Gold Coast homes that sold for under $1 million

The grand estates and rolling hills of Long Island's Gold Coast have been a hallmark of the region for more than a century. But buying a home in one of these communities under a certain price point is a challenge, said real estate agent Vivian Parisi, of Compass.

"Now, anything under $1 million in good condition is very hard to find," said Parisi, who lives and works in Sea Cliff.

This summer, some Long Islanders struck gold when they closed on homes along the North Shore for under $1 million. From Port Washington to Huntington, here are seven homes that had prospective homebuyers flocking to the Gold Coast.

'Jam packed' open houses

Listed in May for $899,000, this home had an "old New England, very nautical" aesthetic, said listing agent Joyce Calcasola, of Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Locust Valley.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom expanded Cape in a waterfront area of Oyster Bay went under contract within 13 days. The new owners closed in August, for $975,000. The property is in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District, with annual taxes listed at $13,885.

"I had a jam packed, two-day open house, with over 50 showings," Calcasola said.

She attributes the high level of activity to the price point, the size of the house and the location.

"It's a very unique, niche neighborhood," said Calcasola. "It's in this little hamlet called Mill Neck Estates. Very exclusive, very private and it's just beautiful. I think there are about 93 homes in it."

Sitting on a 0.18-acre lot, the property size worked for both first-time homebuyers or empty nesters, Calcasola added. The layout was a selling point, too, with the primary bedroom located on the first floor.

Other notable features include cathedral ceilings, a covered front porch, lush landscaping and access to a private community beach. The kitchen and bathrooms had been updated within the past four years, Calcasola said.

"It was priced right, which drew a ton of attention to the house, without a doubt," she said. "It created a lot of buzz, and it went way over the asking price."

A storybook Victorian

A lavender-colored Victorian with navy blue shutters in Huntington hit the market last May at $769,000. The house was sold three months later for $825,000. The annual property taxes were listed as $15,633.

In its first three days of listing, the house garnered 26 showings, said real estate agent Laura Zambratto, of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty, in Cold Spring Harbor.

But this one was different, she said.

"Normally, people would make an offer right away," Zambratto said. "With this house, the buyers that had real interest came back a couple of times."

The interested buyers were all specifically seeking out a historic home, she added.

"A house like this, it just doesn't come on [the market] that frequently," said Zambratto.

The four-bedroom, two-bathroom home was built in 1894 and contains several original details, including carved, southern pine walls throughout the house. The previous homeowner left plenty of its Victorian charm unchanged while living there, Zambratto said.

The house sits on a 0.25-acre lot, located within the Huntington Union Free School District. The backyard boasts a meticulously maintained garden, Zambratto said, which includes climbing roses, camellias and hydrangeas.

"I'm an avid gardener," said Zambratto. "So I had such tremendous respect because I know the effort, time and dedication it takes to keep that garden."

From the greenery and florals to the old-fashioned front porch, the property oozed charm everywhere you looked, she added.

"Not only did the inside have character, the outside did, too," Zambratto said.

The heart of Port Washington

There are a couple of reasons why this Port Washington home took a few months to sell, said listing agent Jeff Stineback, of Compass, based in Huntington.

"Many of the homes in that neighborhood don't have basements, due to the proximity to the water," Stineback said. The house is located in Manorhaven, a village within the Port Washington hamlet.

Last December, this four-bedroom, two-bathroom Colonial came to the market for $799,000. It ultimately closed in July for $725,000.

"If you're looking for a basement, you're not going to get it there," he continued. "You might have attic storage, but nothing subterranean or lower level. So that makes the home not for everybody, and generally it takes a little bit longer to sell there."

Plus, the lot sizes are smaller in Manorhaven compared to other parts of Port Washington, Stineback added. This one was 3,520 square feet.

"Those two things are the trade-offs," he said.

The house was rebuilt about 15 years ago, at which point the bathrooms were updated and now feature Jacuzzi tubs.

A main selling point was the community itself — for example, the local civic association offers a private marina, where residents can pay dues for dock access, Stineback said.

The annual property taxes were listed as $13,294. The house is in the Port Washington Union Free School District.

"Overall it was a really great opportunity for the buyer who got it at that price," Stineback said.

'A total rarity'

In Glen Cove, a three-bedroom, two-bathroom expanded Cape hit the market in April for $499,000. It sold in July for $510,000.

