Okay, kailangan kitang tawagan ngayon kasi pumasok ako sa isang bahay at medyo… excited ako? Parang, nasaan ba ito habang nag-iikot tayo sa mga “cute pero…” na mga lugar? Alam mo kung paano ang bawat isa sa mga bahay ay may bersyon ng:
“Gusto ko ang ideya, ayaw ko ang layout,” o
“Magandang lokasyon, pero nakakaramdam ng sikip,” o
“Magandang kusina… kung gusto mong nakatayo sa ibabaw ng mga tao,” o
“Espasyong panlabas… kung bibilangin mo ang dalawang malungkot na upuan sa patio at isang grill na nakadikit sa isang sulok.”
Ito ay iba.
Una, mayroon itong malawak na harapang porch at ang bahay ay medyo nakataas mula sa kalye, kaya agad itong tila mas tahimik—parang hindi ka naka-display sa lahat ng dog-walker at leaf-blower sa loob ng kalahating milya. May malaking maple tree, magandang bakuran, at swear ko, maririnig mo ang mga alon na dumadagundong mula sa ilang mga bahay pababa. Ito ang tahimik, baybayin na tunog na nagpaparamdam sa iyo na parang bumababa ang presyon ng iyong dugo.
At sa loob? Ang layout ay kung ano ang hinahanap namin.
Sa wakas, may katuturan ang kusina. Mayroon itong island para sa paghahanda, ngunit mayroon ding hiwalay na counter/bar seating area, kaya lahat ay pwedeng mag-hang out malapit sa kusina nang hindi nagsisiksikan sa sinumang nagluluto. At ang matalinong bahagi? Mula sa mga barstool ay makikita mo pa rin ang TV sa itaas ng fireplace, kaya maaari pang makapag-mirienda, makipag-usap, manood ng kahit ano, lahat ay nasa parehong espasyo ngunit hindi nagbabanggaan ng siko parang nagtatrabaho kami sa brunch shift.
At saka, naaalala mo ba kung paano ko palaging sinasabi, “Saan napupunta ang mga tuwalya?” Sinagot ng bahay na ito iyon. Ang laundry ay diretso mula sa kusina sa mudroom, kaya ang mga beach towel at pool towel ay diretso na. Ito ay laundry pa rin, pero sa ganitong uri na hindi sumasakop sa buong buhay mo dahil ang setup ay hindi ka pinipigilan.
Pagkatapos, ang pangunahing living/dining area ay open at tila… mas malaki kaysa sa inaasahan mo. Parang, mayroon itong vibe na “lahat ay maaaring magkasama” nang hindi nakakaramdam na parang isang higanteng echo chamber. Talagang isang tunay na lugar na pwedeng tambayan.
Ngayon sa sitwasyon ng silid-tulugan, dito ako parang, okay, may nag-isip nito.
Mayroong isang main-floor suite na may walk-in closet at isang banyo na tama: soaking tub, hiwalay na shower, at ang pebble stone shower floor na nagpaparamdam na mataas ang kalidad nang hindi masyadong nagtatangkang mabigat. At pagkatapos sa itaas ay may isa pang suite, kaya ang mga bisita ay may aktwal na suite option din—plus dalawang karagdagang silid-tulugan at isang buong banyo, at ang isa sa mga ito ay may panloob na access kaya parang nagiging tatlong en-suite options depende sa kung paano mo ito itatakdang. Perpekto ito para sa mga bisita, mga bata, mga magulang na bumibisita, lahat iyon.
At ang likuran, makinig. Mayroong nakatakip na porch na nakatanaw sa pool, at sa kabila ng bakod ay may maple forest na hindi sila makakapagtayo. Napakalaking bahagi lamang niyan. Walang hinaharap na konstruksyon na sumisira sa vibe, walang “surpresa” bagong kapitbahay na nakatanim sa ibabaw ng bakuran. Basta pool, grill, fire pit… at totoong privacy.
At nakakakuha ka ng maraming pagpipilian sa beach malapit. Parang:
isang sandy beach sa kapitbahayan na may picnic tables at sunset breeze vibes,
S. Harbour Rd. Beach sa kanto—na sa tingin ko ay ang pinakamalawak na sandy beach na nakita ko dito,
at Goose Creek Beach ay ilang minuto lamang ang layo kung gusto mo ng pangatlong pagpipilian.
