Sandra Sells the Shore, Edition 4

Be Sure to Display Images!

Martina Rexrode

Editor

With summer winding down, our fun in the sun is coming to an end. However, there are still plenty of events and activities all across Delmarva to enjoy...

Coastal Happenings

Bethany Beach:
*Due to COVID-19, all town-sponsored events have been canceled.*
Mon., September 21: Learn to Cook Autumn Favorites with Chef Charles
Thurs., September 24: Robert E. Warfield Memorial Golf Tournament
Wed., September 30: Canvas Decorating with Scrapbook Flowers
Rehoboth Beach:
Tues., September 22: City of Rehoboth Blood Drive
Tues., September 22: Virtual Discussion with Documentary Photographer David Lienemann
Thurs., September 24: A Streetcar Named Desire at Clear Space Theatre Company

Lewes:

Thurs., September 24: History Book Festival
Sat., September 26: Mid-Atlantic Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival

Ocean City:

Tues., September 22: First Ever Mayor's Bike Ride

Keller Williams Leads in Properties Sold and Settled in the County!

Safe Home-Selling Strategies for the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Shirley Martin

Image via Pixabay

If you’ve been planning your big move for months, the COVID-19 pandemic has probably turned your plans upside down. Now you’re wavering between delaying your move and looking for a buyer later this year, or continuing to market to buyers now despite the difficulties. If you want to keep moving forward, here are a few guidelines for selling your home during this pandemic while protecting the health of everyone involved with the process.

How Educational Uncertainty Is Influencing Homebuying Decisions
from Bright MLS

Image via Pixabay

“The Mid-Atlantic real estate market has returned with a bang this summer, but homebuyers’ attitudes unquestionably have changed as a result of COVID-19,” said Brian Donnellan, President and CEO of Bright MLS. “With a return to on-premises schooling tentative this fall, many parents looking to buy are making home schooling capabilities a major consideration in their relocation plan."

Refer a Friend

Eric J. Carter
Featured Photographer

Eric Carter has always had an interest in photography, but recently he's started to delve deeper into it. When taking a photograph, he looks for an interesting focal point usually from the north shore of Rehoboth to the Cape. Carter tends to gravitate toward the local beach areas with exposed pilings and jetties that create intriguing points for viewings to follow. When asked about his favorite part of the photography process, he said that he enjoys the process as a whole. "The hunt for a location, getting there and working a composition, getting the image onto my computer, and bringing out the best of that image to create a final piece." His appreciation for the art form shines through his work.

Currently, he is featured in a co-op gallery called Sean Kelley Art & Friends on Penny Lane in Rehoboth. Any image posted online can be made into a print for your home gallery or personal collections. Carter can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Flickr where he posts new images daily.

Furry Friends Needing a Forever Home

Roxy and Foxy are bonded 8-year-old Calico sisters. They were recently taken in as fosters to prevent their previous owner from surrendering them to a shelter and are ready to find their forever home. The two beauties are very shy at first but will take every opportunity to cuddle once they get to know you. They've been around dogs and kids and it isn't known how they are around other cats yet. Roxy is up to date on all of her shots until next year and Foxy has everything but her updated rabies.

For more information, contact Terri Nicholson at Coastal Cats Rescue of Bethany Beach.

Rehoboth Beach: No Such Thing as an Off-Season
Only in Delaware

Throughout the summer, Rehoboth Beach is a hotspot for tourists and locals alike. During the day, the beach is packed with families and individuals waiting to take a dip in the ocean or tanning under the sun. The shops and restaurants on the boardwalk are flooded with the smells of fresh pizza and salty fries. But once the sun sets, the boardwalk is transformed. Vendors and street performers come out to gain the interest of passersby and Funland fills the air with joyful screams. Even after summer ends and the tourists go home, it is said that the "local summer" starts up in September. Despite the Sea Witch Festival being canceled this year, fall is usually a bustling time for the beach town. Winter turns it into a ghost town until Santa's house and carolers arrive on the boardwalk. With spring comes sidewalk sales and the Dewey-Rehoboth Bacon Fest. Suffice it to say, Rehoboth Beach is a year-round beach town unlike any other.

Island Time B & B on Smith Island
Only in Maryland

As far as unique getaways go, the Island Time B & B on Smith Island, MD is among the most incredible. To Smith Island residents, it is known as "Miss Levy's" after the woman who was one of Rhodes Point's longest-living residents at age 99. Newly transformed by Betty Jo Tyler, this bed and breakfast was the first building on Smith Island to have electricity. It is so secluded that it can only be accessed by boat, allowing for a complete sense of withdrawal from society. With three stories and a 360-degree panoramic view of the island from the top floor, Island Time can be rented out room-by-room or in its entirety. For more information, check out their website and Facebook page. To view the pricing and availability, visit the airbnb page.

Grove Market
Featured Restaurant

“From the outside [it] looks like a condemned bait shop. Don’t let the appearance fool you. The food is fresh, innovative and expertly prepared. I keep looking for fault and [have] yet to find it after over 20 years! Great staff ... intimately knowledgeable of the menu offerings. Quirky, fun and always worth trying to get in!” – Buck Droppa [from Grove Market’s Facebook page]

Restauranteur, philanthropist and international volunteer, and owner Leslie Luna created a now legendary eatery in Bishopville, Maryland in the mid-90s. Not long after they opened, I learned about Grove Market from Phyllis Richman’s review in the Washington Post and have been going there ever since.

