Cape & Islands News

Summer rental boom, new fishing rules

The Vineyard Gazette reports
on new Groundfish Rule, a Summer Rental Boom and Washington shenanigans

Summer Rental Market Booms Unexpectedly; Brokers Scramble
Some brokers up 62% over last year at this time
Blame it on the economy, blame it on the Republicans, or blame it on that tried and true scapegoat - the weather. Whatever the reason - and no one knows for sure - Island real estate brokers report that the demand for summer rentals has suddenly exploded.

"We passed through the new year and all of a sudden it was crazy," said Rebecca Conroy of Conroy and Co. Real Estate in Chilmark. "In the last several weeks we have received a ton of inquiries - much, much more than where we were last year at this time. Looking at my files I would say we are close to what we did all of last year."

"It's really booming again," agreed Suzanne Lanzone of Hob Knob Realty in Edgartown. "It's been telephone rage around here."

"We are up 62 per cent over this time last year, and that is only homes that have been booked," said Sharon Purdy, who owns Sandpiper Realty in Edgartown. "Not only are the number of leases up but the number of inquiries as well, so we have really seen a huge uptick."

The early surge in interest comes after several years of an up-and-down summer rental market, where inventory generally outpaced demand. Bucking a trend of holding out for last-minute bargains, summer visitors this year appear to be booking their vacation homes early, leaving brokers speculating on the reasons...
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Secretary of Commerce Proposes Even Stricter Groundfish Rules
Concerned about severe overfishing of key stocks in the waters off New England, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on Tuesday stepped in to propose strict emergency measures to curtail overfishing this spring. The proposal supersedes measures enacted by the New England Fishery Management Council, the regional regulatory body that has struggled over the last year to meet a federal deadline for developing a sound plan to save the troubled fishery...
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Bill Takes Aim at Wind Farm
Retreating Behind Closed Doors, Lawmakers Debate Amendment Tacked Onto Coast Guard Bill That Would Ban Turbines
The fate of the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm hung in the balance in Washington, D.C. this week, where a small group of congressmen met behind closed doors to consider an amendment to a U.S. Coast Guard bill that would effectively kill the controversial project...
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