Shelburne Falls Building Site with Water Views

 Hurricane Irene severely damaged this 2-family home & now it's time for someone to take over and build new!  This Shelburne Falls location is the perfect .42 acre site and the owner is willing to get it ready for you. The building and garage will be demolished and permits in place prior to closing so you can start your construction in 2013.  This site has town water & sewer and overlooks the Deerfield River & has a beautiful view of the charming downtown. This property can also be sold ''as is". $49,000

Striking Log Home for sale with awesome views!

Beautiful contemporary style log home overlooks sweeping meadows & picturesque mountain views! This home is bright & open, must be seen!  It has a wonderful kitchen that is open to the dining/family room w/cathedral ceiling. There is a great room w/stone fireplace and floor to ceiling windows where you can sit back and enjoy those amazing views. In addition there is a fabulous master suite w/private full bath, 2 bedrooms w/full bathroom, hardwood floors, walk out basement, deck, and 3 car garage.  $364,900

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Home Prices expected to increase by 3%

Recently released research data project rising residential prices in 2013. The October 2012 Economic Survey by the Wall Street Journal panel of economists forecasted home prices as increasing at an annual rate of 3.25 percent in the forthcoming year. A similar National Association of Business Economists survey projected a 2.8 percent increase in home prices by the end of 2013.

Based on information from the latest Realtors Confidence Index (see below), REALTORS® are projecting a 3 percent increase in home prices in the forthcoming year. Both practitioners and economists are in good agreement on this one: prices are projected to increase.

RCI September 2012 Edition

Information provided by Jed Smith is Managing Director, Quantitative Research with the National Association of Realtors®. He has worked on real estate issues for the past 20 years, providing input on a variety of housing, commercial real estate, tax, and planning issues. Recently he has been involved in several international studies.

Fabulous Property - House & Barn on 75 Acres - Buckland, Ma

Spectacular property, 75 acres on both sides of the road with complete privacy, picturesque mountain & meadow views with approx. 15 open acres!  The land across the road has a 30x60 P&B Barn wit professionally designed 2-story 1500sqft studio space-perfect for artists, retreats, or home office with exposed beams & lots of windows. The Barn side has passed percolation test and would make an awesome house site or you can live in the Barn. The antique cape is warm & inviting with charming details. Great Location-Must See!  $595,000

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Wonderful Country Home Charlemont, Ma

This wonderful country home is located in a secluded and desirable area in East Charlemont.  Surrounded by nice homes and not far from Route 2 and less than 10 minutes to the Village of Shelburne Falls.  If you like exposed beams, pine floors, pine interior doors, attractive woodwork, high ceilings, and wood heat, come take a look at this one!   The price reflects work that needs to be done such as a new roof, decks and 2nd floor interior renovations - but all well worth it.  $149,000

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Massachusetts Real Estate Update

The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS released their September 2012 sales report and for the 15th straight month sales have gone up compared to the same time last year. Single-family median prices were down less than one percent from last year while condo median prices went up compared to September 2011. (see graphs below – click on them to enlarge).

Release with podcast will be posted as soon as our website host is back online. Sorry for the delay

Highlights from the release:

* Single-family home sales were up 2.8% compared to last year
* Single-family median prices were DOWN 0.6% ($294,900)
* Condo sales were up 10.4% compared to the same time last year
* The median price for a condo was UP 2.9% ($280,000) compared to last year

This information is provided by the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS

Impressive Farm with Upscale Home - Whately, Mass

Impressive custom built farmhouse style home offers the finest details and farming amenities. Gourmet kitchen with custom cabinetry, Ashfield stone countertop and sink along with Viking appliances! Great room with oak timberframe, cathedral ceiling, balcony & fireplace. In addition there is central air and central vac, partially finished basement, heated 2-car garage & more! 

There are 2 barns with 10 acres, certified organic soil, fencing, water & electric.  Perfect for horses & gardening.  Nicely landscape with views of Mount Sugarloaf!  Near I-91, 5 colleges, and Northampton.  

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Riverside Sanctuary - Perfect Getaway, Williamsburg, Ma

This riverside sanctuary is the perfect escape with an enchanting cottage sited along the river’s edge.  Sit back, relax & listen to the sounds of the east branch of the Mill River. Warm interior features living room with fireplace & woodstove, kitchen and dining area, upper level for master bedroom/studio space w/cathedral ceiling, wood floors, lots of windows & deck. Charming architectural features & lovely gardens! Convenient location - 5 min. to Williamsburg & 15 min. to Northampton. $195,000

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Local Real Estate Market Update - Pioneer Valley, Ma

Sales of single family homes in Franklin County are up 15.3%  in the third quarter compared to this time last year.    The average sales price remains about the same.

The Pioneer Valley Region reports inventory for single family homes dropped 5.2%.  As of 9/30/12 there were 3,083 homes for sale vs. 3,243 last year.    The days on market for the Pioneer Valley region remains about the same.   As of 9/30/12, 1440 houses are under agreement and this time last year there was 1295.

The prices do remain flat, inventory is dropping and the time frame (days on market) to sell is about the same.  The real estate market is demonstrating that it has plateaued with a slight indication market is improving.   I will take this news!  Better than what I use to report a couple years ago.

Wonderful Home in the Hills of Heath, Mass

This attractive Cape style home is larger than it looks and is located in a countryside setting on 2.38 acres.  This wonderful home features a good size kitchen, two dining areas, living room, first floor bedroom and full bath, and a fabulous sunroom that you will just love.  In addition the second floor has two large bedrooms and a full bath; there is a large deck that overlooks a picturesque back yard with views; full walk out basement and an attached 2-car garage. Well built and worth a look! Only $195,000
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Pondside Living in Shelburne, Mass

Immaculate and updated Ranch style home is located on a picturesque pond where the water views are simply breathtaking.  This park-like setting is like no other and must be seen in person to appreciate. The home offers low maintenance living & has charming features throughout including a living room with new brick fireplace,  updated kitchen, study or office, 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, oil heat, beautiful wood floors & an attached 2-car garage.  Large deck with water views & barn with new roof!  $249,000

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Live the Log Home Lifestyle!

Charming log home sited on 5 picturesque acres with seasonal views and a beautiful yard. It has a new roof, tile floor, freshly sanded wood floors and some new skylights! It is move in ready and offers single level living with attractive open floor plan including kitchen, dining and living area w/fireplace & woodstove. In addition there are 3 bedrooms, full bath, two enclosed porches, and a full basement. Perfect location near village, Ashfield lake, golfing and so much more!  $224,700.00

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Homes for Sale in Franklin and Hampshire County, Mass

I have a large inventory of homes on the market located in Franklin and Hampshire County.  If you are looking for your first home, getaway place, farm or business venture - the perfect place could be right here.  If you have any questions about any of the properties listed for sale, feel free to give me a call at 413-337-8344 or email:  wanda@wandamooney.com

Wonderful Home for sale in Deerfield, Mass

Attractive Gambrel style home located in the Town of Deerfield and sited at the end of a private drive in a secluded setting with seasonal westerly views.   Newer Buderus heating system, fresh coat of paint, newer upper roof, and well insulated.    Features include eat-in kitchen, living room, 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, ample closet space, finished room in the basement and a detached 2-car garage.   Come take a look! $259,000

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Antique Colonial on 12 Acres - Heath, Ma

Beautiful Antique Colonial on 12 acres that is tastefully renovated incorporating period details of yesterday with modern conveniences of today.  The kitchen is fabulous w/stone countertops & upscale stainless appliances.  There is a large family room with fireplace, formal dining room with fireplace, first floor bedroom or parlor, den, 3 additional bedrooms, office or sitting area, total of 7 fireplaces, wood floors, exposed beam, updated systems! Open land, barn, and views of protected land. $395,000
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Shelburne Falls - Now a Cultural District

Shelburne Falls is now a "Cultural District".  This is wonderful news for the village.  It is truly a special place.  

Cinderella moment for Shelburne Falls

The village is one of 10 Massachusetts communities to be named a state “Cultural District,” and state officials who came to celebrate in Buckland’s Town Hall Thursday afternoon saw Shelburne Falls at its autumnal best: on a balmy day with the last fall blossoms on the Bridge of Flowers, with golden foliage, and the streets full of Hallmark School of Photography students on their annual photo-taking foray into town.

But Anita Walker, executive director of the state’s Cultural Council, got to walk the town in a handpainted pair of “Art Walk” shoes that looked as though they were made for her. “When I came here last time, I thought this was an amazing place,” said Walker. “Today I’m living every girl’s dream: I’m wearing ‘magical’ shoes from the Art Walk,” she said, modeling a stylish pair of lace-up high heels in primary colors.  During the village’s quarterly Art Walks, shoes that are decorated by local artists are placed on paths to direct “foot traffic” to art studios, shops and galleries that stay open late that evening, when the streets are filled with people, roving musicians, artists and appetizers.  The shoes had been part of display in Town Hall, along with the Art Garden’s recent exhibition on the Deerfield River and with artworks given to Shelburne Falls from its Sister City, the village of Mutianyu, China.  Walker said she was not only going to walk through Shelburne Falls in her Art Walk shoes, but she was going to wear them to other cultural districts across the state.

