We’ve survived the Great Recession.

The market on Cape Cod and throughout the Northeast is coming back.

Desirable shore front areas have benefitted from strong demand, even multiple Offers on homes for sale. What does the market look like going forward? How are banks viewing this market? Can we expect lending to loosen up a little? And what about the outlook for retirees and second home buyers?

Here is some great insight from two bankers and a regional real estate company. It’s a quick read with some very good information:

Cape Cod 2013 Housing Market Discussion

Cape Cod 2013 Housing Market Discussion

Cape Cod Life and Cape Cod Home magazines are great vehicles to share REEF’s new projects, craftsmanship and even philosophy with the world. The homes that are featured in Cape Cod Life and Cape Cod Home are fine examples of the Cape Cod lifestyle.

Cape Cod Life & Cape Cod Home magazines

Recently the Editor of the magazines gave us the opportunity to feature one of our newly-built custom-designed homes in an upcoming issue. Of Course! So last week Dan Cutrona, who is a top-notch photographer, and Irina MacPhee, designer extraordinaire and Owner of Pastiche here on Cape Cod, got together to stage and shoot the house. We enjoyed great weather, and had a blast working together. Really fun.

And we got to eat the shmores and fruit after the shoot!

Here’s a page of photos I took of Dan and Irina working their magic. Stay tuned for the feature article on the beautiful ocean-view home built by REEF Cape Cod’s Home Builder.

Cape Cod Life photo shoot of new REEF Built home

The Oysterfest is right around the corner! Wellfleet is the center of the oyster universe with a weekend of festivities, October 19 & 20.

This two day event brings together locals and visitors alike for a weekend full of hometown flavor and big time fun! The 'Fest is produced by a non-profit organization devoted to fostering a greater understanding of the town's shellfishing industry and made possible through collaboration with the Town of Wellfleet, the support of many generous sponsors, the area shellfishermen and a dedicated group of volunteers.

It's a great time. Here's the link to the calendar of events. Plan your Oysterfest weekend now!

Wellfleet Oysterfest on Cape Cod

• Over 75 artisans, 16 food vendors, 12 raw bars and 13 community organizations
• Live Music performed by Crabgrass, Sarah Swain and the Oh Boys, The Rip It Ups, Link Montana and The Incredible Casuals.
• Family Fun Area featuring educational activities, crafts, moonbounces, clowns, face painting and performances geared for the young at heart!
• Educational programs including a locally filmed documentary about shellfishermen, Barbara and Clint Austin
• Culinary programs, Taste the Terroir and Merroir; Cooking demo and Book Signing by Phillip Hunt of Winslow’s Tavern and John Carafoli author of Cape Cod Chef’s Table in which Winslow’s is featured.
• Recreational activities such as nature walks, oyster reef tours, road races, a dance party and a skateboard competition.
• Free ocean beach parking and shuttle bus transportation into town
• And of course, the Annual Oyster Shuck-Off competition

 Wellfleet Oysterfest on Cape Cod

“We’d like to have a house with 3 bedrooms, and 3 bathrooms. Our lot is 7,405 square feet. “

That’s a lot of living on a very small footprint. But it’s not an unusual request here at REEF. Many of our Customers own property in beach communities, where the parcels of land are very small. But accommodating friends and family, and enjoying a comfortable, year-round lifestyle, are very important. So we design and build highly efficient living in what are sometimes very tight quarters.

The photo below is a REEF built home, with 1,789 Square Feet of living space, 3 bedrooms (including a Master Suite), 3 bathrooms, and a beautiful, open floor plan. The Before photo is the outdated Ranch that had seen better times.

Cape Cod is not the only community with space challenges. Here are some interesting designs and solutions to accommodating modern living in tight spaces around the country.

Building designs for thin lots like those on Cape Cod

Building designs for thin lots like those on Cape Cod

Organization is a key to success. Much of our design energy is directed towards creating open, clean, easy-to-organize spaces. An organized space helps keep the household easy to manage, creating more time for quality activities.

Many of our Customers entertain throughout the seasons, and organization helps keep the visits easy and fun. Here are some great ideas and tips to keep important areas in your home easy to organize. After all, less time cleaning means more time at the beach!

Organize your Cape Cod Home

Organize your Cape Cod Home

Tickscaping: creating a landscape that is a tick-free zone. With the release of a new report documenting that thousands of folks have undiagnosed Lyme Disease, preventing this tick-borne illness is getting lots of attention.  Lyme disease can invade and damage multiple organ-systems, the nervous system prominent among them. And summer fun means lots of outside time, with increased exposure to ticks. Prevention is the key.

Ticks love tall grass and dense vegetation. With a little effort, a tick-free landscape can be created and maintained. Cape Cod is too beautiful to let a few ticks spoil your fun!  Here are some tips from a couple experts on creating a tick-free zone.

Landscaping Tips for a Tick-Free Yard on Cape Cod

Center for Disease Control - preventing ticks

Landscaping Tips for a Tick-Free Yard on Cape Cod

Center for Disease Control - preventing ticks

Cape Cod has some fabulous neighborhoods steps away from the beach. Usually these area were cottage colonies many years ago, with tiny homes, and sometimes even tents. Now many of the homes are comfortable, year-around beach get-a-ways. But the lots of land are still very small.

REEF is proud of its work helping home owners replace worn out cottages with attractive homes. Because space is often at a premium, the outdoor living space is frequently squeezed into a corner or side of the property.

Fear not! Even the smallest space can be a sanctuary. Here are some great design ideas to help create a relaxing, pleasant space in the tiniest circumstances.

Small Cape Cod Deck Design Ideas

Small Cape Cod Deck Design Ideas

Have you ever wanted to walk out the door to the beach? Arrive at your home, and take off your shoes for a week? Step off your front porch and stroll down the lane to a beach on Cape Cod Bay? REEF can help make that happen.

Here’s a brief video illustrating the proximity to the beach of one of our current projects. Many existing beach homes are out dated, with small rooms, and systems that have reached the end of their useful life. REEF is expert at designing, permitting, and building homes to fit on beachside lots, offering all the modern comforts and amenities.

Call us anytime when you’re ready to make your piece of Cape Cod the retreat you’ve always wanted.

Brief video of REEF home steps from Cape Cod Bay

Brief video of REEF home steps from Cape Cod Bay

It is absolutely beautiful here on Cape Cod. This is the weather around which Cape Cod memories are made. Before the warm weather slips away, get your friends together for a casual porch party. Here are some great tips on how to keep your porch party fun with food place cards, cocktail ideas, and menu ideas like coconut shrimp and guacamole.

Just find a comfortable spot, add some friends, and make some Cape Cod memories!

Cape Cod Porch Party Tips & Ideas

Cape Cod Porch Party Tips & Ideas

How will the new FEMA Flood Zone maps affect your Cape Cod home?

What types of renovation can I do without having to upgrade my home to current building codes?

How can I make my new home flood proof?

What is the Wind Borne Debris Zone? Does it affect my Cape Cod Home?

What types of measures, techniques and materials are used to ensure my new home is safe from flood and hurricane damage?

Answers to these and other questions will be shared tomorrow, Saturday, on the radio:

Saturday, 10AM on WXTK, 95.1 FM.

Matt Teague and Jim Hagerty of REEF Cape Cod’s Home Builder will share all kinds of great information on the Cape Cod Real Estate Show tomorrow, Saturday. Tune in, call in, and get your questions answered!

REEF on the radio Saturday 10-11AM

http://www.95wxtk.com/