Rick Tourgee's Blog on Provincetown Real Estate & Cape Cod Real Estate

Provincetown Real Estate: Provincetown recent sales updated on my website!

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:56:37 -0500

Clients ask me, "what properties have sold and what prices did they sell for in 2009?".

I have added and updated a page to my website with a list of sold properties- with the date it sold, the address, the list price, the selling price, days on the market, and a brief property description. Click RECENT SALES now to see this page!

Sales information will be updated as sales are posted our MLS system. Be sure to check my website often! Go to my home page and click on recent sales on the left side. Currently, the information is updated through August 31, 2009.

My goal is to be sure my website and blog bring you valuable real estate advice, so you will return to my site and refer it to friends who may want real estate advice here on Cape Cod.

Oh, by the way, my business thrives on referrals. If you know anybody looking to buy or sell anywhere on Cape Cod, I would be honored to have the referral from you.

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When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-237-4632 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

I am an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) and a Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) with a successful track record servicing many Buyers and Sellers. I follow the Golden Rule and look out for my Clients needs above my own.

Provincetown Real Estate: Real Estate activity surges!

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:49:52 -0500

I am thrilled to announce really good news for Buyers and Sellers of Provincetown real estate! Activity of Buyers signing contracts has surged dramatically within the last couple of months!

To demonstrate how active the market has been, YTD according to our Cape Cod & Islands MLS service, there have been 57 sales/closings of all properties across all price ranges. However, as of today, September 8 there are 47 properties that now have a signed contract! Most of these properties should close within the next 4-6 weeks or so.

Provincetown offers a life style like no other resort area and has a limited supply of properties.

Mortgage rates are terrific and inventory is till plentiful- but, dwindling as premier properties are selling. Many people earlier have put their buying decisions hold to “see what happens”. I am highly advising my Buyers to not wait any longer if there are ready, willing and able to purchase a condo or home here in Provincetown.

Please visit my website to see a sampling of available properties. Please feel free to call me at 508-237-4632 should you wish to discuss your personal goals and objectives of buying a second home here on Cape Cod.

When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

Provincetown Real Estate : Closed sales in 2009

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:35:51 -0500

Clients ask me, "what properties have sold and what prices did they sell for in 2009?".

I have added a page to my website with a list of sold properties- with the date it sold, the address, the list price, the selling price, days on the market, and a brief property description. Click RECENT SALES now to see this page!

Sales information will be updated as sales are posted our MLS system. Be sure to check my website often! Go to my home page and click on recent sales on the left side.

My goal is to be sure my website and blog bring you valuable real estate advice, so you will return to my site and refer it to friends who may want real estate advice here on Cape Cod.

Oh, by the way, my business thrives on referrals. If you know anybody looking to buy or sell anywhere on Cape Cod, I would be honored to have the referral from you.

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When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-237-4632 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

Provincetown Real Estate: Visitors flock to Provincetown!

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:38:08 -0500

Provincetown comes alive again!! Today was a fantastic warm, sunny day with many people coming out of their homes as well as many people making a day trip to Cape Cod from the Providence and Boston areas. This weekend is the annual Provincetown town-wide yard sale......bargains for many!

Speaking of bargains.....If you would like to speak with me about your personal real estate goals and objectives, please feel free to call me at 508-237-4632 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com. Feel free to visit my website to browse through many of the condos and homes on Cape Cod for sale.

Provincetown Real Estate: Building a home on Cape Cod?

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:45:08 -0500

There are not many lots available in Provincetown that can be built upon. However, once you move away from Provincetown toward Truro and Wellfleet, your options for vacant land open dramatically. Many Clients ask me about where do they begin. Of course, I always recommend the first stop to be at the local building department zoning department and health department, and ask my Clients to spend time with these people and ask many questions about the subject property and any limitations. Once they are satisfied with the answers from the local authorities, then they should meet with an Engineer as well as a licensed contractor.

Another valuable resource for consumers is the National Association of home Builders website. This website is for consumers as well as builders. I highly recommend my Clients visit the website and spend some time looking through the website for valuable tips to use along with their Engineer and Builder.

NAHB is a trade association that helps promote the policies that make housing a national priority. Since 1942, NAHB has been serving its members, the housing industry, and the public at large.

Click here to visit their website.

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If you would like to speak with me about your personal real estate goals and objectives, please feel free to call me at 508-237-4632 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com. Feel free to visit my website to browse through many of the condos and homes on Cape Cod for sale.

Provincetown Real Estate: Buyers, do not miss the boat!

