Housing Bubble? How to know in 2022.The first place to look is in your own real estate market. Ask the business people who are listing and selling property most often. Holly and I call them the ASR real estate agents and real estate brokers - those who Actually Sell Real estate.6 Questions to ask your favorite "ASR":A. Are the numbers of listings increasing?B. Are there more price reductions happening?C. Are properties staying on the market longer?D. Are properties in distress by foreclosure pre-ceedings/processes on the rise?E. Is average price still increasing?F. Are you seeing fewer cash transactions?Why A? Because if the number of listings are increasing, then sellers may not have as much control over pricing as they have up to now.Why B & C? Price reductions and/or a higher "Days O... 06/09/2022

Pianist Sergei Novikov will perform two concerts on Friday May 27 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at the Cotuit Center for the Arts,4404 Falmouth Rd, Cotuit, MA. From Tchaikovsky to Phantom and from Ellington to Joel, the performance will delight the audience, all with a good sense of humor. Part of the profits from concerts will be donated to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to help assist Ukraine.Sergei has performed for such luminaries as President George H.W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, President Joe Biden as well as Billy Joel, Reba McEntire and Paul Newman. He opened a program for first lady Barbara Bush. Sergei received official recognition from the Queen Mother of England for his music. He performed a solo concert in the same WCRB Classical Concert series as th... 04/23/2022

Why so few houses to buy in 7 short points.1. After the last "housing market downturn", many construction workers (tradespeople) found other jobs.This exodus from the trades has still not reversed. 2. The building slump in America has continued thru today, and hasn't recovered to the needed levels to increase new home availability.Finding enough skilled workers is still a problem for builders who are making an attempt to grow their inventory of projects.3. The pandemic hit and slowed everything down.With the government paying people to stay healthy, and with the fear of catching something awful, workers stayed home.4. As part of the latest slow down, supply chains became broken and sporadic.We've all seen the ships in the harbor waiting to unload, and many people have heard stories of h... 04/05/2022

Real Estate Seller Tips :1.  How has selling real estate changed since you last sold? The changes can be surprising. There can be scores of steps before the closing.2.  Once you decide to sell, understand that your property is an asset rather than your home. Let go as best you can, and enjoy the process. Deciding to sell starts the adventure.3.  Choose an experienced professional to guide and advise as to what are normal requests, forms, clauses, and business procedures. Real Estate has become more specialized than you may remember.4.  Rely on your active professional for honest information about how buyers will look at your property. Be receptive and consider their experience useful.5.  Location Location Location has morphed into varying degrees of Location Condition Price, with all be... 03/28/2022

The Top Vacation Home Counties in the USA:According to the most recent NAR Vacation Homes Report (https://cdn.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2021-vacation-home-counties-report-06-15-2021.pdf), the top 1% of vacation home counties were in 16 states. North Carolina had four vacation counties (Swain,  Alleghany, Macon, Watauga); there were three each in New York (Greene, Sullivan, Hamilton), Vermont (Windham, Bennington, Windsor), Massachusetts (Dukes (Martha's Vineyard), Barnstable, Nantucket), and Michigan (Oscoda, Alcona, Clare); there were two each in Florida (Lee, Collier), Missouri (Hickory, Camden), and Maryland (Garrett, Worcester). Oklahoma, Maine, Arizona, New Jersey, Georgia, New Mexico, Delaware, and Minnesota each had one vacation home county that landed in the top ... 03/24/2022

Falmouth MA Real Estate Market in March 2021 Cape Cod The Falmouth MA, Cape Cod, Real Estate Market in March 2021 is busy and crazy. Falmouth has limited inventory and rising prices. The pictures below show some of the data that we see in 2021.With over 20,000 properties, Falmouth is one of the largest real estate markets on Cape Cod. As of this writing, there were 44 available properties in Falmouth in February 2021, and on the 29th of March there were only 35 homes not under agreement. Inventory is a real problem for our customers and clients who are trying to get their year round home and summer vacation homes settled.Experienced real estate professionals like Holly and I are resorting to using "real estate wish lists" for specific buyers. Then we look for those properties and see if... 04/03/2021

Real Estate Bourne MA, Cape Cod Market in March 2021Bourne MA, Cape Cod Real Estate Market in March 2021The Bourne MA Real Estate Market on Cape Cod in March 2021 is busy and crazy. Like the rest of the Massachusetts' real estate markets, Bourne has limited inventory and rising prices. The pictures below show some of the data that we see.With around 5,000 properties spread out on both sides of the Cape Cod Canal, Bourne is an average Cape Cod real estate market in terms of possible properties to buy. As of this writing, there were 27 available properties in Bourne in February, and today on the 29th of March there are only 19. Inventory is a real problem for our customers and clients who are trying to get their year round home and summer vacation homes settled.Holly and I are resorting t... 03/30/2021