 “This is the only place — probably on the planet — where people make a destination of going where the potholes are. And they’re beautiful,” she added, referring to the Glacial Potholes tourist attraction in the Deerfield River. “Our best cultural districts are real, authentic places where you celebrate who you are, what you are doing.”  “I brag about you every place I go,” she told the 45 to 50 people who attended the luncheon celebration.  Shelburne selectmen’s Chairman Robert Manners said the word “culture” stems from a Roman word meaning “to cultivate or grow,” as in agriculture.  “Here we are today, celebrating the creation of the cultural district of Shelburne Falls,” he said. “It’s only fitting that we recognize this, for it’s consistent in this area throughout time.” He pointed out that American Indians had established the Salmon Falls Glacial Potholes area as a common fishing area and signed a peace treaty; later, the available water power made it a center of industry.  Manners said the sense of place involved “things that are not tangible, that are here for us to enjoy.”

“This is a seed that we all take with us, to plant and grow elsewhere,” he said.

State Sen. Stan Rosenberg, who represented the two towns composing the village of Shelburne Falls for many years, said he is glad the village was one of the first to be included in the new cultural district program. “The bootstrap mentality, of we-can-do-it, is represented by this community. This is just a formal recognition of the cultural past — of what you already have here,” he said. State Rep. Steve Kulik, who represents the towns, said he will work with the village leaders “to make sure this is not just a designation in name only.”

Mary Vilbon, executive director of the Shelburne Falls Area Business Association, said that a new highway sign has been designed by an artist for Shelburne Falls, but that money is needed to pay for creating the road sign and installing it.  The village began applying for a cultural district designation over a year ago. Some of the other communities with this designation include Gloucester, Concord, Hyannis, Rockport, the Fenway district of Boston and the Upstreet district of Pittsfield.

The Cultural Designation Program was enacted by the Legislature in 2010, and participants hope it will open doors to more grants, more publicity, and more resources for boosting businesses.

By DIANE BRONCACCIO Recorder Staff

Thursday, October 18, 2012

3.8% Medicare Tax - Not a Real Estate Transfer Tax

Rumors have spread about this 3.8% tax.  The National Association of REALTORS has done an excellent job explaining the details of the tax.  The video is only 6 minutes and explains the property owners that are effected by the tax.   I hope this information is helpful.  Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions.

Rumors about the 3.8% Medicare tax continue to circulate. Here's the definitive word on what's true and what's not on how the tax impacts real estate.

OCTOBER 2012 | BY ROBERT FREEDMAN

Ever since health care reform was enacted into law more than two years ago, rumors have been circulating on the Internet and in e-mails that the law contains a 3.8 percent tax on real estate. The tax doesn’t target real estate and will in fact affect very few home sales, because it’s a tax that will only affect high-income households that realize a substantial gain on an asset sale, including on a home sale, once other factors are taken into account. Maybe 2-3 percent of home sellers will be affected.

Nevertheless, the rumors persist and the latest version that’s circulating falsely say NAR is advocating for the tax’s repeal. But while NAR doesn’t support the tax (it was added into the health care law at the last minute and never considered in hearings), it’s not advocating for its repeal at this time.

The characterization of the 3.8 percent tax as a tax on real estate is an example of an Internet rumor, says Heather Elias, NAR’s director of social business media. Elias and Linda Goold, NAR’s director of tax policy, sat down for a discussion of how the tax works.

Economic Update - Mortgages & Housing

Housing Starts, Mortgage Purchase Applications

On October 17, 2012, in Economic Updates, by Ken Fears, Manager, Regional Economics

In each Economic Update, the Research staff analyzes recently released economic indicators and addresses what these indicators mean for REALTORS® and their clients. Today’s update discusses housing starts and mortgage purchase applications.

§  There were two positive news releases for the housing market this morning; housing starts were up along with purchase applications for mortgages.

§  Single-family starts rose 11.0 in September over the August figure and 42.3% higher than a year ago.  The August number was also revised upward and permits for new construction of single-family units rose 7.6% in September.

§  The single family construction numbers are a positive sign for the market as they suggest that homebuilders feel confident in low inventories and are willing to delve back into the market despite tight financing that often requires self-funding of projects.  While construction is up, the 603,000 single family units started in September (seasonally adjusted at annual rates) was well below the 1.15 million units averaged annually from 1980 to 2007.

§  The purchase portion of the weekly mortgage applications index rose 1% on the heels of a 2% increase last week.   The refinance component fell 5% after a 2% decrease last week.

