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!!

Windwalker Real Estate is proud to announce that Lee Gaw’s citizen request at last evening’s selectman’s meeting resulted in parking restrictions being lifted for the winter in the downtown core district, with the exception of Main Street and 30 minute parking spaces.

Construction of the Dreamland Theatre and the associated loss of parking spaces in the core district gave Lee the extra impetus to speak out in support of giving all the local people a break for the winter.

When you see Lee around town, be sure to say thank you for being our citizen’s champion!

Follow the story in the I&M online

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?

In today’s real estate market, with historically high levels of inventory and still-declining property values, it’s ever so important to price a property competitively.  While sellers may be tempted to not leave any money on the table, overpricing a property may actually do just that.  According to Trulia.com, here’s why overpricing real estate can create problems for a seller:

“Most experts would advise that the best way to increase your odds of a successful sale is to price your home at fair market value.  But, as logical as this advice sounds, for many sellers it is still tempting to tack a few percentage points onto the price to “leave room to negotiate”.  ”To avoid this temptation, let’s take a look at the seven deadly sins of overpricing”:

1. Appraisal Problems
Even if you do find a buyer willing to pay an inflated price, the fact is that over 90% of buyers use some kind of financing to pay for their home purchase.  If your home doesn’t  appraise for the purchase price the sale will likely fail.

2. No Showings
Today’s sophisticated home buyers are well educated about the real estate market.  If your home is overpriced they won’t bother looking at it, let alone make you an offer.

3. Branding Problems
When a new listing hits the market, every agent quickly checks the property out to see if it’s a good fit for their clients.  If your home is branded as “overpriced”, reigniting interest may take drastic measures.

4. Selling the Competition

Overpricing helps your competition.  How?  You make their lower prices seem like bargains.  Nothing is worse than watching your neighbors put up a sold sign.

5. Stagnation
The longer your home sits on the market, the more likely it is to become stigmatized or stale.  Have you ever seen a property that seems to be perpetually for sale?  Do you ever wonder – What’s wrong with that house?

6. Tougher Negotiations
Buyers who do view your home may negotiate harder because the home has been on the market for a longer period of time and because it is overpriced compared to the competition.

7. Lost Opportunities
You will lose a percentage of buyers who are outside of your price point.  These are buyers who are looking in the price range that the home will eventually sell for but don’t see the home because the price is above their pre-set budget.

Most buyers look at 10-15 homes before making a buying decision.   Because of this, setting a competitive price relative to the competition is an essential component to a successful marketing strategy.”

The Schoolie Bass have arrived!  Reliable sources report Striped Bass up to 22 inches have been caught on the South Shore from Cisco to Madaquecham.  Schoolies have also been caught on the fly on the east side near Sasachacha Pond (which, along with Hummock Pond, opened up to the sea this spring).  Be sure to pack your light tackle and fly rods when you visit a Nantucket beach house this spring or when you arrive to open your Nantucket house for the season.

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.

With Easter quickly approaching, Windwalker Real Estate wanted to pull the rabbit out of the hat and share a few ideas to help celebrate.  Here is our list of suggestions to put you in the spirit:

Hop by Sweet Inspirations to enter your guess for the jelly bean contest (with prizes!) and indulge in artisan, home-made chocolates.  Hand-crafted Coco the Whale truffles, truffle bunnies, jumbo chocolate eggs, solid belgian chocolate carrots, hand decorated easter oreos, and daffodil hat truffles make for great gifts.  Better yet, there is still time for Easter Shipping.

The Starlight Theater & Cafe is showing Hop today, Wednesday April 20th at 3:00 & 5:00 p.m. and tomorrow, Thursday April 21st at 2:00 p.m.  A perfect comedy for kids about candy, chicks, and rock’n'roll!

Nantucket Candy Co. is reopening today!  It’s the perfect place to satisfy your sweet tooth.  Swing by tomorrow, Friday April 22nd & Saturday April 23rd between 12:00-2:00 p.m. to have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny.

Flowers on Chestnut is Nantucket’s go-to floral boutique specializing in fresh-cut arrangements for every occasion and unique home accessories.  The Nantucket Wildflowers arrangement, among the most popular, is the perfect gift for celebrating spring!

Celebrate Easter at Bartlett’s Farm this Saturday, April 23rd between 10:00-11:00 a.m.  They will prepare hard boiled eggs and provide all dyes and other goodies for decorating (and even take care of the clean-up).  Afterwards, head out to the greenhouse for an Easter egg hunt with the Easter Bunny, so don’t forget your camera.  $5, pre-registration required.

Brant Point Grill opens for the season today (5:30-9:00 p.m)!  Easter Brunch with Raw Bar will be held on Sunday, April 24th from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  Adults $42 / Children $21.  Reservations required, online or call 508.325.1320.  While you’re there, be sure to join in one of the two Easter Egg Hunts happening at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on the White Elephant Harborside Lawn.  Tell the kids to look forward to a special guest appearance!

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

“As marvelous as the stars is the mind of the person who studies them.” - Martin Luther King Jr

No doubt about it, Nantucket has an incredibly big sky! The stars and planets in our night sky are stunning and almost appear within reach…

Recently, on a rather frosty February evening, the Windwalker Team and their families visited the Maria Mitchell Loines Observatory on Milk Street Ext.  The day was perfect and it appeared that we were in for a crystal clear night of stargazing. The sky was clear as a bell until about 5:50 PM but by 6:15, as we huddled together for warmth, the clouds had enveloped the full moon and “gobbled up” all the stars.  Astronomers Vladimir Strelnitski, PhD, Director of Astronomy and David Sliski, Astronomy Assistant  were not to be daunted.  We were treated to a mini lecture on the two telescopes on site and saw an award-winning photograph (pictured above) of colliding galaxies taken by the larger telescope at the Loines Observatory.

Our Windwalker family must indeed be charmed because suddenly the clouds parted and there before us through the observatory window was the bright full moon surrounded by stars.  The telescope was quickly positioned for a lunar view and all of us, old and young, peered through the powerful lens at the “man in the moon”. It was explained to us that even many undergraduate students never have exposure to telescopes such as these, making this a memorable experience, especially for the children in our group.  I thought to myself, these are the moments that light a fire in our future scientists.

On an equally clear, crisp, night in October 1847, while family and friends gathered in the rooms below, young Maria Mitchell gazed up into the stars and discovered a telescopic comet, invisible to the naked eye. This event propelled her to fame and changed the face of science and education throughout the world.

“The Mission of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association is promotion of the legacy of Maria Mitchell and exploration, education and enjoyment of Nantucket’s land, waters and skies beyond. Located on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, the MMA serves both visitors, seasonal and year-round residents.  Now celebrating over a century of discovery, the MMA is dedicated to opening up the universe to curious minds, and allowing people to see what before was unseen.  Our simple motto – ‘Explore, Educate, Enjoy’ – captures the essence of our programs and activities”.

Windwalker Real Estate sends a big thank you to Janet Schulte, Executive Director and the Maria Mitchell astronomers for a wonderful evening under the starry sky over our Nantucket homes.

“May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and a smooth road all the way to your door”- An Irish Blessing

Leone Collins & The Windwalker Team

www.windwalkerrealestate.com