Mother Nature and the Philadelphia Eagles produced some hiccups, but realty offices along the Jersey Shore say the demand for rental properties is looking strong — even better than last year — ahead of summer 2018.

Much of the inventory has already been snatched up by folks who like to visit the same spot at the same time each year. The later you wait, the harder it may be to find a suitable temporary home, especially if you're interested in living at the shore during the most desirable weeks.

There's already limited availability in Manasquan for the week of July 4, along with the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August, according to Justin Smith with Richard I. Wood Agency.

The borough features about 250 rentals, Smith said. Families and groups of friends have been booking since late last year.

Before the state was slammed with a trio of winter storms in early March, the summer rental business was ahead of last year's pace at Seaside Realty, which handles properties in northern Ocean County.

Broker Mike Loundy expects business to return to pre-nor'easter conditions as the weather breaks.

"When the weather's bad, the phones go quiet. Also people don't walk through the door," Loundy said. "When the weather's better, people have spring fever, and they call us and they show up looking to book rentals."

A two-bedroom cottage listed on the office's website is available for $850 per week, and that comes with four beach badges. An ocean view townhouse with a two-car garage and four bedrooms — plus seven beach badges — is listed at $3,150 for the week.

Along the coast in Atlantic County, the summer rental season got off to a later-than-normal start, but is "hot" now. Dana Hartman, a buyer specialist with the Hartman Home Team in Margate, says their business is Eagles-dependent, and the team's season lasted until early February (with its first NFL championship).

"Now that football's done and now that the Eagles won and everybody's happy about that, things are really in gear," she said.

Many property owners in the area are hoping to rent their units for the entire season, or at least by the month, before deciding to "split their months" for weekly renters, according to Paula Hartman, manager of the Home Team.

In any case, business has been booming for summer 2018.

"This past year was our busiest year and we're expecting gangbusters this summer," she said. "Because the economy is good and people are spending."

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Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.

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