Check out these open houses on Cape Cod this weekend.  If you are interested in any of these homes or to learn more about any other homes for sale on the Cape, contact us today.  Chatelain Real Estate agents are known for the excellent quality of service and professionalism they offer their clients and would love to help you find your dream home on Cape Cod.

Saturday 10-12 | 37 Uncle Stephens Road, West Dennis

A classic Cape Cod dune shack located directly on Nantucket Sound. Step in and enjoy the sun and sand or renovate and build your dream. Opportunities abound on this truly unique property with infinite potential.

 

 

 

 

Saturday 1-3 | 15 Ocean Avenue, Harwich Port

This is an unbeatable sought-after location that features charming cottages, which share a love for summer fun. Nantucket Sound is merely 140 paces away and Harwich Port village center is less than a quarter mile for fine dining, shopping, art galleries, and more. This home an arts and crafts style bungalow renovated in 2013, combines historic features, such as built-ins, charming decorative arched fireplace, carved brick mantle and dark wooden beams with modern bathrooms, kitchen, and infrastructure upgrades. The ocean is viewable from both up and downstairs porches and the master bedroom. It is a larger home with adequate room for large gatherings. Long standing solid rental history is available. The newly upgraded septic system makes this ready to go.

July Review:

   Compared to this time last year, July saw only slight variation in four of the six metrics we investigate for this blog (pictured at right).  Days on market was up significantly compared to this time last year; however it was down compared to June.  Additionally the number of new listings was down nearly 15% compared to last year and lost about 9% compared to June this year.  With all of this in mind we are seeing a normal decline in market activity due to the seasonality of our area.  Nationally, mortgage interest rates are exceptionally low yet affordability continues to be a serious concern.

 

 

Recent Market Summary

	May	June	July
Closed Sales	441	361	341
Inventory	2,032	2,067	2,044
Median Sales Price	$427K	$450K	$435K
Avg Days on Market	101	106	101
Avg % of Original Price	95%	95%	94%

 

Check out these two blogs for more valuable insight into real estate on Cape Cod

 

Our Take: Are sharks really taking a bite out of the Cod Cod Summer Rental Market?	Owning a Septic System on Cape Cod

Check out these open houses on Cape Cod this weekend.  If you are interested in any of these homes or to learn more about any other homes for sale on the Cape, contact us today.  Chatelain Real Estate agents are known for the excellent quality of service and professionalism they offer their clients and would love to help you find your dream home on Cape Cod.

Saturday 10-12 | 37b Uncle Stephens Road, West Dennis

A classic Cape Cod dune shack located directly on Nantucket Sound. Step in and enjoy the sun and sand or renovate and build your dream. Opportunities abound on this truly unique property with infinite potential.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday 10-12 | 160 Wood Road, South Yarmouth

his home offers endless possibilities to meet any lifestyle. Looking for easy 1-floor living? You will love the sun-filled open concept living area, en-suite master with access to expansive deck, and first-floor laundry. Need a little extra space for relatives or visitors? Perhaps a private office suite for your business? Step downstairs into the finished walkout basement and enjoy a private fully appointed wet bar, living area, bedroom and office. Don't want to worry about expensive upgrades down the road? Boiler, roof, kitchen, flooring and septic have all been done since 2012. All this with frontage on and views of James Pond, in super-convenient South Yarmouth, and less than 2 miles to gorgeous Seagull Beach. Add your finishing touches and welcome home.

Saturday 1-3 | 109 Nottingham Drive Yarmouth Port

Bring your personal touches and enjoy one of the most sought after Yarmouth Port locations. This exceptionally spacious home offers one floor living and plenty of room for guests. The setting is private but not remote. The living room opens to the deck and has a fireplace. The kitchen and breakfast nook next to the formal dining room allow for easy entertaining. The den/home office is set apart for quiet use. The first floor master bedroom with en suite bath opens to the deck for morning coffee. The other two bedrooms each have sitting areas. The home is nicely sited on the lot. An opportunity not to be missed.

Are sharks really taking a bite out of the Cape Cod summer rental market?

The Boston Globe published an article on July 28th 2019 by Stephanie Ebbert, Cape Cod rentals are having an unexpectedly slow summer.  As a quick synopsis the article states that summer vacation rentals are not filling up this year and hotels are down 5% (the data goes through May 31st only).  The article posits several explanations including the new short-term rental tax, increasing shark populations around the Cape, lousy Spring weather, and larger market and economic trends.

Our take on this matter: sharks and overall market conditions have been gradually applying pressure on the rental market for years: the sharks were here last year and the year before and some anecdotal evidence suggests they may be an attraction for some tourists.  The main culprit of the precipitous decline in bookings in 2019 is the new 12.45-14.45% rental tax.  Given the evidence that rentals are down across the state indicates this is not an issue solely on Cape Cod.  When a vacationer rents for $3000/wk the tax adds around $400, depending on the town.  Couple this with what may be the indications of a slowing economy and people may be spending their money closer to home this year and waiting to see how much certainty the future holds for their pocketbooks.

