real estate.

Random Musings Vol 1. .. Cinco De Mayo, Subway and A Senior Project Sells in East Hampton!

Sometimes,  there’s a lot going on in the Hamptons.   This week is no exception.   So rather than try to write stuff and link it together for a blog… not that I ever really write anything coherently…. I’m just going to throw stuff out there and here it is… oh and Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

Speaking of Mexican…  Sabrosa Grill is opening in Water Mill next to the Hess Station.  Let the battle of the burritos begin.     While I don’t think Sabrosa will require you to microwave your own
meal, I still have high hopes for their food.    It’s apparently a chain like Chipotle and it’s headquartered in Lancaster, PA.  Everyone knows the Amish are experts in Mexican cuisine.   Check out their website here. 

Size didn’t matter to Hamptonites!

A $5 Footlong Fiasco – Subway in Water Mill is no more…. it recently closed it’s doors at the most cursed location on the East End.   You know the one where there was once a Citarella, Blockbuster, Video, Water Mill Cupcake, Foody’s, Avanti and Muse among others. Apparently nobody cares about size in the Hamptons…. LOL! NOT!I don’t normally stop and take photos but this scene on the corner of Stephen Hands Path and 114 in East Hampton just jumped out at me.    What do you think this picture is saying?

Patriotic decorating in the Hamptons!

 

An innovative high school design!

Lisa Perry’s never ending senior high school home economics project is coming to East Hampton.   I guess if anyone has enough money they can take liberties with the word “style.” This beautiful ditty to the left which just screams fashion sense is now available on E-bay!  No, YOU have to pay THEM!

They go lightly in the night!

Speaking of style… somewhere the stylish Audrey Hepburn is shedding a tear.   The Tiffany and Company on Main Street is no more!  Apparently they went lightly one night a few weeks ago. Sadly, there will be no Breakfast at Tiffany’s in the Hamptons you’ll instead how to go to London Jewelers … “Breakfast at London Jewelers”… hmmmmmm…. not as catchy!
Moon river and me…………….

Finally, is it just me but does driving along Route 27 feel a lot like playing the old video game Frogger?!   Maybe we can make this into an actual game avoid a big hole and get 100 points…  medium 50  points… small 10!?

Spring Clean Up Time…. and are you Dirty Dining??!

“Spring has sprung, the grass has riz’.  I wonder where the birdie is?   The little bird it’s on the wing.  No that’s absurd the little wing is on the bird”  – Curly Howard

Yes, spring is beginning to poke its head in the Hamptons.   That of course means time to get your  house and home ready for the avalanche of new friends and guests that seem to appear about the same time as the tulips and daffodils bloom!     But as we all know, those bulbs and flowers don’t bloom themselves.   A beautiful garden takes prep!  It also requires a spring clean up and recently I discussed this very topic with the talented and affable Frederico Azevedo from Unlimited Earth Care in Bridgehampton.     Here are some of his basic suggestions to make sure you have a house beautiful!

Speaking of seasonal clean ups, there are a few food establishments on the East End that need to get their acts together.   In case you missed the headlines, there has been quite a stir in the city lately with the home of the “cronut” Dominique Ansel bakery... (I’ll have cronut hold the Mickey please)…. and Per Se having lots of drama with health inspectors.    So that got me thinking (yes occasionally that happens),  “Self,  are the restaurants in the Hamptons clean?”

This is a better image then seeing a mouse in a kitchen, right?

While it would be great to see those grades on windows like they have in the city, no such thing exists in Suffolk County. So naturally that means you need to go on the web and do some snooping of course!  Now, I’m happy to report that while all my favorite establishments have received a clean report card, there are others in the Hamptons that weren’t so lucky.  So what are some of the violations?  Well, not to gross you out but apparently inspectors found everything from moldy cheese, improperly stored fish and poultry, uncovered rodent bait stations to some employees who don’t like washing their hands!!!     So, who were the guilty parties?  I’ll never tell you need to go the link here and see for yourself.   Be careful,  you might not like what you find!!!

The Must Have Gadgets for Your Hamptons Summer 2014!

So, it’s the first day of April… and I was hoping to put some humorous April Fools joke here on the old blog but alas I can’t think of anything that would be really funny.   For example, I was going to say the Kardashians are coming to the Hamptons… but as we all know the joke is on us and they are REALLY COMING!   So, if you think about it, nothing is as funny as the truth in the Hamptons!   So, that’s why I’m just going to start think positive thoughts and start my countdown to summer.

One of the things I like doing this time of year is peruse the catalogs and websites for some cool stuff for this coming summer.    You know, the must have conversation pieces for this summer BBQ or pool party!   So, here are some of my favorites for the Summer 2014 in no particular order.