§  Purchase applications are headed in the right direction, but at low levels.  Lenders have complained of high refi volumes taxing their processes, so the decline on that side of the business should help homebuyers.  It may also help to reduce the spread between banks cost of capital and the rates that they loan at as a decline on the refi side would help to heat up competition for borrowers, passing on more the impact of QE3 to homebuyers.

§  Construction is up, which is a good sign of the sustainability of the low inventory levels which have driven price growth and buyer confidence.  In addition, growth of mortgage applications suggests that demand should remain robust through the end of the year and we may see some further improvement in rates to draw buyers out during the winter months.  However, lending conditions remain tight and an improvement on this front, hopefully with clarification on Basel III and Dodd-Frank (QM and QRM) as we approach January, should help to unlock more demand.

Ken Fears is the Manager of Regional Economics. He focuses on regional and local market trends found in the Local Market Reports and the Market Watch Reports . He also writes on developments in the mortgage industry and foreclosures.

Horse Farm for Sale, Westhampton, Ma

Massive 20,000sqft 2-story horse barn that offers many commercial possibilities for a home-based business or other.  It has 22 box stalls w/mahogany wood & iron doors, hay loft and multiple rooms that can be used for most anything.  How much would this building cost you to construct today?  It is a great value and must be seen!  In addition there is a renovated antique cape, paddock areas, potential magnificent building site w/views, all this on 50 acres. 10 min to Northampton. Great Location!

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3rd Annual Pumpkinfest, Turners Falls, Mass

The third annual Pumpkinfest will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2012 on Avenue A in Turners Falls. The event is FREE to the public. Just bring cash for food, beer, and fun! The event runs from 3-9pm, with FREE shuttling from Turners Falls High School and Sheffield School! 

Costumes are also permitted - and encouraged!

Guests are encouraged to bring carved and painted pumpkins. They can be brought starting at 10am in front of St. Kaz on Avenue A. The other pumpkin station, located on 3rd St, opens at 12pm.  For more information contact Michael Nelson, Event Organizer at michaelnelsonmba@aol.com or 413-522-0712 or visit the Pumpkinfest facebook page.

Drive along the Mohawk Trail, Massachusetts

One thing I like about Facebook is when one of my friends post something about the area that I can share with all of you.  There is a great article about the Mohawk Trail that is in the travel section of New York Times web site that you might find interesting.

I lived on the Mohawk Trail in Charlemont, Mass for all of my childhood and teenage years.   Not only is it beautiful, but offers so many fun things to do like horseback riding, hiking, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing and so much more.   During the fall season, I remember seeing bumper to bumper cars moving slowly along the Mohawk Trail while the tourists take a close look at the brilliant colors.   This is a special time of year and we all need to enjoy nature's most breathtaking landscape.   If you have no plans this weekend, visit my neck of the woods and take a drive along the Mohawk Trail.

Ashfield Fall Festival is this Weekend Ashfield, Ma

The Ashfield Fall Festival is happening this weekend!  If you never been, make the time and come enjoy the festivities.

I am looking forward to walking around, visiting with friends, and shopping for that special piece of artwork to add to my collection.  You will want to save your appetite because the food is fabulous especially fried dough with maple cream! 

There is something to do for whole family including great music and kids games.  The festival takes place up and down Ashfield’s Main Street on October 6-7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – rain or shine. 

For more information check out Ashfield Falls Festival website for list of all the activities and list of over 50 exhibitors.  Look forward to seeing you there!

Single Level Living! Ranch in Greenfield, Mass

Attractive Ranch style home is located in one of Greenfield's most desirable areas.  It has a fabulous over-sized corner lot with large front yard, beautiful mature trees, deck and a pool! The interior has an open kitchen and dining area with stainless steel appliances, large living room w/fireplace and woodstove insert, master bedroom w/full bath, hardwood floors, Buderus heating system and much more!  This one is worth a look! $209,000

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Riverside Blues & BBQ Festival - Greenfield, Mass

Riverside Blues and BBQ Festival is happening October 6 & 7.  Fabulous food, music, beer sampling, vendors, kids activities and so much more!   10:00 to 5:00 both Saturday and Sunday.

Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success, with 18 professional BBQ competitors from all over New England, and approximately 2000 spectators. This year they expanded to a multi-day festival to feature a New England Barbecue Society Grilling Contest, Kansas City Barbeque Society Contest (Official State Championship).

Looking for something fun to do this weekend, come out to the Blues and BBQ Festival.  The weather looks good, so make plans now with your family and friends.