Realty Check

Hot Sales and Listings with a Dollop of Hamptons Gossip 

STEINBECK HOME PRESERVED
Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck’s waterfront Sag Harbor home has sold for $13.5 million. Southampton Town’s Community Preservation Fund will pay $11.2 million for the development rights to the property. The Sag Harbor Partnership will contribute $2.3 million for the property itself. The CPF is funded by a 2% tax on real estate sales. The modest home, on Upper Sag Harbor Cove, which includes Steinbeck’s gazebo writing studio, was originally listed for $17.9 million. The Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas in Austin has agreed to lease the property and will develop the Steinbeck Writers’ Retreat, a residency program, and has committed a $10 million endowment to run the program. The Sag Harbor Partnership is very close to achieving their fundraising goal of $2.3 million and has a GoFundMe effort currently underway to close the gap. The property will be open to the public by appointment, with the access plan available on the town’s CPF website. 

LIVE LIKE MONROE
The legendary Windmill house in Amagansett has come on the market. Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller shared many private times here in the 1950s. Set on over 5 bucolic acres, the property is steeped in history. Originally built in 1830, the Amagansett windmill was converted to a residence in the 1950s by Samuel Rubin, creator of Faberge perfume. 

Over the years, it was rented by many famous celebrities, including Kurt Vonnegut, Terrance Stamp. Monroe and Miller were looking to get away from the press in the city and discovered the windmill house, which gave them ultimate privacy. Bobby Rosenbaum of Douglas Elliman Real Estatehas the listing.

ALL ABOARD
One of the biggest sales this year was in the estate section of Southampton Village located at 1 Boatmans Lane. The last asking price was $35 million. Offering sensational sunset views, this shingle style summer colony “cottage” with close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean has 350 feet of frontage on Taylor Creek, according to Corcoran’s listing. Tim Davis of The Corcoran Group and Hans von Schirach of Saunders & Associates had the co-exclusive listing. “A most prized location with glorious sunset views, a boat dock, and a short distance to the Atlantic Ocean. 4.4 acres in the heart of the Southampton estate section with future development potential. Unique and very special,” said Davis. Christopher J. Burnside and Aubri Peele of Brown Harris Stevens, along with Harald Grant of Sotheby’s International Realty, represented the buyer.  

Macklowes Sell 
Hard Rock Café co-founder Peter Morton has bought the oceanfront home of his neighbors, Lloyd and Barbara Macklowe, founders of the Macklowe Gallery. The property at 51 West End Road in East Hampton sold for around $35 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. The property had originally been listed in 2021 for $60 million. Kyle Rosko and Marcy Braun of Douglas Elliman’s Eklund/Gomes Team exclusively represented the sellers. Ed Petrie and James Petrie of Compass represented the buyer. 

Says Rosko, “I first admired this property as a child surfing in front of it for many years. It’s a most magical oceanfront property and to now have listed and sold it is a dream come true. Representing incredible and unique properties at the highest level is why I am in this business. From start to finish this listing took just under a year to contract. Our sellers are happy knowing that the new owners will honor this property as it was originally created, a remarkable oceanfront estate.” 

Records show that the Macklowes purchased the property in 1992 for $3.45 million, so they still stand to make quite a profit on the deal, even after extensive renovations over the years by Ben Krupinski Builder, builder of many Hamptons celebrity homes. The roughly 6,100 sq ft home is set on 170 feet of waterfront on prestigious Georgica Beach, including an oceanside pool, which is a rarity on West End Road. The home was originally built in 1926 by Roger Bullard, the same architect behind East Hampton’s venerable Maidstone Club. 

Sales in the Hamptons are picking up since the beginning of the year, after dropping 15% in the third quarter of 2022. A property next door to the Macklowes sold in an off market deal this past fall for $35 million.

OFF MARKET DEAL
An oceanfront home on Dune Road, in Bridgehampton has sold in an off market deal for nearly $35 million, according to sources familiar with the deal. The seller, James Carney, lives in Puerto Rico and is a founder of the hedge fund Parplus Partners, according to the Wall Street Journal. The buyer was not identified. Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Mecox Bay, the modern home is sited on close to one acre. According to records, Carney paid $8.75 million for the property in 2013. Martha Gundersen and Paul Brennan of Douglas Elliman had the listing. Hedgerow Exclusive Properties, Erica Grossman of Douglas Elliman and Catherine Juracich of Corcoran brought the buyer.

GRAND OPENING 
Bakes & Kropp Fine Cabinetry recently hosted a grand opening celebration to debut its latest US showroom in West Palm Beach. The luxury kitchen company welcomed the local South Florida design community to the expansive showroom at 3085 South Dixie Highway.

The grand opening began with a special VIP preview attended by the community’s premiere designers, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Faustina Pace, President of the South Dixie Antique Row Association, to issue a warm welcome to the district. The brand’s co-founders, Bob Bakes and Paul Kropp, were on site to showcase Bakes & Kropp’s bespoke capabilities and fine craftsmanship. The grand opening event marks the advent of a new hub for the design community in South Florida. Congratulations to Bob & Paul and the entire Bakes & Kropp team!

CH-CH-CHANGES
Brown Harris Stevens has welcomed Iwona Rokosz to their Southampton office.  Iwona has been immersed in the East End real estate scene since childhood. The daughter of a local builder, Iwona was born and raised in Southampton and recounts traveling to construction sites with her father growing up, learning the ins and outs of the local property market. She received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh, and has completed architecture courses at Columbia University, exploring contemporary processes of architectural design.?Whether abroad or at home, Iwona has gained extensive knowledge of global and local real estate trends and practical experience in development and sales, enabling her to advise clients on a broad spectrum. ?Iwona appreciates the outdoors and traveling. In addition, she enjoys cooking, photography, skiing, tennis, and practicing yoga in her spare time.