If you are thinking of relocating or buying that second home at the beach, what are you waiting for?

With mortgage rates at record lows, home prices seemingly tailor made for buyers and motivated sellers looking to close before winter creeps in, now is the perfect time to purchase your new home.

Why not hit the beach this fall and make your summer dreams come true!!!

See you at the beach,

Lee Ann

Did you know Kathy Lee owns a home in Rehoboth? She has always frequented the area, especially since she grew up here. Her co-host, Hoda, also has a family summer home here.

Recently the two women visited and brought along their show! Check out the video here. Pretty cool having mini-celebrities here, huh?!

-Lee Ann

We're having an open house Saturday, July 30th from 12-3pm at the wonderful waterfront home: 33 White Oak Road in the Rehoboth Beach Yacht & Country Club.

I hope to see you there! Need directions? Please don't hesitate to call (302) 645-6664.

-Lee Ann

We're hosting an open house in The Peninsula. An award winning, high-end community in Millsboro, Delaware.

This event will be held August 6, 2011 from 12-3pm with a meet and greet from 3-4pm. A flyer with details of the event may be viewed here.

Hope to see you there!

-Lee Ann

16898 Ketch Court in Wolfe Runne is only $799,000!

Check out the flyer

To see, please call me at 302-645-6664

-Lee Ann

WOW! The NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) has rated Rehoboth and Dewey Beach as two of the top cleanest beach water sites in the country! This is an amazing honor, especially wonderful since only four beaches nationwide earned the honor.

Consideration for the award is based on five factors: water quality in 2010; water quality overall for the past 3 years; frequency of testing; issuing advisories and posting closings (if needed).

The locals take a great deal of care to keep the beaches safe, clean and fun. In fact, Prudential Gallo holds an annual beach-cleanup day, where this past May I rolled up my sleeves, along with members of The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, to do our part. It's a rewarding experience.

And the news gets better! For 3 consecutive years, we’ve had the cleanest beach water in the US. The EPA reports on beaches nationwide. Find out all about your beach here. The Natural Resources Defense Council’s website provides a quick look at Americas most popular beaches and their five-factor ratings.  The ‘Best and Worst Beach Water Quality’ article can be found here.

So, as we (quickly) approach the 4^th of July, I wish your family nothing but fun in the sun on Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.

All the best,

Lee Ann

 

** Happy 4th of July! **

Well, the Fourth of July is nearly upon us. Can you believe how fast its come? Seems just like yesterday we were all wishing the snow would stop! There are some great activities coming up for you and the family this 4th.

 

July 2: Sidewalk Art and Artisan show at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, starting at 9am.

July 4: Old-fashioned 4th of July Children's activities on Second Street, starting at 9am.

July 4: Lewes Boat Parade on the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, starts at 2pm.

July 4: Lewes Doo-Dah parade in the late afternoon. (route: Kings Hwy to Second St, to Market St and up Savannah)

July 4: Rehoboth Beach Fireworks. Sit beach-side and enjoy the great show! Fireworks will be launched approximately 9:15 and last for 45 mins. Afterward, a concert by the US Navy Country Current band will be held at the bandstand.

Stay safe, wear sunscreen and have a wonderful 4th of July!

-Lee Ann

(Note: Fireworks are illegal in the State of DE and officers will be out enforcing the law. Please leave the fireworks to the professionals and don't risk fines, arrest or injury.)

The Sussex County Delaware demographics are here! The county just released the June stats and they are pretty interesting: Did you know that in 2010, 42% of home owners in Sussex County own their home outright (no mortgage). Kudos to them!

Additionally, the sales volume of homes in the county has risen in the past year. The report points toward stabilization in Sussex. Check out the full Sussex County Demographics report.

Best,

Lee Ann

I was reading Delaware Today last night and was pleasantly surprised when I happened on page 60, Delaware Today's 'Best Places to Live: 35 Great towns, How does yours rate?' Lewes Beach Delaware is number one!

Yeah, our sweet little town has won the hearts of the locals and embodies its slogan "The first town in the first state". I am so proud to call it home. The article provides a quick overview of several categories rated by locals; a few are: Safety, Commute time, Shopping/Dining and Arts & Culture. While they rate on a few different scales, I'd of course give our town top-honors for everything...there really is so much to do here. From the Kite Festival in the Spring to the Christmas Parade in town. In fact, you can find out more about Lewes events and the Delaware Today article here. Thinking about buying or selling in the first town, in the first state? Just drop me a line at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 302-645-6664.

30-year fixed Home Loan Rates are now at 5%. Below is a great article from Realtor.com with the highlights:

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage inched above 5 percent this week, rising to its highest level since the last week in April 2010, and continuing its steady climb upward the last few weeks.

The 30-year rate averaged 5.05 percent this week, up from 4.81 percent the week prior, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage market survey. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.97 percent.

Here’s how other rates fared for the week:

▪ 15-year fixed rates: averaging 4.29 percent this week, up from 4.08 percent last week.
▪ 5-year, adjustable-rate mortgage: averaging 3.92 percent this week, up slightly from 3.69 last week.
▪ 1-year, adjustable-rate mortgage: averaging 3.35 percent, up from 3.26 percent last week.

"Long-term bond yields jumped on positive economic data reports, which placed upward pressure on mortgage rates this week,” says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, the Mortgage Bankers Association announced a drop in the number of people applying for a mortgage as rates continued to rise.

MBA’s overall mortgage application index dropped 5.5 percent from last week. The refinance index fell 7.7 purchase from last week, and refis made up two-thirds of the mortgage activity last week--the lowest share since May 2010.

Source: “30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Rates Rise to 5.05 Percent, Highest Level Since April 2010,” Freddie Mac (Feb. 10, 2011) and “Fewer People Applied for a Mortgage Last Week as Rates Increased on Better Economic Data,” Associated Press (Feb. 9, 2011)"

What do you think about the rate increase?

I'm happy to report that I was recently awarded the 5 Star Agent award for overall client satisfaction by Delaware Today magazine! Delaware Today sends out surveys to clients that close during a particular year, in this case 2010, and calculate their anonymous responses. Based on the results they award local agents. I am proud to work with so many wonderful people throughout the community and am thankful to all who responded. I could not do it without you! All the best, Lee Ann

Lewes and Rehoboth, Delaware are making it onto an increasing number of "best of" lists these days (go back and look at some of my posts for the last few months, you'll see that Lewes, DE made it into both People and Fortune Magazine's " Best of" Lists ). This most recent article includes Rehoboth Beach as one of "America's Best Little Beach Towns". It was posted a online a couple days ago and is in their August Magazine issue. The other East Coast towns mentioned include Chincoteague, VA; Lubec ME; Cape May, NJ; Tybee Island, GA; Ogonquit, ME; Duck, NC; and Santa Rosa, FL Best Beach Towns Article