December Review:

The numbers are in for December 2019.  When considering the fall market we see that closed sales have remained relatively consistent but new listings have not kept pace so inventory has been declining since September.  Compared to December in 2018, inventory is down approximately 21% and new listings about 17%; this coupled [...]

It's that time of year again, winter.  After a fairly temperate holiday season, it is easy to get a little lackadaisical about preparing your home for the fury of winter.  For this edition we checked in with Ned, who heads up our home watch services, about some winter hazards and how to get your home ready.  The point he stresses more than any other is the benefit of having a neighbor or qualified and insured business keeping an eye on your home.

Freezing

Winter on Cape Cod is not kidding around.  At the time of writing it is the beginning of 2020 and approximately 40 degrees outside.  But ol' Jack Frost knows better than anyone how to lull homeowners into a false sense of security.  Ned's tip? Turn off your water and drain your pipes.  Ned is fanatical about this and will even shut off his water in the summer if he leaves for a few days.  Here is his explanation.

"With your water off at the main line, a freezing incident (or broken pipe) is never as catastrophic.  All that can happen is the amount of water sitting in the pipes leaks out of the break, but no more!  If you leave your water on and a pipe breaks on Friday, by Sunday this could be gallons of water pouring onto your wood floors and destroying your drywall.  With a well winterized home including drained pipes, a shut-off main, antifreeze in strategic locations, and human eyes walking through habitable spaces, you greatly reduce the possibility of damage as well as the amount of damage that does happen.  The horror story is a former sales client had, over several months, tens of thousands of gallons leak out of a broken pipe before anyone noticed.  Please have your house checked."

Pests

Cold outside is cold for everything, including animals that like to be warm and fed.  If you winterize your home we recommend removing all food items, even those in plastic packages and bags.  Mice will eat through bags of rice or popcorn and make a mess in your pantry.  Also chimneys are a consideration if you don't need them for venting a furnace since raccoons, opossums and plenty of other animals can make homes in them over the winter leading to messy cleanup come spring.  

Storm Damage

As always Nor'Easters are a very real threat to property here on Cape Cod.  With hurricane force winds battering trees and roofs, these storms can drop branches or entire trees on your home.  We recommend some simple things to get ready for any storm here, and particularly where landscaping is concerned.  The main idea, remove large trees and limbs from the area immediately surrounding your house.  Old pitch pines are particularly susceptible to breaking off near the top and dropping heavy and damaging tops on houses, so pay close attention to these when assessing your landscaping.

Be prepared this winter and add the peace of mind of having a person walk through and around your home by contacting Chatelain Real Estate today.  With our house watch service you don't need to wait until April to discover a problem that has been ongoing since January.

November Review:

 The seasonal slowdown was in full swing in November.  When considering the past three months (Sept-Nov) we see a normal decline in Median Sales Price as well as Inventory.  We also see the related increase in Average Days on Market since buyers and sellers are now caught up in the holiday season and some homes take a bit longer to find a [...]

Vacation rentals on Cape Cod have been undergoing significant changes in the past 9 months.  Here is a quick update on the recent developments.  For more information we encourage you to visit the [...]

In October Barnstable County saw more of the fall slowdown with a significant reduction in new listings compared to this time last year.  Additionally new listings are down 5% year-to-date continuing the trend of historically low numbers of homes for sale.  Despite this the October market largely kept pace finishing with 5.7 months supply of [...]

September Review:

  The fall market is looking lackluster now that the September numbers are in.  With new listings, closings, and inventory down we did not see as significant an amount of activity in the market as this time last year.  With inventory countywide at a 6 month month level,  neither buyers nor sellers see a great advantage [...]

Fall is a great time for shellfishing on Cape Cod.  The water is still relatively warm and the weather, if you aren't in the middle of a Nor'Easter, is generally crisp and beautiful.  A lot reopens in October and November so time to get the rake out of the shed and start [...]

The Cape Cod real estate market has heated back up this fall as many second home owners list their homes after the beach season.  Here is our list of 5 things to do before you list your [...]

August Review:

   The trends in the Cape Cod market this year seem to be delayed approximately a month compared to last year.  In other words, August this year compares more closely with July last year.  We felt this in the Spring and now again in the late Summer as the August data seemingly reflects what is typically the July slowdown [...]

With the 2019 hurricane season in full swing and the memory of the bizarre July Tornadoes still fresh in our minds, preparing for a storm should be a concern before winter hits.  Late summer and fall hurricanes do pose serious concerns for the Cape, winter Nor'easters are often just as damaging with the additional possibility of freezing [...]