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:28:59 -0500

I recently received an e-mail from a Buyer Client who is not ready to buy yet and was checking out my website to see if prices have fallen here in the Provincetown area of Cape Cod. I thought it would be valuable for any Buyer to read what I wrote back to my Client. Here is what I wrote:

"Provincetown is a very unique area with very limited land, with almost no more land that can be built upon. This area of Cape Cod is a huge second home market. As such, most Buyers in the past purchased property with at least 20% down, have terrific credit, good assets, etc. As such, we have seen only a very small handful of short sales or foreclosures compared to "middle America". Thus, prices have only softened here by maybe 10%-15%, except in those very few rare cases where a Seller had to sell......or if the property was drastically over-priced to begin with regardless of market conditions.

Sales here are good. Buyers are still buying here because of the life style this area of Cape Cod offers, while inventory is good and mortgage rates remain at all-time lows. Thus, the bottom line to everything I am saying is that you should buy when you are ready, willing and able to buy. Prices are remaining firm. When the economy does turn around and becomes very strong, prices could rise at a decent pace again. You should buy when you are ready in your heart to own a special piece of Cape Cod......don't try to time the market! Whether it is the stock market or the real estate market, or any other market.....if you try to time the market, you will probably loose in the end.

Please feel free to reach out to me anytime with any questions or concerns. I am here to help."

I never want to push anybody into doing something they do not want to do, I never act like a pushy salesman. I am extremely proud that Buyers hire me to be their Professional Real Estate Adviser for honest advice and look out for the interest above my own interest. This fact makes me extremely successful!

If you would like to speak with me about your personal real estate goals and objectives, please feel free to call me at 508-237-4632 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com. Feel free to visit my website to browse through many of the condos and homes on Cape Cod for sale.

Provincetown Real Estate: Adjustable Rate Mortgages for second homes

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sat, 09 May 2009 09:52:28 -0500

Many Buyers get very afraid when they hear "Adjustable Rate Mortgages". Buyers need to be good consumers and do their homework with a good calculator and a good Mortgage Representative. Here in Provincetown and the surrounding area, this area is mainly a second home market. Here is fact to consider: most second homeowners only keep the property for 2-5 years on average.

Most property owners end up trading the property for larger, or smaller, or for a different location. Since it is a second home, it is easier to make the trade for another property. Thus, it could make financial sense to obtain an adjustable rate mortgage with an initial rate lock for 3-5 years (these rates are typically called 3/1 or 5/1 ARM's). This could keep your payments more affordable and could allow more money to go toward principal- which would in turn give you more equity when you sell the property for another second home.

When working with Buyer Clients, I always advise a 3/1 or a 5/1 ARM. Unless, they are 100% sure they are going keep the property for more than 5 years. I don't know about you, but, I am not 100% sure I will have my second home in 5 years! Feel free to browse my website to view a variety of condos and homes here on Cape Cod.
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When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-237-4632 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

Provincetown real estate: Provincetown real estate assessed values for FY 2009

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:15:04 -0500

Attention all Provincetown real estate owners: The Provincetown Board of Assessors announces that the public disclosure period for fiscal year 2009 assessed values is now through May 8, 2009.

The town did not give any figures as to whether the values increased or decreased on the website. However, as I scanned through the properties, there are many that increased and many that decreased. I am hoping the town will announce what the average increase or decrease was as I could not take on the of doing the calculation on my little calculator. :)

The fiscal year 2009 values, which are pending preliminary certification from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, reflect full and fair cash value as of Jan. 1, 2008. As required by Mass. State law, the fiscal year 2009 assessments are based on sales of similar properties in calendar year 2007. To view the FY 2009 Assessed values file and download to your computer, please visit www.provincetown-ma.gov/assessor.html

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When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-237-4632 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

Provincetown Real Estate: Provincetown area sales stats for the 1st quarter 2009

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:40:50 -0500

Below are the current sales stats of properties in the Provincetown, Truro, and Wellfleet area of Cape Cod for the 1st quarter of 2009. Data retrieved from the Cape Cod MLS system as of 12 noon on April 1, 2009.

As you can see, sales have slowed compared to the first quarter of 2008. On the positive side, prices have declined much slower than other areas on Cape Cod and the rest of the nation. However, this might be the reason for slower sales volume.

For more details, feel free to call me at 508-237-4632 to discuss your personal real estate goals and objectives.

