Remsenburg has historically gone overlooked as part of the Hamptons — but those days are fading. Its location in the westernmost part of the Town of Southampton makes it a quick trip to New York City without the heavy traffic of many locations closer to the Shinnecock Canal, while still being part of the Hamptons, close to the ever-popular Westhampton Beach downtown area and right on the water.
The hamlet is on Moriches Bay and is separated from the Atlantic Ocean only by the narrow peninsula where Dune Road continues from Hampton Bays westward.
“The secret of Remsenburg has finally been discovered giving this dreamy hamlet its long overdue, just valuation and admiration,” says Maria Cunneen of Compass, who has sold several properties in the area and put 5 Rogers Lane into contract earlier this month with a listing price of $3.9 million.
“When the inventory was recently low in nearby hamlets, one only needed to look at Remsenburg for its ideal pastoral setting with impressive and sizable homes,” she says. “Buyers quickly realized what they had been missing out on– approximately 80 minutes from New York City, 15 minutes from name-brand shopping, and renowned vineyards and distilleries. Beauty, serenity, and incredible value are all within reach, maximizing the most precious commodity of time.”
Often referred to as the Speonk-Remsenburg area, Speonk — a Native American word meaning “high place” — is further inland. Speonk dates to the early 1700s, when meadows were leased to Southampton cattle farmers, and settlers built farms there by the mid-1700s. Remsenburg, meanwhile, got its name from Charles Remsen, who donated a new Presbyterian Church in the 1800s.
Remsenburg has been home to many people of note, including Stan Lee, of Marvel Comics fame, P.G. Wodehouse, who wrote many of the escapades of Bertie Wooster and his manservant, Jeeves, from a home on Basket Neck Lane and Frank Loesser, the songwriter behind Broadway shows like Guys and Dolls.
“Remsenburg is one of the most charming, quintessential hamlets in the Hamptons,” says Lauren Spiegel of Douglas Elliman who recently sold one of the most expensive properties in the area this year.
“I have grown to adore it and have recently been truly finding my niche selling there. What many buyers may not realize is that Remsenburg is only a short distance to all the Westhampton Beach village amenities and beaches, plus, at the end of almost every street you will find waterfront properties,” she continues. “Properties also have larger footprints and acreage than other areas out east, allowing for accessory structures, larger pools and tennis courts, and more family compounds, which so many are now looking to acquire with generational investments in mind.”
Remsenburg Sales
This year, the hamlet continues to see higher than usual sale prices. On August 3, the expansive property at 120 and 122 South Country Road, in the heart of Remsenburg, sold for $4.9 million — $400,000 above ask as it went on the market for $4.5 million on November 5, 2021.
According to Spiegel, the listing agent, it is the highest-priced sale inland in Remsenburg to date.
“This property was so unique and under the radar due to its Remsenburg location,” says Spiegel. “When it was eventually recognized, I had been working with a buyer who was negotiating at a traditional pace and before contracts were executed, another buyer became interested and decided to submit an offer. This fueled a fast-paced bidding war, surging the price north of ask and eventually trading at $4.9 million. The lack of inventory, which in my opinion is still evident in the luxury market, caused this sale to come to fruition, coupled with the uniqueness of the property & existing accessory structures.”
Situated on 2.5 acres, the 6,700-square-foot, custom-built house is complemented by a pool, pool house, guest cottage with three bedrooms and an all-weather tennis/basketball court.
Just next door, the 7,500-square-foot home at 124 South Country Road sold on July 15 for $3.75 million — $155,000 over the asking price. It was listed on April 14 at $3.595 million and found a buyer less than a month later.
“This is a really special property,” says Lauren Battista of Brown Harris Stevens, who represented the listing. “You have two single and separate lots (the house sits on 1.3 acres with an adjacent 2.1-acre buildable lot) and the ability to create your own 3.4-acre compound.”
The home was built in 1877 and has maintained many “charming historic details,” Battista says, despite a major renovation in 2008.
“Plus, how many people can claim they have an authentic windmill in their backyard?” she adds.
The home had multiple bidders leading to it selling over ask. “This is a trend that we have been seeing in Remsenburg. This little secret of a town has been gaining in popularity and demand has just been increasing over the last few years.”
A bayfront home at 38 Tuthill Lane sold for $4.575 million on June 2. It was originally listed on July 31, 2021, for $5.299 million with Douglas Elliman’s Enzo Morabito.
Designed by renowned architect Stuart Distton and built in 2011, it was the first time the Nantucket-style shingled home was o the market. Situated on a flag lot of 1.1-acres on Moriches Bay, the property offers water views to Dune Road, while also having the benefit of privacy, next to protected land. In addition to the 3,660-square-foot home, the property also boasts a heated gunite pool and spa, an outdoor kitchen and a private dock.
Among the priciest homes that have sold in Remsenburg was 35 Cedar Lane, which was on the market for $5.425 million, and traded at $5.4 million in April of 2021. The 5,000-square-foot board-and-batten manse is located on 2.35-acre park-like acres.
Taxes were listed at $16,945 annually — not cheap, but certainly lower than they would be further east and certainly to the west in Brookhaven Town.
Morabito’s newest Remsemburg listing is among the most expensive on the market. The estate home at 3 Halsey Road is asking $6 million.
The 1.3-acre property includes a recently restored eight-bedroom, eight-and-a-half-bath main home. The grand living room, which features ceilings that reach 30 feet, was once the main room of the Remsenburg Post Office. A newly built three-car garage and pool house with a kitchen, two expansive seating areas, a full bathroom, a full basement and a pergola include an oversized heated gunite pool.
Spiegel’s listing 74-80 Cedar Lane remains the most expensive in the hamlet. The sprawling property overlooking Seatuck Cove and Moriches Bay is now asking $14.9 million.
The 7.35-acre property offers a main house that served as a hunting lodge in the 19th century, a guest house and even an old-fashioned windmill. When it last sold in 2016 for $10.875 million it was the highest-priced sale in the hamlet.
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