Yeas I am a Patriots fan, I am just spending Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh.  Beautiful day here.  Picture of Heinz Field.

Just bought some great corn, cider, pears and potatoes.  Kids had fun feeding the goats, chickens and ducks.  They will be open all winter for greenhouse grown veggies.

We enjoyed another great Cranberry Festival Parade.  Lots of candy handed out to the kids.

Cape Cod certainly got away with one this time.  Winds were clicked at around 65 mph in some locations, but the rain was minimal.  Power outages were widespread, but having avoided a direct hit spared us a lot more damage than other areas.  Here in Harwich I lost power from 11am Sunday until 10am or so on Monday. 

I checked on all of our listings and everything seemed fine as well!

One of the reasons I love living on Cape cod is that you never know what you will see while driving down the road.

There were about 12 wild turkeys feeding on the side of Queen Anne Road in Harwich.

One of the first questions we get asked by buyers when visiting property is “What about the septic?” Massachusetts has created the Massachusetts Title 5 code 310 CMR 15.000 to create a standard for towns to abide by.

Most towns on Cape Cod do not have extensive sewerage systems so properties rely on independent septic systems. Certain towns still allow cesspools to meet Title V certification, but by in large, most towns require an updated system with a septic tank, distribution box and leaching field. This type of system can take many shapes and forms, but the purpose is to provide for the protection of public health, safety, welfare, and the environment by requiring the proper siting, construction upgrade, and maintenance of on-site sewage disposal systems and appropriate means for the transport and disposal of septage.

New residential systems on Cape Cod can be fairly expensive so knowing: 1. has the existing system passed or failed Title V inspection, 2. who is going to be responsible for the repair or replacement, 3. how much will it cost and 4. where and how will it be installed. Offers must be structured so these questions are answered well before closing.

Typically, residential system inspections are good for two (2) years and in many cases the seller will have had the inspection completed in the early part of marketing so the information is available to potential buyers. If a system fails the seller will often take responsibility for the repair or replacement, but not always. If a system must be replaced an engineer will be hired to diagram the septic plan to meet the town’s septic code. Once the engineered plan has been submitted and approved by the Board of Health, bids are received from installers. Installation generally takes a couple of days for a simple system.

This is a fairly simplified explanantion of septics and we always recommend contacting the local Board of Health for information and/or a Cape Cod septic professional.

If you have any questions give our Team a call, 508-258-9010 and we will answer them as well as we can.

Estate Property Sales

Working with sellers involved in estates can be just as complicated. Knowing what should be disclosed to the buyer, how to represent and market the property so it attracts buyers prepared for an estate transaction and including the correct language in the offer and purchase and sales per the estate attorney’s instructions. One of the most important aspects of dislcosure is needed on the listing sheet. Listing agents do not want to make the property sound “scary” on the listing sheet, but they do need to disclose certain things upfront to potential buyers or their agent and that is clearly the best medium.

If you would like more information on purchasing or selling estate property on Cape Cod please call Team OnCapeRealEstate at 508-258-9010, email us at info@oncaperealestate.com or contact us through our anonymous chat on the lower right side of this page..

Selling Unique Property

We find that our Team is often called upon to take on “challenging” sales. Sales that others either don’t have the experience or the desire to complete. Here’s some examples: estate sales, short sales, the exterior or interior condition is in disrepair or even multi-use properties.

In the next couple posts we will discuss the challlenges of listing and selling these type of properties and how to be successful at doing so. If you have any questions don’t hesitiate to call on Team OnCapeRealEstate at 508-259-9010 or drop us an email at info@oncaperealestate.com.