Fire Island's "Tower House," as locals call it, is on the market for $1.6 million.
The three-bedroom home at 15 Dune Walk on New York's barrier island sits on a sliver of land sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Anyone who buys the home can climb up the tower and see the shoreline and water, listing agent Kevin Loiacono said.
"It's an amazing view," he told Homes.com. "It's like having your own private piece of the Atlantic Ocean."
To be sure, the property is in a designated flood zone, meaning buyers will likely need flood insurance if they finance the home traditionally with a mortgage, Loiacono said.
Still, Loiacono said the home is special in part because it's an oceanfront property that's close to a national park — Fire Island National Seashore. The home itself is "architecturally impressive," and "it's not what you'd expect from a beach house," he added.
Built in 1959, the Tower House has beamed ceilings across a 1,432-square-foot structure. At one time, the house had additions that blocked occupants from accessing other parts of the home without first going outside. The owners finished those projects and constructed an internal staircase that fixed the problem, Loiacono said.
The kitchen features wood floors and a wood-burning stove. Outside, the home is on a half-acre lot with a deck and a private staircase leading to the ocean.
"The deck is much more spacious than you'd think, and it's a space for entertaining," said Loiacono of Brookhampton Realty in Center Moriches.
The home sits on Fire Island — a shoreline community directly south of Long Island where bungalows, cottages and large waterfront properties are mainstays in the housing stock and where vehicles are, for the most part, prohibited. Loiacono described Fire Island as "a barrier beach on the Atlantic Ocean" with a restaurant mecca in Patchogue on mainland Long Island and accessible by ferry. In the 1950s, Fire Island established itself as a haven for the LGBTQ+ community and remains so today.
The grandchild takes priority
The Tower House's current owners are a married couple who have used it as a summer home for over 40 years. They've decided to sell the property because they want to spend more time with their grandchild, who happens to be in Florida these days, Loiacono said. The couple will maintain a residence in New York City, but the goal is to be down South more often, he said.
Loiacono said potential buyers have visited to view the home and that direct access to the water is the most attractive part. "There's no denying the ocean is the biggest feature because you're looking clear across Fire Island," he said.
Within the house, however, buyers have been wowed by the tower.
"It's almost like a lighthouse," he said. "When they see the tower, it's impressive and they're just staring out at the ocean."
