Western Mass Homes Lesley Lambert

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Savoring 2010

This is the time of year when everyone talks resolutions, or even better, goals and start looking ahead to the next year.  Many people are glad to let the old year go and expect great new things from the fresh start.  Me, I want to savor the blessings that 2010 gave me.

The following video was shot “after hours” in my kitchen in my PJ’s (g-rated of course).  I wasn’t going to shoot the video, but my Twitter friends including Lisa Laoden and Chris Smith thought that it would be “keeping it real” and that people would like to experience the real me.  Well, ready or not, here it is:

I wanted to add some pictures to flesh out the events and people that I discussed in my video, I hope you enjoy them even partly as much as I enjoyed being part of them.  I am one heck of a lucky girl…blessed in almost every way.

Morriss and I - celebrating 1 yr anniversary & my 40th
Some of the honored guests at my 40th Birthday Party!
One of the hundreds of gorgeous views in Utah. This was an amazing trip!
My amazing, beautiful, gifted, sweet daughters.
Friends of mine that bought their first home this year. We had our share of challenges, but they are there and they love it! I am so glad to have been able to help.
Had a lovely weekend away with my mom and sister, this is my sister, Michelle who took my 6 yr old kayaking
Morriss and I and our kids
My friend Diane Guercio and I presented alongside Real Estate Industry giant and friend, Sherry Chris in Boston this fall.
Meeting my #twitterqueens sister Debbie Kirkland for the first time!
I am blessed to have these amazing women by my side for just about my whole life.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading.  I just feel the need to focus on the gifts that I have already been given before I go marauding into the next year.  I hope that you remember to do the same.  Happy 2010, what there is left of it!

Fence makes bad neighbor in Western MA

A wood fence
Image via Wikipedia

OK, so it is possible that the following tale was an accident, but I seriously doubt it.

A client of mine is purchasing a home for her children and herself and found a good deal on a bank foreclosure in Western Massachusetts.  We have gone through all the hoops and are at the end run hoping to close before the end of the year when we get a call from her attorney telling us that there is a title issue.

It seems that when the survey was done by the bank, it was discovered that the next door neighbor’s driveway and fence is a bit more than three feet onto the property we are trying to purchase.

Well, these things happen, you say (as did I) until we recalled that the driveway and fence in question appear to be brand spanking new.

I am speculating here, but am fairly sure of myself in thinking that these people next door took advantage of the vacant property status to enhance their own property holdings.

My buyer still wants the home, so now we have embarked on an attempt to reach the neighbor to get the proper paperwork signed to protect my buyer from liability, etc.

But seriously, assuming that my guess is right: what gall!

Foreclosure is enough of a problem in your neighborhood without causing easement, title and legal disruptions.  Reducing the size of your neighbor’s yard will not increase your property values as their sale is the current comparable for value and if you lower their value you lower your own.  If you can’t do the right thing just because it IS, indeed, the right thing, then at least consider your own property values.

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A Video from The North Pole!

Santa Claus with a little girl
Image via Wikipedia

This is so cool, I just had to share. My friend Diane Haley Brooks, a real estate agent in Templeton, MA shared this on her blog this week.

A visit to the Portable North Pole site will guide you through a series of questions about your child that will be used to create a video from Santa! You can add pictures of your child and even have Santa give some reminders about behaving at the holidays.

I made one for each of my daughters and they were amazed that they got an email video from Santa. The video included a GPS demonstration showing his sleigh route to Westfield, MA and details about their age, grade in school and more! My kids loved seeing their name, picture and information in Santa’s book. Here is one that I made for my six year old, take a look and then give it a try!

Merry Christmas!

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Westfield MA Construction Update- Park Square Town Green

As a resident and real estate agent in Westfield, MA I can tell you first hand what a pain in the bum this year’s construction has been.

Not only is it making for even more traffic going North and South in Westfield, but downtown the Town Green, Elm Street, Broad Street and Main Street have all been under major construction, too.

This spring I had to buy a new set of tires because I hit a hole in the road under construction on Main Street and I resorted to working from home most of the summer and fall as Park Square Realty is located on Elm Street, Westfield where there was massive roadwork. My nine year old wants to create a petition that prevents there from being more than two road projects at a time…I guess she is tired of sitting in the traffic, too!

A major sadness throughout this process has been the demolition of our town green. The large trees and fountain were removed, the entire area bulldozed and it has become a construction center with piles of rocks and dirt and machines on it.

Tonight the Westfield City Council approved the 1.9 million dollar Town Green project, including a much contested $350,000 gazebo. The full story from Masslive.com can be seen here.

Now I am really not sure how big a gazebo has to be to cost $350,000. I have sold some really nice homes in that price point. I wonder if the gazebo is going to have granite counter tops and a jacuzzi tub?

I am, like most Westfield, MA residents, really looking forward to the day that they complete these projects and get our Town Green returned to us. Here is a cool 3D flyby virtual video of the completed project to tide you over while we endure more construction: