east hampton for about 800k

aren't you on well water out there?

ali r.
DG Neary Realty

What's the problem with well water?

What's the problem with well water?

All of Long Island is effectively well water, since the municipal water supply comes from underground aquifiers. Perhaps the water company does a better job treating the water than your in-home devices might, but it also won't cost you $3K a year to fill your pool and water the lawn with well water.

So is this a positive or negative?

Well water can be negative for two reasons:

1) some people don't like the taste (we're pretty spoiled by NYC having some of the best-tasting water in the world) and

2) the water needs to be treated before you can use it to launder clothes effectively.

I wouldn't regard this as a "deal-breaker" -- just something to check out.

I am thinking of this as an issue specific to some Hamptons neighborhoods. I had a house in Long Beach, LI, and the water wasn't fantastic, but I didn't remember thinking of it as "well water" either.

ali r.
DG Neary Realty

i grew up in dix hills, long island. wouldnt the water be similar?

does anyone have a opinion of the beaches up there? also, in terms of real estate value, do houses closer to east hampton village hold their value better than those further north?

I grew up on a farm in southern Ontario. My mom thought our water tasted like filtered cow piss, so I drank milk. I would guess the water on Long Island would taste more like filtered San Pelligrino mixed with equal parts Castello di Borghese 2001.

Oh, the beaches. Well, I prefer the lazy summer day feeling of the bays. No crowds, no madness, just everything you go there for. Turn right off Springs Fireplace, before where Jackson Pollack became an angel, and head out to the end of Gerard Drive. Great place to run, rollerblade and doze away the afternoon. Plenty of options in The Springs.

i have only spent time on three mile harbor. is there a difference between there and the area you are talking about (the east side of the springs)?

thanks

sorry, e, you've hit the limits of my Hamptons knowledge -- I know that it's a question to ask, but I don't know the answer to it.

ali

Springs just hooked up to town water, at least by my house down the street from Gardiner's Bay in Lions Head. You can definitely find something for under 800k, it might be a saltbox, but not an unreasonable budget in my mind. Check out hreo.com.

Re: East Hampton area. If you are well away from the Recycling center (the dump), well water shouldn't be an issue. I spend about $80 every two years to add some compound to my home filter/treatment thing that gets rid of iron and softens the water a bit. Water tastes fine and is a non-issue in pipes/laundry/showers/etc.

If you are on water--any water--I suspect your home value will hold better than not being on water in the Springs/3 Mile Harbor area. These are not the super-chic Hamptons for the most part. Also, beware of taxes in the Springs--the school system is a mess there and they pay EH a fortune per student to basically buy Springs teens places in the EH high school.

$800K is a reasonable budget for what you seek. But if I had to choose between being closer to town or the water, I'd opt for water. Ending up in the middle of the anywhere in the Springs or 3 Mile Harbor starts you off with a property that is almost by definition (because of its address) less desireable than those in the EH town or village proper. You need to counter that with a BIG benefit to shore up your home's value. One such huge benefit would be to be on a bay.

thanks kyle. i am not seeing anything in our price ranger directly on the water. but there are some properties that are a block or two away. what are your thoughts on that?

there are also a few properties in amagansett that are just off 27. seems to be 1/2 a mile to a mile to the ocean beaches. any thoughts on that?

and do you think its better to be one the east or west side of three mile harbor?

I can't speak to the nuances of 3 Mile Harbor micro-climes. The Springs has some nice places by the bays and plenty of icky streets between Accabonac and Springs Fireplace Road, e.g. Your property value is not well-protected when a neighbor likes to drag the sofa out to the front lawn on nice Saturdays (true story). I rented in the Springs for many years and believe there are decent finds there, but you have to really be selective. And that tax situation is serious.

Being a 1-2 block walk from the water is pretty darn good. Those areas often feel like enclaves and beach communities, and a shack becomes a quaint beach cottage in many people's minds. That distance from the water still seems attractive since you can just carry your stuff and go lay out. Once you have to start biking/driving or the walk is too much for a 4 year old, you are probably too far from the water, imo.

Amagansett as an address has more cache and you will pay something for that on most properties. Some streets north of highway (actually many streets) are very nice. Oak and Windmill, for example are just next to the town and are desireable in my view. There are tons of other north of 27 examples in Amagansett.

Another thing to consider: while a pain, putting in a pool is possibly less money than paying for a property that already has one. If you are willing to do the work to insure you are able to put in a pool (zoning, etc) and can deal with the effort (which really isn't insane compared to building structures) you may do better. Also, finding a house with decent bones but not so great amenities can also be okay. For instance, I put a 600 square foot deck/screened porch on my home and completely transformed its look, the flow, and how it functions. Building a deck is also not as rough as building a house but can really transform one.

So a $20,000 deck project and a $20,000 pool may transform a $575,000 house into the house of your dreams versus paying $100,000 or more for a home with those things already done. Just some food for thought. If you are using a broker, I highly recommend Beth Troy of Town and Country Realty--aside from really knowing the Hamptons, she is just a super person.