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Edgartown

erc__0378 smAfter reading Rick’s post last month I thought I would take a little time to introduce you further to the Edgartown Residence Club.  Located in what some of you will remember as the ‘porch wing’ of the Colonial Inn, Edgartown Residence Club is available for purchase as a fractional ownership.  “What the heck is fractional owership?” I hear some of you cry, well, that is a good question.

I think my friend and industry expert David Disick explains it best,

“Fractional Ownership is ownership of any property (real estate, yachts, jets, art etc) that allocates use based on the amount of time that each owner is allotted.  In real estate, that means that a number of people all hold a fee-simple deed that conveys the right to occupy the residence for a specific amount of time each year and how that time is allotted.  The deed fuctions just like that of a traditional, whole ownership home in that it can be recorded, mortgaged, gifted or willed.  It can also be resold through local real estate agents.” (Source: David A Disick, “Fractional Vacation Homes – Marketing and Sales in Challenging Times”)

The next question that I often get is, “Well, isn’t that just a timeshare?” and honestly, it’s not.

erc__0041 smallTimeshare is strictly a vacation product where people pre-purchase one or two weeks of vacation at their home resort and have the ability to exchange their vacation through an exchange company. The Edgartown Residence Club, like other fractional ownership resorts world wide, is a commitment to a leisure lifestyle in a location where owners desire to return periodically throughout the year. It is a different product than timeshare, designed for a second home buyer, used in a different manner and sold differently as well. It combines all of the benefits of owning a second home with the services and amenities of a fine hotel, without the responsibility, worry or hassle of owning a second home. The ERC is a luxury club catering to second homeowners who seek an exceptional vacation experience and leisure lifestyle.

“But why buy a luxury vacation home, even if it is a fractional ownership, in this economy?”

With the economy slowly showing signs of recovery, we are all adjusting to the new ‘normal’ with less unnecessary spending and more careful consideration of where our hard earned dollars go.  This is one of the key factors that makes fractional ownership make more sense now than ever before!

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  • Reduced Costs – fractional ownership allows you to own a vacation home for a much reduced financial commitment than a traditional 2nd home.
  • Better Location – Let’s face it – we all know you could spend an extra $200k and have a traditional 2nd home on Martha’s Vineyard but you can be assured that it would not be in the center of historic, downtown Edgartown with spectacular views of Edgartown harbor, Chappaqiddick and the Atlantic Ocean beyond (It’s much more likely to be miles out of town, down a bumpy dirt road, with no walkable amenities).
  • Reduced Maintenance Worries – At the Edgartown Residence Club there’s no spending your 1st day cleaning and making the beds, running to Stop and Shop for groceries and touching base with your local caretaker and landscaper.  Just show up, relax and enjoy!
  • Diversity – Why own just 1 vacation home, year round, in a location you really only spend a few weeks a year in when for the same investment you could own multiple fractional ownerships in multiple locations that you love!

So, now you’ve got the basics on what and why, all that’s left is ‘How’.  Just pick up the phone and give me a call on 800-465-2810 or drop a quick email to learn more.  There are lots of other great reasons that ownership at the Edgartown Residence Club can make sense for you and your loved ones!

 

Check Out Things to Do in Oak Bluffs on a Memorable Day Trip
Celebrate the Fourth of July with Martha’s Vineyard Events
Live like a New England Local This Spring
Martha’s Vineyard vs. Nantucket: Which One Comes Out on Top
Treat Yourself to Something New at Martha’s Vineyard Shops
A Guide to Martha’s Vineyard Weather through the Seasons
Explore Downtown Edgartown on Your Martha’s Vineyard Escape
Look at That: What to See in Martha’s Vineyard

erc__0368 sm (1)This blog is sponsored by the Colonial Inn in Edgartown.  And all of the contributors are employees thereof.  Except me.  Since I’m a non-employee, I can tell the truth and they can’t touch me!  I can blow the lid off the whole operation!  Tell all!  Full disclosure!  Expose all the dirty little secrets!  Name names!  Blow the whistle!!!

Unfortunately, there’s not much to say.  Fortunately, it’s because the gang at the Colonial is a great group of people, running a classy establishment.

My connection with this organization is that I’m an owner at the Edgartown Residence Club(ERC), a fractional ownership deal owned and managed by the Colonial Inn.  I was telling the truth, though, that it really is an advantage to not be an employee for the purposes of this post.  If I worked there, the blatant, over-the-top kudos that I am about to dole out would amount to nothing but bluster and bravado that you could brush aside without a second thought.  But since I have nothing to gain – in fact I could lose out on the deal – my words could have some credibility… for once.

The ERC is a dream come true.  My family has been vacationing in MV for many, many years.  At one point, in the throes of post-vacation euphoria, no doubt, we investigated the possibility of buying property here.  Alas, I haven’t founded a phenomenally successful Internet startup or written a song that made young lovers swoon in their iPod earbuds thus selling millions of copies.  The financial picture was woefully out of focus.

