Luxury Real Estate News and Information | Landvest Luxury Real Estate

Jul

Seapuit, The Transformation of the Second Oldest Golf Links In The US Into Some Of Cape Cod’s Best Real Estate
By LandVest

This post was brought to you by Stewart Young (syoung@landvest.com). Whether it’s an elegant Greek Revival in Lincoln, a 130 acre farm in Medfield, or a waterfront summer estate on Stage Harbor in Chatham, Stewart advises buyers and sellers of some of the most distinctive properties in Massachusetts with a focus on the Metro West area of Boston and Cape Cod.

Seapuit Club in Osterville has become the site of some of Cape Cod's best real estate

Seapuit Club is now the site of some of Cape Cod's best real estate

The Seapuit Club, located in Osterville, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod operated from 1896 to 1942 and is reputed to have been the second oldest golf links in the United States. The property consisted of about 1,000 acres in Osterville and Marstons Mills. The golf course was 3001 yards long with 9 holes rated as a par 36. In 1926 the daily greens fee was $1.50, raised to $2.50 on the weekends. A seasonal membership cost $35.

1926 Seapuit Golf Membership Rates

The Seapuit Club Inn provided lodging and fine dining from 1898 to 1925. The Golf Club House at the ninth green provided registration and men’s and women’s lockers and at the third green Bernard Hinckley operated an oyster bar that also served martinis, maybe even during prohibition.

The "Head House" located on the 9th Green

Supporting operations included Seapuit Bay Farm that housed horses, cows, and chickens. There were several cranberry bogs that were harvested into the 1950s. The Seapuit Nursery operated as a commercial nursery up to 1985.

The transformation of Seapuit occurred in the early 1970s when the Davis family engaged LandVest to develop a master plan for residential development of the property. The plan was not a conventional subdivision. Careful inventories of the landscape were followed by the identification of key sites that would feature the bogs, marshes, woods, fields, and especially the water and inland vistas that made the property so unique. LandVest’s marketing campaign was also carefully planned and orchestrated with a slow release to the market over several decades. In the end, by 1990, about 50 lots were sold leaving extensive land in conservation.

Today Seapuit maintains a special sense of place. One of the most special properties in the neighborhood is located at 250 Smoke Valley Road in Osterville, MA and is listed by Stewart Young of LandVest for $3,900,000. This waterfront retreat offers complete privacy, a pastoral setting with views toward Prince Cove and conservation land, and a deep-water dock with three floats. The Cape Cod-style residence provides three bedrooms and there is also an exceptional waterfront boathouse with one bedroom and a waterside deck.

Ostervile Waterfront Retreat - Former site of Seapuit Golf Club

For additional information on the Seapuit Club, click the link to a recent article in Cape Cod Life:

Remembering Osterville’s Seapuit Golf Club

For more information on Cape Cod Real Estate contact Stewart Young via email syoung@landvest.com

To view exceptional Cape Cod Real Estate for Sale, visit LandVest.com or click Cape Cod Real Estate

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Jul

Lanse Robb of LandVest – North Shore, MA Brokers Record $9.2 Million Sale
By LandVest

Record Real Estate Sale (Highest Residential Real Estate Sale in 2010 in MA) Marks a Recent Run of High End Activity on Boston MA’s North Shore.

LandVest Real Estate Broker Lanse Robb, brokers sale of the Wyck Estate, in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA

The highest residential real estate transaction in Massachusetts in 2010 was brokered by LandVest – North Shore, MA Real Estate Broker Lanse Robb, with the recent sale of the magnificent Wyck Estate, a 7.8-acre oceanfront estate located in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA for $9.2 million. The carriage house of the Wyck estate was sold separately by Robb earlier this spring for $2.225 million, making the combined sale for the entire property $11.450 million. According to MLSPIN.com, there has been only one other sale above the $5 million mark in Massachusetts this year which took place in Barnstable.

The Wyck Estate is the centerpiece in a series of high-end real estate sales brokered by Lanse Robb, including 357 Hale Street in Beverly, MA and 35 Proctor Street in Manchester-by-the-Sea. In all three sales the buyers were procured directly by Robb. Recently dubbed “the Rolls Royce” of North Shore Brokers by North Shore Magazine,

The Real Deal - Lanse Robb featured in North Shore Magazine

Robb already has surpassed the $25.08 million mark in sales of high-end properties in 2010, with an average sale price of $3.5 million. Included in those transactions are the highest residential real estate sales in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, and Hamilton Massachusetts.

Boston’s North Shore has long been a desireable location for those intersested in buying exceptional waterfront real estate, and equestrian properties and many of its town’s make Boston Magazine’s Best Place To Live list. Manchester-by-the-Sea where the Wyck Estate is located was voted as the Gold Standard. “The North Shore of Boston boasts an amazing concentration of extraordinary properties, and the Wyck Estate has long been considered the jewel in the crown,” said Robb. It was recently chosen by the Week Magazine as one of the best properties on the market with a slate roof, and has been written up by the Wall Street Journal and Robb Report as an extraordinary property. “Despite the economic malaise, we have achieved a series of high-end sales, setting town, county and state records. Wise sellers understand that the inflated prices of the market’s height are behind us, yet they can still count on us to sell their properties at prices that are setting records in today’s marketplace. In our current climate, high-end buyers are looking for spectacular homes that offer value and investment. It is a measured marketplace, one where value trumps pure luxury.”
The Wyck Estate, a replica French Chateau located on Manchester’s desirable Smith’s Point, was built circa 1900 using the finest imported materials and craftsmanship. The home’s exterior consists of Tapestry brick imported from France and carved Indiana limestone; twenty-eight stone carvers were brought to the site to ensure absolute authenticity. The opulently detailed interior includes a formal entranceway, carved of Caen stone from France, a magnificent dining room paneled in extremely rare Circassian walnut from Russia, and floors of green Conamora marble from Ireland. The result of this magnificent effort is an antique treasure as stunning as any to be found in France.
LandVest invested heavily in marketing to ensure the property was well exposed to a wide audience of affluent buyers and invested significant time in ensuring everyone within the LandVest network, and Christies Great Estates affiliates (LandVest is a New England affiliate of Christies Great Estates which allows the property to be exposed internationally through the world wide network of Christies Great Estates as well as exposure thoughout the extended network of Christies -the leading global art business/auction house) and the North Shore brokerage community was aware this North Shore signature listing was for sale.

Lanse Robb has been a broker for more than 22 years on Boston’s North Shore. Lanse Robb is known by some in the North Shore as a rain maker, combining keen market insight, tenacity and a unrelenting commitment to delivering the highest service and value to his clients. He can be reached at lrobb@landvest.com.

View Boston’s North Shore Residential Real Estate for Sale

View Extraordinary Real Estate for Sale in Massachusetts

View New England Waterfront Properties for Sale (Oceanfront)

View New England Waterfront Properties for Sale (freshwater)

View New England Equestrian Properties for Sale

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Jun

Terry Sortwell of LandVest closes $2,250,000 sale on Islesboro, first 2 million+ sale since May 2008
By LandVest

The high-end Islesboro Maine real estate market has been much like many other secondary home markets—quiet. It took an exceptional 22±-acre saltwater farm on Seal Harbor with 2,670± feet of shorefront, a deepwater dock and a savvy buyer to get things moving again. “The property offered a few key characteristics that buyers in this market are seeking: lots of privacy, a significant land component, and a protected deepwater dock—and it was well priced,” says Terry Sortwell of LandVest. The Islesboro real estate market hasn’t had a sale over $2 million since May 2008 (which was also a LandVest sale), but we are beginning to see sales of waterfront real estate pick up, particularly among properties with these desirable elements. It’s too early to say with any certainty that the market is rebounding, but we are pleased to see this kind of activity in Islesboro real estate and among waterfront properties along the central Maine coast. For more information about the Longmeadow Farm sale, or for more information about buying or selling Mid-Coast Maine Real Estate contact Terry Sortwell by email tsortwell@landvest.com.

View the recently-Sold Longmeadow Farm
View Islesboro, Maine real estate, and other Maine Island Properties for sale
View Maine Farms for Sale including Maine Saltwater Farms
View New England Farms for Sale

If you are interested in Saltwater farms in Maine, you may be interested in the Moxie Farm in Friendship, Maine

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Jun

Best Places To Find Extraordinary Coastal Maine Real Estate: Harpswell, Maine
By LandVest

This entry is brought to you by William Davisson(wdavisson@landvest.com) and John Saint-Amour (jsaintamour@landvest.com) who have been assisting and advising buyers and sellers of fine homes throughout the Greater Portland Area and some of the most desirable areas of Coastal Maine.

