A McPhee Associates of Cape Cod Quarterly Newsletter | |
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Greetings!
Although summer is technically not over, Labor Day has always been the unofficial end to the summer season on the Cape. We, much like most Cape businesses this time of year, have been very busy. But we managed to fit in a boat outing for our team to thank them for all their hard work. I hope you too got to spend time enjoying your favorite summertime activities on the Cape. Nothing is more magical than a summer day on Cape Cod.
In this issue, we share a peek at what we’ve been working on since our spring newsletter. This summer, we’ve been planning photo shoots (see our Project Spotlight and Meet Our Team); drawing architectural designs for a renovation in Orleans (see Architectural Designs); building and renovating homes (see Making Progress); managing properties; and receiving media attention for a few of our completed projects (see In the News).
If you’re looking to discover new activities for the Cape’s shoulder season, check out our blog section below. And if you are looking for a must-see fall event, new café spot or a place to donate home goods, you’ll want to read our Things We Love column.
Just as one season passes, another begins. As always, I want to thank our clients (past and present) for your business, your referrals and your trust in our team. And thank you to our partners, associates and team members for your commitment and dedication. We appreciate each and every one of you.
Please note our office will be closed on Labor Day and will reopen Tuesday, Sept. 3.
We wish you a happy and safe Labor Day Weekend!
Sincerely,
Rob McPhee
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In June, we spent two full days photographing this custom home we just completed on Allen Harbor. The stunning, new four-bedroom home, designed by Patrick Ahearn Architect, combines a gambrel roof with classic Cape Cod-style features for a timeless design that captures waterfront views at every opportunity.
Shown below are photos of the front of the home at twilight and of the rear of the home overlooking the harbor. In both photos you can see the two-car garage, which houses a workbench and essentials for boating and fishing trips. To enhance the connection between indoor/outdoor spaces, the garage has two sets of carriage doors, that, when opened, offer spectacular harbor views straight through the garage, as well as access to the rear patio, outdoor kitchen, fire pit and lounge areas.
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Framing is well underway for a three-bedroom home in Eastham. Seen here is a view from the second-floor loft, which will have a curved shiplap ceiling, eyebrow window and a balcony with ocean views. {Architect: Peter McDonald} | |  |
A birds-eye view of a four-bedroom home we are currently building in Windward Village in East Dennis. The dining room, seen at the rear of the home, will have an octagonal ceiling and a surrounding wall of windows. | | |
A spiral staircase is carefully lowered into place at a home remodel overlooking Barnstable Harbor. Once the home renovation is complete, the homeowner will be able to access their roof deck via a spiral staircase off the screen porch or from a second-floor bedroom. | | |
As part of a multiphase renovation in East Dennis, we transformed 1,165 square feet of unfinished basement into a gym-recreation area with a full bath, exercise space, bar/counter seating and a board game nook with a built-in bench and storage. | | |
Finished just in time for the summer season, this 1,000-square-foot pool house designed and built by our team features a full bath, kitchenette, great room and sleeping loft as well as many nautical-inspired details. | | |
Our team makes progress installing windows and roofline trim on a new detached garage with a guest loft, as part of a full-scale home renovation project in South Dennis. | | |
Whether it’s a new home build, addition or a small-scale remodeling project, our in-house architectural design team works closely with clients, and towns, to customize each home design. | |
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For this newsletter edition, we are featuring a home renovation design for a property in Orleans. Working with clients who have young adult children, our design team created a renovation plan that allows for a more open floor plan; an expanded kitchen; a new sunroom as well as a primary suite that’s aging-in-place ready.
Exterior updates will include a ground-level wraparound deck with a roof and decorative railing, a retaining wall with stone veneer to replace existing railroad ties, an outdoor shower, new garage door with window panes and panels, and lattice work in the rear of the home to hide storage and cover the basement’s concrete wall.
Below are the front and rear elevations for this client-approved home renovation design.
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Follow us on social media to see progress photos and more McPhee projects. | |
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WINDWARD EAST & WINDWARD VILLAGE
Located on the north side of East Dennis, Windward East and Windward Village are exclusive McPhee Associates neighborhoods. The homes in both neighborhoods are set on pristine, wooded lots and are protected by special covenants that ensure new homes are designed and built to be compatible with Cape Cod and New England styles.
Windward East has sold out. To see our Windward East gallery of completed homes, click here.
In Windward Village, there are just two lots remaining for custom-built homes: Lot 1 and Lot 5. Visit Windward Village for more details.
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Mill Point Seascape Featured on the Cover of Cape Cod Home's Summer Issue | | |
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On newsstands now! Mill Point Seascape made the cover of the summer issue of Cape Cod Home.
The traditional Cape-style home, which now perfectly suits the family’s needs and lifestyle, was designed using the architectural vocabulary of the location’s original home but with a new floor plan and better indoor/outdoor connection between spaces. {Architect: Patrick Ahearn}
Read Story
Mill Point Seascape Photo Gallery
Cover photo by: Taylor Allegrini
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Bayside Cape Retreat Featured in Cape Cod & The Islands Summer Issue | |
Mastering the Trade with Rob McPhee in Cape Cod Home's Early Summer Issue | | |
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Cape Cod Home interviewed Rob McPhee, president of McPhee Associates, for their “Mastering the Trade” column in the early summer issue.
In the interview, Rob discusses what it's like to carry on and build upon his father's legacy at McPhee Associates and what's fueled the company's 50-plus years of success.
