Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank is proud to announce the grand opening of their new in town branch (including an ATM machine) at 0 Main Street – stop by and see what all the buzz is about!!

Optimism was the word of the morning on day four of the 2012 Nantucket commercial scalloping season. My pal, Posie Constable, and I hitched a ride with Captain Neil Cocker and his shipmates, Dino and Mimi, as we made our way to and through an undisclosed location near Madaket Harbor- secrecy as to the location of scallops and mis-direction toward your competitors is a strong and enduring Nantucket tradition! It was a beautiful November morning of about 55 degrees with an east wind freshening from 7 to 15 knots over the two hours it took us to “catch” our limit.

After a dreadful year of just 6,900 bushels last season there is cause to be more hopeful about this year. Early indications demonstrate good quality and quantity but the latter fact pushes prices down with wholesale prices (the amount paid to scallopers) of just $11 – $12/pound on Nantucket. With Vineyard wholesale prices at $15/pound, it’s tempting for Nantucket scallopers to travel the hour or two by boat to sell over there.

Neil is a sailing friend and a 30 year veteran of scalloping in Nantucket’s waters. As I write, Neil is shucking his five bushels. Here’s a PLUM TV video of his technique!

It isn’t often that Nantucket witnesses a foreclosure in the desirable Cliff area.  On a sunny Tuesday in October, First Bank of Missouri held a foreclosure auction at 18 Cliff Road on Nantucket.  Surrounded with iconic hydrangeas, this beautiful Nantucket summer home, most recently listed for sale at $5,195,000, sold to a private individual for $3,000,000 (plus existing tax liens).  Local real estate professionals and several buyers were present for the bidding which culminated in the bank registering their last bid at $2.900,000 before being outbid.

This event, directed by Kit Noble,  is not one to miss!  On October 8th, Nantucketers will be taking to the streets and beaches, forests and fields armed with smart phones, Flip Cameras, GoPros and any other handheld HD device to capture the many faces and spaces of the Grey Lady.

In the spirit of ‘Day in the Life’ picture books, and, more recently, Kevin Macdonald’s documentary, ‘Life in a Day’, ‘Nantucket 24′ will chronicle a single day on island as seen through the lenses of hundreds of Nantucketers. The raw footage will be submitted to Nantucket Films where it will be edited and scored to create a movie mosaic entitled ‘Nantucket 24: One Day on Island Time’.

‘Nantucket 24′ will premiere at the Dreamland in May of 2012, a perfect project to get the theater’s long-awaited reels spinning. Imagine your smart phone footage stretched across the big screen while the adoring Nantucket community looks on. The Dreamland will surely be an unparalleled beacon of community arts. What better way to celebrate its opening season than to be part of the story?

Check out facebook for more information or visit www.nantucketfilms.com.  We’re ready with our Flip – are you?

Windwalker Real Estate  is pleased to announce that the firm has just closed its third high end land transaction of the summer!!

A lofty ten +acres of pristine waterview land on Squam Road just closed yesterday for $5,150,000. Listed by Judy Waters and sold by Susie Locke and Jennifer Shalley , this in-house Windwalker transaction was the third in a string of luxury lots sold by Windwalker Real Estate this summer.

16 Medouie Creek Sold 6/20/11 $8,000,000

Listed by Mary Taaffe of Windwalker Real Estate,  31 private waterfront acres in Medouie Creek sold in June 2011 for $8,000,000.  This exquisite parcel of land offered  direct water access, a boat house & dock , 2,000 feet of harbor frontage , 1st floor water views of Polpis Harbor & Nantucket Harbor and sweeping second story views of the harbor toward town.

