Extremely private oceanfront Montauk property on 36 acres asks $48M

The incredible estate offers 400 feet of ocean frontage, a 2-acre pond, and trails throughout the 36 acres

By Grace Cassidy Sep 19, 2018, 8:48am EDT

Sited on 36 acres of private oceanfront reserve, the Montauk home at 42 Old Montauk Highway might just be the most private estate in the Hamptons. It’s currently on the market for $48 million, but has previously been up for sale for a higher $49,995,000.

Not only is it one of the most expensive listings available for sale on the East End, but in Montauk it is beat only by Dick Cavett’s shingled estate designed by Stanford White asking $48.5 million—which is right next door.

In 1992, frame dealer Eli Wilner purchased the property with his wife for just $630,000—but at the time, there were no building permits in place, so purchasing the land with hopes to build was a risk. Things worked out and the couple was able to build the existing Asian-inspired stucco home with architect Frank Hollenbeck and the Men at Work Builders.

Wilner told Curbed that the property is a private reserve, so new owners most likely wouldn’t be able to get permits to expand or build more on the property. The property offers 400 feet of ocean frontage, ocean- and meadow-view trails across the 36 acres, and a 2-acre private pond with swans, ducks, and a dock. At the private beach, one will find natural crushed garnet that looks like pink sand and two natural jetties on either side of the property’s waterfront to act as a barrier for storms.

From the house, one cannot hear any traffic.

Inside 7,000 square feet there are five bedrooms, five bathrooms, four gas fireplaces, and hand-carved doors throughout the estate. The sliding wood doors that open from the living room into the kitchen are a replica of murals found on the Normandie luxury cruise ship.

Other interior features include a winding wood staircase, heated marble floors throughout, floor-to-ceiling windows, a movie theater with velvet blackout curtains, an elevator, and triangular skylights.

Kathleen Coumou from Christie’s International Real Estate and Martha Gundersen from Brown Harris Stevens represents the listing.