Located at 12402 Saint Martin’s Neck Rd, Bishopville, MD, it is located close to Lighthouse Sound Golf Course and Country Club. Over the years I have introduced Grove Market to countless friends and family members. For me, it feels like going home each time where many of the servers have been there for as long as we have been fans. Like the atmosphere, the servers are casual in their approach and expert in their recitations of each menu course - including specials - from appetizers and salads to main courses to their large selection of homemade desserts. (Be sure to try their to-die-for Bumbleberry Pie.) Though cocktails are not served, their selection of beer and wine is impressive.

In the back of the restaurant are two smokehouses—one for fresh fish and one for meats and duck. The chefs offer a unique preparation of duck on the menu each night, though most other offerings differ nightly. Diners can often enjoy the wafting fragrance lightly billowing from the smokehouses in the evenings.

Sadly, like most of our area restaurants, Grove Market recently closed temporarily during the early phases of COVID restrictions. These days they have removed approximately half of the tables and chairs to allow social distancing and have added lovely netted tents for couples and small groups to dine outdoors when it’s warm enough. My small group and I dined in one of the tents last month and all agreed it was our favorite experience there yet. Leslie does everything in life with heart and passion. While you’re there, ask her to tell you about her work with Refugee Support co-founded by Paul Hutchings of Australia. If you’d like to learn more, check out their website and read about their mission. (Naturally, donations are always appreciated.)

Open Thursdays through Sundays, Grove Market closes for the Season in October so please rush to make your reservations by calling 410.352.5055 —you do not want to miss it!

Furry Friend Needing Forever Home

Zero is a 7-month-old Terrier mix with the sweetest face. He is one of the many dogs from the Delaware Humane Association who is at their Wilmington location. Zero is a large pup with three legs and white coloring with some subtle darker spots. Profiles on the website are updated regularly, so visit their site for more information! Be sure to check out their Facebook page for daily updates on the availability of all dogs and cats as well as adorable photoshoots with other adoptable furry friends.

Blooming Boutique
Featured Retail

Blooming Boutique is a self-described "one stop shop for women" that opened in August of 2006 in a small storefront location in Lewes, DE. Since then, the location has moved four times in downtown Lewes with their newest location opening in Long Neck at Taormina Square in 2017. The owner, Michiko Seto, was looking for an easier way to sell her handmade handbags since she had been selling them at craft shows and private home parties. She decided to open Blooming Boutique as her first brick and mortar store.

This holiday season, Blooming Boutique has made six methods of shopping available to customers: in-person, online, on Facebook, curbside, virtual appointments, and one-on-one appointments. For more information about Blooming Boutique, visit their website.

This unique store carries a full range of women's clothing for all ages and sizes from petite to 3XL. There is also a wide selection of jewelry, shoes, and accessories including brands like Simply Southern, Fit Flops, and Trollbeads. Those who work at Blooming Boutique enjoy laughing with customers and forming bonds with everyone who steps inside. Since disruptions brought on by COVID-19, they've moved the fun online to their Facebook page with a daily show from 12-1 PM where Micha and Alyssa engage with customers and feature products while dancing and enjoying cocktails. Additionally, Blooming Boutique has a Loyalty program that cannot be rivaled. Customers earn 10% back on all purchases made in-store and can achieve a VIP status after shopping with them six times; VIP members receive an invitation to exclusive sales that happen every time there are five Saturdays in a month!

Giving back to local organizations in the community is a priority of Blooming Boutique. Through September and October of this year, they have partnered with eight local nonprofit organizations for in-store and online fundraising; 20% of regularly-priced proceeds is donated when you shop in any of the locations during their dedicated week. In addition, their Semi-Annual Trollbeads at the Beach Festival is going virtual. There will be virtual artist demonstrations, product specials and more. For ticket prices and full event details, go to the festival's website.

Get Out for the Bays!
Featured Volunteer Opportunity

With everything going on in the world right now, one thing that remains available at all times is the outdoors. Whether it's going for a jog, taking your dog for a walk, or simply stepping out for a breath of fresh air, the health benefits of being outside include lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels just to name a few. However, in order to enjoy these benefits for years to come, we must take careful care of our environment.

The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is encouraging anyone who can to join their new initiative "Get Out for the Bays" throughout the entire month of September. The Center typically holds a fundraising event at the end of the summer, but they've had to backtrack due to the events of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, there are just 5 easy steps you need to follow to get involved: 1) Pick an outdoor activity you enjoy and set any goal related to that activity. 2) Set a fundraising goal. It can be any amount from $150 to $1,500. 3) Create and customize your own virtual fundraising page to get the word out. 4) Share your page with friends and family and ask for support through donations. 5) Reach your goals and celebrate!

It shouldn't be complicated to help out your community. For more information on setting up your fundraising page, sharing your campaign, or activity ideas, head over to the Center's official website!

The graph below shows Keller Williams' performance for July 2020 compared to July 2019. As we like to say, "We're number one!"

Copyright © 2020 Sandra Erbe, Keller Williams Realty, All rights reserved.

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37458 Lion's Drive, #7 Selbyville, DE 19975
(302) 360-0300 (Office)
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