Harpswell Sound, offering some of Maine's best real estate for sale

Harpswell Maine, offering some of Maine's best real estate for sale

Historic Harpswell, Maine defines life on the Maine waterfront. Idyllic working waterfront and summer communities, rocky shorelines, beaches, marshes and woodlands, frame rolling fields and guard quiet coves. Home to generations of fishing and lobstering families, Harpswell communities have proven to be resilient and independent.

First inhabited by the native Abenaki peoples, Harpswell was named after an English town in 1758. Celebrating more than 250 years as a town, Harpswell is a picture of austere architecture of 18^th century New England. Soaring spires over simple clapboard churches, grange halls, sea captains homes, and village cottages reflect the functional and tasteful early Colonial, Greek Revival and Federalist vernacular.

A series of peninsulas, from Harpswell Neck to the village of Cundys Harbor, present breathtaking views of Casco Bay and the islands of Maine. Harpswell boasts 216 miles of oceanfront, believed to be the most of any town in America. Great Island, Orr’s and Bailey Island form the nucleus for the some forty-seven islands, public and private, in the Town of Harpswell. Eagle Island, the retreat of Artic explorer Admiral Robert E. Peary, and Jewell Island, the popular camping, hiking and waterfront destination, are important to the archipelago.

Summer communities and private compounds, formed during the late 19^th century, continue to draw generations of returning families. Artists, plein air painters and photographers, in residence, and during summer, are inspired by the natural wonders of Maine. Shoreline birding, hiking along the Cliff Trail, the Long Reach Preserve Trail, lands maintained by the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, present magnificent views of Quahog Bay, Middle Bay, woodland and ocean environs.

Deepwater access, world class sailing venues, low property taxes and the amenities of mid-coast Maine, continues to attract a growing community of entrepreneurs, retirees, and young families. Music, theatre, award-winning restaurants, artisan bakeries and merchant offerings in Brunswick, nearby Freeport and Portland enhance the quality of life.

LandVest, the recognized leader for Maine real estate, waterfront homes and estates throughout New England, offers three exceptional properties in Harpswell. Long Reach

Long Reach, Maine Waterfront Real Estate for Sale

Long Reach is located on a private peninsula with 1,500± feet of frontage, and is currently for sale.

signs a truly unique setting on a private peninsula with 1,500± feet of frontage on both Harpswell Sound and the protected anchorage of Lombos Hole. An association dock provides access to boating activities and to the Atlantic Ocean. The property’s 3± acres encompass beautifully landscaped grounds, perennial gardens, mature trees and wonderful views of the water. The three-story shingled residence features 4,000± square feet of elegant living space, ideal for entertaining, with numerous porches and terraces to enjoy sunset views over the water. High Head Farm

Maine Real Estate for Sale: High Head Farm

High Head Farm enjoys 242 feet of Maine waterfront with west and south ocean views over Harpswell Sound and is currently for sale

is a beautifully renovated, three-level refined Cape, featuring south and west ocean views over Harpswell Sound and frontage on Mill Cove. Commanding the promontory on 4.6± acres of the original High Head Peninsula farmstead, two parcels are included allowing a house and guesthouse on each. The original sheep barn, mature gardens of herbs and perennials and an orchard above Mill Cove set the scene. Seal Watch

Seal Watch located in Harpswell, Maine, offers deeded deepwater access to Harpswell Sound and is currently for sale

has been redesigned and renovated by noted architect Todd Worthley. Precious privacy is found in this light-infused, fourteen-room residence. Features include a first floor master suite with private sunspace, a seaside guest suite, mahogany decks, remarkable interior finishes and conveniences, and immediate access to the waterfront. Seal Watch and High Head Farm offer deeded deepwater access to Harpswell Sound and the Atlantic Ocean through the neighborhood High Head Yacht Club, with deepwater dock, moorings and clubhouse steps from the respective properties. These exceptional waterfront positions on High Head Peninsula are located eight miles from Brunswick, the biggest town in Maine.

