Edgartown Rental Pick of the Week 4-8-2009

A wonderful combination of history and modern living.  This property is known as the Emily Post house in the center Edgartown.  The house has been fully restored while maintaining it’s historic integrity.  There is lots of living space for a large group of people.  The front sitting room is reminiscent of the more formal sitting room while the living room offers more casual comfort.  There are three bedrooms in the main building portion of the house and then a fun secret cat walk that connects to two more bedrooms.  The playroom on the second floor of the main house provides another nook that will be hard to draw the children away from!

The spacious courtyard is the place to be in the summer.  Stunning gardens with Dahlias dating back to the 1920s and beautiful roses decorate the picket fences.  Nothing says Edgartown more that the lovely rose covered fences in summer.

The interior design and color scheme draw you in and give you the feeling of easy summer living while appreciating the history of the property and the town.

Martha’s Vineyard’s Nature Walks

I could decide to write about the many natural gems and places to explore on Martha’s Vineyard every day for a year and not run out of material!

Today, I’m picking two of our family’s favorite spots up in Chilmark: Fulling Mill and Squibnocket.

Fulling Mill is a fantastic hike through a 46-acre reserve that runs between Middle Road and South Road. For those of you who haven’t been to the Vineyard, don’t be fooled by these ’street names!’ Sometimes, I think these two roads were named so mundanely as a smokescreen because they are among the most beautiful roads on the island.

This trail follows a beautiful brook, complete with bridge walkways. You’ll walk through woods and open fields – the scenery changing quickly as it tends to do on the Island. As you get close to South Road, there are some great rocks in the water that my kids love to play on, getting their feet wet and splashing around. In season, there are loads of blueberries and huckleberries along the way and the brook is a great spot for trout fishing.

Right now at the Chilmark School, my kid’s are doing a fundraiser and getting sponsors for every trail walk they do this month – what a great way to inspire kids to get outside!
Sunrise on Squibnocket is pretty hard to beat – but it’s one of our favorite beaches. The best part is that the landscape of the beach changes regularly. Depending on storm patterns and other weather, the beach is sandy or rocky or loaded with shells. The kids love to hunt for arrowheads, sea glass, stones and shells. My sister-in-law collects agar, the seaweed alternative to gelatin in jello. I like to walk the beach and find that perfectly balanced mental place that I like to call ‘home.’

Vineyard Rental Pick of the Week 3-24-2009

Glorious Waterfront in Vineyard Haven.  Love this rental property with stunning views of the Lagoon to the Nantucket Sound.  This contemporary style house offers all the bells and whistles, even an endless pool in the lower level!

A short stroll down to the Lagoon offers endless entertainment for the toddler in your group, opens up the optiosn for catching your next meal and provides the best setting for a quiet sunset sail!

The four en suite bedrooms provide plenty of space for the multi-generational family and guests.

An upper level sitting room takes full advantage of the views and is the perfect place for the sunset refreshments with a wet bar in the hallway.  Spacious office on the second floor for those that need to get some work done while on their Vineyard vacation.

Martha’s Vineyard Rental Pick of the Week 3-18-09

What a great new rental listing in Oak Bluffs.  Not only is the owner a lovely person, she is a very talented professional interior decorator.

This is one of the best rental options in town with great proximity to the center of town, located in the center of the arts district and best of all you don’t NEED  to bring your car! (although parking is available)

The stunning interior is perfect if you are looking for a quiet romantic getaway or just need to feel like you are in the most ideal island atmosphere.  Just minutes to the beach, shops, restaurants, harbor and galleries!

Isn’t this the most appealing patio setting to enjoy the warm summer evenings?

Please feel free to contact me with any questions: annemayhew@gmail.com

On Martha’s Vineyard, Should You Rent or Own?

Over the years, as a real estate and vacation rentals agent on Martha’s Vineyard – I’ve had many conversations surrounding the Own vs Rent debate. Of course, as with every good debate, there’s a positive argument to be made for both sides.

The benefits of Renting a house on Martha’s Vineyard:

• Variety. Renting gives the ability to explore different parts of the island. You can rent in Chilmark on the beach one year and downtown Oak Bluffs the next!
• Walk in walk out. Talk about no hassles – the house is waiting for you when you arrive and when you leave, you just say, ‘see ya later!’
• No ongoing expenses. When you rent, you have no maintenance fees, no new roofs to put on, no property taxes, etc.
• Source of income? Purchasing a house that will pay for itself through rentals hasn’t happened in on Martha’s Vineyard for 15 years or so.

The benefits of Owning a house on Martha’s Vineyard

• No time schedule. You can come whenever you want, stay as long as you like and use it however you like.
• Renting out your house. As I mentioned above, rental income won’t pay for the house, but it certainly can’t hurt to earn some income on the house when you aren’t using it.
• Rental income can certainly offset property taxes, bills and maintenance. In fact, many people that buy Vineyard houses rent them out to start – working towards retiring on-island down the road.
• It’s a dream come true. How many people do you know that dream of owning a house on the island?
• Check the market. Right now we’re living in a buyer’s market – so this would be a great time to buy.