13 Kelsey Road, Natick Open House Sunday

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Larry Lawfer

13 Kelsey Road, Natick, MA

13 Kelsey Road, Natick Open House Sunday from 11AM-1PM. Come take a look at what a young upstart architect living in his first home who has a penchant for fine wood floors and green technology can do.  3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, cathedral ceilings in the dining area, fenced in yard on a quiet, stable side street.  You can walk to the public transportation.  You can walk to the Elementary and Middle Schools from your home.  There is the major highways just minutes away, this home in Natick has a lot going for it, but high price is not one of them.

13 Kelsey Road, Natick, MA

Did I mention the swimming pool. This house has a very nice swimming pool fenced in with a wood deck not to far outside that gate.  Entertain and enjoy this home throughout the summer and fall months.  Natick has a very good school system and a great history. With the Flutie family making their homes in Natick over the years there is a rich football tradition in the town, but that is far from the only sport that Natick excels in.  Located in the MetroWest section of Boston you can get into town quickly by public transportation, or take the highways.

The MLS listing #71517145 description states, Go Green in Natick. New 94% energy efficient gas furnace, high efficiency on demand tankless hotwater system, 1.6 GPF toilets, wood burning stove, new insulation, mesh safety cover for 23,000 gallon in ground pool (never add water in Spring). Light colored shingles to reduce heat gain/heat island effect. All glass windows are double pane insulated, backyard grapevines and garden harvest. This home is walking distance from the train. Fabulous quiet neighborhood

The owners are ready to move and looking for a great owner who will benefit from all the work they put in. Check it out, this home is better than so many others that compete in this town at this price. This home will go quickly, so please stop on by Sunday at 11-1 for a look at 13 Kelsey Road, Natick.

 


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Using Green in Natick Home

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Larry Lawfer

13-Kelsey-natick-MA

There are a good deal of Cape’s in Natick. Even a bunch of them in an area where you are minutes away from a highway, in walking distance to public transportation, a walk to the elementary, middle schools in Natick.  13 Kelsey Road, Natick MA, 01760.

MLS# 71517145 descriptions says, Go Green in Natick. New 94% energy efficient gas furnace, high efficiency on demand tankless hotwater system, 1.6 GPF toilets, wood burning stove, new insulation, mesh safety cover for 23,000 gallon in ground pool (never add water in Spring). Light colored shingles to reduce heat gain/heat island effect. All glass windows are double pane insulated, backyard grapevines and garden harvest. This home is walking distance from the train. Fabulous quiet neighborhood

13-Kelsey-Natick-Eat-in-Kitchen

What can’t be said in this few words is how good this location is.  Someone living a Green Life is reducing their carbon footprint as low as possible. That means walking as many places as you can.  13 Kelsey Road in Natick allows your kids to walk to school all the way to high school.  You can walk to public transportation. There is conservation land, and bike and hiking trails.  You are minutes away from Route 9 and the way East or West.  Route 128/95 and the Turnpike is a few more minutes away to head in all points on major highways.  Location, Location, Location which adds to your Green Life.

I will speak more specifically about the schools of Natick in another post later this week.  Natick has a rich history and many distinctions.  Oliver N Baker wrote a history of Natick published in 1856.  The history began in 1651 when the town of Natick, MA was first settled.  In a touch of non political correctness, but absolute accuracy it its depiction on the cover  “with Notices of the First White Families.”

It goes on to say, “Young Men of Natck who wish to have the correct knowledge of the history of the town; to become acquainted with, and cherish the virtues of ‘The Fathers of This “Place in the Hills”‘  Natick is a good town in which to live.  Using Green house features in Natick saves money and reduces the carbon footprint for your neighbors.

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Finding the Right Home; Wellesley, MA 02482

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Larry Lawfer

Wellesley Town Hall

Finding the right home and closing on it these days is a matter of intelligence, strategy and preparedness.  Most people when they begin to hunt for a new home have a vague idea of price and location. They may say I want to live in Wellesley because the Schools are perennially ranked in the top of the state. They may be willing to pay between–well, here is where it begins to break down.  People read papers, listen to the news, research on line and today all that media is saying prices are going up, houses have multiple offers and you will have to pay a premium; this is where the fear and doubt begin.

Larry Lawfer, Realtor®

Finding the right home has a process.  Sure, price is a key consideration, but there are other considerations as well.  Wellesley does have great schools, but if you have young children they will attend just one of the elementary schools.  No two schools are the same.  This goes for neighborhoods as well.  One neighborhood can have lots of young kids on a quiet street, while another has a busier road with older, or grown children not living in the home anymore.  Some neighborhoods have block parties; some don’t know their neighbor any more than a wave as they pass on their way somewhere.

Getting yourself pre-approved before you get out there looking is so important.  Finding the absolute perfect home is like pitching a perfect game in baseball. It is rare, really rare. Most homes will have a lot of what you want, but you have to figure out if it feels like home inside and out which includes the neighborhood and your commute to work and schools and shopping and public transportation.  Your Realtor® professional does this every single day and can answer questions you haven’t thought to ask.

Yes, there are multiple offers on great homes, but your Realtor® has the ability to negotiate for you in a way that gets you the information you need to close on your desired home.  Finding the right home is a process, getting the right Realtor® is a blessing.d

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Missing Your Opportunity in Real Estate

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Larry Lawfer

Brookline Condo sold in 3 days over asking price

Missing Your Opportunity in Real Estate is what is being shouted from the newspapers, the electronic media and every single agent out there, well, not every single agent.  Just like the inaccuracy of the media surrounding the demise of the industry several years ago, they are getting it wrong now as well.  There is no doubt that interest rates are very, very low. It is not disputed that prices are now moving back up and that there is competition for good listings at good prices.  We are seeing and recording multiple offers on homes and bidding wars driving prices up over the asking price and this is good, but are you missing opportunities?  The answer is clearly a yes, but also a qualified no, let me explain.

Wellesley home on Pond under agreement quickly

The inventory is low because the Seller’s are not sure and so they are waiting. Waiting to see if they can get more for their home.  They are waiting for a Spring market.  They are trying to figure out if they can get another home if their current one sells very quickly. This trepidation on the Seller’s part is contributing to the frenzy in the market.  If the market was flooded with foreclosures, or the homes that are still waiting there would be less of a frenzy.  The Buyer’s would have more choice and therefore the market would even out and prices would find their own level.  So the Buyer’s fueled by media pundits who don’t really sell real estate, but report on it are thinking this is their one and only chance.  Well it is not.

Dedham Home sold for full price in 3 days

The market pendulum is swinging in the positive direction and this is wonderful for the real estate industry and the US economy. The real estate industry, specifically the residential real estate industry, is one of the engines of our overall economy and this is just so great.  This pendulum will swing in a positive direction for a period of time.  As long as interest rates remain low and qualified buyers are in the market the opportunities will be there. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, now is the time to get yourself with a qualified real estate professional.  A Realtor® is held to a higher standard of training, education and professional standards, they can give you great advice no matter what your question is regarding your sale or purchase.  Don’t be Missing Your Opportunity in Real Estate, call a Realtor®.

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Ranch House in Great Neighborhood priced to Sell Quickly

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Larry Lawfer

8 Clinton Avenue redone kitchen

Ranch House in Great Neighborhood priced to Sell Quickly.  8 Clinton Avenue in  on the Eastern side of Walpole minutes away from Route 1 and Route 95.  A mere 13 miles from downtown Boston it is also very close to Providence Rhode Island.  Having this proximity to two great cities and allowing you a more suburban location is the best of both worlds.  Walpole is a community that cares for the education of its children.  Wikipedia shares this information about the School System of Walpole

8 Clinton Avenue Walpole, MA

Walpole’s school system is run by a school committee made up of seven members.[26] The committee appoints a superintendent, who then appoints individual principals in each of Walpole’s public schools. The current school superintendent is Lincoln Lynch, III.[26] Walpole has seven public schools, which include four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The school’s sports teams are called the Rebels, although there has been some controversy associated with that mascot. [27]

There is also one private Catholic school located in Walpole, which is not under the jurisdiction of the Walpole School board. The town is also home to the Norfolk County Agricultural High School and the Longview Farm School.

8 Clinton Avenue Walpole, MA hardwood floors

The four elementary schools in Walpole include Old Post Road School, Elm Street School, Boyden School, and Fisher School. Old Post Road school is located in East Walpole. It has about 500 students attending and serves students in from kindergarten through grade five. Currently, there are three modular classrooms for the fourth grade to accommodate the growing student population.[28] Fisher School was the first to be established, on North Street, in 1790. It was a one room schoolhouse until 1914, when a modern building was built on Main Street. As of 2007, the school has about 470 students attending.[29] Boyden Elementary School was founded in 1854 by Jeremiah Boyden. It was first named South Primary School until 1902, when the town decided to name it after Boyden. It was closed between 1981 and 1988 and was used as a school for troubled boys. It reopened in 1990 and currently has about 460 students and 50 teachers.[30] Elm Street school is Walpole’s newest school, which was opened in 1999, and renovated in 2004. It has about 520 students.[31]

Middle schools in Walpole include Johnson Middle School and Bird Middle School. Walpole High School is the only high school in the town.

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Who’s driving your Bus? Real Estate

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Larry Lawfer

Who's Driving the Bus; Real Estate

Who is driving your bus in real estate is a crucial question to ask yourself.  Many people feel that real estate professionals don’t do much for the money they earn when the transaction is completed and often you would be right. An inexperienced, lazy or poorly trained agent will only do the minimum but will paid the same amount on average that a highly motivated and trained agent will be paid, but the results are remarkably different.

What is your home worth

What each seller wants is for the Sale to be quick, effective and for full market value with little to no hassles.  Frankly it is a crap-shoot if you, as the Seller, don’t really do your homework.  Let me explain some of the basics.  Most if not all agents you meet will be nice people who get along with people, but not all agents are created equal. Being a nice person who is good with people is not a characteristic that will get your house under agreement quickly for full market value. If you are using your friends friend, your cousin, your next door neighbor as your agent,  you run the risk of getting not what you want.  If you use the agent who’s signs are all over the town you might not get the attention you want, so the question is how do you choose the right agent for your sale.

Qualified Realtor® to help you

The right agent can explain what they will do for you clearly and quickly. They do not need an hour to go over all the reasons their agency is the best in the world because the agency is not going to sell the home, the agent is.  Most agents say they have systems to market your property on line.  Asks that agent for examples—a good agent will be able to show you in that quick presentation.  They will have testimonials from clients who owned homes just like yours and were thrilled with the service. Ask for testimonials, but remember if you have to ask they probably have clients who were not happy.  Ask them for their statistics—that is, how long does it take for them to sell a home and how much did they get for the home. Days on Market and List Price to Sale Price are critical factors. The agent you want is the one who consistently sells homes faster and for more money than the averages. Ask and you shall receive, don’t ask and you can end up with results you might not want.  The point is a qualified Realtor® can drive the bus much better than anyone.

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Dedham, MA Annual Housing Market Report

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Larry Lawfer

68 Oak St, Dedham MA

Dedham, MA 2012 Annual Single Family Housing Market Report.  There were 415 houses in this report that are either Active, Under Agreement, Sold, Expired or Canceled in 2012.  The market is coming back, but slowly. I just had a home go under agreement in 3 days on Oak Street with multiple bidders.  If your home is priced right and easy to show there is pent up need out there.  If you have found yourself expired or canceled there is really only two reasons for this. You are either priced incorrectly or marketed incorrectly.  Working with a qualified Realtor® will get your home sold for the most money in the quickest period of time.

