Randy Leiser, Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc., 2997 Dune Drive, PO Box 10, Avalon, NJ 08202
toll-free: 800-967-7796 x212  |  local: 609-967-3001  |  fax: 609-967-3057  |  e-mail: Randy@RandyLeiser.com
2021: Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

This Weeks News 3/25/2021

Beach
Spring is here, and that makes some of us happy enough to do cartwheels on the beach!
 
BEACH TAGS AVAILABLE ONLINE! Avalon and Stone Harbor beach tags are now available for online purchase! Tags have been traditionally sold only in person, or payment could be mailed in advance, with tags to be picked up in person. Many have asked for the ability to order tags online, and that option is now reality! Tag maker Jersey Cape Tags has partnered with Avalon and Stone Harbor to offer seasonal beach tags from each town via their online store.
 
ORDER: JERSEY CAPE TAGS ONLINE STORE - AVALON 2021 SEASONAL BEACH TAG
 
ORDER: JERSEY CAPE TAGS ONLINE STORE - STONE HARBOR 2021 SEASONAL BEACH TAG

THE TOP TWO SPOTS on a NJ.com list of the towns with the highest median single-family sale prices are held by Avalon (1) and Stone Harbor (2). The NJ.com article reports that the median single-family sale price in Stone Harbor was $2,500,000 last year, while in Avalon the median single-family sale price was $2,578,750. (The median is the middle datapoint, with half being lower and half being higher.)
 
DID YOU KNOW that there are still affordable properties in Avalon & Stone Harbor, despite the pricy reputation each town has? Check out this week's new listings, as well as what's recently gone under contract or sold, down below. Name your price range and let me help you find the perfect place!
 
WORLD WAR II ORDNANCE FOUND: two unexploded artillery shells were found in a back yard in Cape May. Local police and fire departments secured the scene, while the Atlantic City Bomb Squad was dispatched. Bomb squad technicians removed the ordnance and safely detonated it on the beach. Cape May played an important part in monitoring the coastline during World War II; the lookout tower on Sunset Boulevard and the remains of the gun embankment on the beach near the Cape May lighthouse are two prominent reminders of the role the city played in protecting the coastline, and the entrance to the Delaware Bay.
 
TIME FOR DUNE GRASS PLANTING! Avalon's Spring Dune Grass Planting event is just around the corner. Volunteers are invited to help plant dune grass on Saturday, April 17th, and should report to Avalon Community Hall at 30th Street and Avalon Avenue at 8:30am. A brief planting demonstration will be conducted, and special utensils for planting will be provided, as well as a box lunch after planting. To sign up please contact Chuck McDonnell at Community Hall at 609-967-3066 or Sue Keen at 609-967-5924. In the event of rain, the planting will be moved to Sunday, April 18th.
 
NEED A SUMMER JOB? The Stone Harbor Job Fare is scheduled for Saturday, April 10th from 10am to 5pm. Local businesses invite you to stop in to ask questions or request an application for employment during that time.

 

This Weeks News 3/18/2021

Clammer
A clammer works a mud flat at low tide behind Stone Harbor.
 
THE HOUSING BOOM...THIS TIME IT'S DIFFERENT: The Wall Street Journal reports that the current real estate market "is the inverse of the previous boom...in nearly every meaningful way." (WSJ, March 15, 2021). Among the factors cited are larger down payments and tighter credit standards than before; limited supply of housing versus too much new construction last time; demand this time around is driven by Covid and a new focus on where we live, including renovations for more space or vacation home purchases. Read the full article here:

THE PANDEMIC IGNITED A HOUSING BOOM-BUT IT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE LAST ONE
 
Rocket Launch

ROCKET LAUNCH IN FLORIDA? CATCH IT AT THE JERSEY SHORE! Yes, the recent SpaceX rocket launched from Cape Canaveral was visible from the Jersey Shore and caught by photographer Jennifer Khordi as it passed! Six of Jennifer's incredible photos are here:
 
SPACEX ROCKET LIGHTS UP THE JERSEY SHORE SKY IN AWE-INSPIRING SPECTACLE
 
WHERE CAN YOU FIND A SNOW LEOPARD, a black bear, an African bison, and an elk? Right in Cape May County, of course, at the Cape May County Park & Zoo! An 8-year-old female snow-leopard named Maliha is the latest addition to the zoo, joining an enormous variety of residents. The zoo is widely regarded as a local treasure, open 10am to 4pm daily, and is free to visit (donations are appreciated!) Spend an hour or spend a day, at any time of year--and be sure to bring your camera!
 
AVALON, THEN & NOW: Those who enjoy Avalon's history will enjoy this two-minute video showing old Avalon scenes, overlayed with the views from the same locations today. Some vintage structures are still visible today, while others have been overtaken with newly constructed homes. Check out the video:

AVALON THEN & NOW - THE AVALON FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY & THE AVALON HISTORY CENTER
 
THE STONE HARBOR SHIVER takes on a new format this year, reincarnated as the Virtual Shiverrr & Shake. Sign up and then jump in the ocean between March 20th and May 2nd, then post your selfies to the event's Facebook page. Registration is available from $25 to $45, depending upon the type of entry and whether you prefer a long sleeve tee or a hoodie to wear to keep warm after your plunge! Register here: STONE HARBOR SHIVERRR & SHAKE, then post your selfies here: STONE HARBOR SHIVER ON FACEBOOK.