During summer months, visitors and locals enjoy seaside wharf and dockside dining, or a picnic along Mackerel Cove. The active waterfront at Cook’s Lobster Pound on Bailey Island, The Dolphin Chowder House & Marina, Holbrook’s Store and Lobster Wharf in Cundys Harbor, establish lifetime memories of Maine.

Harpswell, including the real estate represented by LandVest, is a convenient eight miles to historic Brunswick, the acclaimed programs of exclusive Bowdoin College, and thirty-five miles to the cultural, business and transportation amenities of Greater Portland, and 125 miles± to Boston.

View Harpswell, Maine Real Estate for Sale

View Maine Oceanfront Real Estate for Sale

View Maine Fresh Water Real Estate for Sale

For more information on Maine Real Estate

Contact William Davisson: wdavisson@landvest.com

Contact John Saint-Amour: jsaintamour@landvest.com

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May

Yet Another Reason to Buy Real Estate on Nantucket
By LandVest

This weekend (May 28 – 31) is the 38th Figawi Race, the annual sailing race from Hyannis to Nantucket. Celebrated each Memorial Day Weekend, the race is well known throughout New England and as far as California, Canada, and Key West. Participants are a mix of experienced sailors and amateurs, with a variety of boats; some luxury, some simple; sprinkled with a few famous yachts.

Figawi Race from Hyannis, Cape Cod, MA to Nantucket

According to the tale, the race originated when two sailors first left Cape Cod for Nantucket (more…)

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May

Best Places to Live 2010
By LandVest

Boston Magazine recently published their “Best Places to Live 2010” list, covering neighborhoods around Boston, North Shore, South Shore, Downtown, Inland South, Inland North, and MetroWest. Utilizing data collected from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, residents, town clerks, and recreation departments, they picked the best cities and towns in the state of Massachusetts to call home, designating them a “gold standard,” “best value” or “opportunity knocks.”

LandVest specializes in assisting those interested in buying and selling real estate in the most desirable markets throughout New England and specifically in the markets listed below that have been recognized as being a top place to live.

Downtown Boston
Gold Standard: Brookline
Brookline residents enjoy a lovely neighborhood feel with all the amenities of a larger city. With highly regarded public and private schools, several libraries, museums, and golf clubs, it truly is a “Gold Standard.” Located in Brookline is also The Country Club, one of the (more…)

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May

Could Record Fine Art Sales Indicate Good News For High-End Real Estate?
By LandVest

This week’s blog entry is brought to you by Terry Boyle (Tboyle@landvest.com). Terry has worked extensively with buyers and sellers of unique and rare real estate holdings throughout the New England region and beyond, with a current concentration on the Boston Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast/Buzzards Bay markets.

Picasso painting "Nude, Green Leaves, Bust” sold for $106.5 million at Christies Auction

As widely reported, the Picasso painting “Nude, Green Leaves, Bust” sold for $106.5 million last week, setting the record for the highest sale price of a single painting ever. As much of a splash as the sale made in and of itself, there was almost as much news generated on what the sale could tell us about the overall health of the economy and what the future holds. At LandVest, we used the record breaking art sale as a jumping off point to examine whether portions of our residential inventory could be considered in an asset class like a Picasso, and what that comparison could tell us in attempting to predict sales volume in the high end residential market in the coming months.

Jasper Johns American Flag sells for 28.6 million

The initial question centers on what the current growing appetite for “hard assets” by investors means to the generational estate quality residential real estate market. According to Investopedia.com a “hard asset” is typically defined as “A tangible and physical item or object of worth that is owned by an individual or a corporation.” Or, better yet: “a hard asset is the opposite of an intangible item such as goodwill or a patent”. Hard assets are typically thought to be more desirable at times when there are fears of increasing economic inflation. The classic hard asset examples are precious gems, valuable art (see Mr. Picasso), in ground assets (mines, refineries, etc), and to some degree real estate – commercial, or any real estate that has easily verifiable value to virtually all market participants.

"Buy land, they aren’t making it anymore” - Mark Twain

For example, a beachfront property with great privacy and a lovely home is intrinsically valuable, if simply because the home has value as shelter (at a minimum), and the land, the beach, etc. has value because it is very difficult (if not impossible, in some cases) to reproduce. As the oft quoted Mark Twain opined: “buy land, they aren’t making it anymore”.

