On May 17, 2022, the Sussex County Council adopted an ordinance that enacts important environmental safeguards to protect Sussex County wetlands and waterways. The legislation will take effect in November of 2022 and will apply to new residential development projects within unincorporated areas of the county.

Key changes that will impact new residential development include:

• Doubling the size of buffer zones in areas that adjoin tidal wetlands and waterways from 50 feet to 100 feet.
• Placing a 30-foot buffer zone along non-tidal wetlands and streams, where currently there is none.
• Banning the clear-cutting of trees and other vegetation in buffer zones.

For more information, please click here.

To view the ordinance, please click

A public workshop will be offered at the Indian River High School auditorium on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 4 p.m. to discuss the Delaware Department of Transportation's (DelDOT) Southeast Sussex Traffic study which was designed to evaluate and address summer traffic conditions in the Roxana, Bayard and Bunting areas west of Fenwick Island.  To register for the event, please visit:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/southeast-sussex-public-workshop-tickets-345748913307

For additional information please click here.

Sculpture artist Peter Wolf Toth returned to Ocean City to complete some much needed restoration work to Nanticoke, the Whispering Giant sculpture.  The artist presented the sculpture to the town in 1976 in dedication to the native people of Delmarva. The iconic sculpture, located in the Ocean City Inlet,  is part of a series of 74 Whispering Giants created by Toth which can be found throughout the United States and in a few other countries.

Please view additional information here.

The Ocean View West Avenue Streetscape Project has been completed! The $722,468 project involved installing 1,300 feet of new sidewalks along the east side of West Avenue and other improvements. The sidewalk installations are the first of a series of projects to be completed in the town to boost pedestrian safety.

For more information, please click here.

After weathering the 6-day Nor'Easter which brought storm surge to Bethany Beach and South Bethany, it was recently announced that all access ramps to the beaches are now open and officials are working diligently to make additional repairs prior to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend.

For more information and updates, please click here.

Happy Spring!  As we look back on the first 4 months of the year, there was some slowdown in total sales, but the Bear Trap real estate market remains firm as we continue to experience very limited inventory.

A positive piece of news for real estate that we are watching closely is the Delaware legislation recently introduced that would reduce the transfer tax by 1%, effective for transactions recorded after July 1, 2022.  This would bring the total tax back to 3% vs. 4%.  Typically, this expense is split between the buyer and seller at closing.  While not yet in effect, we are encouraged that this bill will be passed and we will keep you informed.      

If you would like to discuss the market in more detail, please call our Bear Trap Expert, Gail

The Chesapeake Utilities Corporation recently announced plans to expand the company’s natural gas pipeline to the Fenwick Island area. The 6.3 million project would extend service from the existing pipeline near Roxana to an area along Route 54 and east to Fenwick Island towards the Delaware/Ocean City, Maryland border.

Pending final permits, the pipeline would be approximately 6 miles long and would serve over 6,500 homes and dozens of area businesses.  Construction is estimated to be completed by the end of 2022.

Please view more information here .

Happy Spring!  As we look back on the first 4 months of the year, there was some slowdown in total sales, but the beach real estate market remains firm as we continue to experience very limited inventory amidst rising interest rates.   

A positive piece of news for real estate that we are watching closely is the Delaware legislation recently introduced that would reduce the transfer tax by 1%, effective for transactions recorded after July 1, 2022.  This would bring the total tax back to 3% vs. 4%.  Typically, this expense is split between the buyer and seller at closing.  While not yet in effect, we are encouraged that this bill will be passed and we will keep you informed.      

If you would like to discuss the market in more detail, please

The Delaware Department of Nature Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is assessing damage to the Delaware beaches following the recent weekend coastal storm which impacted the area with flooding and high winds.  While the clean up efforts may take several weeks, dump trucks are already starting the process of bringing in sand at the Indian River Inlet.  DNREC is working along with local authorities to help make access to the beach safe for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend.

For more information, please view the article from WRDE  here .

Happy Spring!  As we look back on the first 4 months of the year, the Ocean View real estate market has remained strong. 

A positive piece of news for real estate that we are watching closely is the Delaware legislation recently introduced that would reduce the transfer tax by 1%, effective for transactions recorded after July 1, 2022.  This would bring the total tax back to 3% vs. 4%.  Typically, this expense is split between the buyer and seller at closing.  While not yet in effect, we are encouraged that this bill will be passed and we will keep you informed.      

If you would like to discuss the market in more detail, please give us a call: (302) 541-5207.