John Westrum of Westrum Development has seen demand rising for his modular homes in the beachside neighborhoods that were devastated when Hurricane Sandy waylaid the coast from New Jersey to Connecticut. As new federal flood maps and insurance require homes to be elevated, Westrum, who up to now has been building modular homes primarily in Pennsylvania, sees the opportunity to build as many as 3,000 homes along the coast, and will open his first in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, Sat., Aug. 24. The two-story Cape Cod modular home, built in Scranton, PA, was assembled in 28 days. While many in New York City have yet to begin rebuilding, maneuvering narrow Manhattan streets with a 14-foot wide load may be prohibitive. MHProNews has learned from wsj.com John Colucci of Westchester Modular Homes, Inc. says his business is up 80 percent, mostly due to the aftermath of Sandy, with many customers in New Jersey and Long Island.

(Photo credit: Emile Wamsteker/The Wall Street Journal–beachfront modular on the New Jersey shore)