I find myself in the interesting position both of being a realtor and being in the market for a new home! Our house is under agreement. This means we now have a finite period in which to find a new place to live. I spend a lot of time contemplating what it is we want in a house. I know how many bedrooms, how much land, how many [...]
As realtors, we may have concern on behalf of our clients when we see terms associated with a listing such as "seasonal water in basement" or "some seasonal seepage" or, "history of water in basement". We may be concerned for our [...]
There are a number of home related blogs out there that really float my boat. Today a friend sent me a link to an Apartment Therapy blog post outlining the 10 Things You Should Check Before You Buy. This is timely, given my last 3 blog posts targeting buyers and sellers. The spring market is almost upon us (though looking out the window [...]
It has been an interesting process to find myself in the role of client for a change, since I am also my own realtor! We have recently gotten our house under deposit (with the help of a great Maple and Main Realty buyer's agent, as it turns out), here in Northampton. It has been on the market for almost two years. It's a big house, and it's beautiful, but it is (and was) expensive, especially by [...]
It is cold out there! But, believe it or not, we at Maple and Main Realty are gearing up for the spring market! Does this mean that the rest of the winter will be mild and we will have a long, balmy spring? No, unfortunately it doesn't. But it does mean that if you are thinking of selling your home, now is a good time to reach out to [...]
Ok, not really. But we realtors are starting to feel the stirrings of eager buyers and sellers. The holidays are behind us, and people are thinking about houses again. So, what does that mean specifically for buyers? How does a person ready themselves to start looking for a home?
1. Connect with a buyer's agent. What some people don't understand is that the fee for a buyer's agent is built into the commission structure of any house being listed by a [...]
So, we were out of town over the holidays for a few days. While we were away, the temperatures in Western Mass dropped to the lowest we have seen yet this winter. My husband -- the kilowatt kop -- had turned the thermostat down to 50 degrees in our absence. Well, the betta fish survived, but our kitchen pipes froze! Luckily, our plumber [...]
I love Northampton, have I mentioned this before? There are so many reasons why, but, today I am thinking about all of my Northampton D-I-Y people. One friend of mine makes moth eaten sweaters into adorable arm/hand warmers (pardon the blurry image). And I got to be the lucky recipient of a pair at Christmas this year! Another friend [...]
We at Maple and Main Realty are wishing you all a very happy and healthy new year in 2014!
Attention Maple and Main friends. The illustrious, industrious and creative Lisa Darragh, along with her charming and talented partner, Ozzie Ercan, have put together a broker's open house of 3 different Southampton listings this coming Monday, December 16th from 11-1 pm. There will be a prize of $300 awarded to one lucky attendee. Hot [...]