LBI Garden Club Holiday Tour of Homes The LBI Garden Club will be hosting the event on Dec 9 and 10, 10 am to 4 pm.  The tour will feature 7 homes decorated for the holidays by the club.  A tea and boutique will also be provided.  Tickets are $30.00; visit the club website, thegardencluboflbi.com. The Garden Club of Long Beach Island was organized in 1958 and federated in 1960.  The club is a member of The National Garden Clubs, Inc.-Central Atlantic Region and The Garden Club of New Jersey-District Eight.  Our meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 11:30 A.M. at the First Methodist Church, corner of New Jersey and Beach Avenues in Beach Haven Terrace, NJ. The club maintains the Edith Duff Gwinn Gardens at the Barnegat Light Museum and the Beach Haven Library, organiz... 11/13/2010

Just one year ago, the Jersey Shore was pounded by a violent storm that ate away at Long Beach Island's beaches and caused major flooding throughout southern Ocean County. .. Long Beach Island, NJ November 2009 .. Storm Damage Long Beach Island, NJ November 2009 What a difference a one year makes!  The dune replenishment project, undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers, was completed last spring. .. Dredge off the coast in Harvey Cedars, NJ The dunes are higher and path to the beach is a little longer, but homes have more protection from the Atlantic! .. New Dune in Harvey Cedars, NJ November 2010 The walk might be a few more steps but on the other side, there's still the Atlantic Ocean! .. Atlantic Ocean, Harvey Cedars, NJ 2010 11/11/2010

The American Littoral Society has recognized Dr. Michael J. Kennish for his outstanding contributions to marine science by bestowing on him the 2010 Graham Macmillan Award, which is awarded annually to an individual or group for exceptional contributions to marine conservation and science. Michael J. Kennish was recognized for his work on Barnegat Bay and ocean ecosystems on The Jersey Shore. Dr. Kennish is a research professor at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University. The award was announced at the Society′s 49th annual meeting in Montauk, New York, on October 23.   The award was established in the 1970s in honor of Graham Macmillan, who founded the American Littoral Society′s nationally recognized volunteer, fish-tagging program in 1965 as a way to engage re... 11/10/2010

Can I Make Money Surf Fishing on Long Beach Island? You bet!  It's October, and it's the Annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic which began on the 9th and runs through December 5th.  The striped bass and blue fish competition offers daily, weekly and grand cash prizes in general, children’s, student, ladies and seniors categories. It's early on in the competition, and current record striped bass (caught on October 22, 2010) stands at 56.44 pounds caught in Haven Beach, on the south end of Long Beach Island by Ray Sullivan.   That's the largest in Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic history.  But Bob Misak, from Barneget Light Bait and Tackle, predicts a 60 pounder will be caught before the LBI Surf Fishing tournament ends on December 5th.   Nearly 1,000 anglers register each y... 10/28/2010

The Surflight Theatre, in Beach Haven, will remain open for at least another season after the recently hired chief financial officer revealed that he had miscalculated the debt owed by the group.  It was originally estimated that the theatre owed more than $500,000, but that approximation was off by about $370,000.  The theatre company officials said several measures will help keep the Surflight open through the off-season.  The theatre will not have to make principal payments on its bonds for the next 6 months and more cash will be used to pay down short-term loans.  The top staff at the theatre will also be working without pay for one year. The Surflight Theatre first opend it's "doors" in 1950 in Beach Haven Crest, on Long Beach Island, in a shaky 2,200-seat tent with a cast of 60, a... 10/18/2010

What does October first mean to you?For many it means preparing for winter and hunkering down.  Others face endless days of leaf raking.  And the more diligent among us will be working on their 2011 business plans.For dogs at the Jersey Shore who have watched us, and vacationers, flock to Surf City and Barnegat Light on Long Beach Island all summer long, October first has a whole different meaning!   It's when their beach season begins! ......Keep your dog leashed, pick up after the pup...and remember, leave only footprints! 09/30/2010

As Hurricane Earl moves north, it appears that the Jersey Shore will be spared.  It's expected to be cloudy with some rain today, the full fury of the storm will more north further east out in the Atlantic.   Weather forcasters say the sun will shine tomorrow, but it will be a bit windy.  It's shaping up to be a great Labor Day weekend at the Jersey Shore, and Long Beach Island in particular. ..Check out the Live Beach Cam on Long Beach Island! While the beaches should be welcoming this Labor Day weekend, beach patrols warn of rip currents.   A rip current is a narrow, powerful current of water running perpendicular to the beach, out into the ocean. These currents may extend 200 to 2,500 feet  lengthwise, but they are typically less than 30 feet wide. Rip currents can move at a pretty g... 09/03/2010

