Finding affordable housing at the beach has always been a challenge, but for business owners like Susan and Rob Wood of The Cultured Pearl in Rehoboth Beach, it’s become even more pressing.
That’s why the couple recently bought the old Printz Motel and turned it into housing for their future summer employees.
A Creative Fix for a Growing Problem
After facing housing shortages for years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Woods decided to take control of the situation.
In early March, they purchased the Printz Motel, a decades-old, one-story brick building located on a triangle-shaped lot at Columbia Avenue and Sussex Street.
The building had just undergone a full renovation in 2023 by McGregor Homes, making it an ideal fit for their needs.
Today, several of their summer employees, along with J1 visa students from Thailand, are already settled in and ready to take on their summer jobs.
Each of the six units can sleep up to four people and includes amenities like:
- Full kitchen
- Washer and dryer
- Dishwasher
- Heat and air conditioning
- Internet access
- Bike racks for bicycle parking & lockup
Rob Wood noted that he was working on adding bike parking for the employees as well.
Since the weather in Delaware is a stark 60 degrees cooler than what the students are used to in Thailand, every effort to help them acclimate is appreciated.
Investing in More Than Just Property
The motel is just the latest investment the Woods have made to solve the housing crisis for their employees.
Over the past few years, they’ve purchased multiple properties to house both seasonal and year-round staff.
These investments have been financed with second mortgages and even with money originally intended for their daughter’s college tuition.
She was studying at St. John’s University in New York City, but transferred to the University of Delaware after COVID, freeing up some financial flexibility for the family to be able to make purchasing power over these properties easier to manage for their family & business.
Susan mentioned that they had been watching the motel property for a while, but the price was always too high. Once the price dropped, they made an as-is offer that was accepted.
Helping the Community Too
The housing crunch affects more than just restaurant workers, as local municipalities are also struggling to find affordable housing for their summer staff that they depend on to make it through the busy season.
This year, the City of Rehoboth Beach will be renting two efficiency apartments from the Woods to house seasonal police officers and their positions.
City Manager Taylour Tedder said Chief Keith Banks faced major challenges last year due to the limited availability of affordable housing.
To address this, the city is now providing $1,500 to employees to help with steep down payments for seasonal rentals.
These funds will go toward securing the units at the motel, and the city is also exploring payroll deduction programs as another way to support staff positions.
Susan summed it up best: “We’re not the only ones with these problems. It’s getting tougher and tougher every year. Businesses in every beach town are in the same situation.”
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Source: Cape Gazette