Peter Hawley

Tis the Season.......

Things are very busy here at my office in Falmouth MA where I List and Sell Real Estate. ( www.peterhawley.com ). I know we are beginning the Holiday Season when I drag out the Toys for Tots collection boxes and signs, and begin to tell everyone that again Jack Conway Falmouth office is a Drop Off site for new and unwrapped toys. This year the request for assistance will increase, and therefore the need for more toys is a challenge. Please visit www.toysfortots.com to find a Drop Off location in your area and learn how you might support this program.

One of the great events conducted by Jack Conway the founder of our company is the annual Thanksgiving Breakfast held each year at the Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA. If you have not visited this wonderful place, mark your vacation calendar to do so. (www.plimothplantation.com ). This gathering typifies our company's core values, of caring for others, as we collect food to benefit MainSpring House, Home for the Homeless.

Preparation has begun for the 45^th Annual Falmouth Christmas Parade, the largest such event in southern New England. Visit ( www.falmouthchamber.com ) for a complete list of local events. The theme this year is Christmas Wishes and the Conway elves have been hard at work preparing our 60-foot float, which we proudly drag through the parade route. One of our annual Christmas wishes is no rain and mild temps the day of the parade. Regardless of the weather this is another great example of the community of Falmouth coming together, and is why many choose to live here.

It is the Season to share, to join with friends and family, to give, to reach out to those in need, and to enjoy where we live. Here in Falmouth, MA our Season is 12 months long. I may be reached at phawley@jackconway.com to assist you with your Real Estate needs.

Accepting What Is......

Early this morning I was greeted with the first snow squall that swept across Cape Cod, and as I headed to my office in Falmouth, MA where I List and Sell Real Estate, (www.peterhawley.com), the fields and marshes were dusted with what appeared to be sugar. I am not sure if I am ready for this change in weather, I have heard that the snow making machines are cranking out the powder in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, so there is a good start to Ski season in the North Country.

Just as I am not sure I am ready to accept that winter has arrived, many in Real Estate have not accepted that the market has changed, and is going to continue to change, and I submit we will be better off if we accept what is and get on with the business at hand.

Since September 1 to November 19, 2008 according to the CCIAOR MLS, in Falmouth MA 77 Single Family homes have Sold. There were 411 Single Family homes on the market November 19^th. This means that over 18% of the inventory has been Sold, and although there are markets through out the country that have had little movement, Falmouth, MA continues to have a strong Real Estate market.

The other statistic I find interesting is the percentage difference between the last Listed price and the Sold price, and during the same period mentioned above, that percentage was 92.77%. That is a little over a 7% discount, which indicates that Buyers continue to see value, are buying, and looking at their long term goals in a positive way.

The message to Sellers is very clear, accept what is, those properties priced correctly are in fact selling, and you might review your market position at least every 30 Days. I am available at phawley@jackconway.com to assist you in meeting your goal of either Selling or Buying property.

WHAT NOW................

Here in Falmouth, MA where I List and Sell Real Estate (www.peterhawley.com) I have spent the past few days having that heart to heart talk with Seller's. Now that the election is over and we know what is, the looming question is what will be? As I tell my seller's, the future just isn't what it used to be.

What each Seller must now do is understand what the actual cost of their present property is each month. The mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, heat, electric, lawn service, general upkeep. This total figure is critical, remembering these are out of pocket recurring expenses.

Here is an example; if it is going to cost out of pocket $3,000 a month and it is projected that the house might be on the market another 4 months. That is $12,000. My suggestion is at a minimum to do the following. 1. Lower the price this amount. 2. Offer this amount as a Sellers concession, to be used to pay down a loan interest rate, pay the PIM, pay 2 years of taxes, or pay closing costs, for the BUYER.

Seller's must be Pro-Active in a big way to grab the attention of the Buyer, and as we see in some areas prices being modified downwards, what a property is being offered for today, does not mean that the market will support that price in the future.

Seller's need to make some serious decisions. I am available to discuss innovative marketing programs and may be reached at phawley@jackconway.com

Leaves are not the only things Falling in October....

It is a soggy day here in Falmouth, MA where I List and Sell Real Estate (www.peterhawley.com), and for the past few days I have watched the old Maple tree by my office window shed it brilliant coat of leaves, and by the end of this day, they will all be gone. Leaves are not the only things falling, house prices are falling, interest rates are falling and some say the whole economy is falling. The economy is readjusting to inflated prices, unsustainable investments, and a re-evaluation of true value compared to speculative value. In the long run this benefits everyone, although in the short term we all might feel a little discomfort.

Falling property prices have in fact had a positive impact on total sales which have increased due to the combination of low, fixed interest rates, the Federal Government's program that offers a $7,500 tax credit to those who have not owned a property in the last three years and the reality that real estate provides shelter and is not only an investment vehicle, the wise buyer is planning for their future and following the idea "Buy Low, Hopefully Sell High".

Many of my clients who I have in what I call my "works in progress" file, all seem to have a number of things in common. They had run up consumer debt, but are committed to eliminate it and free up more disposable income to be used for savings and building toward their financial future by being in a position to own property. They are starting to subscribe to the philosophy of under living, which is living within or below one's financial means. By doing so they will be able to have more choices, they will be able to own a property, a house, establish a home, which for many of us is the center of our lives.

There is opportunity before us each day, for some it is time to enjoy the harvest, with lowering prices and interest rates, for some it is time to collect the seeds for future planting. I would love to assist you and may be reached at phawley@jackconway.com

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words and Maybe a Lost Buyer...

Attention all Sellers, please let me share with you how important it is to have any and all pictures of a property you are selling, be reviewed, BEFORE they are posted on any web site.

I had just arrived at my office in Falmouth MA, where I List and Sell Real Estate, (www.peterhawley.com), and met with a client that I have known for some time. I had emailed some properties that I thought she might be interested in, and her first response was "I do not want to look at any of these, did you notice the condition of the interior of every property?" Well maybe I did not review as close as I might have, so we sat down and reviewed each listing. The properties were of good value, in good locations, priced well, and not falling down, but what my client saw was interior pictures of cluttered rooms, unkempt closets, messy kitchen counters, toy strewn floors and more, which left her with the impression that the interior of these properties were a wreck. Valid point, now that I looked closer.

I appeal to all Sellers, that when pictures are being taken of your property that first you walk around and pick up the clutter, make the bed, put away the ironing board, hang up your clothes or at least close the closet doors, take the pots and pans off the stove as well as the cat. This also applies to the exterior, pull the weeds, rake a few leaves, and put away the lawn mower.

Remember you are attempting to Sell your property, you want to have potential Buyers who view your property online, be interested in seeing more, walking around your yard, walking through your living room. They just will not come to learn more if they think they might have to leave a trail of crumbs to find their way out.

If I can assist you in staging your property so that it has the BUY ME look, I may be reached at phawley@jackconway.com