Bay Head & Mantoloking Today – February 2019 (Snowstorm, Local Happenings, and the Market)

We are half way through winter, and if Punxsutawney Phil was accurate on February 2nd, we can expect an early Spring! And, so far, other than yesterday’s 3″ of snow, it seems like he might just be right! We have been busy, and have a collection of very nice new listings, but have also found some time to get away. Ed and Meagan recently visited Raleigh to see friends (she lived there for 15 years before they were married), and Suzie and John traveled to York, PA to watch one of their grandsons play in a hockey tournament. As usual, our video for this month is below, with various winter scenes from around the area. In late January, we were pleased to sponsor a product of “Noises Off” at the Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan (Ed is also on the board there).

Around the Towns

Things are bit quiet around Bay Head and Mantoloking this time of year, but there is some activity. The previously mentioned water main work continues in Bay Head, with periodic closures of Club Drive. In Mantoloking, everyone (staff, residents, and officials), is very eager to move into the new borough hall. A good sign is the fact that the borough recently posted a notice indicating that tax payments should be sent to the town’s Mantoloking PO Box, not the temporary address in Brick! The move could take place as soon as Tuesday, February 26th.

If you are in town for a visit, and have already had a bite to eat, and have done some shopping around town (there is A LOT to do in Bay Head!), there are other activities around the county to consider. Island Beach State Park and Cattus Island County Park are always good for a visit, and there are plenty of other places to visit too – feel free to ask us for some ideas. As we head into March, St. Patrick’s Day events come to mind, including Belmar’s well known parade on March 3rd. THIS FRIDAY (Feb 22nd) – there is a Mid-Winter Surf Movie Night at the Bay Head Fire House at 7pm, free of charge!

Beach replenishment work is still expected to begin in Bay Head this spring, but the Army Corps website does not currently have a specific schedule posted.

“Bay Head – Sand placement operations to take place this Spring. There will be three pipe landings in Bay Head at the following locations:

Just south of Egbert St (work will first proceed south; then flip and proceed north)
Just south of Mount St (work will first proceed south; then flip and proceed north)
Just north of Karge St (work will first proceed north; then flip and proceed south)

(Note: Following the completion of sand placement operations, additional work on dune crossovers and sand fencing takes place for a period of several weeks. Dune grass is only planted between November and March per best practices)” – Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia

Meetings

In Bay Head, the next Council Meeting is at 7:00PM on March 4th. Mantoloking’s next Council Meetings are on March 12th (agenda setting meeting), and March 19th (regular meeting) at 5:30PM. Mantoloking’s next Planning Board Meeting will be held on March 7th at 6:30PM, and the next Environmental Commission Meeting will be March 11th at 5:30PM. Mantoloking Municipal Court will be held March 21st at 3:00PM.

All dates (and locations) are subject to change, and the latest information is usually posted on the respective website. More town meetings and events can be found on the town calendars: Bay Head | Mantoloking

To keep up-to-date on town ordinances for Bay Head and Mantoloking, or to research the answer to a question, these can also be accessed on the respective town websites: Bay Head Town Ordinances | Mantoloking Town Ordinances. If you have a question that you can’t answer, or that you’d like our opinion on, please let us know.

Market

With the mild winter that we’ve been having, there has been a quite a bit of real estate activity around Bay Head and Mantoloking. There have been a handful of closings and contracts, as well as new listings – some brand new, and some returning to the market after the holidays. We have a new bayfront listing at 214 Channel Lane, and it is well worth seeing – large, bright, sunlit rooms, panoramic bay views to the north, and a pool overlooking the bay. Our listings at 16 Mount Street (ocean views, and a pool), 242 East Avenue (ocean views), 900 Ocean Avenue (walk to South Beach!), and 1038 Barnegat Lane (bayfront) have all returned to the market. In 2019, Corelogic (a real estate data resource) is predicting “average annual price growth of 3.4%.” Our company water front sales and luxury sales volume statistics for 2018 are available here.

As always, all of our current listings can be found on our website.

Additional details about the current market in both towns can be found below. If you have questions about your property, or another neighborhood, please ask.

In Bay Head, there are currently 26 homes and parcels of land on the market, (up from last month’s total of 20) and 3 properties under contract. In the last 30 days, there has been 1 closing in Bay Head.

In Mantoloking, there are currently 31 homes and parcels of land on the market (up from last month’s total), and 4 properties under contract. In the last 30 days, there have been no closings in Mantoloking.

When it comes to property values, Zillow may have their “Zestimate,” but we have our own “zactimate.” If you are considering selling, we would be happy to meet with you. In addition, if anyone you know is talking about selling or buying, please keep us in mind.

If you would like to receive more frequent updates, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram (#suzieandedrealtors), or simply give us call.

We welcome your comments, suggests for topics, and other feedback.

Thank you,

Ed and Suzie

All statistics are per the Monmouth/Ocean MLS as of 2/21/2019.