This sale, the highest of 2010 to date, is comprised of two nearly identical adjoining vacant parcels. Each is approximately 4 acres, just south of the Southampton Village center and each fronts directly on Heady Creek and faces due west, providing for sunset views.
Because these are single and separate parcels, an owner could choose to construct two entirely separate homes or a large home on one and guest cottage on the other. There is a pre-existing dock on one parcel, which may effect valuation of the lots as it is extremely difficult to obtain permission to construct a dock today.
This sale presents an interesting case study in real estate flipping over the last 15 years. In 1994, this property was purchased for $3.1 million by an owner who sold five years later at the height of the dot-com bubble for $6.5 million, reaping a 15 percent compounded annual return. Two years later, it was sold for $8 Million for an 11 percent annual return. The next owner held it for five years and sold it at the height of the real estate bubble in 2007 for $21 million, reaping a gross profit of about $13 million, an enormous 22 percent annual return.
Today, this sale for $25 million, by the owner who paid approximately $21 million at the height of the market, represents a 5 percent return. While this may not seem like a good return, especially in comparison to previous owners, it is important to consider that during the same time period, many assets dropped in value by 30 percent or more.
Even in the worst of times, high quality vacant land in the Hamptons can be a safe investment. And in the best of times, it can offer very large returns.
This house is located in the Settler’s Landing area of the Northwest Woods, far from the East Hampton Village center but an easy walk to the western shore of Three Mile Harbor.
The house is sited on .5 acre, and is 2,200 square feet with three bedrooms, a great room with fireplace, den, large deck, full-size pool and a sunny backyard. The seller purchased this house new in 1999 for approximately $340,000. This sale represents an annual return 7.6 percent, which is above the 6.5 percent national average.
This sale is a good example that well-priced houses, especially those under $1 million in good condition, are generating lots of interest and selling quickly.
This .7-acre lot is located directly on Tiana Bay and has about 100 feet of bay frontage with bulkhead in place.
Presently, this lot is improved with a small 1949 cottage with two bedrooms. The lot is surrounded by much newer and larger homes that have sold in recent years for approximately $2 million.
This is an important sale for valuation purposes in this neighborhood, since it was essentially a land sale and the expectation is that in the near future the existing cottage will either be replaced with a new home or significantly expanded.
27east on Jun 7, 2010