Pinterest (Photo credit: LesleyLambert)

On the latest episode of the TREW Show (The Real Estate Wrapup), Nick shares a helpful website that shows what school zone a neighborhood uses. I share my Staging Your Home for Sale board on Pinterest and Nick and I discuss the spring real estate market in Western Massachusetts and beyond.

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Map showing the counties typically considered to make up Western Massachusetts (dark green). Worcester County is considered to be either western or central Massachusetts (light green). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over the past few weeks the economic outlook for real estate has improved in Western Massachusetts. As a real estate agent in Western Massachusetts for the past 23 years, I have seen a lot of change in the local real estate market. Park Square Realty has noticed a few key elements that will impact the real estate market in Western MA this Spring.

Mortgage rates have been at a lifetime low, but they won’t last forever. Over the past week the rates have been creeping up and it is probably time to ask your lender about a “rate lock” and start seriously hunting for your new home.

Rising interest rates could spur more activity in home sales in Western Massachusetts. As a home buyer this means you want to get out there quickly and get your dream home before the competition grows. If you are a home seller in Western MA then you want to get your house on the market now to try to be there when the buyers show up.

This January and February have been the best two months in winter home sales in the past five years.

Let’s hope these economic indicators are a sign of improvement in Western Massachusetts real estate!

If you are looking to buy a home in Western MA or sell your Western MA home, I will help you make it happen!

Find out How Much Your Home is Worth…Click Here!

Search All Homes For Sale Free List of Foreclosed Homes For Sale What is your home worth? Homes Close to Where You Work Lesley Lambert Park Square Realty 4135753611 realestate.lesleylambert@gmail.com

Find your Dream home!

Search All Homes For Sale Free List of Foreclosed Homes For Sale What is your home worth? Homes Close to Where You Work Lesley Lambert Park Square Realty 4135753611 realestate.lesleylambert@gmail.com

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The lowest sale in Westfield was a mixed use property, a single family home with a store front for $30,000.

The highest sale in Westfield was a single family in the newer part of Ridgecrest for $514,000.

Are you curious to know the value of your home? Please feel free to get in touch: Lesley Lambert, Park Square Realty. 413-575-3611. I will be happy to provide you with a free, no obligation assessment of your home’s value.

I responded:

Yes we do. They hang all over the office & are reviewed in meetings. We include our core values in our presentations. Those values are why I chose my company.

To which Michael asked”
‎Lesley: Excellent! I think that’s a great idea to have those items in plain view all the time. And it’s even greater than you chose your company BECAUSE of their mission statement and core values. What were the specific elements that attracted you to your company?

I started to type a long response on the Facebook thread and then I realized that it was really a blog post and something that I should share with my readers, clients and the public at large.

So, without further ado, here are Park Square Realty (and Lesley Lambert’s) core values and also why I chose Park Square Realty and you should, too!

This shop is first of all, absolutely beautiful.  The decor, lighting, style and ambiance are classy and comfortable making this a wonderful place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.  They even have free wi-fi!

I sampled four chocolate truffles and they were all amazing, but I must say my favorite was the Violetta truffle.

The shop has ice cream during the warm months, too!  There were gift items available and I plan to purchase some truffles to give as hostess gifts for upcoming parties. Forget your diet and go try some! Be sure to visit Miss Sweets Facebook page AND the actually shop as soon as you can!

Image via Wikipedia

Westfield, MA has been suffering serious crosstown congestion for years, but hopefully tomorrow it will be improved. As of tomorrow, December 1, the original Great River Bridge in Westfield, MA will be re-opening!

I visited the bridge today:

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Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The economy is creating a strange situation.  On the one hand, people are in tight spaces and are being forced to face reality and leave their homes via distressed sales like a Short Sale or Foreclosure.

On the other hand, home prices in Western Massachusetts have hit what many consider the bottom and interest rates are the lowest we are likely to to see in our lifetime.  This creates a great buying environment, especially for investors and first time buyers.

Here are some interesting facts that were brought up at the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS state conference earlier this fall…

- They just raised the “Right to Cure” in Massachusetts…. It’s a minimum of 150 days before and bank/lender can start foreclosure proceedings… (This is due to the volume of foreclosures)

- 1 out of every 3 properties in Massachusetts are distressed…

- 34% of all sales (2010) were first time home buyers…

- 13% of all sales are short sales …

- 27% of all sales are foreclosed properties.

- 22% of all sales are investment properties.

- 35% of all sales are cash sales.

If you are a homeowner in Western MA that needs help with a distressed sale, I have the experience it takes to get your home sold and help you move on with your life.

If you are a home buyer in Western MA, I can help you to find the best opportunity for you no matter if you are a first time buyer, investment buyer or move up buyer.

Contact me, Lesley Lambert of Park Square Realty at 413-575-3611 or use the contact me button to the left of this post.

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Image by dougtone via Flickr

Southwick, Massachusetts is a unique community on the southern border of Massachusetts which actually jogs into Connecticut.

This is a detailed report/information on the community of Southwick, MA 01077:

View Southwick, Massachusetts and over 3,000,000 other topics on Qwiki.

If you are looking for a home in Southwick, MA you can search for a home.

If you are considering selling your Southwick, MA home you can request a FREE home valuation.

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My daughters and I got home from our afternoon errands to discover our neighborhood had a funnel/twister touch down. Thankfully only trees were damaged in our complex. Our neighbors one street over lost their playscapes and a tree was lifted up and landed on the roof.

I posted some pictures to Twitter and a few moments later I had a call from ABC News asking if they could use my pictures. As of tonight they are on a slideshow on their website. I was told they may appear on other programs like Good Morning America.

As neat as that is, I have sat home transfixed with the local news updates and my heart is breaking for Western Massachusetts. So many people have lost their homes and several their lives.

I am so grateful that my family and friends are safe. I feel strongly for my community and pray for everyone affected by the tornadoes in Western Massachusetts tonight.