THE GRASS PRINTER:  This gadget makes it possible to mow graphics or messages right onto your lawn!  It’s also ideal for real estate agents when the owner won’t let you post a sign.  “That’s fine but you really do need your lawn cut for the open house.   Do you mind if I take care of it for you?”  Now the lawn says “FOR SALE – CALL FOR APPOINTMENT.”    Just imagine how good my profile will look in Kentucky Blue Grass!   Apparently this gadget won some “Red Dot Design” concept and while I’m not sure what exactly that means, I guess it’s good.   I also imagine setting this loose on my neighbor’s lawn that’s overgrown saying “cut me!”   There’s no information right now on cost but you can click the link here for more information.

THE WINE LOCK:  This is the perfect device for those of who have housemates who like to take a nip here or there without bothering to replace the vino!   Why they didn’t have this when I was in college I’ll never know.   But for $21.99 a lock, I could have protected my six packs for a around $125 bucks!   While I’m not really sure I need this in my house,  I would strongly suggest it as a house warming gift for anyone doing a group share.    You can buy these right now on AMAZON…. but I have no idea if they’ll sell them in bulk.

THE OUTDOOR TV:  If you’re like me you miss going to the drive-in theatre during the summer months.   But as they say, everything old is new again.   For a mere $7000 bucks, you can get a weatherproof 65″ LED TV to put up in the back yard or post on the front of your garage!    The TV is operational in temperatures up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and as low as 20 degrees below.   Also great for kids who won’t go outside to see friends… now they can be antisocial and play video games in the outdoors!     It’s the must have for Hamptons couch potatoes!   Here’s the link for more info!

DJI PHANTOM VISION 2:    Oh, if only Gladys Kravitz had been alive for this one!   It’s a complete aerial camera system that transmits images directly to your smartphone!      It’s the best way to see if your neighbors are having a better summer than you without having to fish for a lunch invitation!    You can fly for up to 25 minutes on a single charge and it also comes with a GPS return to home device.   It’s available now for only $1,999.00 from B&H Photo.

THE SKYBELL:   Unfortunately, not all of us can afford to have a butler answer the door and send away all of those unwanted house guests!  Luckily, we have the SkyBell Wifi Doorbell.   No, this isn’t  an exclusive offering from Sky Mall but I’m sure they have it there too!   You can see, speak to and send away those guest while sipping a margarita in your pool.. via your smart phone!    It’s also perfect for ignoring Jehovah’s Witnesses, Girl Scouts and Amway sales people.     It’s available online from Amazon or directly from SkyBell for about $200 bucks.   To me it’s a no brainer, why do I have to stop watching my outdoor TV, while spying on my neighbors and drinking from my locked bottle of wine while relaxing on my lawn that says “go away” to answer the stupid door!    Hey, I can’t wait for the summer of ’14!

 

 

How Your Iphone Can Save You a Bundle on Your Hamptons Summer Rental…. Plus, Answering Those Pesky Questions About Insurance in the Hamptons!!!

As Roseanne Roseanneadanna used to say, “it’s always something” and that goes double for anyone who is thinking about becoming a landlord or tenant during the Hamptons rental season.    While the always informative John Viteritti recently suggested in Hamptons.com to get it in writing, the incidents of craziness somehow still manage to find themselves into both sides of the equation. Yes,

Roseanne Rosanneadanna

the tenant who demands a refund because the toaster doesn’t work on one side or the landlord who changes the locks because you’ve had too many house guests (yes, both are true incidents), having things in writing is really really important.   But you know there’s one other thing that both sides can do to protect themselves, their wallets and their sanity; take pictures!   Yep, a simple photograph and not anything provocative that a landlord might find say in a porn movie or magazine and get upset about (yeah, that happened out here too) but rather pictures of the furniture, the rugs, the walls and of the general condition of the house.

The Summer tenant and landlords potential best friend!
It’s so simple and with smart phones now taking better quality photos than ever before there is no excuse.    If you’re the landlord or the tenant, go through the house from top to bottom and make sure you show the sofa stain that was or wasn’t there.    Show the rug that has the coffee stain or that was just freshly cleaned.  In other words, make sure that you document the condition of the house!   I’ve seen way too many fights over security deposits to name so why not take the extra half hour and get proof about the condition of the property.   In most smart phones, the photographs and videos are saved with time and date so that also eliminates any question about when potential damages happened.    So take it from me and no matter how nice your landlord or tenants seem, tell the sofa to say “cheese” and take it’s picture.     You’ll thank me later… its good insurance that your protected!

Speaking of insurance, it’s one of the most widely asked questions by potential buyers in the Hamptons.   In fact, Mr. Richard Failor from Fort Lee, NJ recently wrote me and asked;  Can I get insurance in the Hamptons? Will it be expensive?   Do I have to buy insurance on my house?  What about flooding?  Hey, you know what Mr. Failor, you’re driving me nuts!    So rather than spending time to research and answer all of your annoying questions, I sat down with John Wiltershire who is director in the personal insurance department and private client services unit at Frank Crystal and Associates in Southampton and got him to give me the skinny on INSURANCE IN THE HAMPTONS……