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Nick Churton of Mayfair International Realty visits a landmark waterfront house in Larchmont, New York.

Most great houses start with location. The Point, Larchmont, New York – just 35 minutes from Manhattan by train – defines this view. This important marine estate, which occupies a beautiful promontory within Larchmont Harbour, doesn’t so much enjoy the view across the harbour as command it. Larchmont Harbour is one of the best unspoilt harbours along the northern Long Island Sound shore and is prized as a key location to keep a house or boat – preferably both.

Anyone visiting The Point from the seaward side cannot miss this landmark property. Drawing up at the private deepwater dock isn’t so much a landing as an entrance. The tall flagpole with crosstree, dressed in the Stars and Stripes, and set in a broad lawn just adds to the sense of occasion.

But despite the location, the dock, the flagpole, the elegant verandas, the light-filled bedrooms plus lots of other things to delight, perhaps the best bit is the drawing room. This may be better described as a grand salon. Wide, spacious, light and elegant its windows feature two elements – sea and sky. It makes the most of the harbour view and beyond across the Sound to Long Island. I suppose it is a sailor’s room – I can’t think of one better. If one can’t be on the water but loves to draw peace, drama, pleasure and inspiration from it, then this room is about as good at it gets.

This is a house that fully engages with its magnificent location. It not only benefits from its position but enhances it also. The people who own property on this desirable waterfront are, often as not, something in the city. For the buyer of the Point it gets even better. He or she will also really be something in Larchmont. And that – besides being a seriously wonderful house in a magnificent position – is the point about The Point.

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Nick Churton of Mayfair International Realty visits a spectacular waterside home on Long Island Sound with some very fine sailing credentials.

A Shield is a one design class yacht. Each boat from a one design class is almost identical to others in that class – apart generally from the hull colour – making for well-matched and therefor exciting racing, easier identification and pretty-as-a-picture mooring. Which is exactly the view from 2 Bay Avenue, Larchmont, New York.  This grand marine residence sits next door to the exclusive Larchmont Yacht Club, established in 1880 and home to one of the largest fleets of these beautiful 30 ft sailing craft.

I mention one design because 2 Bay Avenue is itself a one design – in the very strictest sense. That is there is only one – only one designed like this; only one right next door to the yacht club; only one to have this view over one of Long Island Sound’s most unspoilt natural deep water harbours and only one chance to buy such a singularly desirable 1.3 acre waterside estate.

The house comes with a great dock for mooring, swimming and fishing. For the not so actively minded it comes with a magnificent stone terrace for sitting, eating and entertaining. The website and brochure will give a good idea of the outstanding interior. But a better idea is to see it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

All this doesn’t exactly come without cost. Fortunately Manhattan, the finest place in the world in which to make money to help pay for it, is only a 35 minute commute away. You may also like to factor in a Shield yacht to moor in the harbour. I notice that a brand new and never used one, built in 2008, is on the market for US$ 57,000.

So for someone who loves the water and perhaps boating at its finest this magnificent home will make you feel admirable or even like an admiral. Whatever floats your one design boat.

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Nick Churton of Mayfair International Realty goes all watery-eyed at a marine residence in Rye, New York.

Houses by water command some of the highest prices in real estate because they are in the most demand – a) there are fewer of them and b) water is the greatest lure in real estate.

So I gasped a little when I visited 6 Pine Island Road, Rye, New York. It is wonderful. Once this little spit of land was an island until someone created a short causeway and built this house. Now, with water on three sides, this home offers the ultimate in waterside living without actually being afloat.

This is a house for water lovers; those people who may settle on the best mooring before they settle on the best wallpaper. Here the anchorage may be more important than the garage. It wouldn’t take much longer to cross the Sound to Long Island by fast boat for dinner than drive in a car the three miles to a Greenwich restaurant.

Down by the shore the egrets stalk their fishy prey at low tide and other coastal birds can become as familiar as the neighbours.  The view is across the Long Island Sound to the Long Island Gold Coast. In-between lies Execution Rock marked with a navigation light. It is reputed that the British chained Patriots to the rock at low tide and let nature do the rest – a bit like Pirates of the Caribbean but without such a happy ending.

If nautical themes are your thing in decorating then this is the place for you. All that is great in design from Newport, Cape Cod, The Hamptons and Nantucket can be expressed here – but unlike these other marine idylls Rye is only 50 minutes by train to Manhattan.

But the real value here is the life this house will provide for the buyer, the buyer’s children and perhaps the buyer’s grandchildren. Just provide the family, throw in a boat or two and some life jackets and add water. Bliss.

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Nick Churton of Mayfair International Realty steps back in time in deepest Dutchess County, New York.

I like Quaker Hill near the town of Pawling in New York. It is only about 67 miles from Manhattan, it is very beautiful and has great history – as the name would suggest. Quakers, subjected to religious bigotry in England, settled here in the 1730s and George Washington headquartered here briefly in the summer of 1778 during the colonies’ fight for independence.

So I was fascinated to visit the Hall Christy House at 5 Meeting House Road, Pawling. It is a fully restored farmhouse that owes a great deal to the Flemish style – particularly with its attractive flared gambrel roof.

This is a house for the keen conservationist and architectural enthusiast. The current owners fit into both categories – and then some. They have meticulously restored this wonderful building and brought it back to life – even if the life they have brought it back to seems at first glance more 18^th century than 21^st. But don’t worry. On closer inspection electric light and air conditioning are fitted as standard.

The owners salvaged the building and the adjacent barn from people who didn’t really want them. Luckily they were put in the safe and creative hands of those who did. Both buildings were moved piece by piece and lovingly reconstructed with forensic diligence in this wonderful location.

The photos in the Houlihan Lawrence brochure and on their website will give you a better idea. I have chosen a shot of the living room that illustrates well the decoration, style and furnishing.

If you visit this lovely house seek out the light switches – they are cleverly hidden behind period perfect candle boxes hanging on the walls. And check out the handles, doorknobs and latches. Touch them. They have been touched like that since Indians still occupied the abundant woods of the Clove Valley and since before the notion of America was a twinkle in the eyes of the Founding Fathers. This is a living monument to the early pioneers. Settle here and you will join them – in spirit at least.