realestate

Affordable Oceanfront Hamptons Living: A $3M Trailer Home Surprise

Montauk Shores, a luxury trailer park retreat, offers mobile home ownership opportunities near the water.

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or $2.49 million, a buyer can own a slice of Montauk paradise with two bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and an ocean-facing deck perched above the waves at Ditch Plains. The catch? It's a manufactured trailer in the exclusive gated community of Montauk Shores.

    The 925-square-foot residence offers panoramic views of the Atlantic, a double-width floor plan, and a "gigantic attic." According to listing representative John Scott Thomas of Brown Harris Stevens, the unit is well-positioned, in good condition, and near-oceanfront homes tend to command significantly higher prices.

    Montauk Shores has transformed from a modest refuge for surfers and blue-collar vacationers into a landscape of 199 homes, ranging from aging trailers to bespoke modular rebuilds. The community is tucked inland from Ditch Plains Beach, one of the East End's premier surf breaks.

    The unit's soaring prices have redefined what a trailer park can be, making it a surprising haven for millionaires and billionaires seeking a casual ocean-adjacent getaway. While still cheaper than East Hampton or Amagansett oceanfronts, prices at Montauk Shores have risen dramatically, especially for units with full land ownership.

    "There's very little turnover," Thomas said. "No one's really put anything up for sale." As of now, only five properties are on the market in the community, two including land ownership and three leased-lot arrangements.

    The appeal of Montauk Shores lies not only in its location but also in its culture. Many buyers already own Hamptons homes or city penthouses and see Montauk Shores as a supplemental retreat: a convenient, low-maintenance space steps from the surf.

    The listing at Unit No. 701 includes an open kitchen, living and dining areas oriented toward the ocean, and a utility room with a full-sized washer and dryer. A separate shed offers space for storing surfboards and beach gear. Across the street, residents can access a manicured cliffside overlook complete with benches and a stairway leading directly to the sand.

    The current owner rebuilt the unit in 2015, using it primarily as a vacation property before deciding to relocate upstate. According to Thomas, the low roofline could be reimagined during a future renovation, though the home's structure already offers unusual width and potential for reconfiguration.

    Montauk Shores remains a coastal anomaly: a throwback enclave with basketball courts, heated pools, and playgrounds. "The community itself is super sweet," Thomas said. "It's lovely. It's definitely like a time capsule that you truly wouldn't ever expect in the Hamptons."

    As demand for Hamptons homes continues to intensify – and oceanfront land grows more scarce – Montauk's humble trailer park may be one of the last bastions of surfside access for under eight figures. Just don't expect the prices to stay modest for long.

Affordable oceanfront Hamptons trailer home, $3M price tag in upscale Long Island community.