VACATION HOMES--TIME TO BUY: "If you
have the money and plan on staying put for the long term, now may be a good
time to buy," according to a July 23rd Wall Street Journal Article.
Reduced prices and years of pent up demand have lifted interest in vacation
homes in markets across the country, including Aspen, CO, The Hamptons, NY,
and Hilton Head, SC. In the local market, 139 properties sold in the
first six months of the year, up 44% over the 96 sold in the first six
months of 2010.
TRAFFIC SIGNALS on the Garden State Parkway
will be here at least one more year. The project to replace the three
traffic signals at Exits 9, 10, and 11 with overpasses has been delayed
until the fall of 2012. Funding for the project is in place, but
federal permits for wetlands mitigation have not been obtained. The
New Jersey Turnpike Authority has submitted several plans already, but each
has been deemed unacceptable. Wetlands destroyed by the project must
be recreated in another area.
THE UNVEILING of New Jersey's first public
electric vehicle charging station has been rescheduled to Friday, August 5
at 11am. Stop by and see the charging station at the corner of 30th & Dune
Drive. To learn more about having a charging station installed in your home
town, contact David Soens of U-Go Stations!
SEA ISLE CITY AND STRATHMERE BEACHES will be
replenished in a joint beach fill project to be conducted this fall.
Local municipalities will fund the full $9 million price tag, then will be
reimbursed by the federal government for 75% of the project's cost. A
similar joint beach fill was conducted this past spring in Avalon & Stone
Harbor.
HIGH HEEL RACE! Support the Melanie
Finley Ovarian Cancer Foundation at the second annual High Heel Race in
Avalon on Sunday, July 31. There will be female, male, and team
events, including a 50 yard dash in high heels. Avalon Real Estate
Agency is a sponsor, and we'd appreciate your help too! Visit
www.mfocf.org for
details.
GLOBETROTTERS--COMING SOON! Catch the
entertaining Harlem Globetrotters when they visit the Wildwood Convention
Center August 10-13. As a friend of Avalon Real Estate we're pleased
to offer you a discount on tickets! View the
Harlem Globetrotters Schedule and pick the game of your choice. Enter
the code HOMES in the promotions box on the Ticketmaster page for $5 off
each ticket (valid for tickets priced at $20, $25 and $30).
HOT, HOT, HOT! With temperatures
predicted to be in the upper 90s for the next few days, the only relief in
sight is a swim in the ocean or a dip in the bay. The water is about
70 degrees and feels very refreshing. Keep your fingers crossed for an
afternoon sea breeze!
CHARGE IT: the first municipal public electric
vehicle charging station in New Jersey has been installed in Avalon at 30th
& Dune Drive, catty-corner from our office. Electric vehicle owners
may park in the space and use their credit card to pay to recharge their
vehicle. David Soens of U-Go Stations was instrumental in establishing
the public-private partnership with the Borough of Avalon. U-Go
installed and will maintain the charging station free of charge, and the
borough will get a percentage of revenues generated. Says Avalon Mayor
Martin Pagliughi, "Avalon is proud once again to be on the cutting edge of
new technology that promotes a greener environment." The public is
invited to attend an unveiling ceremony on Friday, July 29 at 11am.
A $1.5 MILLION LIGHTHOUSE restoration has
transformed the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse back to its appearance in 1874.
Old photographs were used to rediscover architectural details lost to time,
and the lighthouse now appears as it did when new. The lighthouse
averages 30,000 visitors per year, and its rotating beacon is still used as
an aid to navigation, and is visible 13 miles out to sea.
SALTWATER FISHERMEN need to register with the
state before casting a line. Sign up is quick, easy, and free and
you'll be able to print your registration card immediately. Carry the
card with you while fishing, or face fines. Visit the
NJDEP-NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program to register.
A FEW RENTALS are still available! If
you haven't secured your 2011 summer rental yet, give me a call! If you can
be flexible on your dates and requirements, we can help you out. Visit
my
Rental Section, or
contact me or MaryAnn to get started!
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER ran an article on
Shore Real Estate. Paul Leiser, co-owner of Avalon Real Estate
Agency, was quoted in the article.
GIVE 'EM A BRAKE! A reminder to those
who drive local roads--keep an eye out for turtles crossing, especially in
areas not protected by special turtle fences. Diamondback terrapins
often try to cross roadways in order to reach higher ground to lay eggs.
Turtle fences installed by volunteers from the Wetlands Institute have
helped reduce turtle crossing and fatalities but if you see a turtle
crossing the road, please give 'em a brake!
For more on efforts to protect the diamondback terrapins, see this
Press of Atlantic City article.
AM I COVERED? If you haven't spoken to
your insurance agent in a while, it's probably a good idea to do so to
ensure you have proper coverage. Check your coverage amounts for your
house, contents, and liability and make sure your coverage level is
appropriate. For the names of reliable insurance agents, please call
or email me!
THIS WEEK'S hot weather brought on by land
breezes has actually cooled the ocean water temperature. Hot land
breezes move warm surface water offshore, allowing cooler water to take its
place, and surf temperatures have dropped to the upper sixties. Seabreezes
are expected Thursday and Friday and will likely push the warm surface water
back to shore, raising surf temperatures once again.
ON
THE COURT or on the boardwalk, the Harlem Globetrotters can sure
handle a basketball... or two or three! Take a look as one of the
Globetrotters performs some ball handling magic on the Wildwood Boardwalk.
Better yet, see the Globetrotters in person when they visit the Wildwood
Convention Center August 10-13. As a friend of Avalon Real Estate,
we're pleased to offer a discount on tickets. View the
Harlem Globetrotters Schedule and pick the game of your choice. Enter
the code HOMES on the Ticketmaster page for $5 off each ticket (valid for
tickets priced at $20, $25 and $30).
FIFTY FREEBIES! Back by popular demand
is my list of Fifty Freebies at the Shore! I've compiled a list of
more than fifty great activities to enjoy while you're here, without opening
your wallet. If you'd like a copy of the list,
contact me!
MARKET STATS: During the first half of 2011,
137 properties sold in the local market, a 42% increase over the 96
properties sold during the first half of 2010. The average sale price
was $1,354,019, up 10.6% over last year's average price of $1,223,967.
The median price fell 11.1% however, from $1,055,000 last year to $937,500
this year. An additional 32 properties are currently under contract.
WARM OCEAN WATER has boosted early beach tag
sales in most Cape May County beach towns. Avalon's tag sales were up
9% over last year and Sea Isle City's increased by 6%. Stone Harbor
showed the only decrease as tag sales declined by 3%. The numbers are
not final as tag sales will continue throughout the season.
FIREWORKS are a Fourth of July staple, and
this year was no exception. Both Avalon and Stone Harbor put on
fantastic displays just off the beach. The fireworks are visible from
dozens of other locations across the island as evidenced by this view across
the bay:
MOTHER NATURE often puts on her own display in
the form of thunderstorms. Though the holiday weekend was relatively
free of thunderstorms, at least one passed quickly over South Jersey:
TWO LANES were open for eastbound traffic on
the Avalon Boulevard Bridge, including a dedicated left turn lane. The
two lanes helped handle the enormous traffic volume normally encountered on
a holiday weekend, and delays were significantly reduced. Construction
on the bridge continues, but two eastbound and one westbound lane will
remain open for the remainder of the summer, except for temporary lane
restrictions for material deliveries.
HIGH HEEL RACE: Support the Melanie Finley
Ovarian Cancer Foundation at the second annual High Heel Race in Avalon on
Sunday, July 31. There will be female, male, and team events,
including a 50 yard dash in high heels. Visit
www.mfocf.org for
details.