Heath Coker, Broker Owner

The chart below is a visual representation of single family home sales in Falmouth MA over the last 10 years. As can be seen, there was definitely a peak in 2006. Since that time there has been a steady decline in the number of sales.

Well, is this good news? Many real estate analysts say that real estate works in 10 year cycles. So it the peak was in 2006, we must be at or near the bottom of the downturn. When you add in the lowest interest rates in awhile and the availability of foreclosed properties, there are some opportunities to buy at good values - even in the current turmoil.

So if you are considering Falmouth as an investment or as a place to settle down, now is the time to get a good real estate broker, or an agent if you can't find a broker, to "bird-dog" for you. I recently found one buyer a home that meets all their criteria - after 10 months of patient looking.

Its a beautiful day on Cape Cod!

Heath Coker, Cape Group, 508-548-8888

Since I live on the Cape, I often forget people come here for vacations and special events. Today I was reminded that I get to live in a wonderful place.

I just spent a very pleasant morning in Dennis, about 30 to 40 minutes from Falmouth. Our Sunday morning Bible study group met at the Lighthouse Inn in Dennis. What a pleasant place. They had a great buffet and we ate while looking out over a peaceful Nantucket Sound. The sun was just coming up and there were enough clouds to cause the rays of the sun to stream through in picturesque beams. One couple in our group works here during the summer months. He said they have weddings all the time. I can see why. All the staff is pleasant and friendly, and the cottages and the buildings are picturesque Cape Cod. The grounds are well cared for, it is oceanfront, and there is plenty of beach. During the summer they have things to do from skidoos to shuffleboard. Today, there was a roaring fire in the reception area, and we got to got up into the real lighthouse cupola. If you are looking for a summer vacation or a place to have a wedding, this is one to consider.

Their web site is www.lighthouseinn.com.

Happy selling and listing! - and vacationing or wedding-ing!

Whodathunk you would see Arkansas in the Top Ten list. It does have over 600 cities and towns, but what is going on there to attract real estate searches? Maybe you agents and brokers from Arkansas can shed a little light. Of course Mrs. Palin's notoriety may have been a partial cause for Alaska's inclusion in the top ten. I know Alaska a little. I ran a placer gold mining operation up near Denali in the early 80's and my cook stayed there and turned into a politician. (I hope he legislates better than he cooked, LOL!!) Iowa has gained attention because of the Olympic gymnastics team as well as the investment possibilities there. Indiana has long been a down market. Maybe they are starting to attract buyers now.

We are studying why each of these states was in the Top Ten for August on REindex.com, The Site Engine®. If you have something to point to, let us know. I'll be blogging the results of our research as we uncover it. Other states in the list were California and Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri, West Virginia. There are a lot of people looking for real estate!

Happy Selling and Listing!

The sun was shining so much that everyone who could get burned - did. The cloudless sky was filled only with ospreys going to and from a nearby pond to catch fish for their ospreyettes, and an inadvertent flyby of some jet fighters on their way to Otis. Today is 6/7/8 and my second daughter has graduated high school. The speakers were positive, outward focused and contentious with their time.

The night before I attended the "awards ceremony" where scholarships were presented. This small community provided almost $310,000 for kids to continue their education in college! The amounts ranged from $100 to a $30,000 four year scholarship! I was not only proud of my daughter and the awards she earned, but I was provided a non-partisan, apolitical look into the generosity of this great community and country. So much news is bad and the reports make be wince. But yesterday and today I was encouraged about the future for my daughter, this community, and this great country.

It was a beautiful day on Cape Cod!

When I did some research on pre-foreclosures in Cape Cod towns on May 6, 2008, P-Town was one of the Cap Cod towns that had only a few properties in pre-foreclosure. Only 1.3% of the 140,000(+-) homes on the Cape were at the stage of pre-foreclosure on that date. Most homes on the cape are owner occupied, but in Provincetown almost 60% of the 2400 residential properties are second homes. Most other communities on the Cape have less than half of their homes designated as second homes. Commercial properties are not included in the pre-foreclosure data I found.

Provincetown, MA is the farthest town out on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It is bounded by Cape Cod Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and Truro. Most of the properties in Provincetown are second homes (58%+-). Provincetown is another one of the towns on Cape Cod that has lots of beaches. This area of the Cape is known for its colorful summer tourists. Even with its high second home percentage, Provincetown real estate had only 17 properties in pre-foreclosure when I ran my last report on May 6, 2008.

Provincetown doesn't have villages like other towns on the Cape. Keep in mind these are PRE-foreclosures (as of 5/6/08) and some will not go to complete foreclosure.

Provincetown 17

Next: Dennis
Other Towns: Yarmouth
Sandwich
Mashpee
Falmouth
Barnstable