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May
31
Watershed Farm, Roxbury, Vermont
By LandVest
 

One of the great pleasures of working at LandVest is the opportunity to share in the realization of the dreams of property owners.

One of these dream properties is Watershed Farm, high on a mountaintop in quiet Roxbury, Vermont.

Watershed Farm is a classic “kingdom property” in LandVest parlance, where you enter the 560± acres via the mile long driveway that winds upward through the woods, and opens first into mowed pastures and then expands outward to hundred mile views.  For many, the essence of a rural retreat is complete privacy, end-of-the-road location and the sense of being master of all you survey.

The dreams of both members of the couple that built this property were met – his yearning for huge views of the Green Mountains, dark skies for his observatory, and a close hop to great skiing at Sugarbush and Mad River Glen and hers for a genteel Victorian style home and professional-grade horse facilities including stables, turnout and indoor arena. This is what a great Vermont farm retreat is all about.

Please contact Wade Weathers or our Vermont Team for more information on great Vermont Farms and country properties for sale .

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May
30
MA Real Estate News, South Shore: High-End Market Watch, Year End, 2011
By LandVest
 

The South Shore of Massachusetts is a geographic region stretching south and east from Boston toward Cape Cod along the shores of Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay. It is subject to varying descriptions but is typically thought to include municipalities in eastern Norfolk and Plymouth counties. For our purposes, we look at the region as all of Plymouth County (with the exception of the Buzzards Bay towns of Rochester, Wareham, Marion, and Mattapoisett), and including the coastal town of Cohasset, which is located in Norfolk County.  South Shore communities typically feature parks and beaches, with multiple recreational and cultural options combined with a location that makes commuting to Boston convenient. Area features that appeal to both locals and tourists are: World’s End, a 250+ acre preserve in Hingham; the South Shore music Circus in Cohasset featuring bands and entertainers like Willie Nelson, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, Darius Rucker, the Celtic Tenors and Ronan Tynan; Martina McBride, The Counting Crows, and many more; Nantasket beach in Hull; camping and hiking/biking in Wompatuck State Park; Duxbury Beach; and historic Plymouth to name a few of the area attractions.

Active Listings and Sales, $2,000,000+, Year End, 2000-2011

After Flat 2011, Massachusetts South Shore High End Real Estate Poised for Rebound.

LandVest observed the following trends in the high end real estate market on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Land and home sales above $2M as reported by Massachusetts Multiple Listing Service Cohasset and All Plymouth County towns with the exception of Wareham, Rochester, Marion and Mattapoisett (we have covered those in the South Coast study).

Since 2000, the market above $2M on the South Shore has been through 3-4 distinct market cycles. The 2011 data appears to indicate that it is set to resurge. On the South Shore pre “bubble” (2000-2003) there was between 2-5 sales above $2,000,000. In 2004 it jumped to 14, then set a record in 2005 at 21 sales. It then dropped gradually to 18 in 2006, 19 in 2007, 14 in 2008, 10 in 2009, 11 in 2010, and 8 in 2011.

Highest and Average Sale, $2,000,000+, Year End, 2000-2011

A bright spot for the high end of the South Shore market is that the annual median sale price in 2011 was $2.73M, up from a median sale price in 2010 of $2.55M. According to MLS, LandVest set the record for the highest sale on the South Shore in 2011 which helped not only median sale price, but also number of days on market, as this record sale was only listed 3 days. It was the sale of 322 South Main Street in Cohasset for $4,200,000 by Terry Boyle.

Days on Market, Sales, $2,000,000+, Year End, 2000-2011

In 2011 inventory of available properties was lower in 2011 than in 2010. The number of high end listings in 2011 compared to 2010, when compared quarter over quarter, was down anywhere from 15-29% (the largest dip being in the 4th quarter, which traditionally has a low volume of new listings due to holiday seasons). Average days on the market for properties that sold in 2011 was relatively unchanged year-over-year, going from 277 in 2010 to 282 in 2011.

Sales by Town, $2,000,000+, Year End, 2000-2011

Of the nine cities and towns of the South Shore of Massachusetts that have experienced sales above $2,000,000 since 2000, only three towns had sales at this level in 2011 (4 in Cohasset, 2 in Duxbury, and 1 private sale – that is assumed to be above $2,000,000 in Hingham). Over the period 2000-2011, Cohasset is the leader with 52 sales followed by Hingham (27), and Duxbury (24). Overall, we have not seen any dramatic change in the market over the past couple of years. This segment of the market has always exhibited a relatively low volume of sales but has remained steady and relatively consistent over time. Therefore, we do not see any significant weaknesses in this segment of the market and believe that it remains very stable. With the financial markets improving and interest rates remaining low, we predict a modest increase in median sale price and volume in the above 2MM market on the South Shore this year, with the potential for rapid growth of both sales volume and median price in 2013 and beyond.

Enjoy expansive views of Little Harbor from this magnificent waterfront estate

Surround yourself with salt water views from almost every room of this Nantucket Shingle-style home

Savour the views of Duxbury Beach, Clarks Island and the harbor from the privacy of your own waterfront residence

Lush landscaping on a private peninsula, this Cape-style home is perfect for relaxation as well as outdoor entertaining

For more information about LandVest’s brokerage, real estate consulting, and appraisal services, please contact: Terry Boyle or Nick Pratt.

The LandVest High-End Market Watch is a periodic review of select high-end markets in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the Adirondacks.  Market data is collected from Multiple Listing Services and does not include private listings. LandVest makes no representation as to the accuracy of the data and therefore is not responsible for any actions taken as a result of use or reliance on this information.


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May
30
Why Real Estate Now? It’s about family, friends and time well spent
By LandVest
 

Maybe your dream is a quiet cup of coffee at the end of the dock...

...or is your favorite place in the mountains?

Sometimes the obvious is staring us in the face. We have spent so much time talking about real estate as an investment, and so little talking about what really makes us love special places. At LandVest, we are all here because we love beautiful places. Most of us grew up somewhere that infused us with a sense of home, beauty and community that carries us through the daily gauntlet of traffic, noise and multi-tasking.

What is it about your special place? Is it in the mountains, on a beach, along a country road, in the pine trees beside a lake? Is it a quiet cup of coffee at the end of the dock on a misty morning? Watching your parents delight in the grandkids whooping it up in the pool? Exploring the cool of a shady trail on a hot summer day? Curling up on a sofa with a book and glancing out the window at the garden? Is it giving your kids memories of cousins and adventures? Is it the sense of belonging that comes from calling somewhere special, “home”?

Do you love a lakefront spot
under the trees?

...or summer flowers and fields
at a Vermont Farm?

Sure, you can have fabulous memories from visits to inns or great hotels. There are no annual carrying costs. You can pack up any weekend and go. There is tremendous satisfaction and sense of security from seeing investment accounts rise over time.

Sharing a special place over the seasons and years enriches life in ways no vacation or solid bank balance can approach.

That’s why we do what we do at LandVest. We help people find the places that make their lives more full.

And yes, they are often wonderful investments as well. With real estate prices back at the levels of a decade ago, and a panoply of incredible properties on offer, buyers can have their cake and their inflation hedge as well. But the real point is that wonderful places make our lives, and those of the people we love, better (and we only go around once).

LandVestThis blog is brought to you by Ruth Kennedy Sudduth, Director of LandVest’s Residential Brokerage Division. Ruth came to LandVest originally as a client, retaining LandVest’s Real Estate Consulting Division to advise in the purchase and conservation of the land abutting her early 18th century farm outside of Boston.

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May
22
88 Cliff Road, Weston, MA is Featured in Boston Magazine
By LandVest
 

IN THE NEWS . . .

This Leland Cott-designed contemporary house is the subject of Rachel Slade’s “Living Large” column in this month’s Boston magazine.  If you missed it, click here to read the article about this LandVest real estate listing for sale at 88 Cliff Road in Weston, MA.

For more information on this property, click here or contact listing agent Terry Maitland or his partner Nicole Monahan.

Click here to view more Weston, MA homes for sale

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May
20
LandVest Photo Gallery – New England Waterfront Properties
By LandVest
 

Looking for a dream house with breakthtaking water views?  Escape to the serenity and comfort of these New England waterfront properties. Click on photos to see details – you will never want to leave your new home!

 

 

 

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May
17
Best Places to Buy Real Estate and Live Happily Ever After
By LandVest
 

Coastal Living just ranked four Massachusetts towns in the top 15 happiest places to live on the coast:

1. Kiawah Island, South Carolina

2. Naples, Florida

3. Sausalito, California

4. Lake Bluff, Illinois

5. Tiburon, California

6. Laguna Beach, California

7. Half Moon Bay, California

8. Chatham, Massachusetts

9. Jupiter, Florida

10. Lahaina, Hawaii

11. Marblehead, Massachuetts

12. Stinson Beach, California

13. Cohasset, Massachusetts

14. Duxbury, Massachusetts

15. Solomans Island, Maryland

LANDVEST, the recognized leader for Massachusetts real estate, waterfront homes and estates throughout New England, offers some exceptional properties in these happy coastal towns:

CHATHAM

MARBLEHEAD

COHASSET

DUXBURY

LandVestThis blog post was brought to you by Terry Boyle who assists buyers and sellers of distinctive and complex real estate transactions on the South Shore and South Coast/Buzzards Bay real estate markets of Massachusetts. Contact Terry Boyle (tboyle@landvest.com) in our Boston, Massachusetts office if you’d like to talk about this property or his other real estate listings in Massachusetts.

