Martha’s Vineyard Luxury Real Estate

Can alternative energy and beauty co-exist? This is the latest question facing our island.

Martha’s Vineyard has a history of innovation and pioneering thought and action when it comes to being green, but the thought of tall wind turbines marring our scenic views has brought up an issue that is highly charged.

Last fall, Gov. Deval Patrick signed the Green Communities Act, a comprehensive energy reform bill that shows Massachusetts’ actions as a national leader for renewable energy. The law states that Massachusetts will make energy efficiency programs available where traditional energy suppliers are the current norm and will force utility companies to offer rebates and incentives for customers to upgrade lighting, air conditioning and industrial equipment.

The Vineyard is positioned perfectly to harness wind as energy, so when thoughts turn to alternatives, this is where our island heads, But the island’s visual beauty is critical to our existence in terms of tourism, real estate and generally being a wonderful place to live - hence the division.

Currently, on the Vineyard, we are taking steps town by town in terms of wind energy use. But there is one common thread: however this plays out, it has to be done right.
Questions intriguing both sides of this issue include: number and size of turbines, energy efficiency of current and future homes and town stipulations.

As far as real estate goes, pros and cons follow the same flow: green is attractive, but only if it doesn’t affect the view to the water. Energy efficiency cuts costs, but it has to look really, really good. And on and on. This is a smart island, we’ll find the answer…and I know some phenomenal green builders….(if you’re looking…)

I am frequently asked, “How is Martha’s Vineyard different from so many other vacation destinations?” As I search my mile long mental list, there is one piece that shines through every time. The Vineyard community gives back. Via the organization of and participation in glitzy fundraising extravaganzas like Houses on the Tube, small intimate wine & dinner events, private donations to local non-profits, generous land conservation gifts and more.

To live on the Vineyard is to love the island deeply - land, water, landmarks, people, restaurants, farms, sunsets, arts, delicacies. And our home owners understand on a visceral level that they play an integral part in sustaining this lifestyle that they love.

Without land conservation and wetlands protection, there will be nowhere safe to swim. The artists will not survive without support, the farms will not offer off-the-vine snap peas that taste like they’ve been marinated in syrup, the lobster will not melt in our mouths.

I love the work I do. I can’t think of anything better than sharing this island, supporting my community and supporting others in doing the same. The Vineyard offers views like nowhere else, the Vineyard offers a lifestyle found nowhere else, Vineyarders give like no one else.

So, I’ve been noticing that many people out there like to talk about the lives of the rich and famous on Martha’s Vineyard - bloggers and journalists alike. And, while we do have the rich and the famous here on our shores…the island just, well, isn’t really like that. It can be, don’t get me wrong, with glamorous parties, five star dinners in elegant dining rooms and palatial estates. Still, there’s something about the Atlantic Ocean air, the sand, the smallness of the island, that somehow brings us all back down to earth. But not in a bad way…

On Martha’s Vineyard, you get your vegetables right from the farm, your fish from the ocean, your flowers from your backyard. It’s easier to read a book than watch the TV - it’s just so quiet here. Dinners take longer, everyone is ready to linger at the table after a day at the beach. There are no malls, your kids are on the beach, climbing trees, running around with their friends - involved in the heartbeat of the island.

Somehow, we’re all closer to the land here, closer to our neighbors, our families, ourselves. We can slow down and be part of it all…even in our multi-million dollar homes, the beauty of the island surpasses everything else.

The land of Martha’s Vineyard is precious. And the fact that so many people know this is both a curse and a blessing. The curse is simple: the more people that love this island and want to live here, the more homes that are built and the more land that is taken from its natural state. The blessing is also simple: good people come to this island, they love & support this island and they become part of the larger community.

Many of these people, over the years, have been forward thinking about how to pull these two sides together - one solution is the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission. “The land bank is a rare breed. Neither a sanctuary program nor a park system, it is a middle ground where the highest virtues of conservation can be realized: public enjoyment of nature, where limits and restraint secure the natural world’s future and prosperity.” (from the Land Bank’s website)

In essence, the Land Bank works like this. For every real estate transaction on the island, land or home, the buyer pays an additional 2% of the total price to the Land Bank. In turn, the Land Bank uses that capital to purchase and preserve undeveloped land on the island. The land bank, with the help of private conservation entities on the island, has a diverse mission and is able to reserve properties for wildlife, agriculture, hunting and/or many other types of conservation use. Of course, environmental protection tops the list of land bank goals and public use is encouraged wherever and whenever it’s possible.

I work closely with the Land Bank and have a thorough knowledge of the processes and procedures involved in purchasing property on the island. Walking you through these steps and sharing the importance of the Land Bank to our Vineyard community is integral to the process of working with Suzanne Lanzone & Daughters and essential to the conservation of our island home.

My dedication to my clients and their properties is extensive, comprehensive and complete - because it has to be. The real estate market moves fast, and I move with it.

Recently, I received a call for a listing that required a nearly instant meeting and a next-day spot in the newspaper. Because of my dedication to keeping the client list of Suzanne Lanzone & Daughters intimate, I was able to meet the needs of this client.

