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 11/30/2017
AN ARTIFICAL REEF will be built on the
New Jersey side of Delaware Bay several miles from Cape May. The reef will
be located in water that's 19 to 35 feet deep, and constructed of rock,
concrete, and other materials. The hope is that the reef will soon become
home to mussels, crabs, small fish, and eventually larger fish popular with
fishermen. Several artificial reefs already exist on the Delaware side of
the bay, but this is the first on the New Jersey side. The new reef will be
roughly equidistant from Cape May and Fortescue. Construction is expected to
begin in December.
These fishermen enjoyed a magnificent November sunset on their way home!
BIG STRIPERS are on their way! Striped bass typically move
southward and arrive here in the late fall as local waters cool. Large
stripers have been caught in locations further north, including a 54 pounder
off Long Beach Island. If you'd like to try your hand at landing a large
striper, Smuggler's Cove is hosting the annual Scott Bevan Striped Bass
Bonanza tournament on Saturday, beginning at sunrise, with weigh-ins to be
completed by 5pm. Stop by Smuggler's Cove in advance for tickets and
information.
A FIRE IN SEA ISLE destroyed three homes at 91st Street and
Pleasure Avenue in the early morning hours last Friday. A large plume of
smoke over the ocean could be seen from neighboring towns as firefighters
from Sea Isle fought the blaze, with assistance from Avalon, Strathmere,
Ocean View, and Marmora. Fortunately all the homes were unoccupied at the
time of the fire.
NEW TAX ASSESSMENTS ARE COMING in Avalon, as the Tax
Assessors office is sending out value notices to property owners this week.
Owners interested in discussing their new assessment will have the
opportunity to set an appointment (instructions will be included with the
value notice). If you'd like information on recent comps please call me. We
can discuss them in advance so you're prepared to meet with the assessor.
LOOKING FOR THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY GIFT? How about a shore
home of your very own? Your family will thank you for years...and make
memories that will last a lifetime! Call or email me...I'll even supply the
big red bow!
MARKET STATS: In October the median
sale price increased by 9% over October 2016, while the number of units sold
increased by 16%. For a detailed look at the market, check out the latest
Long & Foster Market Minute report:
Click above for the latest Long & Foster Market Minute report.
GIVING BACK: Long & Foster's annual food drive was
successful again this year, as our agents, staff, and clients donated dozens
of bags of food items and frozen turkeys, plus gift cards and monetary
donations, to the Holy Redeemer Food Pantry. Holy Redeemer will distribute
the food to local families in need. Special thanks to Gina Reynolds, Branch
Administrator, for coordinating our food drive effort, and Paul Leiser (13)
for his help in collecting and delivering items.
Two car loads of food items were donated by L&F agents, staff, and
clients. The food was
collected and delivered to Holy Redeemer Food Pantry earlier this week by
Paul E. Leiser
and his grandson Paul, age 13.
FESTIVE FRIDAY & SNOWFEST SATURDAY arrive in Avalon after
the Thanksgiving holiday. Activities include music, shopping, a bounce
house, ice skating, a tree lighting, and visits with Santa.
View List of Activities in Avalon
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE in Stone Harbor again this year. Kick
off the holiday season with family friendly activities, including caroling,
shopping, refreshments, face painting, train display, and a downtown holiday
dash. Saturday night's Christmas Parade caps off a weekend of fun.
View List of Activities in Stone Harbor
If you've never experienced Thanksgiving Weekend here on the Island, give it
a try. You'll have a great time!
SEASHORE SHOPPING goes hand in hand with a visit to the
Island at this time of year. Find the perfect gift, including items you can
only find at the shore such as holiday beach tags, a box of fudge from the
Fudge Kitchen, coffee from Avalon Coffee, or a gift certificate to a local
restaurant.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and your family!
WINTERIZE NOW! If you haven't done it
yet, it's time to call your plumber to prepare your shore house for winter.
Outside water lines, including hose bibs and outdoor showers, should be shut
off and drained to prevent freezing and cracking of pipes. Set your
thermostat to 55 degrees to protect interior pipes. Crawl space/foundation
vents should be closed to prevent cold winds from reaching crawl space
pipes. Consult your plumber for advice specific to your home's unique needs.
It's also a great time to have your HVAC system checked and serviced to
ensure your heater is functioning properly. If you need a recommendation for
a plumber or HVAC contractor, call or email me.
Enjoyable fall weather lasted until just over a week ago! A fall boat
ride on a sunny afternoon
can't be beat!
THANKSGIVING WEEKEND, THE ISLAND IS PACKED! A variety of
holiday celebrations take place all weekend long in Avalon & Stone Harbor.
Avalon's Festival of Trees kicks off the weekend Wednesday evening, November
22nd. In Avalon the fun continues with Festive Friday and Snowfest Saturday,
including all kinds of activities, such as wine tasting, a bounce house,
face painting, and ice skating. Stone Harbor celebrates "It's a Wonderful
Life" Friday and Saturday with music, caroling, face painting, movies, tree
lighting, and a huge Christmas parade Saturday night. Both towns will be
busy enough all weekend that if it weren't for the winter coats, you'd think
it was a summer weekend!
