Avoiding renter's sticker shock in N. Jersey and the other OC

The more northerly beaches along the Jersey shore can be a little sticker-shocky for those used to Wildwood, Sea Isle and the like.

There are more affordable options in southern Delaware and Ocean City, Md., though the layouts of the towns are quite different from the South Jersey shore most Philadelphians are used to. Rehoboth Beach, for instance, is nearly a perfect square, one mile on each side, so many people live fairly far from the beach and routinely drive to the ocean.

In Ocean City, conversely, there are a lot of condominium complexes right on the beach, so though many of the units are smaller, they are footsteps from the ocean.

Here's a rundown on what to expect.

Central New Jersey

Even in the more commercial/restaurant town of Point Pleasant, which is more or less like Ocean City, N.J., with liquor licenses, it is hard to find something decent for less than $2,500 a week, according to Gwen Pastorelli, of Ward Wight Sotheby's International Real Estate.

For $2,400 a week, there is a three-bedroom, renovated house a block from the ocean with central air and off-street parking. Nothing fancy, but certainly serviceable. On the high end, for $21,000 a week, there is a five-bedroom, four-bath manse with decks on three levels, heated floors, a whirlpool, an elevator and a two-car garage on the ocean.

The mid-price in Sea Girt/Manasquan is a $2,300-a-week, four-bedroom, three-bath place on Stockton Lake, a popular kayaking spot. For $12,000, Pastorelli points to a perfectly landscaped classic beach "cottage" with fantastic ocean views in Sea Girt, with a patio, terrace, three bedrooms and three baths.

Long Beach Island is a slight step down from that, at least on the mid-end, since oceanfront is still quite high. Loveladies, on the northern part of the island, is generally considered the most exclusive town. There, according to Andrew Warmuth, of Island Realty, $1,600 a week will fetch a side-by-side unit in an older cape, three bedrooms and two baths a couple of blocks from the beach over on the bay side of the island.

On the higher end, a mere $10,000 a week will get a six-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath contemporary oceanfront villa.

In a bit-more-downscale Surf City, near the middle of Long Beach Island, there is a $2,200-a-week, three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath bungalow on the bayside with a screened-in porch and central air.

For $10,000 a week, there is a spectacular place with five bedrooms on the ocean, decks all over the place and just a short walk into town.

The other OC

A typical mid-priced property in Rehoboth Beach, according to Sharon Palmer, vice president of rentals at Coldwell Banker, is a Cape Cod about four blocks from the beach - a three-bedroom with an outdoor shower, an enclosed porch and off-street parking, going for $1,850 a week.

Go right to the ocean, though, and there is a 10-bedroom, nine-bath place that can fit 30 visitors. It's got a rooftop deck with a hot tub and a swimming pool, and an elevator to get there. It's $12,500 a week, or, as Palmer said, only about $400 a person if all 30 show up.

Ocean City's condominiums go for about $1,500 a week for a decent-sized two-bedroom or a small three-bedroom, according to Susan Holt, Coldwell Banker's general manager there. The condo buildings tend to be next to each other on the first blocks away from the ocean.

For the more upscale, she said, there is a lot of modern construction that's somewhat reminiscent of Florida, rather than New Jersey. A 3,100-square-foot with four bedrooms, marble and teak everywhere and decks off every floor is just $10,000 a week. *