Cape Cod Snowstorm, Sunday, January 27, 2008

 

Sally Tucker

The Tucker Group
Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate

193 Route Cranberry Highway – Route 6A
Orleans, MA 02653
800-275-9210 ext. 141 Toll Free, 508-237-3765 Mobile, 508-255-1489 Fax
mailto:SallyTuckerCapeCod@comcast.net

http://CapeTuckerGroup.com

 

www.SearchCapecodRE.com – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings!

 

www.LoCape.com - NEW! Localized search engine for Brewster, Eastham, Chatham, Harwich and Orleans.

 

 

What is Zillow.com and is it any good?

What is Zillow.com and is it any good?

Wikipedia defines Zillow.com in the following way:

"Zillow.com is an online real estate service company which launched its beta service on February 8, 2006. It was founded by Rich Barton and Lloyd Frink, a pair of former Microsoft executives and the founders of the Expedia travel company. While Zillow was created to help people get home value estimates, the site has received repeated criticism from real estate agents who believe that the values given on some homes are overvalued or undervalued and not a true reflection of the value of the home."

One thing worth noting - and what most people seem to miss is that Zillow says this about its Zestimate tool: "A Zestimate home valuation is Zillow's estimated market value. It is not an appraisal. Use it as a starting point to determine a home's value."

Is it true that Zillow.com's Zestimate tool does not give and accurate reflection of what must be taken into consideration in buying or selling a home?

The Tucker Group decided to investigate and our answer is yes and no. Or rather, it depends.

Here is what we found:

First we looked at a few of our listings. The first, a 4 bedroom house with pond views in Brewster, MA has a Zestimate of $753,000. When we ran a Comparative Market Analysis for the sellers of this house, we took into consideration the neighborhood in Brewster, the proximity to water, the overall condition of the house, etc. We came up with a suggested price range that was lower than that. In order to facilitate the fast sale the sellers wanted, we suggested a list price of $695,000. It went under agreement in a week because all of the buyers and their agents, using the same data we did, saw it as a good value. http://www.210griffithspondroad.com/

Zillow only looks at historical value trends for all of Brewster regardless of area or neighborhood quality or whether or not the home is a waterfront property. The more "solds" in the area, the more accurate the Zestimate. On the Cape, where it can be hard to find exact comparables, this doesn't work as well.

Our second listing we looked at is in East Orleans and is a salt-waterfront property. This 5 bedroom home has a Zestimate of $2,169,000. It is currently listed for sale at $1,795,000. In this case, the comparables used by Zillow have completely different salt-waterfront amenities - some are more expansive and some are less. Zillow just looks at the whole range from $1,496,000 to $2,299,670. Every address has a set of unique comps. Due to the vast differences in waterfront locations in Orleans, this method can be very inaccurate. http://www.14littlecovelane.com

Zillow does make some adjustments for size and number of bedrooms:

"...Then adjustments need to be made for any differences between homes. At Zillow, we make these adjustments behind the scenes when we calculate the Zestimate for a home. For example, there might be a comp nearby just like yours, but it has one more bedroom and so that house would probably be valued higher. We adjust for this in coming up with your valuation. Ditto for the square footage, etc. In other words, we do the work so you don't have to."

Again, where distance to the water is so important here on the Cape, Zillow sometimes misses the mark.

For our last set of observations, we turn to another part of the country. I own a townhouse in a complex that is near several other condo complexes in the same town in Colorado. The Zestimate of $150,000 is almost exactly what an agent in the area recently told me the condo might be worth. Why is the price so close? The answer is that there is so much data from comparable sales, Zillow has a very accurate cross-section of properties like mine. Just like a Realtor would do, the software looks at active listings, solds and tax assessments and then takes into consideration differences in square feet and amenities like a garage. In an area where each complex has similar mountain views, most properties have a similar location value and the Zestimate is more accurate.

In conclusion, we found that zillow.com can be an interesting tool to find a starting point for properties that have a lot of good comparables. For areas like Cape Cod, however, we feel that more work and adjustment needs to be done after you get your Zestimate.

