WOW ... CAPE COD IS REALLY SPECIAL!!

WOW ... CAPE COD IS REALLY SPECIAL!!

Karin asked last week if I could do an open house for her this past weekend. She just listed an 1840's antique merchant's house on the Olde King's Highway (Route 6A) in Brewster, one of the most beautiful parts of Cape Cod. After spending the afternoon there on Satuday I have to say ... "WOW!! Cape Cod is really special!!"

My family has been on the Cape since the beginning of this grand experiment, and as a 14th generation native sometimes I get jaded about the history, natural beauty and talent that is everywhere around me. I suppose folks from Southern California occasionally forget that they have beautiful girls bouncing around everywhere, or from Florida that they have nice, juicy oranges just hanging on trees, or that Alaska has those cute bears catching salmon all over the place like on a National Geographic DVD. When you see it everyday, it becomes 'nothing special.'

I like doing open houses. The purpose of doing one on a listing that's not yours is, of course, to get customers for other houses. Here on Cape Cod you never know who is going to be driving by, you meet some pretty interesting (and well qualifed) people and things happen. Since I am still in the process of 'getting back into the business,' don't have a lot of listings on my own and some agents have an abundance, I am happy to help out.

When you grow up in a wealthy, seasonal tourist area like this, you learn at an early age to take advantage of the traffic flowing through. My first job, at 8 years old, was washing root beer mugs at my Dad's 'hot dog stand' on Route 28 in Hyannis, my second in our 'stand' on Route 28 in West Harwich. From the time school gets out till Labor Day, it's happening on Cape Cod.

Karin Neal Doyle (karin@capecodera.com) is a new, rising listing superstar at the agency where I work (ERA Cape Real Estate). I was happy to help her out on this listing, because she's a great person and the listing meets all the criteria of a good open house for me -

• It has some unique aspects to it,
• it is overpriced,
• there are lots of comparable properties for less, and,
• it is located on a major road.

Additionally, I am familiar with the property, 2095 Main Street, the McLoud House, having lived in Brewster right down the street for fifteen years, first on Puritan Drive (the first left off Millstone, across from the Cape Cod Sea Camps), and then on Deer Path Circle, (right across from the Animal Rescue League, on the Orleans town line). I drove by it at least three times a week during that time and always noticed the sign - "Antique & Unusual Plant Containers". One summer my daughter worked at the Brewster Coffee Shop, an iconic Cape business, located about six doors down.

Saturday afternoon I headed on over (it's about fifteen minutes from where I live, by the Dancing Brook in South Yarmouth). I brought the usual, plus my package of comps - in this case, antique homes on Route 6A from Barnstable village through East Brewster in the $500-$800,000 range.

The particular section of Route 6A where the McLoud House is located is arguably the best stretch of the Olde King's Highway (which runs from Sagamore to Orleans) for well preserved or beautifully restored antique homes. In this area the road is lined with huge, leafy trees, the houses painted in official, approved Historic colors and the landscaping mature, well tended and lush. There is a gas station down the road a piece, but that's about the only 20th century intrusion in the area.

So OK, here I was at another expensive, beautiful old house, with beautiful gounds - one of perhaps thirty or so within a short stretch of road. I was impressed, but we see some totally awesome houses every week, and I'm not taking about granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and steam showers. I'm talking about fantastic concepts, superbly executed by gifted homeowners with tremendous vision - truly exceptional properties.

So what made the McLoud House special? Why is it worth a blog post? The truth is it wasn't the neighborhood (nice), the house (sweet), the Antique & Unusual Plant Container" shop (very cool, if, like me, you like that kind of stuff) or even the grounds (drop dead, think you're in Heaven type gorgeous).

The most unique, facinating and impressive part of this house doesn't go with the sale. The special element is the owner - Pat McLoud, Master Gardener, author, flower show judge, shop owner. Pat bought this property as an old house with a yard - couple of big trees, some grass, lots of weeds.

And she created a paradise. No gardener, no landscapers, no landscape architect. In her little half acre she knows every plant, flower, shrub, fountain, terrace, sculpture and tree on a first name basis. She put them there, nurtured them, made them behave and keeps them happy.

Rather than continuing to bloviate about the beauty of the McLoud House, I offer a video I shot using my cell phone.

CCIAOR MLS #21005445