| CONTENTS for DAN'S PAPERS the week of April 27, 2007 |
| Real Estates
As the season gets under way, East End realtors begin selling real estate the "Hamptons" way. Over the years, this has included an array of unconventional open house style events and promotions. On the East End, selling real estate is a way of life. Realtors here don't just sell property, they sell summer. Two summers ago, golf lovers visiting for the US Open were able to browse through a Southampton mansion courtesy of WCI Communities, a company that builds high-end resort communities all over the country. It was a way of promoting their Palm Beach golf villas to the Hamptons' snowbirds. Last summer, an open house event held in Montauk was combined with a fashion show that included Victoria's Secret models in an effort to sell the Church Estate. Prudential Douglas Elliman has been known to host beach party-style open houses and even included a Calypso band and tropical cocktails at a waterfront location on the North Fork. Norma Reynolds Realty in Westhampton Beach is known for donning the entire staff in summer white apparel. Another Westhampton broker, Real Hamptons Realty, at one time gave away trips to the Caribbean with the purchase on select properties and deals high-end rentals. Sitting on the beach here one summer, a plane flew over the ocean with a real estate advertisement trailing off its tail for beach goers to see. Brokers like Tina Fredericks in East Hampton's Georgica Pond area, who has been dubbed "realtor to the stars," is known for her boutique style approach, offering highly specialized service to very select clients. The Corcoran Group has held art shows at both their Sag Harbor and Southampton offices. This past week, a new Sag Harbor waterfront home on Westwood Drive held a showing called "Human Nature." This exhibit, showcasing the photography of E.G. Camp, was combined with a cocktail reception and open house. The photography exhibit offered a blend of intimate portraits and sweeping landscapes. The Sag Harbor waterfront home is a perfect combination of art, design and nature. It is listed at $3,250,000 exclusively with the Corcoran Group in Sag Harbor who hosted the event. With The Hamptons Home and Garden Show coming to Southampton and the 2007 Idea House already underway in Amagansett, realtors, buyers and spectators are gearing up for another exciting and busy season here on the East End. The Hamptons Home and Garden Show will be held the first weekend in May on the Elks Fairgrounds in Southampton. The Idea House will be completed this June and will be holding their opening Gala on July 13. It will be open to the public from July 14 to August 5 for touring. Tickets for the Idea House will cost $20. Each year, there is a new Designer Show House on the East End, which is another phenomenal real estate based event, where builders, decorators, designers and a multitude of other highly skilled artisans and craftsman display their skills. Thousands of visitors pour through the Show House each summer gathering ideas for their own homes, or simply to catch a glimpse of another spectacular home in the Hamptons. Show house sites have included the historic Villa Maria in Water Mill, the 100-year-old Meadowcroft Estate in Quiogue and The Jedediah Hawkins Inn that was completely restored in Jamesport, just to name a few. Last season's Designer Show House was a newly constructed shingle-style home in Bridgehampton that displayed magnificent details throughout, such as intricate tile work in the bathrooms and handcrafted woodworking. In other real estate news this week, a new design plan for The Bullova Luxury Town Homes was presented to town officials in Sag Harbor. Final decisions have not been made, but there has been progress and the owners of the project, Cape Advisors, who bought the building in 2005 for $16 million, are working closely with the community to satisfy concerns. It is expected to cost many more millions to complete the more than 60 luxury town homes, an indoor pool and on-site parking garage. You can reach Diane at eastendrealest@yahoo.com.
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