--
Lee Wareham - REALTOR®, TRC, e-PRO
The Tucker Group
Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate
193 Cranberry Highway - Route 6A
Orleans, MA 02653
800-275-9210 x141, 774-313-6091 Mobile
508-255-1489 Fax
mailto:lwareham@kinlingrover.com
http://LeeWareham.com

http://www.CapeTuckerGroup.com - The Tucker Group Cape Cod Real Estate Team Website

http://LoCape.com - a new "narrow search" local search engine - indexing lower Cape Cod websites only. Brought to you by the Tucker Group.

http://SearchCapeCodRE.com – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings!

What a Week!

---

From: Pansire, Diane - MA [Diane.Pansire@GMACM.COM]
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 1:19 PM
Subject: What a Week!

Recap for the week of January 21-25:

• Monday: The US markets were closed in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday, so it was a quiet day here, but foreign markets fell sharply. As a response to the tumbling worldwide markets and fears about the US economy, the Fed held an emergency meeting on Monday night and decided to lower 2 key interest rates by .75, rather than wait until there regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 29-30.

• Tuesday: The US market awoke to the news and mortgage rates fell a little bit, and the stock opened sharply lower and only recovered slightly.

• Wednesday: In response to the previous days market, and another sharp drop in the market, for the first half of the day we saw extremely low mortgage rates, around 5.25% for a 30 year fixed rate with no points. But the market rallied and by the end of the day rates went back up to 5.75%.

• Thursday: Rates climbed further on news that the President and Congressional leaders had worked out a fiscal stimulus package. A feature of the package that interests all of us working in real estate is the increase in limits on FNMA loans. It is said to be as high as $725,000 for high cost areas. That means more buyers will get the lowest rates, and not have to pay the higher 'jumbo' rates. Currently the limit on FNMA loans is $417,000. We do not yet know what the limit will be in Massachusetts.

• Friday: Rates stabilized around 6%

Diane Pansire

PO Box 2000

1990 Main Street

Brewster MA 02631

Office (508) 896-8459

Fax (508) 896-1087

Cell (508) 954-6011

Must I Pay Capital Gains Tax When I Sell My Second Home on Cape Cod?

Many properties on Cape Cod are second homes, and more than likely a significant percentage of these property owners hold these homes as rental or income-producing units. If that is the case, and one wishes to sell their existing home and purchase another, (also for investment purposes, i.e. rental income,) it's very possible that if any capital gains funds realized on the sale of the original property are shortly thereafter put toward another investment property, (not necessarily on Cape Cod,) taxes on those funds may be temporarily waived, or deferred, under the terms of a 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchange.

There are many other circumstances involving the purchase and sale of real property, etc., under which the 1031 tax-deferred exchange principles may be applied. We have found Compass Exchange Advisors, a subsidiary of Rockland Trust, to be extremely helpful to a number of our company's clients. We recommend that you visit their website at http://www.compass1031.com/ for more valuable information. Click on "Our Services." Karen Hurd, Business Development Officer and our area's representative on Cape Cod, has proven to be responsive, professional and very helpful. She can be reached at (508) 830-1188 or by email at karen.hurd@rocklandtrust.com.

Sally Tucker

The Tucker Group
Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate

193 Route Cranberry Highway – Route 6A
Orleans, MA 02653
800-275-9210 ext. 141 Toll Free, 508-237-3765 Mobile, 508-255-1489 Fax
mailto:SallyTuckerCapeCod@comcast.net

http://capetuckergroup.com/

http://www.searchcapecodre.com/ – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings!

http://www.locape.com/ - NEW! Localized search engine for Brewster, Eastham, Chatham, Harwich and Orleans.

Avoiding Foreclosures on Cape Cod

CapeCodToday.com reports a 42% increase in foreclosure filings in Barnstable county was seen in 2007 compared to three years ago. How can foreclosure be avoided and what can you do if it comes to the point where loss of your home is likely?

One way for Cape Cod homeowners to avoid foreclosure is a "short sale" in which the lender accepts less than the total amount due to payoff a mortgage. Lenders sometimes see this as a more favorable alternative to a foreclosure since taking over homes in a declining market is not something banks like to do. For the homeowner, avoiding foreclosure can save time, money and credit damage.

Your Cape Cod real estate agent will need to agree to a reduced commission rate which makes the banks more willing to work with you.

A downside is that you may be taxed on the forgiven amount as taxable income by the IRS.

