permits

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SUMMER RENTERS… PLUS HOW TO PLAN FOR YOUR NEXT HAMPTONS BEACH PARTY!

Summer ’15… few takers?

As we come to the end of the summer of ’15, there seems to be a reoccurring topic of conversation among home owners, agents and pretty much everyone.    “Was it a good rental season?”   Well the answer in a nutshell is “no.”    In fact, I have had a number of homeowners ask me, why their home didn’t
rent.   If you’re one of the many who’ve uttered those words you’re not alone.   I’m not sure if it was because of all of those short term rental sites or more folks are buying and building.  I’ve heard both theories.  What I do know… in the opinion of this humble agent was it was not as active as years past.   But it wasn’t just me.  In fact, I meet monthly with a group of about 25 top agents from a cross section of all the real estate companies and regions.   At our last get together someone raised the question, “who thought this was a good rental season?” Unfortunately not one person raised their hand.   What I think this means is next year, look for an adjustment in some prices and landlords being a bit more accommodating in cutting a deal.   If you found otherwise, feel free to let me know.

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to hit the beach in the early evening with some friends and enjoy the sand, the fresh air and the surf… and I don’t mean on your smartphone.   You only have a few weeks left of Summer ’15 so here’s one way to make it special.     But before you lug your blankets, food and friends Wiborg or Fowler, make sure your know the rules.   Hello?!  Like you didn’t think there were rules…. it’s the Hamptons, there are rules for everything.

There better be a container under there!?

In case you haven’t been paying attention, new laws went into effect that require beach fires in East Hampton town be lit in a metal container, similar laws were already in effect for Southampton and East Hampton village.   In Southampton Village, you need a permit  to light a bonfire.   For the most part no permits are necessary on the other beaches but as I said, you need to clean up… keep it contained… and have some buckets of water handy.   You’re of course responsible for putting out the fire and cleaning up afterwards.   Also, don’t try to light that fire before 6pm, it’s a no-no.

As for a little Rose for that perfect summer beach dinner party, you’ll need a permit if you’re inviting over 50 people.    Also, open containers of alcohol are prohibited across the board but you can get a special permit for catered events and parties.   Pets are also allowed after 6pm at most beaches.   If you want more information for each local town… check out the links below and have fun.   But remember, not too much fun it’s the Hamptons.

EAST HAMPTON TOWN
EAST HAMPTON VILLAGE
SOUTHAMPTON TOWN
SOUTHAMPTON VILLAGE

A fancy term for “garage sale” and Southampton landlords beware!!!

Google went to something called CHROME and my blog looked like garbage for over a month.  It was hard to read and I didn’t have any enthusiasm for posting on something that looked like Coogi sweater.    So much has and is happening on the Hamptons so I’ll try to get on top of it asap.

A new fancy term for getting rid of junk?
First issue I think we need to tackle in the Hamptons is what do we call it when you’re unloading junk in front of your house?! We all see those signs all over the place advertising “estate sale” or “garage sale.”    Well in East Hampton they have something entirely new and unconventional and it’s apparently called a “YERD SALE.”    I guess that’s a fancy Hamptons way of announcing a “yard sale.”

Meanwhile, in Southampton town landlords beware!!  A few years ago they decided to require that landlord get a permit to rent their home.  Local Law No. 40 went into effect in the areas of the Town of Southampton back in 2008.    Well now some homeowners are being challenged in court by their tenants for partial or full rent refunds for various complaints from the pool heater doesn’t get hot enough to the back yard had too much shade.   But guess what, the tenants are winning because the landlord didn’t get a permit.  So if you’re thinking about renting your house this summer in Southampton, make sure to get a permit and don’t say we didn’t warn you!     And if you think I’m kidding about tenants complaining about things like shade guess again, it’s a true one!
The former Turtle Crossing

 

Finally, if you’re depressed about the demise of Turtle Crossing in East Hampton take heart.   There’s a a new BBQ place coming to town.   A big thank you to my friend at East Hampton Patch for the details. I was a big fan of the old Turtle Crossing before they got fancy.   My expectations for this new establishment will be high especially since it’s being opened by the former executive chef and BBQ expert of the “Crossing”  Arthur Wolf and his wife Michelle.