Nadine Krasnow, CRS
Boston Magazine’s Design Home 2016 at The Pinehills was a totally fun “busman’s holiday”! (You’d think I see enough houses, right?) Designed by Polhemus Savery DaSilva and furnished by Ethan Allen, Room and Board, and Setting the Space, it’s a treat to see and experience, even for me, Ms. Fussy. Go! The $25 admission benefits Boston Children’s Hospital. See the latest in snazzy design and make a worthwhile charitable donation at the same time!
First day of Autumn, 82 degrees in Falmouth! Apparently I wasn’t the only person who thought the beach was a good idea. There wasn’t one parking space at Old Silver Beach. A perfect Cape Cod day, this is why we live here!
The Wounded Warriors were on the bike path this morning, with loud and fervent appreciation from people at every cross street. I didn’t know what to expect, if there would be hundreds of them, or if they would be on motorcycles roaring through. But there were only about 50-75 participants, some with obvious effects of their service, on adapted or regular non-motorized bikes. They were awesome! I was happy to cheer them on, and they were happy to be appreciated. An unanticipated moment of patriotic pride on a gorgeous first day of autumn…I didn’t have my phone with me, but here’s a link. Click Here.
#21606308
581 Locustfield Road, East Falmouth
$569,000
This is a charming home, one I describe as a “sophisticated farmhouse”. What’s that? A simple home, with exposed beams and nice detail; an updated kitchen and bathrooms; an unusual floor plan that includes entry through a screened porch; and orientation to the 2 acres of grounds with heated pool and hot tub. What’s not to like? Probably the sound of traffic going by, which included the rumble of lots of construction trucks the day I was there. But also, there’s no garage or central air, and the house is set sideways on the lot, without much curb appeal. This all would be an acceptable trade-off at a lower price, but I feel there are better choices in this price range.
#21605527
80 Eel River Road, Falmouth
$2,595,000
Going to the other end of the price spectrum, here’s a good example of an expensive house that still has trade-offs. The good: It’s young, built in 2011, so has a super floor plan, nice detail, fabulous kitchen and baths, and lovely expansive views of the water from the living spaces and the decks and patio that run the entire length of the house. The trade-offs: The next-door house is really close. In addition, the bedrooms are, well let’s just say, not large. Not small, but smaller than what we usually see in this price range. Also, there are three bedrooms in the main house, and the other two are part of a suite over the (3-car) garage. This could be good, or not, depending on the buyer.
#21605646
223-217 Meadow Neck Road, East Falmouth
$5,295,000
This is among the most expensive homes currently on the market, and the reason is obvious: It’s two homes, on two separate waterfront lots. One home is young, large, gracious, on two acres and with a lovely sandy beach on Waquoit Bay. The day I visited, there were a couple of clamdiggers in front. The other home is a small guest house, very cute, clean and comfortable on its own acre and with an in-ground pool. This smaller home would probably sell in the million-dollar range (although the listing agent estimated $1,800,000). Either way, is the other home and property then in the $4,000,000 range? We’ll see, but seems high to me. There is no dock and Waquoit Bay is shallow. In my experience, it’s the boaters who spend the bucks on expensive waterfront properties, and this one wouldn’t be conducive to keeping the boat at home. At least, if the boat is bigger than a kayak or a dinghy!
I often say that every home – even the most expensive – comes with trade-offs. Here are some current examples:
#21606219
32 Jeffrey Lane, Falmouth
$279,000
Not a tiny house, but a small house – 908 s.f. The bedrooms are decent-sized, the closets are good, the house is younger (1994) and nicely built and maintained, the lot is 12,000 s.f., and there’s a good buffer of trees in back. The street is a nice cul-de-sac of similar homes. For under $300K, it’s probably the nicest house in town. Trade-off? No garage.
#21605721
5 Roberta Jean Circle, Falmouth
$369,900
Here’s a cute, 1,296 s.f. ranch with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, a one-car garage, central air, hardwood floors, gas heat, irrigation, and a private yard that’s just the right size. And it’s in great condition! The trade-off? It’s a corner lot, and one of the streets is Old Meetinghouse, which gets quite a bit of traffic. But this is on the garage side of the house, so it’s invisible, and even the sound is buffered by the garage. I was not aware of the traffic when I was inside the home. So maybe this is an easy trade-off. The home is certainly well-priced, and offers good value.
#21606539
21 Pine Street, Falmouth
$539,900
This is a young, 3-bedroom, 3-bath, 1,799 s.f. condo that’s nicely built and in a nice location. It has that much-wanted first-floor bedroom suite, as well as 2 bedrooms and a loft upstairs. The living-dining area is a little tight as a result of the first-floor garage. The trade-off for this unit is that the location within the complex is such that views are of the street or the house to the rear.
