Laptops for KidZ is a project of the Masonic Angel Foundation and designed to get laptop computers to kids in need. The recent batch have been generously donated by TD Bank, refurbished by dedicated Masonic volunteers and distributed to schools in the local area to be disbursed by teachers and councilors as they see fit. Laptops for KidZ is another example of local people and businesses helping local people. See CapeCodToday.com
We would like to acknowledge how very helpful Michael Leighton and the Leighton Group was in selling our condo. A few years ago we listed our condo with Leighton and within one week they had an offer and a deposit in hand. Unfortunately, the buyer backed out a few days before closing, so the sale did not go through. (We did enjoy a wonderful vacation in Aruba with the deposit though!). The market then took a downturn and real estate at Ocean Edge was not moving. We thought we may have better luck with other realtors, and did try a couple, but with no success. We once again contracted with Leighton Realty (the market was still not doing well) and Michael Leighton and his team sold our condo within two months. From the original offer to the closing things went smoothly and we appreciate Michael and his entire team. Tom and Ellen Melly
Ocean Edge news: Re-paving and road repairs will be taking place on Villages Dr. beginning at the 6A entrance. Work will commence on Tuesday, April 27th and continue through Friday, April 30th.
Take a look at the latest article regarding a scam that is now targeting Cape Cod rentals http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100313/NEWS/3130310
We received a status update from a member of the Committee on Joint Revenue on Beacon Hill today. As of 10:30 this morning House Bill 2853 was put into a study order. Historically, when bills go to study, they are not acted upon. You may recall that Brewster and Provincetown were the 2 towns that voted “Yes” to imposing a 9.7% tax on vacation rentals. However, the State of Massachusetts must approve this bill in order for the towns to levy the tax. It is unlikely that the towns will get the go-ahead, which is very good news for rental property owners!
Take a look at the Cape Cod View article with the following title:
“Cape homeowners discover the advantages of renting out their residences.”
Take a look at the Cape Cod Times article in the Sunday paper about tips for sprucing up a rental property.
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100207/LIFE/2070307
Also, the Department of Energy has begun launching the program details for the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program. With this program you can get $50 – $200 per appliance when you buy new, energy efficient ones. It is part of the federal government’s $300 million State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program that puts money in your pocket when you replace your old models. Check out this website to see the specific details of your state’s program: http://www.energysavers.gov/financial/rebates/state_MA.cfm
Massachusetts Appliance Rebates
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts will implement a mail-in rebate program that will help residents replace older, inefficient appliances with new, ENERGY STAR® qualified and ultra-efficient appliances. Advance rebate reservation is required. The program is tentatively scheduled to take place in March 2010. If funds are not depleted, Massachusetts will continue the program in April 2010. For refrigerators and freezers, consumers must purchase from participating retailers that will recycle the replaced units and provide proof of recycling for consumers to submit. Other replaced appliances must be recycled according to state law.
Eligible products include:
- Refrigerators
- Freezers
- Clothes washers
- Dishwashers
This is a good year to think about upgrading appliances.
During the week of October 25-28, 2009, members of the Leighton Realty Rentals team attended the national conference for the Vacation Rentals Management Association (VRMA) in Washington DC. We found the sessions to be informative and motivating. The organization has traditionally been focused on educating its members on operational topics while providing a forum for networking and bench-marking. However, it recently has expanded its focus to developing into a sophisticated marketing and PR machine with a proactive approach to the evolving vacation rentals industry. We all have witnessed and experienced how technology has impacted the airlines and the hotel industries. Technology has forced greater transparency and has provided consumers with greater access to information, which has shifted the balance of power over to the consumer. This shift in power has forced companies to be more competitive and in some cases consolidate, which in turn leads to fewer choices for the consumer. Customers of both the airline and hotel industries have experienced and tolerated deterioration in the quality of service and a marked decrease in customer satisfaction. In this economy, consumers are willing to forego choices and service in the name of getting the lowest price. Airline travel is considered a commodity and the customer sees little differentiation between the airlines. Hotels have not reached that point to the same degree because they recognized the trend early and made tremendous quality improvements. In this environment, the key is to figure out a way to provide the best perceived value for the lowest price before the consumer views the product or service as a commodity. The VRMA recognizes that these trends are also taking hold in the vacation rentals industry. Guests are demanding a higher level of service and higher quality rental properties than ever but on a lower budget. In order to accomplish this tall order, vacation rental companies are forced to find ways to operate more efficiently and owners are forced to continuously invest in their rental properties. We are at a crossroads – we either embrace the changes and hop onto the technology train or we choose to ignore what is happening and get left behind at the station. Leighton Realty Rentals has embraced the technology train and will continue to seek out opportunities to grow our market. We are also confident that our owners understand the critical role that they play in maintaining the quality of their rental properties and will continue to invest in improvements.
Leighton Realty is pleased to welcome Barbara Humphrey as the newest member of our rentals team. Barbara, who has a wealth of experience in real estate, vacation rentals, and property management will be focusing on long-term rentals and new business development. Barbara is a licensed real estate agent with an educational background in hospitality management. Originally from Connecticut, Barbara has lived full-time on the Cape for over 15 years. In her spare time, Barbara enjoys caring for animals and volunteering at the Wild Care in Eastham. We look forward to supporting her success in our organization.
On Oct 19th at the Town Meeting, Brewster voted an overwhelmingYES on the Local Options Tax effective July 1, 2010, which allows Brewster to collect an additional meals tax of .75% and room tax of 2% from customers dining in food establishments or staying in hotels/B&B’s located in Brewster. This is on top of the statewide tax hike in July from 5% to 6.25%. At this point, the tax does not apply for rentals of private homes/condos, since the towns have to wait for the State to allow it. Brewster is again the tax pioneer as the only town on Cape to pass the Local Options Tax so far. As you can imagine, many local businesses are not happy with this as it is believed that this has put Brewster at a further competitive disadvantage relative to other towns. The direct impact to rentals would be an even greater tendency for renters to cook in their rental properties rather than eating out.
The above should not be confused with the Occupancy Tax for private vacation rentals. As you know, over the past year or so, we have been following the progress of the occupancy tax bill on Beacon Hill that would allow towns to impose an occupancy tax on vacation rentals of private homes. You may recall that last fall, the towns of Brewster and Provincetown voted in favor of imposing this tax locally should the bill pass on Beacon Hill, while Harwich voted no. Other towns around the Cape have decided to hold back on a vote until after Beacon Hill has made its decision. Of the total 9.7% tax, the breakdown was 5.7% allocated for the state and 4% for the town. Whether or not the additional 2% Local Options Tax that Brewster just passed earlier this week would apply is not known at this point.
The occupancy tax bill (House Bill 2940) was introduced on April 7, 2009 by Cleon Turner and is still in deliberation with the Joint Committee on Revenue. The committee has until the 3rd week of March 2010 to decide the outcome. If the bill should pass, we can expect the effective date to be 30-90 days following the bill’s passage. Given the dire economic situation in our state, there is strong speculation that this bill will eventually pass.
