If you're looking into buying in Bellport

Residents have access to two private beaches -- Mother's Beach on the Great South Bay and Ho-Hum Beach on Fire Island, says Garry King of Marylou Swan Realty Corp. in East Patchogue. The Bellport marina, known as the dock, has more than 150 berths, an area for fishing and crabbing, a playground, a gazebo and a bandshell. And when the Great South Bay freezes, there are events such as ice boating, King adds.

You won't find a chain store in the village's downtown. The stretch -- about a quarter-mile long on South Country Road -- is dotted by mom-and-pop shops, cafes and restaurants. "We try to keep it as local as we can," says David Rice, a lifelong resident who owns a real estate agency that bears his name. "We love people visiting, but we also love the small hometown" atmosphere, he adds.

There are roughly 1,100 homes in the village, Rice says, noting that many are historic. About 80 of them are on the National Register of Historic Places. Prices now start at about $269,000 and can go up to $5 million, King says.

Though most residents are full-timers, the area does attract second-home buyers from New York City, Rice says.