$5.1 million Water Island property comes with 2 homes, boat
This Water Island property, which features two homes and a pool house, is on the market for $5.1 million. Credit: Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
A Water Island property that consists of three structures — two homes and a pool house — is on the market for $5.1 million. The annual property taxes are $6,728.
The homes on the property are referred to as the Bay House (which faces the Great South Bay) and the Ocean House (overlooking the Atlantic Ocean). They each contain two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
"They are mirror images of each other," said listing agent Margaret "Meg" Smith of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty. She is co-listing the property with Nathaniel Larson.
Located on Atlantic Walk, the houses sit on a 0.97-acre lot and include 60 feet of private beach access. The property also contains a 250-foot private dock — the current homeowners are throwing in their own boat with the sale of the house.
Dan Gundrum and Stephen Apking, both architects, will also leave the homes fully furnished for the new buyers. They bought the property 16 years ago.
The homeowners, both architects, plan to leave the houses fully furnished for new buyers. Credit: Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
"We were looking for something that had some kind of authentic character," Apking said. "There was something about this place that was hopelessly romantic and authentic to us, and as we re-developed the houses, maintaining that character was very important for us."
Upon moving in, the couple got to work on Bay House and Ocean House, which were both constructed in 1970.
"They were actually in much worse shape than we anticipated," Gundrum said. "That led us to a total rebuild, but a rebuild in kind so they appear today much as they appeared before we started."
The pool house was their own addition to the property. Standing in between Bay and Ocean houses, it contains a heated pool, exercise room and one bathroom, said Smith.
Gundrum and Apking cultivated the property’s surroundings just as much as the interiors.
The pool house stands between Bay and Ocean houses and has an exercise room and one bathroom. Credit: Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
"They were very intentional with their landscaping plans," Smith said. "When you’re walking down the boardwalk here, you’ll see so many different birds, it’s like going on a nature walk."
Because the houses are elevated, they are at level with the treetops, so "the houses are always aligned with the sound of songbirds," Apking said.
Water Island is a small and private community on Fire Island. The property is best accessed by boat, Gundrum said.
"Everyone just goes by their first names, and for years you don’t know anyone's last names," he added. "People have lived there for generations. There are families with kids and actors and people working in the fashion and art industry. It’s an amazing mix of people you get to know."
The property is served by the Fire Island School District.
Located on Atlantic Walk, the property includes 60 feet of private beach access and a 250-foot private dock. Credit: Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Rachel Weiss joined Newsday in 2016. As a real estate/living multimedia reporter, Rachel writes feature stories and contributes to and appears in on-camera video packages. She was the lead reporter on Newsday’s LI Acts of Kindness series.
