Is Atlantic City Going to Be a New Luxury Home Market?

There is a lot of talk about Atlantic City as a real estate investment these days. The opening of new casinos tends to always build the hype. ActionNews 6 has plenty of coverage on the impending openings of the Hard Rock Atlantic City and Ocean Resort Casino, Counting down to new casinos in Atlantic City.

After reading lots of viewpoints on whether or not to invest in Atlantic City, I decided to ask Ian Lazarus, owner of Shore Points Realty – a residential and commercial brokerage in Wildwood, a long-time Jersey Shore Realtor who was part of Atlantic City’s second wave in the late 80s, what he thought of Atlantic City as a real estate investment, “I had my original 15 minutes of fame in Atlantic City in the late 88’s when Atlantic City was starting its second wave.

They aren’t re-births, the town never died. All things have cycles and this resort town isn’t immune to recessions. I think this time around it is different. Not because gambling isn’t the prime reason people are coming down here.

The biggest reason is the real estate prices for the first time have deflated since the casinos artificially cranked them up, so the entrance price to build a casino or non-casino developments was prohibitive. This wave is going to bring in other entertainment and businesses that have a shot to grow.

It’s still going to take years before it’s a luxury home market but until then, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

A recent trip to Atlantic City has me convinced it’s headed in the right direction and could be a great place to invest in a Jersey Shore home, though it's important to remember the tax and insurance expenses in Atlantic City One of the keys will be to choose the right area.

Preparing Your Vacation Home for Hurricane Season

With the start of the 2017 hurricane season almost here and the potential to impact the entire East Coast from Philadelphia home owners to those vacationing in places like the Outer Banks, it's important to be prepared. This article from Money Q and A provides some great insight into getting yourself prepared for a hurricane and not just being sure your home is properly insured before hurricane season.

How to How To Prepare Your Home For Hurricane Season Right Now!

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season predictions call for 11 named storms – four hurricanes, two of which are estimated to be major ones. While a slower season is expected, there is an increase in historic-level storms, floods, and fires that cause massive devastation. Hurricanes activity is up 80% since 1980.

The increased activity is one of the main reasons why a preparedness plan has become so essential. But, so many don’t take the time to put together a thorough plan that protects their family.

Hurricanes are unpredictable. You need to have your finances in order as the heart of hurricane season approaches in September. Now is the time to prepare your finances for the hurricane season.

Additional Supplies and Provisions

After Hurricane Hugo in 1989, my family and I were without power for almost a week. I can remember walking through our neighborhood and all of the neighbors cooking food before it spoiled on their barbeque grills. I ate a lot of free hamburgers and hot dogs in the neighborhood that week.

My parents were fortunate. Cousins from the upstate where we stayed to ride out the storm lent us a portable gas generator to use when we got home.

It’s also a good idea to have plenty of non-perishable food and water set-aside for every member of your family in the case of a hurricane. Don’t forget about your pets’ food and water too.

Another item that many people forget about is cash. If the power is out for an extended period of time, you could find it near impossible to use a credit card or get cash out of an ATM. You should consider having a small stockpile of cash in the event of an emergency. Maybe you keep a small portion of your emergency fund at home in a fireproof safe in cash.

1st Crowdfunded Real Estate Investment Trust

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RealtyMogul.com, a leading online marketplace for commercial real estate investing, today announced the launch of its first commercial real estate fund, MogulREIT I. Structured as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with a minimum investment of $2,500, the fund is open to nearly all* investors and offers the potential for consistent cash dividends and equity appreciation.

MogulREIT I has been designed to offer investors a number of distinct advantages. By investing in the “REIT,” investors will gain access to a diversified pool of commercial real estate investments with one single investment. The fund intends to invest in a variety of commercial real estate, including multifamily, retail, self-storage and office.

The fund is also designed to have low fees. Traditional non-traded “REITs” employ a highly manpower-intensive sales method, resulting in upfront sales commissions of 7 percent, on average, and total expenses of up to 15 percent.** By offering MogulREIT I exclusively on its platform, RealtyMogul.com affords investors direct online access to the product with no sales commission and offering expenses capped at 3 percent.***

“Beyond the zero commissions and lower fees, the fund’s strategy is exciting because it allows us to leverage RealtyMogul.com’s hundreds of inbound inquiries for financing on commercial real estate and curate them to find suitable opportunities,” said RealtyMogul.com CEO Jilliene Helman. Read More

How to Choose the Right Auto Insurance Company

It seems as if there is a car insurance company for just about every type of vehicle, every type of coverage, and every type of budget. The way to find the right car insurance provider for your needs is to define that those needs happen to be, and then identify the car insurance providers that will meet those needs.

From there, it is just a matter of setting up the criteria to compare auto insurance providers with one another, so the best option is chosen. Here are some guidelines to help identify auto insurance companies that will work for you.

Should You Choose A National Or Local Car Insurance Company?

Some people simply do not feel comfortable dealing with car insurance providers that are not well known. If name recognition is important, then there are plenty of excellent choices. Check into Progressive Auto Insurance or State Farm Auto Insurance. Both companies have reasonable rates and agents in just about every city and town in the country. Both will provide a car insurance quote that breaks down the costs so you can compare apples to apples.

Perhaps something more localized, such as a regional car insurance provider might be more to your taste. If that is the case, you can check into such offerings as the quotes by USAA Auto Insurance and Safeco Auto Insurance.

The advantage there is that the regional providers often have a streamlined operation and may offer some really good rates. Plus, they often try to cultivate stronger ties with their clientele than some of the larger players in the market. If you are looking for New Jersey car insurance, Georgia car insurance, or Utah car insurance, going regional may be a good choice.

