Real estate agents in the Berkshires are hoping this summer’s vacation rental market is stronger than last year’s. This country estate in Tyringham, which includes a private beach and sauna house, paddle tennis court, stone terraces, waterfall and pond, is available for $25,000 during July or August.
Following a long, cold and snowy winter, the summer vacation rental market in the Berkshires is just beginning to spring to life.
Realtors who specialize in vacation rentals in southern Berkshire County communities like Lenox, Stockbridge, West Stockbridge and Great Barrington say that they are starting to receive inquiries from vacationers, and some already have rented properties during the peak summer months of July and August.
“We’ve had a lot of inquiries,” said Pauline Ghitalla, a sales associate with Cohen & White Assoc. in Lenox. “The winter has been so long. We’re just having [renters] come out of the woodwork now.”
The last several years have been sluggish for vacation rentals because many people are using the Internet and other sources to rent properties without the assistance of a real estate broker or agent, according to Ghitalla. “It has been a slow rental market for a couple of years,” she said.
According to local Realtors, the rental market in the Berkshires also has suffered because low mortgage-interest rates in recent years have spurred many longtime renters who used to spend their vacations in the Berkshires to purchase properties instead of renting.
“Our rental market is monthly or seasonal,” said Joseph L. Carini, president of Wheeler & Taylor Realty, which has offices in Great Barrington and Stockbridge. “We think a lot of people who are able to do that – rent on a monthly or seasonal basis – have bought houses.”
William Wilson Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Berkshire Visitors Bureau, said Berkshire County has a strong second-home market that is consistently growing. “[Vacationers are] not renting cottages here, they’re actually buying homes,” he said.
In addition, many travelers are no longer taking lengthy vacations and therefore don’t need seasonal, monthly or even weekly rentals. “I think it’s probably something that’s not quite as popular as it was in the past,” said Wilson, referring to longer-term stays and monthly rentals.
Instead, consumers are seeking shorter getaways, many of them visiting the Berkshires for several extended weekend stays during the summer, he said. “Certainly, the trend is toward shorter, more frequent vacations,” Wilson explained.
In the last several weeks, calls about vacation rentals have started to pick up, according to Wilson.
Ghitalla said she believes many people have delayed making summer plans this year because of the harsh winter. Still, Ghitalla has rented several properties to employees of the Boston Symphony Orchestra who have sought housing near Tanglewood, the BSO’s Berkshires home, this year.
She also rented a house in West Stockbridge, featuring a guest house and gardens, for 10 weeks for a price of $34,000. A lot of Ghitalla’s business has come from renters who have worked with her in the past.
‘Disastrous’ 2004
Scott W. Sawyer, a Realtor with Stone House Properties in West Stockbridge, said this year’s market appears to be healthier than last year.
“I think the rental market this year has been a strong one, unlike last year,” said Sawyer. “Last year, the rental market was disastrous.”
Stone House Properties, which generally markets about 30 rental properties each summer with monthly rents ranging from $4,500 up to $25,000, rented about five homes last year, according to Sawyer. “This year it’s considerably more,” he said.
Sawyer already has secured rental agreements for at least seven different properties this summer, including some high-end residences. He recently rented a private family compound in West Stockbridge known as Blueberry Hill that features a swimming pool, tennis courts, guest house and gardens for $25,000 for the month of August.
Sawyer also found renters for four other homes in West Stockbridge, including a contemporary-style home located on 24 landscaped acres for the months of July and August that was available for $18,000 a month, and a compound with guest house located within three miles of Tanglewood that rents for $14,000 a month.
Wilson, of the Berkshire Visitors Bureau, said he believes several factors could boost tourism and vacation rentals this year, including rising gasoline prices. Vacationers from Boston, New York and southern New Hampshire facing higher gas prices may want to stay closer to home instead of traveling great distances, he said. “We’re located close to Boston and New York City, so people can drive 150 miles and not use up that much gas,” he said.
In an effort to draw more tourists to the area, the visitors bureau has teamed up with 12 arts and cultural institutions throughout the Berkshires to host American Traditions, a series of exhibits and programming from May through October. As part of that effort, Tanglewood will offer two performances by singer-songwriter James Taylor and the Norman Rockwell Museum will feature covers of The New Yorker magazine that span an 80-year period.
Wilson said the region’s location and the array of cultural activities that are available help the Berkshires tourism industry.
“People are increasingly looking for outdoor recreation in a beautiful tranquil environment, as well as culture,” he said.
Aglaia Pikounis may be reached at apikounis@thewarrengroup.com.
