The housing market on Cape Cod has certainly been interesting to watch over the past decade…and even more exciting to work in every day! As the primary investment for most families, housing deserves a lot of attention. Especially after the housing bust of 2008-2009.

The recession has left many people wondering whether to invest in real estate again. Constantly we field questions about the market, home values, and future expectations. Our Realtor friends are put on the spot by both Buyers and Sellers: Should I sell now? Is this a good time to buy? Although none of us has a crystal ball, we are the go-to professionals for people who are not involved with the housing market every day.

Understanding recent history and knowing where we are now compared to 5 and 10 years ago is very helpful. There is lots of information to analyze, and little time to do it. The Wall Street Journal does a great job of presenting lots of information in an easy to read, graphical format. Have a look at the real numbers for housing since 2005, and you’ll gain some good insight into where we are headed:

The U.S. Housing Market in 10 Charts

The U.S. Housing Market in 10 Charts

Thousands of articles on countless home building and decorating ideas. Fixtures, finishes, gardens, galleries, fabrics and…everything else!

There is so much information. Nobody has time to read it all. The most popular articles obviously are more relevant to more people. So they’re a good bet for investing a few minutes to read.

So which article was the most popular? Here it is: the most popular Houzz.com article of 2014. It’s bound to have relevance for you!

Most Popular Houzz.com Article for 2014

While you're there, Check out REEF Builders and see why we earned Best of Houzz.com 2014:

REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder - Best of Houzz.com

Most Popular Houzz.com Article for 2014

Welcome 2015! The old year must end, regardless of how great it was. And First Night is here! Chatham and Sandwich have notable First Night celebrations, complete with parades, fireworks, and concerts.

There are myriad ways to ring in the New Year on Cape Cod. Visiting your favorite beach at midnight to toast the New Year is a favorite. How about a Polar Bear Plunge??

Here’s some ideas and links to New Year’s info to get you going.

The Team at REEF Cape Cod’s Home Builder wishes all a healthy and happy 2015!

First Night Chatham Cape Cod

First Night Sandwich on Cape Cod

Cape Symphony New Year's Day Bash

Cape Cod Polar Plunge New Year's Day

Merry Christmas everybody!

It’s been a great year for REEF Cape Cod’s Home Builder, and we hope it’s been a great year for you too.

This time of year we all seem to take stock, look back at the wonderful opportunities we’ve enjoyed, and look forward to helping more folks realize their dreams here on Cape Cod.

Building custom homes isn’t easy, but we seem to have fun along the way.

And the smiling faces on move-in day make it all worthwhile.

The team at REEF sends our best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful, safe and happy holiday.

A New Year…A NEW COLOR! Yes! It’s here…Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2015! A shade of Blue? Perhaps a subtle Green…Or maybe a striking Yellow?

Are you ready to remodel or simply refresh your Cape Cod home with some new color? How will your personal pallet react when you learn the Color of the Year? Are you on track? Do you even like it?!

Pantone is an important leader in color: matching, blending and developing trends. Find out where color trends are headed...you may jump aboard with your Cape Cod home!

Pantone's Color of the Year for 2015 Cape Cod Homes

Pantone's Color of the Year for 2015 Cape Cod Homes

The holidays are great. I always look forward to this time of year…probably because I have nothing but good memories of Christmas past. Lights, fireplaces, ovens baking and hot stoves…there is plenty of opportunity for accidents.

Keeping the family and home safe during the busy holidays can be challenging. Just keeping track of the kids can seem impossible! Here are some great tips to ensure a safe and happy holiday for your home and family:

Holiday Safety Tips for Cape Cod Homes

Holiday Safety Tips for Cape Cod Homes

Holiday Home Safety for Cape Cod Families

Holiday Home Safety for Cape Cod Families

Christmas on Cape Cod is a special time. There are myriad ways to celebrate the season here on the Cape. Concerts, exhibitions, parades, open houses, and the venerable Christmas stroll. How about taking a train to Christmas Town? Or celebrating as Santa arrives by boat?

One could attend a special event almost every night! Keeping track of all the happenings can be daunting. Here are some great seasonal events to consider:

Centerville Village Stroll

Falmouth Holidays By The Sea Weekend

Spectacle-of-Trees at the JFK Museum

Cultural Center of Cape Cod Holiday Events

Chatham Christmas by the Sea

The Train to Christmas Town

Brewster for the Holidays

I’ve lived on Cape Cod for a long time, and maybe I’ve been missing the obvious...but how did First Encounter Beach get its name? Exactly --> it’s where the Pilgrims, in December of 1620, had their First Encounter with the Native Americans! That is so cool!

There are several versions of what transpired on that winter day in Eastham. Arrows flying, muskets firing…wild stuff. There are two monuments to the event at the beach. One is very old and hidden by years of overgrowth. The video will help you find it. What a great treasure hunt!

I can’t wait to get back to First Encounter Beach and find that monument. I’ll close my eyes and go back in time…and try to imagine what it must have been like for both parties on that December day. Just one more reason why Cape Cod is such a special place!

Historic account of First Encounter on Cape Cod

Video of First Encounter Beach monuments on Cape Cod - both of them!

Eastham Chamber describes First Encounter Beach

This is very cool. Harnessing the ocean’s energy has been a goal of many for years. Cape Cod is surrounded by some of the strongest currents in the world. The Cape Cod Canal is actually a “hydraulic” current, which means that water is always moving at some point along the canal. It is easy to envision a submerged turbine whose blades are turned by the moving current, generating energy every hour of every day, rain or shine, wind or calm.

Here is a house design that incorporates a turbine to transform the kinetic energy of waves into electrical energy for the house. The exterior cement shell of the house is bound to take a beating, but the wave energy should be substantial. Frankly, harnessing a steady current would probably produce more predictable energy every day. I would be surprised if using the energy of the ocean isn’t much more common in the years to come.

And Cape Cod is the perfect place to harness the endless energy of the ocean! Take a look and see what you think: 

House Powered by Ocean Waves on Cape Cod?

House Powered by Ocean Waves on Cape Cod?

Invasion of Crab Parts on Cape Cod? Piles and piles of crab parts are found on several Cape Cod beaches! What’s happening?

While the Philae Lander is attaching itself to a comet zooming through the universe, there are still some amazing discoveries to be found on sunny Cape Cod. You may love the Cape, and visit often or live here, and think you’ve seen it all. But there are still plenty of discoveries to be made. I know I learn something every time I go to the beach.

Here’s a great report of a recent Cape Cod phenomenon…why are some beaches LOADED with crab parts? Red tide? Blue tide? What’s happening? Check out this brief and fun video to discover the answer!

Invasion of Crab Parts on Cape Cod

Invasion of Crab Parts on Cape Cod

Invasion of Crab Parts on Cape Cod