Behind The Hedges wishes all of its readers and followers a Happy New Year!
Thank you for all the support throughout 2025, whether it was visiting our website for daily updates on the various markets we cover or picking up one of the 28 magazines we produced last year in Dan’s Papers, the Long Island Press and Dan’s New York City. We appreciate every tip emailed and every time you tap to like one of our posts on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
Let’s take a quick look back at all we reported on in 2025:
Editor’s Pick: A Big Week for Joe Farrell: Ditch Plains Buy, Surfside Record Sale
We enjoyed chatting with the noted Hamptons luxury real estate developer Joe Farrell about some of his real estate moves this fall. He confirmed exclusively to Hedges in November that he bought an oceanfront house at Ditch Plains Beach in Montauk in a $17 million deal that set a new record for the neighborhood. Plus, Farrell sold his oceanfront spec house in Bridgehampton for $58 million, one of the East End’s priciest deals of 2025.
“I see unbelievable value in what I just bought,” Farrell says of his new home at 42 Deforest Road, which sits on a one-acre parcel and boasts 90 feet of direct oceanfront. “It’s so cheap,” he says when considering how expensive real estate is along the ocean further west between the Shinnecock Canal and Amagansett.
Hedgerow Exclusive Properties and Douglas Elliman’s Erica Grossman and Kyle Rosko had the co-exclusive for the 5,100-square-foot home at Ditch, which had a last ask of $19,950,000. The eight-bedroom, eight-bath house sits on a one-acre property, one house removed from the beach parking lot, and boasts 90 feet of direct oceanfront.
Meanwhile, the $58 million transaction, according to Farrell, was another record breaker, in more ways than one. The 8,600-square-foot house, with 125 feet of direct ocean frontage, sits on just 1.5-acre. By comparison, a 2.2-acre estate on nearby Mid Ocean Drive, sold a few weeks ago for $57 million.
Best News of the Year: North Fork Sales Surge: Eight Straight Quarters of Growth
The North Fork real estate market has really hit its stride. Inventory is tight, competition is fierce and the share of sales above $1 million reached historic highs this year.
According to a market report for the end of the second quarter from Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel, the North Fork experienced its highest median sales price on record, with sales having risen for eight straight quarters.
Susan Orioli of Engel & Völkers North Fork says, “The North Fork has steadfastly upheld its reputation as a niche market, distinguished by a steady level of activity that appeals to a variety of buyers. Recently, we have noted an increase in inventory among inland properties, which presents new opportunities for potential buyers of properties inland. However, there continues to be a significant shortage of inventory when it comes to waterfront properties, which are always in high demand due to their unique appeal and desirability.”
Readers’ Favorite Magazine Piece: Shrinking the Pool, Not the Luxury in the Hamptons
In our Labor Day issue, readers flipped through several pages devoted to “cocktail pools.” Who said bigger is always better?
Cocktail pools — petite, stylish and perfect for taking a dip or lounging in with a drink in hand, hence the name — are perfect additions for small properties or those close to water, really anywhere space is at a premium. Part plunge pool, part water feature, more homeowners are discovering how they can create a background oasis, even if they are not constrained by space.
These smaller pools, often with depths of around 5 feet, are to wade in, rather than actively swim. They range vastly in size, typically anywhere from 10 to 16 feet long and 4 to 5 feet deep. In the Hamptons, where pools have traditionally been proportional to the McMansions they sit outside, they may trend a little larger comparatively, of course.
Most Read Online Story: Josh Flagg Buys His Own Multi ‘Million Dollar Listing’ in the Hamptons
In our top story of the year, West Coast broker Josh Flagg, who appeared on several seasons of Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, is taking up residency in the Hamptons — at least in the summer.
Flagg, who also celebrated his birthday in the Hamptons over the summer, bought a home in East Hampton Village’s Georgica Estate Section. The newly built spec home was last listed at $9.15 million, though it entered the market at $10.85 million last year. Martha Gundersen and Paul Brennan of Douglas Elliman had a co-exclusive with Dana Trotter of The Agency Hamptons.
He went into contract on the house over the summer and closed on Sept. 12, according to records, for $8.45 million. He bought the pad with childhood friend Justin Gruenberg under the limited liability company, Flagg & Gruenberg.
“I decided to purchase in the Hamptons because I spend an increasing amount of time in New York,” Flagg told Behind The Hedges this summer. “It therefore only made sense for me to have a place in the Hamptons to enjoy the best of the summers and the fall.”
Favorite ‘House of the Day’: Stylish Retreat, Former Fisherman’s Bungalow, Is a Nod to Bygone Era
At Behind The Hedges, we write about a lot of big, very expensive houses. A renovated fisherman’s bungalow in Springs really caught our attention — and that of readers’ too.
Just a short walk to Maidstone Beach, the stylish cottage hit the market in September for $1.695 million (it’s since been reduced to $1,595,000). Jeanne Hutson of Brown Harris Stevens is representing the owner, who has called it home for 12 years, updating it while keeping with the feel of what the Hamptons used to be.
“46 Flaggy Hole Road was built in the 1940s, a time when many small seasonal cottages and fishing bungalows such as this one were commonly scattered along Three Mile Harbor and used by local families (and others) as seasonal retreats,” says Hutson. “Their character was intentionally rustic and informal – what many locals historically called a ‘camp’ rather than a full winterized house.”
Biggest Commercial Real Estate News: Swifty’s Coming to East Hampton’s Hedges Inn
In April, we reported about the new owners of the Hedges Inn in East Hampton Village. Swifty’s, the iconic restaurant, opened an outpost in the Hamptons boutique hotel just in time for summer.
Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall first revived the beloved New York City boîte at The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, under their ownership as well, in 2019. Swifty’s will bring its signature blend of world-class service, impeccable food, and lively atmosphere to East Hampton, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.
The property at 74 James Lane sold for $8 million — one of the biggest commercial deals of the year.
Let’s see what else is to come in real estate in 2026!
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