Public Can Now View Sandy-Damaged Homes Going Up For Auction

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Monday marks the first day the public can view 150 Sandy-damaged homes acquired by the state that will be auctioned off on Long Island.

"Of the 150 properties, 70 are waterfront -- which means ocean, bay, canal; another 24 have water views," said Misha Haghani of Paramount Realty, which is handling the open houses and the auction.

"I've only seen three or four, I have about eight more to take a look at," said Jamal, who took the day off from work to look at the properties. "We just moved here from Virginia, so we need a house. I don't mind working and fixing it."

Many of the properties are along the South Shore from Long Beach to the Hamptons with minimum bids from $28,000 to $400,000. Some have pre-storm values as high as $1.2 million, according to auction officials.

The homes were purchased by the state under the New York Rising program. Many are labeled "fixer-uppers" and "tear-downs."

The auction will be held May 19 and 20 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Hauppauge and bidders must register in advance.

Winning bidders may repair or rebuild, but all homes must be elevated and comply with strict new building codes.

For the list of open houses and auction information, visit www.prusa.com.