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
2020: Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

This Weeks News 5/28/2020

Sunset
Ahhh...Sunset over the Intracoastal Waterway! Nothing compares to a peaceful summertime sunset!
 
THIS YEAR'S MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND was different from years past. The traditional summer kick off was successful but subdued; the island was busy, but not quite as packed. The beach had lots of visitors (between raindrops) but there was plenty of room for social distancing. Restaurants offered takeout and stores offered curbside pick up. Traditional Memorial Day parades were cancelled but a "Patriotic Motorcade" of decorated cars formed at 81st Street and paraded to American Legion Post 331 in the south end of Stone Harbor. Avalon produced a special video recalling Memorial Day's past, and reminding us all of the real reason for the holiday. Check out the 6-minute video here:
 
Memorial Day Avalon
Avalon produced a special Memorial Day video this year in lieu of a traditional parade and ceremony.
 
VACATION RENTALS RESUME JUNE 1ST! As New Jersey continues the process of reopening, short term vacation rentals will resume on June 1st. Check-in procedures have been modified slightly to allow maximum safety for our staff and visitors. Our office will conduct check-ins via a walk up window, and non-staff won't be permitted inside our building. Check-in time will be 3pm to allow extra time for cleaning of properties between guests. A detailed explanation of the 2020 check-in process was sent to all our guests in advance. As always, we stand ready to assist in any way we can.
 
FLOUNDER SEASON HAS OPENED! Good catches of both keepers and throwbacks have been reported by fisherman and tackle shops, including some keepers weighing 3-4 pounds. The minimum legal size is 18 inches this year, with a possession limit of three fish.
 
BEER WHILE YOU'RE HERE? When you're enjoying a take out meal on your deck, why not enjoy an award winning craft beer to go with it? Slack Tide Brewery will deliver your order to your Cape May County location for $5, with a minimum $30 order. Place your order by 3pm for same-day delivery! Same-day pick up is also available at their Route 83 location, just a few minutes from Avalon Boulevard. Check out SLACK TIDE BREWING COMPANY for more about this local favorite, or to place an order!
 
DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that mortgage rates are hovering around 3%? What a fantastic time to purchase a shore home, AND lock in low-cost financing for the duration of your ownership! Not sure how much you can afford or qualify for? Contact me, and I will put you in touch with reliable lenders that can answer your questions during a fifteen minute phone call!
 
THE MARKET IS MOVING--DONT MISS IT! Not only are interest rates low, but with ten properties sold recently and many more placed under contract in the past week, plus twenty listings added to the market, the island real estate market is moving! Don't sit out the 2020 season--call or email me so we can discuss your real estate goals, then formulate a plan to achieve them!

 

This Weeks News 5/21/2020

AVALON & STONE HARBOR BEACHES REOPEN FRIDAY, MAY 22ND for traditional sunbathing in chairs or on blankets, and swimming in the surf. Walking, jogging, surfing, and fishing have been permitted since May 8th. Group activities and organized sports are still prohibited. Social distancing must be observed in all cases. Please check below for details on beach tags for both Avalon & Stone Harbor.

Surfer

Jogger
Surfers and joggers were among the first to return to area beaches when restrictions were eased a couple of weeks ago.
 
THE MARKET IS MOVING! After a slowdown during the first few weeks of April, market activity has resumed and there are currently 40 properties under contract in the local market! For a detailed look at the market see the latest Long & Foster Market Minute report below.

Market Minute
 
VIEW THE LATEST LONG & FOSTER MARKET MINUTE REPORT  |  DOWNLOAD/PRINT PDF
 
BEACH TAGS IN AVALON will not be required until July 3rd. Seasonal tags will cost $25 through June 30th, 2020; as of July 1st, tags will cost $30. The Avalon Beach Tag booth at 30th Street & Avalon Avenue will open for the season on Friday, May 22nd from 10:00am-4:00pm, and will remain open daily. Customers must wear masks to conduct a transaction and must stand six feet apart while in line. Mayor Pagliughi has also extended the mail-in program for beach tags through May 31st. You may send a check made payable to the "Borough of Avalon" for the number of tags that you wish to purchase at the $25 price. Send your check, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to Avalon Tax Collector’s Office, 3100 Dune Drive, Avalon, NJ 08202 Attn: Beach Tags. You will be mailed a receipt for the tags that you purchased. At your convenience, visit the Beach Tag Booth with your receipt to pick up your tags.
 
BEACH TAGS IN STONE HARBOR are required for all persons 12 years of age and older starting this Saturday, May 22nd. The Beach Tag booth at 95th Street will be open starting Wednesday, May 20th through the weekend from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm for beach tag purchases only. Pre-Purchased Tags and Veterans Tags can be picked up at the 82nd Street Recreation Building starting Wednesday, May 20th
through the weekend from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.
 
BEACH TAGS ONLINE: You can also make your beach tag purchase online via the smartphone app Viply.

DETAILS: GET YOUR NJ BEACH BADGES ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE
 
CHARTER FISHING AND WATERCRAFT RENTALS resumed earlier this week, with new guidelines in place to enhance safety. Reduced capacity, electronic reservations/payments, and no sharing of equipment are some of the restrictions that charter operations will follow. Watercraft rentals are allowed to operate following a "curbside pick up" type of business model similar to other retail operations. Masks are required while aboard the vessels.
 
OUTSIDE DINING is still under consideration in many shore towns as a way to help restaurants cope with capacity limits during the reopening. Among the many proposals being considered are using sidewalks and parking areas for dining, and closing streets to expand dining space further.
 
DRINKS TO GO: Many establishments are offering "drinks to go" as part of their take out business. Even if you can't sit IN your favorite restaurant, at least you can enjoy the food & drinks you love on your own deck or porch! If ordering takeout or curbside pick up this weekend, please be sure to plan ahead and allow extra time for your order!
 