"We had probably 40 showings within that first two-week period," said listing agent Debra Quinn Petkanas, of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty. Her office is in Sea Cliff.

"I think a lot of that also had to do with the price for the location. It is few and far between that you'd find anything at $499,000 in that area of Glen Cove."

The price point was based on the condition of the house — built in 1947, the kitchen and bathrooms were original to the home, and the garage needed to be redone, Petkanas said. Still, the property garnered a dozen offers.

The annual taxes were listed as $9,303, and the house is located in the Glen Cove City School District.

Petkanas recently sold two homes within a mile of this one: One for $2 million, and the other for $3.225 million, she said. Although the homes differed from this one — one was a waterfront home and the other nestled within a gated community — "the area can command a good price," said Petkanas.

"It's a total rarity for something to sell at $510,000," she said.

There were some perks: The street has sidewalks, the full basement has potential and the house was a little over a mile from Morgan Memorial Park.

"It's a beautiful place to live," said Petkanas.

Fourth time's a charm

Lori Farber and Jodi Locke, real estate agents with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, took on a listing in Glen Cove that was having trouble finding a buyer.

"The house was listed four times before we sold it," said Farber, whose office is in Roslyn.

So, she and Locke re-staged the contemporary ranch, showcasing the high ceilings and features like the gas fireplace, and re-listed it with a new price tag.

"All things to really bring it up to a more modern state," said Locke.

The house hit the market last March, and the price was lowered to $798,000 after two weeks. It closed in August for $749,000. The annual property taxes were listed as $9,979.

"The house was a very unique style home in Glen Cove," said Farber. "It really is one-of-a-kind."

The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home comes to a total of 2,125 square feet, and sits on a 0.12-acre lot. The house is in the Glen Cove City School District.

Potential buyers were drawn in by several features, including the kitchen, Farber said. It was updated in 2020 with new appliances and quartz countertops.

"One of the things that really brought the majority of people in: It wasn't listed as a mother-daughter, but the house ended and then you opened up the door from the family room, and there was another segment of the house which was like an apartment for parents or older children," Farber added.

Larger homes in the area tend to boast higher price tags, Farber and Locke agreed.

"We definitely have seen homes selling in the $900,000s to over $1 million in plenty of areas of Glen Cove," said Farber.

'Nantucket feeling'

Farber and Locke sold another Gold Coast property last summer that flew off the market. The East Norwich Cape was listed in June at $749,000, and closed in August for $770,000.

The annual property taxes were listed as $11,372, and it was located in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District.

"It's really just a lovely community and for this specific house, we had a tremendous amount of interest," said Farber.

The four-bedroom, two-bathroom property sits on a 0.16-acre lot. The previous owners converted one of the bedrooms into a dining room.

"Even though it was a Cape, it felt large," Farber said. "It had a really nice flow because you had a formal dining area, in addition to a nice, formal living room."

Standout features include a wood burning fireplace, an extended den, an upgraded laundry room and hardwood floors through the house.

"It had a very Nantucket kind of feeling that everybody loved," said Locke.

Settling down in Sea Cliff

This two-bedroom, two-bathroom Colonial in Sea Cliff hit the market last May for $899,000, and sold for the list price in July.

"It's pretty adorable," said listing agent Vivian Parisi, of Compass. "It sits way back on the property so when you walk in, there's a garden, your slate patio, a little fountain, and you just kind of get lost. You're in your own little world."

The home is in the North Shore Central School District. The annual property taxes were listed as $14,945.

Built in 1921, splashes of color accentuate the space: Warm yellow cabinets, a hunter green stove, red laundry units.

"I think people's reactions coming into this house were, 'Oh wow, it's warm and inviting because it's not your clean, gray and white, modern look,' " Parisi said. "It's totally the opposite of that."

Outside, the "cottage-look" of the home attracted younger prospective buyers, which has become a growing demographic in the area, she added.

"We definitely have a young people's contingent," Parisi said. "I think right now, having something that's affordable for young families is tougher and tougher, but it's definitely a destination."

As the community grows, the historic charm of the village remains timeless.

"It just has a warm quality, that kind of nostalgia that I think people are ready for and expect when you come to Sea Cliff," Parisi said.

By Rachel Weiss

rachel.weiss@newsday.com@RachMWeiss

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.