Similarly, when a buyer requests a showing, I understand that they need instant gratification. In fact, they can’t wait - and their schedule receives my total attention.

I do remember real estate before there were cell phones. Things actually moved a bit slower, because if you were at one showing, you couldn’t receive a call about the next one. Clients had to wait until you returned to your office. I know - can you imagine!

Of course, the reality of today is that I have a cell phone, and while I could turn it off and create a defined window of availability - I choose not to. I choose to leave my phone on from 7:00 in the morning to 10:00 at night. I am always available and pride myself on this top-level of service, reliability and, yes, dedication.

In a poignant editorial, Brendan O’Neill - the executive director of the Vineyard Conservation Society - points out the severity of the land conservation versus development issue on the island. While over the last 100 years, about one third of the Island’s 60,000 acres have become legally protected as conservation land, another third remains unprotected.

O’Neill writes, ‘The dilemma is that not all the land that needs to be protected can be saved in time. The rate at which land is being developed is far outpacing the rate at which it is being conserved. In a build-out scenario under existing zoning, this could translate into several thousand new houses, a doubling of the year-round population, a spike in the summer population, and the necessity of providing the roads, sewers, municipal buildings and other infrastructure required to support a larger community.’

His call to action is for landowners to act, designating their private land for conservation restriction. He states that, “More than five thousand acres of private land have been protected by landowners in recent decades. That’s almost a quarter of the inventory of conservation land on the Island. Now is the time to repeat that feat.”

The steps to securing conservation land on the island are complicated involving donations, IRS rules and island government regulations - but they are entirely navigable and strategically put in place to help the island.

I am proud to be an expert in the fiduciary, legal and community procedures for land conservation on the Vineyard. And, I educate my clients on the benefits of land protection for themselves, for the island, for the world…and for the lifestyle of the Vineyard that we cherish.

O’Neill passionately includes, “There is general agreement that much of the Island’s remaining unprotected open land should be conserved if we wish to keep our water bodies, prime farm soils, scenic vistas, buffers around the Great Ponds and core wildlife habitat areas intact.”

And he quotes the founder of the Vineyard Conservation Society, Richard Pough, “If the natural beauty of Martha’s Vineyard is to be preserved, it will be the result of the combined action of the Vineyard landowners.” What was right on 40 years ago, stands true today.

Building green is extremely popular on the island as we all work to be a sustainable and environmentally careful community. And, one of the biggest trends of late? Composting toilets.

I’m guessing that toilets are one of those things that you, like me, take for granted. But sure enough, they are an issue. From septic systems to water pollution, regular old toilets are wreaking havoc on Martha’s Vineyard and around the world.

Without getting too graphic, there is a wonderful company located in Massachusetts that  installs and maintains composting toilets - and apparently, it’s a breeze. They look ‘almost’ like regular toilets and can be found in multi-million dollar homes around the island, thanks to South Mountain Company, in particular.

The waste is composted into dirt by some friendly and useful worms. No water is involved and a useful fan pull any and all odors straight down. This last piece is a big selling point, personally.

What do you think? Composting toilets in your house? Read more here if you’re interested.

When you’re preparing your home to sell, you’ll want to do the usual things:

• Have it professionally cleaned.
• De-clutter to the extreme.
• Paint.
• Fix any and everything that’s broken
• New light fixtures.
• Update the decor.
• New blinds.
• New furniture (if necessary).

But, when you live on the Vineyard, there are a few other things to think about. We live on an island destination which means that many people are looking for a second home, a home with rental possibilities and/or a beach home. So, I recommend that the home be staged to compliment those buyer desires.

These might include:

• Gadgets and upgrades that might not exist in the regularly lived in home - think pool tables, extra entertainment systems, carriage houses.
• Showcased space for holding events like weddings and parties or even big dinners.
• Extra rooms outfitted for guest bedrooms or owner hideaways.
• Vineyard touches, ‘At the beach’ signs, lobster motifs, beach and summer toys and necessities.
• Lockable areas for owner belongings.
• A guest book full of information on the property and the island.
• Beautiful windows because everyone comes to the Vineyard to be outside - clean, clear and well-treatmented windows bring the island right into the home giving the impression that your home has everything the buyer came here for.

When people walk into a home and their questions are answered, their senses are tickled and their dreams are visible, the chances of them wanting to make an offer (and move in right away!) increases dramatically.

This year for Christmas, 500 families got an amazing present - their January mortgage payment was taken care of, paid, virtually erased from their to-do list.

Instead of their usual holiday party extravaganza’s, ING Direct gave $861,513.25 (about $1,700 per household) to 500 families. I’m not sure which piece I’m more blown away by, that they did something so generous or that they usually spend almost $1 million on holiday parties.

But, it has me thinking…If every big company did this, what would happen?

Would the parties really be missed? And couldn’t they happen anyway with some fancy sheet cakes from the grocery store on a Friday afternoon in December.

Think about how this would help the people in our country that are suffering because of our economy?

If you own a big company…or work for one, think about making this happen in your community. What an example ING Direct has set. What a high, and halo-lit, bar to reach….