2018: | Jan. | Feb. | March | April | May | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. |
MARKET STATS: Strong sales have led to low levels of
inventory in most property categories. 33 units sold last month and an
additional 35 units were placed under contract; only 52 new listings were
added to the market. See the latest Long & Foster Market Minute for more
market statistics.
Click above for the latest Long & Foster Market Minute.
DOLPHIN WHISPERER Nik Pattantyus has done it again! See
Nik's latest dolphin video showing several dolphins and a calf swimming just
offshore. Nik videos dolphins while he paddleboards off the beach.
Take a paddleboard ride with Nik Pattantyus as he captures footage of a
dolphin calf swimming with several adult dolphins.
FIREWORKS are the main event over the Independence Day
holiday! Seven Mile Island visitors have two chances to catch fireworks
displays. On Monday, July 2nd Stone Harbor will launch fireworks off the
96th Street beach at dusk. On Wednesday, July 4th Avalon's display will take
place off the 30th Street beach at about 8:45pm. Sea Isle City and Cape May
will also feature fireworks displays on the 4th. Not enough options? You can
also catch a weekly fireworks display on the Wildwood beach any Friday
evening at 10pm during the summer season.
RYAN HOWARD VISITS CAPE MAY COUNTY ZOO: Now that he's not
busy playing first base for the Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Howard found
some time to visit the Cape May County Zoo last week. Howard even took a few
moments to pose for pictures with Middle Township Police officers; the
photos later appeared on the department's Facebook page.
SUSTAINABLE JERSEY awards will go to seven municipalities
in our area. Avalon will receive a $20,000 grant to fund diamondback
terrapin preservation. Turtle nesting areas and barriers will be created to
prevent turtle fatalities on roadways. Stone Harbor will receive a $2,000
grant.
AIRPLANE LOVERS SHOULD PLAN AHEAD for two great air shows
returning to our area later this summer. The Atlantic City Air Show returns
on August 22nd, and will feature the hugely popular US Air Force
Thunderbirds, among numerous other performers. The show is free, and viewers
can watch from the beach or boardwalk, a hotel balcony, or aboard a boat.
Beginning August 31st Airfest returns to the Naval Air Station Wildwood
Museum at the Cape May County Airport featuring several WWII era planes. A
$16 ticket includes aircraft tours, music and access to Hangar #1. 30-minute
flights on vintage aircraft begin at $400 and require advance reservations.
View Details: AirFest 2018 -
USNASW
THE M/V TWIN CAPES, once the most luxurious ferry in the
Cape May-Lewes Ferry fleet, was sunk last Friday to become part of an
artificial reef. The 320-foot ferry featured a restaurant, food court, and
two bars, but proved expensive to operate and sat mothballed for a number of
years, before being stripped of all hazardous material in preparation for
the sinking. The ship was sunk in 130 feet of water about 26 miles from
shore, near the USS Radford (a destroyer) and the Tamaroa, a US Coast Guard
Cutter. The three ships are part of the Del-Jersey-Land reef, designed to
provide a new habitat for marine life and a destination for offshore
fishermen.
Watch as the M/V Twin Capes sinks last week at the Del-Jersey-Land reef
site, about 26 miles from shore.
SHPOA PHOTO CONTEST: All Stone Harbor homeowners, guests,
and visitors are invited to participate the 3rd Annual Stone Harbor Property
Owners Association Photo Contest. One photograph taken in Stone Harbor
between June 14th and August 12th can be submitted to
contact@stoneharborpoa.org.
3rd Annual Amateur SHPOA Photo Contest Rules
CENTRALIZED DISPATCH of emergency services is now a reality
in Cape May County, as the dispatch center at the county airport in Lower
Township opened. Avalon & Stone Harbor fire & EMS joined, along with Lower
Township police, fire, and EMS. As more towns join, the cost born by each
will be reduced. Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi, who is also the Director of
the Office of Emergency Management, said centralized dispatch could help
prevent confusion in the event of a major emergency.
THURSDAYS ON DUNE returns next Thursday, June 28th, at
Veterans Plaza on Dune Drive at 21st Street. Each week there will be kids'
activities from 5:30pm to 7pm and live music from 7pm to 8:30pm.
Thursdays On Dune Schedule of Events & Music - VisitAvalonNJ.com
SUMMER'S UPON US! With warmer temperatures and afternoon
seabreezes on most days, it feels like summer! Everything's open, and
weekend crowds are starting to build! With most schools ending this week,
summer will be in full swing in the next couple days!