Are there Ups and Downs in the Cape Cod Real Estate Market?Are there Ups and Downs in the Cape Cod Real Estate Market? The short answer is yes, like all real estate markets. More specifically, there are ups and downs each month, as well as the ups and downs that happen in the real estate cycles over a decade or so.The chart below shows the ups and downs over a 17 year period for Barnstable County Real Estate. The data is from the Cape and Islands MLS which is one MLSs that we are a part of.  And interestingly, it provides the answer to the age old question, "How's the real estate market? on Cape Cod"In this case, for all price points and including all 15 Cape Cod towns, the answer is a resounding, "H M M M M M M M ... let me think about that." Each year is an M with most activity in the... 03/29/2021

Cape Cod Weather - March 2021If you're like me you're ready to get outside and enjoy Cape Cod. Below is a calendar to help plan for the clear and the rainy days. As for the temperatures, supposedly we'll have a range from low 40s to high 40s. Of course I find that the media outlets in Boston and Providence are usually not correct.In my opinion we have very different weather on the Cape, and especially in Falmouth, for a few reasons. In Falmouth there is Buzzard's Bay, Vineyard SOund, the Gulf Stream, and the currents in the sound that all affect the weather here. We'll often have different weather than the rest of The Cape. However, if Falmouth gets a bad storm, the rest of The Cape is usually impacted also.For the rest of The Cape, there is the addition of Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic... 03/11/2021

Cape Cod Weather - March 2021If you're like me, you're wondering when to plant grass and plan outdoor projects and activities. So here is a calendar that tries to predict the weather for the rest of March on Cape Cod. I find that most of the media outlets in Boston and Providence have a hard time getting their predictions even close. So we'll see how this calendar holds up to the same scrutiny.In general, my experience is that once you're over the bridges, the temperature changes, the clouds change, and the actual weather is different. And in Falmouth, we have even more differences. My opinion is that because we have Cape Cod Bay on the west, and Martha's Vineyard and the Gulf Stream on the south as well as the currents in the Sound, we get different wind and weather than most of the ot... 03/11/2021

Well, we have already had two months of very, very, limited inventory on Cape Cod in 2021.Time flies when you're trying to get a place on Cape Cod right now.If you are looking to buy or sell there are some crazy things happening!For example, today on 3/8/21, there are 38, thirty eight, less than 40 listings "available".The average: price = 1,400,000+ , Bedrooms = 3+ , Baths 3+ , Days On Market = 71.This is all crazy, because we have usually closed an average of 38 homes a month in Falmouth in the past.If you're preparing to buy in Falmouth, here are some suggestions.Be prepared to bid higher than the asking price.Have your financing as ready as you possibly can, because you want your offer to looked on favorably.Decide how much work you are willing to take on in any property, and look a... 03/08/2021

Buyers With No Check - Beware, Deal or no Deal?What if the buyer doesn't deliver the offer check? The Cape Cod and Islands Association Of Realtors (CCIAOR) recently published an article providing direction on this question. Basically, if you used one form for the offer, the answer is no deal. If you used another form, the answer is deal. Confused? Make sure your real estate professional isn't!Because I am not a lawyer and because this is not legal advice, I need to say, "It is my understanding that" in MA, a binding real estate contract needs a written offer, acceptance of that offer with no changes and within the time constraints of that offer, and then some form of consideration delivered and received by the seller. If one of these components is not in place, then there is probably no... 08/06/2020

People often ask a REALTOR "How's the market?"Well on Cape Cod, there are interesting numbers.Before the virus and quarantine, the market was heading into spring with energy.At the end of February, the numbers started to indicate a slow down.Definitely by the end of March, there was an indication of what the quarantine was causing - when compared to last year.As we enter the next few weeks, we are anticipating a return to the energetic side of real estate.We are still putting deals together now, just not as many.However, when people are "free again", we are hearing rumblings of pent up interest and activity.We're looking forward to a great spring and summer here on Cape Cod.If you know someone who is looking to buy or sell real estate, we're available to listen to their goals.Here are s... 04/16/2020

