'Real Housewives' Jill Zarin as real estate genius

Jill Zarin is a woman of many talents. The fabric company owner, reality TV star, soon-to-be published author and charity maven is also, apparently, a real estate genius.

In the Hamptons-heavy season premiere of "The Real Housewives of New York City" airing March 4, the Woodmere native mentions to the other gals over lunch that she's been staying with fellow cast member Countess LuAnn de Lesseps' at her Bridgehampton hideaway. "We sold our house in the Hamptons," Zarin says. "I mean, were we the smartest people in America?"

"That was just a coincidence that we sold at the top of the market," she laughs.

She and husband, Bobby, sold the 5,200-square-foot Sag Harbor house, pictured here, in 2007 for $2.850 million. They had asked for $3.395 million for the five-bedroom, six-bath home, but came up with a deal where they could stay at the house and its 1.98 acres for the months of June and July for two years.

The Zarins bought the then-nearly new home in 2003 for $1.850 million.

Newsday Photo, 2009  /  Thomas A. Ferrara