Single Family Active Listings: 49    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 2,553.96     Avg. List$: $695,086    Avg. List$/SqFt: $260     Avg. DOM: 185.37
Single Family Under Agreement Listings: 20    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 1,660.58     Avg. List$: $332,651    Avg. List$/SqFt: $205     Avg. DOM: 63.00

68 Oak St, Dedham MA

As you can see the under agreement homes did so in an average of 63 days, while the homes still Active, Expired and Canceled have been on the market far longer. The longer you are on the market the less value the viewing public sees in the home.  This may not be the fact, but it is the perception and perception is a big determining factor in real estate
Single Family Sold Listings: 242    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 1,725.55     Avg. List$: $414,628    Avg. List$/SqFt: $238     Avg. DOM: 88.67    Avg. Sale$: $396,825   Avg. Sale$/SqFt: $229

68 Oak St, Dedham MA

Single Family Expired Listings: 57    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 2,172.18     Avg. List$: $449,454    Avg. List$/SqFt: $228     Avg. DOM: 170.42
Single Family Canceled Listings: 47    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 1,928.96     Avg. List$: $472,702    Avg. List$/SqFt: $252     Avg. DOM: 132.45 When it takes more than twice the time on market to go Expired or Canceled you are either not listening to your agent about the price, or your agent is not marketing the property, but it is probably both.  When you want to sell your home for the most money in the quickest period of time work with a qualified Realtor® who can tell you in simple terms what has to be done. This has been the Dedham, MA 2012 Annual Single Family Housing Market Report.

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Wayland, MA 2012 Annual State of the Housing Market Report

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Larry Lawfer

56 Woodland Rd. Wayland MA 01778

Wayland, MA 2012 Annual State of the Housing Market Report.  There are 315 houses that are either Active, Under Agreement, Sold, Expired or Canceled in Wayland, MA this year.  The market has rebounded somewhat and we are moving back into a much better space for those selling their homes.  It is still a great time to buy with prices still low and somewhat stable and the interest rates still bottoming out.  Wayland has one of the best school districts in Massachusetts and is a nice place to live around Boston.

56 Woodland Rd. Wayland MA 01778

Single Family Active Listings: 38    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 3,764.55     Avg. List$: $1,169,255    Avg. List$/SqFt: $293     Avg. DOM: 206.29
Single Family Under Agreement Listings: 9    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 2,951.44     Avg. List$: $814,576    Avg. List$/SqFt: $269     Avg. DOM: 195.22
Single Family Sold Listings: 181    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 2,607.04     Avg. List$: $680,423    Avg. List$/SqFt: $260     Avg. DOM: 137.22    Avg. Sale$: $642,743   Avg. Sale$/SqFt: $247

56 Woodland Rd. Wayland MA 01778

Getting your house price correctly is not a matter of guessing.  You can not look at your neighbors house and say yours is better just because you like your home better.  The buyer is the one who really determines the price of a home, but your Realtor® can help you decide the range that your home should go on the market.  It makes so much more sense to have multiple bidders for a correctly priced home than it does to have one bidder who is offering under your asking price. Talk to a qualified Realtor® for more information and always talk to more than one Agent so you have an idea of what is the best way to successfully get your house sold quickly and for the most money possible with the least amount of difficulty.
Single Family Expired Listings: 50    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 4,245.74     Avg. List$: $1,583,033    Avg. List$/SqFt: $281     Avg. DOM: 295.94
Single Family Canceled Listings: 37    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 2,934.14     Avg. List$: $775,055    Avg. List$/SqFt: $263     Avg. DOM: 167.11

Expired homes happen for only two reasons.  You are either over priced or poorly marketed.  Talk to a qualified Realtor® to find out how you can get your house sold. This has been the Wayland, MA 2012 Annual State of the Housing Market Report

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Boston-Back Bay Annual 2012 Condo Housing Market Report

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Larry Lawfer

250 Beacon St - Unit 6-A Back Bay Boston

Boston-Back Bay 2012 Annual Condo Housing Market Report. The market has come back, but not all the way back.  This market may never get back to the days when it was easy to get unqualified loans and pay too much for a condo. This is good news. The values being paid are more in line with the values of the properties and not moved by the unlimited purchase power of an out of control banking community.  The other side of this equation is that the controls on the banking industry are making it far more difficult to close the loans that have been approved.  Days on Market may be continued to be affected, but if you have a Condo for Sale in Back Bay and both price it right and market it correctly, you will be sold

