Archive for the 'Luxury Estates Marthas Vineyard Real Estate' category

What a great history this Edgartown home has  "The Captain Valentine Pease House on South Water Street. Offered here is one of Edgartown's true whaling captain's homes that is rich with history and dates to 1836.  The original owner, Captain Pease of the whaling ship "Acushnet," is believed to be one of the inspirations behind Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" character Captain Ahab, as Melville's brief career at sea featured a term under Captain Pease.  Additionally, in recent times, the property was owned for many years by Oscar-winning actress Patricia Neal.  Currently, the home, which sits opposite from the Mayhew Parsonage and enjoys clear views of the harbor as a result, is an attractive blend of modern amenities and historic charm, having been updated through the years with a new kitchen with granite counters, central air conditioning, forced hot water heat, and more.  Completing the property is a private back yard and detached one car garage that is set back from South Water Street.  A rare offering in the village's center."  Click here for more information. Priced at $3,380,000

It's a tool used by house flippers all across the nation. Stagers know its power. Real estate agents push its importance. What is this not-so-well-kept secret o freal estate? A kitchen can sell a house.

A kitchen is the heart of a home. This is true all across the globe. The old saying that the "stomach is the way to the heart" carries a lot of truth. Kitchens are where we spend much of our time and most of that is with our families. It's the room where we nourish our bodies and our spirits.

Kitchens are integral to entertaining and in today's age of open floor plans, they're a focal piece of many family rooms. It's because of this that kitchens play such an important role in the buying and selling process.

This one room is the showpiece of the house. You'll see it every day and your guests will see it during most visits. This means buyers want homes with up-to-date kitchens.

Kitchens, however, can be one of the most expensive rooms to renovate. These projects can also be the most labor and time intensive of all home renovations. It's not just a new layer of paint.

Instead you find a complicated array of flooring, tiling, cabinets, and counters. This means buyers may want a home with an up-to-date kitchen but they aren't willing to tackle this problem themselves. Most buyers want a kitchen that is ready to use the day they move in.

What do buyers look for in up-to-date kitchens? A lot of this depends on what price range your home is in.

The main thing to remember as a seller is to not price yourself out of your market. If homes in your neighborhood are selling for $100,000 with tidy, but not luxury kitchens, then this is no time to upgrade to granite, travertine, and marble at the price tag of $40,000+. You simply won't find a buyer.

Scope out the competition. Use open houses in your area or MLS listings to find out what your competitions' kitchens look like.

Do area homes have new solid wood cabinets and granite counters in today's designer colors? You'll be wise to consider making the same move. Are they including new stainless steel appliances and add-ons like dishwashers, wine-coolers, and trash compactors?

Are you in a higher-end neighborhood? It's time to think high-end. Your older home may have a highly functional kitchen, but a buyer will take one look at your formica counters and white appliances and become lost in the stress of how much money and time it would take to remodel. If you don't want to put in the time yourself to make upgrades then you'll have to make concessions in the price.

Don't become overwhelmed, though. Sometimes a kitchen update can mean doing just a few minor changes. Change the paint color to a warm, neutral tone. Get rid of any clutter. Update your appliances, paint your cabinets, change the pulls, or get a high-end looking counter for a fraction of the cost (faux-granite or lower end granite). You might even save a bundle by doing much of the work yourself.

The bottom line is a kitchen can sell a home. Do a little research and find out what your kitchen needs to make it competitive with area listings.

by Carla Hill

RealtyTimes

Published: January 24, 2012

To some, they’re a boon to the construction industry; to others, a blight on the landscape. When talk turns to whether the Martha’s Vineyard Commission should regulate so-called mega-mansions on the Island, there’s rarely middle ground, and there’s usually a crowd.   On Monday the commission land use planning committee met to discuss possible changes to the DRI checklist, the process that determines what projects are sent to the commission for review as developments of regional impact. The Vineyard Conservation Society, an outspoken opponent to the proliferation of what it sees as out-of-scale trophy houses, and the West Tisbury planning board asked the commission to consider adding the construction of large houses to that checklist. The meeting wasn’t a public hearing, but it attracted representatives from both the Island construction and conservation communities, and prompted both sides to speak out.  Read more...

Blue Heron Farm, the Chilmark estate that President Obama and his family have rented for the past three summers for their August vacations, was sold last week for $21.925 million...Read more.

The past few weeks have showcased numerous signals that the real estate market is on the rise. Recently, we have reported statistics pointing to an industry turnaround, including a 15 percent rise in housing starts in September; a surge in builder confidence  in October, an increase in mortgage applications  and a slew of regional market improvements across the country. Read More  from RISMedia

The Blue Heron Farm.  A majestic 28.5-acre residential compound located waterfront in Chilmark on Tisbury Great Pond. The property includes 5 main structures – including two full-size homes (5118 square feet and 3718 square feet) – that have all been renovated to the highest specifications. Equestrian facilities include an antique eight-stall horse barn that was relocated from Pennsylvania and completely rebuilt on site, an Olympic dressage arena, and six grass paddocks.  Recreational amenities include a waterview pool with hot tub, stunning par 3 golf hole, tennis court, half basketball court, lawn bowling, and horseshoes.    Click here for more information.

BY KARLA ARAUJO  MV Magazine July 2011
The Oscar-winning actor was one of the first celebrity residents on the Vineyard, and today his former Chilmark homestead retains its charming rural character. Long before presidential limousines rumbled along dusty Island roads or visiting Hollywood celebrities were “packaged” for charity auctions, one of the movie industry’s most highly acclaimed actors lived quietly with his wife and two children on more than two hundred acres in Chilmark. James Cagney, three-time Academy Award nominee and 1942 Oscar winner for Yankee Doodle Dandy, owned what became known as “the Cagney estate” off North Road in Chilmark from 1936 until several years before his death in 1986 at the age of eighty-six. And while the property has been pared down to sixty-nine acres over the years, it retains its extraordinary privacy and unspoiled rural character. Renamed Holly Farm by its present owners, the land and its historic eighteenth-century house and outbuildings have been on the market for more than three years, prompting conversation about what life was like when Cagney bought it seventy-five years ago. Click here to read more.

I have put together a selection of special Island properties.  Each offering between 20 to 74 acres of seclusion.  Each property has something different to offer.  Click on the links below for additional information about each or contact us buymv@mvbuyeragents.com or 508-627-7004.

	Price	Address	Town
	$3,600,000	74 North Road	Chilmark
	$7,500,000	265 & 277 North Road	Chilmark
	$16,000,000	544 Chappaquonsett Road	Vineyard Haven
	$30,000,000	14 Brickyard Road # 1	Chilmark