I just read an article published as a result of a survey done to determine housing needs and wants of Buyers 55+ years. What is tops on their list from this survey? Easy home maintenace and repair! Not organized social activities.

To meet this need, I have a reliable and professional team of support persons in the Trades and Professional Services that will fit the bill. Owning a home on Cape Cod need not be stressful. I will connect you with my Preferred Professionals, and assure you that these contractors and and service people will deliver on what they promise. These are not the typical, much maligned Cape Cod Contractors. They will show up, perform a professional service and charge a fair price. I do not recommend anyone that I can vouch for, and I look for reliability, responsiveness, competitive pricing and integrity. Any referrals I make reflect on my Cape Cod Real Estate business, and a poor referral from me will damage my reputation more than I care to imagine.

If you are concerned about buying on Cape Cod, as a mature buyer, a senior citizen, or just a busy professional who wants an enjoyable experience with a second home or permanent home on Cape Cod, please contact me to represent you in the purchase of this property. If you know someone who has had a negative experience owning here on Cape Cod, I would be pleased to share my Preferred Professionals on Cape Cod with them, too.

To read the full text of the survey results done by National Association of Home Builders and MetLife Mature Market Institute, click this link

http://rismedia.com/2010-01-26/mature-market-home-buyers-look-beyond-buildings-desire-services/

Would you rather be Golfing on Cape Cod at the Town owned Marstons Mills Golf Course, watching an incredible sunset from a Cape Beach OR cleaning gutters, repainting the house, raking leaves, or supervising a contractor you cannot trust to do the Job you hired him/her for?!

Call me for the best Preferred Professionals on Cape Cod!

May you find Fair Winds and Following Seas every day

Deb

Deborah Schilling

As we begin the first week of 2010, the outlook for real estate on Cape Cod is mixed-as it has been for some time. There have been some good analyses in print and other media. Since Fall 09 was pretty good on  Cape Cod, we hope it will continue into 2010.

The difficulties are going to be with financing and credit issues, as banks are constantly revising lending guidelines and becoming more conservative. The Consumer is feeling more confident, and has been accustomed to being able to secure financing for most purchases unless their credit rating was really poor or they hold too much debt. That may change in the coming months  as Private Investors begin to buy ‘Mortgages’ (technically Mortgage Backed Securities) again. Those investors are likely to be more cautious, and will put pressure on Interest rates to rise-to make their investments pay off.

We are not immune to this on Cape Cod, but I am optimistic that the activity I saw in the Fall of 2009 was based on confidence in the value of Cape Cod real estate. We tend to have more affluent buyers than some resort areas, and although all income levels were affected by the economic downturn, our Yankee frugality and/or generally higher income levels allow Buyers to believe our real estate is a good long term investment.

The most recent reports I have from Realtor.com (the most visited Real Estate Web site in the U.S.), show a substantial downturn in ‘Views’ in December. The high points (overall) were earlier in the Fall, as Consumers began to see possible good news ahead. I will be monitoring the activity in January, and hope the weather moderates. Once the initial cold snap happens, though, cold and inclement weather doesn’t stop Buyers, so we are all accustomed to it now, and look forward to Spring (and maybe a new Home!!)

Other indicators show that there is serious interest in Buying on Cape Cod, with the help of the Homebuyer’s Tax Credit (for first time buyers and existing home buyers), and with Investors looking at the many opportunities that are available for purchase.

I had an excellent showing today on a house I have listed in Marstons Mills, located on a Saltwater River, with views to Prince Cove with its deepwater marina. It is listed for $474,000 and the prospect is a local Builder who loved the location and may be up for a project to update this unique property.

We still see good activity for First Time Buyers, and Second Home Buyers, and I expect it to pick up considerable as our “Spring Market” develops. (Yes,  the Spring Market on Cape Cod does begin well before the daffodils come up and the grass turns green-the Early Bird gets the choicest worms here!)

Deb

We got what we often dream about-a White Christmas! Cape Cod homes look beautiful in the snow-especially since it has already90% melted. As we like to brag, we often tell prospective buyers that there are many winters that we can bike, play golf, even ride motorcycles through much of the winter on Cape Cod.

