Housing

Mansion on an Island Is America's Most Popular Home

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: May 13, 2018 5:56 am

Last Updated: January 11, 2020 11:43 pm

One home. One island off the coast of Connecticut.  East of New Haven of the coast off Branford priced at $3 million.

Branford itself is a moderately prosperous town. It has a population of 28,000. The median household income is $71,719, over $15,000 higher than the national average. The city has almost no poverty. The median value of an occupied home is $294,000 which makes the island mansion very expensive by local standards. However, a home on an island with views of Long Island sound is rare, and in this part of Connecticut is one of a kind.

The home is on Wheeler’s Island which is just under .8 acres. The home is small, only 2,500 square feet. Somehow the builder was able to squeeze eight bedrooms and four full bathrooms under the roof. The house is relatively new, built in 2001. Since the island is covered by rock and woods, the grounds require very little upkeep, presumably.

The home was hard to build according to one real estate expert:

“She’s the prettiest home out there. Building the waterfront property meant bringing in materials by barge, and a hefty markup for building costs. But the effort is evident.”

The listing:

WHEELERS ISLAND-The Queen of the Thimble Islands, circa 2001. Located only 14 mi from the Hamptons across LI Sound and sitting in the heart of the Thimble Island community. Set on .77 manicured acres w/rolling green lawn, shade trees that offer privacy & a sandy beach for swimming or launching kayaks. This cherished home was built with passion from the ground up while maintaining its original character to perfection & can be easily be retrofitted for year-round use. No expense was spared in creating this masterpiece, built by one of the premier builders in CT, Petra Construction. With its two wrap-a-around porches & outdoor dining area, one can not only enjoy sunrises, sunsets, endless summer breezes, but the magic of the Thimble Islands. Interior features: a flexible flr plan, large FR w/fireplace, spacious eat-in country kitchen w/granite countertops, dishwasher, double sink & gas stove. The 3rd floor can be redesigned to create a spectacular MBR suite or continue to use as guest bedrooms. Amenities include: year-round electricity, city water, generator, room for small pool, phone, cable TV, internet, central vacuum, laundry room, outdoor fireplace & a Stony Creek granite dock. Accessible by boat/water taxi. If one were to search the entire eastern seaboard, one would find it nearly impossible to surpass such a treasure as the historic Thimble Island community. A must see for the waterfront enthusiast. Conv to PO Yacht & CC, Yale, train, 75 mi NYC.

Year-round electricity is certainly an attractive feature.