Guide Me Home to Cape Cod Real Estate - Home

Jack Conway & Co. Inc recognized in TOP 5 Relocation companies in the World!

2010-07-22T00:00:00Z

In addition to being the #1 Independent real estate company in Massachusetts with its 44 offices from Swampscott to Cape Cod and New Bedford, Jack Conway Realtors® is also a member of the biggest Relocation Network in the world called: Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (Formerly called RELO). This network, with very strict membership qualification requirements, links the best real estate companies of every country and every state in the world. It allows Realtors like myself on Cape Cod, to work with agents outside of the areas where we have Jack Conway & Co. offices. So with one phone call, I can be introduced to the best Realtors to help my clients buy or sell real estate anywhere in the world! I alone, have worked so far with agents as far as New Mexico, Canada and the Bahamas, thanks to the great work of our strong Jack Conway Relocation Department.

In fact, our Relocation department is so successful that Leading Real Estate Companies of the World just recognized us as being one of the Top Five Member Companies in the world for “Most Improved Sales Production” for the first six months of 2010! We have almost doubled our Relocation business over the past year with sales happening from Canada to Greece and throughout the United States.

So if you are selling or buying or know someone who wants to sell or buy real estate, really anywhere in the world, call me and I will use our network! I can help you sell on Cape Cod and buy somewhere else, or sell somewhere else to buy on Cape Cod… I can even help you in other languages if you speak French, Spanish or Portuguese. You can call me any day of the week at 508-534-5570 or visit my website at www.melaniecauchon.com.

Posted by: Melanie Cauchon

Home improvements that do not Sell Real Estate in Massachusetts

2010-05-19T07:55:00Z

It seems universal: if you are renovating a house that you may re-sell in a couple of years, do not overdo it!

It can be tempting to go for the top of the line marble tile or granite, the huge double Jacuzzi tub, or to take down a wall to make your master bath and closet bigger at the expense of losing a 3rd bedroom, but DON’T!

Not before you read through this article I just came across on Five Bad Home Improvement Ideas published by a Real Estate investor, Mr. Ki Gray, of Austin.

Then I would browse through the listings of real estate for sale in Massachusetts and recently sold real estate on my web site. This way, you will be able to see what houses with improvements sell for vs non improved houses. It is always better to look at the ‘re-sale value’ of an improvement, before spending on a project. If you need any help with knowing how to prepare your home to sell , don’t hesitate to call me, Mélanie Cauchon, Realtor, 508-534-5570.

Click here to read the article I mentioned.

Posted by: Melanie Cauchon

House selling tips: The magic of paint on your old kitchen cabinets

2010-04-26T07:59:56Z

I am Melanie Cauchon and I am Realtor on Cape Cod in Massachusetts . Every week I show real estate to my buyers clients, some houses that have great space, great location or great layout, but one of the most frequent comments I hear is : ‘It feels too dark.’

In our Cape Cod market, we do have a lot of houses that were built in the 70’s or early eighties, sometimes still owned by their original owners, still with the same original décor… Some have been summer homes, some year round homes.

Sellers often think ‘No big deal, the buyers can add more lights and repaint the way they like it after they buy it’ Or ‘’We have had it this way for 30 years and we like it, there is nothing wrong with it…’’ or ‘’this was expensive wall paper when we bought it 30 years ago…’’ Well if you are the seller thinking this way, I would not count on an offer too soon.

If a buyer walks in a property for sale and does not like the first impression, it is very unlikely this buyer will make an offer. Unless they are looking for a ‘’fixer-upper,’’ as they call it. Then if you are lucky and they do make an offer, it will probably not be in the amount that you are hoping for.

Most buyers look at the work they have to do and think they have to get the house for less because it needs work. Even if your house is very well priced to take into consideration its original 70’s wall paper and paint designs and its dark kitchen cabinets…You can almost be sure that offer will come in low!

Now, I am no home improvement expert, but I found a great article on tips on repainting kitchen cabinets.

Repainting your kitchen cabinets a lighter color can really help selling your house if it is too dated and dark. But stay away from funky colors and pastels (so far my buyers have not been big on light blue, green, yellow, beige, even though we seem to see it a lot in houses we look at). White seems to be my buyers’ favorite.

