Paul Chiolo, of Keller Williams Realty, seen here looking out of a door in an unrented house, said Ocean City realtors had hoped to attract a lot of vacationers who couldn’t find places in areas that were hit harder by Hurricane Sandy. However, he said, that didn’t happen, and the rental market started out softly.
(David Gard/For the Star-Ledger)
Still dreaming about the perfect Shore vacation rental this summer? Hurricane Sandy may have made it possible to get one for less cash.
One massive storm. Many towns devastated. Track the recovery around New Jersey.
Some spacious and amenity-rich houses are being offered for less this month because of a cloud of uncertainty still looming over the Shore as a result of the storm, several realtors said.
A five-bedroom oceanfront house in Surf City had its rent lowered from $7,000 per week to $5,000, according to Cyndy Friedland, of Oceanside Realty in Harvey Cedars. And in Lavallette, a five-bedroom home on Bay Boulevard was recently negotiated down $300 to $2,400 a week, said Anthony Belli, of Schlosser Real Estate.
Renters have found themselves with more leverage this summer, as a slow arrival of vacationers forced some property owners to be more flexible on how much they charge for stays.
“I deal with three realtors and I have a sign in front of the house,” said Michael Cronin, who has had trouble renting out a three-bedroom home in Normandy Beach this summer. “I had a few calls, but very little action. I definitely would budge, but I just didn’t get many calls.” — Eugene Paik
— Behind the double doors of a 20,000 square foot property next to a Dollar General store in Toms River, thousands of people each month find some relief from the financial burden of recovering from Hurricane Sandy.
The source of comfort is The People’s Pantry, an operation initially founded by the township’s school district as a distribution point for an influx of donations received after the Oct. 29 storm. Nine months later the pantry has transformed itself into a comprehensive relief center offering a range of services to a community still struggling to recover.
“People have liquidated their savings. They’ve exhausted their personal credit. They’ve taken equity loans. They’ve liquidated 401ks,” said Patricia Donaghue, the executive director of the pantry. “This is a middle-class area. Nobody’s sitting on a buttload of money. The need is just — it’s crazy.”
Each month, the pantry helps fill grocery needs for up to 2,500 individuals, most of whom were affected by the storm, Donaghue said.
On Tuesday morning, Harry Wagner walked through the pantry filling a small, black cart with toiletries, frozen chicken, soup and other goods.
“This place is a Godsend,” the 84-year-old Toms River resident said. — Erin O’Neill
KITES AND CASTLES
New Jersey’s “Stronger Than The Storm” campaign is sponsoring a “Kites and Castles” workshop on sandcastle-building or kite-making in Seaside Park this weekend.