JULY 4TH EVENTS are listed on our
Events Page. Fireworks shows are
planned on Seven Mile Island. Catch Stone Harbor's fireworks display on
Monday, July 2nd and Avalon's on Wednesday, July 4th.
WANT TO MAKE IT PERMANENT? Would you like to have a
permanent vacation home here at the shore? Let's talk about how you can make
it a reality. From mortgage financing to rental income, we can discuss ways
to make your dreams come true!
MORTGAGE RATES have crept up slightly the past few weeks,
and the Mortgage Banker's Association predicts they could reach an average
of 5.4% in 2019. Thinking about buying? Now may be the right time, as a
future rate increase could cost you more money each month. Need a good
mortgage lender? Call me and I'll be glad to put you in touch with a
reliable pro!
AVALON'S 2018 INFORMATION & RECREATION GUIDE is available
online at
AvalonNJGuide.com. In it you'll find helpful phone numbers,
beach information, a list of summer camps, plus event listings.
Turtle fences really work...this turtle was kept safely in the brush
adjacent to Avalon's Municipal Marina, and prevented from crossing Ocean
Drive. Keep an eye open for turtles in areas unprotected by turtle fences,
as they seek higher ground upon which to lay eggs.
TUNA IN THE CANYONS, and flounder inshore. That's the
synopsis on June fishing in local waters. Reports of good catches continue
to come in as tuna move northward, and numerous flounder are caught in the
bay. A 269 pound mako shark was weighed in at the South jersey Marina Shark
Tournament this past weekend, in which 68 boats were entered.
STONE HARBOR'S "HOBIE CAT BEACH" will be open for sailcraft
storage, after being closed initially due to lack of sand. The 122nd Street
beach is steeper and narrower than usual meaning beachgoers may compete with
catamarans stored in their traditional location. As a compromise, catamaran
storage will remain open but sailors must move their vessels on and off the
beach without vehicles, using beach wheels and manpower instead. The beach
patrol could impose additional restrictions on that area of beach if
necessary.
A.J. MEERWALD, New Jersey's official tall ship, travelled
to Atlantic Highlands, NJ this week as part of its summer cruise schedule.
The Meerwald will also visit Jersey City, Philadelphia and Cape Charles,
Virginia this year among other ports of call, but will spend nearly a month
berthed in Cape May beginning August 5th. While in Cape May the Meerwald
will offer a series of public sailing trips one to two hours in length.
COMING SOON! Fourth of July events will appear in my event
list beginning next week--keep an eye out.
MAKE YOUR SUMMER BUCKET LIST NOW! Do you remember all
those "summer things" you didn't manage to squeeze in by Labor Day last
year? Make a list and get them on your summer calendar! Watch a sunrise over
the ocean, rent a waverunner, catch a flag ceremony at Sunset Beach in Cape
May, or take a kid fishing! Whatever makes you happy--do it this summer!
THE ZOO TURNS FORTY!
The Cape May County Zoo celebrates its 40th Anniversary Saturday,
June 9th from 10am to 2pm. A full lineup of activities is planned,
including a primate training demo, an inflatable bounce house for
kids, face painting, and a magic show. The zoo is one of Cape May
County's treasures. Admission to the zoo is free, but donations are
always appreciated.
SUNSCREEN DISPENSERS will be installed at Avalon's
Beach Tag Booth at 30th Street & the beach as well as the 39th
Street Playground. Free SPF30 sunscreen will be provided as the
result of a partnership between the Borough and the Richard David
Kann Melanoma Foundation. Avalon resident Elyse Focht suggested the
idea after hearing Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman, Mike
Schmidt, discuss his battle with skin cancer.
Sunscreen dispensers like the one shown above will be installed at
Avalon's Beach Tag Booth at 30th Street and the 39th Street
Playground. Photo provided.
FISHING IS GOOD! Reports of good catches of flounder are
heard regularly, and numerous stripers over 50 pounds have been weighed in.
The first tuna have been caught in the canyons and other offshore hotspots.
It's shaping up to be a great fishing season!
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 7 MILE RESTAURANT WEEK through Sunday,
June 10th!
7 Mile Restaurant Week - List of Participants
SEA ISLE CITY'S RESTAURANT WEEK also runs through Sunday,
June 10th!
Sea Isle City Restaurant Week - List of Participants
TREAT YOUR FAMILY...to the gift that lasts a lifetime! Do
you love visiting the Island for a week? Why not make it permanent? Your
family will thank you! Call me so we can discuss your needs, and begin the
process of finding the perfect shore property for you & your family!