Fall is a time when prospective buyers traditionally browse real estate offerings on the Outer Cape in the hope of acquiring a small piece of paradise. Wellfleet prices do not seem to have changed much with the recession.
Often sellers here simply will take a house off the market and hunker down to wait for better times. That’s what happened to a neighbor’s property. It was for sale, then it wasn’t. I’ll be curious to see when the FOR SALE sign pops up again. What is new are signs advertising auctions. There’s a motel in Eastham that goes on the block next month. Most recently, an Ocean View Drive house (740) was sold this way for $847,000, last Friday. 
Known as “Sea Cliff,” the property offers “ultimate seclusion with endless Atlantic views, sitting high upon a sand dune in the Cape Cod National Seashore.” The three-bedroom villa next door is also for sale, through a local real estate agent, for $1,150,000. No one can deny the thrill of looking out the window at the Atlantic, nor the reality that such an exclusive location can command exorbitant summer rental fees. 
Both houses are, however, right on the edge of a dune. I noted an interesting phrase in the property description: “And now all approvals are in place for an even safer location for the house on the dune along with a fourth bedroom,” ie. invest here and your investment may fall into the Atlantic at some point, unless you spend even more money on relocation. When Sven and I were walking at LeCount yesterday, we saw evidence of dune erosion further down the beach. While dune property might seem perfect for a weekend hideaway, living above the Atlantic year round is not extremely sensible: there’s wind, fog, flying sand in a nor'easter or hurricane. Fortunately, Sven and I do not have the wherewithal to even imagine being tempted by such an investment. We are simply happy driving along Ocean View, where the horizon fills up with blue sea to the north, east, and south. It’s a beautiful part of the National Seashore, which belongs to us all …
