Guberman’s gamble: New York City builder hits the Hamptons with a supply of extra-large spec homes

From the January issue: When Josh Guberman set out to market the house he’d just constructed at 78 Pheasant Close East in Southampton Village, he wasn’t content to hire a professional stager, as most developers do. Instead, he personally stocked the 1,500-bottle wine cellar with rosé and champagne, and decorated the home’s great room with orchids and trays of wheatgrass. In fact, while staging is now standard in New York City new-construction condos, it’s rare in Hamptons spec homes, explained Susan Breitenbach, the Corcoran Group senior vice president who listed 78 Pheasant Close for $8.75 million last month. [more]