Plus, dahil hindi lang ito tungkol sa mga beach, malapit ang Croteaux Vineyard, at mayroon itong French-country vibe na… labis na nakakapersuade.
At narito ang praktikal na bagay na patuloy na lumilitaw sa aming paghahanap: mayroon itong buong dry basement, at kahit na malapit ka sa tubig, hindi ito nasa flood zone. Iyon ang uri ng detalye na nagpapabuhay sa iyo muli.
Totoo? Pagkatapos ng lahat ng mga bahay na nakita ko na nangangailangan ng mga pag-aayos ng layout, mga kompromiso, o “kaya natin itong gawing maayos” na talumpati… ito ay tila ang unang bahay na talagang gumagana na. At talagang tila ito ay nakaprice na parang nauunawaan nila ang mga kasalukuyang kondisyon ng merkado, hindi parang sinusubukan pa rin nilang kumita sa peak frenzy.
Kaya oo. Sinasabi ko sa iyo ngayon dahil kung ito ay magiging maayos sa paraan na nararamdaman nito sa personal… maaaring tapos na ang pambahay hunting sa Southold.

Okay, I have to call you right now because I just walked into a house and I’m kind of… excited? Like, where was this one hiding while we’ve been touring all those “cute but…” places?
You know how every other house has been some version of:
“Love the idea, hate the layout,” or
“Great location, but it feels cramped,” or
“Nice kitchen… if you enjoy standing on top of people,” or
“Outdoor space… if you count two sad patio chairs and a grill wedged into a corner.”
This one is different.
First off, it has this wide front porch and the house sits a little elevated from the street, so it immediately feels quieter—like you’re not on display for every dog-walker and leaf-blower within a half mile. There’s a big maple tree, a nice yard, and I swear you can hear the waves rolling from a few houses down. It’s that calm, coastal background sound that makes you feel like your blood pressure just… drops.
And inside? The layout is what we’ve been searching for.
The kitchen finally makes sense. It’s got the island for prep, but there’s also a separate counter/bar seating area, so everyone can hang out near the kitchen without crowding whoever is cooking. And the genius part? From the barstools you can still see the TV over the fireplace, so people can snack, talk, watch something, everybody’s in the same space but not bumping elbows like we’re working a brunch shift.
Also, remember how I keep saying, “Where do the towels go?” This house answers that. The laundry is right off the kitchen in the mudroom, so beach towels and pool towels go straight in. It’s still laundry, but it’s the kind that doesn’t take over your whole life because the setup isn’t fighting you.
Then the main living/dining area is open and it just feels… way bigger than you expect. Like, it has that “everyone can be together” vibe without feeling like one giant echo chamber. It’s actually a real hangout house.
Now the bedroom situation, this is where I was like, okay, someone thought this through.
There’s a main-floor suite with a walk-in closet and a bathroom that feels right: soaking tub, separate shower, and that pebble stone shower floor that makes it feel high end without trying too hard. And then upstairs there’s another suite, so guests have an actual suite option too—plus two more bedrooms and a full bath, and one of those has interior access so it almost reads like three en-suite options depending on how you set it up. It’s perfect for guests, kids, parents visiting, all of it.
And the backyard, listen. There’s a covered porch overlooking the pool, and beyond the fence is this maple forest they can’t build on. That part alone is huge. No future construction ruining the vibe, no “surprise” new neighbor looming over the yard. Just pool, grill, fire pit… and actual privacy.
And you get multiple beach choices nearby. Like:
a neighborhood sandy beach with picnic tables and sunset breeze vibes,
S. Harbour Rd. Beach around the corner—which I think is the widest sandy beach I’ve seen out here,
and Goose Creek Beach is only a few minutes away if you want a third option.
Plus, because life isn’t just beaches, Croteaux Vineyard is close, and it has that French-country vibe that is… extremely persuasive.
And here’s the practical thing that keeps popping up in our search: it has a full dry basement, and even though you’re near the water, it’s not in a flood zone. That’s the kind of detail that makes you breathe again.
Honestly? After all the houses I have seen that needed layout fixes, compromises, or “we could make it work” speeches… this one feels like the first house that already works. And it actually seems priced like they understand current market conditions, not like they’re still trying to cash in on peak frenzy.
So yeah. I’m telling you now because if this one checks out the way it feels in person… might finally be done with the house hunting in Southold.