For buyers of short sales on the Cape, there are benefits as well as risks. while the benefit might be a lower price, you might have to wait for the seller's lender to approve a short sale. Lenders will often wait until there is an accepted offer on the property before they will consider a short sale. What this means to buyers is closing delays.

Freddie Mac suggests the following other options to avoid foreclosure:

• Forbearance is an agreement to temporarily let you pay less than the full amount of your mortgage payment, or pay nothing at all, during the forbearance period. Mortgage companies may consider forbearance when you can show that funds from a bonus, tax refund, or other source will let you bring the mortgage current at a specific time in the future.

• A reinstatement occurs when you pay your mortgage company the total amount you are behind, in a lump sum, by a specific date. This is often combined with forbearance.

• A repayment plan is an agreement that gives you a fixed amount of time to repay the amount you are behind by combining a portion of what is past due with your regular monthly payment. At the end of the repayment period you have gradually paid back the amount of your mortgage that was delinquent.

• A loan modification is a written agreement between you and your mortgage company that permanently changes one or more of the original terms of your note to make the payments more affordable. Common loan modifications include

• Adding missed payments to the existing loan balance

• Making an adjustable-rate mortgage into a fixed-rate mortgage

• Extending the number of years you have to repay

Read more about foreclosures.


--
Lee Wareham - REALTOR®, TRC, e-PRO
The Tucker Group
Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate
193 Cranberry Highway - Route 6A
Orleans, MA 02653
800-275-9210 x141, 774-313-6091 Mobile
508-255-1489 Fax
mailto:lwareham@kinlingrover.com
http://LeeWareham.com

http://www.CapeTuckerGroup.com - The Tucker Group Cape Cod Real Estate Team Website

http://LoCape.com - a new "narrow search" local search engine - indexing lower Cape Cod websites only. Brought to you by the Tucker Group.

http://SearchCapeCodRE.com – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings!

The Tucker Group Client Service Center for Home Sellers

Our Client Service Center gives you the power to review showing reports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it explains the entire process of selling your Cape Cod home, and it provides greater participation in one of the most important transactions of your life.

Our clients enjoy an entire section of our website created and customized just for them. Through their interactive section on our site, our clients can:


Track showings of their home
Monitor activites completed on their behalf
Look up, review, and rate our Team & Service Providers

As you can imagine, any Cape Cod real estate transaction process has many events and time-sensitive deadlines that must be met. Our system is designed to track these events and deadlines. You will receive emails from us as we complete activities on your behalf.

When you are engaged in a real-life transaction the activities take place over a longer period of time. In our “Test Drive”, we have condensed the process to give you a quick example of the power of our system. In our “Test Drive” mode, you will receive sample emails representing some of the many tasks that we complete on your behalf.

To launch the Test Drive complete the form with your name and a valid email address. We will then send you a confirmation email message with your login code and password.

Take a test drive by clicking the following link.
Test Drive


--
Lee Wareham - REALTOR®, TRC, e-PRO
The Tucker Group
Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate
193 Cranberry Highway - Route 6A
Orleans, MA 02653
800-275-9210 x141, 774-313-6091 Mobile
508-255-1489 Fax
mailto:lwareham@kinlingrover.com
http://www.LeeWareham.com

http://www.CapeTuckerGroup.com - Visit our Real Estate Team Website

LoCape.com - a new "narrow search" local search engine - indexing lower Cape Cod websites only. Brought to you by the Tucker Group.

http://SearchCapeCodRE.com – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings!

Why "Staging" Your Home for Sale is Critical

 

Over the past few years, taking extra care to prepare a home for sale (known as staging) has become perhaps the best competitive element in the market.  Successfully utilized in California for some time now, Cape Codders too are also embracing the philosophy (or psychology) of marketing by staging their homes, thereby presenting them at their absolute best.  Not only have some homes sold more quickly, but also at, or, even over asking price.  I know specifically of such a case in Orleans late in 2007.

 

Check out this article I found on staging.  I really think it says it all:  Go to www.globalspan.net/staging.htm.

 

The Tucker Group
Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate

193 Route Cranberry Highway – Route 6A
Orleans, MA 02653
800-275-9210 Toll Free, 508-237-3765 Mobile, 508-255-1489 Fax
mailto:SallyTuckerCapeCod@comcast.net

http://SallyTucker.com

 

www.SearchCapecodRE.com – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings!

