2019:

Jan.

Feb.

March

April

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

This Weeks News 10/31/2019

From a boat or from a dock...fishing is a great way to enjoy the beauty of Seven Mile Island!
 
LOTS HAPPENING ON THE BEACHES:

• Stone Harbor reported that over 50 volunteers removed 1,823 items from Stone Harbor's beaches during the fall beach sweep last weekend. Thanks to all those who volunteered to help clean beaches in Avalon & Stone Harbor!
   
• Aerial dune fertilization was scheduled to take place on Avalon's dunes earlier this week. A small airplane is used to fertilize dune grass, a process which was expected to take about two and a half hours.
   
• Crews have geared up for a hydraulic beach replenishment project to rebuild Avalon's north-end beaches, using sand pumped from Townsend's Inlet.

A NEW COAST GUARD CUTTER has arrived in Cape May which the vessel will call its home port. After departing a shipyard in Louisiana the "Angela McShan" made several stops along the East Coast before arriving in Cape May last month. Having been formally commissioned this past weekend, the new 134' ship and her crew will conduct fisheries enforcement, search and rescue, and port security missions along the coast. The ship honors Angela McShan, an Alabama native who enlisted in 1979 and eventually rose to the rank of Master Chief in 2000, becoming the first African-American woman promoted to Master Chief in the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard established the Master Chief Petty Officer Angela M. McShan Inspirational Leadership Award in her name.
 
WINTERIZATION REMINDER: If you haven't already done so, contact your plumber to schedule the winterization of your house. Outdoor showers and other outside water lines should be shut off and drained, while foundation vents should be closed to prevent cold air from reaching crawlspace pipes. Set interior thermostats to 55 degrees to keep inside water lines warm. Consult your contractor or plumber for other situations unique to your home. Need a contractor or plumber? Call or email me! 

TURN BACK THOSE CLOCKS this weekend! Daylight Savings Time officially ends Sunday at 2am, so set your clocks back an hour at bedtime on Saturday, and enjoy an extra hour of sleep!
 
MAY I HELP YOU? Whether you need advice on acquiring an investment property, or a simple restaurant recommendation, I'm ready to help! Call or email me any time! 
 
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! May your favorite ghosts, goblins, and vampires enjoy plenty of treats!

 

This Weeks News 10/24/2019

MARKET STATS: 40 Properties were sold during the month of September, up slightly over August, and down just slightly from September last year. The number of active listings continued to shrink, dropping to 219 last month, down slightly from last year. For a detailed look at the market see the latest Long & Foster Market Minute report below.
 
VIEW THE LATEST LONG & FOSTER MARKET MINUTE REPORT  |  DOWNLOAD/PRINT PDF
 

 
THE AVALON BOULEVARD BRIDGE will undergo repairs during the offseason. A re-decking project is expected to begin later this year and continue until May 2020, when work will be halted for the summer season. In September 2020 work will resume and is expected to finish in May 2021. Temporary traffic signals will be erected on either side of the bridge, limiting traffic to one alternating lane during the bulk of the project. 
 
STONE HARBOR'S DUNES will not be utilized to provide sand to replenish beaches, according to a recent decision by Borough Council. The council debated the merits of using sand from dunes that have grown larger than the "template" size established in 2005, and then spreading that sand on the beaches to increase their size. The council eventually decided the dunes should be left intact, so that sand removed from them and added to beaches would not be lost to winter storms. Hereford Inlet has been a traditional "borrow" site for hydraulic beach replenishment, but a US Fish and Wildlife Service ruling banned the removal of sand from that area three years ago, due to the area's ecological sensitivity.
 
MEANWHILE, DREDGING EQUIPMENT has been mobilized in Townsend's Inlet, which will be the source of sand for Avalon's hydraulic beach replenishment project. The first pipes and equipment arrived early last week, with the actual dredge arriving last Friday. Three tugboats were used to position the dredge, piping, and other equipment in the inlet.
 

The dredge arrived in Townsend's Inlet last Friday and began preparing to pump sand onto Avalon's beaches.
 
