Sandy Damaged Homes Sold 'As Is' for Millions

Homes in the Rockaways are being marketed and sold in the battered conditions that Hurricane Sandy left them, reports Elizabeth A. Harris. Existing residents view them as investment opportunities, but long-term market conditions are uncertain.

2 minute read

January 30, 2013, 6:00 AM PST

By Jessica Hsu


"People ask me, ‘Should I fix my house and then put it up?’ But I don’t know if the value will be there. So I say let's put it up as is, and let's see what happens," said Lisa Jackson, a real estate broker in the Rockaways section of New York City who is listing badly damaged homes "more or less as the hurricane left them." She has already closed three deals, with another half-dozen properties in contract. Most of the buyers are people who already live in the area and are hopeful about the rebuilding process. One resident bought the lot next to his own house so he could expand onto it. However, the battered look of the Rockaways, and fresh reminders of the dangers of coastal living, will most likely be unappealing to non-residents looking for homes.

“Remember, you’re marketing to people, and this damage is really in your face,” said Jonathan Miller, president of Miller Samuel. “Even if you don’t believe there’s going to be a storm like this again, the visual presentation is unsettling.” He also said "it was too soon to tell where home values in the Rockaways would head in the long term, in part because if yet another hundred-year storm hit soon, the market would be deeply rattled" and that "[i]n the short term, higher costs of living from increased insurance premiums and stricter building standards seem a certainty."

Time will tell if these homes were worth the investment.

Monday, January 28, 2013 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight