pioneer valley

Feb 11 2016

2015 Was a Year of Increased Sales Volume in Western MA Real Estate

The numbers are done being crunched and it is official…2015 was a better year in Western Massachusetts real estate!

The infographic below shows the increased figures for the Realtor Association of the Pioneer Valley, Park Square Realty and then my own personal increase. Guess which number is the highest?

The REALTOR Association of the Pioneer Valley reported an increase of 11.7%, Park Square Realty Company increase was 21.5% and my own personal increase squashed those at 24%!

2016 is poised to be even better! If you are thinking of making a move, remember to call the agent that is getting more people moving!

Lesley Lambert, Western MA REALTOR with Park Square Realty 413-575-3611

Sep 26 2013

Foreclosure Homes for Sale in Westfield, MA 01085 – Lesley Lambert, WESTFIELD REALTOR

Westfield MA new clock tower (Photo credit: LesleyLambert)

Are you a home buyer who is looking to purchase a foreclosure home for sale in Westfield, MA 01085?

As of today, there are five foreclosed homes for sale in Westfield, MA. If you want to stay up to day with homes for sale in Westfield you can use this map based home search:

[spatialmatch_map id=2 show_title=true width=100%]

The foreclosed homes for sale in Westfield range in price from $74,900 to $254,900 in asking price:

If you are looking to buy a home in Westfield or have a home to sell in Westfield, MA then I would love to help. Lesley Lambert, WESTFIELD REALTOR at Park Square Realty. Call or text: 413-575-3611

Sep 13 2013

Life is Just Plummy

Life is Just Plummy. No, that isn’t a typo. It is the introduction to an inspirational story shared with me by a client.

I have a client in Westfield whose house is on the market and she her husband are going through a rough time. Her husband’s health is not good and she has run herself ragged caring for him and their home.

They really need to move closer to Boston and she is very anxious about getting the sale accomplished. She is an avid gardener and also very spiritual. She shared with me that in a moment of despair she was in her garden and was asking God if he had forgotten her. She was frustrated and a bit angry, as she tells it and was imploring Him for answers.

At that moment, she felt a light thud on her shoulder. She brushed at the object, which proceeded to fall into her blouse and land on her heart. When she removed the object it turned out to be a heart shaped plum from her plum tree.

At that moment she knew that she was heard and not forgotten and she felt an instant sense of gratitude. She went inside and emailed me this story along with the picture of the plum you see in this post.

As a real estate agent, I am often working with clients in difficult and emotional situations. It always pulls at my heart, but I remember to stay professional. I use their emotions to stay motivated and to do that one more thing for them each day.

I know that her home will sell any day now. I don’t need a heart shaped plum to get that done, but it is certainly a wonderful sign!

If you have a home to sell in Westfield, Southwick, Agawam or anywhere in the Pioneer Valley of Western MA, I would love to interview for the position of your Western MA REALTOR! Lesley Lambert, Park Square Realty.

Jan 04 2013

Guest Bloggers Wanted!

Are you in a real estate affiliated field and would love an opportunity to reach a new audience without spending a ton of money? Then you might be who I am looking for!

I have been blogging along here all by my little self for about five years now and I got to thinking that it is time to grow and share. Some new content on topics related to home ownership, home maintenance, home enjoyment, Western Massachusetts, etc. would be a great addition to my current offerings.

Are you an: inspector, decorator, stager, property maintenance person, contractor, organizer, attorney, lender, accountant, insurance provider, remodel-er or other real estate and home related professional? Then I want to hear from you!

Home owners welcome, too! I would love personal accounts of your home buying, home selling and home ownership processes. We can all learn together!

It is easy!

Simply write a short account on any topic that you feel passionate and educated on. Supply it to me in any format, even cut and pasted into the body of an email is fine. If you have an original photo to attach, even better, but not necessary. Be sure to send along your professional contact information. I will proof read, edit if necessary and take care of posting it with links back to your website so that your new readers can find you.

If you have a blog that you would like new content on, I am happy to return the favor with a guest post on any real estate topic that you might find informative to your profession.

Get writing and email your submissions to: realestate.lesleylambert@gmail.com

Don’t be intimidated, have you seen some of the silly things I post? 🙂

Lesley Lambert, REALTOR, Park Square Realty

Jan 02 2013

Fiscal Cliff Bill Passes, Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Tax Treatment Extended. Good News for Short Sales in Western MA

Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Treatment Gets One More Year.

The advancing fiscal cliff debates were getting everyone’s concerns up, but for those of us who work in the real estate industry, we had specific issues that were of high notice. The mortgage forgiveness tax treatment has been instrumental in assisting people who are in underwater mortgages to recover by using a short sale and has been beneficial to the housing recovery.

This from the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley’s Ben Scranton:

“The law – which was set to expire at the end of 2012 – is crucial to foreclosure mitigation efforts such as principal forgiveness and short sales. Normally, U.S. law decrees that when a lender forgives all or a portion of a borrower’s debt, the forgiven amount is considered taxable income for the borrower. This is known as Cancellation of Debt (COD) Income and must be included in a taxpayer’s gross income. This Act, however, created an exception to this rule under the U.S. Tax Code. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act allows homeowners who received principal reductions or other forms of debt forgiveness to not pay taxes on the amount forgiven. The amount extends up to $2 million of debt forgiven on the homeowner’s principal residence. For homeowner’s to qualify, their debt must have been used to “buy, build, or substantially improve” their principal residence and be secured by that residence. The law, which was passed in 2007 with a 5 year sunset provision, will now be in effect until January 1, 2014.”

Good News for Short Sales in Western MA

For more information on this and other real estate related impacts from the fiscal cliff bill, see this brief from the National Association of Realtors:

If you are a homeowner in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts who thinks that a short sale might be the answer to your real estate troubles, please give me a call to schedule a consultation. Lesley Lambert, short sale specialist at Park Square Realty 413-575-3611.

You can visit www.shortsaleyourho.me for more information to see if you might be able to avoid foreclosure on your Western MA home with a short sale.