Tag: Provincetown real estate

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Goode and Farmer Report – Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet April 2013

Provincetown Truro and Wellfleet First Quarter Figures 2013

Coming off a banner year in 2012, where year-end sales surpassed industry expectations, we wouldn’t have been surprised at a more “normal” first quarter of 2013. Real estate sales did slow as winter activity was moderated by weekly snowstorms more than by any changes in market fundamentals. Sales were more aligned to 2011 than to 2012.

The average sale price for a single-family home in Provincetown was up 27% to $1.021M, but the number of sales was down 25% from 12 to 9 sales. Total dollar volume was about even with 1Q2012 at $9.2M and average days on market were even as well, at 189 days.

There were 16 condo sales in the first quarter, down from 29 last year. The average sales price was $367K, which was down 8% from 2012. The decrease in condo sales was evident, as buyers were not inclined to show up on snowy weekends to shop for real estate.

The continued decrease in inventory remains a factor as the number of properties for sale continues its decline to about 25% from the same period last year. There are currently 52 single-family homes available for sale in Provincetown with an average asking price of $1.373M. There are 102 condominiums available for sale with an average asking price of $476K.

In our year-end report for 2012, we mentioned the decrease in available homes for sale were beginning to build the case for spring 2013 being an opportune time for sellers who had been sitting on the sideline, to put their property on the market. The case has been made. Mortgage rates remain at historic lows and the buyer pool is growing. This evolving supply and demand dynamic in Provincetown will be the factor to watch moving forward in 2013

 

Ptown

 

Single-family home sales in Wellfleet and Truro were strong in the first quarter. In Truro, sales increased by 27% from 11 to 14. The average sales price decreased by 21% to $617K from $785, while the median sales price increased by 3% to $613K from $595K. Total sales volume remained flat at $8.6M.

Single-family home sales in Wellfleet increased 12% from 8 units to 9 units. The average sales price increased 3% to $510K from $496K, while the median sales price slipped 18% to $395K from $482K.

First quarter sales analysis can swing wildly on the outer Cape, as the numbers are relatively small and one sale plus or minus can move the percentages in a dramatic fashion. The first quarter is just a hint of what is to come and begins to outline the narrative for the full year ahead in real estate on the outer Cape.

 

Truro Wellfleet

 

In our wrap up we are going to repeat what we said in our 2012 year-end review. Real estate is back! And while we don’t want to be accused of having “irrational exuberance,” we continue to see buyer excitement that has not been seen for years. But, buyers do need to see more choices. Sellers are becoming more confident that this is the time to sell. These positive buyer and seller attitudes and the continuation of rock-bottom mortgage rates bode extremely well for 2013!

Please call or stop in if you are considering selling or if you are just curious as to what your home is worth. Our business philosophy is that the best-informed sellers and buyers are the happiest. And, that’s what we do best.

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Demand For Vacation Homes On Rise – NAR

From Realtor.com/blogs

781 boardwalk

More consumers are seeking the relaxation of getting away, as vacation-home sales rose 10.1% to 553,000 in 2012 from 502,000 in 2011, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.

When surveyed, buyers listed a number of reasons for purchasing a vacation home: 80% plan to utilize the property for vacations or family retreats, 27% intend to use it as a primary residence in the future, 23% hope to rent it to others and 23% saw the home as a good investment opportunity.

Conversely, investment-home sales dropped 2.1% to 1.21 million last year from 1.23 million in 2011. However, investment-home sales lingered well under a million during the market downturn, according to NAR.

Vacation-home sales equaled 11% of total transactions in 2012, which remained unchanged from 2011. The portion of investment sales, on the other hand, totaled only 24% in 2012, down from 27% in 2011.

“We had a strong stock market recovery, which helps more people in the prime ages for buying vacation homes. Attractively priced recreational property is also a big draw,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

With the buzz of an investor-driven housing recovery going around, Yun agrees that investor presence continues to thrive.

“Investors have been very active in the market over the past two years, attracted mostly by discounted foreclosures that could be quickly turned into profitable rentals,” Yun said. “With rising prices and limited inventory, notably in the low price ranges, investors are likely to step back in coming years.”

