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BEACH NOTES ... 9/30/2010 ... Ocean City, New Jersey

By
Real Estate Agent with Goldcoast Sotheby's International Realty License # 9481514

The Plus of a Rainy Day for Buyers ... from Ocean City, New Jersey

 

I like a rainy day which places me in the minority of people like that.  I like to hear the rain on a tin roof.  I enjoy walking in the rain.  I like to sit on a covered porch and read a good book in the rain.  After a summer like we had at the Jersey Shore, we need rain.  One more:  I don't like "open houses" with rain.

Finally, I encourage all potential Buyers that I work with to come down to Ocean City (NJ) and see potential purchase properties during a good rain.  We live on a barrier island where in some parts it is only 3 or 4 block wide, and in others maybe almost a mile or a bit further.  We have flooding problems from even a very light rain that continues for a few hours.  But longer rains can cause a much more difficult situation.  Most locals know where to drive when during these circumstances. 

Coming down for a couple of days enables Buyers to see for themselves what a good Agent is talking about.  An important point is that rain is the lesser evil here.  When we get a real nor'easter is combines rain and high winds and wave action.  Generally, these have been the most devastating for our beachs causing erosion very quickly.  Obviously, hurricanes can cause even more damage; but we have been fortunate in not having had a major one in some time. 

Clearly, the livable area of the house must be determined in terms of elevation.  This is particularly important in some sections of the island more than others.  But overall, you want the actual main part of a house not to have a flooding issue.  Some garages and driveways, or parts of streets flood ... which can be bad enough.  So let's wrap all of this up ... when Buyers find a good property in the location that they want, it becomes important to determine what happens when it rains.  The entire island is a potential flood location, but parts of the island are much more venerable than other parts.  Make sure your real estate agent knows more than you do!!!     dap

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