This is particularly true when the “land” has a component to it that the market regards as very rare (oceanfront, large size, privacy, views, etc).

Clearly, this value in the “LandVest” portion of the residential market varies over time, but unlike parts of the equity markets that in recent months collapsed completely (General Motors, etc. ), the LandVest portion of the high end residential home market has seen a continued pace of record sales.

LandVest Second Home Record Sales Map 3.25.10

LandVest Second Home Record Sales Map Q1 2010

As the above regional map displays, the “record sale” market (the highest residential sale price paid in a particular town) in second home market locations (urban market towns excluded) has seen activity through many broader market fluctuations. Most recently, record sale activity continued throughout 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, when other sectors of the economy were crashing in value, or experiencing extreme volatility, or locked up by the inability to secure credit. Has there been some value erosion in the above referenced markets? Yes, clearly. We have seen a dip in prices in our markets (as detailed elsewhere in this blog) of anywhere from 10-35% overall, depending on the asset and location, but the somewhat startling observation from the above data is that sales activity of these type of properties did not dry up completely or crash when other parts of the real estate market were declining rapidly, or in some cases virtually stopped. The conclusion would appear to be that if a property is truly perceived to have a rare enough component, it will retain value (at varying degrees), and will trade even when overall market conditions are poor.

So can the high end second residential home market be included in the “hard asset” discussion? Can a buyer of the hard asset class be motivated by some of the same motivations and requirements whether that purchase is a piece of art, a piece of gold, or a piece of rare real estate? It would appear that judging by history it can.

Bootjack Ranch, in Pagosa Springs, CO sells for 46.5 Million - Reportedly the highest price paid for a single-home/estate in the US in 2010

Codman Point, Record Sale for Wareham, MA

Jerry Heller and Terry Boyle's 2009 sale sets record as the highest reported price paid for single-home/estate in Wareham, MA

For more information about rare real estate finds in and around coastal Massachussetts, contact Terry Boyle (Tboyle@landvest.com).

Visit www.landvest.com or Click Here to Search LandVest listings for Rare Real Estate Finds

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May

Lighthouse Point chosen as one of the TOP 25 Oceanfront Homes
By LandVest

LandVest is pleased that Lighthouse Point has been recognized as one of the top 25 best oceanfront homes by Ocean Home Magazine.

For Sale, Lighthouse Point, Deer Isle, Maine

Set atop rocky pink granite just 75 feet from the deep water of the Penobscot Bay, this property offers spectacular ocean views and deserves placement as one of the best oceanfront homes on the market. The architecture of Lighthouse Point is extremely unique and is clearly a showpiece of engineering complexities. Its 5-story lighthouse with (more…)

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May

Lincoln, Massachusetts – A History of Country Estates and Conservation
By LandVest

Just 12 miles from Boston, Lincoln, Massachusetts is a town steeped in history and culture and has a rich heritage in agriculture and land preservation. Lincoln has over 51 miles of conservation trails, 1617+ acres (more…)

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Apr

LandVest Listing Featured on DownEast Mag Cover
By LandVest

Cover Shot: LandVest Listing (Sold)

This month’s cover of DownEast Magazine features a photograph of an island off Camden, Maine, that LandVest sold in 2009. Located in Penobscot Bay with easy access from North Haven, Camden, or Deer Isle, this very special private island covers about 15 acres. It is covered in spruce forest and has a wonderful path running around its perimeter, with benches strategically placed to rest and enjoy the views of the Camden Hills and the islands of Penobscot Bay. Its shorefront is typical of this section of the Maine coast, with beautiful bold granite ledge, cobblestone beaches, and countless tide pools inviting hours of exploration. Just as living on an island presents its own challenges and rewards, so too does buying or selling an island property. In our Camden office, we’re especially fond of island real estate, not only because it allows us the opportunity to ply the Maine Coast in our 32-foot Holland lobster yacht with some of the best islands for sale. It’s also because we also enjoy putting our knowledge and experience to work helping buyers and sellers navigate the complexities of island real estate, such as valuation, logistics, regulations, and the costs and feasibility of development on an island.

Contact Terry Sortwell, Regional Manager and Principal in our Camden, Maine office if you’d like to talk about Maine island properties. Phone: 207-236-3543

Click here for a list of our Maine island property listings.

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