Realty Check

With a dollop of Hamptons gossip.

Chris Burch Throws in the Listowel
Listowel is the rather gorgeous waterfront estate in Water Mill that was originally listed for $39 million in June 2017. Four long years later, the property, at 258 Horsemill Lane, has sold for $28 million to Chris Burch. Burch, of course, is the venture capitalist who help launch his wife Tory Burch’s fashion brand. Last year, Burch sold his Southampton home for $15.5 million, but now he’s back in the Hamptons. Listowel, with its trademark two-story black library and formal gardens, was always going to be a hard sell, so we’re delighted someone with taste has purchased it. Listowel boasts a 12,000-square-foot home with 6.9 acres on Mecox Bay. Five bedrooms, six bathrooms, hand-painted wallpaper, and that extraordinary library made the place very special. Corcoran’s Tim Davis and Elliman’s Erica Grossman had the listing.

Martha, Nooooooooooooooo 
Martha, is it something we said? Is it something we didn’t say? Please tell us, Martha. Sob — perhaps it’s just too late. Martha Stewart has sold her Lily Pond Lane, East Hampton, house to David Letterman publicist Kenneth Lerer. Who? Exactly. No, seriously, does he even make macarons from scratch? We’re going to assume not. Lerer paid $8.4 million for the house, originally from the 1880s, with beautiful rose gardens outside and exquisite taste inside. Sorry — we seem to have something in our eye.

On Golden Pond 
At 30 Mathews Road, on the Wainscott side of Georgica Pond, sits the 14-acre estate which belonged to the late real estate developer Sheldon Solow. For sale for a hefty $70 million, it’s been listed by Kyle Rosko, Marcy Braun, Paul Brennan and Martha Gundersen at Douglas Elliman. Solow, who died last year at the age of 92, purchased the property for $19.5 million in 2006, and built the 10,000-square foot, six-bedroom main house in 2010. Of course, there’s a pool, pool house and separate garage; the acreage can probably even be subdivided, and another house built, with room for a pool and tennis.

At Long Last, Lindemann 
Pharma heir and art collector Adam Lindemann has finally sold (some of) his property on the bluffs in Montauk. The owner of the Church-Warhol estate purchased 406 Old Montauk Highway in 2007 for $15 million; it finally sold after years on the market for $12.5 million. Ouch. He bought 404 Old Montauk Highway, a 3.06-acre vacant parcel, in 2008 for $6.5 million, but he does not seem to have sold it.

More Marvelous 
On a cheerier note, Vault Development Partners, a real estate development and strategy firm, has purchased 105-107 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, a commercial and residential mixed-use complex comprising three retail units, eight rented apartments and one rented house. The deal, valued at $7.2 million, was brokered by Hal Zwick and Jeff Sztorc at Compass. Of course, you know the building as the location of Mary’s Marvelous (our pick: the chicken salad with grapes). Elegant Touch, a boutique nail bar and beauty salon, is next door; Vault says they will be adding “an additional food offering to this location in the near future.”

Top o’ the World! 
An oceanfront home on Lily Pond Lane, East Hampton, has been listed for the first time in 75 years. Called “Cima Del Mundo,” Spanish for “top of the world,” 201 Lily Pond Lane is listed with Ed Petrie and James Petrie at Compass, asking $69 million. There are 2.7 acres of land with 400 feet of ocean frontage, along with the eight-bedroom Spanish style house, built in 1925 and extensively renovated in 1994. 

Town & Country & Sold!
Our friends over at Town & Country Real Estate have scored some impressive sales and listings lately. 23 Stacy Drive, Westhampton Beach, is a bayfront traditional with elegant built-ins and thoughtful touches such as a laundry chute (why are these so rare?) and a back staircase, as well as a screened porch with fireplace. It sold for $6.25 million. 

One extremely impressive new listing at T&C is 669 Old Stone Highway, Amagansett. Represented by William Stoecker, the 2.44-acre property overlooks a horse farm and golf course, and even offers views to the ocean. The house, still under construction, is architect designed and strikingly modern, with 8,000 square feet of living space and smart home technology throughout. Asking price is $11.5 million.

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Over in Water Mill, at 210 Roses Grove, is another cool modern smart home, this time repped by Judi Desiderio, Geraldine Vitale and Emily King. Set on 1.17 acres of land, the house is a manageable 4,000 square feet, with HVAC and other mechanicals controllable by your smart phone. Out back is a lovely freeform saltwater gunite pool and outdoor shower. Asking price is $3.2 million.

Oceancastle 
Those with a taste for the vintage, with deep pockets and a willingness to (metaphorically, at least) roll up their sleeves, should get in touch with Tim Davis at Corcoran. Asking $75 million, Oceancastle is one of the grand old Hamptons mansions, though it needs a little updating and renovating, which the price reflects. On Meadow Lane in Southampton (the toniest address in town), there are eight acres of oceanfront land with 500 feet of private beach, along with a tennis court and pool, of course. The house, all 22,000 feet of it, is quirky, as the floor levels reflect the dunes it’s built on. Well known architects Peabody, Wilson and Brown designed the house for William F. Ladd in 1929. Who was William F. Ladd? In June 1949, the New York Times reported that, “William F. Ladd, 63-year-old former New York Stock Exchange member and sportsman, died yesterday morning in his apartment at 45 Tiemann Place of self-inflicted pistol wounds of the head suffered on April 16 in his Palm Beach home. Mr. Ladd also had a home in Southampton, L. I.” Poor man! Apparently, he shot himself because his doctor told him he wouldn’t live more than a month. “In April Mr. Ladd left a note to his wife apologizing for his act.”