Orleans' "Pops In The Park" - August 28th

The Orleans Chamber of Commerce is presenting the 21st annual Pops in the Park will take place at Orleans' Eldredge Field on Saturday, August 28th (rain date August 29th). The field will be set with tables for 2 and 4 and with theater seating. The Pops will be provided by the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, with performances by the Parkington Sisters and by Ashley Wade.

General admission is $20 per seat ($25 the day of the concert), with table seating at $75 per person. Table seating participants get light snacks and water and (importantly) may bring there own food and beverages.  Go to http://www.popsinthepark.com/ to get mare details and find out where to get tickets.

Enjoy!

My September Eastham Newsletter Is Available Now

My September Eastham real estate newsletter is available now. It has Eastham's results through July's sales, and Part 2 of my mid-year report of the real estate marketplace, with a summary of the results for our neighboring towns.  Also, you'll find a new listing and info on Eastham's Windmill Weekend.

In short, the Eastham market is improving, both in terms of sales volume and sales prices, back to the pre-2009 levels. Yeah!

Download your copy of my September newsletter ..Here.

Be Careful of Crawling Pebbles - Terrapin Turtles

It's 'that' time of year again, when the diamondback terrapin turtles hatch on our beaches and crawl to the Bay. These baby turtles are endangered, both individually and collectively. Beachgoers need to watch where they walk.

The latest 'sightings' of these baby turtles have been on Lieutenant Island and Eastham's Cape Cod Bay shore.  Read the article in a recent Cape Cod Times online edition.

Free Money For Energy Upgrades

The Federal government has a number of energy related rebates (mostly in the form of tax credits) that expire at the end of 2010. Likewise, many states has plans that are expiring soon.  Massachusetts had a special tax credit for energy efficient appliances, which unfortunately has expired.

Some eligible items for a federal tax credit include insulation, windows and doors, roofs, heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, water heaters and biomass stoves. Additionally, a tax credit is also available for some more advanced energy improvements, including solar panels and wind turbines.

There are lots of 'details, so start by reading the article on the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch website.,, Here. One of the details is that the home must be your primary residence, not a rental home.

Ground Zero Shipwreck Examined

A few a weeks ago remnants of a large wooden ship were found in the excavation for the new buildings to be built on the site of the World Trade Center. As you might expect, the folks who do forensic history (is that the right term?) are having a field day. And they should, since this ship was probably dumped (sunk?) as part of the landfill as they extended Manhattan Island south toward what is today Battery Park.  Read this article about the ongoing work of preserving and understanding the history behind these interesting findings.

Discover Wellfleet - A New Website

A well designed, and very useful, new website has been launched with the purpose of encouraging increased vacationers for Wellfleet during the Spring and Fall shoulder seasons. The website was developed and funded jointly by the Wellfleet Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Wellfleet, and the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (WHAT).

The website has a good calendar, Wellfleet news, weather, and links to many Wellfleet businesses. Check it out...Here.

Sharks - Chatham Beaches Closed Indefinately

Chatham beaches are closed indefinitely after numerous shark sightings this past week. Sharks were sighted just a short distance from swimmers. Lately, harbor seals have congregated on several of Chatham's sand bars - and these seals are the preferred snack food for the sharks. Officials can't say when this popular five-mile stretch of beach will reopen.  Check out this great video from the Weather Channel.

A Housing Shortage?

Surpluses and shortages happen all the time. Likewise for supply & demand. There is an article on SmartMoney.com that argues that the current building slowdown will result in a serious shortage as early as 2012. How this will effect the Outer Cape or Eastham is impossible to determine.  Read the article here.

The P-Town Pilgrim Monument Is 100 Years Old!

The Pilgrim Memorial Monument was dedicated in 1910 to commemorate the landing of the Mayflower in Provincetown Harbor and the signing of the Mayflower Compact. The Compact was America's first democratic constitutional document assuring equality and justice for everyone.

This week, on August 5th, they will be re-dedicate the tower. There will be a full day of activities, starting with a parade, the re-dedication, a concert and fireworks. Check out the day on the Monument's website.

July's Preliminary Sales Results

July is history. Not a bad month for sales, continuing the closings from the robust spring selling season. We are clearly returning to a normal marketplace after a slow 2009. Here are the facts...

• There were 12 closings in July (same as June) with an average sale price of $450K, and a median of $457K.
• This year, July's closings totaled $5.4M. Last year's total was $4.2M on 10 sales.
• There were 64 closings year-to-date (7/31/10), up 60% from 2009's 40 sales.
• Currently, there were 103 homes for sale in Eastham, with an average list price of 599K, and a median price of $469K.

For more details, graphs, and commentary, subscribe to my monthly newsletter...Here.