You still have plenty of time to rent a house at the beach – whether one goes online to the many sites offering their services or calls a trusted friend or real estate company listing homes.
Mike Hahn, a former police officer and now a real-estate agent, has owned places at Holden Beach for years.
Before he was a buyer, he rented beach houses by calling the agencies and having them mail brochures with photos, descriptions and prices.
Hahn recommends going through a trusted real estate agency or rental company rather than forking out money to online sites where owners are doing their own transactions and reputations may be questionable.
Not that this is a sure path for disaster. Plenty of homeowners are upfront and honest about their properties. However, one is less likely to get burned if booking with the pros, Hahn believes.
“A reputable rental company has standards so you’re not worried about your safety,” said Hahn, whose house rents for about $750 or $800 during peak times. This is a good deal when one considers many beach houses can cost thousands per week.
For a shabby-chic house a row or two back from the ocean, costs go down considerably. For oceanfront, prepare to pay much more and book early.
But deals are still out there. And so are rentals, even though wound-be travelers are entering the peak season.
“There’s plenty of property for rent,” Hahn said. “It’s not too late. You might not get your first choice or week you want, but there will be pretty much something available reasonably close to what you’re looking for.”
