cape cod real estate: Why Rent Control Could Hurt Massachusetts in 2026
- 02/04/26 08:18 AM
Why Rent Control Could Hurt Massachusetts in 2026
Massachusetts is struggling with a serious housing shortage. During this time, a new proposal aims to add strict statewide rent control—but experts warn it could make things worse, not better. The plan would cap rent increases at the Consumer Price Index or 5%, whichever is lower. That limit often falls short of actual costs for property taxes, insurance, and maintenance.
Under this proposal, every city and town would be affected—no local choice and no appeals. From the Berkshires to Cape Cod, landlords and renters alike would feel the impact. The result could be fewer rental … (1 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Common and Avoidable Reasons for Closing Delays – Part 6 of 6
- 07/27/25 08:31 AM
Common and Avoidable Reasons for Closing Delays – Part 6 of 6 As you near the final steps of buying or selling a home, it’s very important to be aware of fraud and do your due diligence. Fraud can cause big delays or even cause you to lose money. This final post in our series will explain common fraud risks in real estate closings and how you can protect yourself.
What Types of Fraud Should You Watch For? Fraudsters can be professional hackers or people you might trust, like third parties involved in the sale. Some red flags include sales of … (1 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Common and Avoidable Reasons for Closing Delays – Part 5 of 6
- 07/27/25 08:24 AM
Common and Avoidable Reasons for Closing Delays – Part 5 of 6 Are you getting ready to buy a home? Getting to closing day—when you get the keys—can be exciting, but sometimes things don’t happen as fast as you hope. In this fifth blog in our series, we’ll talk about why a buyer’s funds or paperwork not being ready is a common reason closings get delayed, and what you can do to avoid it.
Why Do Delays Happen When the Buyer’s Funds Aren’t Ready? There are a few different ways that money can cause a closing delay:
Waiting on Investments or … (2 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Common and Avoidable Reasons for Closing Delays – Part 4 of 6
- 07/27/25 08:18 AM
Common and Avoidable Reasons for Closing Delays – Part 4 of 6Are you planning to buy or sell a home? Getting to closing day—the day you officially become the owner—often takes longer than people expect. In this fourth blog of our series, we’ll talk about how unrealistic closing dates can cause delays, and what you can do to keep your sale on track.
Why Do Unrealistic Closing Dates Cause Problems?Many people are excited to move and want the closing to happen quickly. But setting a closing date that’s too soon can lead to big problems:
Attorneys Need Time: Lawyers have lots of … (1 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Common and Avoidable Reasons for Closing Delays – Part 3 of 6
- 07/27/25 08:13 AM
Common and Avoidable Reasons for Closing Delays – Part 3 of 6 Are you getting ready to buy or sell a house? Sometimes, things don’t go as fast as you hope, and closing day gets pushed back. In this third blog of our series, we’ll talk about probate problems—what they mean, how they can slow your closing, and what you can do to avoid them.
What Are Probate Problems? Probate is a legal process that happens when someone dies. If one or both owners of a home have passed away, their estate may need to go through probate before the house … (0 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Common and Avoidable Reasons for Closing Delays – Part 1 of 6
- 07/27/25 08:01 AM
Common and Avoidable Reasons for Closing Delays – Part 1 of 6 Are you buying or selling a house? If so, you probably want the process to go smoothly and quickly. But sometimes, closings get delayed—meaning the official sale of the house takes longer than planned. In this blog series, we’ll talk about some common and avoidable reasons why this happens, and what you can do to keep things on track!
Part 1: Title 5 and Septic System Issues One of the top reasons for closing delays is trouble with the septic system, which in many places is overseen by Title … (2 comments)
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cape cod real estate: New Ways to List Your Home: What Sellers Should Know
- 05/23/25 01:54 PM
New Ways to List Your Home: What Sellers Should Know(Based on guidance from the National Association of Realtors)
The way people sell homes is changing. For many years, most homes were listed on something called the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which helps lots of real estate agents see and share homes for sale. But today, sellers have more choices than ever before.
Here are a few new options you might want to know about:
1. Office Exclusive ListingThis is when a seller chooses not to have their home shown to the public or listed on the MLS. Instead, the home is only shared with … (5 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Selling Soon? 5 Designing Trends: 5: Making Small Spaces Pop
- 04/17/25 06:35 AM
Selling Soon? 5 Designing Trends: 5: Making Small Spaces PopIf you’ve got a small bathroom, laundry room, or entryway that needs a little love before listing your home, this summer trend might be just the fix: eye-catching tile patterns. Designers are saying goodbye to basic white subway tiles and hello to bold, colorful designs that bring energy to overlooked spaces.
Why Eye-Catching Tiles Are Hot Right NowBuyers want to be wowed—but not overwhelmed. Unique tile patterns in bathrooms or mudrooms show personality and attention to detail. They signal that a home has been thoughtfully designed, which gives it a premium feel at … (2 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Selling Soon? 5 Designing Trends 3: Soothing Blue and Bold Chartreuse
- 04/17/25 05:55 AM
Selling Soon? 5 Designing Trends 3: Soothing Blue and Bold ChartreuseBlog 3: Soothing Blue and Bold ChartreuseFirst - What is Chartreuse and how do you pronounce it? We're talking the color here, not the French Liqueur. However, it IS actually a color name that comes from the French Liqueur of the same name. And here are the colors that this blog is talking about. I am a meat and potatoes guy, or in this case a blue and yellow guy. But for the purposes of design here are Soft Blue and Bold Chartreuse examples:
If you're looking to make your home … (1 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Are the Major Cities In Your Real Estate Market Healthy ??
- 04/09/25 01:48 PM
Are the Major Cities In Your Real Estate Market Healthy?
Why do you care? Ancillary markets / suburbs tend to follow major cities. If the major cities near you are not healthy, you might prepare for your market to act similarly. Also, larger states can affect the whole USA real estate market when a few of them are in the same shape and acting together.
This grid summarizes the share of homes sold below the original list price, year-over-year changes, median original list prices, and average sale-to-original-list-price ratios for various cities and the overall U.S. The grid shows that there are more … (4 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Accessory Dwelling Unit is now legal by Right in MA (MA ADU Law 2025)
- 02/13/25 07:31 AM
Accessory Dwelling Unit is now legal by Right in MA (MA ADU Law 2025)
Accessory Dwelling Units Are now legal by Right in MA, as of February 2 2025. Under the new law, here are the major factors:
1) An ADU can be
a. no more than half of the gross floor area of the principal dwelling, or 900 square feet, whichever is smaller.
b. internal within an existing primary residence
c. attached to a primary residence as a new construction addition
d. completely detached
e. … (0 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Superbowl Sunday 2025 - We Have 6 Inches of Snow
- 02/09/25 04:48 AM
Superbowl Sunday 2025 - We Have 6 Inches of Snow
Well, I thought the weather forecasters would get it wrong again. Falmouth often receives different weather than the off Cape weather predictors indicate. With Buzzards Bay on the west side, Vineyard Sound on the south, and most often winds moving up from New York City.
So, with my weather prediction in my head I scheduled an open house for our listing at 55 Bourne St in Falmouth. Of course I should have checked my time hop in my social media, because it would have shown that the weather might actually be more in … (14 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Real Estate Practice Changes from August 17 2024
- 10/07/24 02:24 PM
What are the real estate practice changes from August 17 2024?
There are several real estate practice changes as of 8-17-24.
Buyers and Sellers can broadly think about the changes in two ways:
1) Written buyer agreements are now required in MA and must meet certain criteria.
Buyers and their agents will need to reach an agreement regarding how the agent will be paid for services.
That will need to be put in writing prior to touring a home.
2) Commission splits offered by the Seller can no longer be published on Multiple Listing Services (MLS).
Commission … (0 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Do Home Buyers Need Buyer Agents?
- 03/11/24 10:07 AM
Do Home Buyers Need Buyer Agents?
Or Navigating the World of Real Estate - Your Guide to Agents and Attorneys
Buying or selling a house might sound like a grown-up task, but understanding a few key roles can make the process much easier. Let's break it down into simple terms that are easy to quickly grasp.
Listing Agent: The House Helper
Imagine you're selling your old video game collection. A listing agent is like your big brother or sister helping you find the right buyer. They work for the person selling the house, the seller. The listing agent helps advise how to make the house … (4 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Does Covid Relief Act Protect from Foreclosure and/or Eviction?