MONARCH BUTTERFLY COUNT INCREASES: Hourly counts of monarch
butterflies showed their numbers way up over the past few years. Despite the
strong increase, this year's numbers are still only half what they were in
2012. The hourly counts are part of the New Jersey Audubon's Cape May Bird
Observatory, and are made by interns who travel a set five-mile route
through Cape May County.
TOO CHILLY FOR THE OCEAN? Not if you're a humpback whale!
The second week of November is peak time for whale watching, due to cooling
ocean temperatures (around 50 degrees). Local whale-watching captains
reported seeing several whales in Cape May County ocean waters this past
week. Just like the monarch butterflies, the whales are heading south for
the winter.
FOOD DRIVE--LAST CALL: Long & Foster's annual food drive
wraps up this weekend. If you'd like to make a contribution, simply stop by
our Avalon office with your non-perishable food items by Monday morning. On
Monday Long & Foster will deliver all items to a local food bank for
distribution.
THE TOWNSEND'S INLET BRIDGE railing
replacement project is scheduled to begin this weekend. The bridge will
close from 10pm Friday, November 10th until 5am Saturday, November 11th. One
alternating lane of traffic is expected from then until June of 2018, as the
railings on the bridge are replaced. There is some good news for motorists:
tolls won't be collected when the alternating lanes are in effect.
Staying cool on a hot summer afternoon!
VETERANS RIDE FREE as foot passengers on the Cape May-Lewes
Ferry on November 11th, in honor of Veteran's Day. If you've served (or
you're still serving) our country, enjoy a free same day round-trip fare,
regardless of where you live! A valid ID is required for the discounts--but
the trip is enjoyable for anyone, and sightings often include dolphins,
ships & boats, or glorious sunsets. Visit
Cape May - Lewes Ferry for
schedules and other info.
AVALON LIBRARY BY MAIL: Avalon property owners can take
advantage of the Avalon Free Public Library's mail program: simply call or
email the library with your request, and it will be mailed out within two
days, along with a return mailer. Some restrictions do apply, so see this
page for info, or to place an order:
Library by Mail - Avalon Free Public Library.
LOOKING FOR A TWO-BEDROOM CONDO for less than $400,000? Or
a huge oceanfront parcel? Look below for those properties and more!
STRIPERS MOVING IN! Those fishing local waters are
reporting striped bass in the back bays. As water temperatures have cooled,
stripers have appeared and have been chasing lures and live bait.
SAVE THE DATE(S)! Thanksgiving Weekend is a big one on
Seven Mile Beach! Check out some of the activities listed below, and stay
tuned for more info next week!
HOLIDAY BEACH TAGS! Both Avalon &
Stone Harbor announced that 2017 Holiday beach tags will be available for
sale Friday of Thanksgiving weekend, at a cost of $22 in each town. In
Avalon, tags will be available at the Avalon Rescue Squad building from 11am
to 4pm Friday & Saturday, November 24th and 25th. In Stone Harbor, tags can
be purchased at Borough Hall Friday, November 24th from 10am to 8pm,
Saturday, November 25th from 10am to 7pm, and Sunday, November 26th from
10am to 5pm. Supplies in both towns are limited!
ONE IN A MILLION: A rare blue lobster was caught by a pair
of Sea Isle City fisherman last week. The 1.5 pound lobster was estimated to
be 7 to 8 years old, and was caught about 85 miles offshore. Brothers Kevin
and Eric Burcaw Jr. caught the lobster, and sought an aquarium to house the
rare specimen. Adventure Aquarium in Camden said it would keep and display
the blue lobster right next to Elvis--another blue lobster already living
there. Eric Burcaw, Sr. said he'd never seen a blue lobster in four decades
of fishing. Thanks to the Burcaws and Adventure Aquarium, the rest of us
will have a chance to see him, too.
Blue skies, warm temperatures, and an empty beach at 35th Street earlier
this week!
COASTALLIVING.COM listed both Avalon & Stone Harbor among
the ten best beach towns in New Jersey. The Dune Drive business district was
cited as an attraction for Avalon, and the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary for
Stone Harbor. Read the article and see the other towns:
10 Best Beach Towns on the Jersey Shore.
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: Bill Mengel of The Avalon History
Center will give a talk titled "All Aboard! How the Railroad Made Avalon" on
Saturday, November 4th at 1pm. Mengel will show a variety of railroad
photographs from in and around Avalon and discuss the importance of the
railroad in putting Avalon on the map. A previous talk on the same subject
was standing room only, so get there early!
"FALL BACK" by an hour this weekend! Sunday at 2am (or
Saturday at bedtime) clocks should be adjusted back by one hour, as Daylight
Savings Time ends. Enjoy that extra hour of sleep!
TIME TO BOOK YOUR VACATION RENTAL! If you haven't already,
browse my
Vacation Rental Guide to get ideas. If you prefer, call or email me with
your specifications and I'll send you options that match your criteria.
Property owners, get me your rates if you haven't done so yet!