Get 411 About Long Beach Island! With iPhones taking over, Dan LaPlaca of Long Beach Island and New York City rolled out a new iPhone app in July!   The LBI 411 application features must know info about LBI...things like restaurants, family activities, the best places to fish, what bands are playing and weekly rentals.The 99 cent LBI411 application is available for iPhones and iPod Touch, and the developer expects to expand the app to Blackberry and Android.  So if you want the 411 about Long Beach Island, there's a place to go...or follow LBI 411 on Twitter @LBI411.   08/25/2010

Davies and DeGennaro Real Estate: New Website for Long Beach Island Real Estate Davies and DeGennaro Real Estate's new website is ready for you! LongBeachIsland4Sale.com Lets you Search for Homes home instantaniously using the same MLS system most Realtors use themselves.  Information is at your finger tips in just seconds as you can find mortgage calculators along with descriptions of different types of mortgages to help better understand what type would be best for your situation.  Being a small, family owned business you can easily get to know our agents on a personal level and be able to interact instantaniously.  All of our information is available on the "Meet our Agents" page.  This should be your number one search tool for your future home.  We should be your number one Agency f... 07/13/2010

By Curtis LeeThe Murphy-Lee Team of Prudential Zack Shore Properties  If you're a late "Boomer" or a "Gen X" or "Gen Y'er," you're likely looking for a place to position assets given the extreme volatility of U.S. equity markets and paltry returns of money market instruments and other safe havens.             Real estate, even through the market downturn, has long been considered a conservative, long-term strategy to growing wealth. Better yet, lower home prices across America and record-low mortgage rates have created an historic buying opportunity for real estate including second/vacation homes. It's a "ground floor" opportunity that comes with doors, windows, a roof and potential for many great moments and memories. Long-term demand for second homes looks strong, as there are large n... 07/02/2010

CJ Davies: Your #1 Choice for Real Estate in Long Beach Island, NJ 08008 My name is CJ Davies and I work for Davies and DeGennaro Real Estate here on Long Beach Island, NJ.  Please visit my web site to Search for Homes on LBI My Self: CJ Davies Born: Chestnut Hill, PA I have lived in LBI for over 20 Yrs Graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington Cameron School of Business with focus on Marketing/Finance Hobbies: Taveling/Surfing:  I love to take surf trips almost anywhere.  I prefer the warm weather but I'm always up for something new.  I have been to Rincon, Puerto Rico and several places in Costa Rica both more than a handful of times.  I enjoyed a couple stays at Playa Kandahar, Mexico as well at Puerto Vallarta.  I have been going to the US Virgin Islands for the pa... 06/22/2010

Drum roll please…and the winners of the 2010 Top 10 Beaches in New Jersey are: 1. The Wildwoods2. Ocean City3. Long Beach Island4. Asbury Park5. Sea Isle City6. Cape May7. Island Beach State Park/Berkeley Township8. Seaside Heights9. Cape May Point10. Avalon 2010 - Special Categories in New Jersey’s Top 10 BeachesBest Beach for Family VacationThe WildwoodsBest Beach for TourismThe WildwoodsBest Beach for EventsThe WildwoodsBest Beach for EcotourismThe Wildwoods I think there was some ballot box stuffing for the Wildwoods, but could be the severe winter storms and beach erosion that caused Long Beach Island’s drop from the number 2 spot on the 2010 Best Beaches in New Jersey list. ..Long Beach Island, NJ The New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium/New Jersey Sea Grant (NJMSC/NJSG) and the ... 05/27/2010

  "If you 're looking for someone to help price your home and negotiate for you and to guide you on common market practices, then you want a full-service agent. The commission you pay is for their expertise and negotiation skills, and for guiding you through the biggest transaction of your life. You only sell a home every seven years and you can't possibly know everything you need to know to get yourself the best deal. So you bring in a realtor in because it's something she does every day of her life, and she can help you squeeze the most dollar value for your home. That's why you hire a realtor.""You should listen to her, too, and not argue with everything she says." You Have Everything to Lose by Aiming High "Don't dare overprice in this market, "Sellers often think they need to price... 03/20/2010

