For the giving season, a market view for Sellers, Buyers, Renters, Landlords, Tenants, and Brokers. In our December columns Realty Takes will give its readers a million dollar view of what plus or minus a million can get on the East End market at the end of 2007. Included will be some rental glimpses for 2008 between $55,000 and $75,000.

Property listed with Town and Country Real Estate.

Since some of these 'for sale' properties have been submitted as the "best deals in the million dollar range," we'll tell you what broker to call, as well. This column deals with west of the canal on the South Fork.

First, a comprehensive overview (within the price points set) of the Westhampton Beach and Quogue area from Charlene Cheshire, Town and Country Real Estate, Manager-Broker, Westhampton Beach: "Things are heating up here in the Westhampton Beach/Quogue area with serious buyers on the lookout for good deals. They can find them! With mortgage rates down and prices going the same way, it's a great time to buy. North of the Village in Westhampton Beach, you can find a newly built traditional with four bedrooms, four baths and a heated pool for just under a $1,000,000."

Charlene continues, "West of the village in a very nice established subdivision you can find a five bedroom, three baths, on an acre with pool and tennis for $975,000. A little further west toward Remsenberg, we have a charming four bedroom carriage house with heated pool on an acre for $950,000. On the ocean in Westhampton Beach, there is a two bedroom, two bath condo for $900,000 or an adorable four bedroom, two bath cottage walking distance to bay and access to the ocean beach across the street for just $995,000."

What about land and rentals? Charlene remarks, "Land is scarce, especially in the million dollar range. We have just one parcel in the Village on .81 acre. At $990,000 it's a great buy. As for rentals, we are already starting to do rentals and the best ones get snapped! This isn't a pitch, ask anyone who waits until April to get a bargain, everything is gone! Not too much on the ocean between $50,000 - $75,000, but you can find a five bedroom, three bath beach house with bay views and ocean access for $62,000 for the season or a larger Post Modern with five bedrooms, three baths and fireplace will run you $65,000. North Quogue is the best place for this price range where you can find a five to six bedroom contemporary with pool and tennis for $60,000 - $70,000." Yes, well, thank you, Charlene.

Property listed with Town and Country Real Estate.

And Vincent Cannuscio, who is now CEO, Beacon Wireless Management, but a builder of homes west of the canal, as well as former Southampton Town Supervisor. (Point of interest, as Supervisor Mr. Cannuscio brought into Town government no one other than Linda Kabot as his executive assistant and just see how far she has gone! He also had then Councilman Skip Heaney as his Deputy Supervisor.) In any case, as to Hampton Bays, Vincent writes that he built and sold a four bedroom, 2600 square foot house on Lynn Court in Hampton Bays for $850,000. Vincent tells us that similar homes in the area range between $800,000 to $950,000 and that several builders have 'copied' and built the same home in nearby areas, one on Petrel Road, Shinnecock Hills, asking price $1,200,000 and that a similar house, approximately five years old, was purchased by a speculator, modernized and offered at $1,350,000.

Lastly, still west of the canal, from Linda S. Batiancela with Town and Country Bridgehampton, an offering in Southampton's North Sea area: "…a great starter home priced well and doesn't need any work at all. It is turn key. So many houses in this area at this price are in need of repair (roofs, heating, and plumbing) or total renovation. For a first time buyer who is scraping together funds just for their down payment, this is a good deal: North Sea $679,000 for a 3 BR/ 2.5 bath home on .27 acres with room for pool."
Hmmm! Scraping together funds? Maybe we ought to be writing about how to marry a millionaire or how to make an extra million, but I wouldn't have a clue.

East End Real Estate? A very strange business, yet it might be the time to jump right in while the water is not yet warm! (Continued next week, working our way east. We're looking for more data from Sag Harbor, Amagansett and Montauk, so do ship them in.)