 

www.LoCape.com - NEW! Localized search engine for Brewster, Eastham, Chatham, Harwich and Orleans.

 

 

Explore Cape Cod

Cape Cod's Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures

is highlighted in an article in the February edition of Outside Magazine

as one of the top "Pro Kayak Schools" in the country.

Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures, a business of Explore Cape Cod Tours, Inc.,

works hard to promote Cape Cod and to give visitors as well as locals, an authentic Cape Cod adventure.

Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures offers daily kayak tours for individuals, family reunions, and corporate outings,

as well as kayak programs through Nauset Community Education and is a permitted outfitter on the Cape Cod National Seashore..

For more information about our kayak and adventure programs, please contact us.

Dick Hilmer, Carl and Samantha Ladd, owners/instructors/guides

Coastal educators and ACA kayak instructors
"On the Water, Learning in Motion"
Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures / Explore Cape Cod Educational Tours
http://www.explorecapecod.com/ / http://www.ospreyseakayak.com/

South Orleans, Cape Cod, MA.
508-240-1211

Sally Tucker

The Tucker Group
Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate
193 Route Cranberry Highway – Route 6A
Orleans, MA 02653
800-275-9210 Toll Free, 508-237-3765 Mobile, 508-255-1489 Fax
mailto:SallyTuckerCapeCod@comcast.net

http://sallytucker.com/

http://www.searchcapecodre.com/ – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings!

http://www.locape.com/ - NEW! Localized search engine for Brewster, Eastham, Chatham, Harwich and Orleans.

--
Lee Wareham - REALTOR®, TRC, e-PRO
The Tucker Group
Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate
193 Cranberry Highway - Route 6A
Orleans, MA 02653
800-275-9210 x141, 774-313-6091 Mobile
508-255-1489 Fax
mailto:lwareham@kinlingrover.com
http://leewareham.com/


http://locape.com/ - a new "narrow search" local search engine - indexing lower Cape Cod websites only. Brought to you by the Tucker Group.

http://searchcapecodre.com/ – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings!

Reduce home energy costs - Thinking green with lightbulbs

Did you know?

Excerpts from EnergyStar.gov:

Just by replacing one light bulb in every home in America with a compact fluorescent or other Energy Star light bulb, energy usage would be reduced by over $600,000,000 annually. That's enough energy saved to light over three million homes.

In addition, greenhouse gases equal to that produced by over 800,000 cars would be eliminated.

ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs:

• ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
• Save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.
• Produce about 75 percent less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.
• Are available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture, for indoors and outdoors.

How to Choose and Where to Use CFLs:

ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs provide the greatest savings in fixtures that are on for a substantial amount of time each day. At a minimum, ENERGY STAR recommends installing qualified CFLs in fixtures that are used at least 15 minutes at a time or several hours per day. The best fixtures to use qualified CFLs in are usually found in the following areas of your home:

• family and living rooms
• kitchen
• dining room
• bedrooms
• outdoors
• Read More
  

===Incandescent lights===
The phase-out of incandescent light bulbs was supported by a coalition of light bulb manufacturers, electric utilities and conservation groups. The group estimated that lighting accounts for 22% of total U.S. electricity usage, and that eliminating incandescent bulbs completely would save $18 billion per year (equivalent to the output of 80 [[fossil fuel power plant|coal plants]]).Matthew Wald, "A U.S. Alliance to Update the Light Bulb", ''The New York Times,'' Mar 14, 2007.
Light bulb manufacturers also hoped a single national standard would prevent the enactment of conflicting bans and efficiency standards by state governments.
Source

Save money and help the environment in your Cape Cod home by replacing frequently used lights with energy star bulbs.

How much money can you recoup from renovations in a home sale?

How much is that renovation worth? Figures are averages and may
vary according to market area.

