Hidden Cost to Homeownership

You saved all your money for a down payment on a house and calculated the costs of the mortgage but wait just a minute…owning a home also comes with several hidden costs. Those costs can add up. So before you buy your home, here are additional home-related expenses you’ll want to include in your budgeting:

Real Estate Taxes – Often your real estate taxes are included in your monthly mortgage payment but in some instances you may pay them directly. The amount of taxes you pay varies depending on the value of your home’s and the tax rate in your community.

Private Mortgage Insurance – Your monthly mortgage payment may also include PMI (private mortgage insurance). Lenders typically charge a PMI if your loan exceeds 80 percent of the sales price.

Homeowners Insurance – Most banks require that you hold homeowners insurance. Homeowner’s insurance protects from damage to the home from things like fire, theft or weather. Just because you have insurance doesn’t mean there are no costs to you remember to set aside your deductible.


While owning a home does have hidden costs the gain of homeownership is always more than the cost.  Contact your Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Agent today for a detailed look at homeownership.

Market Watch for Franklin & Hampshire Counties

The table below is a quick look at single family sales in Franklin & Hampshire Counties for October 14th-November 14th.  This is a good example of the activity we have seen for the past several months.  With 415 single family homes on the market in Franklin County and 667 homes in Hampshire County, supply appears to be holding steady.  Interest rates continue to remain low and with that in mind, this may be the right time for you to consider your next move.  Call one of our Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont REALTORS to see how we can help you fulfill your home ownership goals.

 To see Single-Family Homes in Franklin County, MA click HERE.

To see Single-Family Homes in Hampshire County, MA click HERE.

Happy 4th of July!

In the Market for a VACATION HOME?

A summer home away from home can be a relaxing way to escape from the daily grind and enjoy quality time with friends and family. A vacation home is a large investment and some individuals may be on the fence about buying a home strictly for summer or winter seasons. However, there can be several pros to making a purchase, and taking several financial and personal factors into consideration may help consumers make the right decision for them. . . . . Read more.

Check out these Lake Properties 

6 Lake Drive
Goshen, Massachusetts

116 Taylor Brook Road
Heath, Massachusetts

178 Buckland Road
Ashfield, Massachusetts

23 Pelham Drive
Rowe, Massachusetts

Happy Mother's Day

Houselogic presents "Which TV Mom Are You?"   Evaluate your Mothering skills against TV Mom's like June Cleaver to Bree on Desperate Housewives.  Do you see yourself in those TV moms? Which one are you most like?  Enjoy your Mother's Day!

Community Events in Franklin County

Walk For Meals on Wheels - Saturday, May 5th
The Annual FCHCC Walk for Meals on Wheels at Franklin County Technical School track (82 Industrial Blvd, Turners Falls). Call 413-773-5555 or go to thewalk@info@fchcc.org for more. 

Kids Bike Tune Up - Saturday, May 5th
Kids get your bike tuned up for free at the annual Shelburne Falls Kiwanis Bicycle Rodeo May 5th 9:00-NOON free helmets, bicycle safety course and fun Held At Buckland Shelburne Elementary School 75 Mechanic Street Shelburne Falls

Vacation Home Real Estate Market on the Rise!

Budge Huskey, president and chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker Real estate, appeared last night on Fox Business News. Budge explained how the increase in interest of second homes is a good sign of a rebounding housing market.


Call a Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Agent today, we host a great 2nd home market right here in the Berkshire foothills.

Race Enthusiast Head to Charlemont, MA

The First Annual Berkshire Highlands Pentathlon
Congratulations to the Winners of this year's Pentathlon... looks like everyone involved had a great time.  The word is they are already gearing up for next years event.  Start preparing your teams!





Our own Phil Pless participated in the event on the The West County Old Stars Team. They took 1st place in their division and placed 3rd overall! "Everyone is eager to improve next year."  

REALTORS Helping Homeowners

"Doing what we can to help homeowners, says Brian Sears member of the REALTOR Association of Pioneer Valley."

Trees are still being planted in tornado damaged areas: wwlp.com

Community Events

SATURDAY IS A BIG DAY 
IN WESTERN MASS.

Berkshire Highlands Penthathlon
March 31st, 2012 in Charlemont, MA
Events begin at 10am at Berkshire East Ski Resort


Bring the whole family, fun event!

Shelburne Falls Area Business Association
16th Annual Auction is Saturday Night
Shelburne-Buckland Community Center
Main Street, Shelburne Falls, MA

Over 100 items to be auctioned

$20.00 per ticket

Call 413.625.2526 to reserve your ticket TODAY!

Housing Market Recovering? Good Question!

Coldwell Banker sees signs of housing recovery.  Fox Business News interviewed Budge Huskey and discussed the outlook of the housing market and the signs of recovery. 

Keeping up with the news on the housing market you have to ask yourself, what are we looking for that will tell us the market is recovering?  In the confusion of all the numbers presently shared by professionals, which one will tell us if the housing market is turning around? 

". . . higher prices won't be the sign that tells us there's a real recovery under way. Rather, the recent pick-up in sales is what we should pay attention to."  Read more  . . . 

Turners Falls Sports Boosters Annual Fundraiser

Turners Falls Sports Booster Club's

9th Annual Fundraising Event

presents

Saturday Night, May 5th, 2012

French King Entertainment Center

Pasta Stations
DJ Dancing  later with Bobby C

$30.00/pp

Limited Tickets Available (200)

Past Shows Have Sold Out!

Reservations for Groups of 8 or More!

Doors Open at 6pm /  Show at 9pm

Raffle Drawings for Bruins, Red Sox and Patriots items and much, much, more.

Call Sponsors for Tickets

Don Mailloux  
413.665.3771 x104, 413.423.3810, or 413.834.1527 

413.423.3047Cash, Checks or Credit Cards Accepted

Misty Lyons
413.522.2216

Scotty's Convenience Store

413.863.9634

Home & Garden Show

March 22-25, 2012
Eastern States Exposition
West Springfield, MA
413.733.8158
No matter what your age, the "Original" Western Mass Home & Garden Show has fun for the entire family and the opportunity to win lots of prizes. 

WEBSITE

Celebrating their 58th year

Over 350 vendors

Everything for the home and garden 

One of the largest home shows in the country 

Local and national vendors 

Extensive advertising campaign: TV, radio, print and mail 

Two buildings and an outdoor area 

Over 600 booths

Coming Soon! 2012 Income Tax Deadline

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 is the IRS deadline for filing your 2011 Income Taxes. As a homeowner you will find some advantages.  HouseLogic has some great articles for homeowners, reminding us of things to look for and remember.  
                          
Here is a sampling of what you can find:

How to Deduct Your Mortgage Interest & Equity Loan Costs Read more: 

6 Home Deduction Traps and How to Avoid Them Read more:
Did You Sell Your Home After Making Improvements? Read more:
2 Tax Deductions You Won't Get Next Year Read more:

Hampshire County MA - 2012 Property Tax Rates

(Dollar amount is per $1,000 of assess property value).
Information compiled from Mass.gov website.

• Amherst  -  $19.74
  
• Belchertown  -  $16.56
  
• Chesterfield  -  $15.97
  
• Cummington  -  $11.09
  
• Easthampton  -  $13.27
  
• Goshen  -  $13.47
  
• Granby  -  $15.87
  
• Hadley  -  $10.22
  
• Hatfield  -  $10.73
  
• Huntington  -  $15.12
  
• Middlefield  -  $15.78
  
• Northampton  -  $13.35
  
• Pelham  -  $19.64
  
• Plainfield  -  Not published
  
• South Hadley  -  $14.73
  
• Southampton  -  $14.01
  
• Ware  -  $15.89
  
• Westhampton  -  $16.40
  
• Williamsburg  -  $15.49
  
• Worthington  -  $13.69

From Sap to Sugar!

YES! It is the time of year when we see the maple tree taps and head to our local sugarhouses and this year will be no exception.  Your whole family will enjoy this outing from the rural settings to the pancakes and syrup.  Here is a list of some local sugarhouses with websites providing directions and menu's, check them out.

South Face Farm Sugarhouse
Ashfield, MA  website


Williams Sugarhouse
Deerfield, MA  website


High Hopes Sugarhouse
Worthington, MA  website

Pentathlon in West County

Saturday, March 31, 2012


The 1st annul Berkshire Highlands Pentathlon features many of the best outdoor adventures in our area.  The town of Charlemont, MA offers the perfect setting for a Pentathlon with Berkshire East Ski slopes, Deerfield River and the winding roads of West County.
    The 5 Events

1. 10K train run
2. 23 miles of road biking
3. 5 miles of kayaking
4. a mile to the top mountain
5. downhill ski to the finish

Complete information on their website.  Sign up your team or mark you calendar to attend this exciting outdoor team event.

Top Producers Awarded

Award Season in Full-Swing

 

We start our award season this year with the company level awards.  Christine Aubrey, Broker/Owner treated us to a lovely dinner at Alina's Restorante in South Deerfield on February 20^th.  The evening was a wonderful social gathering enjoyed by all.  Congratulations to the following:

 

REALTOR of the Year

Don Mailloux

 

Gold Awards

Mike Packard

Lisa Palumbo

 

Silver Awards

Wanda Mooney

Phil Pless

Gaylor & McGowan

 

Bronze Awards

Maureen Borg (not pictured)

Linda Webster 

Local Market Watch-Looking Good!

MAR (Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®) and the NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) released reports this week expressing confidence in the real estate market.  I pulled some data from our local Multiple Listing Service and my small snap-shot does make me confident our spring market is looking good.

In January 2012 Franklin County (single family/condos) closed properties were down slightly (14.6%) over January 2011, while there was an increase in properties that went under agreement (25.7%).  Hampshire County is showing the same type of movement with closed (single family/condos) properties down in January 2012 (19.8%) with an increase in properties that went under agreement (31.7%).

I took a look at the average sale price for this January over last January and found Franklin County’s average sale price decreased by 14.6% and Hampshire County was down by 19.8%. It may have taken the year to get there but prices are down.

Although recovery is down the road, the increase in properties under agreement in our real estate market shows promise for a good spring.  The better than expected weather this winter have buyers looking.  Yes, this may be your best time to find your new home; great prices, low interest rates and plenty of homes to choose from.

Everyone at Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont REALTORS® looks forward to assisting you with your real estate needs.  Stop by, give us a call or go to our website to see why we are the leading agency in Western Massachusetts.

Related Articles:

JanuaryREALTOR® Market Index Continues Positive Trend to Start Year

Massachusetts Pending Home Sales Up Again in January

Existing-Home Sales Rise Again in January, Inventory Down

Western Massachusetts - Winter Family Activities

Winter Vacation Activities for the Family

Red Gate Farm, Buckland, MA

Fire and Ice!
Saturday, February 25, 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Super special night at the farm. Warm yourself by the bonfire after sledding down the hill under the lights. We will also have a grill and food for dinner, so bring your appetite. Cocoa and s'mores for dessert! You can bring your own sled or borrow one of ours!  All ages welcome. 

Discovery Center, Turners Falls, MA
February 24, 2012 > 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Fourth Friday Story Hour-Owls
Come listen to a wonderful story about Owls, and then stay for a craft activity. This is meant for our very young audience.

Historic Deerfield, Old Deerfield, MA
February 24 & 25, 2012 > 9:30am - 4:30pm
The Flynt Center of Early New England Life with current exhibitions and "The Museum's Attic" gallery. The whole family will enjoy learning about our early settlers.


Eric Carle Museum, Amherst, MA
February 24th > 10am - 5pm & 25th > 12am - 5pm
Your family will enjoy the museum for hours, touring the current exhibits; Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson and The Art of Eric Carle: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse.