"BUY A HOUSE, GET FREE COLLEGE TUITION!" said
Greg Gwizdz, Retail National Sales Manager of Wells Fargo at an industry
seminar last week. Greg offered an example similar to the following: a
30-year, $500,000 mortgage at today's 3.5% rate will cost $2,250 per month.
Waiting until rates rise to 6% means the same $500,000 mortgage payment will
rise to $3,000 per month. Buying at today's lower rates yields a savings of
$270,000 over 30 years - more than enough to pay for college tuition!
GET YOUR BEACH TAGS EARLY and save money!
Full-season beach tags can be purchased pre-season for $21 per tag. On June
1 the cost increases to $26 per tag.
In Avalon, pre-season tags may be purchased on weekends at the Beach Tag
Booth at Community Hall. They may also be ordered by mail by sending a check
(payable to Borough of Avalon) to Avalon Tax Office/Beach Tags, 3100 Dune
Drive, Avalon, NJ 08202. (You will be mailed a receipt to redeem your tags
upon your next visit to town.)
In Stone Harbor pre-season tags may be purchased at the Beach Tag Office at
95th Street & the beach on weekends. Order Stone Harbor pre-season tags by
mail:
view/print order form
Avalon & Stone Harbor will honor each other's tags as they traditionally do.
CAPE MAY COUNTY: Ready for Summer! The Reading
Eagle recently ran a story about Cape May County shore towns being ready for
the summer season.
Read More
WE'RE EVERYWHERE! Long & Foster has not only
continued the Avalon Real Estate Agency tradition of superb marketing -
they've expanded it! Perhaps you saw our newest listings on the Wall Street
Journal site, WSJ.com? Maybe you saw our full page ad in the print version
of the Wall Street Journal, or our half-page ad in the Philadelphia
Inquirer? Most recently we had the cover ad plus a full page in Own
Magazine, distributed in the Wall Street Journal. When it comes to marketing
your property you deserve the very best - and we deliver it!
FLOUNDER SEASON in New Jersey has been
increased by 11 days, and will run from May 18 to September 27. The 2013
season was originally shortened by 25 days because New Jersey overfished its
flounder quota in 2012. However, New Jersey has been awarded additional
quota from states that did not fully use theirs in 2012; even with the 11
extra days, the 2013 flounder season will be two weeks shorter than it was
in 2012.
SAND PUMPING
will begin on Stone Harbor's beach Saturday morning at Stone Harbor Point. Crews set up dredge piping and survey equipment while a dredge mobilized just offshore, but rough seas delayed the scheduled April 15th start. About 420,000 cubic yards of sand will be pumped onto the beach, with work progressing north from Stone Harbor Point to 119th Street, then continuing from 114th Street to 92nd Street. The dredge will operate 24 hours a day, stopping only for weather or mechanical issues. The project is expected to be completed before Memorial Day. Avalon's beach project was completed earlier this year.
OCEAN DRIVE between Avalon and Sea Isle City
is expected to reopen soon as the roadway at the foot of the Townsend's
Inlet Bridge will receive temporary repairs. The project is expected to
finish on or about Friday, April 26th.
AVALON'S BOROUGH COUNCIL Borough Council voted
unanimously to study new beach protection measures, including the
feasibility of a new groin field. According to Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi,
"This new study will evaluate the effectiveness of a groin field and other
alternative shore protection measures that will continue to keep our
community as safe as possible from future significant storm events."
Pagliughi continued, "This study may show a path to even greater protection
of our community while saving the Borough, along with our federal and state
partners, a significant amount of money."
COMIN' DOWN! The Bank of America building at
96th Street and Second Avenue in Stone Harbor will soon be demolished to
allow for the construction of a new library on the site. Stone Harbor's new
library was originally slated to be built at 95th Street and the beach, but
that site faced permitting problems and opposition from some residents.
Later, a borough-owned lot further north on Second Avenue was designated for
the future library, but when the Bank of America site became available, it
immediately was selected as the best option. Officials say the bank building
could be demolished by Memorial Day. The future two-story library building
will also house the Stone Harbor Museum, but design work is not
finished yet.
Signs of spring! Sunshine, clear blue skies, and
flowering trees...summer is just around the corner!
ENERGY AGGREGATION: Stone Harbor is part of a
new energy aggregation program that will allow residents the option of
taking advantage of lower energy supply costs. State-approved energy
suppliers will bid for a one-year contract to supply electricity to all
participating residents, until the next energy auction is conducted. The
auctions are for the energy supply; Atlantic City Electric will continue to
deliver power to the borough. Middle Township and Wildwood are expected to
participate in the program, too.
"THIS IS A ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION OPPORTUNITY
for a person to buy at the bottom of the market with once-in-a-lifetime
mortgage rates," said Jeffrey Otteau, of the Otteau Valuation Group, at the
New Jersey Builders Association's convention in Atlantic City this week.
Otteau cited low prices and low interest rates as the factors driving the
real estate market. If home buyers wait and purchase a home after prices and
rates rise, they'll be able to afford a home 30 percent smaller than what
they can buy today. (Atlantic City Press, Wednesday, April 10).
SPEAKING OF MORTGAGE RATES, one lender that we
often work with was offering 30-year fixed rates of 3.5% on jumbo loans up
to $4 million, and 3.375% on conforming loans up to $417,000. Call or email
me and I'll put you in touch with reliable lenders!
SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Daytime temperatures have
been in the 70s on the Island this week, complete with warm sunshine and
gentle breezes. With each passing day more activity returns to Avalon &
Stone Harbor. C'mon down!
LONG AND FOSTER'S AVALON OFFICE is pleased to
welcome Michael Mavromates as our new Branch Manager. Mike brings a wealth
of experience and expertise to his new position and we are excited to
welcome him aboard!
IT'S NEVER BEEN EASIER to pay for your
vacation rental! Simply use a credit card! As a reminder, if you prefer to
pay by check, please make it payable to "Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc."
instead of "Avalon Real Estate Agency." Thanks!
The afternoon sun lights up bayfront homes along
Ocean Drive in Avalon.
45 DAYS till Memorial Day Weekend!
53 PROPERTIES ARE UNDER CONTRACT in the local
market, with closing dates ranging from the end of this month to September.
Imagine the anticipation and excitement those families are feeling now! How
about you? Ready to get started on your own purchase? Call or email me!
PLEASE FORWARD this message to a friend,
neighbor, or coworker who loves Avalon & Stone Harbor. To subscribe, email
me at
Randy@RandyLeiser.com.