Upscale
Room	Cost	Recoup	%
Bathroom Addition	$61,513.00	$40,400.00	65.70%
Bathroom Remodel	$39,018.00	$27,939.00	71.60%
Minor Kitchen Remodel	$108,408.00	$77,223.00	71.20%
Master Ste Addition	$178,474.00	$129,005.00	72.30%
Roofing Replacement	$27,434.00	$17,886.00	65.20%
Midrange
Bathroom Remodel	$13,248.00	$11,207.00	84.60%
Deck Addition	$14,723.00	$11,630.00	79.00%
Family Rm Addition	$75,942.00	$53,588.00	70.60%
Home Office Remodel	$20,485.00	$11,790.00	57.60%
Minor Kitchen Remodel	$54,858.00	$44,030.00	80.30%
Master Ste Addition	$96,232.00	$66,745.00	69.40%
Minor Kitchen Remodel	$18,081.00	$15,511.00	85.80%
Roofing Replacement	$15,946.00	$11,163.00	70.00%
Siding Replacement (vinyl)	$8,717.00	$8,225.00	94.40%
Sun room Addition	$49,868.00	$33,156.00	66.50%
Two-Story Addition	$106,767.00	$86,665.00	81.20%
Window Replacement (wood)	$11,218.00	$10,276.00	91.60%
Window Replacement (vinyl)	$10,201.00	$8,830.00	86.60%

--
Lee Wareham - REALTOR(R), TRC, e-PRO
The Tucker Group
Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate
193 Cranberry Highway - Route 6A
Orleans, MA 02653
800-275-9210 x141, 774-313-6091 Mobile
508-255-1489 Fax
mailto:lwareham@kinlingrover.com
http://LeeWareham.com


http://LoCape.com - a new "narrow search" local search engine -
indexing lower Cape Cod websites only. Brought to you by the Tucker
Group.

http://SearchCapeCodRE.com – sign up for daily email alerts and search
MLS listings!

Facts and Trends Reports - All of Barnstable County

*** Publisher's Note ***:
If your email program is not displaying the chart graphs properly, please click on the following link which will take you to a web page that contains the graphs:
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Facts and TrendsTM
Published Jan. 2008
Location : All of BARNSTABLE COUNTY
Number of Homes For Sale vs. Sold vs. Pended
Price Range: $0 - No Limit
SQFT Range: 0 - No Limit
Single Family Homes		Prepared for you by: Saly Tucker

Date	10/06	11/06	12/06	1/07	2/07	3/07	4/07	5/07	6/07	7/07	8/07	9/07	10/07	11/07	12/07
For Sale	3840	3528	3155	3135	3247	3435	3667	3885	3913	3859	3897	3893	3712	3371	3049
Sold	253	226	254	201	185	281	256	316	352	260	277	233	266	228	198
Pended	264	232	195	208	240	289	281	306	304	268	268	242	245	228	175
Mon of Inv. on Sold	15.2	15.6	12.4	15.6	17.6	12.2	14.3	12.3	11.1	14.8	14.1	16.7	14.0	14.8	15.4
Mon of Inv. on Pended	14.5	15.2	16.2	15.1	13.5	11.9	13.0	12.7	12.9	14.4	14.5	16.1	15.2	14.8	17.4
Avg. Act Price	767	771	768	775	785	781	783	776	775	775	768	768	761	768	771
Avg. Sld Price	542	510	586	471	489	574	522	589	521	606	601	602	644	561	587
Avg. Sq. Ft. Price	323	290	340	270	293	312	294	326	301	312	321	326	346	302	320
Sold/List Diff. %	93	93	93	94	95	94	94	94	94	94	94	94	94	93	93
Days On Market	133	138	135	141	126	146	150	139	131	139	137	144	139	132	157
Median Price	395	380	378	380	350	385	390	419	380	410	409	435	400	392	370

All reports presented are based on data supplied by the Massachussets Real Estate, New Hampshire Real Estate, Boston Real Estate and Cape Cod Real Estate or their MLS. Neither the Associations nor their MLSs guarantee or are in anyway responsible for their accuracy. Data maintained by the Associations or their MLSs may not reflect all real estate activities in the market. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The Tucker Group Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate 193 Route Cranberry Highway – Route 6A Orleans, MA 02653 800-275-9210 Toll Free, 508-237-3765 Mobile, 508-255-1489 Fax mailto:SallyTuckerCapeCod@comcast.net http://sallytucker.com/ http://www.searchcapecodre.com/ – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings! http://www.locape.com/ - NEW! Localized search engine for Brewster, Eastham, Chatham, Harwich and Orleans. From: sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net [sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net] Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 1:29 PM To: sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net Subject: Facts and Trends Reports...

