Sandy pushes North Jersey shore renters farther South
Looking for a South Jersey shore rental for this summer? Expect to pay a premium. Superstorm Sandy helped create a tight rental market.
People who usually do vacation rentals in areas that Sandy hit hard, like Long Beach Island, are beating a path to realtors’ doors in spots farther South like Avalon and Sea Isle City. Andrew Fasy NJ Realty in Sea Isle says people are worried.
“There’s uncertainly about the condition this summer of some of the North Jersey resorts, so our rental activity has really been booming,” he said. “We’re close to 20 percent ahead of last year’s bookings.”
In Ocean City, which has a no-alcohol policy in its restaurants, the rentals aren’t moving as quickly, said Nick Marotta of Prudential Fox and Roach. But he says the family-oriented shore town is still trying to capitalize on the opportunity.
“We have the tourism commission, along with the chamber of commerce, running an ad up there in North Jersey. We’re recovered, we’re restored, we’re ready for your business for North Jersey, and especially the people from Connecticut.”
The Presidents’ Day weekend is usually a big time for visitors seeking to line up a summer rental, but Marotta said the cold weather probably cut into that traffic.
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