If you're looking into buying in Bellport

The scoop. The bayside village of Bellport is often referred to as a laid-back version of the Hamptons. "It's incredibly charming," says Shari Will of Town & Country Homes of LI in Smithtown, adding, "It's sweet and small . . . and very low-key."

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.

Summer rentals. About $3,000 to $6,000 per month, Will says

Sales prices. From Dec. 1, 2010, to Dec. 31, 2011, there were 35 sales in the 11735 ZIP code, which includes the unincorporated area of Bellport, according to Multiple Listing Service of Long Island data. The median price was $125,000, with a low of $40,000 and a high of $895,000. From Nov. 1, 2009, to Nov. 30, 2010, there were 60 sales with a median price of $223,950. The low price was $47,000 and the high was $2,200,000.

Attractions. Gateway Playhouse stages live performances and operates an acting school; the Bellport Country Club offers various packages to villagers; the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society is on Bellport Lane.

MORE STATS

Town: Brookhaven

Area: 1.5 square miles

ZIP code: 11713

Population: 2,084

Median age: 51.3

Median household income: $84,519

Median home value: $380,000*

LIRR time to NYC: 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 44 minutes at peak

Monthly ticket: $395

School district: South Country

Sources: 2010 Census; mlsli.com; Long Island Rail Road

*Based on sales in the past six months according to Multiple Listing Service of Long Island