LIGHT PAINT can do magic and is usually the least expensive improvement! Take a picture of the cabinet and ask for advice from your paint store specialist.

If you are thinking about selling and would like help with marketing your property, I would be happy to help you. I can even help you with tips on getting your house ready to sell. I can be reached any day of the week at 508-534-5570. Or you can visit my website by clicking here.

If you are a buyer and want to buy a house where you can just move-in, and not do any work, check out this nice Cape style on a quiet street.

Posted by: Melanie Cauchon

Sellers - Check your Deed

2010-04-19T11:18:45Z

When was the last time you checked on your deed? Admit it, never. You bought a house 10 years ago and since then your deed has been safely kept in a County or State Registry of Deeds. Why check it?

Over the past 10 years you had an addition put on the house, a new kitchen, a major landscape revamp. If those contractors put a lean against your property while they were doing the work, to make sure they would get paid, and you did pay them, have they discharged that lean. Now, if that contractor goes out of business, or passes to the great beyond, and you have no paperwork or cancelled check proving you did pay them, you have a problem.

The problem is that a Buyer’s Lender is not going to loan money on a property without a “Clear and Marketable Title”, they do not want to be in a second position if there is a lean on your property, and although you accepted a great offer 2 days after putting your house on the market, and have moved forward signing a contract for your next house, there is not going to be a smooth trip to closing either transaction.

Let’s say you paid off your mortgage, you try to sell your house, and you find that your mortgage was not discharged, and the bank that had that mortgage not only did not discharge it, they were taken over by the FDIC, which farmed out the records to a huge bank, which has no idea about this loan, the pay off, or even where that file is and keeping good records is not high on your list of things to do. Yes, this happens!

I urge you to check your deed every 2 years, make sure you know about any leans placed on your property, and if you have satisfied the obligation, it is duly recorded. Checking your Deed is very easy; a quick visit to the local Registry or you may be able to go on-line.

Selling your property is not difficult, it may take some time, but here on Cape Cod where I am fortunate to List and Sell Real Estate, www.peterhawley.com there are times when one is confronted with Title issues, the majority of them are resolved, but in the mean time we have very unhappy people on all sides of a transaction. As your Agent, I want you to be the happy one.

Posted by: Peter Hawley

Update on Foreclosures for Sale on Cape Cod MA

2010-03-02T20:02:00Z

Cape Cod real estate is already proving to be much busier 2010 than 2009 and the 1st trimester is not even over yet!

Many buyers have already grabbed a lot of the best foreclosure deals, so new foreclosure listings are receiving multiple offers and often selling over asking price.

On a Nationwide scale, the Realtor Magazine reports that the amount of foreclosures for sale in December 2009 was 73% of what it was in November 2008, saying: ”Foreclosure Bargains Getting Harder to Find.”

If you are looking for one of these foreclosure opportunities, you better be ready with your bank pre-approval in hand! To find out more about how to get ready to buy a foreclosed property, or to look for the best deals on Cape Cod, foreclosures or not, contact me, Melanie Cauchon, at 508-534-5570 or sign up on my website.

Posted By: Melanie Cauchon

Fishing on the Cape

2010-01-21T18:20:00Z

Cape Cod is one of the best places to fish along the East Coast. And it’s no secret why: it has more then 360 freshwater ponds and sports a coastline loaded with jetties, inlets, tidal rivers, and flats. It lies just west of the very fertile Stellwagen Bank and is along the migration routes for stripers and blues moving from southern water to the Gulf of Maine. In short it’s a great place to catch fish.

Fishing has a rich history on the Cape. The majority of the large homes and estates that line the main roads of the Cape almost certainly belonged at one time fishing or whaling captains who prospered greatly from the sea. Of course it wasn’t always an ocean of opportunity. Stay tuned for more on the Cape’s fishing history.

Posted By: Scott Cash

Buying a house and choosing where to retire to on Cape Cod MA

2010-01-20T15:55:00Z

Cape Cod has been for a long time a destination for future retirees and it still is attracting more every year.

Some choose Cape Cod for its laid back life style or its nicer weather (with much less snow than any of the big cities in the states that surround it).