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*Volume of closed sales*	*Year to date 2009*	*Last year to date 2008*
*Provincetown*
Condos	7	28
Single family	5	4
Average days on the market	348	199

*Truro*
Condos	2	4
Single family	4	4
Average days on the market	177	237

*Wellfleet*
Condos	1	2
Single family	7	8
Average days on the market	152	300

Total sales	26	50

*Sales Prices (2009)*	*Highest*	*Lowest*	*Average*
*Provincetown*
Single Family	$1,366,000	$340,000	$870,000
Condos	$494,000	$210,000	$315,000

*Truro*
Single Family	$775,000	$404,000	$525,000
Condos	$455,000	$245,000	$350,000

*Wellfleet*
Single Family	$669,000	$350,000	$487,000
Condos	$230,000	$230,000	$230,000

Provincetown Real Estate: Spacious studio for sale for under $170,000!

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:22:06 -0500

54 Bradford Street # 2-3

Provincetown, MA 02657

$169,000

Be sure to view the virtual tour and more details on my Provincetown Real Estate website! Located in the West-end of Provincetown, you will find this spacious, open and bright first floor studio. This condo is located in the Shankpainter Sails Association, a terrific location to walk to Bubulas, Boatslip and all of the special shops and restaurants along Commercial Street.

There is an exclusive use deck/patio- perfect for entertaining! Parking is on first come-first serve basis, pets are allowed for owners. Property is connected to town sewer and the betterment has been paid in full! This condo needs some minor TLC and is being sold as is and fully furnished.

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When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-237-4632 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

March get together event

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:15:41 -0600

Many of you Active Rainers asked me to keep you updated about future eventsafter reading my Valentine's Client Party post. For our March event, we decided to make it a fund raiser for the local no kill animal shelter here in Provincetown.

All of the Agents here in the office is going to prepare a home cooked dish of food. We are asking Clients, neighbors, and friends to come to enjoy some great food and make a donation to this terrific organization.

Please join us on Saturday March 14 here at 68 Shank Painter Road in Provincetown, MA for great food prepared by wonderful Agents and please consider making a donation to this terrific no kill animal shelter.

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When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-237-4632 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

Provincetown Real Estate: Seller's please do not list your home for sale!

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:04:54 -0600

Last year I wrote a blog post about how Seller’s should not list their property if they really don’t need or want to sell. I thought now that we are a little into 2009 with a new President in office, I would give you a snapshot of the current market conditions here in Provincetown and the surrounding area.

Since the significant drop of the stock market, Buyers of second homes in this part of Cape Cod have put everything on hold for a variety of reasons. Stock values have declined eliminating wealth. When people see the values of their portfolios decline, people are hesitant to purchase a luxury item. This part of Cape Cod, most properties are second homes, which is considered a luxury.

Another huge factor is the concern of a job loss. If people feel they might lose their job, they will not invest in a luxury item.

Other factors play a significant role as well, such as the value of their primary residence has declined (again, wealth effect), it is tough to obtain a favorable mortgage, etc.

However, serious qualified Buyers are buying and the market is not dead as the news media may make it sound. The major shift is Buyers will ONLY buy if they find a great deal on a property priced extremely well, a short sale, or a foreclosure. I am delighted to say that our office took a listing from a Seller who listened to us and wanted to sell. Guess what?? We have the property under agreement from a strong, qualified Buyer in just a few shorts weeks!!

Buyers are out there and they are buying! However, Buyers are no longer buying market priced homes. Buyers do a significant amount of their due diligence prior to even meeting with me to discuss making a purchase. Buyers are well aware of properties that have lingered on the market for a significant amount of time with only small price decreases. Buyers will stay away from those properties because they feel the Seller is not serious and will avoid those properties all together. And, if I am acting as a Buyer Representative, I could not advise the Buyer to do anything different under present market conditions!

Sellers: Please do not even list your property if you do not need to sell or want to sell. And, more importantly, work with a reputible Real Estate Agent who will be honest with you and won’t tell you what you want to hear- but, tell you reality. It will do you no good to list your home if you don’t care about selling and/or over pricing the home. The real estate market does not need more inventory!

If you wish to discuss market conditions or your personal goals and objectives with me, please feel free to phone me at 508-237-4632 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com. I highly encourage you to visit my Provincetown real estate website for more valuable tips and to view the current listing inventory.

Provincetown Real Estate: 3 bedroom single family home for sale in Provincetown' East-end

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:52:28 -0600

3 Bedroom single family home with bay views!

$729,000

8 Thistlemore Way, Provincetown MA

Features:

3 bedrooms, 3 baths
Quiet side street
Over-sized bedrooms
Peeks of Cape Cod Bay
Spacious corner lot
www.8Thistlemore.com

Remarks:
Located in the East-end of Provincetown in Somerset Heights, you will find this very private 3 bedroom home nestled in the woods on a private road. This spacious, warm, inviting home offers plenty of space for family and friends, yet allow intimate dinners and gatherings. A peak of Cape Cod Bay, beach and lighthouse in the distance can be enjoyed from your deck which overlooks professionally landscaped gardens.

Rick Tourgee

508.237.4632 Cell

Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

View My Website

View My Other Listings

Century 21 Shoreland

68 Shank Painter Road
Provincetown, MA 02657

508.487.6002

©2007Properties Online, LLC, Patent No. US 6,760,707. The above information including square footage is based on data received from the seller and/or from public sources. This information is deemed reliable but has not been independently verified and cannot be guaranteed. Prospective buyers are advised to verify information to their own satisfaction prior to purchase.

Provincetown Bark Park benefit this Sunday. Your dogs can meet Santa!

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:36:24 -0600

Dog lovers here in Provincetown on Cape Cod now have a wonderful "Bark Park" to walk their dogs in a wonderful, safe location. Of course, running such a terrific park requires funds. This Sunday from 10-2, Santa will be at the Pilgrim Bark Park (Shank Painter Road & Rte 6). Santa hopes lots of dogs will come and have their photos taken with him. Suggested donation: $10.00. All proceeds benefit Pilgrim Bark Park.

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When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

PROVINCETOWN: CENTURY 21 INVITES YOU TO A WINE TASTING OF WINES BY TRURO VINEYARDS

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:45:52 -0600

CENTURY 21 Shoreland, Provincetown

Invites you to a

Holiday Wine Tasting Open House

November 22 from 3:00 until 5:00

Featuring 3 Holiday Wines Presented by Truro Vineyards

2007 Truro Vineyards Chardonnay- Tasting Notes Toasty oak aromas with layers of ripe apple and vanilla. Finish is long, warm and slightly citrusy. Serve lightly chilled with broiled seafood, lobster, roasted poultry, and pastas with cream sauce. Grapes 100% Chardonnay.

2006 Truro Vineyards Cabernet Franc- Tasting Notes Cabernet Franc is the signature varietal of Truro Vineyards. Open vat fermentation, extended maceration and 18 months barrel aging all contribute to rich varietal fruit flavors and herbal tannins. This tasty dry red wine is best served with beef, pork and varied roasted dishes. Grapes 100% Cabernet Franc

NV Truro Vineyards Cranberry Red- Tasting Notes Fresh and bold, red Beaujolais character blended with delicate Cape Cod cranberries. Super with roast turkey, duck, or pheasant. Also blend with orange juice or mulling spices for a harvest treat!

CENTURY 21 Shoreland 68 Shank Painter Rd Provincetown

1-508-487-6002

*all attendees must be a minimum of 21 years of age

Provincetown Real estate: Stop & Shop takes over Grand Union

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:43:41 -0600

After many months of rumors, it is now official that Stop & Shop grocery store will take over the local Grand Union Supermarket on Shank Painter Road in Provincetown. This supermarket is the only larger scale grocery store within about a 30 minute drive.

Many people in the Provincetown area have complained over recent years of the lack of high quality fruits, vegetables, meats, etc that has been in Grand Union's offering- at substantially high prices. We all now hope that Stop & Shop will bring much higher quality groceries to us in the Provincetown and surrounding area. We know prices of groceries probably will not decrease. But, we all hope the quality and the selections of groceries will increase dramatically.

Stay tuned! It is estimated the take over will occur in early December 2008.

When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

IPHONES SELLING FASTER THAN RAZR! I LOVE MY IPHONE

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:57:51 -0600

I just read an article online on www.cnbc.comabout how the Iphone is selling faster than the Razr and has become the top choice among business people. Here is a link to the article.

I bought my new Iphone 3G in August and I never looked back at my old Blackberry! I love the graphics on the Iphone, the speed, the ability to touch a number to dial, the ease of connecting to Microsoft Outlook and syncing to update my contacts, calendar, and to do list. I enjoy the ability to connect to Itunes anywhere and download a song I just heard on the radio. There are so many applications for free that are a lot of fun! Now that I have had my phone for several months and have tried all of the features of the phone, I can only say great things about the phone.