New Mashpee Rotary - COMMENT NOW to 12-23-19There will be a  New Mashpee Rotary - COMMENT NOW to 12-23-19 ! The Cape Cod Commission (CCC) has had meetings already and is now in the Comment Period for the plans for the New Mashpee Rotary. The comment period ends December 23, 2019.There appear to be a few "options" that are possible. One just has better painted lines. Another has a "flyover" the center of the rotary. The third makes the center landscape circle smaller and appears to widen the roadway and lanes. You can see the plans for the New Mashpee Rotary online at https://www.capecodcommission.org/resource-library/file/?url=/dept/commission/team/Website_Resources/transportation/Mashpee%20Rotary%20Project-2019/Mashpee%20Rotary_Alternatives%20Presentation%20120519.pdf . (It is a slide ... 12/19/2019

New Massachusetts Short Term Rental Laws 2019 MAYes, there are New Massachusetts' Short Term Rental Laws. No, no one understands them, completely. I attended on a webinar on 12/16/19 at 10 am, where even those who have been involved in the process from the start, don't have a complete rental guide, nor complete "how to" answers.Why don't they have a complete guide? All the answers aren't finalized. There are MA rental registries that aren't functioning, insurance requirements that aren't clearly defined as to how to comply, and forms that aren't in existence yet.If you're feeling in the dark, you're not alone. This webinar was for Realtors' edification. What we got from the MAR legal office is that there is still a lot of work to be done to clarify the MA taxes on rentals at both the st... 12/16/2019

How's The Real Estate Market? This is often the question when you are known as a real estate professional. Although the answer can depend on many variables, in general it is GREAT!Some of the variables include: what type of real estate, what price point, what condition, the components, and of course the location. Many use the question as an ice breaker in social conversation. But when it is asked, there is always some mount of serious interest in the answer. So how can you get a general answer that has truth?Each month, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) posts it's research results on the NAR website. One of the interesting data points to look at is the Housing Affordability Index (HAI). This is the number which indicates how much income the average American home buyer has when... 11/23/2019

Harwich Tornado Damage? Would you like some financial assistance? The Cape Cod and Islands Association of Realtors has recently made some grant funds available to homeowners who's homes sustained damage from the 2019 Harwich Tornadoes. The funds are available in the form of a grant of up to $2,000 per applicant / household for primary homes. There is a deadline of 9-30-19 to apply for a grant from this fund, and the grant must be used for housing expenses rather than clean up or repairs. However, housing can be an assortment of options like mortgage payments or renting expenses. To find out more about the grants, visit  https://cciaor.com/news/harwichgrants or contact Marissa Cyr, mcyr@cciaor.com , 508-957-4344 at the Cape Cod and Islands Association of Realtors. The grant funds were as... 08/22/2019

Cape Cod Statistics - A Stable Market 2019 Thru MayHello from Cape Cod, where the statistics show we are in a relatively stable market so far this year thru May. Depending on when you say the bottom of the last cycle was, we are at or nearing the 10th year of the latest 10 year cycle. We all know what has usually occurred after a stable market.Here is the latest info for Barnstable County, which is Cape Cod:                                             SINGLE FAMILY HOME SALES The median sale price is up 2.6% to $420,000 YOY.  In 2018, the median sale price was up 5.6% YOY.  This follows the national trend of continuing appreciation at a slower pace. The months of supply of inventory is 5.8 months.  6 months is traditionally called a “balanced” market.  New listings are coming in at an i... 06/17/2019

Falmouth MA Real Estate Median Price is up 11% in October 2018According to preliminary data released on Friday November 16th, the Falmouth MA Real Estate Median Price is up 11% in October 2018.  In my earlier blog, I reported that the Cape Cod and Islands Association of REALTORS® (CCIAOR) reported a $49,900 increase over last October's median price for properties across The Cape. In Falmouth, that median price is even higher,  +$51,425.Comparing 2018 to 2017 Year-to-Date sales, 42 fewer homes sold in Falmouth in 2018 than in 2017, but the annual median price is actually up even higher by 13+%, to $472,750. There is an interesting indicator in the Falmouth real estate market report. The median price for condos in the Falmouth real estate market was down in October of 2018. For the month ... 11/19/2018

Cape Cod Real Estate Sets New All-Time Median Price.According to preliminary data released on Friday November 16th,  Cape Cod Real Estate Sets New All-Time Median Price.  The Cape Cod and Islands Association of REALTORS® (CCIAOR) reported a $49,900 increase over last October's median price for single family homes. The condominium median sale price was also above last October by $47,650. This is only 7 more total homes sold in t2018 than in 2017. The median price increased, even as more inventory comes on the market. Demand has stayed strong and prices have gone higher, but read on. Comparing 2018 to 2017 Year-to-Date sales in number of units, 3,372 single-family homes have sold in 2018 which is 184 less houses than in 2017. This still resulted in an increase in the median price for a ho... 11/18/2018