Home Buying

May 21 2012

Find Your Dream Home in Westfield, MA

<table width=”520″ align=”left”><tr style=”margin:0;padding:0;border:0;”><td align=”left” style=”margin:0;padding:0;border:0;font-family:verdana;font-size:13px;”><p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p></td></tr><tr style=”margin:0;padding:0;border:0;”><td style=”margin:0;padding:0;border:0;”> </td></tr><tr style=”margin:0;padding:0;border:0;”><td align=”left” style=”margin:0;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;border:0;”><div style=”height:20px;padding:10px;background-color:orange;color:white;cursor:pointer;”><a href=”http://www.searchallproperties.com/freelist/LesleyLambert/Westfield,-MA” target=”_blank” style=”margin:0;padding:0;border:0;text-decoration:none;font-family:verdana;font-size:14px;color:white;”>Find your Dream Home in Westfield, MA</a></div></td></tr><tr style=”margin:0;padding:0;border:0;”><td align=”left” style=”margin:0;padding-top:10;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;border-top:3px solid gray;border-bottom:0px;border-left:0px;border-right:0px;”> <table width=”100%” cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″ border=”0″ style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;text-align:left;vertical-align: top;”><tr style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td width=”33%” align=”left” valign=”top” style=”padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:0px;padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px;vertical-align: top;”><table width=”100%” cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″ border=”0″ style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;text-align:left;vertical-align: top;”><tr style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td align=”left” style=”padding-bottom:20px; padding-left:0px; padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px”><a href=”http://westernmahomes.net/” target=”_blank” style=”color:blue;font-family: verdana;font-size:12px;text-decoration: none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;”>Search All Homes For Sale</a></td></tr><tr style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td align=”left” style=”padding-bottom:20px; padding-left:0px; padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px”><a href=”http://lowpricedforeclosures.com/free/LesleyLambert” target=”_blank” style=”color:blue;font-family: verdana;font-size:12px;text-decoration: none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;”>Free List of Foreclosed Homes For Sale</a></td></tr><tr style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td align=”left” style=”padding-bottom:20px; padding-left:0px; padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px”><a href=”http://www.searchallproperties.com/homevalue/LesleyLambert” target=”_blank” style=”color:blue;font-family: verdana;font-size:12px;text-decoration: none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;”>What is your home worth?</a></td></tr><tr style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td align=”left” style=”padding-bottom:20px; padding-left:0px; padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px”><a href=”http://www.searchallproperties.com/close-to-your-work-or-office/LesleyLambert” target=”_blank” style=”color:blue;font-family: verdana;font-size:12px;text-decoration: none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;”>Homes Close to Where You Work</a></td></tr></table></td><td width=”33%” align=”left” valign=”top” style=”padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:0px;padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px;vertical-align: top;”><table width=”100%” cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″ border=”0″ style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;text-align:left;vertical-align: top;”><tr style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td align=”center” style=”padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:0px;padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px;text-align: center”><img src=”http://listingstoleads.com/system/img/photo/1326137425lesley_001_thb.png” style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;” width=”150px” /></td></tr></table></td><td width=”33%” align=”left” valign=”top” style=”padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:0px;padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px;vertical-align: top”><table width=”100%” border=”0″ cellspacing=”0″ cellpadding=”0″ align=”right” style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;width:100%;text-align: right;vertical-align: top;”><tr style=”text-align:right;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td align=”right” style=”text-align:right;color:black;font-family: verdana;font-size:12px;text-decoration: none;padding-top:0px;border:0px;margin:0px;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;” >Lesley Lambert</td></tr><tr style=”text-align:right;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td align=”right” style=”text-align:right;color:black;font-family: verdana;font-size:12px;text-decoration: none;padding-top:0px;border:0px;margin:0px;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;” >Park Square Realty</td></tr><tr style=”text-align:right;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td align=”right” style=”text-align:right;color:black;font-family: verdana;font-size:12px;text-decoration: none;padding-top:0px;border:0px;margin:0px;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;” >4135753611</td></tr><tr style=”text-align:right;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td align=”right” style=”text-align:right;color:black;font-family: verdana;font-size:12px;text-decoration: none;padding-top:0px;border:0px;margin:0px;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;” ><a href=”mailto:realestate.lesleylambert@gmail.com” style=”color:black;font-family: verdana;font-size:12px;text-decoration: none;padding:0px;border:0px;margin:0px;” >realestate.lesleylambert@gmail.com</a></td></tr><tr style=”text-align:right;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td align=”right” style=”padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:0px;padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px;text-align: right”><table width=”100%” style=”border:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;”></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr style=”padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;”><td colspan=”3″ align=”center” style=”padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:0px;padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px;text-align: center”><img src=”http://listingstoleads.com/system/img/headimgTemplate/1326137428lesley_thb.png” style=”padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:0px;padding-right: 0px;padding-top: 0px;margin:0px;border:0px;text-align: center; width:520″ width=”520″ /></td></tr></table>

May 16 2012

Home Ownership Truly Matters. Beyond Western Massachusetts: The National Association of REALTORS

Home ownership is clearly something I feel passionately about. Not everyone has to own a home and not everyone SHOULD, but for those that are working toward the American Dream of Home Ownership…it matters.

