Osterville Real Estate

 I discovered another reason to love Cape Cod a few weeks ago – shell fishing. As I devoured by first cherrystone, I realized that shell fishing is similar to being a realtor. There is a lot of preparation involved, a lot can go wrong along the way, but at the end of the day it is very satisfying.

A few weeks ago I was at a cocktail party and over heard a friend discussing how much fun she had going clamming. I then got thinking, here is something in my own backyard that sounds interesting, I love eating shellfish, and this could be a good opportunity for some solitude and reflection. Just like a realtor I did my preparation.  I attend the Barnstable shell fishing class, got the necessary tools, did my research and jumped in the water.

I decided to go back to the same location as the class rather than venture out into the unknown. After 2 hours of raking I walked away with ½ a bucket of quahogs. As I was finishing up I developed a bad blister on my hand and my shoulder was killing me – I used the rake on the top of my shoulder but forgot to put the pad at the end of the rake. I did my prep work purging the clams and then it came time for prying them open. The clam knife worked, but I had trouble creating the opening. Once I finished my wrestling match, I laid the clams on the dish, dotted them with cocktail sauce and a spritz of lemon. Then I enjoyed the fruits of my labor and oh my, oh my, how good they tasted. I then went on to make about 4 dozen stuffed clams, a clam chowder, and a happy wife – she won’t eat the cherrystones, but loved the stuffed clams and the chowder. 

Today’s real estate market is very challenging and there are a lot more bumps along the road for a successful transaction than in normal years. If you are going to sell your property or if you have your property on the market it must be set at a realistic price, must be de-cluttered and staged, have the best possible photographs taken, and a good marketing strategy in place. If you do all that, then you will entertain some offers from buyers. Now be prepared for many bumps in the road – a very low offer, a “surprise” during the home inspection, or how about the buyer’s mortgage falling through. 

Our estate agents have being down these bumpy roads many times with our clients. At the end of the day it is very rewarding to find the yellow brick road for many of them. Please vist our web site at www.engelvoelkers.com/osterville for more information. 

P.S. If you’re interested in learning how to shell fish, you’re welcome to join me on my next shell fishing adventure.

This Saturday, October 3, 2009 the Cape & Islands Self Reliance Corporation is having a huge open house event this Saturday called the Green Building Open House Tour 2009.  Homes and buildings across Cape Cod from Buzzards Bay to Provincetown are open for the public to see. You’ll have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with energy saving experts. Go to http://www.reliance.org/ for detailed information. They have a list of all the tours and an awesome Google Maps to plan out your day – Go Green

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allows for qualified home buyers to receive an $8000 tax credit on the purchase of a home. However, time is running out very quickly to take advantage of this opportunity because you need to purchase your home by November 30, 2009.

First you need to find a property, have your offer accepted by the seller, and if necessary obtain a mortage. The average time to process a loan is 30-60 days. If you need a mortgage to purchase your home, then time is of the essence.

Thanks to Mass Housing you can use the $8000 as a 0% interest loan to help you with down payment on your new Cape Cod home or to use it to pay for closing costs. If you have been debating to buy a new home over the last few years, the timing couldn’t be better for you know. With the deadline of November 30, 2009 now there is a sense of urgency if you want $8000 in your pocket.

If you are looking to purchase a home one Cape Cod, the estate agents at Engel & Voelkers are here to educate you about home buying process, how to take advantage of the credit, and assist you with obtaining a mortgage. If you would like us to sponsor a webinar on the $8000 tax credit please send an email to osterville@engelvoelkers.com

Related Articles & Links about the $8000 Tax Credit:

Irs.Gov

Mass Housing

$8000 Tax Credit Loan Frequently Asked Questions

Why 320,000 homeowners received free money

The Clock is Ticking

For additional information visit us at www.engelvoelkers.com/osterville

Finally there are indications that the economy is turning around. Realtors have the ability to significantly help the housing market gain momentum and most of them don’t even know it. Supply and demand has always driven the market. Well, don’t take an overpriced listing unless you know you can educate your seller and get  pre-structured price reductions within a short time range. Don’t be afraid to walk away! I know you want a sign out. Well the general public may fall for the perception that you are the best because you have the most for sale signs out. Keep in mind the smart ones are going to see through the smoke and mirrors and see that most of them have rust on them or could make a good place to plant their morning glories next spring.

Your fellow realtors know it and so do you. If you start taking fewer listings (the ones that are going to sell) there will be fewer homes on the market. Now you are doing your job. You are educating your sellers, and you are freeing up your time now that you won’t be thinking up what you are going to say to your angry seller when he wants to know why no one has come to see his house. Or even worse, they come to see it only to see what a good deal they are getting on the house up the street.

It is time we as a profession are held to a standard of excellence. If we all do our jobs and are honest with our sellers about their true place in the market we will all be better off.

Right now we say the buyers aren’t motivated. It’s our own fault. It is confusing like a giant yard sale. The early birds come out and they scoop up the best buys. The items they know won’t be there in the pile with the free sign on it at the end of the day. It’s real simple yet we make it so complicated.

We have to start letting go of our egos and not worry about losing the listing to the other guy. So what, let him have the headaches. You know it’s not going to sell anyway. Now go and find a seller who really wants you to do what you were hired to do and sell his house. So you only have one listing? So what, if it sells in less than 90 days like it should. Just make sure you have also made clear to the seller that they do have to move all that stuff out of the house by then.

I know, I have done it myself. I can change their minds I think. It is like marrying someone and thinking you are going to change them because you are special. I know I have done that too. Doesn’t work.

In a nut shell. Price your listing right, the buyers will notice. If we all do this we can walk around smiling instead of complaining about the market. The markets fine, we are the ones who need the adjustment.

www.engelvoelkers.com/osterville

It was a somber weekend with the combination of the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy and the tropical storm rain from Danny. I was fortuante enough to say farewell to Senator Kennedy as the procession left from Hyannisport, MA on its way to Boston to the JFK Museum. As the Kennedy’s drove by they waived in thanks and had their hands over their hearts. I was glad to part of history and see the images of the final farwell, the funeral, and the burial and the show of support from the American people.  I learned a great deal about Senator Kennedy as an indivdual and how thoughtful he was to everybody who crossed his path. Thank you Senator Kennedy for your many years of service to the American people and all the good deeds you had accomplished in your lifetime.