I discovered another reason to love Cape Cod a few weeks ago – shell fishing. As I devoured by first cherrystone, I realized that shell fishing is similar to being a realtor. There is a lot of preparation involved, a lot can go wrong along the way, but at the end of the day it is very satisfying.
A few weeks ago I was at a cocktail party and over heard a friend discussing how much fun she had going clamming. I then got thinking, here is something in my own backyard that sounds interesting, I love eating shellfish, and this could be a good opportunity for some solitude and reflection. Just like a realtor I did my preparation. I attend the Barnstable shell fishing class, got the necessary tools, did my research and jumped in the water.
I decided to go back to the same location as the class rather than venture out into the unknown. After 2 hours of raking I walked away with ½ a bucket of quahogs. As I was finishing up I developed a bad blister on my hand and my shoulder was killing me – I used the rake on the top of my shoulder but forgot to put the pad at the end of the rake. I did my prep work purging the clams and then it came time for prying them open. The clam knife worked, but I had trouble creating the opening. Once I finished my wrestling match, I laid the clams on the dish, dotted them with cocktail sauce and a spritz of lemon. Then I enjoyed the fruits of my labor and oh my, oh my, how good they tasted. I then went on to make about 4 dozen stuffed clams, a clam chowder, and a happy wife – she won’t eat the cherrystones, but loved the stuffed clams and the chowder.
Today’s real estate market is very challenging and there are a lot more bumps along the road for a successful transaction than in normal years. If you are going to sell your property or if you have your property on the market it must be set at a realistic price, must be de-cluttered and staged, have the best possible photographs taken, and a good marketing strategy in place. If you do all that, then you will entertain some offers from buyers. Now be prepared for many bumps in the road – a very low offer, a “surprise” during the home inspection, or how about the buyer’s mortgage falling through.
Our estate agents have being down these bumpy roads many times with our clients. At the end of the day it is very rewarding to find the yellow brick road for many of them. Please vist our web site at www.engelvoelkers.com/osterville for more information.
P.S. If you’re interested in learning how to shell fish, you’re welcome to join me on my next shell fishing adventure.
