New Christian Church in Truro

A former Roman Catholic church in Truro, the “Our Lady of Perpetual Help” Church, at 17 Pond Road, has been reborn as the "Chapel on the Pond". The Chapel will return to the purpose for which it was originally constructed almost 100 years ago. Following a period of restoration, the Chapel will be open for worship and praise of God, prayer, meditation, Bible study and getting acquainted. The Chapel is planning to continue year-round, with worship and prayer Sunday mornings at 10AM.

Go to the Boathouse Ministries website for more details.

More Windmill Weekend Sand Sculptures

Another friend took a few pictures of the sand sculptures at Easthan's First Encounter Beach on Saturday morning of Windmill Weekend. Take a look!

Check out the slideshow...Here.

Solar Energy - Prices Coming Down

When we first moved to Eastham and experienced, first-hand, the year-round climate, we became aware of the abundance of sunshine that seems to shine here. Our comparison, to be fair, was upstate New York. That said, it seems that taking advantage of the sunshine to lower our energy costs should be a no-brainer. However, the costs of system components and installation made a solar energy system unaffordable. The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article that highlights the fact that system prices are plummeting. A little research netted a few other interesting takeaways.

• Your Guide to Home Solar in Massachusetts
• Solar in Massachusetts - an innovative way to finance a home solar system
• groSolar - http://grosolar.com/ - a Vermont company that manufactures residential solar equipment

Enjoy!

Wellfleet Oysterfest - October 17th & 18th

This year will be the 8th annual Wellfleet OysterFest. The weekend (and the village) will be filled with fun things for the whole family to do and see. There is a 5K run, a tennis tournament, arts & crafts, an old fashioned spelling bee (both adults and kids), and the all-important oyster shucking contest. Go to http://www.wellfleetoysterfest.org/ for more information, a schedule of events and for instructions on how to shuck an oyster.

Towers of Cape Cod - Scargo Tower

We see a lot of stories about the many lighthouses that dot our landscape, but they are not the only interesting towers on the Cape. There is a curiously different tower in West Dennis, the Scargo Tower, not far off Route 6A that you can visit and climb. The view from the top of this 30 ft tower is quite extensive, on a clear day going all the way to Provincetown. Check out the video slideshow and story on CapeCodToday.com. And, read a bit more about the history of this tower on Wikipedia...Here.

If you go see the Scargo Tower, check out the Scargo Cafe, just a short drive west along Route 6A from the Scargo Tower. It's particularly good for lunch.

Simple Home Staging Ideas

The 'art' of staging your home is simple making your home look like the potential buyer wants to see it. It shows your home in the best light, making it more likely to draw an offer. Consequently, your home will likely get a better offer. The difficult part of home staging is to do it cheaply and using materials that you already have. HGTV's FrontDoor.com has broken down home staging room by room. Take a look!

My October 2009 Newsletter Is Available Now!

My October 2009 Eastham real estate newsletter is available now! This issue contains my sales report of homes sold in August and year-to-date for 2009. Also in this newsletter you'll find an article on Wellfleet's Oyster Festival, and 5 new listings. Download your copy of the October 2009 newsletter ..Here

New Listings - Large Eastham Building Lots

Just listed today are 3 new ocean side building lots that are suited for 4 or 5 bedrooms homes. These Eastham lots are on/near Old Orchard Rd, between Brackett Rd and Nauset Rd. They are level and heavily wooded and are fairly close to the Cape Cod Rail Trail bike path and just a short distance to Nauset High School & Nauset Light Beach. These lots are priced to move quickly. Call me for details at 508-237-9545.

Also just listed is a small ranch that is also on a 4 bedroom lot, adjacent to the above lots. Go to http://900OldOrchardRd.robertsheldon.com for photos and more details.

Sharks Boosting Cape Tourism

Sharks have appeared at a good time off the coast of Chatham. Summer's winding down, but the prospect of seeing a shark off Chatham (or Orleans, Eastham, or Wellfleet) has kept the beaches busy with sightseers. There aren't many swimmers, however. The Cape Cod Times ran an extensive story about the sharks and their diet of seals ... Here. The article points out that large numbers of seals, and their predators, have the potential to alter the habits of many vacation goers and effect local businesses.

Sand Sculptures - Eastham's Windmill Weekend

This year, as every year, there is a sand sculpture competition at First Encounter Beach as part of Windmill Weekend. And every year the sculptures show creativity and artistry way beyond my capabilities and patience. Since I was busy showing houses (imagine that!), I 'borrowed' a few photos from Paul Higgins to put on this blog. Check them out...