August 25th, 2010
Each summer when my twin sister comes home to visit, she teases “Let’s go to Fiske’s to get a Dawn Doll” (a favorite pastime when we were little). Today, Fiske’s General Store is alive and well, still intriguing the little ones with the latest toys and gadgets.
It always makes me smile when I walk in the door and hear John, the owner, enthusiastically showing kids his latest discovery. He and his staff always seem to know what school activities are underway and stock the craft shelves accordingly.
Fiske’s is one of the little things that, for me, make Holliston special.
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Just for fun | 
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Posted by sherbornmarealestate
August 19th, 2010
Looking to buy a home but not sure where to start? Here’s a quick snapshot of the steps involved with purchasing a home.
Get a pre-approval letter.
Contact a mortgage lender and ask them for a preapproval letter outlining how much money you’ll be able to borrow to buy a home, and ask them to review the fees involved with the purchase. They’ll ask you some basic information about your income and assets, and they’ll run a credit report on you and anyone else you plan to purchase the home with, such as a spouse/partner or other family member. They’ll then issue you a preapproval letter outlining the amount of a loan they feel they can approve you for.
Note: You are not required to use this lender for your loan. You can continue to shop for the best interest rates.
Finding a buyer’s agent.
In Massachusetts, it’s common to work with a buyer’s agent to help you find a home and negotiate the best price. Usually this does not cost you anything, as the entire home sale commission is paid by home sellers. The buyer’s agent represents your interests while the listing agent represents the seller’s interests. The listing agent’s fiduciary responsibility is to garner the best price for the seller, while the buyer’s agent’s loyalty is to get you the best deal.
Finding a buyer’s agent is pretty easy. You can ask your friends, family, or employer for recommendations, or check out online review sites like Yelp to see which agents in your area are rated positively.
House hunting.
This is the fun part! There are lots of tools that make it very easy to search for homes. House hunters usually start by signing up for free MLS (Multiple Listing Service) service with their buyer’s agent to receive auto emails of new home listings that meet their search criteria. If you’re in the Boston suburbs, you can also use our free text service to find out home details in seconds as you’re driving or walking by a home for sale. You can also conduct “lifestyle searches”, which allow you to search homes by category such as waterfront homes, homes with privacy, equestrian properties, and more.
If time is of the essence, I’d also recommend finding a buyer’s agent who will preview homes for you. This means the agent visits properties on your behalf, weeding out the “duds” and showing you the most promising matches. This is a popular service, as it can save you a lot of time and frustration in your home search. Read the rest of this entry »
No Comments » | House hunting, home buying tips, real estate | Permalink
Posted by sherbornmarealestate
August 16th, 2010
Even back in the 50s, ad men were striving to find out what made their target audience tick. This struck me while watching Mad Men last night. Whether they were pitching Pond’s Cold Cream or Lucky Strikes, Don Draper and crew knew the value of targeted marketing.
Why has this concept never truly carried through to the world of real estate? With a wealth of demographic data at our fingertips, we have the ability to market a property for sale to those individuals most apt to be interested in it. Yet in our field, we don’t often see this occur. Agents might advertise an expensive home in a magazine read by affluent home buyers, but their targeted marketing ends there.
Why not build a customized campaign around each unique home? It’s exciting to build a profile of those likely to love the home we’re selling, and develop customized campaigns based on this data. As marketers, we have access to incredible insights about prospective buyers in a way that helps to sell homes faster. We just need to leverage these resources to our sellers’ advantage.
No Comments » | Home marketing, home selling tips, real estate | Permalink
Posted by sherbornmarealestate
August 8th, 2010
Many house hunters today have tremendous geographic flexibility. Their jobs allow them to work from any number of cities. Looking to learn more about living in the Boston area?
Our new article in the Wall Street Journal highlights the many advantages of living in the Boston suburbs.
I hope you’ll find it useful! And I’d love to hear from you about what you like best about the Boston area.
No Comments » | Boston area relocation, real estate, relocation | Permalink
Posted by sherbornmarealestate
August 5th, 2010
You’ve found the home of your dreams. But can you get it within your budget? Here are my top “dos” and “don’ts” for negotiating the best price.
Do: Have your buyer’s agent provide you with a list of recently sold comparable homes in the area and give you an idea of what fair market value is for the home. Be sure you also have a sense of how many comparable homes are currently for sale now (i.e., Is this the only home that suits your needs, or are there many you could pick from that you like equally?)
Don’t: Worry too much about the seller’s personal situation. It’s easy to get wrapped up in determining why someone is selling a home, yet this doesn’t always reveal how good a deal you’ll get. For example, people often assume they’ll get a “steal” on a property if the owners are getting divorced, yet it’s not always the case. I’ve seen situations where the couple rejects a strong offer because they simply can’t come to an amicable agreement on an acceptable price, or they simply need too much money to go their separate ways.
