Were those year-round homes? One problem in NJ is that higher taxes chased many residents to the shore, where summer homes were winterized and new constructions were for year-round inhabitants; the roadways (such as the Garden State Parkway, which doesn’t even allow commercial vehicles for most of its length) weren’t designed for year-round commuter traffic, and the sleepy shore towns didn’t have a lot of snow removal gear.
Some of the fixes after Sandy were ugly as sin, as they elevated houses and they now stood atop empty cinderblock bases; instead of four to six steps up to the front door, they now had flights of twenty stairs or more - it looks ridiculous.
Mostly yes.