With the sun in her eyes, the sand in her toes and minnows & sand crabs nibbling at her heels, 3 year old Kristen Hamann fell in love with the most wonderful beach in the universe, Wildwood Crest, New Jersey.

There has never been a day since that her heart left Wildwood-by-the-Sea. Says Kristen:

"I was one of the lucky ones who spent every summer at the shore. If I wasn't romping in the surf I was fishing in Ottens Harbor on my grandfather's commercial fishing boat. Those were happy years filled with happy memories, even though my nose was always blistered & peeled from the baby oil & iodine! Oh, such fun digging in the sand, running through the dunes, and then cooling off in the waves."

Kristen's dream of moving to Cape May County soon came true. In 1973 she moved to town, suitcase in hand! She soon married & had 2 beautiful daughters, Lauren & Shawn. All the while, she searched for her life's special work: she was a lifeguard, a waitress & even a fitness trainer. And then, Kristen took heed to words spoken by a college professor who said "There are 5 ways of becoming wealthy in one's lifetime. You can be born into it; you can marry into it; you can win the lottery; you can even become a thief, or! You can get into real estate." And that, as they say, started it all.

So, off she went to real estate school, several times, as a matter-of-fact, eventually earning her prestigious Broker's license and graduating from the expansive educational series to earn the GRI designation (Graduate Realtor Institute). This is impressive schooling.

Soon, Kristen was introduced to the exhilarating world of seashore real estate through a friendship with the Morey family. The Moreys were developing a trendsetting beachfront, gated community named Seapointe Village in Diamond Beach. Kristen was asked to join them as sales associate thereby beginning an 11 year association with the Moreys. Typically her focus would have been on buyers & sellers, but she learned more yet: financing, title work, deeds, condominium documents and, of course as one would expect at a building site: the ins and outs of new construction. Kristen says: "All of this would be, in its own rite, the utmost experience for a real estate professional. For me, it was also a dream-come-true. I sold what I loved most: the beautiful Wildwoods beach."

Then, the yearning to move on struck her. Although her friends and family encouraged her to move to Stone Harbor & Avalon, Kristen held fast in her belief that the Wildwoods were ripe for a turnaround. That was 1996. Her business continued to grow. She proved a natural when working with her clients, whether buyers or sellers, but the heavy workload proved too much for one person. How would she continue to build her business and not jeopardize herself? That's simple: Christine Shafer!

It took Kristen several years to persuade Chris to join together with her and work as a team. In September of 2002, the two became business partners, moving to Lees Real Estate. Kristen says "It's been a wild & wonderful 3 years!"

Kristen and Chris believe that with two persons working together they can provide their clients with the best possible service. Their motto is "We believe in the Wildwoods", which is evident in the actions they have each taken, purchasing & owning investment properties throughout Five Mile Beach. But for Kristen the partnership has opened up one important door that was narrowly opened to her before: the time for her, & her 3 Jack Russell dogs, Roxie Girl,Patsy Cline & Ms. Jayne Russell, to enjoy all the best things in life that living at the shore can bring: crabbing, fishing, frolicking in the surf & walking on the white sandy beaches of Wildwoods-by-the-Sea.

If owning a seashore home has been your dream, then call Kristen Hamann; you'll be glad that you did!

Christine Shafer has long been one of the busiest persons in Wildwood-by-the-Sea since…forever! At 8 years of age she first explored the island on bicycle, riding everywhere, getting the lay-of-the-land and of course, always, always making friends.

Chris’ parents purchased their first investment property, a 6-unit rental on 16th Avenue in North Wildwood back in 1959. Several years later, in 1965, they took the biggest step and purchased a motel, the Sea Cove Motel, which they operated for over 10 summer seasons. It was during this time that she learned the ins & outs of property management. Chris assisted Mom & Dad, Jean & Stanley Skros (Port Richmond, Philadelphia natives) as a chambermaid and eventually, as motel manager. As Chris says:

“There was nothing more that I liked to do than ride my bike around town. In those days, though, I needed to get all of my chores done first. There were rooms to be swept & cleaned, a pool to pretty-up, and bookkeeping to do. And if this wasn’t enough, next came some babysitting for younger brother, Eddie.” Says Chris, “I’ve been busy ever since!”

It was always in the cards for Chris to be involved in real estate in the Wildwoods. When she & her own family, including sons, Brian & Mark, moved to Cape May County from Levittown, PA in 1986 it didn’t take her long to find her niche. Soon after buying her home in North Cape May, she was referred to Ed Lees at Lees Real Estate Agency in Wildwood. It seems as if he was in need of a secretary. Bingo! Chris was hired and off & running in her real estate career. She remained with Lees Real Estate in several different capacities; office manager, rental agent, and sales agent, for 11 years when the roaming bug bit her.

Chris has always been committed to her career. From about 1986-1990 her average sales price of a Wildwoods property was between $29,000 to a high of maybe $99,000! Says Chris: “In the mid-1990’s there were real estate offices closing. Their agents moved on to other jobs. I am proud to have stayed on through the lean years. And now, I have been in business for over 20 years in the Wildwoods.”

And, for the last several years, she has been partnered with Kristen Hamann back where she began her career: Lees Real Estate! And now, all those years that Chris spent bicycling about the Wildwoods has paid off. She is intricately familiar with location, probability of successful development, and most certainly what is the best & highest use of land? This working knowledge has proven her strength: builders & developers both turn to Chris for her input & ideas. This is experience & working knowledge of this island.

Says Chris: “It has been exciting to represent several developers here, too.” She has cultivated working relationships with notable developers, such as the DiLorenzo-Langi group. Their most recent project has been the conversion of the Lampost Motel located just steps from the boardwalk on 21st Avenue in North Wildwood. “Not everyone wants to tear down the old history to build cookie-cutter boxes. This conversion is ideal: the best of the old updated with the best of the new!”

Ocean Breeze in the 300 east block of Hand Avenue in Wildwood is yet another project that Chris has marketed. “It’s not only putting up the For Sale sign, you know. Representing a developer is long hours of researching costs, financing options & feasibility studies. This all doesn’t happen overnight. The planning starts before a property has even been purchased. The developer must know all possibilities; will this project work for me? This is critical!”

What gain comes from this professionalism & experience? In 2004 she was the recipient of the prestigious New Jersey Association of Realtors Circle of Excellence, GOLD LEVEL. To Chris, though, the awards are not important; the importance to her? “It is the knowledge that I have represented my buyers & sellers in the highest regards. It is them, not the awards that motivate me.”