Martha’s Vineyard

From the May issue: From the splashy beaches of the Hamptons to the rolling hills of the Berkshires, the vacation home markets popular with New Yorkers have been hit hard by the downturn.

But as the 2010 summer season gears up, reports indicate that things are turning around as the economy stabilizes and the threat of rising interest rates brings more buyers out of the woodwork.

This month, The Real Deal examined eight vacation home markets around the region. Of those, the South Fork of Long Island and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., show the sharpest recent rebounds in sales.

Rental figures are harder to come by, but anecdotally brokers across the eight markets said early leasing is up this year, while prices in most places are still below peak. This means last year’s rock-bottom deals will be harder to come by in low-inventory places like Fire Island, which brokers said they expect to be fully booked. However, in other areas, like the Berkshires, there are more rentals available as for-sale listings languish on the market.

In general, the tea leaves indicate that this summer might be the last to make that unbelievable deal. Below is a rundown of the region. [more]

A selection of the honorees, from left: Evan Kulman, Gene Stilwell, Susan Breitenbach, Sheri Winter Clarry, and Thomas Mangel

The Corcoran Group has released its 2009 annual list of the top performing agents on the East End, with Evan Kulman and Gene Stilwell, who had marketed the house designed by former Christie Brinkley husband Peter Cook last year, winning the designation of top company team of 2009. The two have garnered honors from Corcoran jointly and individually in the past — in 2006, Stilwell was named top Bridgehampton sales person of the year, while the duo were named the second-place team on the East End in 2008. Sheri Winter Clarry had the top deal in the North Fork and was named the top producer of the year in that market. Susan Breitenbach, who had the top deal in the South Fork, was named the top producing agent in Bridgehampton. Breitenbach has repeatedly nailed top spots in Corcoran’s yearly rankings, including top sales agent in the East End in 2007 and top exclusive agent in 2008. Other awards, including the top commercial sales agent designation and the rookie of the year honor, went to Thomas Mangel of the Westhampton Beach office and Ling Li of the Amagansett office, respectively. Gary DePersia, meanwhile, was named top producer of the year in East Hampton. TRD [more]