SDW1's Blog

August 8th the 2008 Olympics will be starting in Beijing, China with track and field, swimming, gymnastics, basketball, tennis, and volleyball to name a few sports with amateur and some professional athletes from all over the world. This is a truly unique international event with the worlds best athletes (and disabled athletes) competing at their best levels against each other.

The spirit of course is friendly competition between brothers and sisters from countries all over the world for gold, silver and bronze medals for their respective countries. Lets hope that this years Olympics all goes well and in the true spirit of the Olympics (which dates back thousands of years to the ancient Greeks.) Beijing is one of China's oldest and most celebrated Cities! The world will be watching!!

 

The Barnstable County Fair held off of Route 151 in Mashpee opens today running thru July 26. This annual event has just added Professional Bull Riding and a Demolition Derby. Check out their website at http://www.barnstablecountyfair.org for scheduled music and events. Amongst the entertainers this year are the band "Survivor" and "The Village People"! Celebrate your childs birthday at the Fair! See you there!

Ive heard on a local radio the other day that a lot of animal owners here on the Cape are giving up their pets because of their financial hardships. Taking care of Dogs, Cats and other animals can be very expensive with trips to the Veterinarian becoming very costly for shots and medications. There are animal homeless shelters here on the Cape for Dogs and Cats that are non-profit organizations that let people adopt their homeless animals. 

This is yet another sign of our hard times, along with $4/ gallon of gas, higher food prices, foreclosures and workers losing their jobs around the country! It doesnt sound like those rebate checks put any kind of a dent into helping homeowners or animal lovers being able to make ends meet in these hard economic times!

Happy 4th of July. This year its a long three day holiday starting this friday with parades, fireworks and neighborhood parties here on the Cape. Its sure to be a very busy weekend with a lot of people coming to the Cape to celebrate our country's anniversary of signing of the Declaration of Independence from England in 1776!

 

 

Did you know that in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was initially signed on July 2 by John Hancock the presiding officer and Charles Thompson the secretary. The rest of the needed signatures would have to wait. Two days later Congress approved a revised version and ordered it be printed and distributed to the states and military officers. Hence our celebration on the 4th!

I made a sales call this past weekend to a young first-time homebuyer from California who couldnt believe that she could buy a 2 to 3 bedroom, year round home here on Cape Cod for $225K to $250K at excellent % interest rates. Prices out where she is in Southern California are outrageous comparatively.

Prices here have been on the decline here for over two years while interest rates are very good at around 6.25% (now less than 6%) with plenty of mortgage money available for first-time homebuyers from FHA, Fanny Mae and Massachusetts Housing loans to name a few. Of course mortgage requirements are much stricter than in the past with a good percentage down payment (3 to 5%) needed and full documentation required by buyers- tax returns, W-2's, etc. Yes most mortgage people will tell you that 100% financing with no down payment is long gone. Many a buyer took advantage of that great giveway while also ending up in foreclosure as well!

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Steve White is the Owner/ Webmaster of SDW Realty of Cape Cod.com website and agent of Ocean Blue Realty, LLC of Falmouth. He has over 30 years of Administrative, Military, Computer and Web Experience. He has lived on Cape Cod since 1974 relocating from Medford Ma near Boston. He has earned his E-Pro Internet Professional and ABR Accredited Buyer Representative Designations. He has actively participated and blogged on Active Rain since February of 2008. He is an active member of the Cape & Islands Association of Realtors CCIAOR, National Association of Realtors NAR, and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors MAR.