Good afternoon from Bay Head and Mantoloking,
Fall is here! Days of lower humidity, the sent of pumpkin spice in the air, and if you ask us, this is the best time of year! The beaches are still lovely (and no longer require beach badge access) and the weather and water are still warm. We have had dolphin and whale sightings, and soon it will be striper season!
In this edition, you’ll find events to add to your calendar, news from the towns, and fall events to attend.
A quiet flight over “downtown” Bay Head
NEWS
Ocean County Property Alert Service
As property and mortgage fraud is a fast growing crime in our country, the Ocean County Clerk’s Office is offering a Property Alert Service. This is the first step in protecting your property. Scammers record fraudulent documents, like fake deeds or record fake liens, against property owners. We as agents are often contacted by scammers to “list” property for sale - vacant land is the most common target. In some cases, fraud on real property is not discovered for years. To address these concerns, and protect one of your most important assets, the Ocean County Clerk’s Office offers a free service to notify you immediately via email whenever a document with your name is recorded in the County Clerk’s Office. The sign up is quick, easy, and free by following the steps at the Ocean County Clerk’s Office Property Alert Service website.
Mantoloking Community Rating System - Flood Insurance Promotion Plan Meeting
The Borough of Mantoloking and the New Jersey Coastal Coalition will be holding an online meeting on September 24 at 5pm to promote the importance of flood insurance, and to educate the community on the importance of having flood insurance. Information about the Zoom link for the meeting can be found on the Mantoloking Borough website.
The meeting will be monitored by Tyler Ardron of Risk Reduction Plus. Councilman Brad Batcha and Borough Engineer and Floodplain Administrator Larry Plevier will be in attendance to provide local insight.
Please have your elevation certificate, flood insurance declaration page, and two photos of the exterior of your home, as they will be useful during this meeting. If you would like for your elevation certificate to be reviewed by Risk Reduction Plus, an appointment can be scheduled by contacting their office. As you may know, the town’s participation in the Community Rating System reduces the flood insurance premiums that you pay.
Clean Ocean Action October Beach Sweeps - October 24
It is time for Clean Ocean Action’s October Beach Sweeps. They will be held October 24th from 9 am - 12:30 pm at more than 80 New Jersey Beaches. To participate, first, decide where you’d like to do your beach sweep. (You can find a list of locations here.) Then, register with Clean Ocean Action. Third, arrive to your selected location on October 24th!
You Don’t Have to Leave Fido Home….
As the weather is still nice, we wanted to give some options that are dog-friendly as you are walking around town! Port Coffee (Bay Head) and Lokal Brewing (Point Pleasant) will allow your pup to join you inside. Taylor Sam’s (Bay Head), Poached Pear (Point Pleasant Beach) Riverside Cafe (Manasquan), Paramount Diner (Manasqan), Waypoint 622 (Brielle), Pig and Parrot Sandbar (Brielle) all have outdoor patios or seating areas where your furry family member can join you in season. Castaways (Point Pleasant) also seasonally has a tent, and is dog friendly! If you have questions about where you can take your dog, please ask!
Offering Your Home for Summer Rental?
Now is the time to think about renting your house for 2027. Tenants are already inquiring and making their plans. Also, AirBnB’s new fee structure has now taken effect, combining host and guest service fees into a single 15.5% charge paid by the property owner. If you’re weighing whether to self-manage or list with a realtor in 2027, now is good time to reach out to us and have that conversation. Also note that AirBnB is required to collect sales tax - realtors are not. We already have tenants signing leases for next season. If you are sure of your plans, and want to list your house for rent, start here.
If you are thinking about spending a week or two (or longer) here next summer, now is the time to get your request in. Inquire here, and we can see what we can find to meet your needs.
MEETINGS AND EVENTS:
Bay Head Beach Community Sunset Gathering and Twilight Lake Sunset Paddle - half hour before Sunset on the first Sunday of the Month. Paddles run until October, weather permitting.
Mantoloking Planning & Zoning Board Meeting - October 1st, 6:30 pm.
Bay Head Council Meeting - Monday, October 5th, 7 pm.
Point Pleasant Beach Tug of War - October 10th at Jenkinsons Beach - 10 am Registration, 11 am Opening Ceremony.
Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day - October 12th - BOROUGH OFFICES CLOSED
Bay Head Environmental Commission Meeting - Tuesday, October 13th,
6:30 pm.Bay Head Shark Run 5K and Shark Color Fun Run - October 17th - 7 am Registration, 8:30 am Race Start.
Witches and Warlocks Paddle Bash - October 17th at Twilight Lake - 12 pm.
Mantoloking Council Meeting - Tuesday, October 20th, 5:30 pm.
Bay Head Planning Board - Wednesday, October 21st, 6:30 pm.
Mantoloking Environmental Commission Meeting - Tuesday, October 27th, 4:30 pm.
Bay Head Halloween Parade and Costume Contest, Saturday, October 31st, 11 am.
MARKET:
As is often the case this time of year, new inventory continues to come on the market as we progress into the early fall. The lower price points are generally selling quickly, and higher priced homes and properties are sitting on the market for longer periods of time. Sometimes with price reductions.
New Bayfront Listing: 1536 Runyon Lane, Mantoloking: asking $12,500,000
New Bayfront Listing: 1052 Barnegat Lane, Mantoloking: asking $11,500,000
New Listing: 132 Bridge Avenue, Bay Head: asking $3,495,000
New Listing: 209 Park Avenue, Bay Head: asking $1,495,000 - 50 × 150 lot
Sold: 88 Osborne Avenue, Bay Head: $4,850,000 (New Construction)
When properly priced, homes and properties continue to sell, sometimes over asking price, and with multiple offers. Other homes sit, reduce their asking price, and most often ultimately sell for less than they could have. All of this makes the right starting price and best possible marketing even more important. Please let us know what questions you have.
For further insights and market statistics, please visit our blog to read September Bay Head and Mantoloking market update.
OF NOTE:
19th Annual Bay Head Shark Run 5k and 7th Annual Shark Color Fun Run - Saturday, October 17th. Registration opens at 7 am, Race Starts 8:30 am. Proceeds benefit the Bay Head Home and School Association. Register.
Witches and Warlocks Paddle Bash on Twilight Lake - Saturday, October 17th, 12 pm. Grab your broom….er….SUP, kayak, or canoe, decorate it, and get out on the water. Awards for Best Witch, Best Warlock, and Best Decorated Vessel. Live music, hot dogs, and water. Rain or Shine. All ages and skill levels. $35 to participate. All proceeds benefit St. Gregory’s Pantry. Register through Bay Head Community Pass (Click Community Pass from this page and register or create your account), or sign up onsite. Can’t paddle? Bring canned goods - they’re stocking Stevie’s Cupboard for the pantry.
The Point Pleasant Beach Tug of War will be held on October 10th to benefit Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Registration opens at 10 am, Opening Ceremonies begin at 11 am. The Tug of War will be held at Jenkinson’s Beach (300 Beachfront, Point Pleasant Beach). Businesses and local organizations are invited to assemble teams, choose a charity, and tug to raise money. For more information, or to register a team, please email [email protected]. Note: this is the event that formerly spanned the Manasquan Inlet.
Mantoloking has updated the garbage and recycling pick up schedule for Fall through Winter as follows:
Garbage Collection - 1 pick-up per week on Tuesday
Recycling Collection - 1 pick-up per week on Wednesday.
Bulk Trash Collection - the first Thursday of November, January, March, May, July, and September.
These schedule changes are effective starting the week of October 5th and run through March 30th.
LOCAL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
A selection of Ed's local photos from the last month can be found here. You can see some of our recent videos on our Youtube channel (and you may want to subscribe to our channel for future updates).
REAL-TIME TEXT UPDATES
If you would be open to receiving occasional Bay Head and Mantoloking updates from us via text message, you can opt-in here. These may include local news and events, weather, emergencies, real estate activity, and other items of interest. Typically no more than one message per month.
IN PERSON UPDATES
We're happy to discuss any of the topics in this update, or answer your questions on almost any subject! There’s still time to meet for a cup of coffee, have lunch, or even meet at the beach! And if you’re not local, we can certainly talk on the phone, or schedule a Zoom.
You can simply reply to this email, or call or text us at 732-779-5088 to see when might work.
We hope that you’re enjoying September so far, and that you have something fun planned for this fall!
Suzie and Ed
P.S. Who do you know that is considering a move to (or from) the area and might appreciate a local’s perspective on the market before they make a decision?
All statistics are per Monmouth/Ocean MLS as of 6/25/26.