 A wild summer thunderstorm tonight! Fast moving, but intense. Fire trucks and police cars zipping by- hopefully nothing serious.
Also saw people out walking and bike riding during the storm.  A sure symptom of vacation brain. What are they thinking??
Our 1st heat wave of the summer expected tomorrow.  Find a cool place and relax.
 “How’s the market?” A common question from property owners, potential buyers, and tenants.
My answer is “getting better”- defined by the number of recent transactions and my own experience.Â
When a settlement is complete,  the selling price is posted. For the most part, we are not seeing shockingly low prices. In fact, we often say that the price was a fair number for both the buyer and seller.
During just the past 30 days, 24 properties in Avalon & Stone Harbor sold/settled. There are an additional 33 sale pending with closings scheduled in the near future. That’s 57 buyers with enough confidence in the market to take the leap of seashore ownership!
We anticipate an active fall market as well. Buyers sense that we are “at the bottom” for pricing, and want to take advantage of the favorable interest rates. The inventory in certain segments of our market is finally at a more reasonable level (that makes our sellers happy- less competition).
If you, or someone you know is interested in a seashore purchase, please contact me   ann@anndelaney.com  or (609) 967-7950
 I appreciate the opportunity to help!
Yesterday was beautiful. Comfortable temperatures and exceptionally low humidity for August. We turned off the air conditioning and appreciated the fresh air in the house.
Great idea for the daytime…but for last night…not so much.
We don’t live in a rowdy neighborhood, but the houses are close together. So voices from a late night gathering on a nearby deck will carry. For the weekly tenants, this is their last night of vacation. For those of us who live/work here, it’s a “school night”!
Just as the party faded around 2am, the odor of a skunk blew in with the breeze. Do I sound as cranky as I feel?   Needless to say, the A/C is back on 😉
I appreciate my neighbors’ flags- I can easily check for wind speed and direction to determine my early morning activity (along with the tide chart posted in my kitchen).
High tide and no wind inspired me to kayak this morning. Should have known better. No wind = gnats and mosquitos on the bay.  I was swarmed as I lowered the boat into the bay and started off (left the bug spray back at the house of course).  Paddled as quickly as I could to the main channel to catch a breeze (good exercise at least)- and splashed salt water on my arms and legs to soothe the bites!
Checked the flags again on the bay houses- ahhh, a slight breeze. Much better for the rest of my excursion.
From my office windows, I watch the flags over Hoy’s 5 &10.  Nice, southeast breeze. Looks like a great beach day from here!
Crazy weekend…the island is packed!Â
 Someone compared driving this weekend to playing a video game- pedestrians, bikes, cars, dogs, surreys, golf carts, and joggers,  oh my!
Best to spend as much time on the beach or in the bay 🙂
The busiest weekend of the summer…and the biggest event of the summer: The Arts & Crafts Festival at the 80th Street field.
The white tents are up and ready for the vendors to descend tomorrow. The crowds will follow starting early Saturday morning. Parking and driving in the immediate vicinity will be difficult- Third Avenue/Ocean Drive will be the best option for north to south travel!
The Press of Atlantic City featured an article today about the International Space Station and Endeavour passing in front of the moon tonight at 8:42pm.  So I sat on my deck, facing the half lit moon and waited.  Sure enough, a faint light (I would have thought it was an airplane otherwise) slowly crossed the sky heading east. Very cool! Big night at the shore 🙂
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I am proud to support:Â
Brendan Borek High Tides Memorial Fund is a true local charity- all money raised helps families in Cape May County. Visit the web site for details and calendar of upcoming August events.Â
The 14th Annual Nun’s Beach Surf Contest is scheduled for Saturday, September 12th. All proceeds support the upkeep of Villa Maria by the Sea retreat house on 111th Street in Stone Harbor. This property is a beautiful landmark for our community, and enjoyed all summer long by the visiting Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters. For more information, contact Sister James Dolores, IHM at 609-368-5290, or stop by their garage “store” to purchase popular Nun’s Beach attire!
Bikes, beach chairs, beach toys, strollers, scooters, bathing suits on the line…a busy rental house for sure!
A southwest breeze today: the unique combination of oven hot air and humidity! It was a bit cooler along the ocean’s edge as I walked this morning. Good day for a beach chair in the water!
The Jersey Shore attracts a variety of visitors from all over.   We turn our heads when we hear a foreign language or see a fancy car. But the vacationing Amish families create a different level of fascination.
The other day, 2 young women in their “plain” dresses passed me on roller blades. I knew it would be disrespectful to take a picture- but it was tempting!
The Amish enjoy an ordinary seashore experience – going to the beach, eating at a local deli, and riding bikes around the island. We only notice because their clothes and hairstyles are different.
I find it reassuring that a simple way of life still exists (not that our life at the beach is so complicated ;)Â Â And, it’s a positive reminder to appreciate other cultures and their traditions.