CAPE MAY COUNTY AMONG TOP "VACATION HOME COUNTIES": A recent National Association of Realtors report ranks the top "vacation home counties," defined as counties where at least 20% of all home purchases are for vacation usage. Cape May County ranks third on the nationwide list, with 50.6% of homes purchased for vacation purposes. Topping the list are Nantucket and Dukes Counties in Massachusetts, with each at 55.6%. Nantucket County also ranks as the most expensive, with an estimated median sale price of $1,000,000 according to the report. Cape May County ranks 14th with a median price of $317,427, due to its higher percentage of year-round homes. 

 

This Weeks News 10/17/2019

Multiple tugboats began positioning pipes and other heavy equipment in Townsend's Inlet earlier this week, in preparation for Avalon's upcoming beach replenishment project.
 
WETLANDS INSTITUTE RECEIVES GRANT: The Wetlands Institute has been awarded a $49,800 grant from the Disney Conservation Fund for conservation work with diamondback terrapin turtles. Daily road patrols by Wetlands volunteers during terrapin nesting season are perhaps the most visible efforts to stabilize the terrapin population, but The Wetlands Institute conducts other ongoing efforts as well, including the installation of turtle barriers, research on bycatch reduction devices, and headstarting, in which the eggs of roadkilled females are incubated, hatched, and released a year later. The DCF grant renews Disney's support of The Wetlands Institute for another two years. 
 
 
This monarch butterfly stopped to rest briefly on the beach in Strathmere, before taking off again a few minutes later. Monarchs are making their annual journey southward now, and frequently stop in Cape May County before crossing the Delaware Bay.
 
AVALON HOUSE DONATED:  The Szyfman family purchased a lot upon which they'll have a new home built. But rather than tearing down the ranch house already on the site, they donated it to Habitat for Humanity. Dennis Creek House Movers will assist in moving the house to a mainland lot, where Habitat volunteers will prepare it for its eventual owners. Thinking about tearing down a house you own? Consider donating it, which allows you to save demolition costs while recycling at the same time! 
 
AND THE WINNER IS...The winner of the Chowder Contest at last week's Avalon Seafood Festival is...The Princeton! Second place went to The Whitebrier, and third place went to The Watering Hull. Congratulations to the winners!

MORE WAYS TO ENJOY OCTOBER!

• Walk the beach at sunrise...it's a bit later in the morning at this time of year, occurring shortly after 7am, which makes it a little easier to catch!
   
• Go fishing! The water is still warm, and there are still fish to be caught.
   
• Eat out! Many local restaurants are still open, and are a bit less crowded than they are in July!
   
• Visit the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary, or Stone Harbor Point! Wildlife and other natural wonders are always on display!

 

This Weeks News 10/10/2019

Looking for your place on the water? Call or email me and I'll help you find the perfect spot!
 
MORE THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT OCTOBER!

• Shorts & short sleeves during the day, sweaters & sweatshirts at night!
   
• Smoke from a fireplace wafting through the chilly evening air!
   
• Avalon's Seafood Festival--this weekend!  (See below.)
   
• A full moon over the ocean! Make it extra special by climbing the Cape May Lighthouse Sunday evening to view it!  (See below.)

SMUGGLERS COVE PROPERTIES AVAILABLE! The two properties that are home to the iconic Smugglers Cove are available!
 
370 83rd Street consists of a 90'x90' bayfront lot with retail space on the first floor and two residential units upstairs, multiple decks overlooking the water, and a 75' floating dock. It is being offered for $2,950,000.
 
8310 Sunset Drive consists of an 80'x110' lot used for parking, plus a masonry garage and professional office space. It is being offered for $1,850,0000.

Possibilities include operating a marine-related business, a restaurant with rooms or suites, or redevelopment of one or both lots.

I have listed the properties and I'm marketing them for the owners. If you have questions please email or call me, or click below for more details!

LEARN MORE - SMUGGLERS COVE PROPERTIES IN STONE HARBOR, NJ
 
AN ANNUAL FAVORITE: AVALON'S SEAFOOD FESTIVAL returns this weekend, complete with an array of food vendors and activities, beer & wine, and live-streamed college and NFL games. Live music will be featured all weekend, too, along with the annual Chowder Contest, which begins Sunday at 1pm. The Seafood Festival will be held at Surfside Park at 30th Street & the beach, from 10am to 5pm on Saturday & Sunday.
 