This week is the mid-year panels for the National Association of REALTORS and there are a lot discussions happening. The week isn’t JUST about discussions, however, it is about action and pro-action, too. Tomorrow, May 17, 2012 is the REALTOR rallyl in Washington DC.

I can’t be in DC, but there is a virtual rally, too and I am a firm believer in the value of home ownership for more reasons than the fact I am a REALTOR.

My parents brought me up in a small town in Western MA, Southwick Massachusetts. They chose Southwick, MA for the proximity to Springfield, MA and Hartford, MA which resolved both familial and work obligations. Their first home was purchased when I was about a year old for $16,000. We lived there, on Sefton Drive in Southwick, until about 1979 when my parents built a new home. We move “all the way across town” to Mort Vining Road, Southwick, MA. What a change! We went from a neighborhood (even though a very suburban one) to the true country. Barely paved road; cows; sheep and horses along the road and no cable tv.

As my parents grew, so did their real estate portfolio. They bought investments to keep (like the house my mom still lives in) and others to flip. I learned about flipping properties about two decades before it became popular. I was a kid, a teenager, but I painted, weeded, carried, sanded and did whatever labor needed to be done to help our family with our American Dream. I worked alongside my mom as an assistant folding newsletters and licking (yeah we had to lick em) stamps from 1982-1988. In 1988 I took the real estate license course and became a REALTOR, myself.

After college I wanted to move out. My mom offered me discounted rent in her multi-family in exchange for management duties. I took over the building operations from soup to nuts and I can tell you that I went nuts in that soup, but I learned lessons that no college degree can teach. I always knew the value of a dollar and the feel of a hard day’s work (one of my first jobs was tobacco in Southwick) but this was different. This was an adult responsibility.

Post graduation in 1992, there were no jobs in my degree (English PR and Communications) and I went to work once again for my mom at her real estate office in Westfield, MA.

Next up was my own home ownership. I have since owned several properties, both personal and investment and I credit my parents for the wonderful education….it has paid dividends that my college education (while amazing) never could.

Why do I share this?

Because…I believe. I believe in home ownership. I believe in Western Massachusetts. I believe that you do, too.

The following video is a national interview of the National Association of REALTOR’S financial guru, Lawrence Yun. He echoes thoughts that I have daily:

Paraphrasing NAR :

Home buyers need to stay within their means when purchasing a home. YES

The lenders are overreacting to the point where even a well qualified buyer can’t get a mortgage. YES

The pendulum has swung to overly stringent requirements in lending. YES

Cash buyers are helping to move the economy, but are preventing 1st time buyers needing a mortgage from getting the affordable homes. YES

This is a bi-partisan AMERICAN issue. YES

Home ownership truly matters. YES

Watch the video to see and hear what Lawrence Yun has to say. Comment below to let me know what YOU have to say…you already know what I have to say.

Apr 12 2012

Investment Properties in Western MA

Western Massachusetts’ investors take note: if you have been wondering when is the right time to invest, it very well may be RIGHT NOW. Here is the facts:

* the market dropped and has been (in most parts of Western MA holding)

* the interest rates are at all time lows

* the foreclosure and short sale inventory is still there

These three facts combined equal opportunity.

If you are either an experience investor or are new to investing, you need to evaluate these opportunities and it may just be the exact right time for you to make a move.

I have a lifetime of experience in investment property. My parents owned investment property for both rentals and flip properties and I worked with them as everything from cheap labor to management on their investments. I learned in the trenches how to read a profit and loss statement and how to spot a property with lots of potential for resale with realistic repairs.

As a REALTOR in Western MA one of my favorite things to do is help my investor clients find the right properties for their investment portfolio.

If you are an investor in Western MA who is considering making a new real estate investment, I hope you will consider me as your trusted advisor.

Five Reasons Why I work so hard as a REALTOR (westernmahomes.net)
Why It Matters if Your Western MA Real Estate Agent is Tech Savvy (westernmahomes.net)

Mar 26 2012

Western Massachusetts Real Estate Economic Outlook Improved

Map showing the counties typically considered ... — 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