Freeman Hatch - Eastham Record Holder

Clipper Ship 'Northern Light'

Would you believe that a world record could be set and hold up for over 150 years? Well, Freeman Hatch, a sailing captain from Eastham, set the record for sailing ‘around the Horn’ from San Francisco to Boston in a single hulled vessel. The record he set was 76 days, 6 hours. He set the record in 1853, nearly 160 years ago, and it stands today.

Interestingly enough, the record is the result of a wager between two ship owners who discovered that their ships were to leave San Francisco within a day or so of each other, each bound for the US northeast. Captain Hatch, sailing the 180 ft, 3 masted schooner Northern Light set off a day after the Contest, yet arrived in Boston two days before they arrived in New York, having overtaken the Contest at Cape Horn.

This record was broken by a 3 hulled racing catamaran in 1993. The cat was equipped with modern navigation and weather instruments. The cat, named the Great American II, beat Captain Hatch’s record by a full week - on it’s second attempt.

Captain Hatch is buried in Eastham’s Evergreen Cemetery with a plaque that states ......

Birth: Aug. 23, 1820 Death: Mar. 13, 1889

Freeman Hatch became famous making the astonishing passage in the clipper ship Northern Light from San Francisco in 76 days 6 hours - an achievement won by mortal before or since.

Eastham's May Sales - Healthy

Eastham's May sales were a healthy 11 sales. May's sales reflect the activity during the early spring, which was pretty good. Last year May was second only to September in the number of sales. The details.. 

• There were 11 homes sold in Eastham in May, up from April's 10.
• Total sales were approximately $4.9M - the average home sale price was $446,455
• The median sale price in May was 380K.
• There are currently 118 active single family listings in Eastham, with an average list price of $648K and a medium price of $442K.
• The average days-on-market is currently 238 days.

For more details, graphs, and commentary, download my latest monthly Eastham newsletter -- here. I've been publishing this newsletter for over 9 years with the goal of providing market information to my clients, so they may approach the market from a more informed position. Check it out!

Lastly, the inventory, while declining slightly, continues to be high for this time of year, providing lots of choice for Buyers. The chart below summarizes Eastham's currect active inventory.

A Flock of Seagulls (video)

I'm not big on putting ads on my Blog, but this one is for one of my favorite products and it's filmed at Nauset Light Beach, in Eastham. And, it's super cute. Check out this flock of seagulls.

We Remember Our Heroes

Heroes are hard to find, yet we all know many. They are the men and women who've served in our Armed Services and went to fight our wars. Not all who served came home. Many had their lives significantly altered by injury. They deserve our sincere thanks.

The photo, below, is of a flag made of painted clam shells near First Encounter Beach on Samoset Rd.

  

Coast Guard Beach Is #6 In US

'Dr. Beach' (a.k.a. Stephen Leatherman, a professor from Florida International University) has named Eastham's Coast Guard Beach as one of the 'top ten' beaches in the US.  Ratings each year are based on a number of criteria, such as sand, water quality, weather, facilities and crowds. Coast Guard came in at number 6 this year. The #1 beach is San Diego's Coronado Beach, with beaches from Florida to Hawaii in the mix. 

Check out the article in USA Today. And go to Dr Beach's website to see all the winners.

My June Newsletter Is Available Now!

My June 2012 report is available now! This issue of my newsletter has sales results for Eastham through April.  Additionally, you'll find articles about this year's Town Meeting, the record low mortgage rates, and a new listing.

This newsletter has been published every month for over 9 years. My aim, with my newsletter, is to provide accurate sales and market information about the Eastham housing marketplace, to add commentary and opinion (as appropriate), and to keep it interesting. Download your copy of my June newsletter now.

Head of Meadow Bike Path - So Easy!

The Head of Meadow bike path, in Truro, is said to be the easiest bike path on Cape Cod. It runs about 2 miles from its beginning to end, at Head of Meadow Beach.  Check out this video, from the Cape Cod Times.

Eastham Town Meeting - Oh What A night!

To borrow a catch phrase from the Bee Gees, we had 'Oh What A Night'. Our night, however, was the annual Town Meeting in the gym and auditorium of the Nauset Regional High School with about 800+ of our closest friends. We plowed our way through about 35 resolutions, ranging from matters of taxation of our tourists to water to relinquishing control of some Town of Eastham property to a conservation group. The meeting started at 7 PM (more or less) and broke up just 20 minutes before midnight. Ugh.

The highlights (lowlights?) ...

• We voted down a 5% tax on vacation rental properties
• We voted down a $32 million water system for the town, scaled down from $111 million
• We voted down a resolution that would turn control of the Roach property, off North Sunken Meadow, over to a  to-be-named conservation group
• We took money out of the long term budget for the North Eastham town center project

The evening wasn't entirely negative. We voted in budget items for the schools, fire and police, information center, water treatment for the ponds, and affordable housing. All in all - although loud at times, everyone behaved themselves and we got through all the resolutions.  Democracy at work.

Now's The Time For Second Homes

The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article asserting that now is the time to buy in several noted second home markets, including Cape Cod. Not only are the mortgage rates at extreme lows, but some of these markets are starting to rebound from their prior lows, price wise. Check out the article in the WSJ, and the video, below.

New Listing - Cape Style Ranch - One Floor Living

Eastham - Never before listed, this 3 bedroom, 2 bath, Cape-style ranch has it all! This home sits on a beautifully landscaped half acre on a quiet dead-end street very close to the bike path and the National Seashore. There is a one car garage with an unfinished living space above. There is a family room with a fireplace, natural gas heat, full basement, master bath w/laundry, and lots more. Being sold mostly furnished. Listed at $399,000.

Find photos, a Virtual Tour, and more information at http://30SplitRailRd.robertsheldon.com. Come see!