 

This Weeks News 3/11/2021

Summer Sunset
The last of the sun sinks over the wetlands on a summer day.
 
AVALON HARDWARE reopens Friday, and that's a sure sign that spring is around the corner! Whether you need batteries for your smoke detector, screws or other fasteners, or tools for larger jobs, it's time to attack your spring to-do list! In addition to Avalon Hardware, Seashore ACE on 96th Street is a convenient location on the island for all kinds of house- and hardware-related items.
 
BEACHSIDE SCIENCE is on the agenda this summer at Surfside Park in Avalon. The Wetlands Institute will host five sessions this summer, broadly titled "Secrets of the Beach: Creatures Who Share Our Barrier Island." The free programs will be held on the third Wednesday of the month at 6pm, beginning May 19th. Topics include seashells, shorebirds and migration, and diamondback terrapins. More details to follow!
 
Rail Fares c.1958

PHILADELPHIA TO AVALON: $3.80! That was the 1958 one-way coach fare aboard the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. The fare to Stone Harbor was $3.59; Sea Isle City was $3.39. The P-RSL was the result of the 1933 merger of the South Jersey operations of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Railroad. Rail traffic to shore towns had already peaked by the time of the merger, and scheduled service continued to decline for decades. In later years buses were used for the final connections to many destinations, as rail lines were pulled up. In the early 1980s the last of the regularly scheduled passenger trains left Cape May County.
 
DR. PAUL OFFIT conducted an interesting Q&A session on the science behind the Covid vaccine, during Stone Harbor's first edition of "Stone Harbor Connections." The hour-long session covered a broad array of topics centered around the virus, vaccine development and administration, post-vaccine immunity, and much more. Watch the session here:

STONE HARBOR CONNECTIONS 03-03- 2021 | DR. OFFIT (YOUTUBE)
 
ANOTHER SIGN OF SPRING: SHOP-A-HOLICS WEEKEND is on! Visit your favorite participating stores for deals and discounts, Thursday, March 11th through Sunday, March 14th! View the list of participating shops:

SHOP-A-HOLICS WEEKEND - LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

ICYMI: VILLA MARIA GARAGE SALE! This is the final weekend of the Villa Maria By the Sea garage sale. The iconic Stone Harbor retreat will eventually be demolished to make way for a smaller, more modern retreat at the same location. Stop by to find the perfect trinket or treasure from Villa Maria. The garage sale runs from 9am to 3pm this Saturday & Sunday.

 

This Weeks News 3/4/2021

Blue Heron
A yellow crowned night heron finds a small crab for breakfast while walking through the marsh grass early in the summer.
 
INTEREST RATES have inched up over the past month, and while they're still low, it's caused buyers to take notice. Here's why it matters for buyers: at the current rate of 3%, borrowing $100,000 for thirty years costs $422 per month. If the interest rate is increased to 4%, the cost rises to $477 per month, while a 5% rate pushes it to $537 per month. For each percentage point the interest rate is increased, the amount of mortgage a borrower will qualify for is reduced by about 13%, affecting the affordability of properties. Buyers, take advantage of today's great rates and make your purchase now. For sellers, consider selling now to capitalize on strong demand and affordable interest rates.
 
SEVEN MILE ISLAND was once served by two major railroads. If you missed the talk that Jim Talone of the Stone Harbor Museum and Bill Mengle of the Avalon History Center gave a couple of weeks ago, it's well worth watching. Talone and Mengle discuss how the two railroads first connected to the island, the train stations, and the challenges faced by the railroads during their tenure here. If you don't know already, you'll learn why the landscaped islands in the middle of Dune Drive and Second Avenue exist! Watch the talk on Facebook:

STONE HARBOR MUSEUM - THE HISTORY OF THE RAILROAD ON 7 MILE ISLAND
 
SHOP-A-HOLICS WEEKEND GOES ISLAND WIDE beginning Thursday, March 11th and running through Sunday, March 14th. Nearly three dozen stores are participating and offering a variety of discounts and promotions. View the list of participants:

SHOP-A-HOLICS WEEKEND - LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
 
SUNDAYS AT SURFSIDE begins June 27th! From "Jimmy and the Parrots" to "Beatlemania", Sunday evening concerts return to Surfside Park in Avalon this summer, with nine different performances scheduled. All concerts begin at 7pm and are free, as is parking in the adjacent parking lot. Beach chairs or blankets are recommended, and all Covid protocols will be followed.  
 
THINKING SPRING! After the cold winter weather, we're all ready for a taste of spring. That means it's time to get your shore property ready for the upcoming summer season. Hire the painter, schedule the landscaper, and have the carpets cleaned now! Beat the rush and have your projects completed now, when contractors aren't quite so busy. If you offer your property for rent, it's especially important that it be clean, fresh, and in good condition before your first tenants check in. Need contractor recommendations? Call or email me!