Facts and Trends Reports...Wellfleet

*** Publisher's Note ***:
If your email program is not displaying the chart graphs properly, please click on the following link which will take you to a web page that contains the graphs:
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Facts and TrendsTM
Published Jan. 2008
Location : Wellfleet
Number of Homes For Sale vs. Sold vs. Pended
Price Range: $0 - No Limit
SQFT Range: 0 - No Limit
Single Family Homes		Prepared for you by: Sally Tucker

Date	10/06	11/06	12/06	1/07	2/07	3/07	4/07	5/07	6/07	7/07	8/07	9/07	10/07	11/07	12/07
For Sale	99	91	83	74	82	84	85	89	92	93	97	91	89	81	76
Sold	4	6	5	4	5	5	2	7	9	5	8	8	4	4	4
Pended	7	1	0	5	5	3	10	7	4	6	12	3	1	7	0
Mon of Inv. on Sold	24.8	15.2	16.6	18.5	16.4	16.8	42.5	12.7	10.2	18.6	12.1	11.4	22.3	20.3	19.0
Mon of Inv. on Pended	14.1	91.0	n/a	14.8	16.4	28.0	8.5	12.7	23.0	15.5	8.1	30.3	89.0	11.6	n/a
Avg. Act Price	909	900	886	932	931	955	923	939	884	838	847	813	834	820	826
Avg. Sld Price	517	573	534	736	475	490	492	731	675	952	1017	741	741	803	662
Avg. Sq. Ft. Price	461	309	402	352	331	305	417	514	331	524	332	406	416	333	359
Sold/List Diff. %	93	86	95	95	95	95	96	100	95	92	89	96	95	90	93
Days On Market	160	234	78	118	118	177	187	130	205	155	97	139	193	267	211
Median Price	508	560	550	696	500	585	492	425	522	700	580	668	768	512	662

All reports presented are based on data supplied by the Massachussets Real Estate, New Hampshire Real Estate, Boston Real Estate and Cape Cod Real Estate or their MLS. Neither the Associations nor their MLSs guarantee or are in anyway responsible for their accuracy. Data maintained by the Associations or their MLSs may not reflect all real estate activities in the market. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The Tucker Group Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate 193 Route Cranberry Highway – Route 6A Orleans, MA 02653 800-275-9210 Toll Free, 508-237-3765 Mobile, 508-255-1489 Fax mailto:SallyTuckerCapeCod@comcast.net http://SallyTucker.com www.SearchCapecodRE.com – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings! www.LoCape.com - NEW! Localized search engine for Brewster, Eastham, Chatham, Harwich and Orleans. From: sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net [sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net] Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 1:29 PM To: sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net Subject: Facts and Trends Reports...

Facts and Trends Reports...Eastham

*** Publisher's Note ***:
If your email program is not displaying the chart graphs properly, please click on the following link which will take you to a web page that contains the graphs:
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Facts and TrendsTM
Published Jan. 2008
Location : Eastham
Number of Homes For Sale vs. Sold vs. Pended
Price Range: $0 - No Limit
SQFT Range: 0 - No Limit
Single Family Homes		Prepared for you by: Sally Tucker

Date	10/06	11/06	12/06	1/07	2/07	3/07	4/07	5/07	6/07	7/07	8/07	9/07	10/07	11/07	12/07
For Sale	117	105	92	93	89	100	106	122	132	131	128	128	122	106	96
Sold	14	12	7	15	7	10	5	7	7	10	5	13	6	5	10
Pended	11	7	9	15	7	6	2	13	6	10	9	8	9	9	7
Mon of Inv. on Sold	8.4	8.8	13.1	6.2	12.7	10.0	21.2	17.4	18.9	13.1	25.6	9.8	20.3	21.2	9.6
Mon of Inv. on Pended	10.6	15.0	10.2	6.2	12.7	16.7	53.0	9.4	22.0	13.1	14.2	16.0	13.6	11.8	13.7
Avg. Act Price	666	675	645	645	670	661	682	662	688	663	665	651	661	665	651
Avg. Sld Price	483	500	496	520	406	744	491	439	439	539	1022	435	773	359	527
Avg. Sq. Ft. Price	318	309	272	280	292	429	272	280	324	271	537	275	480	250	316
Sold/List Diff. %	92	90	93	95	97	96	95	94	94	94	96	94	91	95	94
Days On Market	179	161	113	158	161	78	145	141	43	89	210	152	251	109	173
Median Price	443	397	410	500	348	514	492	425	435	472	520	405	548	375	523