We are a retirement destination for those active retirees who want to be near enough to the children and grandchildren or nieces and nephews to attend their sports or school events or other activities without making an expensive trip on an airplane or having a long difficult drive. The retirees have their lives here, and can easily drive or join a group trip to Boston or New York City for broader cultural or city experiences, and yet be able to schedule times to be with their families when the situation arises.

The Sunbelt is attractive, but a couple of weeks or months there is often sufficient to feel like an escape from New England weather. Because Cape Cod weather is generally more mild than 'over the bridge' on the mainland of New England, we can more readily accept the short term inconveniences of winter here. Recently, I showed a listing to a couple from Upstate New York who were-get this-looking at a Cape Cod home for use in the Winter only. They love their mountains and outdoor activities in the Summer in the Adirondacks, but are tired of the snow that keeps them limited in the winter. It will be interesting to see how that works out for them.

Have a happy and healthy New Year.

Deb Schilling

A White Christmas in Cotuit

Do you go away even for short trips in the winter? Do you have a plan in place to protect your home from disaster? Here are a few tips to help prevent a freeze up or flood that could cost you thousands, render your home uninhabitable, and cause problems with renewal of your Homeowners Insurance.

Homeowners leave their Cape Cod homes unprotected for many reasons. Often it is as simple as only planning to be gone for a long weekend. Our fickle electrical supply can cause a furnace to go off and not reset, and if weather is exceptionally cold, a freeze up can happen in just a short time. Hydronic (hot water baseboard) heating systems are more vulnerable, too. Maintenance issues should be attended to in the Fall-before the cold, snow and ice hit hard.

For a helpful checklist, click on the link below, or email/call me and I will make this valuable FREE list available to you. Email deb@onestophomes.com or (508)428-2300 x 13.

Winterizing checklist for Cape Cod property owners.doc (1.74 mb)

 Winter scene at 904 Main Street, Cotuit-it never snows on Cape Cod, does it????

During this difficult economic time, it is important for all of us to remember how much our donations mean to the charities or non profits we choose to support. Late last year and earlier this year, the slow down in the Cape Cod Real estate market made it difficult for me to keep up with my charitable giving. I have had the good fortune to have had a 2009 that by the end of the year will not be 'off' that much from 2008!

I have selected a new organization to support-The Cape Cod United Way. They have traditionally supported a wide variety of programs and organizations locally. I invite you to explore their mission and share in supporting it. Connect with them at www.uwcapecod.org and view the Giving or Volunteering opportunities at www.uwcapecod.org/pdf/broforwebsite.pdf . As a small businessperson, I elected to commit to giving through the Rising Tide program. My name was featured in an article in the November 2009 edition of the periodical Cape and Plymouth Business as a participant in this new program. To read the article about the United Way Cape Cod, connect to

Rising Tide article Cape & Business Nov 09.pdf (1.32 mb)

I have also been a long time fan of Libraries in the Town of Barnstable. As I lived in Marstons Mills for 20 years and my Real Estate office has always been in Marstons Mills. I also support the Marstons Mills Public Library at www.mmpl.org It is a fine small library with a local feel, which is true for the other 6 libraries in our Town.

I also feel we have a treasure in Talk Radio with our local NPR radio station with is WCAI. I enjoy the wide ranging topics and interviews-from politics to nature and personalities on a local Cape Cod level. Learn more about the programming or listen online at www.cainan.org

I have made a commitment to be a Sustainer by a regular monthly commitment pledge to PBS WCAI Radio.

I believe that I owe a lot to Cape Cod for my success and the joy that every day reminds me how lucky I am to live in such a wonderful place! Whether you are here already and need to change your living situation, plan to move here by buying a second home, or retire here by buying a retirement home, I would be pleased to help you with a no obligation consultation to help you in your decision process.

Deb

The recently extended HomeBuyer Tax Credit is poised to help us continue our strong gains in activity this Fall. Great opportunity for first time buyers, AND current Homeowners to take advantage of this Tax Credit to buy a home on Cape Cod!

This information sheet provides an overview of the Tax credit provisions

Here is a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) regarding how the Homebuyer Tax Credit actually might work in the "Real World"supplied by Laurie Hayes, VP Mortgage Banking at Eastern Bank, here in Marstons Mills. I think it puts it into an understandable context!