1. Jack Conway Realty
City: Norwell, MA
Category: Relocation
Telephone: (781) 871-0080
Address: 137 Washington St.
Description: The region’s scenic beauty and an abundance of cultural attractions convince summer visitors to buy on the Cape. The median price for a single-family home in Barnstable County has fallen 18 percent since 2005 and is now down to $320,000. On the Upper Cape, with its proximity to the Sagamore and Bourne Bridges, there are as many year-round residents as seasonal homeowners. Sandwich is a popular commuter town and prices are generally stable, with lots of homes on the market in the $300,000s. The mid-Cape encompasses the “village” of Hyannis, the Cape’s transportation hub and urban center, and has a low tax rate because of its tourist-supported commercial base. Homes clustered outside downtown also list in the $300,000s. Even at the highest end of the spectrum, opportunity knocks at places that once seemed immune. In Nantucket the entry-level price for a home is down to around $1 million, representing a one-year decline of 10 percent in value.
2. South Shore Natural Science Center
City: Norwell, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (781) 659-2559
Address: 48 Jacob’s Ln.
Description: Little naturalists and their parents will love exploring science together at the South Shore Natural Science Center. The indoor exhibits highlight the area’s pond and woodland systems. Among the resident animals are an owl, a rabbit, and other small critters. Outdoors, there are 6 marked trails that skirt marshland and pass through piney woods and are easy walking for families. There are drop-in weekly programs where kids can watch a naturalist feed the animals or listen to “tales from the wild.”