0 Chase Links Sold 6/22/11 for $12,625,000

A nine plus acre oceanfront estate lot off Cliff Road adjacent to over 66 acres of conservation land sold in June 2011 for $12, 625,000. Listed and sold by Mary Taaffe of Windwalker Real Estate, this was one of the rarest and finest offerings of waterfront real estate on Nantucket Island, boasting elevations from 26-50 feet above sea level with commanding views of the water and boats sailing between the islands and Cape Cod. An exceptional waterfront parcel with a sandy beach, mooring rights and over 312 feet of frontage along the calm waters of Nantucket Sound, this sale was a complicated transaction involving years of permitting with Mass Natural Heritage, and the Nantucket Conservation Commission.

Windwalker Real Estate is proud to have brokered three of the four highest value Nantucket land sales in 2011. The fourth sale was a private purchase of 29 acres in Miacomet by the Nantucket Land Bank for $6,000,000. In 2011, year-to-date, there have been 5 land sales on Nantucket above $3,000,000.

It never ceases to amaze, but every year during the second week of May, Nantucket’s Cherry Trees are in full bloom.  The sight of the bright pink blossoms lining the quaint, Nantucket streets is one of the prettiest one can see – and a very welcoming sign of spring after a long, cold winter.  The blossoms on these beautiful trees last about a week and then start falling, giving the impression of a pink snowfall. To experience beautiful Nantucket scenes such as these year-round, contact a Windwalker Real Estate agent today to learn more about Nantucket homes for sale.

Steve Paradis, Husband to Windwalker Real Estate broker Jenny Paradis, has recently launched his new “mobile” pizza business, The Roamin’ Pizzeria, which will bring pizza to various island locations from mid-June through mid-September.  Steve, with his Forno Bravo wood fired pizza oven, will also be available for private events.   Be sure to visit http://www.theroaminpizzeria.com, which will be live soon, for the inside scoop.

It is no secret – we all knew it and now it’s official!  Nantucket beaches have made it to the 2011 National Geographic list of the top 10 beaches in the world.  The list is short and the destinations are exotic and impressive - Hawaii, Tahiti, Maldives, and the SeyChelles are all mentioned.  Nantucket was a top pick because of the cleanliness of the beaches, the spectacular views, and exquisite sunsets!

Of course being on short list of such a prestigious publication does not happen all by itself.  There are many volunteers and organizations responsible for making it happen.  Three such organizations are  The Trustees of Reservations, the Conservation Foundation, and The Clean Team.  Each organization is committed to the support and preservation of the natural beauty of Nantucket. On Saturday, March 19th, all three organizations are joining together to allow volunteers a chance to get involved as a group to contribute to the continuing effort to keep our beaches clean, safe, and inviting as possible to benefit beachgoers, anglers, and our wildlife.

WHEN:  Saturday, March 19th, from 9:00 a.m. until Noon

WHERE:  We will meet at 8:45 a.m. at the Wauwinet Gatehouse

RAIN DATE:  Sunday, March 20th

With March on Nantucket being such a changeable month, in which we may see warm spring-like temperatures or late-season storms, you can understand how this saying might hold true in some instances.  I saw the first snow drops appear on Academy Lane this past week.

Sunny yellow daffodils can be seen bursting through the ground on every street corner -  we are definitely in the midst of March Madness!

Each spring there are thousands of daffodil festivals across the world, celebrating the arrival of the beautiful sunny blossoms and Nantucket is no exception. In Roman days, the Romans thought that daffodil sap contained healing properties, and brought it along with them on conquests. It became a well-loved flower everywhere with its early blooming and bright colors.

Plans for the annual Nantucket Daffodil weekend are well under way with several cars already registered to take part. This year the festival takes place a week later due to the Easter holiday from April 29th to May 1st  and this is not the only change – we are pleased to report that there is another class being added to the parade this year – vintage motor bikes!

Nantucket home owners and visitors alike enjoy the celebration of Daffodil Festival.  We take the opportunity to enjoy the rebirth of spring with hopes and promises of sunny days ahead. There are many things to do and events to enjoy this year; we look forward to welcoming you to the Island of Nantucket and hope to see you on the road to Siasconset on Daffy Day!

“For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils”  - William Wordsworth