Mansion Global

Waterfront Montauk House With Unparalleled Privacy Hits Market for $48 Million

The current owner bought the land over 20 years ago for $620,000

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"Privacy, privacy, privacy," is what $48 million will get you on Montauk Point.

That and a five-bedroom, four-bathroom home on the beach and almost 36 acres of land, which owner Eli Wilner has been enjoying for more than 25 years.

More:Montauk, That Old Surfer’s Paradise, Is Plenty Upscale

"I didn’t know I was a nature lover until I moved here," he told Mansion Global. Mr. Wilner, bought the property with his wife, Barbara,  in the early 1990s for $620,000. "They were asking $700,000, but we negotiated," added Mr. Wilner, who owns Eli Wilner & Company, a New York City-based firm specializing in restoring and replicating antique frames.

At the time, the property didn’t have a building permit, much less a building, and no one wanted to take a risk on it. But Mr. Wilner thought they might just "bring a tent out there."

As it turns out, a tent city wasn’t necessary. The permits came through and the couple moved into the house a few years after buying the land. Architect Frank Hollenbeck designed the home, which has a blue-tiled roof inspired by a Chinese tea house, according to the listing.

The 7,000-square-foot modern home has three levels, with a wraparound terrace for 360-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean. Sunsets and sunrises were part of the design, and the orientation of the building allows for watching both. The home also has huge windows to frame the views and let the light in.

The views are just one talking point of the home, which also features intricately carved, Japanese-influenced wooden doors throughout, which were made by Mr. Wilner’s company and took 10 years to create.

"We did one for the front door," he said. "We didn’t even live there yet, but as soon as we saw it, we knew we needed to replace every door. You just can’t even look at a regular door after that; they must be carved doors, and carved on both sides."

Mr. Wilner added that when his wealthy clients visit, including the likes of Martha Stewart, "all they care about is the carved doors."

Beyond the elaborate entryways, there are also five large bedrooms with ocean views, and the four bathrooms are clad in Italian carrara marble. There are Norwegian quartz countertops throughout, as well as four gas fireplaces, a 15-zone radiant heat system and a six-zone air-conditioning and dehumidification system.

More:Click here for Coverage of Hamptons Real Estate

The property has been listed several times over the years, beginning in 2008, according to public records. It was last on the market in 2016 for $55 million, and was listed Tuesday with Brown Harris Stevens, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate.

"It is the only property I know with this much pristine private beach," said listing agent Martha Gundersen of Brown Harris Stevens. "It is a nature lover's retreat, with the most privacy and serenity of any known property on the East End."

Indeed, it’s the land and its location Mr. Wilner enjoys the most. He spends a lot of time hiking its trails with his dogs and relishes being so close to Manhattan—it’s about 10 minutes to the airport, then a 45-minute helicopter ride—and then coming back to his very private paradise.

"Not to see even a footprint on the beach...I still pinch myself," he said. And although he doesn’t see them, he does have some very high-profile neighbors, including musician Paul Simon, actor Liev Schreiber and  art dealer Adam Lindemann, who lives on an estate that once belonged to Andy Warhol.

Mr. Wilner and his wife are being called to Boca Raton, Florida, where Mr. Wilner’s aging parents live. His company will remain in New York, and he’ll commute weekly. He does, however, hope to have one more summer in the house.

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