FYI- the Borough of Avalon mailed letters to all Avalon property owners with the adjusted tax assessment.Â
The State of New Jersey requires tax assessments to be in line with fair market value. Therefore, a Borough wide re-assessment was completed at the end of 2010.
If you have any questions related to market value of your shore home, I am happy to help. ann@anndelaney.com
A “big” birthday is hard enough. And one that falls in the middle of dreary January is even worse.
So I have a plan…along with a commemorative shirt 😉
Time on the beach is my cure for everything!
We missed the “Christmas Blizzard” at the shore.  The driving route to North Carolina for a family visit was quickly altered, and thankfully, we were able to stay ahead of the storm.
Of course, we faced more snow as we drove west through the mountains. Who says it’s warm in the south??
The grown “kids” had fun sledding and building a giant snowman 😉
Santa– the life size painted, cut out version- has been an important part of Christmas for as long as I can remember.Â
Santa began his life of service in the early 1960’s at my parents’ first house in Avalon. He was surrounded by big, multi-colored bulbs on the newly planted shrubs. Inside that modest Golden Home rancher, 4 little girls hung their stockings on a cardboard fireplace with a plug in red bulb that magically turned the metal wheel to create “fire†.
In the 1970’s, Santa moved with our family 5 blocks south in Avalon to a larger, 2 story home with a real wood fireplace. The colorful exterior lights were eventually replaced with more subtle white bulbs, but the spot light literally remained on Santa.
In the off season, Santa hung proudly on the garage wall- watching us all come and go. Those little girls grew up and moved out, bringing back grandchildren for days on the beach. In the 1980’s, my young sons were fascinated by Santa, and maybe a bit intimidated based on our attempts to use him for improved behavior!
When my parents downsized to a townhouse in the early 1990’s, my father asked if I wanted Santa for our home. Of course, I was thrilled- and Santa didn’t complain as he was forced to leave Avalon and move “off shoreâ€.Â
Santa loyally followed us on each move- knowing that he would be given a prominent position (with a flood light) at Christmas.   Several years ago, he gratefully moved back to the island to become a Stone Harbor resident!Â
Now approaching 50 years old, Santa is showing some signs of wear (aren’t we all). I thought about asking an artist to do a “touch upâ€, but it just doesn’t seem right.  It’s good to remember that so much time has passed- it helps us to celebrate the journey.Â
This entry was originally posted Christmas 2008. I think it deserves an annual repeat.
It’s been cold and a bit snowy. And, December is known to be a slow month for seashore real estate.
Yet, there have been 14 settlements to date for the month of December in Avalon and Stone Harbor, NJ.
9 single family homes, plus 5 townhouse style condos SOLD, with a median selling price of $792,500. In addition, there are 28 properties sale pending with settlement scheduled within the next few months.
These sales provide solid “comps” for buyers and sellers- to establish or justify current market values.Â
If you would like additional information regarding values in specific Avalon or Stone Harbor neighborhoods, please let me know. ann@anndelaney.com
Thank you for the opportunity to help!
It was 25 degrees this morning when I left the house for a walk (took a picture of my shadow as proof of my bravery!)
Along the dunes and in the sun…it was much warmer. Maybe 28 degrees.
Watch for the almost full moon tonight, and the lunar eclipse around 3am (hoping I can see it from our west facing sliding glass door).
P.S. The moon was overhead at the time of the eclipse, and therefore hard to see from inside the house (oh…and maybe my glasses would have helped). The huge yellow moon setting over the bay early this morning was pretty, though.
Need to work off a few Christmas cookies? If you will be in Avalon on Sunday 12/26, sign up for Dashing Through the Sand 2010 (5K fun run).
Registration opens at 8am at the Avalon Community Hall (30th and Avalon Avenue); race starts at 9am.
Proceeds benefit The Craig Kenneth Lozier Memorial Scholarship fund.
Hey…where is everyone??
No excuse to skip my beach walk this morning. It was VERY cold, but at least no wind.
Now it’s snowing.
Only 164 days until Memorial Day 😉
3:20pm- Â More snow than I expected, and it keeps falling!
Worth repeating on a day like today:Â Is your shore house prepared for winter?
The combination of cold temperatures and high winds causes exposed pipes to freeze. Outside showers and non-frost proof hose nozzles must be shut off and drained. Disconnect all hoses (water in the hose will expand and crack even the frost proof nozzle).Â
If you leave your inside water on, set your heat between 55 and 60 degrees, and open the cabinet doors under all sinks to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.Â
Purchase a “watchman” red light from the local hardware store (a thermostat connected to the light will indicate if the inside temperature falls below 45 degrees).  And, provide the police with your contact information.
Or, hire someone to regularly inspect your property to make sure the heat is functioning. Based on last winter…this is money well spent.
Let it Snow…
I had only walked a few blocks before this was my view of the ocean!
 Less than 1 hour later, the sand was completely covered. It was actually quite peaceful- glad I didn’t wimp out 😉
Update:Â Now at 11:30am, several inches are on the ground and the snow is really coming down.
A perfect day to think about summer and time on the beach…