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
2011: Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.  

May 26, 2011


WHAT'S UP?  Market activity!  Through the first quarter, the number of new contracts written in the local market is up 36% over last year.  Through the first four months of the year, the number of contracts is up by 27%.  The number of contracts written in May of this year has already exceeded that of last year, even though the month is not over.  What's driving the numbers?  A broad selection of properties, reasonable prices, realistic sellers, and low interest rates.  Ready to get involved?  Call or email me to get started!

BEACH REPLENISHMENT WORK in Avalon is concluding on time, and beaches will be open for Memorial Day Weekend.  Some equipment may remain on various beaches over the weekend before being moved to Stone Harbor for beach replenishment work there.
 
BRIDGE WORK on Avalon Boulevard will continue throughout the summer.  The project to widen the bridge at the entrance to Avalon to three lanes (including a dedicated left turn lane) has been underway for several months, but the targeted completion date of Memorial Day Weekend will be missed.  Two lanes of traffic will flow on the bridge through the summer as work is completed.
 
THE WEATHER IS BEAUTIFUL, wish you were here!  It's 75 degrees and sunny, with a gentle breeze off the ocean, and beachgoers are strolling toward the beach with chairs and towels in hand! Temperatures in the 70s and 80s are expected over the holiday weekend.
 
CATCH THE PARADES on Monday!  See below for times and locations.
 
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY to all!  And a special thank you to those who have served the country and protected our freedom!
 
 
May 19, 2011

BEACH UPDATE:  Dredging was suspended at 21st Street in Avalon due to a mechanical problem with the dredge located just offshore.  Operations are expected to resume on or about May 20th, if weather conditions allow.  Once the pumping resumes, an additional six to seven days of work are needed in Avalon before the operation moves to Stone Harbor.
 
BURN YOUR SOCKS!  Join other beachgoers in Stone Harbor for the borough's official "Opening of the Ocean" ceremony on Thursday, May 26 at 4pm.  Mayor Suzanne Walters will be rowed out to sea to place a ceremonial wreath upon the water.  Following the wreath ceremony visitors will be invited to toss their socks into a beach fire pit, don their flip flops, and welcome the summer season.  Some of us have already shed our socks!
 
AVALON REAL ESTATE AGENCY conducted a marketing workshop for our agents and assistants this past week at the Golden Inn.  Our team studied the latest marketing trends and techniques.  As always, our efforts are geared toward providing our clients with the very best services possible!
 
MOSQUITO FISH:  Cape May County will distribute mosquito fish in the coming weeks to keep the mosquito population under control.  The mosquito fish, which looks a lot like a large guppy, eats more than its own weight in mosquito larvae each day.  They also reproduce every six weeks, and tolerate fresh to brackish water, including low or high pH levels.  The fish have been used to control mosquito populations for more than 100 years, but wide scale distribution has caught on recently, as it helps reduce the need for costly pesticide spraying.  The NJDEP is stocking the state's ponds and lakes with the fish and supplying them to counties at no cost.
 
HAPPY 75TH ANNIVERSARY to Hoys 5 & 10.  The first Hoy's store opened during the Great Depression, and other locations soon appeared at the Jersey Shore.  The third generation of the Hoy family still runs the stores, including one in Stone Harbor and one in Avalon.
 
PARKING ENFORCEMENT in Stone Harbor will be a little friendlier this summer thanks to new procedures adopted by the police department.  At expired parking meters officers will issue a warning first, then check back 20-30 minutes later to issue a summons.  The new plan is designed to be more visitor friendly while reducing the administrative load for parking violations.
 
 
May 12, 2011

BEACH REPLENISHMENT WORK in Avalon has progressed southward past 20th Street.  Crews are moving at a pace of roughly one block per day, and anticipate finishing work in Avalon prior to Memorial Day.  The dredge will then move to Stone Harbor to begin work there.
 
HIGH-END SALES UP: Last year two properties had sold for over $3 million in the local market through mid-May.  This year, seven properties over $3 million have sold during the same time period.
 
KAYAK PARK:  Avalon created a formal kayak park at 57th Street and Ocean Drive.  The borough constructed racks to hold a total of 138 kayaks on the site.  Kayak owners can store their kayaks free of charge, and launch them in the same location.  The racks are first come, first serve, and all kayaks must be removed by October 1.
 
SUMMER FLOUNDER SEASON opened last week with reports of many large flounder being caught in the shallow waters of the back bays, which are much warmer than the ocean waters.  In addition to "keepers," many "throwbacks" were caught, too.  This year's catch limits allow anglers to keep up to 8 fish that are at least 18 inches long.  Those less than 18 inches must be released.
 
WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?  A check of property ownership records reveals that among shore owners, 32% come from New Jersey and 55% come from Pennsylvania, by far the two largest "feeder markets".  About 3% come from Delaware.  The remaining 10% are divided among New York, Connecticut, Maryland and the rest of the country.  That sure explains the weekend traffic on local highways!
 
BEACH & BOAT REMINDERS:  

Beachgoers: Buy your season beach tags now before the May 31 price increase.

For Avalon tags: Please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope, along with a check, to: Avalon Tax Office/Beach Tags, 3100 Dune Drive, Avalon, NJ 08202. Make check payable to: Borough of Avalon. Please indicate how many seasonal beach tags you are ordering at the $21.00 pre-season price.  

For Stone Harbor tags:  Stone Harbor, NJ Beach Tag Order Form (PDF)

All pre-season orders must be received by May 31.

Boaters: All boaters must obtain and carry a boating safety certificate when operating their vessel.  Classes are offered periodically, including one offered in Cold Spring on Saturday, May 21.  Call 609-889-8575 to register.

Fishermen: Anyone fishing in New Jersey saltwater must register (for free) with the state.
Visit: www.saltwaterregistry.nj.gov to register.

May 5, 2011

BEACH REPLENISHMENT work has been underway since last weekend.  Work began on Avalon's 8th Street beach and has progressed southward to 12th Street.  About twenty days of round-the-clock sand pumping are expected, unless weather or mechanical problems cause delays.  After completing Avalon's beach, the dredge will move to Stone Harbor.  In the photo below, note the dredge offshore, and the equipment and survey platform on the beach.  Photo provided by the Borough of Avalon.
 
SALTWATER FISHING REGISTRY:  New Jersey Governor Christie signed legislation creating a free saltwater fishing registry for New Jersey anglers.  All anglers age 16 or older must register and carry their printed registration form with them while fishing.  The free registry was created in response to a federal mandate; if New Jersey hadn't created the free registry, anglers would have been required to register with the federal government for a fee.  Register for free at www.saltwaterregistry.nj.gov.
 
TRAVELING TO THE SHORE will soon be a bit easier thanks to lane widening and express EZPass lanes on the Atlantic City Expressway.  A $24 million construction project will widen the highway to three lanes in each direction between milepost 7 (the Garden State Parkway) and milepost 18.3.  Two Express EZPass lanes in each direction will allow EZPass users to maintain travel speed instead of slowing for the toll plaza.  The project is expected to be completed for the Memorial Day Weekend.
 
MARKET STATS:  In 2010, 58 properties sold between January 1 and April 30, with an average price of $1,192,103 and a median price of $1,050,000.  During the same period in 2011, 79 properties sold (+36%).  The average price was $1,366,721 (+14.6%) and the median price was $889,862 (-15.2%).  40 additional properties are currently under contract, with settlement dates as far out as October, 2011.
 
SEND THIS NEWSLETTER to a friend who loves Avalon or Stone Harbor!  To receive the Avalon/Stone Harbor Update each week, send an email to Randy@RandyLeiser.com.