In 2012, the median investment-home price was $115,000, a 15% jump from $100,000 in 2011. Median vacation-home prices saw an even greater increase, hitting $150,000 compared with $121,300 in 2011. This represents a greater number of more expensive recreational property sales in 2012, NAR notes.

In 2012 the median price for a condo sold in Provincetown was $399K, up 11% from 2011.  The median price for a single family home sold was $800K, up 40% from 2011. 

Investment-home buyers had a median age of 45, earned $85,700 and purchased a home that was considerably close to their primary residence. Of the investment buyers, 35% purchased more than one property.

“Property flipping modestly increased in in 2012,” Yun said. “However, this isn’t flipping in the sense of what took place during the housing boom. Rather, investors generally are renovating and improving properties before placing them back on the market to resell at a profit.”

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analytics general info

Why Is Inventory So Low?

Excerpts taken from a great post by Mike Simonsen of Altos Research.

 Three Reasons Why Housing Inventory is So Low

 by MIKE SIMONSEN

There’s no question about it, the operative theme of the 2013 housing market isrestricted supply. Ever since the bubble burst in 2006, we’ve been hearing about the dangers of over supply, of the massive “shadow inventory” out there. Yet we’re living in a vastly different reality. There are 40% fewer homes on the market now than there have been during February in the last few years.

Percent of homes with Price ReductionsInventory of actively for sale homes. Single Family Homes. Altos 20-city (national) composite. Data as of February 22, 2013. Source: Altos Research

Mid-January typically marks the seasonal low of available housing inventory. The fewest homes are on the market after the holidays. But pretty quickly they start coming on the market to prepare for spring. Inventory gets added until the first week of July, when people start looking forward to the Autumn.

Last week we commented about the rising prices that have resulted from this restricted supply. Imagine what would happen to the price of oil if Saudi Arabia, Russia, The US, China, Iran, and Canada were all offline.  It’s a, ahem, crude analogy, because housing is less a commodity than oil. But the fact is, we’re facing unprecedented few homes available for sale.

Why is that? What happened to all this “Shadow Inventory” that was going to dump on to the market?

You can boil the low-inventory reality down to three primary factors:

1-Under-Construction

Since 2007, new housing starts have been anemic. The long-term average construction rates are about 1.5MM homes per year. In the last six years, we’ve averaged well under 1MM. And since 2009, the average is closer to 500,000. Meanwhile population and household formation keeps on trucking. The over-construction that happened in the bubble is a distant memory. See the chart to the right. Construction volume under the orange line are “undersupplied” conditions. The homebuilders imploded so profoundly after the bubble, that we haven’t had this few new homes being built since 1959.

Expect this trend to continue for several more years. It’s difficult to ramp up housing production quickly. And we’re a long way below normal.

Percent of homes with Price ReductionsInventory of actively for sale homes. Single Family Homes. Altos 20-city (national) composite. Data as of January, 2013. Source Census Bureau viathemortgagereports.com

2-The Reverse Shadow Inventory Dynamic

Rising home prices have led to fewer, not more, existing  homes coming on the market. You might call this, ironically, the “Reverse Shadow Inventory” dynamic.

When the Shadow Inventory meme emerged during the bubble, the bearish argument followed: As soon as home price tick back up, there are going to be millions of people (and banks) who want to unload. Therefore supply will rise and prices will fall again.

In actuality, it seems the psychology has been reversed: As prices have climbed, those who (still) own their underwater homes finally see light at the end of the tunnel. The longer they hold, the closer they are to recovery. Why sell now if you don’t have to? Maybe you’ll make it out alive!

Banks are acting similarly. The owners of underwater mortgages have no incentive to unload quickly. Their assets are appreciating. Furthermore, as home prices increase, fewer and fewer people are at risk of default. The Shadow is shrinking in the noon-day sunshine of rapidly re-inflating home values.

3-Government Policy

Finally, it is no coincidence that essentially all housing policy, all programs, laws, and incentives have been focused on stimulating demand and restricting supply. The Fed is aggressively keeping interest rates low. HARP, HAMP and related mortgage crisis programs are designed to keep people in their homes. They have been successful. Politically, it’s near impossible to institute a program that might help home buyers. For whatever reason, the bureaucrats are much more fond of home owners. That’s unlikely to change.

We’re in a hangover of short supply after the burst bubble. Low new construction, low incentive for existing homes to sell, and a government that wants people to stay put. Like a good hangover, these are long, slow, painful conditions.  We’ll ease slowly out of the fog in the next few seasonal cycles.

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bungalow 58

58 Franklin St $1.059M

Gorgeous newly renovated home with pool in the near West End

bungalow 58 has been totally renovated with exceptional attention to detail. This is a 2 bedroom 2.5 bath, 1,844 square foot  home with  a large family room and full bath on the lower level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stunning pool environment has a stone surround, natural rock walls, beautifully designed garden areas and a charming 160 square foot pool cabana.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kitchen has double Dacor wall ovens, a five burner gas cooktop, a built in Silhouette wine cooler, and Bianca Carrera marble counters. There is a separate dining area and a large living room with a fireplace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The master bedroom and the guest bedroom/den have sliders to the pool area. There is dyed oak hardwood throughout the main floor and and aged white oak hardwood in the family room.

bungalow 58 is located in the near West End , just a few minute walk from Commercial Street restaurants shopping and beaches. Give us a call and we will get you a full marketing package. bungalow 58 is being offered at $1.089M.

 

 

 

 

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West End Antique With Separate Cottage

29 Tremont St $1.095M

One of our favorite properties that represents all that Provincetown has to offer. It is an authentic Cape Antique, with gardens, 3 bedrooms, privacy, charm, a separate cottage and the best location in the west end.


 

 

 

 

 

 

This single family home with an adorable separate cottage is one of those Provincetown properties that people just fall in love with. If you are seeking a sense of place just the approach to this house nestled on a private lane takes one back to another time. It is sited on the corner  of Tremont Street and Atwood Street, the most charming lane in the West End and is surrounded by wonderful perennial flower and vegetable gardens. This is a  3 bedroom, 2 bath home with a private detached cottage of 1 bed and 1 bath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The The main floor of the house consists of a living room, two bedrooms, and a full bath, and is surrounded by a lovely fenced in yard with flower and vegetable gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second level has a kitchen, a family room, a separate dining room, a bedroom and a full bath. A full wall of sliders opens to a large deck with hot tub. A newly carpeted third bedroom completes this level. The kitchen has new appliances, and the entire house has new yellow pine hardwood floors.

 

There is a large roof deck with views to the harbor, Long Point, the monument and Truro beyond. The decking and garden areas are charming and comfortable.  The large deck off the kitchen and family room is big enough for a dining table and also holds the built in hot tub. There is a private brick patio around the cottage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The adorable stand-alone cottage has a new kitchen, new carpeting and a sleeping loft, and is perfect for guests or as an artist’s studio. It is as comfortable as it is efficient.

This charming home is being offered at $1.295M.

 

 

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analytics general info

Sales Edge Up In ‘Sellers Market’

USA TODAY article indicating national trend of sales being affected by low inventory.  Local implications will be explored in later posts.

Ray Goldbacher, USA TODAY10:32a.m. EST February 21, 2013

Sales of previously owned homes edged up in January, held back by a shortage of homes for sale, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Single-family home sales increased 0.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.34 million in January vs. 4.33 million in December, and 8.5% above the 4 million-unit level in January 2012.

The median single-family home price was $174,100 in January, up 12.6% from a year ago.

Lawrence Yun , NAR chief economist, said tight inventory is a problem and, as a result, “We’ve transitioned into a seller’s market in much of the country.”

“Buyer traffic is continuing to pick up, while seller traffic is holding steady,” he said. “In fact, buyer traffic is 40% above a year ago, so there is plenty of demand but insufficient inventory to improve sales more strongly.”

Homes available for sale at the end of January fell 4.9% to 1.74 million previously owned homes, a 4.2-month supply at the current sales pace, down from 4.5 months in December, and the lowest supply since April 2005, when it was also 4.2 months, the NAR said.

The inventory is 25.3% below a year ago, when there was a 6.2-month supply. The number of homes available for sale is at the lowest level since December 1999, when there were 1.71 million homes on the market, the Realtors said.

