A Quick Look At Recent East End Property Transactions

It's barely spring, yet there have been plenty of property transactions. Ah, the days when there was an “off season.” According to records released last week, the Village of Southampton vied with Water Mill as the hottest place for real estate activity in the Hamptons. Topping the list was the $20 million deal for the Village Latch Inn, which has received oodles of coverage.

Also garnering handsome sums were 320 Little Plains Road, sold to Desenzano LLC for $9.75 million, and 12 Pheasant Close South, to Amy and James Dieterich for $8.75 million. Water Mill tried to keep up, with 93 Water Mill Towd Road going for $4.5 million and 7 Pierson Court sold by the estate of Lee Edwin Halsey for $4 million.

Two daughters of legendary ad guru Jerry Della Femina have been active in Sag Harbor real estate. The youngest, Jessie, is representing a house being completely rebuilt on Bay Street, and Jodi and her husband, John Kim, have just sold 8 Harrison Street to Jill Heller for a nice even $1,897,500. (No one knows how to round off?) Mr. Heller, by the way, runs the company Pure Thread and is described as “a passionate tastemaker and trendsetter,” perfect for a historic whaling village. Also in Sag Harbor, the real estate scene remains a warm one, with 176 Redwood Road going for $3.7 million, to Lucy Douglas LLC. Right outside the village, 3561 Noyac Road overlooking Little Peconic Bay was gobbled up by Pew LLC for $5,625,000.

In Bridgehampton, 355 Sellentin Way, was sold by Richard Sellentin to U + Me Homes LLC, for $4 million. Mr. Sellentin, back in the day, with his wife, Mary, published the weekly newspaper The Whale. It folded soon after it was sold to Dan’s Papers. U + Me Homes made a few headlines in 2013 when the Westbury-based builder filed an $8.6 million lawsuit against a Westhampton Beach attorney, contending that it had been sold 6 acres in North Sea that could not be developed.

Montauk is apparently not cooling off. A company named AAS184 LLC, registered in New Jersey (maybe Chris Christie’s escape plan?), has picked up 184 Old Montauk Highway for $5.79 million, and 248 West Lake Drive was purchased for $3.5 million by Allison LeClair and Shawn Horowitz. Sagaponack remains desirable, too, with 149 Seascape Lane going to Daniel Gardner and Lisa Mawhinney-Gardner for $5.5 million.

Quick Hits: There is a new owner at 24 Huntting Avenue in East Hampton Village after Mary Abularrage plunked down $4.05 million. To the west, the biggest deal was $2.125 million that 617 Dune Road LLC paid for a property at that address. Kind of nice to see that the Town of East Hampton paid $900,000 for 142 Gerard Drive from the estate of Dorothy King. Miss King was the very well informed curator of the Long Island collection at the East Hampton Library. Think there is no inexpensive property left in eastern Suffolk County? Don’t despair—it cost only 175K to buy on Clay Pit Road … on Fishers Island.

In other news: Is this illegal, or just the new normal for seasonal rentals on the East End? Two weeks ago, kayak.com was offering a “Holiday Home” consisting of five bedrooms and five baths and boasting that it “sleeps 15”—assuming any sleeping will go on there and in the homes of nearby neighbors when the windows are open. Furnishings include a single bed and six double beds. The cost per renter is $1,175 per night. Let’s do the math—when there is a full house, the owner is raking in $17,625 per night. The house is on Scuttle Hole Road in Water Mill, near where it crosses the railroad tracks, and a brand-new one is just being completed there—just in case a Southampton Town code enforcement officer is reading this.

Those of you near East Hampton Town Hall on April 4 at 2 p.m. might want to make a bid on a house being auctioned off there. Yes, a foreclosure, and the property is at 11 Green Hollow Road. What makes this auction of particular interest is that the owner is Avi Sivan, who has a reputation as being the “Guru of Infomercials.” His website offers beauty and other self-improvement products for sale, and Mr. Sivan is the author of the self-help book “Whatever It Takes.”

Well, what it will take is $1.87 million, because that is the amount of the lien on the property. Bring your checkbook!