By Nancy Kane
The summer is in full swing, and nowhere is that more apparent than the real estate market in the Hamptons. Many rentals turned into sales over the past year, and while inventory is lower than in years past, the brisk sales market shows that when there is good value for a property, buyers will come. Turnkey homes are always in demand, and now, buyers are also looking to more normal days ahead and setting their sights on future properties and even business opportunities on the East End.
Culloden Point is a small peninsula just north of Montauk that marks the entrance to Fort Pond Bay from Gardiners Bay. Named after the HMS Culloden, a British ship that ran aground during the Revolutionary War, it is a secluded slice of heaven.
Here, the latest from Studio Robert McKinley comes to market with Rylan Jacka of Sotheby’s International Realty, asking $8,995,000. Due to be completed next spring, the home is situated on a west-facing bluff outside of any flood risk. The 1.6-acre property features 215 feet of bay frontage and a deeded path to the beach. What’s more, it is completely private, on the end of a cul-de-sac and up a long driveway, providing the peace and quiet home- seekers crave. The plans include four bedrooms and four full baths (plus one half-bath) in the home, which will feature all reclaimed-wood flooring, bathrooms with stone-top vanities and heated tiling, Sub-Zero appliances, and a mixture of vintage and high- end architectural lighting as well as an infinity-edge gunite pool with a bluestone patio and mahogany decking.
In popular Wainscott South, renowned architects Al DeVito and Maziar Behrooz have designed a spectacular residence, on the market with Angela Boyer-Stump of Sotheby’s International Realty and asking $10.95 million. Nearly 3 acres of land house a 14,000-square-foot beauty accessed by a long circular driveway and framed by dramatic fountains. The 9-bedroom, 10-bath home features a striking facade and inside, large plate glass windows and skylights. A recording studio on the ground floor and an adjacent gym, massage room, sauna and steam room make this home a musician’s paradise, but all creative types will feel inspired to entertain here with a wine cellar, art deco bar, wine-tasting room and dining room. There are three fireplaces, and two separate driveways, including a heated one that leads to the six- to eight-car garage.
Also in Wainscott, a one-of-a- kind estate on nearly 14 acres asks $70M and is listed with Kyle Rosko, Marcy Braun, Martha Gundersen and Paul Brennan at Douglas Elliman. It offers 830 feet of water frontage, including gorgeous views of Georgica Pond and the Atlantic Ocean. The 10,000-square-foot residence was recently built by renowned local builder Ben Krupinski and designed by noted architect Paul Rice. Enter through a grand double-height foyer leading to a formal dining room with a fireplace, an adjacent open kitchen with a breakfast area, and a family room with French doors flowing to a screened-in covered porch, blending the indoor and outdoor living spaces; there are views of the water from every common living space on the first floor. There is also a library with a fireplace, a living room, a sunroom with a full wet bar and an en suite staff or guest bedroom. The second floor features five en suite bedrooms, with the primary boasting a private balcony with awe-inspiring views.
The lower level offers open recreation space, a home theater and a gym with a steam shower. There is also a detached three-car garage, pool house and gunite pool that overlooks Georgica Pond. This property affords the option to subdivide and create a second estate.
In the heart of Southampton Village, a light-filled commercial property is up for sale, listed with Michaela Keszler of Douglas Elliman. The Homenature store at the corner of Culver Street and Pond Lane asks $3,995,000. It is situated overlooking Agawam Lake and offers a first floor with 2,300 square feet, as well as a second floor with 1,200 square feet inside and another 1,000 feet of exterior space. The owner, who created the general design concept during renovation, was inspired by Mies van der Rohe at the beach, and the goal was to combine clean lines and open spaces with a warm, welcoming environment. Programmable LED lights and tracks, sliding Reilly Ipe windows and folding doors, front and back entrances, alarm systems and watering systems for second-floor planters make this a true turnkey opportunity.
The bucolic little hamlet of Water Mill, 2 miles east of Southampton, dates back to 1644 when Edward Howell built a mill for settlers to turn grain into meal. Today, the hamlet has seen growth as a cultural and wellness hub—with the relocated Parrish Art Museum to the west and the Mill to the east—a hub that houses Provisions, the trendy good-for-you grocery and grab- and-go as well as Hamptons Float and SoulCycle, among others. Robert Wilson’s acclaimed Watermill Center is a country lane or two away.
It is in the center of this growing community that JS Squared has planned Watermill Crossing—a proposed luxury 38-unit townhome community in the beating heart of the village. “It’s priced in the sweet spot of $1.8 million to $2.5 million,” says Saunders co-listing broker Jennifer C. Wilson. “As far as new construction, you cannot find that anywhere at this price point.”
Saunders co-listing broker Ed Bruehl calls it a “home without the hassle” and notes that it is being created with modern homeowners’ needs in mind. Listening to the community and keeping how people want to live now in mind, the developers engaged Mabley Handler Interior Design on the design and also the Saunders team to weigh in.
Each townhome at Watermill Crossing is outfitted with four bedrooms to accommodate growing families as well as in-laws, live-in nannies and chefs, and summer—or year-round—houseguests. Each home comes with a garage.
“It’s a community, year-round residency, full-service project,” says Bruehl. “And frankly, we need more of them on the East End.”
Located across from the Water Mill Community House, a stone’s throw from the center of the village and its beloved Japanese restaurant, Suki Zuki, which has attained a cult following, Watermill Crossing hopes to help make the hamlet a walking village.
“There’s a lower level, a first floor with high ceilings and great-room feel, and bedrooms are on the second floor. It’s designed to accommodate the family that wants to spend time together in an oversize living room and kitchen but also have their own spaces to retreat to,” says Bruehl.
The homes will also be smart homes—from keyless entries to remote thermostats—and with the townhome construction, there are no upstairs neighbors. Completely full-service, the luxury property will feature a clubhouse and pool as well as a conference room. “And your driveway will be shoveled in the winter,” adds Bruehl.
Wilson says buyers already inquiring about the project have ranged from those planning to downsize and opt for turnkey living, to families looking for brand-new homes at this price point and perhaps divide their time between NYC and the East End.
Options abound and as Bruehl points out, it pays to get in early. “Some builds can be customized so you could buy two or even three adjacent townhomes and combine them into one,” he says.
Watermill Crossing begins construction in the next few months and will go on sale this fall with a goal of welcoming residents in 2022.
