Credit to: Construction Dive, Emma Penrod

• The Department of the Interior on Tuesday approved the construction and operations plan, or COP, for the 2-GW Maryland Offshore Wind Project, clinching the final federal permit developer US Wind needs from the department to begin construction.

• The permit clears the way for the construction of more than a hundred wind turbines off the shore of Maryland and Delaware, and will help build the U.S. offshore wind supply chain, according to the Oceantic Network, a trade association that represents the offshore wind industry.

• The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management this week also issued a Record of Decision finalizing a list of environmental measures expected to

Credit to: Sussex County

Sussex County Delaware has completed a revaluation of all real property in anticipation of the 2025 Tax Roll and property owners have been receiving notices in the mail which contain their new property assessments. Your new tentative assessment is based on 100% of the current assessed value of your property, as of July 1, 2023.

THE NOTICE IS NOT A TAX BILL. The Tax Rate will change; therefore, DO NOT multiply your new tentative assessed value by the current tax rate. The new tax rate will be determined by the County, Municipality & School District for the 2025 tax bill.

The 2025 assessments have been developed using recent valid market sales and economic data. The previous assessment was NOT a factor in determining the

Credit to: Coastal Point, Mike Smith

York Road in South Bethany frequently floods. It floods during coastal storms, high tides and full moons, and even on “sunny-day flooding” events, including earlier this month. Until Nov. 11, it had not rained in Coastal Delaware for more than 40 days, and yet residents came to the South Bethany Town Council meeting on Friday, Nov. 8, with photos of flood-soaked streets at York and Bristol Roads that had been taken that day.

AECOM is a global infrastructure firm that includes road engineering among its work. Kyle Gulbronson is a principal planner with the firm, based in Millsboro, and was retained by the Town of South Bethany to report on options for keeping York Road passable. The key issue is about

Last month, we shared with you that real estate sales had picked up in September. This carried into October as 34 properties in the Bethany-Fenwick area went under contract last month. This is up 55% compared to 22 sales in October of 2023. As the graph illustrates, the median sale price for both single family homes and condo/townhome properties have risen in 2024.   If you are considering a purchase or a sale, it is never too early to have a conversation. Please give us a call. During this time of Thanksgiving, we are grateful that so many of you look to our group for real estate guidance and expertise.   We wish you all a healthy and very joyful holiday!

Leslie Kopp                          Christi Arndt
(302) 542-3917                     (302)

Credit to: Coastal Point, Kerin Magill

Costumes, candy and yoga with puppies? Yes, please.

Wags, Witches & Warlocks is Bethany Beach’s Halloween event, but it means so much more for a local organization. The Bethany Beach Halloween event has been a successful fundraiser for the Brandywine SPCA for more than a decade, according to organizers. This year, Wags, Witches & Warlocks takes place on Saturday, Oct. 26, with registration beginning at 9 a.m. Since 2018, the event has been organized and sponsored by the Leslie Kopp Group, a Bethany Beach real estate business. Shannon McDowell, marketing and brand manager for the business, said this week that the office is full of animal lovers, so the decision on the Halloween event was an easy one. “We all

Credit to: WBOC, Tiffani Amber

As Hurricane Milton barrels through the South, the Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA) is getting ready to lend a helping paw to dogs and cats from the hurricane-affected areas. The organization is trying to make space in their already overcrowded shelters to welcome these furry evacuees, expecting many new furry friends in the coming days.

Once these dogs and cats reach safety, they will be distributed among the six BVSPCA locations across multiple states.

Timarah Hammeck, a staff member at the BVSPCA Dover Campus, stated that this is the least they can do to support animals during this critical time. "We are in the process of taking dogs out of Florida and surrounding states that are being impacted by the

Last month, we reported that the beach real estate market slowed some in August. We are pleased to share that buyer activity picked up nicely in September ! During the month, 30 properties in the Bethany-Fenwick area went under contract. This is up 43% when compared to 21 sales during the same month last year.

A nice rise in newly available inventory, specifically for single family homes, was a leading factor that contributed to this flurry of activity. As the chart illustrates, through the first 3 quarters of the year, the market has remained firm for all property types at the beach. If you are exploring your options as a buyer or seller, we always welcome a conversation.

Leslie Kopp                          Christi Arndt                

Light traffic, cooler temperatures, and warm ocean breezes make September our favorite time of the year to live at the beach. This is also a special month for me, personally, as it marks 35 years since starting my career in real estate at the beach. I am extremely grateful to have earned the trust of so many of you over the years and together with Christi Arndt and the group, we will continue to offer the highest level of guidance and expertise in real estate well into the future!

After a flurry of activity in July, the beach real estate market slowed some in August when compared to the last year. During the month, 22 properties went under contract in the Bethany-Fenwick area. This compares to 28 during the same month last year. As the chart

While real estate activity in South Bethany was relatively flat this Spring when compared to last year, we experienced a nice flurry of activity in July. During the month, 4 properties went under contract in South Bethany (versus 1 in July of last year).

As the chart illustrates, sales are flat year-to-date, while sales volume in dollars is up 40%. We are experiencing a rise in inventory in all other areas at the beach, but inventory remains deficient in South Bethany and properties continue to sell quickly with 11 days as the median days-to-contract.

So far this year, our group has participated in more than 30% of property sales in the Bethany-Fenwick area. If we can offer you any real estate guidance, please give us a call.

Leslie Kopp     

This is the time of year when we calculate absorption rates in order to understand whether we are trending in the direction of a buyer’s or seller’s market at the beach. We compare the pace of sales over the previous 12 months to determine how many Months Supply of Inventory is for sale.

Generally, a balanced market would have 7 months of inventory while more would be a buyer’s market and less a seller’s market. The market is clearly shifting as all areas moved in a favorable direction for buyers. We continue to stay in a seller’s market from North Bethany to South Bethany, but growing inventory in Fenwick Island has shifted that area into a buyer’s market.        

If you would like to discuss the market in more detail as a buyer or a seller,