rentals – Hamptons Chatter

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT HAMPTONS RENTALS BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK!

May 19, 2022May 19, 2022

Yeah, it’s only two weeks till Memorial Day and things are already starting to heat up in anticipation of the warmer days ahead, especially in Amagansett. Two new dining spots are putting on their finishing touches in hopes of feeding the masses of “Tribeca by the Sea.”

But more on that in a minute. At this time every year, the talk I constantly hear is about summer rentals. It’s funny even sometimes the most seasoned tenants need a reminder of what to expect when moving their lives to the east end. Luckily for those folks and everybody else with questions about what it means to rent in the Hamptons, I’ve done a little introduction. So grab your popcorn and press the play button below. Trust me it’s more informative and entertaining than Sandra Bullock’s “The Lost City.”

As I said in the beginning of this post some good grub is coming soon to Amagansett. One of the more anticipated openings will be for the new “Astro Pizza” on Main Street. Chef PJ Calipa (IG: @chefpjcalipa) is lending his expertise to the menu to include some gourmet pies and premium ice creams. Calapa is the owner and chef behind NYC’s usually packed Scampi restaurant in Chelsea. If his unique Mediteranian seafood dishes are any indication of whats to come, get ready for some seriously interesting pies. By the way, I know interesting pizza. When I was in college I waited tables at the Pizzaria Uno in Georgetown DC. for a few years. But really it’s not as impressive as it sounds.

The old Hampton Chutney Company location is getting a refresh with Caribbean flair!

Meanwhile, across the street some cool Bahamian breezes are sweeping into Amagansett Square. The former site of Hampton Chutney is soon to become a Caribbean themed restaurant. I happened to be walking by and was told it will be called “Doubles.” I dont’ have much more to add but I was told to expect an opening sometime in June. If you get any more details, let me know.

Love (& REAL ESTATE) in the Time of Corona.

January 19, 2021January 18, 2021

Like a fine wine or a new Nicholas Sparks novel, all good things take time. It’s been months since I’ve taken pen to paper to put down my thoughts in the gem that is known as Hamptons Chatter. Well, there is no time like now to get started and leave 2020 behind and look toward 2021! Will the Hamptons steroid infused market continue? What about the rental season? While I wouldn’t dare to say I have any sort of crystal ball I am comfortable in telling you what some top economists and real estate experts are predicting. Reminder these are about “National Trends.” The Hamptons is traditionally a unique market. But, right now due to Covid-19 epidemic a large number of NYC residents have now claimed the East End as their primary residence. That has now pushed us IMHO to a more traditional “primary home” market. As for rentals the inventory is limited, demand is high. So, look for another banner year for Hamptons rentals demanding higher than normal prices.

Four Expert Views on the 2021 Housing Market

The housing market was a shining star in 2020, fueling the economic turnaround throughout the country. As we look forward to 2021, can we expect real estate to continue showing such promise? Here’s what four experts have to say about the year ahead.

Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist, National Association of Realtors (NAR)

“In 2021, I think rates will be similar or modestly higher, maybe 3%…So, mortgage rates will continue to be historically favorable.”

Danielle Hale, Chief Economist, realtor.com

“We expect sales to grow 7 percent and prices to rise another 5.7 percent on top of 2020’s already high levels.”

Robert Dietz, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

“With home builder confidence near record highs, we expect continued gains for single-family construction, albeit at a lower growth rate than in 2019. Some slowing of new home sales growth will occur due to the fact that a growing share of sales has come from homes that have not started construction. Nonetheless, buyer traffic will remain strong given favorable demographics, a shifting geography of housing demand to lower-density markets and historically low interest rates.”

Mark Fleming, Chief Economist, First American

“Mortgage rates are expected to remain low for the foreseeable future and millennials will continue forming households, keeping demand robust, even if income growth moderates. Despite the best intentions of home builders to provide more housing supply, the big short in housing supply will continue into 2021 and likely keep house price appreciation flying high.”

Bottom Line: Whether you’re ready to buy, sell or rent a home in 2021, if you’re planning to take advantage of the market this winter, let’s connect to talk about the opportunities available in our local market.

Some good news if you’re a city dweller missing your fix of salumi , mozzarella or panna cotta from NYC. In particular, if you miss the goodies at Eataly. The italian emporium is now doing weekly runs to here in the Hamptons. Just go online to www.eatalyathome.com by Tuesday 12 noon and create a shipment or pick one of their curated boxes and place your order. Then on Friday afternoon go to the designated drop off point in your area and pick up your belissima bundle.