Do: Decide on the top price you’d pay before you start negotiating. It’s easy to get carried away by emotions in the midst of the back and forth of bidding. If you’ve already made a decision beforehand, it’s a little easier to keep from jumping to a higher number.
Don’t: Give sellers a list of things you think are wrong with the house to justify your offer. It’s easy for sellers to become offended by this and respond unfavorably.
Do: Find out what other factors are important to the sellers. For example, perhaps the seller would consider a slightly lower offer for a faster close date. Sometimes it’s not the highest price bid that wins out. For example, I’ve had investor clients who got great deals on multi-family homes because they were cash buyers, so the seller didn’t have to worry about accepting an offer only to have the buyer’s financing fall through.
I hope you’ll find these tips helpful. And of course if you or someone you know is looking for a home in the Boston suburbs, please call me at 508.904.4967. I’d love to be of assistance.
No Comments » | House hunting, home buying tips, real estate | Permalink
Posted by sherbornmarealestate
August 3rd, 2010
People often ask if we’re affiliated with the Sotheby’s Auction House. We are in fact.
It’s quite inspiring to be a partner with the legendary Sotheby’s auction house. We aspire to deliver the unsurpassed level of service they’ve long been known for.
It’s an extraordinary partnership and one that I am so thankful for. Our clients benefit from amazing connections with affluent home buyers around the world through unique marketing alliances we’ve built with the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and other channels. Stay tuned for our feature later this week in the Wall Street Journal’s microsite “The Business of Extraordinary Living”.
Please contact me to learn more about what the Sotheby’s brand can do for you. My husband Kyle & I market luxury properties across the Boston suburbs, including Dover, Holliston, Hopkinton, Sherborn, Southborough, Wayland, Wellesley, Westborough, and Weston, among others.
Leslie Mann, Hallmark Sotheby’s International Realty, 508.904.4967
No Comments » | Home marketing, real estate | Permalink
Posted by sherbornmarealestate
August 1st, 2010
I had a few minutes before my open house today to swing by Sherborn’s Farm Pond to snap a few pictures of the sailboat races. The kind woman at the gate entrance told me “You have plenty of time. We haven’t started yet.”
“Oh gosh,” I said, “don’t they start at noon?”
She smiled: “Well, we’re on Sherborn time here.” So I decided to embrace her mindset, and enjoy a few extra minutes of sunshine on this glorious day. I wasn’t able to catch the races, but saw once again what a wonderful, peaceful place Farm Pond is.
People quietly swimming, little kids grinning as they jumped of the dock. What could be better?
No Comments » | Just for fun | Permalink
Posted by sherbornmarealestate
July 29th, 2010
This year’s Massachusetts Marketplace Festival at Elm Bank will take place from 10am-4pm, Saturday, August 07, 2010 at Elm Bank Horticulture Center in Wellesley.
Visitors can meet New England farmers, food producers, and artisans and buy a wide variety of homemade crafts, soaps, baked goods, popcorn, teas, herbs, fine art, and annual plants. Celebrating the quality and abundance of local agriculture, floriculture, specialty foods, and crafts, the festival will include a full day of food sampling, shopping, and entertainment.
Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic lunch in the gardens. Guests may also want to spend some time exploring the many gardens of Elm Bank, including the New England Trial Garden, the historic Italianate Garden, Weezie’s Children Garden, and the New England Herb Society Garden.
Location:
The Gardens at Elm Bank,
900 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA 02492
Sponsor: Massachusetts Horticultural Society
Cost: Adults – $6; MassHort Members – $4; Children Under 12 – $2
Phone: 617-933-4988, Email: massmarketplace@masshort.org
[Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society]
No Comments » | Just for fun, community events | Permalink
Posted by sherbornmarealestate
July 29th, 2010
Yesterday I met with a financial advisor who specializes in assisting women undergoing major life changes. We were looking to learn more about each other’s services. For my part, clients are often selling their home when they’re in the midst of a life-altering event such as a divorce, loss of spouse, or relocation, and I’d like to explore other ways I can be of assistance.
Today I’d love to hear from you. What can we, as real estate agents, do to make the home sale process smoother/easier for you, as you’re tackling these life challenges? What are the good and bad experiences you’ve had when selling your home?
No Comments » | real estate | Permalink
Posted by sherbornmarealestate
Each summer when my twin sister comes home to visit, she teases “Let’s go to Fiske’s to get a Dawn Doll” (a favorite pastime when we were little). Today, Fiske’s General Store is alive and well, still intriguing the little ones with the latest toys and gadgets.
