Many would give anything to own a section of one of the Jersey Shore’s beaches.
Now there’s a chance to own an 8-acre area of dune and beach in Cape May listed for sale last week for $1 million.
The area of bushy dunes and sand along Beach Avenue is situated against the Promenade, Cape May’s version of a boardwalk, about several hundred feet from Convention Hall. It’s across from a set of hotels.
The land was owned by Robert “Bob” Fifte, a local businessman who managed the former Colonial Hotel and Motel across from the beach, local tax records show. Both hotels have since been renamed the Inn of Cape May and Avondale by the Sea.
Fite, 96, died in May 2024, according to an obituary published in The Press of Atlantic City, and the property became part of his estate. John Sabella, an accountant based in Ocean City, who is Fite’s executor, confirmed the land sale to NJ Advance Media.
Fite’s family sold the Colonial in 1986, the obituary states, but remained owner of the undeveloped land and beach across the street.
Whoever purchases the land appears to be limited in what they can do with it because of easement provisions recorded in its deed, according to a listing posted this week on Zillow.
The Realtor selling the land recommends potential buyers inquire about what development would be permitted under city land-use regulations.
The city also holds a “first-right refusal” in an “arms-length transaction,” according to the listing.
Stories by Eric Conklin
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Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.