Read Story
Learn more about Rob McPhee
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Beautiful Boathouse Showcased in At Home on Cape Cod Outdoor Living Article | | |
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A beautiful boathouse we designed and built in Orleans for a young family was showcased in a feature about inspiring outdoor living spaces in the spring/summer issue of At Home on Cape Cod.
You can get a closer look at the boathouse that serves as as private getaway, apart from the main house, at the links below.
Read story
Beautiful Boathouse Photo Gallery
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Say “cheese”! While our field crew is more accustomed to working diligently behind the scenes, they found themselves in front of the camera this summer.
Tom and Anna Croke at Visual Image, Inc. did a great job capturing our *model* crew. Updates to our company team page are coming soon…
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14 Amazing Cape Cod Mudrooms
As one of the smallest rooms in a house, mudrooms can often be overlooked. But these hardworking, high-traffic areas that greet us at the start and end of every day provide space to take off our shoes, store daily essentials, intercept dirt and more.
Keep reading
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Top Things to Do on Cape Cod During the Off Season
Cape Cod is a cherished summer destination for many. However, the off season has its own unique appeal for those who live here year-round. Here are some best-kept secrets that keep the locals busy during the off season.
Keep reading
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What is the Best Kitchen Backsplash Material?
With so many kitchen backsplash materials and styles to choose from, finding the right backsplash for your home can be daunting. We break down kitchen backsplash materials and trends for you with examples from our past projects.
Keep reading
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10 END OF SUMMER HOME MAINTENANCE TIPS
With summer coming to a close (Labor Day Weekend is here), we want to share a few end-of-season home maintenance tips that could save you time, money and a headache or two down the road.
- Clear gutters of debris to avoid costly home water damage.
- Inspect roof for missing or loose shingles or points of separation, like flashing or seals around chimneys and other openings that are coming apart.
- Trim shrubs and trees away from house to control pests and weather damage.
- Winterize plumbing, including outdoor showers, sinks and irrigation.
- Check outdoor hoses or faucets for drips and leaks, and repair.
- Service your heating system to prepare for the upcoming season.
- Activate humidifiers to stabilize the humidity level in the home during home heating season.
- Change batteries in smoke detectors.
- Store outdoor furnishings, grills and porch screens for the winter months.
- Schedule home maintenance and improvement projects with our Property Management team.
PLAN AHEAD WITH OUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TEAM
Do you have a running list of home maintenance or improvement tasks you’d like addressed? Our Property Management team is happy to schedule a site visit, where you can go over any needed home projects, whether that’s building a shed or washing windows (or anything in between). To inquire about scheduling a site visit or becoming a new Property Management client, contact Dan Skinner at Dan@mcpheeassociatesinc.com.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
McPhee Associates will be closed Monday, September 2. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, September 3.
Your home means everything.
Let us help you protect it.
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REAL ESTATE MARKET NEWS
According to the National Association of Realtors July report, existing home sales were up 1.3% month-over-month but down 2.5% year-over-year nationally.
In Barnstable County, the reverse was true, with home sales down 3.45% month-over-month but up 19.4% year-over-year.
Nationally, the median sales price for a home was up 4.2% year-over-year to $422,600 in July. For Barnstable County, the median sales price has increased 6% from $755,000 in July of 2023 to $800,000 in July of 2024.
Encouragingly, the supply of home inventory is up year-over-year nationally and locally. Measured in the amount of time it would take for all existing inventory on the market to sell at the current sales pace, supply has increased nationally from 3.3 months to 4 months and locally in Barnstable County from 2.2 months to 2.9 months.
The takeaway: locally and nationally median home sales prices continue to climb but the year-over-year increase in inventory supply could indicate a cooling off of the market. We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled to see if interest rates are lowered next month by the Federal Reserve, which will certainly impact real estate purchases and demand.
Real Estate Report Highlights for all of Barnstable County for July
(Year-Over-Year Comparison: July 2024 vs. July 2023)
- Closed Home Sales: 252 (+19.4%)
- Median Sales Price: $800,000 (+6.0%)
- Months Supply of Inventory: 2.9 (+31.8%)
- New Listings: 306 (+10.5%)
See full report
(Note: All highlights are Single Family home sales only.)
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Here’s your reminder to attend Wellfleet OysterFest this year – especially if you’ve never been! This lively, two-day event draws close to 20,000 people to Wellfleet center to celebrate the town’s world-famous oysters and the local shellfishing industry. This fun and family-friendly event, always scheduled the weekend after Columbus Day, features local food, live music, arts and crafts vendors, a beer and wine garden and an exciting and fiercely competitive oyster shuck-off competition.
Visit website
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If you have gently used household goods that you’d like to get rid of but don’t want thrown in the trash, Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore locations in Falmouth and South Yarmouth are a win-win proposition. Donated goods – like furniture, appliances, lighting fixtures and building supplies – are sold to customers at a favorable price with proceeds benefitting Habitat for Humanity’s affordable housing mission. Visit their website for information on how to donate.
Visit website
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Next time you’re in downtown Harwich Port, stop into Cape Roots Market & Cafe. With a stylish farmhouse-meets-industrial vibe, the 5,000-square-foot market and café offers an inviting space to meet friends for a cup of joe. In addition to offering prepared to-go dishes, Cape Roots features a deli and a market with pantry goods, gourmet cheeses, specialty items as well as thoughtful host/ hostess gifts.
Visit website
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