All reports presented are based on data supplied by the Massachussets Real Estate, New Hampshire Real Estate, Boston Real Estate and Cape Cod Real Estate or their MLS. Neither the Associations nor their MLSs guarantee or are in anyway responsible for their accuracy. Data maintained by the Associations or their MLSs may not reflect all real estate activities in the market. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The Tucker Group Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate 193 Route Cranberry Highway – Route 6A Orleans, MA 02653 800-275-9210 Toll Free, 508-237-3765 Mobile, 508-255-1489 Fax mailto:SallyTuckerCapeCod@comcast.net http://SallyTucker.com www.SearchCapecodRE.com – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings! www.LoCape.com - NEW! Localized search engine for Brewster, Eastham, Chatham, Harwich and Orleans. From: sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net [sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net] Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 1:29 PM To: sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net Subject: Facts and Trends Reports...

Facts and Trends Reports...Brewster

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Facts and TrendsTM
Published Jan. 2008
Location : Brewster
Number of Homes For Sale vs. Sold vs. Pended
Price Range: $0 - No Limit
SQFT Range: 0 - No Limit
Single Family Homes		Prepared for you by: Sally Tucker

Date	10/06	11/06	12/06	1/07	2/07	3/07	4/07	5/07	6/07	7/07	8/07	9/07	10/07	11/07	12/07
For Sale	133	111	99	97	103	112	126	134	138	134	127	141	120	119	105
Sold	16	10	13	8	13	13	4	18	12	7	8	13	14	9	12
Pended	14	11	5	12	8	12	13	9	10	12	10	7	16	10	10
Mon of Inv. on Sold	8.3	11.1	7.6	12.1	7.9	8.6	31.5	7.4	11.5	19.1	15.9	10.8	8.6	13.2	8.8
Mon of Inv. on Pended	9.5	10.1	19.8	8.1	12.9	9.3	9.7	14.9	13.8	11.2	12.7	20.1	7.5	11.9	10.5
Avg. Act Price	710	710	683	677	675	707	752	737	722	699	689	658	695	690	701
Avg. Sld Price	423	577	618	644	481	520	498	471	786	734	560	656	849	476	491
Avg. Sq. Ft. Price	272	241	380	337	268	260	366	273	420	370	279	287	356	314	271
Sold/List Diff. %	96	94	92	89	96	94	95	96	97	93	98	96	100	96	96
Days On Market	96	175	134	116	145	181	138	83	137	128	111	113	124	78	85
Median Price	410	531	438	420	354	398	478	424	485	680	514	650	451	479	432

All reports presented are based on data supplied by the Massachussets Real Estate, New Hampshire Real Estate, Boston Real Estate and Cape Cod Real Estate or their MLS. Neither the Associations nor their MLSs guarantee or are in anyway responsible for their accuracy. Data maintained by the Associations or their MLSs may not reflect all real estate activities in the market. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The Tucker Group Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate 193 Route Cranberry Highway – Route 6A Orleans, MA 02653 800-275-9210 Toll Free, 508-237-3765 Mobile, 508-255-1489 Fax mailto:SallyTuckerCapeCod@comcast.net http://SallyTucker.com www.SearchCapecodRE.com – sign up for daily email alerts and search MLS listings! www.LoCape.com - NEW! Localized search engine for Brewster, Eastham, Chatham, Harwich and Orleans. From: sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net [sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net] Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 1:29 PM To: sallytuckercapecod@comcast.net Subject: Facts and Trends Reports...