If you are getting sick of renting but still want to visit the Cape, give us a call about buying.  Then every season can be beach season!

Well.  A tornado on Cape Cod is certainly not something we ever seriously considered.  We are glad first and most importantly that there appear to be no serious injuries or deaths as a result of the storm.  To make things easier, here is a list of resources that you can check for information regarding the storm repairs.  Finally a heartfelt thank you to all of the first responders, linemen, and landscapers working overtime to get everything cleaned up.

Last updated 7/24/19 10:15am

Emergencies - 911

Barnstable County Emergency Shelter Locations Map

Eversource (Electricity)

   Report an outage

   Outage Map

Most Affected Towns - for all list of all towns click here

    Town of Barnstable

    Town of Yarmouth

    Town of Dennis

    Town of Harwich - Heavy damage, critical updates here

    Town of Chatham

News

   NPR WCAI Radio 94.3

   WXTK News Radio 95.1

   Cape Cod Times

Check out these open houses on Cape Cod this weekend.  If you are interested in any of these homes or to learn more about any other homes for sale on the Cape, contact us today.  Chatelain Real Estate agents are known for the excellent quality of service and professionalism they offer their clients and would love to help you find your dream home on Cape Cod.

 

Saturday 10-12 | 15 Ocean Avenue, Harwich Port

This is an unbeatable sought-after location that features charming cottages, which share a love for summer fun. Nantucket Sound is merely 140 paces away and Harwich Port village center is less than a quarter mile for fine dining, shopping, art galleries, and more. This home an arts and crafts style bungalow renovated in 2013, combines historic features, such as built-ins, charming decorative arched fireplace, carved brick mantle and dark wooden beams with modern bathrooms, kitchen, and infrastructure upgrades. The ocean is viewable from both up and downstairs porches and the master bedroom. It is a larger home with adequate room for large gatherings. Long standing solid rental history is available. The newly upgraded septic system makes this ready to go.

 

Saturday 10-12 | 88 Pleasant Bay Road, Harwich

One floor living at its best. Delightful home centrally located. It features warm wood accents, an open floor plan, beamed vaulted ceiling, central AC, and sparkling hardwood floors throughout. The master bedroom with private bath has direct access through large slider to the deck. This home is nestled on a private acre of land just down from Wequasett and Pleasant Bay Beach for water recreation. Near Chatham for shopping and restaurants. Groceries, post office and all life needs near by. A beautiful home to own and enjoy all aspects of the Cape with expansion possibilities.

 

Saturday 1-3 | 109 Nottingham Drive, Yarmouth Port

Bring your personal touches and enjoy one of the most sought after Yarmouth Port locations. This exceptionally spacious home offers one floor living and plenty of room for guests. The setting is private but not remote. The living room opens to the deck and has a fireplace. The kitchen and breakfast nook next to the formal dining room allow for easy entertaining. The den/home office is set apart for quiet use. The first floor master bedroom with en suite bath opens to the deck for morning coffee. The other two bedrooms each have sitting areas. The home is nicely sited on the lot. An opportunity not to be missed.

Owning a septic system can be a new experience for many homeowners.  Here are the ins and outs of owning a septic system on Cape Cod including helpful information and links.

What is a Septic System

Put simply it is an engineered system that, along with your modern plumbing, safely removes waste water from the home.  In their simplest form these systems include a tank which captures solids and a leaching field (called a drainfield in this diagram by the EPA) wherein the liquid waste is distributed over a large area and allowed to percolate back into the ground, thereby removing pathogens.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Septic Systems on Cape Cod

Living on Cape Cod so close to the water is wonderful but, from your septic system's perspective, can come with a few downsides.  If you live in an area close to groundwater you may have or need an 'above grade' septic system (what the EPA shows here as a 'mound' system).  These are visible throughout the Cape in low-lying areas and resemble hills, mounds or, short concrete retaining walls.  Believe it or not what you are seeing is often not the tank that holds solids (which is water tight) but the leaching field that has been raised a minimum distance from the aquifer.  In these systems an electric pump is used to pump water uphill so it can be drained through the sand filter in the leaching field.

 

Maintenance

Luckily modern septic systems are low maintenance.  Once every three years (for average use and if you don't have a garbage disposal) your system should be pumped out.  This recommendation can change though as seasonal home use can affect the helpful bacteria that breakdown much of the solid material in your tank.  In this case more or less frequent pumping may be required.  Always choose a licensed septic pumper, a list of which can be found at many municipal health departments. For more information on caring for your septic system here is a useful article from the MA DEP and another from the EPA.