I am not an Iphone salesperson getting paid to write this post. But, if you are considering a smartphone, in my opinion the Iphone is the best choice! Would I like a few more bells and whistles- of course. But, what phone is perfect?

When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

PROVINCETOWN REAL ESTATE: SPACIOUS 2 BEDROOM CONDO IN THE CENTER OF PROVINCETOWN ON CAPE COD

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:30:57 -0600

4 Winslow Street

Provincetown, MA 02657

$539,000

Great location, just off Bradford Street, steps away from the monument, town hall and everything on Commercial Street, yet in a quiet and residential area. The second floor was totally renovated in 2003. It features cathedral ceilings, open living area, old wide pine floors and tons of light and opens to a 12 x 8 deck. The kitchen has a sub-zero refrigerator and Bosch dishwasher and some truly beautiful granite counter-tops. The living area has a wood burning RAIS stove. The bedrooms have queen sized beds and ample closet space. The marble bath with tiled shower stall is quite impressive. There is a separate small laundry area, shared basement storage, attic storage with a pull down stair, and parking for one car. Please note this is a new condo conversion. Taxes and condos fees have not been assessed at this point.

When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

PROVINCETOWN REAL ESTATE: FREE STANDING CONDO FOR IN THE DESIRABLE WEST-END

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:21:00 -0600

3 Race Road

Provincetown, MA

$419,000

Provincetown condo for sale: Tucked away in the desirable west end, you will love the privacy of this 2 bedroom free standing condo in a small association. View the sun drenched outdoor exclusive use deck through double sliders from the inside of your dining/living/kitchen area. This 2 bedroom condo has one bath, in unit laundry and an open kitchen to the living area and deck on the first floor. Complimented by a second bedroom upstairs with a vaulted ceiling which owner currently uses as a media room. Well maintained by current owners as private retreat for the past 13 years, this free standing unit would be ideal for owner living or weekly summer rentals. Pets allowed for owners.

When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

Provincetown (Cape Cod) New dog park!!

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:13:00 -0600

As many who have visited Provincetown or live here know that Provincetown is very much a pet-friendly town. We all love all animals, especially our dogs and cats!

Thus, is is no wonder that the hard work and daily efforts by many, we will now have a dog park, called The Bark Park, located on the corner of Shank Painter Road and Rte 6 here in Provincetown. This wonderful park is just under 1 acre of land with a special area for dogs under 25 pounds. It is expected in Spring 2009, water fountains will be added.

It took one year to raise $100,000 to fund this project. Last night, a silent auction was held and raised about $12,000. The silent auction could not have been without local artist creating 51 mini doghouses. Artists were given mini-doghouses about the size of birdhouses. In a few months, they came up with everything from an Andy Warhol-type silver doghouse complete with disco ball, to a canine abode coated with colorful dog biscuits. People from Provincetown and as far away as California bid on these mini doghouses. A sucess for sure!

The Bark Park should be open in a week or two and will be greatly appreciated by everybody including our 4 legged extended families!

When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

Provincetown (Cape Cod) Town Hall closed for repairs

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:09:44 -0600

Our beautiful Provincetown Town Hall closed today until repairs to the inside and outside of the building are completed. This will be a multi-million dollar renovation that could take two years or more to complete.

The town has arranged for Government services usually found in town hall to be moved to temporary trailers at 16 Jerome Smith Road (near Rte 6 and Shank Painter). This includes business licenses, building permits, tax payments, marriage applications, town committee meetings and more. The town’s tourism office has moved from town hall to the old public library at the corner of Freeman and Commercial streets.

Please note: all Provincetown government officials begin a new four-day, 10-hour work week, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. All town government services except police, fire and other on-call services such as emergency water leak response will be closed on Fridays.

I will keep you updated as the repairs are completed.

When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

BUYER REPRESENTATION

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:06:23 -0600

Attention anyone and everyone looking to buy real estate: I wrote a post here in my blog about a year ago about Buyer Representation and how valuable it is when looking to purchase real estate. I had a few potential Buyers share their initial impressions about how they “viewed” looking for an Agent or Agency when looking to purchase. Much to my surprise, they initially felt they should work with an Agency that has the highest number of listings. That is totally false and shows consumers need a better education on Agency Representation.

I was delighted to explain Buyer representation and how it provides significant value to the Buyer- regardless of the number of listings I have or my company has listed. As an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), I have a duty to look after my Buyers best interest above my own interest. I am able to show Buyers any listings for sale in the State of Massachusetts, regardless of who the property is listed with. Thus, it does not matter how many listings I have under my name, since I can show and sell all listings. I can share all of the positive and negative attributes about a property. I can give my opinion about the price- whether it is over priced or a terrific value.

