Considering the fact that Billy Joel has already stepped out with a new (and younger) gal pal, its pretty much common knowledge that his five-year marriage to Chef Katie Lee Joel is en route to divorce (I guess food really isn’t the way to a man’s heart?). Involved in that cursed parting of ways comes the inevitable parting of assets. As for the Joels, they had quite the eye for real estate; therefore, they have some property to send back to the market.
Specifically, there are two neighboring properties in the Hamptons up for grabs. In the charmingly quiet yet simultaneously high-brow Sagaponack, NY, Joel bought the adjacent properties about two years ago for just under a cool $30 million. The properties have been listed since August of this year, with a couple mil tacked on the asking price, as is the way with real estate. Most likely, the houses will be sold separately (Joel not included! Sorry, I couldn’t resist), and they both are truly magnificent and idyllic, while they each offer a different side of the Hamptons. Proverbially put, “so close, yet so far away.”
The first is a charmingly rustic three-bedroom/two-bathroom bungalow with an asking price of $12.5 million. This cottage is the smaller of the two homes, and is located with an enticing 145 feet of oceanfront white sands by way of private staircase. While lacking modern amenities such as central air-conditioning, the view entertains the idea of leaving all doors and windows open to let in the sea breeze and salty air. I can imagine this may get a little hot around lunchtime, but really, sunny days are meant to be frolicking outside anyhow, so a dip in the Atlantic should cure any possibility of heatstroke.
The latter property, checking in at a listed $22.5 million, is the oceanfront estate next door. With the same footage of ocean front placement, this home is a four bedroom/six bathroom is in the “upside-down” style, meaning bedrooms are on the bottom floor and the upstairs has been remodeled (read: the walls were knocked out) into one wide open space. The logic behind this is that the view is better the higher up you go, and the view should be shared by the masses and not just the homeowners in their private quarters. Additionally, there is a 2-car garage and annexed studio, ideal for housing live-in assistance. Décor-wise, the Joels entrusted Nate Berkus with the task of really bringing the home to life — mission accomplished. With bright bursts of color (Tangerine! Kelly Green!), and unique accents (French and Asian-inspired doors), the vibrancy of the interior is truly one of a kind.
Also included in the Joel real-estate bundle are a 14,000-foot, water-front home in Long Island, a townhouse in New York’s chic West Village, a $13.5 million home in Miami Beach, and a home in Sag Harbor, NY, with Mr. Joel’s private marina across the street. No news to report on the possible pending forfeiture of these properties, but the Joels’ losses in Sagaponack are the real estate world’s gain.
