Selling On Cape Cod

As the days get shorter and the prospect of fall becomes ever more apparent, outdoor landscaping improvements seem less daunting. Cooler weather makes outdoor projects more enjoyable and undertaking even simple jobs can add significantly to the curb appeal of your home. The National Association of Realtors published a report relating to the benefits of outdoor remodeling projects that you can find here and while many of their suggestions are valid in the national market we

Have you been tossing and turning at night wrestling with the decision to sell your home? When is the right time to sell? Am I going to regret not selling my home now? Will the housing market slip back towards favoring buyers? Deciding to sell your home can be a serious decision but don't be discouraged; keep these points in mind and you will be on the right track to making a good decision about whether to sell your home. Equity Put simply, equity is how much of your

Seasonal/Recreational/Occasional Use Homes also known as Second Homes Have you ever wondered as you are driving around the Cape, how many homes are not primary residences? It is a surprise to find out how different the percent of second homes is in the various towns. Below are the percentages noted in the 2010 US Census Demographic Profile Data. Sandwich 13 Bourne 20.6 Falmouth 32.3 Mashpee 34.5 Barnstable

Planning financing? If you are planning on securing funding from a bank or other lending institution for the purchase of your home, that institution will require an appraisal by a third-party. This appraisal will be used to establish an independent opinion of the value of the home, which assures the bank that their loan is adequately secured. Four levels of certification Appraisers in Massachusetts arecertified at four levels by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real

Pertinent short sale update Due to the shoddy title work that was done in the previous few years, many title issues are surfacing that are taking an inordinate amount of time to resolve and may, in fact, not be resolvable. There has been much talk about new rules and regulations that are supposed to make short sale purchases more "user friendly". These rules are in place, but, they are not necessarily being adhered to by the Lenders involved. Therefore, it is still taking a l

Fiancing now available Has your septic system been giving you trouble or has it failed? Assistance to home owners is available. There is financial help with a 5% interest rate betterment loan through the Barnstable County Community Septic Management Loan Program. Loans are repayable over 20 years. They cover all costs directly associated with septic system upgrade. Given the fact that malfunctioning septic systems can be harmful to ourCape Cod environment, this programisperfe

Knowyour real estate taxes Knowing the tax ratesin townsin whichyou have interest in purchasing property is invaluable in calculating cost of ownership. The following is a listof the 2012individual towntax rates. These rates are used to calculate thetax cost per thousand dollars of assessment.Please note that these costs may not be all inclusive as some of the towns have additional taxes for fire districts and/or water districts. If you have any questions, please give us a wh

The first thing to do is to rid the house of unnecessary stuff.Even those of us who do not suffer from "hoarders syndrome" know that after a short period of time all the closets, basement and garages become full - often with items that are "too good to throw away but have no intrinsic value". Getting rid of years of collected items is a daunting task which requires muscle, equipment, patience and the capacity to disassociate oneself from one's belongings. Downsizing or moving