Summer is beginning to sizzle at the Beach in Ocean City!

The Ocean City area continues to sprawl westward across the bay and toward Berlin and Ocean Pines. It is part of the Ocean Pines Micropolitan Statistical Area. The resort area now accommodates hundreds of thousands of vacationers a year.

Ocean City now extends just over 9 miles (~15 km) from the southern inlet to the Delaware line. The strip now supports hotels, motels, apartment houses, shopping centers, residential communities, and condominiums. The southern tip houses the Ocean City Boardwalk. The boardwalk is the main shopping district and entertainment area of the town. The boardwalk has many prominent businesses including Fisher’s Caramel Popcorn & Thrashers French Fries. Other notable boardwalk businesses are Dollies Salt Water Taffy, the Atlantic Stand & Dumser’s Dairyland. The Boardwalk has two amusement parks, Trimper’s Rides and The Pier, which was recently renamed Jolly Roger at The Pier, after its sister uptown local amusement park. The downtown neighborhood is marked by Victorian style houses and other older buildings, many of which have been razed in recent years to construct more parking lots, hotels and condos.

Ocean City has a long history of fishing, both commercial and recreational. The town bills itself as the “White Marlin Capital of the World.” During the summer numerous charter and private boats fish for billfish, tuna, Wahoo, and other game fish. In early August, one of the largest fishing tournaments in the world, the White Marlin Open, is held. Prize money for the largest White Marlin, Blue Marlin, and Tuna can range over 1 million dollars.

The town supports a year-round population of about 8,000, with the town itself being a major employer. Summer employment in Ocean City rises many multiples above that level, supported by a large number of college-age and young adults – many native to Eastern Europe and the United Kingdom – attracted by numerous job opportunities. In the summer, businesses and government agencies are augmented with about 100 seasonal police officers, plus extra firefighters and other workers.

Tourism in the winter has picked up pace. Where once even many traffic lights were shut down or bagged up, increased traffic from golfers and Ocean City Convention Center conventions has convinced many seasonal restaurants and hotels to remain open. Many bars and restaurants that close during the winter re-open for St. Patrick’s Day.

The city has erected a memorial to the firefighters who lost their lives on September 11. This memorial is located on the boardwalk, about six blocks from the inlet. The memorial consists of a firefighter statue, engraved brick and stone, and a piece of one of the twin towers that collapsed in New York City.

Effective 26 April 2010, the town of Ocean City began diverting all of its recyclable waste into the main waste stream. Ocean City’s waste, including all of its recyclable waste, is being incinerated at a waste facility in Pennsylvania in order to generate electricity.

Thank you to the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce.

Oceanfront Condo - Ocean City, Md.

Why It’s A Good Time To Buy A 2^nd Home Or Investment Property

Most owners that have a 2nd home or an investment property own that property in a different location then where their primary residence is located.

It is quite common to have that property in a resort setting such as a beach or ski destination.  Since I am at the shore, our owners fall into the beach category. They use their property the most during the warmer summer months. They either use their property as a second home and/or vacation spot or put the property in a rental program to generate income.  Some do a combination of both.

Now that it is fall and these owners are using their places less, we do seem to see some additional inventory listed for sale, which can make it the perfect opportunity for a perspective purchaser to buy in a resort market. In some cases, the seller is ready to move on, and has just completed the time of year when they will utilize the property the most, therefore they may be more motivated to competitively price the property.

Hear that sound? That’s opportunity knocking. Many buyers have been uncertain about taking the jump into the housing market. With interest rates and property values at historic lows, what are you waiting for?