Western Mass Homes Lesley Lambert

Various

Antique Afficionadoes, Flea Market Fans & Junkers Unite!

Brimfield Fair Hits Town September 3-7, 2008

Be sure to set aside some time to drive to Brimfield and scour the territory for your favorite knick knacks, furniture or garden pieces.  This show is world reknown as being THE place to find unique and well-priced antique pieces. 

I have been attending regularly for years and have purchased all types of things including: vintage clothing, a marble topped bureau that I turned into a bathroom sink, a wrought iron garden arbor, loads of small collectibles! 

Some advice if you have never attended:  wear sneakers (dusty, rocky paths), bring a wagon or a push cart & wear a backpack for hands free and easy shopping, bring small bills in cash, pack your lunch, have some loose idea of what you are looking for so you can skip the booths that don’t have it (otherwise you could take all day looking in one section), bring a friend!

Visit http://www.brimfieldshow.com/ for more information on this terrific event!

I am heading there this week myself…see you there!

Thank You W. MA Real Estate Attorney Nyles Courchesne!

 Thank you to AR Member, Attorney Nyles Courchesne

http://activerain.com/nyleslaw

Picture of Real Estate Attorney: Nyles Courchesne Massachusetts Real Estate Attorney (Peskin, Courchesne and Allen, P.C.)

If you are looking for a real estate attorney in the Western Massachusetts area, look no further!  I have used Atty. Courchesne for several personal transactions over the last year, as well as referring clients and he is unfailingly professional. 

My last personal transaction was the very difficult purchase of my condominium.  It was filled with snags, right up until the last moment prior to close, but Nyles and his paralegal team never lost their composure and brought me to a successful closing.

Nyles, I hope you see this because I owe you a big BIG THANK YOU!

433 Holyoke Road, Westfield, MA 01085

MLS #70809637

433 Holyoke Road, Westfield, MA 01085

$174,500

433 Holyoke Road, Westfield MA 01085433 Holyoke Road, Westfield, MA 01085

Surrounded by protected land, this private country home is updated and affordable! Newer roof, replacement windows, septic. Bedrooms are a good size. Kitchen, bath and enclosed porch recently refreshed, some new flooring – neutral bright decor. Great storage, convenient location – super value!

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=433+Holyoke+Westfield+MA+01085

Full listing: http://www.parksquarerealty.com/listings_ps.html

Call Lesley Lambert at Park Square Realty  413-575-3611 

Why A Condo Was Right for Me…and Maybe Right for You, Too!

Last year I sold my 4,000sf custom built home on 12 acres and started hunting for a new home for my two daughters and I.  Like all of my buyers, I had a list of features I hoped/demanded to find in my new home.  The list included things such as:  wants; fireplace, dining room, extra bath and needs; garage, location. 

After months of searching I had found one key thing:  I wasn’t getting all of my list in any one single family home that I could afford.   I decided I better sit myself down and give my “time to get realistic, keep your options open Mrs. Buyer” speech to myself. (the process of selling and buying my own real estate caused a real Cybil-like issue in my world) 

After my talking-to I went out shopping with my mom (who owned a real estate company for 25 years and trained me) and we saw EVERYTHING on the market in my price range.  Everything included: multi family homes, single family homes and condominiums.  The last of the day was a condominium in a complex that I had looked in previously and discarded as an option.

Me:  Mom, we are probably wasting our time, but if I don’t look at EVERYTHING then I am going to have to fire myself as a buyer and that seems extreme.

Mom:  Keep an open mind.

Me, opening door:  I looked at these six months ago and I just don’t think I am suited for condo living.

Mom:  Open the *&^% door.

Me, walking in:  Hey….I don’t remember these being so open.

Mom:  This is nice.

Me:  I think I could do this.

Mom:  I think you should.

I was blocked with the frame of mind that I needed my own land.  I was blocked into thinking that I wouldn’t like having people living on each side of me.  I was just blocked, period.  From that epiphany I realized that this condo had everything on my list….not one thing left off AND I could afford it.   Well, it doesn’t take two bricks for me to get the point, I put in a bid and we live here now.

Guess what?  I LOVE IT!  Every Monday the lawns (plentiful and lush) are mowed by someone other than me.  Each sunny day my girls and I enjoy a pool that is cleaned by someone else.  The deck needed repair and bam! the association had someone out to fix it.  The front stairs, same story.  We have spent a social summer getting to know the other residents of the complex and we have found that we really love having all of these people around us. 

Of course, condo vs. single family is a very unique decision, but for me it was well worth re-considering my options…good thing I had such an opinionated and educated REALTOR!

Mahalo to my Maui Realtor Friends! Our Network rocks!

So, I land in paradise thinking that I have a place to stay, only to discover after 20 hours of flight that I cannot stay where I had planned.

In a sleep deprived fog I book myself into a very pricey resort for two nights: an expense I hadn’t planned for and really couldn’t afford. 

Knowing that I needed to figure out a plan for the rest of the week, I started asking Active Rain and Twitter friends for some advice.  That is when Georgina Hunter Maui Realtor R(S) stepped in.   I sent her a message and with very little time she started to send me options for places to stay.  She took time out of day to try to help a total stranger and I appreciated her assistance more than I can say.  I had felt all alone and then I reached out and suddenly I didn’t feel so lost because I had an active rain connection. 

So Mahalo to Georgina for making me feel less adrift in a foreign place…you are amazing!

Another Mahalo to a REALTOR that I have invited to join our group, hope he takes me up on it!  Ken Wong at CB Island Properties in Kihei, Maui was another one that was happy to come to my assistance in this very strange time.  He was friendly, helpful and kind and I appreciated everything he did.

I hope you all learn from this and remember to reach out to your community here if you need a hand.  Transversely, if you are in a bind, don’t be afraid to ask for help…I guarantee I will pay it forward!