2014:

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This Weeks News 8/27/2014

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MORTGAGE RATES continue to hover at historic lows, with even jumbo loans around 4% or less. It's an excellent time to consider a purchase to lock in your financing at a low rate for the duration of your ownership. Even if you're not buying, it could be a great time to refinance your existing loan. For the names of reliable lenders who know how to get the job done, please call or email me!
 
"GOOD DAY" IN AVALON! Good Day Philadelphia's Fox 29 spent last Friday morning broadcasting from the beach in Avalon. Among other local businesses that participated in the broadcast, several representatives from Long & Foster joined Good Day's Jennaphr Frederick on camera. Watch The Segment Here
 
PICTURE IT: It's the end of a wonderful summer day as a gorgeous sunset fills the sky with color. A gentle breeze blows across the bay as a boat idles by...Kathleen Reilly recently captured a magnificent scene just like that! See below!


Sunset at Windward Harbour: Long & Foster friend Kathleen Reilly captured this gorgeous scene at the end of a summer day. Have a great Island photo to share? Send it to me!
 
ANOTHER DOLPHIN VIDEO!  We never get tired of watching dolphins swim and play. In this new video watch a pod of dolphins enjoying a lazy swim just off Avalon's beach: View Video
 
EXPERIMENTAL DREDGE PROJECT UNDERWAY: A couple of weeks ago a dredge arrived behind Stone Harbor to begin removing a shoal in the IntraCoastal Waterway. But instead of pumping sediment to a storage area, the dredged material is being used to build up a nesting area for shorebirds, and also to raise the level of wetlands on Ring Island behind Stone Harbor. See A Detailed Article On The Project Here
 
TOURNAMENT RECORD: A blue marlin weighing 847 pounds set a new record in the MidAtlantic offshore fishing tournament.  A record number of billfish were caught this year, with the vast majority being released. Take A Look At The Weight Standings
 
AIRFEST RETURNS: The Naval Air Station Wildwood Museum will host its 18th annual Airfest Wednesday through Friday, August 27th-29th. World War II era planes, including a P-51 Mustang, B-17 Flying Fortress, and a B-24 Liberator will be on display. For an extra fee you can even ride in one of the historic birds! For reservations, call (800) 568-8924.
 
RESCUE THE TERRAPINS:  Each year newly hatched diamondback terrapin turtles fall into local storm drains. The Wetlands Institute is offering a workshop to train volunteers on how to rescue these hatchlings. The workshop will be held September 11th at 6pm. To register send an email to ksellers@wetlandsinstitute.org with your name and the number of people who will be attending.
 

This Weeks News 8/20/2014

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MARKET STATS: The latest market stats are available through the month of July. Highlights from the report: the median sale price decreased along with the number of active listings, while the number of properties under contract increased. View The Full Report (PDF)
 
A POD OF DOLPHINS stopped by Avalon to do a little body surfing! Check Out This 15 Second Video Clip From Last Week...What A Sight!
 
800,000 PEOPLE: That's the size of the crowd that attended the Atlantic City Airshow, at least according to Office of Emergency Management officials, who estimated the number of attendees. The number was calculated by officials on casino rooftops counting visitors in measured geographic areas and then extrapolating, since aircraft can't be used for aerial crowd counts during an airshow. While some question the accuracy of the estimate, all agree that the air show was a major success. Highlights included the US Army's Golden Knights parachute team, and a US Marine Corp Harrier jet. The grand finale was provided by the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, who put on a fantastic display. Watch The Thunderbirds Roar Overhead (Video Clip)


A USAF Thunderbird maneuvers over the surf during last week's Atlantic City Airshow.
 
DREDGE PROJECT TO RESTORE WETLANDS: A dredge began working in the Intracoastal Waterway behind Stone Harbor last week, as part of a state project to remove sediment from boating channels while using it to create marsh habitats for coastal birds while raising the level of wetlands. After finishing in Stone Harbor the dredge will move on to Avalon for a project there. Read An Article Describing The Projects
 
HIDDEN GEM: Travel Blue Book named the Cape May County Zoo & Park one of the best four zoos in America. In addition to the 500 animals on display, kids love the park like setting complete with a playground. There's no admission charge, though donations are very much appreciated!
 
