Serene O’Connor is an associate broker with Randall, Realtors in the Watch Hill neighborhood of Westerly.
A long-time real estate agent, she specializes in waterfront and second homes in Watch Hill and in Stonington, Conn. O’Connor built a home in Watch Hill in 1980. She spoke to the Providence Business News recently about some of her recent sales.
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PBN: You were the buyer’s agent in October for a transaction at 11 Yosemite Drive, in Watch Hill, which sold for $4.1 million. How did that sale happen?
O’CONNOR: The buyers were a referral to me. They saw five houses on a Monday, [including] this one. They came back on Wednesday. This met with almost all of their requirements perfectly.
PBN: Is a $4 million sale unusual even for Watch Hill and why is it attractive in the luxury market?
O’CONNOR: This year, nine properties in Watch Hill have sold for greater than $4 million. Watch Hill is a seasonal resort community. It has a protected harbor. It has beaches, it has clubs and great restaurants. It’s about two and a half hours from New York.
PBN: When did you enter the real estate field?
O’CONNOR: In 1968, I was living in California. In 1972, I moved to Rhode Island.
PBN: What was the real estate market in Rhode Island like in 1972?
O’CONNOR: I had a category for houses under $29,000.
PBN: In general, when do people who have waterfront homes in the family start to sell? Are these properties that remain within families for generations, or are they selling more frequently?
O’CONNOR: In Watch Hill, the average time for a house to be [owned by] a family is two and a half generations.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
