Living At The New Jersey Shore

Ever since I was a young boy I knew that living at the New Jersey Shore was the life I wanted when I was older. The reason being is that when I was young my dad and mom rented homes on Long Beach Island so that they and my sister and I would have a great summer vacation each year.

They started by renting one week at a time and then turned to two and three weeks each summer. I couldn't wait until school was over knowing that we were heading the the New Jersey Shore again.

They rented from a man that owned two home on the Island and one of them was right on the bay with it's own dock and a 12 foot row boat with a 10 horse power motor that we rented for a whole $10.00 per week added on the rent of course for the house.

After a few years had passed the fellow that own the bay house decided he wanted to sell it and my parents got the first dibs on it because the owner and my parents got along so well and he knew how much we all loved being there each summer.

So, the final cost, back in the 70's this is, was $20,000.00 which was a lot of money than and is still today, but think about it, you can not ever buy a new car for $20,000.00 nowadays.

This house is the house I then grew up in every summer and all summer long. What a life that was for my sister and I to be able to get up in the morning, go out on the dock and go crabbing, fishing and taking the boat out with my father each day.

As those years passed and I got older, the prices of these homes got higher and higher and before I knew it only the rich could then buy on Long Beach Island.

The house was located in Ship Bottom and was really in the center of the 18 mile long Island. The was a great location being in the center if there would happen to be a big storm and the Island would have to evacuate for the fear of floods and of course hurricanes.

To the far North of the Island is Barnegat Light, a beautiful red and white light house that has been refurbished over the years. Many people go there to walk up the hundreds of stairs to get to the top and look South downthe Island and looking North at Seaside, with the inlet dividing the Seaside and Barnegat.

Down at the far South of the Island is Beach Haven and Holgate is which Holgate is a Nature Reserve and in certain times of the year you can get your beach permit and take your 4x4 truck out to the very end of Holgate which is about 3 miles long until you hit the Beach Haven Inlet.

Directly across the Inlet is Atlantic City with all the beautiful Casinos directly in front of your eyes. It is such a beautiful site to see and at night it is even better with all the Casinos lite up.

Getting back to my life living at the New Jersey Shore has been disappointing and then exciting as well. All my married life my wife and I tried our hardest to buy at the New Jersey Shore.

The homes we found in Beach Haven West which each home was on a lagoon, our children fought us tooth and nail not to move because of all their friends and not wanting to leave their school in midstream.

My wife and I agreed and stayed put in our home 50 miles from the Ocean and Bay. Now that our children are grown and on their own we started to look around at the Jersey shore for a Retirement Community (55+)

We have had it with the huge mortgage payments and never able to get our heads above water even though we both worked full time.

I decided, after I became clean and sober from many years of drinking alcohol it was time for the change in our lives. If I can quit drinking alcohol then I sure could be able to find our home by the sea.

The search began and we will into many places that were too expensive and would defeat our purpose of living the simple life debt free.

My wife of 30 years came up with an idea that in fact was a brilliant one.

She suggested a Mobile home Park that was a 55+ Community with a club house, pool and everything that goes with easy living.

Me now being sober, and i the one that always wanted the best home on the water on Long Beach Island finally gave in and said it was a brilliant idea.

We searched many Adult Communities and can across one that was perfect for our needs. It was a mile from the open bay and 6 minutes to the Atlantic Ocean. Perfect I said, and we are out of harms way of bad storms and Hurricanes.

The single wides were just too small for us, being we were leaving a home over 2000 square feet in size. We agreed to find a double wide (rancher style) which would be the perfect size for us. The problem was that there were very few for sale, in fact only 3 double wides.

We found a that was a double wide, but needed a ton of major work. She really walked right out when she saw the work involved to get it in living condition.

I on the other hand saw potential, because I re-modeled many homes and built many home from the bottom up in my day. I knew I could make this a palace for us to spend our remaining years together living at the New Jersey Shore.

I watched as the price dropped and waited for the right moment to crab my dream home by the Sea. I made my offer and it was excepted and began to start our re-model. I gutted everything and put everything new.

I design the kitchen for my wife's liking and what would make it easy to cook. We didn't go overboard on the cost of appliances, because it would defeat the purpose of our living the simple life. Everything was new and workable and that is all that mattered.

We are totally moved in, with the inside and outside completely done and ready to relax at the New Jersey Shore for the rest of our years.

We pay one fee (association) which includes, taxes, water, sewer, swimming pool, club house, trash pickup and snow removal all for the cost of $455.00 per month. House is paid in full and only need to pay the Association fee and our utilities and we are debt free.

Now that's what life should be, at least for us, simple and New Jersey Shore Living.