BUSTING A SUMMER RENTAL MYTH... AND DOPPIO IS DONE-I-OH! AGAIN.

Doppio in Sag Harbor.... brown paper seems to be it's color!

Good Morning all.. or is it afternoon?  Either way, HC as some people like to call this blog has been off the grid for the past few months.  It's been a period of reflection and real estate and a media blackout.  I've ignored TV, radio and the internet for weeks now.  So before I read the papers about the Jeb versus Hillary show... I mean nobody was going to vote for "him," I did some recon in and around the Hamptons to get the latest in our neck of the woods.

So word about town in Sag Harbor is that DOPPIO is definitely DONE-I-OH.   As if the incident of last summer's sudden shuttering wasn't a big enough omen for you, the Italian bistro has packed it's bags and headed off for greener and perhaps less discerning pastures.    But while this is a surprise for virtually nobody, the big buzz is about what's going in there!  So, what will it be?   Apparently, it's going to be brown paper on the windows for the next few months.  Unconfirmed word about town is that the state of the space is in a bit on the worn side and a renovation is afoot.  If I have wrong information here, let me know and I'll fix it!  I still miss the old "Paradise" in Sag Harbor.  Please can somebody talk to somebody and bring it back?    It had good service, good food and a great atmosphere, something far too many restaurateurs in the Hamptons have a hard time understanding.

Meantime, why is it so tough to find a summer rental this season?  Well it's not as the NY Times would have you believe.     The mad rush that they report every year ("act now if you want your summer Hamptons get away) as having taking place is more myth than reality.    The truth is with all of the new regulations that include rental permits, registries and blood oaths more than a few home owners have decided NOT to rent rather than deal with all of the drama.    Now, I'm sure some agents and brokers are going to say, "not at all."   But I'm speaking from my experiences in the past few weeks.    I've called numerous landlords about renting only to have them inform me the house is no longer available.     I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing but I can tell you, if you're debating on renting your home this coming season... make sure to get the permit and protect yourself into the pool... it's smaller this year than it's been in a long time!