a chain from Ocean City instead of a local business. Tony’s Surf & Sand is now Ibachs, so Thrashers actually became the new best place to get fries by default. They are pretty great. There are a handful of die-hard establishments, tried and true spots that still serve as the cornerstones of Rehoboth Avenue. I am talking about Grotto’s, Candy Kitchen, Louie’s Pizza, Dolles, Khor Brothers and the Tee-Shirt Factory. The wheels of progress keep on turning and things keep changing. As I sit at my desk at the site of the old Lou Phillips Exxon Gas Station, now home to The Debbie Reed Team, I sip my Starbucks latte from the former site of Quillen’s Hardware, and think of days gone by. /by Amy Warick

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Jun 10, 2008

DRT’s good friend, internationally known photographer, Kevin Fleming, has created an awesome blog called WILD DELAWARE, in which he shows us the huge variety of flora and fauna that Delaware has to offer nature and animal lovers year round! He takes photos from places like White Clay Creek State Park, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge and updates the blog regularly with glorious photos. The WILD DELAWARE book is coming out soon, and you can pre-order it online. It will also be sold at Browseabout in Rehoboth Beach, when it comes out in hardcover. Meanwhile, I’m trying to get Kevin interested in helping me find Delaware a state mammal. Because we don’t have one. We have a bird - the blue hen; we have a fish - the weakfish; we even have a marine animal - the horseshoe crab, of course! But according to Delaware’s own governmental website, we have no state mammal. Kevin has mentioned the groundhog, the red fox and the white tailed deer as possible candidates. Marine mammal-fanciers have mentioned whales or dolphins. You can compare what other states have for their mammals and get ideas. Then send in your nominees into us here at the Debbie Reed Team by posting your comments on this blog, and we’ll get this campaign for proper mammalian representation off the ground!/Posted by David Warick

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Apr 2, 2008

Before a home owner curses the troubled housing market, he or she should take solace in the U.S. tax code, which makes buying a home a good deal for almost everyone.Here’s why: Mortgage interest deductions, including in some cases mortgage insurance premiums, reduce home owners’ tax liability by reducing income. The deduction includes interest paid on both a first and a second home. Interest on home equity loans is also deductible — whether the borrower uses the money to remodel the kitchen or to take a vacation to Disney World. Profits from selling a house are potentially a huge windfall. When a home owner sells a primary residence, any profit on the sale of the property is tax free up to $250,000 for single home owners and $500,000 for married home owners filing. Any profit above that is nearly always a long-term capital gain taxed at 15 percent — less if the seller’s tax rate is less than 20 percent. Home owners can itemize. That opens up opportunities to deduct a host of other items that wouldn’t be deductible if the taxpayer took the standard deduction. Source: The Boston Globe, Leonard Wiener (03/02/08)

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Apr 2, 2008

WASHINGTON, March 06, 2008 - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today published new FHA and conforming loan limits, based on median home prices as mandated by the Economic Stimulus Act signed by President Bush in February. New loan limits for FHA and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now calculated at 125 percent of the HUD published median prices, with a floor of $271,050 and $417,000, respectively, not to exceed $729,750. NAR expects the impact on the housing market to be significant because of the infusion of capital into the mortgage market, which should result in lower interest rates across the board. In addition, there will be a direct impact on high-cost areas that previously required borrowers to take out costlier jumbo mortgages. Read more> NAR's Chart of New FHA and GSE Loan Limits> (PDF: 239K) This is a chart that outlines both the new FHA and GSE Loan Limits for every county in the United States. Please note: To verify the NAR numbers visit the HUD Website: https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/hicostlook.cfm Enter your state and/or county and the type of limit you want to find in the drop-down menu called "Limit Type." (FHA, HECM, Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae). Visit the FHA Website> FHA Mortgage Limit Database> This FHA database features an interactive US map, which provides county-by-county loan limits information. OFHEO's Chart of Areas with Higher GSE Conforming Loan Limits> (PDF: 21K) This chart includes just the metropolitan statistical areas, micropolitan statistical areas, and rural counties that now have conforming loan limits above $417,000, organized by state.

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