Strong northwest winds and cold temperatures again this morning.Â
Heading north, the only reasonable spot to walk is near the dunes (a bit of a wind block). Grateful for the warm sun on my face, too!
The solitude on the beach provides the freedom to sing along with gusto to the songs on my iPod (oh, sorry…I guess I do that year round)
During the past 30 days, 22 properties in Avalon and Stone Harbor, NJ SOLD. The final selling price ranged from $400,000 (for an updated 2 bedroom condo) to $3,595,000 (an oversized lot- and house- near the beach). 7 properties sold in Stone Harbor; 15 in Avalon. The median selling price was $890,000.
In addition, there are 33 island properties under contract (with settlement scheduled within the next few months). 7 are in Stone Harbor; 26 in Avalon. They range from $364,900 (a hotel/condo on 79th Street) to $5,495,000 (a beachfront on 14th Street). The median list price is $925,000.
If you keep your house open all winter, these tips from local winter watch house experts will protect your pipes from freezing:
1) Set the thermostat to at least 55 degrees.
2) Open cabinet doors under all sinks to allow heated air to circulate around the pipes.
3) Close the foundation vents and crawl space access panel (cold wind under the house will freeze the exposed pipes).
4) Drain the outside shower and remove hoses from outside faucets.
5) Unless you are in town on a regular basis, it’s best to hire a winter watch service. They will inspect your property several times per month, and take care of any minor items before a major problem develops.
Brisk winds today at the shore (a pleasant way to say it’s really COLD!)Â Â AÂ perfect day to plan ahead for warm beach days in 2011.
Start your search for a vacation rental in Avalon or Stone Harbor, NJ http://www.powerplayrealty.com/rentals
Do you dream of owning a seashore home? http://www.powerplayrealty.com/sales Browse through the variety of homes and condominiums for sale in Avalon and Stone Harbor. Jumbo financing is available, and interest rates remain at record lows.  A purchase at the shore is a lifestyle choice that your family will enjoy for years to come.
As always, I appreciate the opportunity to help ann@anndelaney.com
Next on the learning curve…pictures from my new phone for my blog and Twitter http://twitter.com/AnnDelaneyBeach
This required removing my gloves (which of course dropped onto the sand), looking for the right key strokes (challenging when you don’t bring your reading glasses on a beach walk!), and then sending/sharing it with the correct account.
Reward: a quality picture and a nice walk 
This picture is not significant to my post…just a calming sight to clear my head.
I am trying to sync my new smart phone with my computer and e-mail at work. Aaarrrggghhh.Â
The new phones come with a quick start guide, but everything else is accessed on line. So I have to click on the help link…go back to my Outlook program…look for the settings on the phone…and then ultimately, call our computer guy to walk me through. Hope to be set (and less frustrated) soon 
Observations on local trends:
1) Construction– the new homes under construction are not builder specs. Private home owners are taking advantage of competitive builder pricing and building new or extensively renovating. Long time property owners are in an ideal position to tear down and build a larger home suitable for their family.
2) Summer Rentals- an increase in rental requests over the past few weeks, especially those looking for the prime July/ August weeks. Rental property owners are keeping their rates level and providing more amenities to attract business.
3) Sales– statistically, real estate prices are back to 2003 levels (market values peaked in 2005/2006). Popular segments of the market: condo/townhouse units in the $400,000 to $600,000 range, bay front single family homes priced under $2 million, and newer custom homes in the $2.5 million and under range.
4) Real Estate Agents– many of us have weathered the cycles of seashore real estate before…and are optimistically (and patiently) waiting for a return to normalcy. For me personally, this is my home as well as my business. It’s not a hard sell- I genuinely love living, and working on the island.
The first frost of the season for Avalon and Stone Harbor.
Time to replace the fleece jacket with the fashionable winter coat for my beach walks.
I purchased my LL Bean classic a few years ago- mainly for trips out to Colorado (our son used to live there). It’s a unique pinkish orange color, had a minus something temperature rating in the catalog…and it was on sale!Â
A beautiful morning- bright sunshine, calm winds, and low tide (with a few prize pieces of sea glass along the water’s edge).
The annual Stone Harbor Christmas Parade-Â a Seven Mile Beach tradition.
Summer home owners and visitors join the island’s year round residents for this BIG event.  Â
How can you recognize a year round resident? They are properly dressed for the weather! The summer homeowners are wearing loafers (thankfully, with socks), and a light jacket from their beach house closet. Brrr…
A fun night out on the town
Old Santas
The red light bulb attached to the electrical cord is long gone. And like the outdoor Santa, the paint is starting to fade.
But for some reason, I smile when I place him on the table each year.Â
I have newer Christmas decorations to display, but my favorites are those wrapped in memories. The ornaments that celebrated babies’ first Christmas, welcomed us to a new home (I have a collection of those!), grade school crafts, and souvenirs from far off travels. A collection 30 plus years in the making.