Independent analysis written for buyers, not sellers. No marketing copy, no boosterism. The goal is to give you the context you need before you engage an agent, make an offer, or commit capital.
Cape Cod is 15 towns across 65 miles of peninsula. Osterville and Chatham hold the prestige tier. Falmouth is the largest year-round community. Provincetown produces the strongest STR economics. Yarmouth and Dennis offer the most accessible entry pricing. Here is the honest town-by-town breakdown of price, character, and buyer fit.
August 10, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Nantucket at the prestige waterfront tier is really four distinct neighborhoods. Brant Point delivers harbor entrance and walkable town access. Monomoy holds the highest concentration of trophy estates. Cliff offers larger lots and sunset views. Sconset is a distinct historic village with the strongest preservation character. Which neighborhood fits which buyer.
August 3, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →The Hamptons is nine distinct hamlets across two townships. Sagaponack has the highest median prices. Water Mill and Bridgehampton have the most workable STR economics. Montauk offers the most accessible entry pricing. Here is the honest hamlet-by-hamlet breakdown of price, character, buyer profile, and regulatory environment.
July 27, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →New Jersey has a state median property tax rate of 2.88%. The northern Monmouth shore is a striking exception. Spring Lake sits at 0.444% effective, Sea Girt at 0.520%, and Manasquan at 0.978%. All verified against the NJ Division of Taxation 2025 rates. Here is what buyers actually pay annually at every price tier.
July 20, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Kennebunkport, ME has no Land Bank fee and Maine's transfer tax is split 50/50 between buyer and seller. Nantucket, MA charges 2% to the buyer at closing, which is $73,800 more at $5M. Drive vs ferry. Standard permits vs 6-month HDC review. Below $10M Kennebunkport typically wins on net risk-adjusted return; above $10M the Nantucket scarcity thesis takes over.
July 13, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →The Nantucket HDC reviews virtually every exterior change on the island, from window muntins to HVAC placement to paint colors. It has 60 days from complete application to act. Complex renovations take 3 to 6 months. Here is what buyers must understand about Certificates of Appropriateness, common denials, and how to plan before making an offer.
July 6, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Nantucket, MA has a $2.5M entry floor and a 2% Land Bank fee paid by the buyer at closing. Cape Cod, MA offers meaningful inventory from $700K with no Land Bank fee. The cost differential at the entry tier is nearly $2M in price before ferry logistics. Here is the honest Boston-buyer comparison at every price point.
June 29, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Sea Girt at $1.77M to $8.25M with off-market dominance, no boardwalk, and the National Guard resident beach. Manasquan at $700K to $2.5M with the best STR environment in Monmouth County, its own NJ Transit station, and the walkable year-round downtown anchored by Squan Tavern. Same stretch of Shore, two entirely different assets.
June 22, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Maine introduced a new transfer tax tier above $1M effective November 1, 2025. On a $5M Maine purchase, the total transfer tax is $52,400, split 50/50 between buyer and seller. Even after the change, Maine remains the lowest-closing-cost coastal luxury market in the Northeast. Here is the full 2026 breakdown.
June 15, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Cape Cod has no Land Bank fee. Martha's Vineyard charges 2% to the buyer at closing, which is $40,000 on a $2M purchase. Cape Cod uses bridges. The Vineyard requires ferry. Here is the honest Boston-buyer comparison across access, costs, inventory, and which market fits which family.
June 8, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Rhode Island has no mansion tax. The Hamptons mansion tax on a $5M purchase is $112,500 at closing. As of June 2026, Newport has 67 active listings ranging from $1M to $18M, with the $18M top being Champ Soleil, a 1929 French chateau on 5 acres. Here is the honest dollar-by-dollar comparison.
June 1, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →STR rules in the Hamptons are not uniform. East Hampton Township requires a two-week minimum stay; Southampton Township is more flexible. Village overlays in Southampton Village and Sagaponack stack additional restrictions. Here is the hamlet-by-hamlet breakdown buyers need before modeling rental income.
May 25, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Both are within two hours of Boston, both have active prestige listings in 2026, and neither has a Land Bank fee or mansion tax. But Cape Elizabeth, ME and Kennebunkport, ME serve fundamentally different buyer profiles — and the comparison table makes the distinction clear.
May 18, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Short-term rentals are permitted on Nantucket, MA — but the 2026 regulatory framework requires state registration, carries a total tax burden of up to 14.7% for non-owner-occupied properties, and is subject to Town of Nantucket zoning and HOA restrictions that vary by property. Here's the complete picture.
May 11, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Every buyer on Martha's Vineyard, MA pays a 2% Land Bank fee at closing — the same rate as Nantucket, the same statutory obligation, zero room to negotiate. Here's what you owe at every price point, how it compares across markets, and what else belongs in your closing cost budget.
May 4, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Maine has no mansion tax and no Land Bank fee — a structural cost advantage over Nantucket and the Hamptons. But Kennebunkport has its own closing cost landscape, including septic, well, oil tank, and marine structure inspections that most buyers underestimate. Here is the complete picture by price point.
April 27, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Sea Girt and Spring Lake sit one mile apart in Monmouth County, NJ with similar price points and overlapping buyer profiles. They are not the same market. The beach access structure, inventory dynamics, and community character differ in ways that determine whether you'll be happy with the purchase five years from now.
April 20, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →If you're buying in the Hamptons, NY at $1M or more, you owe New York State a mansion tax at closing. The rate is progressive, scales sharply above $2M, and is not negotiable. Here is the full rate schedule and what it costs at every Hamptons price point.
April 13, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →Every buyer purchasing real estate on Nantucket, MA pays a 2% Land Bank fee on the purchase price at closing — no exceptions, no negotiations. On a $3M purchase, that's $60,000 due at the closing table. Here is exactly how it works.
April 6, 2026 · Peter Tumbas Read Analysis →More intelligence coming weekly. Submit a private inquiry for direct market guidance in the meantime.