Flashback to January, 2018!  Six years ago, huge snow piles were made in the parking lot at 30^th Street & the beach, as Avalon Public Works worked diligently to clear roads of accumulated snow.

A LITTLE BIT OF SNOW fell Monday evening into Tuesday, leaving a thin layer of white over Avalon & Stone Harbor for the first time in a long while.  By the early morning hours relatively warm temperatures along the coast had turned the precipitation to rain, melting away most of the snow by daylight.  Predicted daily high temperatures are expected to be in the 30s until next Tuesday, with lows in the 20s Friday & Saturday nights.

A SAND BACKPASSING PROJECT is planned for later this spring in Avalon.  Following last year’s successful hydraulic beach replenishment, winter storm activity has resulted in some erosion or the borough’s north-end beaches.  A backpassing project—the moving of sand from one area of the beach to another by trucks and heavy equipment—will help restore north end beaches, and serve as a supplement to hydraulic beach fills, which normally occur on three-year cycles.

MORTGAGE APPLICATIONS SURGED by 9.9% last week according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.  Mortgage rates have fallen from their recent peak, spurring both purchase demand and mortgage applications.  If you are considering a purchase, take advantage of the recent reduction in rates.  Call or email me today!

PREPARE YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY:  The off season is the best (and often, the only) time to schedule projects at your rental property.  If you’re in need of interior painting, carpet cleaning, HVAC service or tune up, or similar projects, now is a great time to call your contractor and have the work done.  Ordering new furniture (one piece, a room’s worth, or a whole house full) is a great way to update and enhance your interior.  Replacing older TVs with newer and larger flat screens, which have improved display quality at amazingly affordable prices, is another way to improve a rental property.  Take advantage of the next couple of months and make a few upgrades to improve your property, and its rental return.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Salt Marsh Stories.  Video presentation on the impact of salt marshes on 7 Mile Island, followed by discussion and Q&A.  Avalon History Center, 215 39^th Street, Saturday, January 20^th, 1pm.
• Ice Skating in Avalon!  ICONA Avalon, Friday & Saturday, 12pm-8pm, Sunday, 12pm-6pm, through February.
• Stone Harbor Shiver, Saturday, March 16^th. Details TBA.
• Roller Skating in Cape May, Cape May Convention Hall, Fridays, 4pm to 6pm; Saturdays, 6:30pm to 8:30pm; Sundays 1pm to 3pm and 4pm to 6pm, throughout January.
• Dance Toning, Avalon Community Hall, Mondays, 9am.
• Sit and Be Fit, Avalon Community Hall, Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 11:15am.
• Chair Yoga, 39^th Street Tennis Building, Tuesdays, 10am.
• Sit and Be Fit, 81^st Street Recreation Center, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11am.
• Move and Groove, 81^st Street Basketball Pavilion, Wednesdays, 11am.
• HIIT Fitness Class, 81^st Street Basketball Pavilion, Thursdays, 4:15pm.

New Listings:

66 E 20th Street, 303, Avalon, $1,395,000, ACTIVE MLS#: 240108

2160 Dune Drive, 2160, Avalon, $1,699,000, ACTIVE MLS#: 240084

311 42nd Street, Avalon, $3,399,999, ACTIVE MLS#: 240117

Properties Under Contract:

7929 Dune Drive, 104, Avalon, $599,000, UNDER CONTRACT MLS#: 240063

413 98th Street, First Floor, Stone Harbor, $974,900, UNDER CONTRACT MLS#: 233131

173 38th Street, Avalon, $2,300,000, UNDER CONTRACT MLS#: 240017

212 19th Street, Avalon, $3,495,000, UNDER CONTRACT MLS#: 232391

Properties Sold:

33 Seabreeze Lane, Avalon Manor, $5,350,000, SOLD MLS#: 240111

Keep an eye out for eagles around the island, as they stalk their pray.  See below for a note on another kind of Bird!

2024 MARKET OFF TO STRONG START: Six properties went to closing during the first week of the new year, with an additional five placed under contract.  The recent drop in interest rates is helping to drive the market, along with continuing demand for shore homes.   See below for the properties that closed, those placed under contract, plus this week’s new listings.

BOATS IN JANUARY?  Except for a few diehards, most boats are out of the water in January.  But an indoor boat show is a great way to get a jump on summer boating.  4,500 people attended last weekend’s Wildwood Fishing & Boating Expo at the Wildwood Convention Center, according to the Atlantic City Press.  About 70 boats were on display in a 45,000 square foot section of the Convention Center, along with 76 fishing and boating related vendors, displaying rods & reels, fishing tackle, and boating products and services.  Several boating and fishing seminars were offered as well.  At least ten boats were sold during the first day of the show.

ATLANTIC CITY EXPRESSWAY TOLLS have increased for 2024.  At the main toll plaza, the cash toll increased fifteen cents to $4.70, and the EZPass toll increased to $3.01.  The various other tolls increased similarly.  Routes 322, 55, 50, 49, and 47 remain popular toll-free alternatives for reaching 7 Mile Island.

IF YOU NEED A WEEK AT THE BEACH IN 2024—or if you want to make it permanent and purchase your own shore property—please let me know!  Either way, let’s find you the perfect beach getaway!  Call or email me today!

GO EAGLES!  It’s playoff time!  Let’s root for the Birds as they begin the playoffs Monday night!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Salt Marsh Stories.  Video presentation on the impact of salt marshes on 7 Mile Island, followed by discussion and Q&A.  Avalon History Center, 215 39^th Street, Saturday, January 20^th, 1pm.
• Ice Skating in Avalon!  ICONA Avalon, Friday & Saturday, 12pm-8pm, Sunday, 12pm-6pm, through February.
• Dance Toning, Avalon Community Hall, Mondays, 9am.
• Sit and Be Fit, Avalon Community Hall, Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 11:15am.
• Chair Yoga, 39^th Street Tennis Building, Tuesdays, 10am.
• Sit and Be Fit, 81^st Street Recreation Center, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11am.
• Move and Groove, 81^st Street Basketball Pavilion, Wednesdays, 11am.
• HIIT Fitness Class, 81^st Street Basketball Pavilion, Thursdays, 4:15pm.

New Listings:

7929 Dune Drive, 104, Avalon, $599,000, ACTIVE MLS#: 240063

2488 Avalon Avenue, Avalon, $931,000, ACTIVE MLS#: 240045

699 21st Street, 2nd Floor, Avalon, $1,175,000, ACTIVE MLS#: 240073

121 15th Street, Avalon, $2,095,000, ACTIVE MLS#: 240057

173 38th Street, Avalon, $2,300,000, ACTIVE MLS#: 240017

284 33rd Street, 284, Avalon, $2,795,000, ACTIVE MLS#: 240021

389 21st Street, Avalon, $2,995,000, ACTIVE MLS#: 240059

136 107th Street, Stone Harbor, $7,449,000, ACTIVE MLS#: 240062

Properties Under Contract:

296 34th Street, 296, Avalon, $1,525,000, UNDER CONTRACT MLS#: 240051

265 19th Street, Avalon, $2,195,000, UNDER CONTRACT MLS#: 232624

Properties Sold:

1114 Stone Harbor Boulevard, Bay Island, Stone Harbor Manor, $1,200,000, SOLD MLS#: 231896

612 Sunrise Drive, 612, Avalon, $1,720,000, SOLD MLS#: 231897

2127 4th Avenue, Avalon, $2,160,000, SOLD MLS#: 232345

236 22nd Street, 236, Avalon, $2,800,000, SOLD MLS#: 230751

163 83rd Street, Stone Harbor, $4,800,000, SOLD MLS#: 232693

7698 Dune Drive, Avalon, $4,900,000, SOLD MLS#: 223055

• Ice Skating in Avalon!  ICONA Avalon, Friday & Saturday, 12pm-8pm, Sunday, 12pm-6pm, through February.
• Dance Toning, Avalon Community Hall, Mondays, 9am.
• Sit and Be Fit, Avalon Community Hall, Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 11:15am.
• Chair Yoga, 39^th Street Tennis Building, Tuesdays, 10am.
• Sit and Be Fit, 81^st Street Recreation Center, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11am.
• Move and Groove, 81^st Street Basketball Pavilion, Wednesdays, 11am.