To date for 2010 there have been 99 properties that have sold on Nantucket, with an average price of $1,684,950. In the same time period of last year there were only half as many sales 55, with an average sale price of $1,890,000. This represents a strong comeback in the Nantucket real estate market a place that historically comes back before the overall economy. Currently there are 584 properties listed for sale on Nantucket and they break down as follows:
63 Properties on islalnd priced $0 - $500,000
157 listings between $500,000 to $1,000,000
121 homes, lots, condos etc $1,000,000 to $1,500,000
68 current listings on nantucket $1,500,000 to $2,000,000
89 homes on market from $2,000,000 to $3,000,000
73 between $3,000,000 to $5,000,000
18 properties $5,000,000 to $8,000,000
and 22 listings over $8,000,000
I have been working in the real estate business on Nantucket since 1996 and the numbers mean a lot, but experience and feeling the momentum of the market place means more.
This Spring we have seen the largest volume of sales in lower priced properties, many selling to the year round community, with prices falling (and I expect in the sub $1 Million market they will continue to). We have seen many deals come together that represent strong value in comparison to recent markets of the last 5 years.
The market on Nantucket from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 seems to have struggled a little bit this past winter but appears it may pick up momentum in the summer selling season. Traditionally properties in this price point are 1st time vacation home buyers who are interested in carrying some of the cost of a home with rental income. Well priced properties in this price point are getting a lot of activity, it is just a matter of finding a reasonable seller and a situation that the rental revenue can assist a buyer in meeting the cost of homeownership. Back in 2001 was the end of positive cash flow on a rental property on Nantucket, but it seems like now its getting close to a 75% or greater carry situation. When you consider a carry like that and purchasing near the bottom of a market appreciation over a long term investment will pay off.
In the $2 Million to $4 Million market I am seeing a lot of demand right now for quality finished product, the kind of property that is well located, well priced and offers little improvement effort for a buyer - "turn key" situations. Many buyers in this price point use their homes exclusively and choose not to rent, however rental income in this price point can range from $7500/week to $15K depending on amenity the traditional rental season on Nantucket is 8 to 10 weeks long. An indicator to me that this price point has bottomed is the lack of quality inventory, historically we saw speculators producing homes in the segment of the market, however with the downturn in the overall economy speculators have not been working in the Nantucket market for some time. There were more then a handful of properties sold this past winter to speculators who now see value and I expect to see that inventory come to market next spring once they have had the time to make quality improvements.
Here are some of my favorite Nantucket properties for sale right now in the $2 Million to $4 Million price point.
Liberty Street
The high end market on Nantucket is still strong, last fall and throughout the winter we saw a number of sales from $5 million up to $19.2 million. The finial sales figures on these homes were discounted from the height of the market in 2005 and offered to value for these buyers in beautiful homes, strong location and a quality of life only found on Nantucket. Here are some of the properties that sold this winter.
6 Hinckley Lane SOLD $5,750,000
7 Acadamy Lane SOLD $5,100,00
10 South Valley SOLD $5,410,000
57 Eel Point Road SOLD $9,500,000
For more information on any segment of the Nantucket real estate market please feel free to contact me via a form below or by calling my cell 508 414 1878. I will look forward to working with you on obtaining the quality of life you deserve on Nantucket!
Brian Sullivan
Review this years zoning articles to see how and if they will affect use and development of properties Island wide. 
