Glorious weather! I think of this as the "secret season" on Cape Cod. The air is fresh, the colors saturated, and it's hard to resist the siren call of a quick bike ride or slow run, just to be outside. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am.

Last week I took a quick trip to CA for a family event - well worth two days of travel for one day of celebrating. Then Tuesday I was at Quicks Hole Tavern for Beth Colt's "LunchLearn", honing Facebook skills. Thursday night was the International Oyster Fest at the Seacrest - oh my, so delectable! And now planning for the Cape Cod Marathon Sunday, surely one of the prettiest marathons anywhere.

And lots (and lots!) of appointments with buyers and sellers! Read on...

Where I've Been Lately

#21509179

129 Hamlin Avenue, Falmouth

$349,000

This is the cutest Falmouth Village house I've seen in a long time. It's small (1,005 s.f. with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath), but completely captivating. Built circa 1950, the original detail has been magnificently maintained, including the kitchen that's straight out of a movie set. The 7,000 s.f. lot, typical for this in-town location, has been landscaped into "rooms". There's privacy and appeal in every direction. Plus, it's a quick walk to the Art Center, Main Street, bike path, library, and pretty much anyplace else you want to go. This is a great house at a great price!

#21508370

19 Linden Road, Falmouth

$599,900

If you love this downtown location but want a bigger home and a garage, this would be a good choice. With a location that's south of Main Street, this has "walk-to" appeal, with the addition of Surf Drive Beach. Three bedrooms, 2 baths, and 1,530 s.f. make this 50% larger than Hamlin. But the price is more than 50% higher. Is it pricey for what it's offering? Maybe...

#21509406

5 Clinton Avenue, Falmouth

$919,000

I've been watching this house come to life over the last few years. It was inherited by a son who's done a great job transforming it into a super-appealing home. With 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and 2,904 s.f., it's bigger than it looks, and every inch has been renovated with superb taste. Once again, it's the same south-of-Main-Street location that is so desirable, but the house is on a busy corner. It will be interesting to see what the selling price is.

#21508959

18 Woodriff Lane, Woods Hole (Falmouth)

$2,358,000

Woodriff Lane is a private way off Quissett Avenue in the heart of Quissett. The main house was built in 1920 and has been updated, but still feels like a vintage home. Rooms are willy-nilly all over the place; the 7 bedrooms and 6 bedrooms are cozy because the total square footage is only 2,500. The grounds and view are private and lovely. The barn (better than the pictures in the listing) is probably what elevates this house to the over-$2 million category, because it provides an interesting and generous secondary space. The property also has rights to a private beach on Quissett Harbor.

My Own Listings

I have the good fortune of having four fabulous current listings in West and North Falmouth, three of them new. Each house is terrific and is being recognized as such with lots of showings. I'm excited to share them with you:

#21509748

82 Heather Lane, North Falmouth

$475,900

If this house looks familiar to you, it's because I wrote about it in an earlier newsletter when the listing was someone else's. I liked it then, and I like it even more now. It's at the end of a cul-de-sac, so in a super family neighborhood, and with a really private backyard. The kitchen's been redone and is ideal; and there's a generous first floor owner's suite. I've already enjoyed sitting on the front porch catching some rays while I wait for the next appointment. Much to like in this home!

#21509854

321 North Falmouth Highway, North Falmouth

$499,000

#321 was built 15 years ago by the family selling it. They have five children and so designed a real family home. With 2,800 s.f., it has all the right rooms in all the right places - but it also has a cathedral-ceiling, first-floor family room that just doesn't exist in this price range anyplace else in town, never mind in North Falmouth. The private backyard backs up to conservation land and Crowell Pond, which in essence was the kids' private skating and kayaking pond. How cool is that? Between the bike path across the road and Old Silver Beach just a little bit further, this is the ideal family home.

#21509247

50 Hummingbird Hill Road, West Falmouth

$569,000

Here's another home that might sound familiar to perspicacious readers. Four years ago, two unrelated couples bought it together to use as a vacation home. It worked great for them, but now the daughters have gone off to college, the sons are going, and nobody uses the house anymore. Time to find new homeowners.

Why do I think of this as the ideal Old Silver Beach house? It's near the beach and the bike path, and has direct access to Bourne Farm hiking trails. It's at the end of a cul-de-sac. And it has the appeal that a custom-built younger home can offer, with higher ceilings, much larger rooms, a better floor plan, and a newer kitchen and bathrooms. A stellar home!

Zillow, The Elephant in the Room

As most of you know, Zillow has become wildly popular. In my experience, the information is correct about 85% of the time - which is okay except when buyers or sellers rely on the information as 100% correct. This is why Realtors are less enthusiastic about Zillow than is the general public.

Nevertheless, Zillow is where you go, and therefore is where I should be. This means more testimonials on Zillow. For this, I need you. If you have a kind word or two to share, I'd love it if you would.

To post on Zillow, here's what to do:

1) Click here to access Zillow's review form for my Realtor profile.

2) Add your testimonial in the space provided at the bottom. (Feel free to add star reviews at the top, too!)

3) If you don't already have a Zillow account, select a username and password.

4) Submit review.

And although far fewer people look at the testimonials on my website, I still want them there and would like to post your Zillow review there. I'll assume that's okay unless you let me know otherwise.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. This really means a great deal to me!

Testimonial Case Study

Here's my latest one:

"Nadine, you are the best!! Within five weeks of signing on with you, we received a purchase and sales agreement. You're unbelievable! You were very professional, extremely diligent, and very easy to work with.

On top of it all, you were in the process of moving into a new home which was in the remodeling stage. Yet you still made time to answer my questions and concerns, hold open houses every weekend, and get things accomplished that needed to be done.

I will highly recommend you to all of my friends, clients, and relatives. It was a pleasure to work with you and I thank you for the great experience."

~ Donna Sofuolis

As a surprise to Donna, because the buyers came without another agent, and because it went under agreement so quickly, I reduced the commission substantially. This is the best example of "win-win".

Frank & Ava: In Love and War

My good pal and dancing partner Jack Brady has just published the back story of the passionate but difficult romance between Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner.

It's a whole new Sinatra story. The early reviews are positive.

It's on Amazon - take a look!

Look Up!

This wonderful cupola caught my eye as I rounded the corner from Grand Avenue onto Falmouth Heights Road. Have you noticed it?

And we have, planted in its own garden by the library and Mullen Hall School, the one, the only, the original cupola that once graced the roof of the Hall School. That's some cupola!