Selling Your Home
Selling Your Western MA Home During The Holidays
Many Western Massachusetts home owners ask this question at this time of year, “Should I sell my home during the holidays?”.
I hosted a poll on Facebook to get answers from the crowd as to whether they would sell their home during the holidays and also, whether they preferred simple or elaborate holiday decorations.
The answers were split as to whether they would or would not sell, but the decorations question was a resounding, SIMPLE!
My co-host Nick and I discussed the process of selling your home during the holidays on the most recent edition of TREW (The Real Estate Wrapup):
REALTOR.ORG has a wonderful Field Guide to Selling or Buying a Home During the Holidays with some extensive links to review if you are weighing this option.
Here are my pros and cons to selling your Western Massachusetts home during the holidays:
Pros:
buyers that are looking are motivated
less inventory
Buying is emotional , what better time of year to make people feel special in the home?Cons:
entertaining schedules and showing schedules
Crowded decor
Snow/rain
If you are looking for some unique decorating ideas for your mantel or staircase there are some wonderful ideas to be found. I really liked the mantel decorations on this site and thought the staircase ideas offered in this video were unique.
Thank you to Marlene Goldstein, Kathy Rocco, Lisa Oden, Christine Pilch Mancini and Diane Guercio for their input to my Facebook poll…you ladies rock!
First Time Home Sales Up in Western Massachusetts
I am honored to have been interviewed by the Westfield News last week for feature story on the state of real estate in Western Massachusetts. I really appreciate the opportunity to share my opinion on Western MA real estate, especially first time home sales.
Here is the article:
Preparing Your Western Massachusetts Home For Winter
It is important that you properly prepare your Western Massachusetts home for the winter months.
Let It Snow!
Winterizing your home
Key maintenance tasks to perform
• Clean your gutters. Leaving debris in your gutters is an invitation for trouble. Not only can it freeze and damage the gutters themselves, but it also can force freezing water up under your shingles and damage the roof.
• Disconnect hoses Leaving water in any exterior hoses or pipes can cause them to freeze and burst. If your exterior faucets aren’t self-draining, be sure to turn off the water manually at the shutoff valve inside the house so water doesn’t stand in the wall pipes.
• Schedule a furnace tune-up. checklist of items such as inspecting filters, checking the chimney exhaust, and examining the blower and fuel connections. Expect to pay $50 to $100 for a furnace tune-up.
• Protect your air conditioning unit. If your outdoor air conditioning unit is located under trees or under the drip line of the house where icicles and snow may fall, give it a little protection by placing a sheet of plywood over the top and draping a dropcloth over it. However, don’t create a fully enclosed space, as that can trap moisture and offer winter protection for rodents.
• Close your storm windows. It’s a simple step, but an easy one to forget. Make sure the windows are shut properly so that the outer pane is up and the inner pane is down; this keeps rain and other forms of precipitation out.
• Insulate pull-down staircases for attics.
Spending a weekend or two on maintenance can prevent costly repairs and alert you to developing problems.
SAVING ENERGY, SAVING MONEY!
Put lamps in the corners: Did you know you can switch to a lower wattage bulb in a lamp or lower its dimmer switch and not lose a noticeable amount of light?
Give your water heater a blanket: Just like you pile on extra layers in the winter, your hot water heater can use some extra insulation too. A fiberglass insulation blanket is a simple addition that can cut heat loss and save 4% to 9% on the average water-heating bill.
Turn off the burner before you’re done cooking:
Use the dishwasher: If you think doing your dishes by hand is greener than powering up the dishwasher, you’re wrong. Dishwashers use about 1/3 as much hot water
Related articles
- Nine Energy and Money Saving Tips for Western MA (westernmahomes.net)
On Foreclosure, Short Sales and First Time Buyers in Western MA
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.
Related articles
- Foreclosure Properties for sale in Westfield, MA 01085 (westernmahomes.net)
- Why NOW is the right time to sell your Western MA Home (westernmahomes.net)
- FREE Short Sale Seminar in Western MA (westernmahomes.net)
