Former 'Real Housewives' star Bethenny Frankel saying goodbye to $5.6 million Hamptons pandemic home

By Claudine Zap

The house 'saved me' during COVID

Bethenny Frankel is bidding adieu to her Bridgehampton home, listing the property-which served as her first Hamptons home-for $5,995,000.

The "Real Housewives of New York City" alum purchased the pretty property in 2013 for $2 million and spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic holed up in the home with her teenage daughter, Bryn.

If the home sells for full price, it's a 300% return on investment. Although some of that potential earning may have already been put toward Frankel's other stunning Hamptons mansion, a $5.5 million four-bedroom, four-bathroom house in nearby Southampton.

Frankel purchased that property in October 2023, but spent months completely renovating the home. She moved in at the start of the summer.

But the listing photos for her on-market home prove that the Skinnygirl founder has completely moved on, revealing not a single personal touch that would suggest it once belonged to such a famous former reality TV star.

The house 'saved me'

In an emotional post shared with her 3.5 million Instagram followers, Frankel opened up about how the home "saved her."

"This house has had so many lasting lifelong memories and really saved me during a very challenging time," she wrote, while sharing images of herself posing around the property. "It was so meaningful to keep adding and designing and making it the perfect dream home."

Looking back, she recalled some of the memorable moments in the house during the challenges of the pandemic with daughter Bryn and her dogs.

"This house was where we spent the pandemic with my 'quaranteam' of Bryn and my furry babies," she added.

"Houses hold beautiful energy and memories and this house is a very special home. It is hard to let go because it has such sentimental meaning but I now have fulfilled my dream of living on the beach, something I manifested while doing a beach walk in Bridgehampton.

"This is my adventure era so I am letting go and moving on. Whoever buys this gem is very lucky ... xoxo."

Beach house

Now, she owns a different Hamptons home that's a true beach house, as she noted on her Instagram post.

Photos from this summer feature her poolside with the beach a stone's throw from her property.

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Real estate wheeler-dealer

Frankel is no stranger to real estate machinations. In 2020, she sold a redone residence, also in the hamlet of Bridgehampton, for $2.2 million.

The reality TV star had picked that place up in 2017, renovated it in 2018, and then returned it to the market.

She's also renovated and sold not one, but two SoHo lofts: One was sold at a small loss in 2020 for $3.65 million. She had purchased the unit in 2014 for $4.25 million.

Two years later, she sold another loft for the full price of $7 million after renovating it. The result was featured in Architectural Digest in 2018, and the full-price sale led to a nice profit for Frankel, who had purchased the place in 2017 for $4.2 million.More from Realtor.com: Mira Sorvino's Design Request Gets Flat-Out Denied on 'Celebrity IOU'

Beautiful in Bridgehampton

As for the current home on the market: The picturesque property includes a 2,500-square-foot main house and a guest cottage surrounded by landscaped gardens and adjoining 40 acres of open fields.

The recently renovated dwelling features four bedrooms, an updated chef's kitchen, and a living room that "seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor spaces."

A delicious dining area overlooks a bluestone patio. Main spaces also include a den and sunroom.

Upstairs, the primary bedroom comes with a high ceiling, a bath, and a private sunporch.

Located on almost an acre, the backyard includes a pool, spa, pool house, and outdoor kitchen. The charming one-bedroom guest cottage has been "fully restored" with a kitchen, living room, washer-dryer, outdoor shower, and HVAC system.

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In addition, the property comes with a garage and is located near beaches, village shops, restaurants, and the train station.

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Frankel was an original "Real Housewives of New York City" cast member and appeared on the show in eight of its 14 seasons. The entrepreneur and home flipper went on to star in spinoff shows, including "Bethenny Ever After," and a home renovation show with "Million Dollar Listing" star Fredrik Eklund, "Bethenny & Fredrik."

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She also hosted a competition show on HBO Max, "The Big Shot With Bethenny."

This story originally ran on Realtor.com.

-Claudine Zap

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09-24-24 0500ET

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