The news of the past week turned our country's attention to the shocking and senseless death of George Floyd and its aftermath, amidst the backdrop of the Coronavirus epidemic. Each day, as news broadcasts show split screens of protestors, scholars, media personalities and artists have offered insight, sometimes from their own personal experience, to the history of racial inequality in the United Continue Reading

This year, Memorial Day on Shelter Island was without its annual parade, but our streets were adorned in American flags and a service was held at the American Legion for those who gave their lives in service to this country. In contrast to prior years, restaurants and hotels were not bustling with tourists and daytrippers, but there was a palpable feeling of activity, with curbside restaurant Continue Reading

Incredibly, Memorial Day weekend is already here, but with differences. The pandemonium in the days approaching the holiday weekend is no different than in years past. Last minute customers are still in the market seeking a quick rental but longer term than in prior years. The most requested is a 4 bedroom water view or waterfront with a pool for Memorial Day to July 31st for less than $25K, a Continue Reading

As the weather continues to become milder and the spring flowers bloom, more and more people yearn for beach weather and all of the summer activities that go with it. Although this is only the beginning of the second half of May, the activity, or rather the frenzy, that real estate agents are experiencing is akin to what we experience in August. Rental inquiries are through the roof, with much of Continue Reading

During the first week of May, the race for prospective tenants to find a rental transitioned from a jog to an all-out sprint, bringing an average of eight new rental customers per day. Over the past week, my office transacted approximately ten leases, most of them hard-fought but thankfully successful. Two hurdles have been explaining to customers the concept of security and utility deposits. In Continue Reading

As several other areas of the United States have begun relaxing stay-at-home protocols, the beautiful weather this past weekend lured people who are sheltering-in-place to Shelter Island. The parking lot at Mashomack was filled to capacity and runners and strollers along sides of roads slowed traffic in each direction. The Shelter Island rental circuit was also on overload with inquiries Continue Reading

This week, the Shelter Island real estate market continued to revolve around rentals for portions of May, June and July. In a continuation of what has been experienced over the past month and a half, when asked preference of move in and move out dates and any special requests, customers generally reply with very basic criteria. Following an exhaustive search to find homes that best fit the Continue Reading

The activity during the week after Easter has been a continuation of phone calls with customers seeking rentals, many consisting of unusual dates and some in a category of Champagne tastes and beer budget, with no particular preference for Shelter Island. The flood of inquiries for the time frame through mid May has slowed to a trickle, with current inquiries for June and July. Many Landlords who, Continue Reading