Inman Connect This time a year ago, getting a house in the Hamptons for the summer was akin to winning the lottery. After New York became a coronavirus hot spot, wealthy residents paid what they could to escape the city and secure a place in the affluent enclave. One man from the city paid nearly $2 million to rent a Bridgehampton property from April until Labor Day. Many more booked properties a year in advance to secure their spot for the upcoming summer while others stayed year-round, perhaps changing the region’s status as a summer escape for good. Noel Roberts