And Davis said he believes one reason for the shift is lower gasoline prices that make it less expensive for families to take longer driving vacations elsewhere. Cheaper airline fares also are prompting people to use part of their vacations in more distant places, he added.
Not all agents agree, though. Pat Coates at Shoreline Realty in Beach Haven Crest said many people are choosing to vacation at the shore this year rather than travel to Europe because terrorism has made them afraid to go overseas.
"The most desirable rentals for the most popular weeks are gone," she said.
Other agents emphasize that the shore remains as popular as ever, despite the emerging new trend.
Still, Michael Monihan of Monihan Realty in Ocean City stressed that rentals at the shore generally are always available, even though many people think if they don't act soon they'll be left out altogether.
"No matter how good a year we have, you can always find something somewhere. You never want to tell people not to come down," Monihan said.
Monihan said there always are renters who have made plans months in advance but must cancel at the last minute.
Last year, Jennifer Haaz and her husband, Richard, of Mount Airy, took advantage of such a cancellation when they rented at Barnegat Light for $700 a week. Their place was a couple of houses away from the beach.
This year, they are renting on the beach for $900.
"Every year you must spend more money for the same place," Jennifer Haaz said. "If you stay at the same price, it's a lot harder to find as nice a place."
Rental agents up and down the shore confirmed that she's right.
Even at the Wildwoods, rents are rising 7 to 8 percent, despite the area's sewer problems last summer. Raw sewage spilled into the Atlantic, closing the beaches for a week in August.
"The sewer problem is not affecting the market," said Ed Lees, of Lees Real Estate Agency in Wildwood. "I'm as far ahead in rentals this year as last."