How to Find Cheap Car Insurance

For cheap car insurance, you may find it helpful to check with some of the independent insurance agencies in your area. While many of them specialize in high risk insurance coverage that is often costlier, many independent agents will also have one or two low cost insurance providers in their arsenal as well.

Cheap auto insurance does not necessarily mean bad insurance. Most states have minimum standards and these options will meet those standards. If you need to think in terms of budget car insurance, an independent agent may be able to provide you with just what you need.

Finding Classic Car Insurance

Classic car insurance is also a concern for many auto owners. There are a number of options when it comes to protecting a vintage automobile.

Look for an auto insurance quote from providers that specifically have packages for classic vehicles, such as AA Car Insurance. Gather three or four car insurance quotes and compare the deductibles and coverage amounts. Chances are you can insure your classic vehicle for a lot less than you think.

When Should You Choose to Buy Insurance for Your Home Business

HOME BUSINESS INSURANCE

Unfortunately, many home based business owners don’t realize they have little or no coverage under a standard homeowners policy. If something were to happen such as a delivery person slipping while making a business related delivery, then as homeowner you could find yourself without any coverage.

If you have started a home business, then obtaining home business insurance may have not been high on your list of priorities. In fact, you may have never heard about home business insurance before. But the fact of the matter is that everyone who operates a small business has a great  need for insurance coverage as any other type of business. Many professions that work from home like real estate agents, can benefit from learning how home business insurance should be an important part of their personal risk management program.

Here are some points to consider on home business insurance, including some tips on where to look for affordable home business insurance.

There is more than one type of home business insurance to consider. One that will perhaps be more familiar is affordable home business health insurance. Since you now work for yourself, you will have to make decisions about health coverage. Small business associations are often great resources for health insurance options. Also, many health insurance providers will allow you to participate in a group plan with as few as two enrollees. Check into your options for health insurance for home business needs and you may find something that is less expensive that you might think.

Along with health insurance, you need to think about home business liability insurance. If your business sells goods in particular, this is a good idea. Home based business liability insurance protects you from any issues that may arise from use of the product, and allows you to keep operating even if something went wrong with one product. Craft home business insurance would also protect you in the event someone is injured while in your home performing work for your company, which is another matter you should consider. 

Insurance for Home Based Businesses

Business insurance for home based businesses runs the gamut of what any business needs, from health to liability to workman’s compensation coverage. Finding home based business insurance that meets the needs of today and will grow with your company is what every home business owner needs to think about. Fortunately, there are all sorts of avenues for locating in home business insurance that were not there just a few years ago.

A number of providers now make their insurance available on the Internet. Spend some time investigating the terms and conditions you have to meet in order to comply with basic criteria. While you are at it, look for home business insurance coverage endorsement from small business associations for one home business insurance company or another. This will help you to steer clear of some of the more questionable firms and focus on those that have established a solid reputation.

How Safe Are Water Slides?

With the recent death of a 10-year old boy at a Kansas amusement park USA Today has a look, Water slide death casts shadow on summer tradition, at the safety levels of water slides and amusement parks?

In New Jersey, water parks are the biggest source of injuries for amusement park-related incidents, NJ.com reported.

From 2009 to 2014, 122 of the 552 amusement park accidents happened on a water slide and 40% of all accidents occurred in some water-related attraction, NJ.com reported, citing state Division of Community Affairs statistics. Water rides only account for 11% of all rides allowed to operated in the state.

Read the Article 

Make Sure Your Small Business Marketing Events Are Insured

Saw this article on a small business marketing blog and thought it worth mentioning. Many times when doing one-off events, small business owners neglect to think about the insurance ramifications. It is especially important to consider the liability if people are going to be on your property or you are hosting an event.


Innovative entrepreneur Neil Patel (Quicksprout, Crazy Egg, KISS Metrics, NeilPatel.com) has a great article in Forbes with some excellent ideas for how to market a small business, from using handwritten notes to hosting/organizing events. One thing that immediately jumped to mind is that for many of the ideas it would be important to check or change your small business’s insurance coverage.

From Try These 10 Rarely Used Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses…

Sponsor a kids day.
What do kids love? Bounce houses, balloons, candy, and games.

What do parents love? Taking their kids to the aforementioned events for free.

What are you waiting for? Rent a few bounce houses, hire a balloon artist, and turn up the music. A rousing kids day at your place of business is good clean fun. Plus, it showers your business with the good graces of kids and parents alike.

Host a block party.

Why is it that residential neighborhoods get to have all the fun? Get your small business in party mode.

You can start a party wherever you are. Invite other local businesses, rent a barbecue barrel, prepare some free soft drinks, and have some fun!

If you’re lucky, you might even get some news coverage!

Definitely take the time to read the whole article and see what you could apply to your business.

As a small business owner it’s definitely important to check your insurance coverage before planning and hosting a kids day or block party. Bounce houses have a high number of injuries and every now and then make the news for coming untethered. (Bounce House Injuries Become an ‘Epidemic’ – Time Magazine)

You wouldn’t want what could be an excellent marketing opportunity to become a nightmare. Taking the simple step of checking your insurance coverage and the insurance coverage on any vendors you use to provide like the bounce houses.

The same advice goes for anyone planning a block party or summer barbeque. If there is going to be alcohol at any event, it is especially important to be sure you are covered for the liability associated with having alcohol, catering, and an on-site event.

Definitely build-in any insurance cost associated with the event into your total budget for the event.

Reprinted from Small Business Website Advice Blog: THE IMPORTANCE OF INSURANCE WHEN USING INNOVATIVE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING IDEAS