Peter Hawley's Blog, Falmouth, MA

 Leaves are not the only things Falling in October....

It is a soggy day here in Falmouth, MA where I List and Sell Real Estate (www.peterhawley.com), and for the past few days I have watched the old Maple tree by my office window shed it brilliant coat of leaves, and by the end of this day, they will all be gone. Leaves are not the only things falling, house prices are falling, interest rates are falling and some say the whole economy is falling.  The economy is readjusting to inflated prices, unsustainable investments, and a re-evaluation of true value compared to speculative value. In the long run this benefits everyone, although in the short term we all might feel a little discomfort.

Falling property prices have in fact had a positive impact on total sales which have increased due to the combination of low, fixed interest rates, the Federal Government's program that offers a $7,500 tax credit to those who have not owned a property in the last three years and the reality that real estate provides shelter and is not only an investment vehicle, the wise buyer is planning for their future and following the idea "Buy Low, Hopefully Sell High".

Many of my clients who I have in what I call my "works in progress" file, all seem to have a number of things in common. They had run up consumer debt, but are committed to eliminate it and free up more disposable income to be used for savings and building toward their financial future by being in a position to own property. They are starting to subscribe to the philosophy of under living, which is living within or below one's financial means. By doing so they will be able to have more choices, they will be able to own a property, a house, establish a home, which for many of us is the center of our lives.

There is opportunity before us each day, for some it is time to enjoy the harvest, with lowering prices and interest rates, for some it is time to collect the seeds for future planting. I would love to assist you and may be reached at phawley@jackconway.com

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words and Maybe a Lost Buyer...

Attention all Sellers, please let me share with you how important it is to have any and all pictures of a property you are selling, be reviewed, BEFORE they are posted on any web site.

I had just arrived at my office in Falmouth MA, where I List and Sell Real Estate, (www.peterhawley.com), and met with a client that I have known for some time. I had emailed some properties that I thought she might be interested in, and her first response was "I do not want to look at any of these, did you notice the condition of the interior of every property?" Well maybe I did not review as close as I might have, so we sat down and reviewed each listing. The properties were of good value, in good locations, priced well, and not falling down, but what my client saw was interior pictures of cluttered rooms, unkempt closets, messy kitchen counters, toy strewn floors and more, which left her with the impression that the interior of these properties were a wreck. Valid point, now that I looked closer.

I appeal to all Sellers, that when pictures are being taken of your property that first you walk around and pick up the clutter, make the bed, put away the ironing board, hang up your clothes or at least close the closet doors, take the pots and pans off the stove as well as the cat. This also applies to the exterior, pull the weeds, rake a few leaves, and put away the lawn mower.

Remember you are attempting to Sell your property, you want to have potential Buyers who view your property online, be interested in seeing more, walking around your yard, walking through your living room. They just will not come to learn more if they think they might have to leave a trail of crumbs to find their way out.

If I can assist you in staging your property so that it has the BUY ME look, I may be reached at phawley@jackconway.com 

You might ask why Real Estate is a better investment than most, and there is one resounding clear answer. You can use it everyday! You cannot do that with stock certificates.

Here in Falmouth, MA where I Sell and List Real Estate (www.peterhawley.com) I am asked by many Buyers, is this the right time to purchase a property? There are many factors to be considered when I answer that question. Is it a good time to buy and try to flip for a quick profit? No! Is it a good time to buy a property where I can raise my family, have a fixed cost other than my insurance, taxes, and energy? YES!

Home ownership is not just an investment of dollars; it is the investment in how we choose to live, how we choose to interact with our community, our friends, and our families. It is our space where we surround ourselves with what we feel is beautiful, where we are often most comfortable where many say we are more  "ourselves".

You are investing dollars no question, but you are building equity, you are building for the future, and when you look at owning from the perspective of "cost of use", you have made the better investment.

October is such a fascinating month to watch and savor the harvest of so many locally grown crops. As I drive toward the sea down the winding roads leading to my office in Falmouth, MA where I list and sell Real Estate (www.peterhawley.com), round every corner I come upon fields littered with bright orange pumpkins, and I look specifically for the flooded bogs that let me know cranberry harvesting is soon to begin.

Cranberry production is a very large crop, grown successfully here on the Cape, it was once uniquely a Cape crop although now the fruit is also grown in New Jersey and Wisconsin and even in Oregon The first sign that the harvest will soon begin is when a bog (an area of soft marshy ground, where water is pumped in and out to keep it very wet), is flooded during the September and October harvesting season. When I see this I know that within days, I will see strange looking machines driving through the bog, with what appears to be "egg-beaters" in the front, that dislodge the berries from the vines, and let the fruit float to the surface.

The sight of millions of red ripe cranberries floating on the water, against the deep blue sky is a sight to behold and cherish. The cranberries are corralled by a boom and moved towards a huge vacuum hose through which they are pumped to waiting trucks, herded by people in bright yellow waders, making sure every berry is captured.

There is a sense of order and purpose when watching the harvest, which is not always the case with the real estate market, as the chaos in the financial markets, congressional wrangling, and fears of total economic collapse seem to be the leading headline, one sometimes does not know what they should do with their present and future investments.

But like the fall harvest, those seeds that were planted in the spring, and nurtured through the growing season, produce more successes than failures. Good sound investment in real estate will also produce more success than failures, if it is nurtured.  With the continued high inventory of property, and moderating prices, it is a good time to buy, and if you keep your property in good repair, you are attentive to the landscape; you also will harvest a profit when the time comes to sell.