How are things going at "ground Zero?" Don't hear much about you guys anymore. I bet building supplies are ridiculous!!
It's still a mess and no resolution for a long time. FEMA changed the flood maps so even homes that were not damaged are going to have to raise the home 2ft or pay 20k vs 7k for flood insurance as an example. And if you don't raise it you will get hit when you try to sell it. Many are talking (and have) just walked away.
It explains why NO is still as mess after all these years.
Those with a lot of funds are rebuilding and buying from people who just want out. There's a fair amount that were already underwater (bad term) and just can't turn this over. Even when you're on the bay side you are still in the target area. One of my wife's employees bought a home 6 years back, no Sandy damage, is underwater with the mortgage and they want $75k to lift the 3 story home the required height. Mortgage company is going to want that $20K flood insurance paid if they do nothing. The womens mother earlier in the year sold her home in north Jersey and moved to a rental in Lavallette. When she could go back to get things after the storm she only came back with one suitcase.
Supplies are not that exorbitant as they were a few weeks after. I just paid $46.05 for 1/2" ACX as a reference. But there's not a grey piece of wood in anyone's outdoor lots. So much ply was shipped in that it was stored outside and I would guess about 25% warps like crazy. That's even true for dimensional stock.
Unemployment in the trades now is pretty low. The first picture is one house demolished and four pushed together off their foundations.
