Posted by Kerry on Apr 25, 2009
Recycling, reusing the fallen trees
How green is my Vineyard? The full picture is elusive, but I know that we have to start somewhere. As we proceed with the development of the first LEED certified residential home in Oak Bluffs, the enthusiasm and well wishes are heart warming. And the reality of building a green house in the middle of a neighborhood of established older family homes is complex. I’m sure we will talk more about this issue as we progress.
The Vineyard has always prided itself on being a community of earth loving humanitarians. We are exposed to diverse and environmentally sensitive habitats and wildlife, and we have commissions that are manned by very passionate volunteers. But like everywhere else, we still wear blinders to the impact of our existence on the environment. Global warming, our carbon footprints, the oil crisis and the age of consumerism leading up to the present economic crisis are all puzzle pieces. There is also ignorance as to how to begin on something that seems so overwhelming. A feeling that one person can’t make a difference.
First thing I just want to take this opportunity to remind you all of whom won the election in January this year, if you have any sense that one man cannot make a difference, then that man has most certainly proven you wrong. Next, when my husband and I bought the land on Green Ave. (that’s right, Green on Green!), we had not planned on going in this direction, owning it for as long as we have, and worrying about the real estate market’s effect on us and our future. We now see this as an opportunity to learn and educate. We have met and are working with some of the most well informed green building consultants available in New England. When we decided to build a LEED certified house, we knew it was the right thing to do for our company, the environment and our daughter.
The team at Squash Meadow Construction has been nothing short of enthusiastic and open minded, despite this being a new avenue for them to grow into. I’ve been away all week and was excited to get back to the island to be a part of this project and share in the enthusiasm. I went to the site to document the beginning of the excavation process. When I arrived a neighbor had stopped over and was loading his car up with some trees that had been cleared. He was going to use them in his fireplace for heat next winter. Reduce, reuse, recycle and recover… the 4 R’s of sustainability. A great place to start.
Posted by Kerry on Mar 25, 2009
1.5 acres, and a ride-on mower to boot! 3 Bedroom 2.5 Baths in Oak Bluffs, $865,000
Newly reduced from $1,149,000 this property deserves a second (or third) look. A price reduction of over two hundred and eighty thousand dollars has brought our attention back to this sweet house .
Located off the beaten path and surrounded by urban serenity, our home of the week is for the buyer who is interested in having a great house and lots of green space for outdoor fun. This house is in Oak Bluffs, and sits among other similarly charming properties on large lots. The neighborhood is central, and is located near the island’s only Alpaca farm. There are walking trails and ample space to build a guesthouse on the property in the future.
The house itself is over 2700 square feet of living space and has a formal dining room and living room with fireplace. Eat -in kitchen with granite counter tops are just two of the custom features that exemplify the craftsmanship in this home. The attached 2 car garage and separate shed leave ample room for vehicles, toys, gardening supplies and other Vineyard necessities. A ride -on mower is included in the sale to facilitate the grounds maintenance.
Click on the link below for additional information on this property.
45 Bridle Path Road
Posted by Kerry on Mar 12, 2009
East Chop Price Reduction. As real estate inventory continues to climb on Martha’s Vineyard and the sales are at a record low , it is clear that the second home market will have to take a back seat to the urgency of correcting the primary home market. In the meantime I continue to see some great deals and will continue to bring the properties to you on an individual basis every week. There are some terrific deals that have become available, like the house at $299,000 that I posted about last week, and this one on East Chop that would have sold in a matter of days not that long ago.
This house was originally listed at $795,000, then had a price reduction of $100,000, and recently came down another $135,000 to it’s final resting place of $ 565,000.
White Picket Fence
Front of House
Fieldstone Chimney
Living Room
Kitchen
Staircase
Front Master W/Wide Pine Floors
This adorable 1900’s cottage has peeks of the Oak Bluff’s harbor from the wrap around farmer’s porch. The Kitchen is open and spacious, and the living room has a beautiful field stone fireplace for chilly evenings. There is a full bath with a shower downstairs, and another full bath with shower and tub upstairs.
The 3 bedrooms are divided by a staircase, there are two bedrooms at the front of the house and another in the back near the bathroom.
The house looks out onto the Church Street Park, one of many park lands that belong to and are maintained by the East Chop association, a neighborhood conservation organization.
There is a rental history to the house, and a few weeks of the coming 2009 summer season are already rented as well. Walking distance to town, beaches and scenic vistas complete the package.
For more information on this property visit
www.Lighthousemv.com Property ID # 18265
Posted by Kerry on Feb 03, 2009
Some people, like myself, summered here. Some, like my husband, had family ties, and family homes here. Other people had always wanted to visit, and once they came they never wanted to leave. And fewer still were born and bred here. This island with it’s endless beaches and winding trails, farmer’s markets and community suppers has become home to more people looking for a quality of life and that special Vineyard vibe that is only available on these shores. So is it right for you?
Challenges facing a full time move to the Vineyard include some of the following; housing and economic sustainability, the transition of quiet winter months to action packed people infused summertime, interaction with people in the dead of winter can be tricky (where are they?) and, last but not least, transportation should you want to travel to places other than another island town. Like a shoe store for instance.
There is a huge fluctuation in business activity between seasons, and depending on your vocation can mean being flush one month, to peanut butter sandwiches the next. Many year round residents work in multiple fields and wear many hats. We are a creative and flexible bunch, and we all have great senses of humor! Thankfully computers have evolved in my lifetime and social networking like Facebook and Twitter are available and viable ways to extend your business community. The computer also solves the shoe store problem, which may not be high on the priority list for some, but creeps up there from time to time for me. We do have local shoe stores of course, and I certainly shop them first and foremost! But it is nice to have options and with a laptop, you can work, shop, chat, and network and not feel like you are missing any major opportunities. Today, we can do just about anything with technology.
The housing market is in transition, and there are all manner of property available. We have housing starting in the mid 300’s for a basic ranch with 3 bedrooms and one bath, to multi-million dollar water front enclaves. We have beach houses, family homes, Victorian beauties, and we have your dream home. We have the location, the size, the lot, and the setting. We are not lacking in inventory by any stretch of the imagination. There are currently 688 properties available for sale on Martha’s Vineyard, of which 473 are single family homes. There are 143 land listings with many condo and multi family dwelling units as well. With this plethora of availability we’ve seen a decrease in prices and, it stands to reason, more motivated sellers.
Another consideration for island life is socialization. I moved from the city, but did so in the middle of July so I hardly noticed as I was still surrounded by people most of the time. It was a couple of weeks into September that the full realization of what I had done sank in… When the summer crowd thinned out, the island was in its full glory. And there was a definite change to the pace. The tempo relaxed, people stopped to chat rather than hustling by, and you could get a reservation to eat out on a Saturday night. What happened? It is that quick that you have to ask the question. There was an adjustment phase for me, and for others it is exactly what they crave. Less bodies, more time for reflection and community.
View from my office
Martha’s Vineyard has the nightlife, the retail, the businesses that make every community unique and accessible. It also subscribes to the ideal that we can be independent of a bigger unit and operate on a level that is intimate yet functional and self sustaining. I look out the window of my home office watching the snow fall, and wonder how I lived anywhere but here. We have it all, would you like to join us?
