Exclusivity assures plenty of beach room, even on summer weekends and holidays, for those who can afford seasonal rentals ranging as high as $80,000.

"A lot of that housing is used for seasonal rentals now," said Ms. Brooks.

The expansive director's residence, complete with solarium, may be offered to a nonprofit tenant or turned into a seasonal rental.

In other areas, such as the Caribbean, where tourism is a major component of the economy, financing the purchase through seasonal rentals is more realistic.

Cabanalike "hospitality chalets" are available for seasonal rental for large parties.

She said seasonal rentals on the North Fork ranged from $20,000 for "a sweet cottage" to $45,000 for "very nice summer waterfront properties."

Another fact on the list, say brokers, should be the potential income from short-term or seasonal rentals.

Today, seasonal rentals range from one-bedroom bungalows to eight-bedroom Victorian houses, with season prices going from $3,500 to $15,000.

The houses all sparkle more than they would in a real town, because pretty much everything you see is available for seasonal rental.

And the few seasonal rentals we get, maybe 15 a summer, were gone by the first week in January.