Summer bargains still available for Hamptons latecomers

When timing a deal on a Hamptons summer house, renters fall into two categories: Type early and type late.

Type early was making appointments in February. They appealed to their prospective landlord’s desire not to have a property in limbo. They haggled their way into an extra week in the house, or maybe a grand off the listing price.

If you’re reading these words, however, you’re probably in type late. Which — with two weeks to go until Memorial Day — is not necessarily a bad position to be in.

“There’s no more bluffing,” says Enzo Morabito of Douglas Elliman. Landlords who want to rent out their houses are willing to be flexible on everything from the availability dates to prices. “If someone comes in and makes a decent offer — not a crazy offer — I look at owners and say, ‘Hey, rent it.’ There’s plenty of room for [a landlord] to say yes.”

Plus, this year’s latecomers have one major advantage than they didn’t in years past: “Surprisingly, there’s quite a bit of inventory still left,” says Morabito. “Everything was delayed because of the weather. But because everything got postponed there’s still a lot of good bargains.”

Of course the word “bargain” takes on a somewhat different meaning in the Hamptons. But here’s a smattering of what’s still on the market on the East End.

North Haven, $60K, June; $160K, July

Six-bedroom, 6½-bathroom estate, 7,500 square feet on 2 acres, with grand foyer, living room, library with fireplace, coffered ceilings, gourmet kitchen, master suite with private balcony, infinity pool and 650 feet of water frontage. Agent: Christopher Burnside, Brown Harris Stevens, 631-537-4320

Westhampton, $125K, MD-LD

Five-bedroom, four-bathroom, two-story bay-front house, 3,958 square feet, with formal dining room, chef’s kitchen, floor-to-ceiling windows, pool, extensive decking and boat slip. Agent: Karen Andrews, The Corcoran Group, 631-723-4422

Amagansett Dunes, $95K, MD-LD

Three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,800-square-foot oceanfront home on a 1.2-acre lot in a private enclave in Napeague State Park, with fireplaces, sliding glass doors, pool and yoga deck. Contact: Paul Brennan and Kelly O’Halloran, Douglas Elliman, 631-537-4144 and 631-537-7107

Bridgehampton, $130K, MD-LD

Five-bedroom, 3½-bathroom Modern house on 1 acre of land, with living room, dining room, library, two fireplaces, a large sundeck and a heated gunite pool with adjacent cabana. Agents: Korine Konzet and John Vitello, Brown Harris Stevens, 631-537-4323 and 631-204-2407

Sagaponack, $400K, MD-LD

Four-bedroom, four-bathroom house originally built in 1789, 5,000 square feet on a 2-acre lot, with four fireplaces, original wide-plank wooden floors, Provencal kitchen imported from France, library, 19th-century horse barn reimagined as entertainment space, pool, pool house and extensive gardens. Agent: Beate Moore, Sotheby’s, 631-537-6000

Shinnecock Hills, $60K, MD-LD

Three-bedroom, three-bathroom Modern house, 3,000 square feet on a 1-acre lot, newly renovated with central AC, gas grill, heated pool, deck with water views and private beach access. Agent: David Donohue, Douglas Elliman, 631-283-4343

Water Mill South, $750K, MD-LD

Eight-bedroom, 10-plus-bathroom mansion, 8,250 square feet on a gated 4.2-acre lot, with media room, gym, formal dining room, heated pool, pool house and sunken tennis court. Agent: Carol Nobbs, Douglas Elliman, 631-204-2714

Southampton, $190K, MD-LD

Six-bedroom, 5½-bathroom Traditional house, 5,500 square feet on 1½ acres close to Village, with gourmet kitchen with oversized dining area, home theater, pool with extensive stonework and hot tub. Agent: John Vitello, Brown Harris Stevens, 631-204-2407

East Hampton Village, $100K, short term

Seven-bedroom, 8½-bathroom, 10,000-square-foot house on 2.53 gated acres, with formal dining room, living room with fireplace, two-story foyer, sun terrace, private beach access and heated pool and spa. Agents: Rima Mardoyan Smyth and Peter Turino, Brown Harris Stevens, 631-537-4342 and 631-903-6115

Montauk, $80K, June; $495K MD-LD

Five-bedroom, seven-bathroom oceanfront home, 7,000 square feet on 1.5 acres, with multiple viewing decks, heated pool, guest pool house, 10-seat movie theater, private library and wet bar. Agents: Joan Hegner and Nona Hammer, The Corcoran Group, 631-899-0402 and 631-907-1533