Billy Joel just sold his Long Island estate for a total of $35 million — $14 million under the original asking price
Business Insider
March 6, 2026
Billy Joel sold his waterfront estate in New York that he once could only dream of owning.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
Billy Joel sold the last piece of his massive estate in Centre Island, New York, for $28.75 million.
The property went on the market in 2023 for $49 million and was relisted in 2024.
Altogether, the 26-acre estate has four distinct houses and over 2,000 feet of private beachfront.
Billy Joel is moving out.
The main piece of the "Piano Man" singer's Long Island estate just sold for $28.75 million, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International Realty, the home's realty company, announced in a post on Instagram earlier this week.
The 26-acre waterfront estate, known as "MiddleSea," in Centre Island, New York, first went on the market in 2023 after completing a five-year renovation project.
The original asking price for the whole property, which is comprised of four distinct houses, was $49 million. After going on the market in 2023, it was relisted in 2024 with additional renovations.
The estate's sale was eventually broken into pieces, with the gatehouse selling separately for $7 million last year. This sale, combined with the recent sale of the main house and two adjacent lots, totals $35.7 million, The New York Times reported.
It comes nearly a year after Joel had to step away from performing after being diagnosed with a rare brain disorder. The lifelong New Yorker is making progress, even offering a short surprise performance with a tribute band in January.
His now-former estate, MiddleSea, has quite the backstory. Joel first spotted the waterfront estate as a teenager while harvesting oysters to earn extra money to support his working-class family.
"I'll never live in a house like that," he thought to himself at the time, The New York Times reported in 2024.
He was wrong. Joel ended up purchasing the estate in 2002, fulfilling one of his lyrics written more than half a century ago: "I wish that I was back in Oyster Bay / Takin' it easy, oh yeah." Forbes reported in 2019 that his net worth was an estimated $52 million.
Take a look inside the waterfront property in Centre Island, New York.
The estate is located in Oyster Bay in the town of Centre Island, New York.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The collection of homes is nestled on 26 acres of pristine Long Island real estate.
Joel nicknamed the property MiddleSea due to its positioning in the middle of the sea, with Oyster Bay on one side and Cold Spring Harbor on the other, The New York Times reported.
He also named the property MiddleSea in honor of his favorite instrument.
The property was named for its spot on Long Island Sound and for a piano key.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The Times reported that Joel also named the property after "middle C," the centermost C note on a piano.
"If it's not for me being able to take piano lessons, I probably would never have been able to afford a high-flying property like this. So, I named it after the first note which I learned on the piano, which was C," Joel said.
Joel's property was made up of four distinct homes, which were ultimately sold separately.
The property has four separate homes, plus a maintenance building.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
One problem with selling the home was its high taxes. The annual property tax bill had reached over half a million dollars, The Times reported, diminishing the property's allure to potential buyers.
The sale was made easier by selling the estate in pieces, and ultimately, the entire property sold for $14 million below the 2023 asking price.
In its entirety, the property is made up of four distinct homes — the main house, the beach house, the guest house, as well as the gate house, which sold last year. A maintenance house also sits on the property.
The property's main house is a 20,000-square-foot red-brick mansion.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The home has five ensuite bedrooms and a primary suite with two full bathrooms and a private balcony that overlooks the water.
The foyer features black-and-white marble tiling, a chandelier, and 30-foot ceilings.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The grand staircase leading up to the rest of the property is also made from white marble and features an ornate wrought-iron railing.
The main kitchen has two large islands and art deco-style light fixtures.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The islands are made with Calacatta Caldia Marble.
The kitchen's appliances are similarly high-end, from the Waterstone faucets and bronze-and-gold farm-style sink to the Officine Gullo Firenze Oven, which can cost upward of $20,000, and Sub-Zero refrigerator.
There's also a chef's kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and surround backsplash.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The chef's kitchen provides ample space for cooking and accommodating large groups of guests.
The "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" singer once said he "makes a great pasta" and "it's probably my favorite food," Page Six reported.
There's also a formal dining room with a large white marble fireplace.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The formal dining room has large paned windows that overlook the property and crown molding on the ceiling.
The main house's backyard has a waterfall feature and access to a floating dock and a boat ramp.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The main house's manicured lawns overlook the water.
The guesthouse has three bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The guesthouse is 3,839 square feet, has an attached four-car garage, and was newly renovated before the property was relisted in 2024.
The living room has a fireplace and French doors that overlook the bay.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The guesthouse is smaller than the main house but features some of the same classic details, like the fireplace and molding around the ceiling.
There's also a private two-lane bowling alley in the basement.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
There's a lot of extra space for entertainment, including a large family room over the attached garage.
The gatehouse was sold separately last year for $7 million.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The five-bed, four-bath house is a self-sufficient property. The home has its own driveway, security gate, and swimming pool.
The home has two kitchens, a media room, a screened-in patio, and a first-floor primary ensuite.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
In addition to its main gourmet kitchen with a Viking oven and Sub-Zero refrigerator, there's also a chef's kitchen in the back with its own fireplace.
A stone patio surrounds the free-form heated gunite swimming pool.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The Long Island Sound can also be seen from the pool.
The beach house sits on a strip of pristine beachfront.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
It has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, an eat-in kitchen, and a large stone patio with pergolas.
Its kitchen features custom Ciuffo cabinetry and Calacatta quartz countertops.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
Other luxury appliances in the kitchen include a side-by-side Sub-Zero refrigerator, a Wolf oven, and a Miele dishwasher.
The living room has French doors that open onto the beachfront.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The home is noticeably more water-friendly than the other properties, thanks to the porcelain tile flooring that makes it easy to transition from indoor to outdoor living.
The house also has its own gunite pool.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
A stone's throw away is a helipad for helicopter arrivals and departures, a floating dock, and over 2,000 feet of waterfront beach.
The maintenance house doubles as a garage that can hold up to six cars.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Laffey International Realty
The second floor of the maintenance house also has a working office or break room.
Editor's note: This story was first published in November 2024. It was updated in March 2026 to reflect the sale of the property.
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Originally published on Business Insider on 3/6/2026