If a Buyer works with an Agent that has the listing, the Agent might be working as a Dual Agent where as the Agent works for both parties. Or depending on the model which the Agency has set up, the Agent could be working for the Seller.

If I were a Buyer, I would would want someone working for me, exclusively. I would not want to wonder whether an Agent is looking out for their own interest above my own.

Think about this long and hard prior to working with an Agent. Be sure to know the facts and not the myths!

When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

ARE REVERSE MORTGAGES PART OF THE PROBLEM TOO??

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 02:49:11 -0500

With prices for everything increasing, the stock market falling and economic uncertainty spreading, more and more of Cape Cod's senior citizens are looking to reverse mortgages as a source of income.

As financial pressures drive increased interest, however, homeowners considering a reverse mortgage should make sure they know exactly what they're getting — and who they are getting from, experts cautioned.

A reverse mortgage is, most simply, a type of loan that lets homeowners, generally 62 or older, trade their equity for income. With a reverse mortgage, a borrower can choose to receive regular monthly payments or open a line of credit. When the homeowner either moves or dies, the loan is paid back out of the proceeds of the property's sale.

Neither the borrower nor his or her heirs will ever have to pay back more than the value of the home. If the home sells for more than is owed, the borrower or the heirs keep the difference.

Due to a rising tide of foreclosure proceedings, a reverse mortgage can, in some cases, provide homeowners with enough money to stay in their houses. In other cases, reverse mortgage funds can pay off an existing home loan, making more money available for basic needs.

Reverse mortgages, however, are not without their downside, experts clearly point out. The fees for the loan can be very expensive. Closing costs often range between $10,000 and $17,000 or higher. And monthly insurance and administrative fees can pile on even more cost.

These fees are not paid up front, but are rolled into the loan, and can eat up available equity faster than the borrower expects or realizes.

All of this makes me wonder whether reverse mortgages are part of the problem along with sub-prime loans. We have been reading in the news media that sub-prime loans is part of the reason for the current financial problems. Maybe they should also consider whether reverse mortgages should continue to be made due to falling values.

I could be all wrong since I am not a mortgage expert. I would love to hear comments from mortgage people with their opinion. Are reverse mortgages good for the borrower and the lender???

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When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

$500,000 FOR EVERY ADULT IN THE USA!!

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:43:30 -0500

I was chatting with a fellow Real Estate Agent this morning. He brought up a very interesting idea about the $700 billion bailout package recently passed by Congress. Think of this: if you were to take that money and divide it equally to every adult in the USA, that would put about $500,000 in the pocket of every adult!!

If this happened, can you imagine what would happen to the economy?? His thought is if the adults used the money to pay off their mortgages and spent the rest on cars, big screen TV's, etc., etc.........this would be a tremdous boost to the economy while funding the mortgage companies for these "poor performing assets" while creating tons of jobs, which would in turn create even more jobs as these people spent their income!!

Something to think about!!!!!!!

What are your thoughts??

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When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com

Provincetown's Bike Trail

Rick Tourgee - Provincetown and Cape Cod (Century 21 Shoreland) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:20:16 -0500

Attention people who enjoy biking on the Province Lands Bike Trail: On Monday, October 6, 2008, Cape Cod National Seashore officials and a contractor will begin a partial renovation project on the 7-mile trail, which has the distinction of being the National Park Service's oldest bike trail. Sadly, it may also be among the most dangerous.

Picture a narrow asphalt trail winding through the dunes, with a faded yellow line down the middle, pavement cracks and root heaves are large big enough to cause significant damage to your bicycle as well as your body! What if there is something unexpected in the path - a disabled biker, an animal, as examples - it could send you off into the dunes! Can you handle a curvy ride down a steep slope ending in a three-way trail intersection? Then there's the danger of the blowing sand.

Over the years, these issues have caused many serious accidents! I am thrilled they are finally going to renovate part of the trail. I have been on many bike trails and I have to admit, the scenic beauty of the Province Lands Bike Trails is among the best! But, the dangers of being on the trail were always a major concern.

According to an article in the cape Cod Times Newspaper, the cost of this renovation may run $1.3 million. A small price to pay to have a safe trail running through our beautiful National Seashore!

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When looking to buy or sell your piece of Provincetown Real Estate or in the surrounding area, please call me at 508-487-6002 or e-mail me at Rick.Tourgee@Century21.com