Heard around town …

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into our  yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well  taken care of.

He calmly came over  to me, I gave him a few pats on his  head; he then followed me into the  house, slowly walked down the hall,  curled up in the corner and fell asleep. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him  out.

The  next day he was back, greeted me in my yard,  walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an  hour.

This  continued off and on for several  weeks. Curious, I pinned a note to his collar:  ”I would  like to find out who the owner of this wonderful  sweet dog is and  ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a  nap.”

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:
“He lives in a home with 6 children — 2 under the age of 3 — he’s trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?”

Marty Morgan Pottery

A couple of weeks ago we met Marty Morgan and took a tour of her studio. Her glazes are amazing and she uses a propane fired “car kiln”. I’ve never seen one before. The “car” is on tracks and inside her studio, allowing her to load it and then roll it outside and into the kiln.
Marty’s at 428 Washington St. Gloucester MA on the Mill River and she loves visitors.

Tax credits for house and car purchase …

Local real estate stats so far this year …

OK data junkies. I’ve posted links to 3 tables showing single family real estate trends (SF. no condos or multis) here in Essex County MA for the last 6 months. All charts trend 3/28/08 – 9/28/08 vs. 3/29/09 – 9/29/09. These “prior” and “current” time periods represent the prime seasonal selling before the financing crash of 2008 vs. this year’s best season post crash. (Click here for a timeline of the crash.)

The 3 tables detail:

1. Active Trends – SF properties for sale. “Seller wants” prices and # of units for sale.
2. Sold Trends – SF properties that sold. “Buyer will pay” prices and # of units sold.
3. Under Agreement Trends – SF properties waiting to close. The pipeline.

What’s it all mean? In a nutshell

• There were 13% fewer SF properties for sale in Essex County so far this year than last.
• Sellers asked 2.9% more for those properties.
• Buyers were willing to pay 9.2% less than last year.

And keep in mind that:

• The # of sales was down by 4.5% (even as there was less inventory!)
• The # of properties in the pipeline (UAGs waiting to close) is up 5.6% (I would hope so since the # of available properties was down by 13%)
• The asking price for those properties is 7.3% lower than last year.

The bottom line:

• Don’t sell unless you have to.
• If you have to sell, hire a marketing pro that knows the #s and uses a stager.
• If you’re buying, sellers are negotiating a lot or they’re not selling.
• If you’re selling and buying, lucky you. You might not do well with your “sell” but your “buy” will more than make up for it. See this article on CNNMoney telling “sell at a loss, buy at a BIG gain” for some perspective.

Finally, see this Boston Globe article by Robert Gavin for the Massachusetts come back. We’re doing better than most …

Fish Box Derby …

Gloucester’s version of the classic Soap Box Derby is the Fish Box Derby. The hill on Roger’s St. yesterday was covered with spectators, hay bales, sponsor cards and racers for the 15th time. And the weather was stunning (thanks to Mayor Kirk!) as always.

There are no entrance fees as charitable donations from individuals, businesses and local organizations cover all the expenses. Not to mention the 2 – $1,000 scholarships that any racer is eligible for. What a great way to build something with your kids and then race it down a hill in the middle of the street. (Isn’t that what we ALL did before video games?!? Ahhhh to be a kid again.) BTW here are the Fish Box Derby results. And here’s some video …

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Cape Ann Animal Aid …

… sponsors the annual Dog Day which was this past Sunday 9/13. It was a beautiful Gloucester day and a good time was had by all. If you’re interested in volunteering, adopting or donating, call CAAA at 978-283-6055. Also see the videos of the new facility they’re building.

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Hiking again …

Can’t resist. My friend Jon Weir and I went from the Highland Center at Crawford Notch to the Pinkham Notch Center. We took the Crawford Path over Mts. Pierce, Eisenhower, Franklin, Monroe and stayed at Lake in the Clouds Hut. Then climbed Mt. Washington and headed back to Pinkham via the Davis Path and Boot Spur Trail. It’s SO nice to get out in the woods. I highly recommend it.

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Gloucester Schooner Festival video …

All the gods were smiling on us here in Gloucester MA this past Sunday 9/6/09. The weather was bright, the winds sufficient and a good time was had by all. Schooners from all over were able to parade under sail by the Stacey Boulevard. If you missed it, see my video highlights …

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Gloucester water update video …

I’m fine. The sores are bound to go away someday.

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Local daredevil …

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