Saunders’ Krae Van Sickle And Lylla Carter Share Their Favorite Celeb Sale, Hamptons Trends And More

“Together, we have 40 plus years of real estate experience,” shared Krae Van Sickle, a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker at Saunders, who has worked alongside Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, Lylla Carter, for more than a decade. “Our work in real estate includes developments in NYC, Boston and Chicago in the 1980’s; being the Senior Managing Director for the Corcoran Group and before that Allan Schneider Associates; negotiating many hundreds of transactions of our own and on behalf of our agents during our years in management, and participating in the conservation of hundreds of acres of land on the East End of Long Island.”

What sets you apart from other agents in the Hamptons?

KVS and LC: If you look at what we have sold, the special nature of the places we deal with is apparent. The common thread of the properties we tend to deal with are that they exemplify the core qualities people seek when looking for property in the Hamptons. People care deeply about the particulars of the property itself, but what motivates them initially are the extrinsic, experiential aspects associated with owning a property in the Hamptons — the recreational, cultural and lifestyle experiences, the natural environment, having a sanctuary where they can relax, celebrate with friends and family, rejuvenate and luxuriate right at home or just out the door. The most important contributions we can make to our customers and clients come from what we experience living here ourselves.

If “location” is the first rule in real estate, what is the second? Why?

KVS and LC: Timing is the second rule in real estate. A good real estate agent should be able to look at the trends in inventory, price and dollar volume of transactions and give sellers a pretty good idea if it is a favorable or unfavorable point in time to be a seller. On the buyer’s side, if loyal buyers work with an agent so the agent develops a good idea of what they are looking for, the agent can keep an eye on properties they think might work for that buyer and send them a notice the moment a price drop happens or when a seller of a favored property sends a ‘bring all offers’ signal to the marketplace. These are ways timing can really work for buyers and sellers.

Krae Van Sickle and Lylla Carter have worked together for more than a decade. (Courtesy Photo)

When it comes to unique features and amenities, home in the Hamptons have it all. What are some of your favorites/amenities that really stand out?

There are more and more energy-saving amenities we see as a trend in new houses and in renovations which help a house be more comfortable, convenient and that save a lot of money over time. These include building techniques like super-efficient insulation, houses built with virtually no air leaks to prevent heated and cooled air from escaping, geothermal HVAC systems, smart controls like programmable thermostats and lighting, variable-speed pool pumps and solar panels, which can save a homeowner tremendous amounts of money over the life of the equipment.

What is so special about the Hamptons real estate market?

This area holds some of the most precious real estate in the world due to a number of factors: its inherent natural beauty, amenities, recreational opportunities, geographic limitation (surrounded by water), zoning restrictions and proximity to one of the world’s most important cities. The factors that make the Hamptons desirable are unlikely to change. In our experience, during market contractions demand just accrues. Typically, as soon as macroeconomic circumstances stabilize and buyers feel a bit of confidence, there are rapid and dramatic upswings in transactions and appreciation in values.

Tell us about some of your most memorable sales and what made them so. Was it the selling price, location, or a celebrity buyer?

Our sale of Dick Cavett’s 77 oceanfront acres in the Montauk Moorlands stands out because of the unique stature of that property and due to the fact that it was sold to become preserve next to an existing 122 acres of oceanfront land that we had formerly listed, which was also designated as preserve. We are also proud of our sales of a number of historic Hamptons properties, such as two of the houses in the William Merritt Chase Art Village, two of the turn-of-the century houses on Bluff Road in Amagansett, one of the oldest farm houses in Sagaponack and one of the original Seven Sisters houses in Montauk that was designed by Stanford White.