BEACH SWEEPS, organized by Clean Ocean Action, will be held in Avalon and Stone Harbor on Saturday, October 26th, from 9am to 12:30pm. Consider volunteering your time to help clean and remove trash from local beaches! In Avalon, volunteers will gather at Community Hall at 30th Street & the beach at 9am; in Stone Harbor, volunteers will gather at Beach Patrol Headquarters at 95th Street & the beach at 9am. Bring gloves, and dress appropriately for the weather.
 
TIME FOR WINTER PREPARATIONS: Take a few moments to plan ahead for the arrival of cold weather.  Call your plumber to schedule the winterization of your outside shower and hoses. Foundation vents should be closed in advance of cold weather to prevent frozen pipes in your crawlspace, and thermostats should be set at 55 degrees to keep inside pipes warm. Consult with your plumber or contractor for additional requirements unique to your home. Need a plumber or contractor? Call or email me--I'll be happy to provide you with recommendations!
 
DID YOU KNOW? 70% of luxury second home buyers think it's a good time to buy a second home; 55% of them believe the luxury residential real estate market is getting stronger. (Source: Luxury Portfolio International 2019) If it's the right time for YOU to buy a second home, call or email me, and we'll formulate a plan to find you the perfect place!

 

This Weeks News 10/3/2019

The D.H. Ingraham wreck is visible again at Stone Harbor Point! This photo, courtesy of Noelle Guest, shows the wreck as it appeared after first being uncovered last winter.
 
UNCOVERED--AGAIN! The shipwreck at Stone Harbor Point has been uncovered by the tides once again. Believed to be the remains of the D.H. Ingraham cargo ship, it's located along the beach about a mile south of the Stone Harbor Point parking lot. The wreck appeared last winter for the first time in decades, and was quickly covered by sand again, but made another brief reappearance in June. The D.H. Ingraham was bound for Virginia when it ran aground during a nor'easter storm on the night of December 4, 1886, and then caught fire; the crew was rescued by a lifeboat rowed from the Anglesea Lifesaving Station.
 
BEACH FILL UPDATE: The US Army Corps of Engineers is expected to begin a hydraulic beach fill project at the end of this month, placing 425,000 cubic yards of sand on Avalon's beaches from 9th Street to 20th Street. Up to 50,000 cubic yards of additional sand could be added to that figure. Sand will be pumped from Townsend's Inlet and used to restore beaches damaged by winter storm activity over the past two years. Equipment will be mobilized over the next few weeks. The $7.56 million project will be funded mostly by the federal and state governments, with Avalon contributing less than 10 percent. A restriction on dredging in Hereford Inlet will prevent a hydraulic beach fill on Stone Harbor beaches. Instead, sand dunes that exceed the Army Corp of Engineers' minimum size profile are being considered as a source for sand harvesting, with that sand being used to widen beaches. Avalon, Stone Harbor, and North Wildwood have retained joint counsel over the matter.
 
THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT OCTOBER ON SEVEN MILE ISLAND:

• Crisp evening air!
   
• "No Turn On Red" restrictions disappear on 96th Street!
   
• It's easy to park along Dune Drive!
   
• The "Bonfire at the Beach" in Stone Harbor on October 5th! (See below.)
   
• The Avalon Seafood Festival October 12th & 13th! (See below.)

THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM was extended by Congress until November 21st, after being set to expire September 30th. The program is periodically renewed by Congress, as flood insurance is mandated by law on federally backed mortgages on homes in flood prone areas. The National Association of Realtors says 40,000 home sales a month depend upon flood insurance.
 
FALL--THE PERFECT TIME TO PLAN AHEAD FOR 2020! If you're going to be booking a vacation property for a week (or more) in 2020, begin your search now, as more properties become available each day. Of course, if you want to make it permanent by owning your own vacation home, the fall is a great time to begin your search. By letting us know your requirements, we can help you find the perfect home for you and your family to begin making memories!