Looking for a Hamptons Summer Home? Then set sail for Amagansett

Nestled between the Village of East Hampton and Montauk lies Amagansett. Amagansett offers all the charm of the Hamptons but has a somewhat more down-to earth character than its counterparts to the west, despite regular sightings of celebrity residents Scarlett Johansson and Lorne Michaels. The name comes from a Native American word meaning Indian Well Place or "place of good water," and in its early days the town's tranquil setting was perfectly suited to fishing and whaling. There is no tradition that Amagansett was a permanent Indian settlement, but rather an Indian hunting ground and stopping place before heading to their homeland in Montauk.

Amagansett was initially settled by the Baker, Conklin, and Barnes families, descendants of English settlers, and the Dutch brothers Abraham and Jacob Schellinger, the sons of a New Amsterdam merchant who moved to East Hampton between 1680 and 1690 after the English took over New Amsterdam. By the early 1700s Amagansett was a thriving village and by 1843 the village had grown to almost fifty houses. Today there are approximately 1,400 fulltime residents.

Amagansett has three distinct neighborhoods the Dunes, Amagansett South and Amagansett North. Amagansett South includes homes home in the” Lanes”, Hand Lane, Miankoma Lane and Hedges Lane and Bluff Road, the oldest road in Amagansett and former Indian trail. (326 Bluff Road recently went into contract – last ask $7.95 million.) According to my Amagansett 2015 Price Trend Report, the average Amagansett South home sold in 2015 was approximately 3,489 sq. ft., on a .52 acre lot and sold for $3.465 million (source OREX).

The Dunes offers a laid back beach lifestyle with many homes having easy access to the Atlantic Ocean. A 1996 New York Times article described the Dunes, then known as Beach Hampton, as place where “Cottages and small Cape Cods crowd together on small lots inland. It's one of only two affordable places in the Hamptons to rent or buy where you have access to private beaches. The word "affordable" takes on new meaning in the Hamptons. Even the most humble cottage on a tiny lot in Beach Hampton may cost $100,000 to $200,000 more than appearances suggest” Last year the average Dunes home sold for $3.445 million. The most expensive sale in the Dunes last year was 262 Marine Blvd. It traded for $10.892 million.

Looking to get more bang for your buck? Then Amagansett North is the place for you. It offers a more rural lifestyle and room to roam. Homes tend to be bigger and many have lots exceeding one acre. You may also run across a celebrity or two including Paul McCartney. The average sales price in 2015 was $1.817 million for a 2,976 sq. ft. home on 1.7 acres.

Please email me if you want a free copy of my Amagansett 2015 Price Trend Report or any information pertaining to buying, selling or renting in the Hamptons: kens@nestseekers.com

Kenneth Smallwood is a Licensed Real Estate Agent with Nest Seekers International. His specialty is luxury residential real estate in the Hamptons and New York City. Phone: 917-797-9201