Confidence in buying vacation homes at the Jersey Shore appears to be back up, even with signs of Superstorm Sandy still visible nearly four years later, according to area real estate agencies.

There was a lull in vacation home sales immediately after the devastating 2012 storm due to fears over future storms and uncertainty about elevation requirements, but Pattie Romano, a real estate agent with Re/Max at Barnegat Bay, points the market is coming back strong.

"Long Beach Island, Lavalette — all of the shore homes are selling and they're selling rapidly in short times," she said.

Returning to the places where childhood memories were created in order to make new ones with their kids is a big reason for the increase in vacation home sales, according to Romano.

Some of those buying vacation homes at the shore are from as far away as California and Texas, but Romano noted most are from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

"There's a lot of new construction being built. A lot of the homes are being raised and people are coming back. They're not afraid. How do you put fear on memories? You can't," Romano said.

A lot of the homes are being raised and people are coming back. They're not afraid. How do you put fear on memories? You can't.

Prices are stable too, according to Romano, and even coming up a little bit.

"You have homes on Long Beach Island selling for $4.5 million, new construction, so it's thriving," she said.

Perry Beneduce, marketing director at Diane Turton Realtors, agrees the Monmouth County shore is "hot" this season.

"Our vacation home sales this year are up over the last couple of years," he said.

He says a trend is people from New York and North Jersey wanting to return to places they remember going to during their high school and college years. They're also choosing areas like Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Belmar and the Barrier Island over the Hamptons in New York.

Beneduce noted that rentals also are strong, even for homes that have been rebuilt from Sandy, and for repeat rentals season to season.

New construction and rebuilt homes are both selling.

"Inventory is very low, so as soon as we get something on the market, we're moving it very quickly," Beneduce said, explaining that low inventory means sellers get the prices they want and that some buyers resort to bidding wars.

More From Beach Radio