 

 

For more expert advice regarding homeownership and real estate on Cape Cod, contact us.  Also check out our listings here.

June Review:

Compared to this time last year median price and inventory are both up.  However Inventory compared to May is a small gain of only 25 homes.  It looks like the market entered the summer slow-down a bit earlier this year (usually it hits in July) with closed sales and new listings both down in June.  Apparently sellers were already getting ready for the beach last month.  The ever growing point of concern, not only on the Cape but nationally as well, is the affordability and availability of homes.  The Realtor professional publication states that the inventory shortage has reached 2.5 million homes.  Through normal economic interactions, such a severe deficit in available housing will continue to drive prices up as well as affect the rental markets (see California and New York's new rent control regulations).   The Realtor article features a few solutions and while none are new they will all be important to relieving the housing shortage.  Read more about ADUs, Opportunity Zones and more here.

 

Recent Market Summary

	Apr	May	June
Closed Sales	331	441	361
Inventory	1,982	2,032	2,067
Median Sales Price	$425K	$427K	$450K
Avg Days on Market	120	101	106
Avg % of Original Price	94%	95%	95%

 

Fun things to do this summer	Top 5 Dog Walks on Cape Cod

It's that time of year again!  Check out our list of fun and free things to do on Cape Cod in the summer of 2019.

Free Concerts

Throughout the summer you can catch free outdoor concerts sponsored by the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod and TD Bank.  Additionally here are a few more ideas from affordable-cape-cod-vacations.com.

Not part of the Arts Foundation Series but always fun are the Brewster Town Band Performances at Drummer Boy Park.  6pm Sundays.

Concerts sponsored by the Southside Civic Association at the Dennis Port Village Green are also Tuesday evenings at 6pm, here is that list.

July 9th    The McMurphy’s Perform Easy Listening Pop Tunes 
        Sponsored by Knockout Pizza
July 16th    Chappell and Stole Perform Top Hits of the 70s and 80s 
        Sponsored by Chatelain Real Estate
July 23rd    Crocodile Tears Performs Swinging Oldies 
        Sponsored by Coastal Engineering
July 30st    Heyday Performs Standard American Tunes 
        Sponsored by Cape Living Real Estate
Aug 6th    Mike Higgins Performs Classic American Standards
        Sponsored by Dickey Insurance

These last two are at the West Dennis Graded School House

Aug 13th    The Skiffs Perform Celtic and Folk Tunes
        Sponsored by Paradise Pizza
Aug 20th    Terry Brennan Performs Irish and American Country
        Sponsored by Paradise Liquors

The town of Wellfleet Recreation Department hosts Music at Mayo Beach various nights throughout the summer.  Check out their list of performances and concerts here.

Feel like ouzo and some excellent live music and dancing?  Check out the 37th Annual Grecian Festival July 19th-July 21st at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Centerville.

You can also check out a lot in Harwich from free Harwich Town Band Concerts on Tuesdays to the Antique Car show Wednesdays at the A&W on route 28.

Don't just rely on us though!  Ask around and find your own things to do all summer long.  We think (know!) there is no better place to spend the summer than on Cape Cod. 

Check out these open houses on Cape Cod this weekend.  If you are interested in any of these homes or to learn more about any other homes for sale on the Cape, contact us today.  Chatelain Real Estate agents are known for the excellent quality of service and professionalism they offer their clients and would love to help you find your dream home on Cape Cod.

 

Saturday 10-12 | 37B Uncle Stephens Road, West Dennis

A classic Cape Cod dune shack located directly on Nantucket Sound. Step in and enjoy the sun and sand or renovate and build your dream. Opportunities abound on this truly unique property with infinite potential.

 

 

 

 

Saturday 1-3 | 88 Pleasant Bay Road, Harwich

One floor living at its best. Delightful home centrally located. It features warm wood accents, an open floor plan, beamed vaulted ceiling, central AC, and sparkling hardwood floors throughout. The master bedroom with private bath has direct access through large slider to the deck. This home is nestled on a private acre of land that is convenient to Pleasant Bay for water recreation and to shopping, restaurants, groceries, post office and all life needs. Truly a joy to own.

 

 

Sunday 10-12 | 15 Ocean Ave, Harwich Port

This is an unbeatable sought-after location that features charming cottages, which share a love for summer fun. Nantucket Sound is merely 140 paces away and Harwich Port village center is less than a quarter mile for fine dining, shopping, art galleries, and more. This home an arts and crafts style bungalow renovated in 2013 , combines historic features, such as built-ins, charming decorative arched fireplace, carved brick mantle and dark wooden beams with modern bathrooms, kitchen, and infrastructure upgrades. The ocean is viewable from both up and downstairs porches and the master bedroom. It is a larger home with adequate room for large gatherings. Long standing solid rental history is available. The newly upgraded septic system makes this ready to go.