MY HOLIDAY GIFT TO YOU! PLUS HARVEY AND THE HAMPTONS!

December 21, 2017December 21, 2017

A321_Frontier__Airlines-680x365_c — This is what a plane looks like. flyfrontier.com

I know the weather outside is getting more and more frightful. In fact, the thought of shoveling driveways, cold wet feet and darkness at 3:30pm has you completely depressed and overwhelmed. I know! I know… I feel you! But before you call the doctor to “up” your daily dosage of “vitamin Z” (zoloft), read this blog. It will bring you comfort and joy. DISCLAIMER: please don’t go off your meds folks, while I’m a joy for my family and at least 2 of my friends, my suggestions here are not meant to be any sort of medical diagnosis so put down the phone. Jacoby & Myers have more important lawsuits pending.

Ok, so what’s my advice to put sunshine back in your life? Go visit flyfrontier.com and book yourself a flight to the sunshine state for as little as $35 dollars! Yes, you heard that right. For about the same cost as taking the jitney to midtown, you can instead haul you butts to Islip Airport (the easiest airport on the planet) hop on a plane and be in West Palm Beach, Miami or Ft. Myers in about 3 hours. So, the ride is about the same amount of time as a jitney as well. I will tell you the flights are no frills and you must pay for any additional baggage (checked, carry-on and emotional). In fact, while I was writing this I just got a quote for a flight from Islip to West Palm in January

for $108 round trip! Now, that doesn’t include taxes or my baggage from growing up as the youngest of 6 in suburban New Jersey. From what I gathered, these rates will likely go up in the not too distant future but in the meantime stop complaining about the weather!

If you’re not lucky enough to have the time or ability to hop on a flight to Florida and are instead heading to the Hamptons, you’re not alone. I call it the “Hurricane Harvey.” Because, for the first time ever, I had multiple rental inquiries for the week between Christmas and New Years! I’m not sure why Mr. Weinstein’s exploits have convinced peopl

e to “staycation” this holiday season but it’s kind of weird considering we also had a hurricane of the same name wipe out more than a few resorts in the Caribbean. Word to the wise here, if you’re planning on being out here the week between the holidays and want to go out to eat, MAKE RESERVATIONS! It’s going to be crowded. It’s traditionally a busy week but a few of my restaurant buddies have said reservations are up over last year.

Speaking of eating out. I mean really eating out. Like outside …. in the cold…

OUTSIDE. You might have noticed a food truck recently on the grounds of the Milk Pail in Water Mill. For those of you not brave enough to stop, I’ve done some snooping for you and discovered it’s a taco truck. It’s called AJI Authentic Mexican Food. Ok, they have more than tacos and the food is pretty good. The hours seem to have a lot to do with if the weather is good and traffic wasn’t too heavy. So if you’re driving east, see the truck and have a hankering for a good taco, burrito or nachos stop by. It’s not the best you’ll ever have but it won’t disappoint and it’s kinda fun!

Are Short Term Rentals Harming The Hamptons… and I FINALLY got to Topping Rose!!

February 22, 2017August 31, 2016

So the Hamptons are more crowded this year than last. But yet, everyone from shop keepers and especially real estate agents (talking rentals) are saying that business is off. One thing I always do when I take my stroll around town trying to look better dressed than the next guy, I always ask shop owners “how was your season?” The response I keep hearing “not great.” But it’s so crowded, which leaves me wondering what gives!? Well some folks are blaming the increasing popularity of those short term rental websites for the problem. For example, you can rent a house in Southampton from a website called Marquis for a nightly rate of $1,100 a night even though this is in violation of town code which requires a minimum of 14 days. So, according to some there lies the problem. You have a house which advertises an occupancy of 12 people each essentially paying $100 per person, they’re not the types who are going to be spending money about town in the shops and restaurants. By the way, I like that the Hamptons are becoming more accessible to folks who wouldn’t normally be able to visit but by allowing overcrowding in houses it’s more like a spring break location than quiet escape from city living. What do you think?

Finally, I got the chance to visit the new Topping Rose by Jean Georges last night and I can say is it was worth the wait. Although the reservation lines need some fixing… about 45 minutes of holds, hang ups and transfers… the total experience was great. The menu is unpretentious with everything from an amazing mini pizza to a terrific kale salad and a really solid cheese burger. Service was solid and entrees arrived within a half hour of ordering. I had the penne with meatballs and thought they were over the top awesome. My dinner guests ordered the burger and the salmon, each earning a thumbs up from each. I also recommend the heirloom tomato salad which right now is on the tail of being in season so go try it now. This is a huge step up from last year’s outing by Tom Colicchio.