Last week the Upper Cape agents hosted a really informative talk at the Falmouth Artists Guild with a number of area experts, to talk about the current state of real estate. We wanted to thank our experts Coastal Engineers, Maffei Landscaping, Bouchie Insurance, and Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects & Builders for joining us.

Here are our top 3 takeaways from the event:

• What’s on the outside DOES matter.
  When you’re trying to sell your home, while maybe only 5 people will see the nice inside of a home, 500 passersby will see the outside. So if you’re trying to draw more interested parties to look inside, keep up that curb appeal.
• Know where you stand.
  The importance of an elevation certificate cannot be overstated. Any seller of a property that may be in a flood zone should have an updated elevation certificate because it does determine whether or not a property is in a flood zone. With the new FEMA maps there’s been a lot of disparate information out there. An elevation certificate takes away the uncertainty and it’s a huge plus for the seller and realtor. They will be able to market the property with knowledge and certainty of what the elevation is and whether or not it’s in a flood zone. Better for the buyer, too!
• Engineers are a Realtors Best Friend.
  When you have a property in a sensitive area, as knowledgeable as a realtor is, bringing in an engineer to do a feasibility study really solidifies a buyer’s confidence in moving forward with potential buyers looking to alter or improve a property

If you would like to watch a brief video of the event, you can see Coastal Engineering addressing the new flood zone concerns here.