Colonial in Manahawkin

Long Beach Island (LBI) Beach Home

Leisure Village +55 Adult Community

3 -- National Anthem Day
8 -- Full Moon Day
11 -- Daylight Savings Time Begins
17 -- St. Patrick's Day

Existing-home sales rose in January, marking three gains in the past four months, while inventories continued to improve, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Total existing-home sales increased 4.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.57 million in January from a downwardly revised 4.38 million-unit pace in December and are 0.7 percent above a spike to 4.54 million in January 2011.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said strong gains in contract activity in recent months show buyers are responding to very favorable market conditions. "The uptrend in home sales is in line with all of the underlying fundamentals – pent-up household formation, record-low mortgage interest rates, bargain home prices, sustained job creation and rising rents."

Total housing inventory at the end of January fell 0.4 percent to 2.31 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 6.1-month supply at the current sales pace, down from a 6.4-month supply in December.

"The broad inventory condition can be described as moving into a rough balance, not favoring buyers or sellers," Yun said. "Foreclosure sales are moving swiftly with ready home buyers and investors competing in nearly all markets. A government proposal to turn bank-owned properties into rentals on a large scale does not appear to be needed at this time."

Total unsold listed inventory has trended down from a record 4.04 million in July 2007, and is 20.6 percent below a year ago.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage was a record low 3.92 percent in January, down from 3.96 percent in December; the rate was 4.76 percent in January 2011.

You've most likely heard that location, location, location is the most important factor in real estate. While this may be true, another important factor to consider as you try to find the best neighborhoods for resale value is the quality of the local school system. Even if you don’t have children, it would be prudent to research the closest schools before purchasing a home.

By placing a call to the local school district, you should be able to find out what type of funding area students receive, what the average class size is, and how well students have performed on standardized tests. In addition, find out if they offer any special programs, what percentage of students graduate and go on to college, and whether or not the district will be opening or closing any schools in the near future.

For many prospective home buyers with children (or plan to), the quality and reputation of the local school system may be as critical to their buying decision as the appeal of the home itself. Regardless of where the home is located, the quality and reputation of the schools will affect the home's value, not only when you buy, but when you sell.

Swimming makes an excellent family activity because it’s fun, inexpensive and everyone can participate at their own level. In addition, you can burn hundreds of calories, build upper-body strength, build nice muscle tone in your shoulders and back, and give your heart, lungs and all the major muscle groups in your body a good workout.

Since most kids won't want to swim laps, here's a sure-fire game that will keep you all entertained for hours -- it's called "sharks and minnows." You can play this game in any body of water (pool, lake) as long as you have two separate target areas, called "safe zones." A few swimmers are selected to be sharks, and it's their job to roam the open water. The rest of the swimmers are minnows, and they line up in one of the safe zones. On a signal, the minnows must wade or swim to the opposite safe zone. If a shark touches any part of a minnow while they are above water, the minnow is caught and becomes a shark. When there are no minnows left, you start over.

Other fun games include chicken, colors, diving games, life saving games, sandbank, pairs, stations and water polo. If you or your kids can't swim, consider taking swimming lessons this Spring. You can find affordable lessons though your local YMCA, college or the American Red Cross. And, most kids love the water. Good luck getting them out of the pool to go home!

Question 1.) A leprechaun is really an Irish what?
a.) Robber
b.) Shoemaker
c.) Magician
d.) Shop owner

Question 2.) A popular Irish dish made of shredded cabbage, minced onions, mashed potatoes and butter is known as?
a.) Shepherd's pie
b.) Colcannon
c.) Irish Stew
d.) Poorman's porridge

Question 3.) A whiskey made from potatoes is called what?
a.) Poteen
b.) Spudkey
c.) Dunken
d.) Potato ale

Question 4.) Kissing the Blarney Stone is supposed to give you what?
a.) The gift of being able to fabricate stories
b.) Longer life and more laughter
c.) Removes shyness and gives the gift of gab
d.) The ability to detect a lie

Question 5.) Harland and Wolf are famous in Ireland for what?
a.) Shipbuilders
b.) Explorers
c.) Folk singing
d.) Poetry

Answers

Your host has seated you, the water boy has filled your glass, the waiter has told you about the house specials, and then this stranger comes out of nowhere to tell you about the wine list. Who is that?

In a fine restaurant, that person is known as a sommelier, or wine steward. A sommelier is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional who specializes in all facets of wine service; the role is more specialized and informed than that of a wine waiter. A professional sommelier works the restaurant floor and interacts with the customers. It's the sommelier's responsibility to work within the taste preference and budget parameters of the patron, and to make their wining and dining experience remarkable.

Other responsibilities include wine procurement, storage, wine cellar rotation, the development of wine lists, and often the delivery of wine service and training for other restaurant staff. In some cases, the sommelier will work with the culinary team and suggest wines that will best complement various menu items.

In addition, a sommelier's role may encompass all aspects of the restaurant's service, with a special focus on wine, beer, spirits, tobacco and other refreshments.

• March 2
  • Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
  • Project X
  • Being Flynn
  • Boy
  • Tim & Eric's Billon Dollar Movie
• March 9
  • Solent House
  • John Carter
  • A Thousand Words
  • The Decoy Bride
  • Footnote
  • Friends with Kids
  • Jiro Dreams of Sushi
  • Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
  • Seeking Justice
• March 16
  • Casa de Mi Padre
  • The FP
  • Jeff, Who Lives at Home
  • The Kid with a Bike
  • Natural Selection
  • Reuniting the Rubins
• March 23
  • The Hunger Games
  *Opening dates may vary depending where you live.

Ingredients - Serves 8+

• 4 lbs. ham
• 1 large onion -- cut in half
• 2 carrots -- washed and scraped
• 2 small bay leaves
• 3-4 cloves
• 4 peppercorns
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 wine glass cider vinegar
• Cloves
• Whiskey glaze
• 5 tbsp. Irish whiskey
• 6 level tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 1/2 level tbsp. colmans mustard

Directions

1. Place the ham, skin-side down, in a large saucepan and cover completely with cold water. Bring very slowly to a boil, discard the water and cover once again with fresh water.
2. Add the onion, carrots, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, sugar and vinegar. Bring back slowly to a boil and as soon as boiling point is reached, reduce to simmering. Cover and simmer until the ham is cooked.
3. Remove ham from water and let cool. Strip the rind and score the fat in diamonds. Place a clove in each diamond and place the ham on a rack in a small roasting tin. Brush the ham all over with whiskey. Mix the sugar, mustard and remaining whiskey together and spread on scored fat.
4. Bake at 400 degrees in a pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes, basting two or three times, until the glaze is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before carving.

Wine Pairing

• Domaine Parent Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2005

Definition: [ak-wee-ES] - 1. To accept or consent passively or without objection -- usually used with "in" or "to."

Example:The art dealer was hoping the prospective buyer might acquiesce to the fact the work was original and worth every penny.

Trivia Answers
#1. b.) Shoemaker; #2. b.) Colcannon; #3 a.) Poteen; #4. c.) Removes shyness and gives the gift of gab; #5. a.) Shipbuilders (they built the Titanic)