In March, a 7-acre estate at 372 and 370 Further Lane in East Hampton kicked off the season with a $70 million sale.
It was the kind of deal you’ve come to expect from the massive estates that line the sea.
But as prices push ever higher south of the highway, many Hamptons home hunters are eschewing ocean bragging rights for the quiet, tranquil landscapes that drew society here in the first place.
“Oceanfront has become a very limited asset class,” notes Michael Cantwell of Bespoke Real Estate. “There are only a handful of trades a year, so the barrier for entry is extremely high.”
That’s why he’s seeing values rise north of the highway in once off-the-radar communities. “People like to have these big, reserve-adjacent farm properties in Watermill North, Bridgehampton North,” he says. “They want these tremendous waterfront properties in North Sea, North Haven and Noyack.”
He’s currently selling a 6.2-acre “cabin in the woods” at 137 Great Hill Road in North Sea for $8.5 million. It has five bedrooms and four full bathrooms spread over 4,200 square feet.
Built in 2013, it was designed by architect Jasmit Singh Rangr with wood-cladding that mirrors the landscape and oodles of boxy, cantilevered daring. It comes with an 80-foot heated gunite infinity pool, an outdoor dining as well as a kitchen area and tennis court.
“These areas are getting big numbers,” Cantwell says. “Everything rises with the tide.”
Over on the Long Island Sound, a one-of-a-kind estate is on the market at 24 On the Bluff in North Haven, a blob of land that juts out into Noyack Bay (where you catch the ferry to Shelter Island). Built in 2002, it’s a rare architectural masterpiece by William Reese, inspired by modernist design masters such as Tadao Ando and Rudolf Schindler (naturally it was featured in Elle Decor).
Geometric, clean and composed simply from four materials — concrete, steel, glass and mahogany — this three-story home has 5,800 square feet, five beds and five full baths. It also comes tricked out with all the toys: a gym, heated pool, sauna, tennis and a boat mooring. It’s on the market with Saunders’ Laura White for $19.99 million.
“People love North Haven because it’s quieter,” says White. “They can shop without issues. They can ride their bikes. There is a beautiful bay-front beach and boating. The area is really spectacular.”
Further east, at the northernmost point of Northwest Harbor in the hidden waterfront enclave of Landfall is another architectural stunner, known as Butterfly House, at 6 Masthead Lane.
It’s a midcentury masterpiece modeled on Le Corbusier’s famed roof design (also seen at Marcel Breuer’s Geller house in Lawrence; razed in 2022).
Full of 1970s flair but recently renovated, the house has 2,400 square feet, two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a pool and access to a private beach on Gardiners Bay. This north star is on the market for $2.75 million with Jack Pearson of Compass.