MEMORIAL DAY is upon us and we're looking forward to the first long weekend at the shore. Most Memorial Day parades and ceremonies have been cancelled this year due to the pandemic, but let's all take a moment to reflect upon those who have sacrificed so greatly in order to preserve the freedoms we enjoy in our nation.

 

This Weeks News 5/14/2020

Fishing in the Surf
A surf fisherman takes advantage of recently reopened beaches on Seven Mile Island.
 
REOPENING PLANS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR SEVEN MILE BEACH! Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi and Stone Harbor Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour have been working toward the safe reopening of Seven Mile Beach. See below for the latest plans as we approach the summer season.
 
AVALON & STONE HARBOR BEACHES REOPENED last Friday, May 8th, for walking, jogging, fishing, and surfing, from dawn to dusk. Some activities are still restricted, such as sitting, sunbathing, and swimming. Social distancing must still be observed even for permitted activities, but locals and visitors alike are happy to be able to access the beaches!
 
FULL SEASON RENTALS are now allowed to check in, effective Monday, May 11th.
 
SHORT TERM RENTALS, including weekly vacation rentals, will be permitted to check in
beginning June 1st.  
 
MANY RESTAURANTS are already open for take-out business, and are exploring ways to reopen for dine-in service at reduced capacity in order to comply with social distancing requirements. Proposals for outdoor dining have been discussed in both Avalon & Stone Harbor, as a possible solution for allowing more dining capacity while increasing the space between tables. Stay tuned for more information.
 
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES have differing needs as they navigate the pandemic and make plans to safely reopen. Hank Flynn of Fox 29 in Philadelphia offers "Hank's Take" on the South Jersey fishing industry as he interviews Captain Joe Hughes from Sea Isle City and Captain Irv Hurd of the Miss Avalon, and discusses their hope of getting customers out fishing again soon:

HANK'S TAKE: JERSEY SHORE FISHING INDUSTRY EAGERLY AWAITS REOPENING

THE AVALON BOULEVARD BRIDGE has reopened for traffic flow in both directions after a winter's worth of work to repair the bridge support structure and resurface the eastbound roadway surface. It will remain open for the summer season but will be restricted to one alternating lane again in the fall as the next phase of the work gets underway.
 
THE 177TH FIGHTER WING of the NJ Air National Guard performed a flyover salute, circling New Jersey on Tuesday. Several F-16 fighter planes and a KC-135 tanker flew over numerous hospitals and military installations, in a salute to frontline workers battling the Coronavirus pandemic. Shortly after noon Tuesday the fighters and tanker could be seen in the sky over Seven Mile Beach, as they flew toward the coast coming from the western section of Southern New Jersey. Crossing over Seven Mile Beach the planes turned southward toward the US Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May. After turning northward again the planes flew up the coast over the back bays, toward their final destination of Atlantic City.  
 
TED BURKE has written a children's book titled COVID & The Queen. In the uplifting story the creatures of the beach and bay are curious and worried about their human friends, and seek the wise counsel of the moon. The book will soon be available on Amazon and Kindle, but Mr. Burke has created a video version that is available now. Children, parents, and grandparents will enjoy the six minute video, as familiar creatures struggle to understand what's happening. Enjoy the video here:

COVID & THE QUEEN, BY TED BURKE
 
QUESTIONS?  I'm glad to help!  Email or call me anytime!

 

This Weeks News 5/7/2020

Osprey Nest
Ospreys are back and have taken up residence in nests throughout the area. This one is visible from Avalon Boulevard, with the Stone Harbor water tower in the distant background.
 
AVALON & STONE HARBOR BEACHES REOPENING FRIDAY, MAY 8TH! Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi and Stone Harbor Mayor Judy Davies-Dunhour announced a partial reopening of the beaches on Seven Mile Island. Beginning Friday beaches will be open from dawn to dusk for walking, jogging, fishing, and surfing. Stationary beach activities are still prohibited, and social distancing must still be practiced, but it will bring great joy to a lot of people to be able to access the beach again! Read the letter issued by both mayors here:

AVALON, STONE HARBOR TO PERMIT LIMITED ACCESS TO BEACHES FRIDAY, MAY 8TH
 
LOCAL AND COUNTY OFFICIALS have been working hard to form reopening plans so that local businesses may safely reopen as soon as permitted to do so by the governor. Social distancing, masks, and other new practices are likely to be incorporated into nearly every type of business, so even familiar restaurants and merchants will look different for the foreseeable future. Cape May County businesses, residents, and visitors are excited about reopening in a responsible manner in order to safely enjoy the summer season that we all look forward to!
 
SUMMER RENTALS: Like everyone else, we're monitoring the latest news and directives closely. Currently, there is a moratorium on short term rental check-ins, and we have contacted affected tenants and owners with rental check-in dates up through May 22nd. As guidelines change and restrictions are extended or removed, we will again contact any affected owners or tenants.
 
THE SALE MARKET IS ACTIVE AGAIN! Following a pause when statewide stay-at-home restrictions were issued, market activity resumed in mid-April, and numerous properties have been placed under contract since. Currently there are 40 properties under contract in the local market; see below for the latest to be placed under contract, as well as those recently sold!
 
A LITTLE BIT OF THE SHORE: Check out this four minute video of dolphins and whales frolicking at the surface! Recorded 49 miles from Cape May a couple of years ago, a broad expanse of empty ocean suddenly came alive with dolphins playing in the boat's wake as a group of whales lumbered along nearby! (Jump ahead to about 3:45 for the best view of the whales!)

Whales and Dolphins
 
I'M HERE AND READY TO HELP! Thinking about buying or selling? I've got the tools to keep you safe and the experience to help you achieve your goals. Call or email me today!