Realty Check

Labor Day 2026 already? We can’t believe it either. But it’s been a good summer. The weather, after a long and gray June, finally decided to get in line with the rest of the planet and heat up. But here in the Hamptons, hot weather just seems much more bearable than anywhere else. For those looking for their own spot to call him, we hope the gods of fortune have been smiling upon you. There was a time when $20 million bought you a very serious Hamptons house. It still does, of course. But in a summer when asking prices have sailed past $150 million with alarming nonchalance, $19.995 million is beginning to occupy the strange new category of “well, almost reasonable, comparatively speaking.”

A Napeague Stunner
Such is the case with 2128 Montauk Highway in Amagansett, a newly completed modern oceanfront home asking $19,995 million. The Bodenchak Design & Build property is currently the only oceanfront home available for sale in Amagansett, according to developer and listing agent Dawn Bodenchak of the Bodenchak Team at Sotheby’s International Realty.

Set on 2.5 acres on Napeague, at the end of a long private driveway, the five-bedroom house has 120 feet of Atlantic frontage and the sort of privacy that is becoming increasingly difficult to find. The house itself measures a relatively restrained 3,500 square feet — practically a cottage by current Hamptons standards — with five full bathrooms and two powder rooms. But if the square footage is modest, the interiors are simply breathtaking.

“What I love most about 2128 Montauk Highway is that it delivers something that’s almost impossible to recreate today—a truly private, modern oceanfront estate where every space was designed to celebrate the Atlantic,” Bodenchak says.

That celebration involves lots and lots of glass. Floor-to-ceiling European windows frame the ocean, while rift-cut oak and stone in sand and ocean tones continue the beach theme indoors. The home was completed this spring and is fully finished and staged, meaning the buyer can move directly in rather than spending the next three summers discussing millwork with an architect.

“Our vision was to create a modern coastal retreat that fully embraces its oceanfront setting,” Bodenchak says. The result, she adds, is contemporary but still “warm, inviting, and perfectly suited to a relaxed beachfront lifestyle.”

Relaxed, naturally, now requires considerable technology. Nearly every system in the house can be controlled from an iPad, including Lutron lighting, climate, security cameras, Wi-Fi, Sonos audio, pool heating, hot tub and swim current. There is also a 9-kilowatt solar system. The waterfront pool itself has a retractable cover designed to retain heat and extend the swimming season, a current for swimming laps at one end and spa jets at the other. Yes, even the pool multitasks.

The house also offers vaulted ceilings, custom woodwork, Ciuffo cabinetry, a stone fireplace, built-in barbecue and two-car garage. It is an impressive package, particularly for someone who wants new construction directly on the ocean without acquiring an older house, tearing it down and embarking on the increasingly elaborate Hamptons ritual of spending several years and a fortune replacing it.

The $72 Million Teardown, Now Asking $162 Million
Although, judging by another East Hampton property now on the market, there are still plenty of buyers willing to do exactly that.

At 43 East Dune Lane, a 3.6-acre oceanfront estate purchased only five months ago for $72 million is being offered as the site of a planned $162 million compound. The property has 225 feet of direct ocean frontage and a pedigree that would be difficult for any new construction to manufacture: it was once owned by Lee Radziwill, Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s famously stylish younger sister.

Radziwill bought the estate in the late 1980s for a little over $6 million and lived there with her husband, film director Herbert Ross. At one point the couple agreed to sell it to Jerry Seinfeld for $19 million, but the deal famously collapsed after Radziwill and Ross reportedly had an argument about the sale on the front lawn. Sorry, Seinfeld.

The property eventually hit the market for $120 million and sold this March for $72 million. Its anonymous new owner apparently wasted little time contemplating the existing residence. Plans call for a new 17,500-square-foot main house and 3,500-square-foot guest house, with a formidable design team including plans by the late architect Robert A.M. Stern, builder Ed Bulgin and landscape architect Ed Hollander. Listing agent is Terry Cohen of Compass.

