Summer is synonymous with water views, fresh air and sun, so once Memorial Day is behind us, Northeasterners look to shake the dust off their sandals and head where skies are more open and life feels a bit more relaxed. Second home markets for suburban towns along Connecticut’s Gold Coast, NYC and its environs range from the luxe and lively beach towns of the Hamptons, to the historic fisherman’s towns of Nantucket to the quiet canoe-laiden lakeshores of the Berkshires, and beyond. Realtors in popular second home destinations across the Northeast are seeing a few shifts this year in trends, from a buyer pool that is growing increasingly national to a desire for completely turn-key residences and a return to families seeking legacy properties that they can pass down from generation to generation. What hasn’t changed is a continuation of low inventory and strong demand.
Buyer Pool is National and Invested
Among the hottest destinations in the region for Northeast buyers to find second homes are the Berkshires in eastern Massachusetts, the cape and islands including Nantucket in western Massachusetts, the mountains near Stowe, VT, and the Hamptons on Long Island, NY, but real estate professionals in those areas all say they are seeing a growing numbers of buyers coming from states outside of the Northeast, particularly Texas, Florida and other southern states where summer heat is driving residents to cooler destinations between Memorial Day and Labor Day. “It feels like Nantucket has been discovered in a way,” since the pandemic, says Ethan Ulmer, real estate agent with Great Point Properties in Nantucket. “It has shifted from being a more regional destination to truly a national one.” Real estate agent Meg Kauffman of LandVest Properties in Stowe, VT, sees the same shift in Vermont. A report from Vermont Life Realtors four months ago, said Stowe’s housing market is 80% second homes. While you might think that would mean owners aren’t invested in the community, it’s quite the opposite, says Kauffman: “It’s cohesive. Second home owners are very much a part of the community when they buy in Stowe.”
Legacy Properties
It could be that their investment in the community stems from a return to buyers looking for legacy properties that they can pass down from one generation to the next. Kauffman says buyers in Stowe frequently want a home large enough to house extended family, parents, grandchildren or friends. “They want a house with space that allows them to spread out…and then have central gathering areas within the house,” she adds.
“That has always been a major drive in the Nantucket market,” says Ulmer. “A lot of business here comes from those life-cycle changes—families expanding, consolidating, or sometimes downsizing.”
Luxury Properties
Across the region, real estate agents say the mid-tier and high-end luxury homes are where they are seeing the most interest, as buyers in those markets have cash and are less impacted by changes in the economic landscape. In Vermont, that’s between $2 and $3 million. In Nantucket, the average sale price is just under $4.7 million this year, but Ulmer says in the last couple of years, in Nantucket, the $2 to $4 million range sees the most activity. Douglas Elliman reports the average sales price in the fourth quarter last year to be above $3 million, but there is a lot of activity in the high-end ($20-million range) according to end-of-year reports from William Raveis for 2025, which said the $20-million range saw the largest increase in home sales last year.
Low Inventory, High Demand
Since the pandemic’s real estate buying frenzy, Northeast inventory has been hard to come by and prices have continued to climb. Six years later, things are settling down but still steady. With some sellers ready to put their homes on the market, inventory has increased but there are a lot of buyers waiting in the wings so homes are selling quickly—particularly if priced well and turn-key. Across the Northeast, real estate agents are saying there has been a shift in priority. Before, some neighborhoods were more desirable than others, but homebuyers are broadening their search.
In Nantucket, “years ago, buyers were often very focused on a specific area of the island—whether that was town, Sconset, or somewhere else,” says Ulmer. “Over the past five years, that has shifted. Now people mainly want to be on Nantucket, and they’re more flexible about location because the island is relatively small and easy to navigate.”
Justin Agnello, real estate agent with The Atlantic Team in the Hamptons has a similar report. With inventory being low, “I think it’s more about finding the total package,” he says. “They used to say, ‘I only want to be in East Amagansett,’ but now they have kind of branched out into Southampton or Bridgehampton or Sag Harbor.”
Convenient and Turn-key
What they are prioritizing is convenience. Turn-key homes that don’t require renovations are selling quickly and getting multiple offers. “Buyers nowadays want a fully finished product,” observes Agello. “They don’t want to wait two years to renovate and bring it up to speed, so I think buyers are willing to spend more on products like that. I think that’s where we’re seeing prices improve.”
“Buyers are certainly willing to pay more for a home that doesn’t need work,” agrees Kauffman. The convenience of being able to move right in is part of a shift toward a desire for convenience across the board. She said her buyers want proximity to amenities or to have mountain views and trails right on their property.
“They’re very focused on lifestyle and proximity, especially in a market as art- and culture-driven as this one,” says Cameron Volastro, real estate agent in the Berkshires for William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty. His listing at 2 Kemble St., Lenox, MA, is minutes from where Tanglewood is held each summer. “We’re seeing buyers who are much more selective now. Many second-home buyers want to lean into that lifestyle without compromising on the property itself. Privacy remains very important, and waterfront homes are still driving a lot of demand.”
While at one time, developers in the Hamptons were focused on square footage, now those building in the Hamptons put the focus on amenities and privacy. “Cold plunges, outdoor saunas, wellness packages, that will enhance the property,” says Hara Kang, real estate agent with The Atlantic Team of Douglas Elliman. “They want a bit of lawn, they want a pool, they want all the bells and whistles,” adds Agnello. “Padel,” laughs Kang, of the trending racket game that blends tennis and squash. “Everyone wants padel.”
Volastro says the focus on amenities stems from buyers wanting properties that will draw the family to come and spend time there. The majority of second home buyers right now are from that older population with grown kids and young grandchildren, because that segment of the population has the cash and time to invest in a second home. “Sometimes it’s waterfront and they’re going tubing and water skiing, or it’s swimming pools or just exciting features on the home that they think their grandkids will enjoy,” says Volastro of the amenities buyers are looking for.
Advice from the Pros
So what advice do the pros have for buyers and sellers this year?
If you are buying, first, find a real estate agent who has lots of experience working in the area you are house hunting. “There is a lot of private market stuff going on,” says Agnello. “People don’t want to list it for sale but someone in the know has a buyer, that kind of thing.”
Second, do your homework and get to know the community. “It’s a more balanced market now,” says Kauffman. “Buyers are very patient and they are data-driven. They will wait until something seems like a good value.” Rather than a lot of “sight unseen” purchases that happened during the pandemic, Kauffman says, her buyers research the area before they purchase because there are often opportunities for great properties in parts of the community that are less well-known. “It’s more common that people are coming up to actually visit and understand the community,” she adds.
And lastly, have your finances in order, whether its cash at the ready or financing approved. “Have that all lined up, so that when the right property does come on the market, especially in a low inventory environment that we’re in, you will be able to act on the house that you like,” says Ulmer.
And if you are planning to sell, if you’ve already had any renovations done, be sure to have a certificate of occupancy from your town. Buyers are crossing their Ts and dotting their Is to make sure they aren’t inheriting unknown headaches. Agnello has seen purchases delayed and sales fall through because sellers didn’t have permits filed. “That cost could be substantial if it’s not reviewed,” he notes.
And if your house needs repairs and updates, make them before you list if you want your home to sell for a good price and quickly. “Time is more important to them than the money, frankly,” says Volastro of buyers this year. “They’d rather just pay up front for something that’s completely done, and just hang up their toothbrush.”