A sale can be made or lost as a direct result of your home's curb appeal. When it comes to selling your home, the first impression is probably the most important impression. If the outside of the property doesn't create interest or appear well-maintained, a buyer may choose to not even come inside the home. Here are five ways to create curb appeal.    Paint and polish. A fresh coat of paint breathes new life into a tired-looking home. If your home looks dull or suffers from peeling, cracked or chipped surfaces, a paint job is a great investment. Polish the doorknocker and mail slot on the front door, as well as any light fixtures by the entry. Re-condition your deck. Consider renting a power washer to clean dirt and mildew from the wood, and then apply an all-weather sealer or stain.  ... 01/08/2010

  Local agents speed up the house-hunting process on The Jerseyshore with a real estate search for any cell phone   [12/21/2009] (Manahawkin, NJ)-One of the top real estate teams in Ocean County is introducing a way for clients to view all of the homes for sale in the area with any cell phone. Eileen Murphy and Curtis Lee "The Murphy-Lee Team" with Prudential Zack Shore Properties are providing clients with a mobile real estate search created by Smarter Agent that makes it possible to search all local property listings from their mobile device, regardless of whether it is listed by "The Murphy-Lee Team" or another broker or agent. Eileen and Curtis's mobile real estate search is the only house-hunting tool that works on 95% of cell phones across all carriers.   With The Murphy-Lee Team'... 12/21/2009

Service after the sale…What Does That Mean to Your Client?   After you leave the closing table, a postcard twice a year and a magnet calendar in December are not going to keep you in the mind of your client.  So what do you do that’s over and above that of the REALTOR® next door?   I live at the Jersey Shore, and sell as many vacation homes as well as primary residences.  So let’s talk service after the sale for Jersey Shore properties.   For me service after the sale of real estate is, sometimes, one of the easiest and best parts of my job!    Generally, second home buyers at the Jersey Shore live about one and a half to two hours away.  Our primary media outlets are New York and Philadelphia.   For some clients, service after the sale is a call to me to find out when the garbage is pi... 12/03/2009

New Jersey's coastal counties have been declared a disaster area by Governor Corzine. Though the rain and wind subsided over the weekend, yesterday was the first day local and state officials could take a firsthand view of the damage.  They were out in force on Long Beach Island, calling last week's storm the worst in a decade. Most lagoon front property in Little Egg Harbor and  Manahawkin fared well, some of the beaches on Long Beach Island were not so lucky. Bulkheads and jetties saw some real action during the 4 days of wind and rain.   The beaches in Surf City handled the storm far better.  Last year, Surf City received beach replenishment help from the Army Corps of Engineers.  The wider beach and plenty of dune grass helped against the winds and high tides.   That's not to say th... 11/16/2009

Tomorrow, Thursday and for the 2 additional Thursday’s through the Labor Day 2009 weekend, ‘we don’t need no stinking badges!’   The Borough of Beach Haven, on Long Beach Island, is making a last ditch effort to attract day trippers and mainland locals to the lovely beaches of this southern Long Beach Island community. Thursday’s will be FREE BEACH DAYS in Beach Haven!  No (stinking) badges required.  It’s an effort to draw beach goers to the southern end of Long Beach Island to spend money they might have spent on a badge elsewhere in the community.   Most mainland locals, me included, don’t travel far during the summer months once we cross the Route 72 Causeway to the Island.  We tend to buy season beach passes in Ship Bottom, Surf City and Long Beach Township.  That way we cross the ... 08/18/2009

Well, come on down the shore!  The New Jersey Department of Transportation has agreed to delay repairs to the Causeway, the only bridge linking Long Beach Island, NJ with the mainland.When plans for the repairs were announced last spring, the work was to take place after Labor Day.  But, the state wanted to use the fed's stimulus package money and then said the work would begin on July 20th.Well, since that announcement the outrage from residents, visitors and local officials has forced the DOT to reconsider, and now we're back to the old repair date, sometime after Labor Day!So it'll be clear sailing on the causeway this summer...come on down (or over if you live in Philly)...visit the Jersey Shore! Keller Williams Realty - Atlantic ShoreLaura Giannotta609-384-6121Laura@JerseyShoreView... 06/24/2009

How do you spell bad timing?  Ask the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).  It's planning to start work on the Route 72 Causeway in July!  That's the only access from the mainland to Long Beach Island, unless you come by boat. DOT officials had said in March construction would not take place during the summer months due to the tourism season. But the project was expedited to start July 20 (though the newly erected signs say the work will begin on July 17th).  That's because the project was funding received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and must be spent quickly to rapidly create jobs and complete infrastructure projects.The $4.18 million contract was awarded June 4.  About 100 construction jobs will be created for rehabilitation of the bridge deck, ceili... 06/19/2009