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
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This Weeks News 12/23/2014
MARKET STATS: For the latest stats on the Avalon/Stone Harbor
market, click here:
The Long &
Foster Market Minute. Highlights from this month's report:
-median sale price increased to $959,500, up 4% versus
a year ago
-the number of active listings decreased to 360, down
18% from a year ago
-27 properties are currently under contract, up 69%
versus a year ago
-the average "Days on Market" increased to 238, up 17%
OOPS! Last Tuesday a tractor trailer carrying automobiles westbound on
Avalon Boulevard struck the northbound Garden State Parkway overpass. The
overpass suffered damage, as did at least one vehicle being transported by
the truck. Parkway traffic was temporarily reduced to one lane in the
northbound direction as officials assessed the condition of the overpass.
News reports indicated that a car had recently been loaded onto the truck,
and a hydraulic lift had not been lowered, causing it to strike the
overpass. The next day all Parkway lanes were open.
Stone Harbor's 96th Street, decorated for the
holidays!
THANK YOU for your business and referrals this past year! I sincerely
appreciate it, and look forward to working with you and anyone you refer to
me in the future!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! From my family to yours, best wishes for the happiest
of holiday seasons!
THE AVALON/STONE HARBOR UPDATE will return the week of January 5th, 2015.
ADD A BIT OF SUMMER to your holiday! There are a lot of great ways
to do just that! Some ideas:
-Call the Fudge Kitchen and have a pound of fudge sent
right to your recipient.
-Adopt a terrapin via The Wetlands Institute.
-Purchase a gift certificate from your favorite local
shop or restaurant.
THE OCEAN TEMPERATURE is a chilly 44 degrees, about normal for this time of
year. Hard to believe that just a few months ago it was in the 70s!
The North Pole - right on Dune Drive!
THE SANTA EXPRESS returns to the rails in nearby Tuckahoe! Cape May
Seashore Lines operates vintage locomotives and passenger equipment for this
perennial favorite. Enjoy a ride over the rails while the kids meet Santa on
the train. There are several round trips between Tuckahoe and Richland
Village on Thursday, December 18th; Saturday, December 20th; Sunday,
December 21st; and Tuesday, December 23rd! Visit
The Santa Express for
information and tickets.
A conductor stands by as a Cape May Seashore Lines Santa Express train is
readied for
departure in Tuckahoe.
PLAN AHEAD FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE: Many local favorites will be open that
evening. If you'll be on the Island to celebrate New Year's Eve, consider
spending it at one of your favorite restaurants! Just some of the local
establishments that will be open that evening include The Golden Inn, The
Princeton, Sea Grill, Windrift, Fred's Tavern, Reed's at Shelter Haven, The
Whitebrier, and La Vecchia Fontana. Call ahead for reservations!
IN THE MIDST of the holiday hustle and bustle, take a break and plan your
2015 summer vacation! What a way to celebrate with the ones you love! Email
me (Randy@RandyLeiser.com) or
MaryAnn (MAM@LNF.com), or call us at (800)
967-7796.
OPERATION FIRESIDE: Local families are
still needed to host Coast Guard recruits on Christmas Day, as part of
Operation Fireside. Families who participate in the program pick up their
recruit at the Coast Guard base at noon on Christmas Day, and return them to
the base by 8pm. During their time with a local family, recruits can eat a
home cooked meal, call family members, and enjoy time away from the base.
Interested in hosting a recruit? Contact Georgianna Engels at (609)
646-8330.
STRIPER FISHING has been hot! Local fisherman
have reported good striper catches in ocean waters around the inlets and
underwater lumps. Trolling has proven effective, with many twenty-plus pound
fish being landed.
LOCAL CHEF Mia Chiarella is part of ABC's "The
Taste", which features contestants cooking for well-known TV chefs.
Chiarella is the executive chef at Gia Restaurant in Wildwood.
TOYS FOR TOTS: The pile of toys under the tree
in our lobby continues to grow! Stop by and drop off a new, unwrapped toy to
help brighten the holiday of a local child!
NEW DIESEL ENGINES will be installed in the
Cape May Lewes-Ferry vessel "Delaware" thanks to a $975,000 grant from the
EPA. The new engines will reduce fuel consumption by more than 39,000
gallons annually, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and smog, and save
$130,000 per year in engine maintenance.
GIVE YOUR FAMILY the gift of a lifetime:
memories at the shore--all year long! If you're ready to begin your search
for the perfect shore property, I'm ready to help! Call or email me
today--I'll even provide a big red bow!
MARKET STATS: Through November 30th of this
year 300 properties have been sold in the local market, down 5% versus last
year. This year's average sale price is $1,322,527, up 12.8%. The median
sale price is $1,060,875, up 17.8%. An additional 73 properties are
currently under contract, with closing dates ranging from this week through
June. Low interest rates continue to be a strong positive factor in the
market. Rates are expected to gradually rise over the next year-take
advantage of them now!
BUSCH'S RESTAURANT in Sea Isle City is no
more-demolition of the building that houses the 132 year-old restaurant
began on Monday. Plans for the construction of a new building containing
commercial and residential units were previously approved for the site.
OFFSHORE WIND FARMS suffered another defeat at
the hands of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, which rejected a
25-megawatt wind farm three miles off Atlantic City. The board denied the
project saying it would be too expensive for utility customers. A dozen or
more developers have expressed interest in building offshore wind farms in
New Jersey, but in the four years since the state enacted a law promoting
offshore wind power no projects have begun.
THANKSGIVING WEEKEND here on the Island was a
success by all accounts. Restaurants and shops reported good crowds, and
residents and visitors alike took part in the many holiday activities
available all weekend long. Avalon Business Administrator Scott Wahl said
the holiday weekend was busier than a summer weekend, according to an
Atlantic City Press article from Sunday.
Click above for a look at part of Saturday evening's
Christmas Parade in
Stone Harbor. Thanks to all who waved to us as we rolled by aboard
Truck 6414, my antique American LaFrance ladder truck!
TOYS FOR TOTS: Once again Long & Foster will
serve as a drop off point for the annual Toys for Tots campaign. Stop by and
donate a new, unwrapped toy, and we'll make sure it brightens the holiday of
a child who needs it!
FAMILY GIFT IDEA: The Wetlands Institute
offers gift certificates which can be redeemed for admission, merchandise in
the Tidepool Shop, event tickets and more. What a great way to add a little
summer to your holiday!