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May
15
Springfield, VT – Owner’s Perspective on What Makes North Mowing Special
By LandVest
 

What Makes This Place Special – The Property Owner’s Perspective

North Mowing in Springfield Vermont on approximately 230 acres offers complete privacy and historic charm

Each LandVest listing is more than real estate, it is the realization of a vision of property owners, often over centuries. One such property is North Mowing, in Springfield Vermont. Set at the end of a ¾ mile drive on 230 acres the property has superb views of Mount Ascutney. This beautifully renovated c. 1795 expanded main house, guest house, barns and outbuildings are set around a series of terraced gardens. The original farm was romantically expanded by Horace Brown, a prominent Vermonter and landscape painter during the heyday of the Art Colony in Cornish, NH, whose most notable members were Maxfield Parrish and Augustus Saint- Gaudens as well as Ellen Biddle Shipman, the landscape architect of North Mowing.

Dry stone terrace designed by eminent early 20th century landscape architect, Ellen Biddle Shipman

The current owners, international manufacturers and marketers of garden ornaments, restored the property as a labor of love and as a family retreat. They loved the sense of history and romance of the property, and the scale of the big views.  Since Springfield is not as well known as nearby Woodstock and Ludlow, we asked the owner to tell why they like Springfield:

“Location, location, location – it is very convenient to 91 – just that much closer to NYC than Woodstock and further north. It is a very central location to get to a number of places in about 20 minutes or so – near Woodstock, Quechee, Okemo, Ascutney, Grafton and quite near Chester which is very sweet. The Weathersfield Inn has excellent gourmet dining – about 10 minutes away. Even Dartmouth is not that far away – One of the Browns lived at North Mowing and taught there. We always get fresh meat at Lisai’s in Chester which is about 10 minutes away and a pretty drive.

Family Room features dramatic stone fireplace surrounded by raised panel cabinets, oak floors and built-in seating under the stairs

Guest house with one bedroom, kitchen, bath and fireplaced living room is light, bright and completely renovated

As to Springfield itself – chartered in 1761 and home to the oldest one room school house in Vermont. Springfield prospered from the machine tool industry. It was a prime target for German sabotage in WWII. Of course, as manufacturing moved overseas Springfield suffered. But it is reinventing itself. The tool works along the river into town are being developed now into professional offices. There is a good hospital in Springfield close to the house. The movie theater has been restored and reopened – Historic Preservation magazine featured the restoration of its Art Deco facade. Springfield also did not suffer in the recent floods because of a water management system in the river in town. While the shopping center may not inspire raptures about quaint New England, it is only 5 minutes away if you need anything.  It is so much more convenient than a 20 minute drive for milk or the newspaper. Roll into town and you can easily stop there for supplies. It is a nice market as well – seems to me much nicer than the one I remember in Woodstock – good fresh produce etc. There is also a pharmacy there. All in all very convenient.

Convenient and private location with views to Mount Ascutney

North Mowing though is a world unto itself – beautiful views and a ¾ mile driveway. Fantastic stone walls, terraces and outbuildings configured more like a little village. The interiors of the guest house and map house are full of charming details. Moreover each of these buildings and studio have working fireplaces! It is a gardener’s delight. There is a book in the house about the eminent landscape designer, Ellen Shipman. Her client, Horace Brown was one of the heirs to the Spaulding Sporting Goods fortune and a noted artist in his own right.  The property figured often in his work – it is his particular color scheme and configuration that we restored. Note that the property originally went right down to the river but the Browns donated it to the town to build the school.”

Great properties like North Mowing have their particular magic. For more information on Vermont Farms or Woodstock Area Properties for Sale, please contact Jon Weber or Ruth Kennedy Sudduth.  North Mowing was featured as our first stop off I-91 in our Vermont Farm Tour blog (click on link for more) the first of more to come.

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May
14
Brunswick, Maine – One of the Best Small Towns in America
By LandVest
 

Smithsonian Magazine Ranks Brunswick
as One of the “Best Small Towns in America”

Brunswick & Harpswell are neighboring towns in Cumberland County along the Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. Scenic and historic they also have a thriving arts and cultural scene inspired by their coastal charm.  Accolades for this area have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, Where to Retire Magazine and MSN’s House & Home. Most recently, based on a search of cultural assets in towns with populations under 25,000, the Smithsonian Magazine recognized Brunswick, Maine as one of the best small towns in America.

LandVest, the recognized leader for Maine real estate, waterfront homes and estates throughout New England, offers three exceptional properties in Harpswell, just 8 miles from Brunswick:

Click here to read Smithsonian’s article about Brunswick.