“We expect a seasonal rise of inventory this spring, but it may be insufficient to avoid more frequent incidences of multiple bidding and faster-than-normal price growth,” Yun said.

Sales rose in every region but the West.

Overall, sales of single-family homes, condos and townhouses were up 0.4% from December, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.92 million. That was up from a downwardly revised 4.90 million in December, and 9.1% above the 4.51 million-unit pace in January 2012.

Distressed homes — foreclosures and short sales — accounted for 23% of January sales, down from 24% in December and 35% in January 2012.

The median time on market for all homes was 71 days in January, down from 73 days in December and 28.3% below 99 days in January 2012.

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3 Bradford Street

Anyone who has visited Provincetown over the years has certainly seen the fabulous Provincetown Welding Works, the late Clarence Kacergis’s studio/workshop on Bradford Street right  before Victors Restaurant in the West End. Clarence was a huge personality and an important cultural icon throughout his life. He was much loved.

Below is an excerpt about 3 Bradford Street from Building Provincetown, a wonderfully written and informative blog, itself an important cultural resource written by David Dunlap.

Provincetown Welding Works
The amazingly animate yard of the Kacergis family’s Provincetown Welding Works looks like a Tim Burton movie come to three-dimensional life. The works were established in 1946 by Clarence Kacergis (born 1916). “At first, he imagined a simple welding shop until several Provincetown artists and sculptors looked to stretch themselves and embrace metal as a heightened form of expression,” Gerry Desautels wrote. (“Forging a Dynasty in Steel,” The Banner, Oct. 16, 2003.) Among them was Chaim Gross. In the present day, Desautels continued: “Maritime objects, fauna, flora and Cape characters — strumming musicians, rowing sailors and sawing woodsmen — are depicted in quirky Kacergis style throughout the chock-a-block shop.”

“The works are wonders of modern recycling and years of collecting parts and pieces from unspecified junkyards on and off-Cape. They keep their sources guarded like classified military information. Ball bearings, dulled blades, washers, chains, quahog rakes, frying pans, and retired oxygen tanks and lawn rakes are just some of the remnants incorporated into airy mobiles and butterflies, charming folk figurines, bright bird and flower sculptures, and precious metal mammals.” Clarence’s son, Michael Kacergis, who now runs the business, acquired the property at 3 Bradford Street in 1999. His son, Aaron, “tinkers with welding on weekends,” The Banner said. Lonely Planet noted that “each generation has its own style, themes and motifs.” Even after he stepped down, paterfamilias could keep an eye on the shop from his home at 4 Bradford Street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Goode & Farmer Report Provincetown- January 2013

Provincetown, Truro, and Wellfleet Real Estate Market 2012 Year-End figures.

For a year filled with anxiety and trepidation, a polarizing presidential election and talk of falling off the fiscal cliff, the real estate market in many places started to purr like a fine tuned engine. Many cities and towns throughout the country experienced substantial increases in the number of sales as well as climbing prices. In some places such as the downtown Boston market, sales and prices were up as inventory fell to low levels not seen in many years. The news on the Outer Cape was as positive and the year-end sales reports surpassed what many in the industry expected.

Total sales in Provincetown were up 36% from 169 units in 2011 to 229 in 2012 and volume closed was up 51% from $84M to $127M in 2012. There were 166 condominium sales in 2012 totaling $70M vs. 113 condos sales in 2011 totaling $43M – an increase of 63%. The average sale price for condominiums in Ptown was up 12% over 2011 to an average sale price of $421K.

Single family sales in Provincetown were also very strong with 52 sales in 2012 totaling $47M vs. 31 sales for $23M in volume in 2011 – a whopping increase of 104% in volume. The average sale price for a single-family home was up 21% to an average of $912K. Provincetown leads the way on the Cape for positive real estate news and tends to follow the key downtown Boston in performance stats more than other towns on the Cape. Downtown Boston experienced a 23% increase in sales and an average increase in sales price of 5%.

An important development in Provincetown is that inventory of properties for sale has dropped by around 25% since last year at this time. For the past several years the number of condos and single-family homes for sale year after year had remained relatively stable. This market dynamic begins to build a case for spring 2013 being a historically opportune time for those sellers who have been waiting on the sidelines to put their property on the market. This evolving supply and demand dynamic may be the best for sellers in several years.