The proposed house will contain nine bedrooms, 11 full bathrooms, two half-baths, an elevator, multiple staircases and 270-degree ocean views. Downstairs — because apparently nobody simply has a basement anymore — there will be a golf simulator, gym, cold plunge, sauna, playroom and snack bar. Outside are plans for a sunken tennis court, gardens, guest house and an 80-foot rimless pool.

There will also be a wine cellar and bar opening to an outdoor pergola. Should the party get out of hand, the pool can apparently accommodate 140 seated guests.

The $162 million ask might once have seemed audacious. This summer, however, it has company. Calvin Klein’s former East Hampton compound came to market for $165 million, while billionaire hedge fund manager Zach Schreiber’s Sagaponack estate was listed for $152.5 million. The Hamptons sales record remains Barry Rosenstein’s $147 million purchase on Further Lane in 2014.

$27.5 Million in Fordune
Over in Water Mill, 160 Jule Pond Drive offers a somewhat quieter proposition for $27.5 million. Located behind the gates of Fordune, the former 235-acre estate of Henry Ford II and Anne McDonnell, the more than 8,000-square-foot house sits on 2.25 acres. Originally designed by architect Michael Goldman, it was comprehensively reworked in 2023 by designer Mathew Boland, combining English country architecture with warm, restrained interiors. Agents are Sotheby’s International Realty’s Michaela Keszler and Paulina Keszler.

The primary suite includes a marble bathroom with dual water closets separated by a dressing room — because true marital harmony sometimes requires plumbing at opposite ends of the room. There are double-height living spaces, a library, chef’s kitchen, butler’s pantry and an upstairs wet bar, while an unfinished wing could become additional bedrooms, a studio or, inevitably, another wellness space.

A 72-foot screened porch overlooks a 20-by-50-foot gunite pool and gardens inspired by the South of France, complete with intimate outdoor rooms, a walled garden, gazebo and potting shed. The property also permits a tennis court and includes private ocean access for Fordune residents.

Gimme Shelter
Finally, for anyone who prefers boats to beaches, there is 6 Harbor Lane on Shelter Island, asking — that increasingly familiar number — $17.995 million.

The Dering Harbor property comprises three parcels totaling 4.82 acres. The main 1.5-acre parcel has a 4,500-square-foot house and 245 feet of waterfront; another waterfront parcel holds a private dock, while a separate 3.2-acre parcel offers room to expand the compound.

Built in 1914 and enlarged over the years, the house is more traditional than many of this summer’s mega-listings, with fireplaces, French doors, porches and broad harbor views. It’s simply stunning. There is also a heated gunite pool and spa, along with six bedrooms spread across three floors and a private dock reached by a stately brick staircase. Interested? Hit up
Michael Brennan of Douglas Elliman.

Taken together, these listings neatly illustrate where the upper end of the Hamptons market finds itself in 2026. There is still room for old houses, apple orchards, potting sheds and screened porches, but there is also a new baseline of expectations, including enough wellness equipment to make Equinox nervous.

And then there is the matter of price. With trophy estates now routinely testing the $100 million threshold — and several commanding ambitions well into $150 million territory — a newly built oceanfront residence at $19.995 million occupies a surprisingly rational position on the spectrum. In a market where scale has redefined the boundaries of expectation, perspective itself has become something of a rare commodity.

Ch Ch Changes
Compass has made its first move onto Shelter Island, announcing that Melina Wein and her team have joined the firm. “After nearly three decades building my business on Shelter Island, I wanted to find a partner that shared my values while offering the resources to elevate the experience for my clients and team,” Wein said.

Wein established her independent brokerage on Shelter Island in 1998, building a practice defined by integrity, deep community ties, and an intimate knowledge of the island’s luxury and waterfront market. She will continue operating from her office at 34 N. Ferry Road, now supported by Compass’s technology platform and national resources.

Joe Fuer, Compass Hamptons Managing Director says, “The opening of our first Shelter Island office is an exciting milestone for Compass, and there is no one better to lead that effort than Melina Wein. Her reputation in the community is unmatched, and we’re thrilled to partner with her as we establish Compass’ presence on Shelter Island.”