Some love its incredible views and the multitude of outdoor activities to pick from every day: walking, golfing, kayaking, fishing, bicycling, in-line skating, running, bird watching, going to the beach, boating and the list goes on…

Living on Cape Cod gives a total new definition of what retirement can be.

As a Realtor on Cape Cod, I meet a lot of clients who are looking for a house to retire to in a few years. But they often do not really know what town is best for them.

So I usually ask them to make a list of the activities they like or plan on doing when they retire. Then we compare it with what each town offers.

Golfing is a good example. Some towns have no public golf courses, some have 2, and some have private ones…

Once we narrow it down to 1 or 2 towns, then I suggest making a list of what you want and do not want, but in the following 3 categories:

1-“Must Have” in the house : (keep in mind that these are usually fields that will be entered in the computer for the search. For example: saying MUST HAVE 3 Bedrooms will eliminate every house with 2 bedrooms only, even if it has a bonus room or office etc. So having too many criteria in the MUST HAVE section might narrow down your choices fast). You should also rank the items by priority here.

2-“Would be NICE TO HAVE” : (but it is not a deal breaker if the house does not have it) Here you can elaborate, list everything you like. It could be something that you can add on also. For example, if you want a garage, but do not mind adding one on a house that does not have it.

3- “Absolutely do not like/ want” : This can be a style of house you do not like, something you do not want to be near… it can also be a limitation . For example, if you have trouble with stairs or slopes, then it would tell me to look for a ranch on a flat lot. Again, think of the computer search. It has to be an ABSOLUTE no because I will program my search to exclude all listings that have what you list in this section.

Now, if you think you are ready to start looking for your next house on Cape Cod, the 1st thing to do is to call me, Melanie Cauchon, at 508-776-5378. You can also visit my website at www.melaniecauchon.com.

I also have great listing if you are thinking of retiring near the town, the beaches and the golf courses. Take a look at this great property at 18 Randolph Lane in Harwich. If you want to see more of it, you can also take a video tour by clicking here.

Let me know if this house has all the items of your “MUST HAVE” list!

Posted By: Melanie Cauchon

REAL ESTATE & HOUSING DATA in Massachusetts shows big improvement in October 2009

2009-11-30T21:31:00Z

If you have been waiting to buy Real Estate in Massachusetts , you might want to consider making a move soon. The Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) just published their statistics for October 2009 and things are definitely turning around. MAR reported on November 24th ,2009 that:

To get help with your real estate needs and access all available properties for sales by clicking here or call Melanie Cauchon, Realtor, at 508-534-5570.

Posted By: Melanie Cauchon

Cape Cod Real Estate has become more affordable and buyers are getting good deals on Cape Cod!

2009-11-23T15:51:00Z

According to a recent report from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo, ‘’housing is at its most affordable in years!‘ ’ and ‘’The typical U.S. family earning the nation’s median income of $64,000 a year could afford to buy 70.1 percent of all homes sold in the United States during the third quarter.’’

Though most of Cape Cod in Massachusetts has not been hit as hard and other regions of the country with the foreclosure crisis, the prices of homes have become more affordable here too. For example, in the Town of Dennis, MA alone, the multiple listing service (MLS) shows 42 Single Family houses with 2 or 3 bedrooms sold from June 1st to November 1st 2009 under $270,000, compared to only 14 in the same period in 2005. Though we are seeing more houses in need of work and distress sales, there are a lot of opportunities on Cape Cod now for someone willing to do a little work or sprucing up on a property they buy. Here is a chart showing the comparison for some other towns of Cape Cod:

Affordability Comparison Chart for Cape Cod, MA

If you want to see more statistics or know where to start looking for your next home on Cape Cod, click here or call me, Melanie Cauchon your Cape Cod Realtor at 508-776-5378. I can give you access to every property on the mls for free and to unlimited statistics to help you make the right choices in your real estate purchase. Talk to you soon!

Posted By: Melanie Cauchon

REAL ESTATE HOME BUYER tax credit for more than 1st time buyers maybe?

2009-11-04T16:18:00Z

I just read in the Realtor Magazine that lawmakers in the Senate have tentatively agreed to extend the existing $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers and also offer a new $6,500 credit for some existing homeowners. If you think you qualify and want to get the most out of this program (because they will reduce the credit after the spring), do not wait and start your real estate search here. Or call me, Melanie Cauchon at 508-534-5570 and I will guide you through the process and help you make the deadline to get your credit.