AN OFFSHORE WIND FARM proposal must be reconsidered by the state Board of Public Utilities, due to a recent appellate court decision. The original proposal by Fishermen's Energy for a series of wind turbines just under three miles off Atlantic City's beach was rejected by the BPU this past spring. The firm is also pursuing a larger wind farm seven miles offshore in federal waters.
 
WHAT'S ON YOUR SUMMER BUCKET LIST? Just a couple more weeks to get it done!  Want to extend your summer and make the shore a part of your year-round lifestyle? Call me today!

This Weeks News 8/13/2014

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MAYOR MARTIN PAGLIUGHI addressed the Avalon Home and Land Owners Association this past Saturday. Highlights from the Mayor's presentation included discussion of Avalon's AAA bond rating and a timeline for dredging of back bay waterways. View Mayor Pagliughi's PowerPoint Presentation
 
A BIG HIT! Stone Harbor's Festival of Lights was quite a success last Saturday evening. 46 boats paraded along the bayfront, where dozens of homes and docks were decorated and thousands of spectators enjoyed the festivities. A beautiful sunset and a full moon made for a spectacular evening. The Festival of Lights has been on hiatus since the 1970's but was brought back to celebrate Stone Harbor's 100th Anniversary.

 
Boats of all types participated in Stone Harbor's Festival of Lights parade. Thanks to Bob Ross for the photos!
 
THUNDER OVER THE BOARWALK returns to Atlantic City Wednesday, August 13th, along with the US Air Force Thunderbirds. Last year the show was held in June and the Thunderbirds were absent due to sequestration; both factors resulted in lower attendance. This year the show returns to its traditional mid-August date; combined with the return of the Thunderbirds, Atlantic City officials expect a crowd of several hundred thousand along the beach and boardwalk.
 
GOOD DAY PHILADELPHIA will do three segments from Avalon's 80th Street beach on Friday, August 15th, between 7am and 9:30am. Avalon businesses are encouraged to join the taping with tables displaying merchandise, food, or promotional materials, but must contact the Avalon Chamber of Commerce to do so.
 
NEW JERSEY'S TALL SHIP, the A.J. Meerwald, will be at Utsch's Marina in Cape May through August 31st. The Meerwald will offer a variety of public sails while in Cape May; catch an afternoon sail or enjoy a sunset!  For info call 856-785-2060 or visit www.bayshorecenter.org.

This Weeks News 8/6/2014

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CONGRATULATIONS to Avalon Lifeguards for their convincing victory in the David J. Kerr Memorial Lifeguard Races held this past weekend in Avalon. The Avalon team finished first with 23 points, followed by Upper Township (6 points), Stone Harbor (5 points) and Brigantine (5 points).
 
IT'S A BIRD...IT'S A PLANE! Look aloft in the coming days and you'll see banner planes overhead, but this time they'll be pulling Long & Foster banners! Numerous L&F banners will fly over the beach this weekend, emphasizing our presence along the South Jersey coast!
 
THE SOUTHBOUND SIDE of the Garden State Parkway overpass project is expected to be completed by October according to the contractor handling the project. Once work is finished on the southbound side, traffic will be shifted so work can begin on the northbound side. Changes were recently made to traffic lanes on Stone Harbor Boulevard to alleviate congestion caused by Parkway construction work.
 
WITH DAYTIME TEMPS in the low 80s, and ocean temps in the 70s, it's perfect beach weather! Catch a seabreeze, catch some rays, catch a few waves!
 
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: Saturday night beginning at 7:30pm decorated boats will parade along Stone Harbor's entire bayfront, as part of Stone Harbor's ongoing Centennial Celebration. Docks and homes along the route will be decorated too. Don't have a boat or a place on the bay from which to watch? Try the 83rd Street pier, or simply walk to one of the many streets that end at the bay! The boat parade will depart the Stone Harbor Yacht Club at 7:30pm, travel to the south end of Stone Harbor, then proceed northward all the way to Smuggler's Cove at 83rd Street, before returning to the Yacht Club.
 
IF YOU MISS Stone Harbor's Festival of Lights boat parade, catch nature's own 'Festival of Lights' nearly any night along the Avalon/Stone Harbor bayfront. See below for an example. What a way to end a day!
 

What a way to end a day! Thanks to Long & Foster Friend Bob Ross for sharing this fantastic photo. Want to make a view like this permanent? Call me!