That route would have been impractical, anyway.  No way I’m gonna be either shelling out the clams for maintenance or shuttling back and forth checking on a place.  I’m not really that big on maintenance anyway.  That’s where the ERC comes in.

The ERC provides the perfect vacation.  You show up, you have fun, you go home.  No stress.  No worries.  No brainer.  We pack light (I like that a lot) and we leave the car on the mainland (everyone likes that).  Everything is supplied by the ERC, right down to beach towels, chairs, and umbrellas.  Lots of nice little touches, too, like muffins in the morning, cookies in the afternoon, and (sometimes) live music in the evening.

Master Bedroom smallThe place is furnished to the hilt.  (Although I still haven’t figured out why we have 200 pillows on the bed.  No matter.  All my problems should be that manageable.)  Gas-powered fireplaces to make those cold island winter nights warm and cozy.  Right in theheart of Edgartown with views of the harbor from the deck.  Walking distance to great restaurants, the lighthouse, beaches.  (As Steven Wright says, “Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.”)  Hey, it’s way better than owning my own place.  (See?  If the staff wrote this stuff, you wouldn’t believe them. I’m not sure I would!)

But, against all odds, I really do own my own place now.  The fact that it’s just four weeks a year – the weeks I choose, by the way – makes it that much better.

What’d I tell ya?  Full disclosure!

PS. If you like the sound of all this and want to learn more, get in touch with Joanne, or call her on 508-627-7666 – she’ll give you all the info!

If you could own a vacation home anywhere in the world, where would it be?

 

Check Out Things to Do in Oak Bluffs on a Memorable Day Trip
Celebrate the Fourth of July with Martha’s Vineyard Events
Live like a New England Local This Spring
Martha’s Vineyard vs. Nantucket: Which One Comes Out on Top
Treat Yourself to Something New at Martha’s Vineyard Shops
A Guide to Martha’s Vineyard Weather through the Seasons
Explore Downtown Edgartown on Your Martha’s Vineyard Escape
Look at That: What to See in Martha’s Vineyard

Guitar Fingers by vl8189-resized-600

“What do you do here in the winter?” – It’s a question that almost every year-round resident has been asked by a wide eyed tourist in the height of August business.  The answer on the tip of the tongue for me is, “Enjoy the peace and quiet” but that’s not to say that there is nothing to do!  Open the calendar section of the MV Times and you will be amazed at the number and variety of events we have to choose from on any given week – Salsa Classes anyone? A Moonrise Meander thru Felix Neck Sanctuary? Movie nights, book clubs, fundraisers and pot luck suppers abound but the thing that amazes many winter visitors is the abundance of live music on the Vineyard in the dead of winter.
It will amaze most of you to know that, even in January, you can hear live music at least 5 nights a week on Martha’s Vineyard!  OK, on some nights there may be just one option, not the multiple choices of August but what we lack in quantity we certainly make up for in quality – most of those summer favorites are year round Vineyarders, strumming and crooning all winter long.

Let’s start the week on Tuesday (Sunday and Monday seem to be musician ‘weekend’ on MV), with jazz at Offshore Ale in Oak Bluffs. Join well known Island favorites Eric Johnson and Jeremy Berlin for a set as smooth as the beers they accompany.

Return to Offshore on Wednesday night for Irish music – always a well attended and fun evening in this cozy atmosphere.

Thursday night takes us to Season Pub in Oak Bluffs for a night with the Mike Benjamin Band.  If you have been at the Colonial Inn on a Thursday evening in summer, you will be familiar with Mike and his crew.  They can really get the crowd hopping with their mix of covers from across the musical spectrum.

The latest addition to the ‘scene’ is Friday nights ‘In the Window’ at the Wharf pub in Edgartown with local favorites Don Groover and Kevin Keady.  With Kevin’s gravelly vocals and Don’s amazing guitar skills, you could easily think you had been transported to a smoky club in a big city, not quiet little Edgartown in January!

On Saturdays the Ritz Café in OB has live music from a variety of Island musicians throughout the winter.  They really liven up the sleepy winter months for us!

This selection is just the tip of the musical iceberg and doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the special events, fundraisers and the like that have their musical accompaniment on any given week.

So, do you still think there’s nothing to do on Martha’s Vineyard in winter?

Do you have a favorite Island artist? Who are your ‘must hear’ musicians? What is your favorite music venue on the Vineyard?

Photo Credit: vl8189

 

Check Out Things to Do in Oak Bluffs on a Memorable Day Trip
Celebrate the Fourth of July with Martha’s Vineyard Events
Live like a New England Local This Spring
Martha’s Vineyard vs. Nantucket: Which One Comes Out on Top
Treat Yourself to Something New at Martha’s Vineyard Shops
A Guide to Martha’s Vineyard Weather through the Seasons
Explore Downtown Edgartown on Your Martha’s Vineyard Escape
Look at That: What to See in Martha’s Vineyard

At the beginning of every month, I set about writing a post for this blog.  I don’t get paid – it’s truly a labor of love.  There are plenty of wonderful things about Martha’s Vineyard, so there is no shortage of topics to write about.  Still, I often find myself conflicted about what my subject matter will be from month to month.