Posted By: Melanie Cauchon

REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE : Sales activity at highest level in more than two years!

2009-10-29T14:42:00Z

I was reading the National Association of Realtors (NAR) statistics and it said:

(Click on quote for more information)

So if you feel it is time for you to buy or sell, call Melanie Cauchon at 508-776-5378 or visit my website at www.melaniecauchon.com and I will get right to work. My team can help you buy and sell anywhere in the world!

Posted By: Melanie Cauchon

Cape Cod Real Estate getting better and better!

2009-09-25T20:39:00Z

Real Estate is booming on Cape Cod as 2nd home buyers, primary home buyers and 1st time buyers are grabbing the best houses within days of those coming on the market! Anything under $250,000 if clean and needing no work is selling in no time. Up to $300,000, homes with garages and updates are still very much in demand. New kitchens and new baths, open floor plans are very hot with buyers. Which is why I made this video tour blog of my new listing at 2 Harth Ln in Yarmouth. I want to be sure you get a chance to see it asap! This house features 3BR, 1 ½ bath (both updated), newly refinished hardwood floors in all bedrooms and living room and newer tile floor in the kitchen and dining area. Perfect for any season with a fireplace for the winter and new ceiling fans in every room for the summer. Add to this an oversized garage with room for a car and a motorcycle or any of your toys!

And the “pièce de résistance” : a brand new kitchen with gorgeous new cabinets with recessed lighting, an island, new countertops, new appliances, a newer bay window in the front and a newer Anderson slider to the back deck and private yard! You can see all the details about this property including open house schedule and a video tour here. Or just call me, Melanie Cauchon, Realtor, at 508-776-5378.

Posted By: Melanie Cauchon

Cape Cod real estate for sale at $149,900 ?!?

2009-09-21T19:04:00Z

Yes this is right. If you are looking for a year round 2BR condo or Cape Cod getaway, you can now get it under $150,000! The Gardens is a small condo complex on Cape Cod near scenic historic 6A and the great Cape Cod north side beaches and it is near everything you need. I just listed a renovated 2BR unit there for $149,900! It offers great year round energy efficiency with all new thermal replacement windows and doors, has newer pergo floors & carpeting, a new bathroom and it is expandable! And unlike what you may think, it is NOT A short sale and NOT bank owned. It is just an affordable 2BR year round condo to be purchased in a nice & easy regular transaction from a motivated seller!

And there is more: In this Cape Cod 6A side small complex, every owner has its own yard (but the association takes care of it), can have a pet & can enjoy a gorgeous association pool. Being a ranch style duplex condo, you only share 1 wall with the neighbor: No one above or below! Its in unit laundry hook up is a plus, along with its attached shed & attic storage. It really feels like a little house!

If you wish to get a preview of the property, all you need is to do is Click Here or call me at 508-534-5570. You are closer than you think to owning your own place on the Cape Cod!

Posted By: Melanie Cauchon

Business Week is now saying : “Now Is the Time to Buy in Real Estate”

2009-08-31T15:09:00Z

I came across this article that will reassure a lot of people. The Business Week wrote: “Now Is the Time to Buy in Real Estate”. It is no news to me, since some of my clients have already started looking for Cape Cod Real Estate or even found a “good deal” on a house that they closed on with an incredible interest rate this year! But for those who like to wait to see what happens before jumping in, this may be the sign you were waiting for. You can read the full article by clicking here.

To start looking for Real Estate on Cape Cod, primary homes or vacation homes, foreclosure properties, investment properties, etc. please visit my web site or call me directly at 508-776-5378.

I look forward to find that great house for you!

Posted by:Melanie Cauchon

Buyers Shouldn't Wait on Falling Prices

2009-08-06T12:01:00Z

I came across an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal telling why waiting for prices to fall may not be wise. Anybody who says they will wait for prices to come down should watch interest rates and do the math!

Did you know that on your monthly payments, you would need a 10% reduction in price to offset an increase of 1% in interest rate now?

To look for houses now, click here, or call Melanie Cauchon your Cape Cod Realtor anytime at 508-534-5570.

Click here to read the entire article.

Posted By: Melanie Cauchon