From broker Marcia Altman of Brown Harris Stevens in Westhampton Beach a new listing, "rare waterfront west of the canal" by Altman with Mark Roter and Charles Manger: a 10.4 acre waterfront (1,000' frontage) 1903 classic. This treasure was designed by Henry Bacon of the Stanford White firm, who also did the Lincoln Memorial. The estate was built for a coal baron with a 24-room 16,000 square foot manor house, a carriage house now used as the pool house, a green house large for parties, and if that weren't enough, a caretaker's cottage with three bedrooms, a 56' pool, a tennis court and gardens. Wow!

Property listed with Brown Harris Stevens.

More clarity - in writes Bridgehampton's Paul Brennan, Executive Vice President for Prudential Douglas Elliman, "…there is a difference in Team vs. individual broker. You were correct when you wrote that Vince [Horcasitis] and Lori [Barbaria] were the # 1 and #2 individual brokers, respectively, on Long Island for Prudential Douglas Elliman…a team is more than one person. Enzo [Morabito] has several people on his 'team' including brokers in Bridgehampton, Westhampton, and Southold offices where his license was held for most of the 2007 year. Consequently, Enzo was the # 1 Team for the Long Island Region."

"We are very proud of their accomplishments for the year 2007. But, I would like apples to be compared to apples," continued Paul, "Vince had a great year and he has worked extremely hard. He is the top singles player and the Enzo team is top in doubles…You can't really compare the two because they are two different games. Like apples and oranges."

Are you guys doing this on purpose? It is nice to see a honcho go to bat for his players.

Another writer in the apples and oranges business, who requested anonymity, had this to say. "Keeping in mind that Enzo Morabito did advertise that he was Prudential's #1 Agent and #1Team, when Enzo compares himself to Vince Horcasitis and Lori Barbaria is he speaking as a team or as an individual agent?...Enzo's comparison of his Team's efforts to the efforts of individual producers seems akin to comparing apples and oranges."

We've given this enough ink. To paraphrase Dottie Herman, Prudential Douglas Elliman CEO, 'if you're not competitive you're in the wrong business.'

Brennan, now responding to our rental inquiry says, "Rentals are busy! The Bridgehampton office is up 25 percent from last year at this time. Across the board."

Property listed with Prudential Douglas Elliman.

Harvey O'Brien, the General Manager of the Panoramic View in Montauk, writes that "We are big fans of yours over here." (How about competitiveness and vanity?). He says "classic rentals are off to a strong start. Advanced deposits are up 20 percent over this time last year. We have a few European guests, but most rentals are from the tri-state area."

Town and Country Real Estate CEO Judi Desiderio responded, as well. "Regarding rentals - the East Hampton Chamber of Commerce asked me to speak on 'Who's coming out east this summer.' I turned to our records on rental statistics. I was amazed with what I found!"

Judi reports, "2008 is the best rental season in many years. The twist this year is the significant number of international tenants. From leases signed at Town & Country Real Estate (South Fork offices) in January and February: 61 percent from NYC; 10 percent from Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey; 10 percent from Florida; 19 percent International (#1- England, #2 - Germany, #3 - Ireland – there were also a few from Sweden and Russia)."

Main Street will sound like the lobby at the UN this summer!

Property listed with Town & Country Real Estate.

From, Barbara Weinman, Diva at the Beach, Hampton Homes, responds, "Yes rentals are up, we are doing well, prior customers, referrals and of course Internet. Some Europeans and a few Canadians. We are finding lots of people for Southampton and Shinnecock. Now that I live in Southampton, after being in East Hampton doing real estate for 17 years, I am showing houses in Shinnecock! Jan, Lisa, Charlene, and Eric do mostly East Hampton, Bridgehampton, Amagansett, Sag Harbor, and Montauk. Lisa has been helping me with Water Mill and South."

And a final reply to our email reciting that "brokers are saying the rental season is good," from our old friend, George Simpson, Suffolk Research, who is a hard data man, after all: "I wouldn't trust the 'feel' of an agent about rentals. HANFRA [Hamptons and North Fork Realtors Association] ought to require its members to report on actual rental results - that would provide meaningful year to year rental market info." He says more, but it is the Easter season, after all - love and goodwill.

East End real estate? A very strange business.