Cape Cod Real Estate News

Believe it or not, Barnstable County began a system of recording deeds in 1686! As it was back then, the function of the Registry today is to provide a central location for the formal recording of deeds, mortgages and any other related documents which affect the legal or financial status of property within Barnstable County. With each and every document on file available for public scrutiny, the Registry is among the busiest of the twenty-one … Read more…

Extending some forty miles from Chatham to Provincetown, the Cape Cod National Seashore comprises more than 43,000 acres. If you’re a relative newcomer to Cape Cod, perhaps you’re not aware of the Seashore’s positive effect on Lower Cape real estate values. Surveys of the Atlantic coast by the National Park Service, in 1939 and in 1953, prompted attempts to protect this land from the danger of widespread development. Historically, resulting proposals incited tremendous controversy among … Read more…

Negotiating the purchase or sale of a home can produce anxiety for both buyer and seller. Unlike a car, buying or selling a home evokes strong emotions. Negotiation, a creative process which frequently involves compromise, can be particularly stressful if each party lacks a clear understanding of the other’s function within that process. Basic psychology assigns distinct roles to buyer, seller and agent: The buyer’s objective is to spend as little money as possible while … Read more…

Seemingly intertwined with pricing real estate, the issue of assessment really stands apart from the entire buying and selling process. A mathematical formula devised for use in broad geographic areas, assessing standards vary from community to community and follow no uniform schedule for updating. Thus, while the assessed value of property is certainly a reliable indicator of what real estate taxes will be, it is not a good benchmark for determining current market value. Although … Read more…