Find a nearby vacation house on the beach or in the mountains and save big

BY Michael Nassar

Sunday, April 19th 2009, 4:00 AM

Erik Von Weber

Thanks to the economic downturn, there are still plenty of vacation homes for rent in June and July this year.

A summer retreat far from the city’s sweltering sidewalks is the fantasy of most New Yorkers, so much so that some are even willing to share a beach shack with a dozen strangers while paying a premium to do so.

The summer share sounds bucolic, but is often a battle for space, privacy and value. With a little planning, your summer rental doesn’t have to be that way — especially if you avoid expensive, congested areas — and it can actually be a bargain for families.

The economic turmoil has had a twofold effect on the summer rental market: Brokers report greater interest as New Yorkers avoid expensive, long-distance trips, but more of us are taking a wait-and-see approach, hoping to get the best possible price as the season nears.

“One of the trends we’re seeing is that families are keeping their vacations closer to home, so renting a furnished resort condo or cabin can really be cost- effective,” says Ryan Bailey, president of ResortsandLodges.com, a Web site for vacation properties.

Those savings start to add up if you’re not eating three times a day in a pricey resort restaurant, which can be a brutal budget buster.

“You can buy your own groceries and use a fully equipped kitchen,” says Bailey, who also points out that home renters will enjoy a lot of extra space and convenience.

At vacation resorts like Villa Roma in the Catskills or Split Rock Resort & Golf Club in the Poconos, adds Bailey, “all the activities you’d normally associate with a resort [like golf, tennis or a spa] are within walking distance.”

The Catskills and Poconos haven’t had much cachet in recent years, but Bailey reports a huge increase in interest, with inquiries up about 350% in the past two years alone. Experts also report greater interest and availability on Long Island’s quieter North Fork and along the Jersey Shore. That’s music to the ears of New Yorkers who have long been priced out of the popular beach areas on the East End of Long Island.

But according to John Franzoni, owner of Oceanside Realty on Long Beach Island, N.J., savvy shoppers can still find good value on the beach by looking through the right windows.

“August is pretty well-booked,” says Franzoni. “However, June and July are still available from $800 a week.”

That’s a far cry from the go-go years, when aspiring renters found the cupboard bare by Presidents’ Day.

While it might be too early to secure a bargain rental for a season that doesn’t kick off until Memorial Day, brokers say now is the time to gather the information you’ll need to secure a good price down the road, whether you’re using a licensed broker, an Internet consolidator or even Craigslist.com (which could be your best bet for eastern Long Island).

Some suggestions: Look into Long Beach, L.I., which is only a 45-minute commute from midtown Manhattan; poke around the Poconos as an alternative to Litchfield County, and the north end of Long Beach Island could be your antidote to the pricey private beaches of the island’s Love Ladies.

“Work with an agent now,” says Franzoni. “Gather a few options while the selection is still good, then watch and wait.”

As the season nears, make a lowball offer. You might be surprised how many owners get eager to rent as the days draw down. Just don’t have unrealistic expectations — that multimillion-dollar fantasy mansion in Montauk that’s still empty come July isn’t going to be yours for a pittance.

RENT IT RIGHT

Don’t let your summer dream turn into a housing horror. Here are five tips to ensure a relaxing rental from Justin Halloran of HomeAway.com, a Web site that directly connects travelers with private homeowners and property managers.

1. Obtain the address once you speak to the owner or property manager, then plug it into Google Maps so you can see how close you are to the beach and the major highways.

2. Ask for a written contract before paying a deposit, so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into before committing.

3. Get a contact number in case something goes awry during your stay, like the plumbing goes kaput.

4. Take advantage of local experts. Ask the owners to recommend restaurants, babysitters or an undiscovered gem that you’d never find on your own.

5. Get a guarantee. Web sites like homeaway.com and zonder.com provide payment protection should your dream house be a crack house when you arrive. Many licensed brokers will also put their money where their mouth is — just be sure to understand the terms before signing.

BROWSING CLOSE TO HOME

There are loads of houses in the tristate area for rent now; check the following deals using www.HomeAway.com and the property ID numbers listed below (price ranges reflect low-season to high-season averages):

Hudson Valley (Rhinebeck area)

Property 223152 18th-century farmhouse in the country, three bedrooms, sleeps eight. $200-$275/night or $1,200-$1,600/week.

Jersey Shore (LBI)

Property 218491 Oceanfront house on Long Beach Island, three bedrooms, sleeps eight, $650- $3,950/week.

Jersey shore (Wildwood)

Property 191466 Studio efficiency apartment near the beach, sleeps three. $100-$150/night or $900/week.

Poconos (Albrightsville)

Property 173473 Retreat home with six-person hot tub in the woods, three bedrooms, sleeps 11. $650-$800/ week.

Poconos (Big Boulder Lake)

Property 148474 Lakefront penthouse with Jacuzzi and pool, three bedrooms, sleeps 10. $800-$1,500/week.

Connecticut shore

Property 136984 East Haven beach cottage with private beach, two bedrooms, sleeps four. $750- $1,000/week or $1,000-$3,000/month.

Amagansett, L.I.

Property 190089 Oceanview beach house with Jacuzzi, three bedrooms, sleeps 10. $2,000/week.

Sag Harbor, L.I.

Property 111061 Family house in walking distance to beach, three bedrooms, sleeps 10. $1,250-$2,500/ week.

Catskills

Property 209251 Secluded, contemporary Woodstock house, three bedrooms, sleeps six. $250/night, $1,000/week, $3,000/month.

A NET GAIN FOR BARGAIN HUNTERS ON THE GO

TripAdvisor, the online travel community known for its unedited, user-posted opinions and reviews, recently debuted more than 70,000 vacation rental listings on its site, plus a handy tool to help you figure out if you’d save more money staying at a hotel or a vacation rental: the Vacation Rentals Calculator.

With just a few clicks of information, the calculator (www.tripadvisor.com/#calculator) analyzes average lodging prices from Paris to Pittsburgh, along with the number of guests, length of stay and dining preferences to take the guesswork out of finding the biggest bang for your vacation buck.

For example, a quick search based on a family of four, for four nights while eating a few meals out, found that renting a house in, say, Wildwood, N.J., rather than staying in a hotel room, resulted in a savings of almost $300.

EAST COAST BARGAINS

While the tristate area is seeing good bargains in summer rentals now as competition for vacationers’ dollars increases, the best savings can be found in Florida. More specifically, the Gulf Coast.

From the panhandle down to St. Petersburg, many developments have suffered mightily in the subprime mortgage debacle. That has left a lot of beautiful new properties empty.

“Property managers are also offering more flexibility,” says Bob Barnes, CEO of Zonder.com, a real-time rental site for vacations.

That includes shorter minimum stay requirements, last-minute bookings and added incentives like free nights, free dinner or tickets to local attractions.

With increased inventory in popular Florida destinations like Destin or Naples, you can find properties at up to 20% less than last year. Throw in lower airfares to the Sunshine State, and you may end up saving a bundle.