At the start of 2011 (one’s are wild as I write this – it’s 1/1/11) you’d think that the anxiety would be intensified, what with this being the commencement of a new year and all.  Yet because of today’s unusual events, it became one of my easiest tasks to date.

My family and I spent several days of the Christmas/New Year holiday break on Martha’s Vineyard, enjoying our home at the Edgartown Residence Club.  Thankfully, we arrived after the “Blizzard of 2010”, which turned out to be more of a bust than a blizzard where I live.  Each day after our arrival, the temperature increased.  I was able to spend several hours out on the deck reading in the sunshine.  Bliss.  But it was about to get better.

By Saturday, New Year’s Day, the virtual mercury had soared to the sunny mid-50’s.  Unable to resist the lure of the unseasonably high temperatures, our crew headed – where else – for South Beach.  As we approached the coast, the temperature dropped by a degree every few hundred feet we drove.  By the time we hit sand, it was downright brisk, but our excitement had not cooled off at all.

This was an exceptional opportunity.  I took advantage of the moment by removing my shoes and walking barefoot in the cool sand.  Near the dunes, the sand was warm and the wind was blocked, but as always the action was nearer the water.  The surf was agitated and high.  It was all I could do to keep my feet on solid ground.  I think it was that darn sense of self-preservation that prevented me.

We were not the only ones who had the same design.  South Beach, while not overrun as it is in the summer, still had a number of frolickers, most human but a few canine, drawn to a fleeting dream of summer.

One doesn’t often get the chance to ring in the new year in such spectacular fashion.  Not more than once a year anyway.

We carved the date in the sand as a reminder of a very special day at a very special place.

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Check Out Things to Do in Oak Bluffs on a Memorable Day Trip
Celebrate the Fourth of July with Martha’s Vineyard Events
Live like a New England Local This Spring
Martha’s Vineyard vs. Nantucket: Which One Comes Out on Top
Treat Yourself to Something New at Martha’s Vineyard Shops
A Guide to Martha’s Vineyard Weather through the Seasons
Explore Downtown Edgartown on Your Martha’s Vineyard Escape
Look at That: What to See in Martha’s Vineyard

Time by Michael Fillion-resized-600

I had to do some soul searching this month.  Martha’s Vineyard seemed to be over-run with people who I haven’t seen in 6+  years – it gave me pause as I realized that, while they are all living in different cities, doing different jobs and living very different lives than they were when I last saw them, my life here on the Vineyard is pretty much the same as it was when they left.  I’m in the same job, married to the same man, hanging in more or less the same places with many of the same folks as I was 6 years ago.  In fact, this past week saw my 9 year anniversary working at the Colonial Inn.
At first this made me feel a little sad – ‘Gosh my life is so boring’ and then I realized – ‘Hey, I live on Martha’s Vineyard! Predictability is our strength!’.  Don’t you love it when you visit and the same person is there to check you in at the Inn as you remember from your last stay? You get the same waitress in your favorite restaurant (and the restaurant is still there with your favorite dish still on the menu!). It feels good to know that you can go to your favorite coffee shop, your favorite store and favorite beach and it will be just the way you remember it.  This is why so many people come to Martha’s Vineyard every year, and have done for many years – you feel right back at home!  I LOVE when a family checks in at the Inn who first stayed with us as honeymooners and now they are bringing their kids on their first visit to the Vineyard. Then we see the kids grow up, heck, we even recruit some as staff eventually!
I love the fact that so many of our guests greet us as old friends.  We sit down for a coffee and catch up on the year’s happenings, how the kids and dogs are and what books we have all been reading.  The familiarity and comfort are what make this place great.  Go on, I dare you to watch Jaws and not spend your time pointing out locations that look just as familiar to viewers now as they did when the movie was released in 1974.
More than that, I love that I go into the coffee shop and they ask how my visit with my mom was, I go to the bank and they ask how the dog is doing and predictably I go to a bar where everybody knows my name.  I’m at home, Scottish by birth but on Martha’s Vineyard on purpose.  I don’t want to be another face in the crowd, a cubicle dweller in the city.  I like my familiar, less dramatic life. Martha’s Vineyard is a bit like your favorite faded jeans – sure you’ve changed a little over the years, there’s a bit more (or less) of you than before, the shape is a little different but it still fits!  Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes there’s a little extra glitter here, or a new style there but essentially, in the heart of it all, the Vineyard is just the same as it ever was and it is great!

 

Check Out Things to Do in Oak Bluffs on a Memorable Day Trip
Celebrate the Fourth of July with Martha’s Vineyard Events
Live like a New England Local This Spring
Martha’s Vineyard vs. Nantucket: Which One Comes Out on Top
Treat Yourself to Something New at Martha’s Vineyard Shops
A Guide to Martha’s Vineyard Weather through the Seasons
Explore Downtown Edgartown on Your Martha’s Vineyard Escape
Look at That: What to See in Martha’s Vineyard