The Holiday Season is upon us. We end the season here on Nantucket the same way we begin. Wine festival followed abruptly by Figawi, and before you know it, Thanksgiving followed immediately by Stroll. Black Friday for us marks the day Christmas goes into overdrive. The trees go up in a day, we hold a jolly ceremony to light them all at once and then the week leading up to Stroll they are decorated. It’s a real bona fide Santa’s workshop here on island. An entire month of merriness, shopping and parties. You can smell balsam fir all the way to ‘Sconset. Nantucket is the closest you can get to Whoville on the entire east coast (this weekend you may even see outfits inspired by Dr. Seuss). If you’re looking for real estate, this is a great time to see the town lit up, and how the community turns out (locals and visitors) to celebrate how special the island is, and that we’re not just a summer destination.
The proposed rental tax was not passed in 2018 even though the State Senate and House passed it. Governor Baker didn’t sign the bill but sent it back with revisions. It is unlikely that it will be passed before the new term in 2019. If the bill passes early in 2019 there would likely be a grace period until at least March for any new leases. The commonwealth doesn’t have the infrastructure in place to start the process currently, and towns haven’t voted on what they might charge. We will continue to keep you informed of this upcoming rental tax.
That said, it’s a good idea to get leases signed for the Summer of 2019 as early as possible.
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