Clintons' Former East Hampton Rental Sells To Eric Blatstein for $29M

Perhaps Hillary and Bill Clinton need not fret about where to rent in the Hamptons next summer, because the purchaser of 211 Lily Pond Lane in East Hampton, which the couple has rented for at least two seasons, has strong connections to the Democratic Party. The buyer has been revealed as Eric Blatstein.

The home had originally been listed in the summer of 2015 for $32.5 million, and finally sold for $29 million, making it the biggest sale in the Village of East Hampton so far this year. For that, Mr. Blatstein and his wife, Lori, get a 10,000-square-foot home with 8 bedrooms and 9.5 baths on 1.2 acres with 200 feet of ocean frontage. The residence was originally designed and built in 1920 by John Custis Lawrence, and underwent a major renovation in 2002. The house now contains a living salon, library, formal dining room, a gourmet renovated kitchen, and there are six fireplaces. The exterior offers a heated gunite pool as well as a private path to the beach.

Mr. Blatstein is the founder as well as chairman and chief executive officer of OTG (standing for On the Go) EXP Inc. and, his biography tells us, “is responsible for some of the largest chef collaborations and design innovations in airport space.” In other words, his company works with restaurants, franchises, and other eateries that populate airports in major metropolitan areas. According to Politico, OTG has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobbyists in Albany and Mr. Blatstein forked over $77,000 to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s re-election campaign in 2014. He also donated 100 iPads to Help USA, a nonprofit chaired by the governor’s sister Maria Cuomo Cole, and has hired two of Mr. Cuomo’s top aides. In such a Democrat-friendly dwelling, perhaps the Clintons will be welcomed back.

There was another big sale in the Village of East Hampton reported last week. This one was 28 Accabonac Road, for $8,850,000. What makes this especially intriguing is that the property is actually 12 lots on 10.6 acres, with one of them occupied by the Puster House, a guesthouse first built in 1864. The rest are building lots. The buyer is Hook Mill Resort Properties Inc., a company that traces back to Bayport on Long Island. Could subdivision plans be in the future?