- 12/11/22 12:54 PM
Does Covid Relief Act Protect from Foreclosure and/or Eviction?
Covid Cares - Foreclosure Relief Eviction Relief - Or Not?
This week I saw a property come back on the market after it was under agreement. It was a property that some of our buyers had an earlier agreement in place to buy. The property is for sale as a "flip" by an experienced foreclosure buyer. The buyers we were representing found their home inspection had to many issues so they did not buy the property.
When I saw the property on the market again, I called the agent to see why the property came … (0 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Why So Few Houses To Buy, In 7 Short Points
- 04/01/22 03:01 PM
Why so few houses to buy in 7 short points.
1. After the last "housing market downturn", many construction workers (tradespeople) found other jobs.
This exodus from the trades has still not reversed.
2. The building slump in America has continued thru today, and hasn't recovered to the needed levels to increase new home availability.
Finding enough skilled workers is still a problem for builders who are making an attempt to grow their inventory of projects.
3. The pandemic hit and slowed everything down.
With the government paying people to stay healthy, and with the fear of catching something awful, workers stayed home.
4. As part of the … (2 comments)
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cape cod real estate: The Top Vacation Home Counties in the USA
- 03/23/22 10:40 AM
The Top Vacation Home Counties in the USA:
According to the most recent NAR Vacation Homes Report (https://cdn.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2021-vacation-home-counties-report-06-15-2021.pdf), the top 1% of vacation home counties were in 16 states. North Carolina had four vacation counties (Swain, Alleghany, Macon, Watauga); there were three each in New York (Greene, Sullivan, Hamilton), Vermont (Windham, Bennington, Windsor), Massachusetts (Dukes (Martha's Vineyard), Barnstable, Nantucket), and Michigan (Oscoda, Alcona, Clare); there were two each in Florida (Lee, Collier), Missouri (Hickory, Camden), and Maryland (Garrett, Worcester). Oklahoma, Maine, Arizona, New Jersey, Georgia, New Mexico, Delaware, and Minnesota each had one vacation home county that landed in the top 1% … (4 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Real Estate Bourne MA Cape Cod Market in March 2021
- 03/29/21 01:58 PM
Real Estate Bourne MA, Cape Cod Market in March 2021
Bourne MA, Cape Cod Real Estate Market in March 2021
The Bourne MA Real Estate Market on Cape Cod in March 2021 is busy and crazy. Like the rest of the Massachusetts' real estate markets, Bourne has limited inventory and rising prices. The pictures below show some of the data that we see.
With around 5,000 properties spread out on both sides of the Cape Cod Canal, Bourne is an average Cape Cod real estate market in terms of possible properties to buy. As of this writing, there were 27 available properties in Bourne … (3 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Buyers With No Check - Beware, Deal or no Deal? (MA)
- 08/06/20 10:36 AM
Buyers With No Check - Beware, Deal or no Deal?
What if the buyer doesn't deliver the offer check? The Cape Cod and Islands Association Of Realtors (CCIAOR) recently published an article providing direction on this question. Basically, if you used one form for the offer, the answer is no deal. If you used another form, the answer is deal. Confused? Make sure your real estate professional isn't!
Because I am not a lawyer and because this is not legal advice, I need to say, "It is my understanding that" in MA, a binding real estate contract needs a written offer, acceptance of … (0 comments)
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cape cod real estate: Cape Cod Affordable Housing - New Lottery in Falmouth MA 2018
- 11/16/18 07:13 AM
Cape Cod Affordable Housing - New Lottery in Falmouth MA 2018
Do you want to live in Falmouth MA, but don't have a lot of income? Maybe you could win the housing lottery for 72 Deer Pond Road, in East Falmouth. It is a brand new home that some fortunate owner will be able to buy at a lower than average cost!
If you want to have a shot in this affordable housing lottery, visit the Falmouth Housing Trust website and apply to be a part of the lottery. There is an information session for this lottery on 12-4-18 (December 4, 2018) at … (1 comments)
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Why Rent Control Could Hurt Massachusetts in 2026
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