For more information on Maine Real Estate for sale in the Portland, Maine and surrounding area contact William Davisson at wdavisson@landvest.com or click for William Davisson’s contact information.

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May
12
It’s Spring, Time for a Tour of Vermont Farms for Sale
By LandVest
 

Spring is a lovely time to explore real estate for sale along the quiet roads of Vermont. Driving up from Connecticut or New York, the two closest farms we have for sale in the Upper Valley near Woodstock, Vermont, are “North Mowing” and “Stonebridge Farm“.

North Mowing combines Vermont vernacular with artistic style in its 230± private hilltop acres

North Mowing is located a short hop off I-91 in Springfield, Vermont. This is a soulful property – probably because it has been owned by many generations of artists. It has what you would expect in a great Vermont property – the long private drive, the huge hilltop location with mountain views, the perfectly restored classic farm buildings, guest house and refined interior finishes. What makes it really special is the artistic sensibility of the place, each view comes  from  a sophisticated  painterly  eye. The original farmstead  was a centerpiece of the distinguished Connecticut Valley artist community that included August Saint-Gaudens in the last 19th century.

Horace Brown, a well-regarded landscape artist and pillar of the Vermont State Senate, engaged Ellen Biddle Shipman, the designer of the Saint-Gaudens landscapes, to design a series of dry stone terraced gardens to connect the buildings with the landscape. This artistic community was very tuned into “sense of place” and Shipman integrated a classically-trained aesthetic into the Vermont vernacular farmstead. The current owners, themselves landscape design professionals, have combined the historic and timeless feel of the place.  With the outdoor terraces, open floor plans and plenty of sleeping quarters, North Mowing is warm and inviting for friends and family.

Stonebridge Farm is a peaceful country retreat minutes from Dartmouth College, theatre and restaurants

Just up I-91 in Norwich, Vermont, across the river from Dartmouth College and the lively community of Hanover, New Hampshire, is Stonebridge Farm. This is a more intimately scaled property, with a comfortable feel, but similarly clean-lined and carefully updated. Here the farmhouse and giant bank barn sit in a dell next to a swimming pond, with valley views across to the New Hampshire mountains. It is the perfect bucolic farm setting in a quiet rural neighborhood with shared trails through conserved land, minutes from Hanover, the theatre, restaurants and shops. It can be intimate for a couple or absorb a crowd of kids running rampant between the converted barn that serves as a pool and game house to the stone diving rock into the pond. If horses are part of the mix, the outdoor arena has the best views on the property, and the equestrian amenities, barn and turnouts are beautifully practical.

Check back with the LandVest blog, as we go to our next stops on the tour, farms for sale in Woodstock, Vermont

LandVestThis blog was brought to you by Jon Weber and Story Jenks of LandVest’s Woodstock, Vermont office, and by Ruth Kennedy Sudduth, Director of LandVest’s Residential Brokerage Division. For more information on wonderful Vermont real estate, equestrian properties, farms and Woodstock, Vermont homes for sale, please contact any one of us.

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May
9
Thinking about Buying a Vacation Home? Wall Street Journal says “BUY NOW”
By LandVest
 

In "Vacation Homes Beckon" the Wall Street Journal suggests now is the time to purchase vacation homes such as The Grace Estate in Islesboro, Maine

There was an encouraging article in this weekend’s Wall Street Journal (“Vacation Homes Beckon”) about improving market conditions in specific high-end locations. The article suggests that buyers considering a purchase in the next five years would do well to buy now. In certain places, the vacation home market is showing a) signs that a bottom has already been reached; b) indications that things are picking up; and c) great opportunity for long-term investment. According to National Association of Realtors statistics, sales of vacation properties declined sharply (56%) from 2006 to 2010, but increased 7% in 2011. Still, prices remain soft, and in some markets, prices are clearly still dropping. The article cautions that there are sharp geographical divides, and even pronounced dichotomies within markets. The old adage “all real estate is local” is certainly true.

The WSJ writes, "...the swankiest towns—such as Chatham and Wellfleet—are making a comeback. " suggesting it's a good time to invest in this pre-construction luxury townhouse located in Chatham, MA.

We’re encouraged by the positive press, every bit of which helps stimulate buyers’ confidence, and by the statistics indicating that markets like southeastern Georgia and Cape Cod are making a comeback. Some of the specific factors fueling this recovery vary from region to region, but the one thing that rings true in all of them is that buyers are responding to prices that are too appealing to pass by. Among the markets that are “heating up” or “slowly strengthening,” prices have dropped an average of 30% off their peak, with some markets seeing drops as high as 50% and more. In markets where the “forecast is flat,” such as Scottsdale, Arizona, prices are 56% off their peak.

Click here for full article.

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