250 Beacon St - Unit 6 Back Bay Boston

Condominium Active Listings: 61    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 1,865.64     Avg. List$: $2,145,115    Avg. List$/SqFt: $1,018     Avg. DOM: 157.56
Condominium Under Agreement Listings: 28    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 1,627.32     Avg. List$: $1,687,243    Avg. List$/SqFt: $971     Avg. DOM: 91.25

It will always be true that putting the correct market price on your listing at the beginning will get it sold more quickly. Why so many people think that putting a higher price on their listing knowing that people will offer less than that will get them what they want makes no sense. A far more strategic and sound concept is to put the right price on your house and allow multiple people to bid on it to get the price up above what you are asking.  Working with a qualified Realtor® who knows how to price and market can get this done for you.

250 Beacon St - Unit 6 Back Bay Boston

Condominium Sold Listings: 535    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 1,099.30     Avg. List$: $931,742    Avg. List$/SqFt: $775     Avg. DOM: 105.45    Avg. Sale$: $893,587   Avg. Sale$/SqFt: $748
Condominium Expired Listings: 8    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 418.00     Avg. List$: $279,750    Avg. List$/SqFt: $690     Avg. DOM: 126.50

Condominium Canceled Listings: 6    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 419.17     Avg. List$: $287,500    Avg. List$/SqFt: $723     Avg. DOM: 63.17

If your house has gone expired with not enough showings or the right offers then it is quite likely you are working with an agent who is not explaining the process to you well.  Selling your house for the most money in the quickest period of time is a process that a qualified Realtor® can explain to you.  It is then up to you to listen or suffer the consequences of being on the market too long with no sales. This has been the Boston-Back Bay Annual 2012 Condo Housing Market Report

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Weston, MA 02493 Annual Single Family Housing Report

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Larry Lawfer

692 Boston Post Rd 2 Weston 02493

Weston, MA 02493 Annual Single Family Housing Report has 288 homes that were Active, Under Agreement, Sold, Expired or Canceled in 2012. Homes in Weston take a bit longer to sell than in surrounding Wellesley in part because there are fewer homes.  Weston schools are consistently voted as one of the top school systems in the State and this drives some of the traffic.  Nearby Wayland and Wellesley also rank among the best school systems so if a buyer is traveling west out of Boston there are choices in this regard.  There are a total of 3344 Single Family homes listed in the public records for Weston.

692 Boston Post Rd 2 Weston 02493

Single Family Active Listings: 51    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 6,169.84     Avg. List$: $2,980,329    Avg. List$/SqFt: $439     Avg. DOM: 249.47
Single Family Under Agreement Listings: 18    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 3,253.89     Avg. List$: $1,190,222    Avg. List$/SqFt: $379     Avg. DOM: 168.22
Single Family Sold Listings: 140    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 5,220.16     Avg. List$: $1,680,297    Avg. List$/SqFt: $363     Avg. DOM: 176.90    Avg. Sale$: $1,541,508   Avg. Sale$/SqFt: $336

692 Boston Post Rd 2 Weston 02493

Granted a discussion of this data is about averages, but it pops out at me that the asking price for the homes that are active is substantially higher than the selling price of the homes.  It is also true that the active homes stay on the market more than twice the time of the homes priced correctly to sell will be.  The price of a home is determined by the Buyer and if an Agent allows the Seller to dictate price not based on statistics your Agent is along for a long ride.  A qualified Realtor® will always be able to show you the price a home will sell for and back that up with recent statistics based on actual sales, not hoped for profits.  Being realistic in this market will allow the Sellers to get on to the next purchase in this incredible market and profit on their next sale. The time is now.
Single Family Expired Listings: 57    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 5,472.04     Avg. List$: $2,343,382    Avg. List$/SqFt: $409     Avg. DOM: 236.04
Single Family Canceled Listings: 22    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 4,729.77     Avg. List$: $1,778,077    Avg. List$/SqFt: $377     Avg. DOM: 253.41

What I see here is that the cancelled listings are closer to the opportunity of selling their home and moving on than the Expired.  Weston is a great community with much going for it. This has been the Weston, MA 02193 Annual Single Family Housing Report

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