Staging To Be Engaging

37 Milk StreetAs the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” When it comes to selling your house, this statement couldn’t be more true. Every home has its quirks and imperfections, and renovating and repairing every single flaw can be expensive and time consuming. However there is a more cost-effective and efficient way to give your house a fresh look and increase your chances of a faster sale.

Staging is a great way to brighten up an older house or add a comfortable, warm look to a new house. Staging a home can include everything from putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls, de-cluttering the house or even buying accent furniture pieces. It may be a simple matter of buying new bedding and curtains for the bedrooms. Statistics show that the investment pays off every time.

In Nantucket, many buyers are looking for light and bright homes, classically designed and decorated that they can immediately be enjoyed during the summer months. Nantucket summer cottage or Nantucket beach house is a style that appeals to and attracts our specific buyer pool.

For pointers on staging your home and some statistics on how effective it can be,  see this home staging article featured on Boston Realty Advisor’s website (www.bradvisors.com).

Use our Sales Search Tool to see what other homes in your area are selling for- and to possibly help you find your next Nantucket home, too!

Nantucket Real Estate Market Update – November

With the Turkey Plunge and Christmas Stroll in the rear view mirror, another Nantucket summer seems just around the corner (oh the power of wishful thinking). It was just this time last year that many were speculating as to what degree the precipitous financial collapse would affect the Nantucket’s high end real estate market.  Now that we have tallied most all of the 2009 sales, we know that 30 miles out to sea wasn’t quite far enough away for seeking shelter.  But, the full year results for Nantucket may not be as bad as some predicted and recent activity suggests positive developments on the journey to recovery.

The month of November brought in 40 transactions and $62 million in sales.  This is double the amount of activity seen in November 2008 both for the number of transactions and dollar volume.  While some may note that a comparison month sandwiched between the fall of Lehman and the Madoff scandal doesn’t amount for much, nearly ever sale that closed in November 2008 went under contract prior to the financial market’s domino game that began in September.  Perhaps more promising is that the November monthly average is down only 13 percent from the five year monthly average.

To keep reading, check out Windwalker’s Research page for the full report (available 12/18/2009).

Selecting the Right Real Estate Agent

One of most important steps in entering into a real estate transaction, regardless of whether you are the buyer or the seller, is selecting a real estate agent that will best represent you.

Disclosure laws regarding the buying and selling of real estate property are very specific about whom a real estate agent represents. At the first personal meeting with a real estate agent, the agent is legally required to present the prospective buyer with an agency disclosure form, which clearly states whether the agent represents the buyer, the seller or both, known as dual agency.

Windwalker Real Estate prides itself on acting in the best interests of all of our clients. We protect your information, clearly disclose all relevant and required facts about properties and transactions, and loyally guide you from start to finish.

The New York Time recently published a cautionary article outlining how your real estate agent should be guiding you.

Windwalker is proud to say that we passed with flying colors! If you would like more information on purchasing or renting Nantucket real estate, please contact one of our trusted agents today.