Other towns on the Outer Cape did well too. The number of sales in Truro was up 49% over 2011 with 97 sales in 2012 vs 65 in 2011 and an increase in total volume of 60% to $51M. The Truro market consists mostly of single-family homes.

In Wellfleet, the number of sales increased 54.5% from 66 sales in 2011 to 102 in 2012 with a total sales volume of $49M, representing a 60% increase. Wellfleet is predominantly a single -family sales market too. These sales and volume increases in both Wellfleet and Truro are representative of the entire outer Cape real estate market.

 

So, we have heard it from all corners…real estate is back! And nowhere is this more evident than in Provincetown and the outer Cape.

We don’t want to be accused of having “irrational exuberance,” but we are seeing and feeling buyer excitement that we have not seen in many years. But, buyers do need more choices. Sellers are more confident as well that this is the time to sell. These buyer and seller attitudes coupled with a continuation of rock bottom mortgage rates and an improving economy bode well for 2013 being a great year to jump in the market and own a piece of paradise.

Please call or stop in if you are considering selling or if you are just curious as to what your home is worth. Our business philosophy is that the best-informed sellers are the happiest and that is what we do best!

 

 

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architecture

The Gropius House

The Murchison Estate, The Gropius House, 2 Commercial Street.

There are few buildings as startling — in this town of gabled roofs and shingles — as the modernist landmark designed in 1959-60 for Carl and Dorothea Murchison by TAC, The Architects Collaborative, with Robert S. McMillan nominally in charge. Built less than a decade after Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, 2 Commercial Street is a two-level International style slab with walls of glass. Because Walter Gropius (1883-1969) was a partner in TAC, this is frequently referred to in town as the “Gropius house.”

 

 

The original Gropius House is the original structure in the Pilgrim Landings “sub division” and sits atop the hill at 2 Commercial Street. See my prior post “Far West End Activity.”

To see more of the original “Gropius House” go to Building Provincetown Blog. David Dunlap has done an incredible job over the years publishing wonderful facts about many Provincetown buildings. His blog is an absolute joy to explore.

 

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Cape Bargains?

Below is an interesting post by Scott Van Voorhis contrasting sales and price performance in different towns on the Cape, as many towns are experiencing sales increases but with price decreases. Provincetown is experiencing a more positive cycle of price and sales increases. Through November 30 as per Cape Cod MLS the average sale price of a single family home in Provincetown was $827K a 5% increase with a median price of $762K. 46 single family properties have sold year to date, an increase of 45% over 2011 year to date.

Through November 30, the average sale price of condominiums in Provincetown was $413K, an increase of 10% year to date with a median price of $399K.  149 condos have sold year to date an increase of 49%.

See Scott’s post below.

Posted by Scott Van Voorhis
If you are looking for a second home, there may be bargains to be had right now on the Cape.

Sales are up big time across the sandy spit, even as median prices fall in the Mid-Cape towns of Chatham, Harwich, Orleans, according to data from The Warren Group.

Chatham saw the biggest price decline, falling more than 14 percent, year-to-date, at the end of October to $550,000, while Orleans fell 3.7 percent, to $505,000, and Harwich slid 1.1 percent to $335,500.

Heading farther out towards Provincetown, Wellfleet prices dropped 5.7 percent to $511,250.

Other towns on or close to the Cape Cod Canal are also seeing prices fall. Sandwich is down 6 percent to $280,000, Mashpee fell 7 percent to $310,000, while Bourne saw a 5.8 percent decline to $251,500.

Venturing off Cape to the islands, Nantucket prices fell 9.1 percent to an ultra-affordable median of $1,090,000.

The Outer Cape appears to be bucking the trends, with Provincetown posting a 16 percent rise, to $680,000.

Brewster and Dennis also posted price increases as well.

Of course, there is the whole issue of rising sea levels and increasingly extreme weather – Cape living may not be a picnic in years to come. It’s an area already poorly served by the power companies and prone to outages.

The cost of insuring a home on the Cape is also soaring.

Still, I say go for it. But beware of beachfront bargains!