I make it no secret that I am a huge fan of Western Massachusetts. I have lived here my entire life and have no plans on leaving. My work as a REALTOR takes me all over the Pioneer Valley and there are so many beautiful and wonderful places and things to do here!
I am grateful for a number of reasons, including:
#1- the changing beauty. I love the seasons here and how pretty is is in different ways at different times of year.
#2- the proximity. I love that I can get to Boston in two hours or New York City in three. We can be at the mountains or the beach in an hour or so.
#3- the affordable and safe lifestyle.
#4- the people!!!
Thanksgiving got me to thinking about why I am thankful to be here and now I would love for you to tell me:
Selling your home is one of the most important decisions in your life. It takes a lot of planning and the right team to get the job done. Before you put your Western Massachusetts home up for sale, be certain that you have created a plan.
Your Plan Should Include:
1. Find the right representative The experience and knowledge of a dedicated real estate professional can be priceless. A good Realtor® forms a powerful team with his or her clients that makes it possible for them to have a smooth, successful, stress-free sale.
2. Determine your needs/wants for the sale and for your new home Selling your primary residence can be tricky because you have to simultaneously be thinking about where you would like to buy. First weigh your priorities – selling price is certainly important, but having a quick and efficient sale can often be worth accepting a slightly lower offer. Talk to your agent and make sure you’re comfortable with where your priorities are.
At the same time, you should be compiling a needs/wants list for the home you will buy. You will probably have to act fairly quickly when your house sells, so any amount of preparation you can do will serve you well.
3. Prepare your house for showing Underprepared homes can be sales disasters. Your home will never get as much attention from potential buyers as when it is first listed, so clearing clutter, cleaning, making repairs, and putting your home’s best foot forward is essential. Don’t “open for business” until your home is ready to be seen as favorably as possible.
4. Find out what your local market looks like Being realistic about your market is the key to a smooth sale. There is no substitute for a professional real estate representative when it comes to local market knowledge.
5. List away! Lots of photos and online exposure are the key to getting a good response for your listing. Working with an agent who uses Point2 Agent software is a great step in the right direction. Now just “open” the house and sit back and wait for the flood of eager buyers!
If you are selling your home in Westfield, Southwick, Agawam, West Springfield or the surrounding Western Massachusetts towns, then I would love to interview for the position. My 21 years experience in Western Massachusetts real estate will help smooth your move.
The REALTOR Association of Pioneer Valley has just released some great news with the lastest sales statistics for October. The stats show an increase in the number of homes sold are up 9% in Hampden County.
October Single Family Sales for the entire Pioneer Valley show sales up 18.4% • Median price down 4.1%
The report for Hampden County Home Sales shows Sales up 9.0% · Median Price down 2.8%
Hampshire County Home Sales reports Sales up 31.4% · Median price up 3.2%
Franklin County Home Sales statistics are Sales up 71% · Median Price down 11.5%
What does this news actually MEAN to those considering selling a home in Western Massachusetts?
Inventory is down 14% over last year
The tax credit has been extended and expanded beyond just 1st time buyers to move up buyers as well
Rates continue to remain at historic lows
Sellers are seeing great prices and in some cases - multiple offers!
Now is a great time to sell your home and take advantage of all these once in a lifetime incentives! If you are considering a move in Western Massachusetts then contact Lesley Lambert of Park Square Realty in Westfield, MA.
My latest listing found me on Google by researching the term "short sale real estate agent in Western MA" and has been following my blog articles of short sale advice and education.
While it is never a great thing to have to sell your home via short sale, I am honored that she valued my input enough to want guidance through this and I am thrilled that I may be able to help her through this difficult time.
She tried to get several other agents to help her with getting informed and they gave her answers like: "short sales are too much work".
While there is some truth to the fact that there can be extra work involved in selling a short sale, each one is different and they can go fairly smoothly. They are also a reality of our market right now.
I find great pleasure in helping sellers with their short sale situations for a few reasons:
#1- I was there and feel empathy for their level of stress. I want to help that stress decrease.
#2- It is a hands on way for me to help the housing market recover and stop properties from foreclosing
#3- It is an avenue of business for me.
So, if you are a homeowner in Western Massachusetts who needs a real estate agent to help you make a short sale work, call me. If you are a REALTOR in Western Massachusetts who doesn't want to work short sales: refer those clients to me, I will take good care of them!
This gracious Victorian in Westfield, MA is waiting for a family to fill the spacious rooms with love and laughter.
This 1900 home has original features intact and gleaming such as: gorgeous natural woodwork, carved mantle, stained glass window, original oversized beveled glass door, lovely staircase, claw foot tub, wood floors and pocket doors.
For a showing of this home please call Western MA REALTOR, Lesley Lambert at 413-575-3611.
Come to Westfield, MA on Saturday, September 26, 2009 for the 6th annual Colonial Harvest Day!
This fun downtown event will feature antique dealers, fiddlers, Fife & Drum Corps, colonial demonstrations and more! Stroll the leaf lined streets of Westfield and enjoy all the bounty and fun this wonderful city has to offer!
This wonderful home has been graced by a loving family for years. They have outgrown this space, but this four bedroom ranch in a terrific neighborhood might be the right match for you!
Set on a half acre with a fenced yard and pool, the yard is family friendly and the perfect spot for picnics and ball games.
Four bedrooms and 2 full baths including a MBR suite offer room for everyone? The finished basement rec room is an added bonus! Sunken family room is the favorite space of the current owners and is flooded with sunlight and charm.
If you are a family in search of your new home, don't wait to meet this one!
To see if you are a match, make an appointment to view by contacting:
This week I posed this question on my Facebook page:
What do you look for in your REALTOR? Be specific: internet savvy, traditional advertising, contact, etc
I got some excellent answers and they seemed to follow a very common thread. I found it interesting that many of us agents spend a lot of time trying to brand ourselves as being the neighborhood expert, internet specialist, new construction specialist, etc., yet most people answering my question never mentioned a specialty as being important.
Christine Pilch (@christinepilch) said she wants Honesty and integrity.
Joe Campoleita (@campo524) gave a wealth of info: First, and to me most trusted, would be a personal recommendation from someone I know. Next might be to use the local papers to see who has listings I like in places I would want to live. I would use the internet the same way. Go on local RE firms sites to see what/where they have listings. Now for internet it would probably sway me if the website had a "rating" section in which clients would give a rating and write something about their experience. In-depth market knowledge is important...once I "meet" the agent my expectation is they can effectively discern my needs (both known and unknown...meaning the client might not really understand their needs) and match those needs to what the market has available. Needs based sales and marketing.
Erica Mulinare gave a "funny" (not really) accounting of what happened to her parents: How about someone who doesn't bring a bottle of wine to a showing and drink it while sitting in the owner's chaise lounge while the prospective buyers, the realtor's friends, are walking around the house. ...happened to my parents... they didn't think it was really too big a deal becuase the people bought the house, but I wouldn't be happy at all! (hehe).
While I do spend a significant amount of my marketing time on the internet, and tout myself as being a tech savvy REALTOR (google my name), I try to always keep customer service at the forefront. After these answers I realize that all the other efforts that I make as an agent might set me apart in a a branding or niche sense, but at the end of the day my clients want honesty, integrity, knowledge and professionalism.
I can do that!
In fact, I have been doing that for 21 years in the Western Massachusetts Real Estate field!
Have something to add? Share with us so I can learn from you, too!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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