Facts and Trends Reports...Orleans

Show charts

Facts and Trends TM
Published Jan. 2008
Location : Orleans
Number of Homes For Sale vs. Sold vs. Pended
Price Range: $0 - No Limit
SQFT Range: 0 - No Limit
Single Family Homes		Prepared for you by: Sally Tucker

Date	10/06	11/06	12/06	1/07	2/07	3/07	4/07	5/07	6/07	7/07	8/07	9/07	10/07	11/07	12/07
For Sale	133	121	110	116	121	120	129	142	139	132	126	127	123	119	114
Sold	11	9	7	4	3	10	8	13	13	5	10	9	20	9	5
Pended	8	2	5	10	5	7	14	6	8	6	17	14	8	8	9
Mon of Inv. on Sold	12.1	13.4	15.7	29.0	40.3	12.0	16.1	10.9	10.7	26.4	12.6	14.1	6.2	13.2	22.8
Mon of Inv. on Pended	16.6	60.5	22.0	11.6	24.2	17.1	9.2	23.7	17.4	22.0	7.4	9.1	15.4	14.9	12.7
Avg. Act Price	1187	1255	1262	1228	1182	1074	1131	1140	1135	1166	1201	1210	1155	1178	1192
Avg. Sld Price	643	845	951	539	422	1207	1257	877	664	977	743	712	831	870	816
Avg. Sq. Ft. Price	353	384	524	248	299	510	496	516	399	438	369	432	439	374	466
Sold/List Diff. %	95	93	91	94	88	93	92	93	92	91	95	94	92	95	89
Days On Market	151	146	161	219	156	157	217	215	105	159	190	197	138	193	179
Median Price	500	644	570	501	400	724	1000	775	625	1000	795	550	648	585	580

All reports presented are based on data supplied by the Massachussets Real Estate, New Hampshire Real Estate, Boston Real Estate and Cape Cod Real Estate or their MLS. Neither the Associations nor their MLSs guarantee or are in anyway responsible for their accuracy. Data maintained by the Associations or their MLSs may not reflect all real estate activities in the market. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

--
Lee Wareham - REALTOR®, TRC, e-PRO
The Tucker Group
Kinlin Grover GMAC Real Estate
193 Cranberry Highway - Route 6A
Orleans, MA 02653
800-275-9210 x141, 774-313-6091 Mobile
508-255-1489 Fax
mailto:lwareham@kinlingrover.com
http://LeeWareham.com


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Real Estate Market Trends on Cape Cod

Excerpts from an article written by Annie Blatz, President, Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS:

"One of our biggest challenges in 2007 was how to overcome the negative media attention to the real estate business. Every newspaper and television talk show seemed focused on how bad things were in our business. And the nation's economy has typically been largely influenced by the real estate market.

Yes, perhaps we are not still riding the huge wave of increasing prices and numbers of transactions at the unprecedented rates that we experienced 2002-2005. ...Now take these county-wide statistics into consideration:

In 2007 we had 2.8% fewer transactions in Barnstable County than in 2006. In fact, the number of transactions on the Cape has decreased slightly each year since 2004. The greatest number of transactions actually goes all the way back to 1999.

However, if we look at dollar volume, we are only 1.4% off the pace of 2006. Dollar volume in 2004 was also the highest year, so you could say that we have experienced a leveling off of the rising number of sales that we experienced through the last decade.

Now let's look at average sales price. Ten years ago, our average sales price in Barnstable County was $156,000, and in 2007 it is $513,000 - up 1.4% from 2006. Quite breathtaking to look at those figures and realize that our average sales price has increased EVERY YEAR!

So why all the hubbub about the dire real estate market? Is this not a good time to buy? Cape Cod & Islands Real Estate is a desirable commodity. With high numbers of properties to choose from and favorable interest rates, it seems like a great time to buy! And the percentage of second home buyers continues to increase every year, according to National Association of REALTORS statistics."

Note from Sally Tucker: Statistics don't lie. As I recently communicated to one of my buyer-clients: "You'll probably hate me months from now if I don't continue to encourage you to buy on Cape Cod now." I read somewhere recently that the only way to know when a slagging market has reached bottom is when it's already well on its way back up again...

For Sale By Owner—Can I sell my house myself?

Only 7% of homes sold in Massachusetts last year were listed as For Sale By Owner or FSBO. A recent study of last year's home sales all over the country found that in 2006, the number of homes listed for sale by owner was the lowest in 25 years. The homes that were sold as For Sale By Owner without the help of a REALTOR® sold for an average of 31.9% less than those sold with the help of a professional. The study found that local buyers who shopped for a home online were more likely to use an agent to purchase their home than buyers who did not use the Internet during their home search .