Tri-County, MA Real Estate Blog: July 2009

The Milford Daily News reported today that median single family home prices have increased above $300,000 for the first time since August 2008.

According to figures from The Warren Group, homes in Franklin sold for a median $390,000 in June of 2008 and have now increased to a median of $455,000!  Named number 10 on Fortune Magazine's list of the "100 Best Places to Live and Launch" this increase comes as no surprise. 

Franklin, MA enjoys two commuter rail stops, two exits off of Route 495, is home to many businesses such as Garelick Farms and Putnam Investments, provides great opportunity for shopping and dining, has a wonderful school system and a great sense of community.  It is also home to Dean College.

News that the median home prices have gone up over last year is great news to residents and businesses.  Many have called Franklin their home.  Is it time for you to as well?

Get your veggies on!  It's the time of year again.  Time when mother nature with the help of local farmers supplies us with her bountiful goods.  I've compiled a list of days and times of the farmers' markets in the communities surrounding Bellingham.  Buying directly from farmers not only supports a local industry but supports your health and nutrition as well!

Mondays: Medway, MA 2-6pm Now through Sept. Farmers' Market at Choate Park.  Followed by concerts on the grass!

Wednesday: Framingham, MA 3-6pm Now through Oct 31st.  Farmers' Market at St Tarcisius Church Parking Lot

Thursdays: Grafton, MA 2-6.30pm Now through Oct 22nd.  Farmers' Market in the Grafton Town Common

Fridays: Franklin, MA 12-6pm Now through Oct 30th.  Farmer's Market in the Franklin Town Common

Saturday: Natick, MA 9-1pm Now through Oct.  Farmers' Market in the Natick Town Common

Vacationing around the state?  Check out the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources complete list of Farmer's Markets Here

MDAR- Farmers' Markets

Buy fresh, buy local and happy summer!

Come see this Sun-Splashed townhouse in desirable Bellwood!

This two bedroom one and a half bath unit features an open dining room and living room leading to a spacious private deck.The large master bedroom has his and hers closets, a bay/picture window, and Hollywood style bath.  The kitchen and baths are tiled and the unit has wall to wall carpet in neutral colors throughout. 38 Bellwood Circle is over 1800 square feet of comfortable living and there is a partially finished basement for even more space!  It's being offered for $229,000.

Beautiful Bellwood Townhouse Condominiums in Bellingham, MA is a community of 11 buildings and 100 units a short walk from the Bellingham Town Common.  Well maintained and beautifullly landscaped it is a wonderful place to call home.  Each unit has two bedrooms and one and a half baths and were built in the 1980s.  Set back from Mendon Rd (Route 140), Bellwood Townhouses, are a quiet oasis to return home to.

Steps away from the Bellwood Townhouses, Bellingham Town Common is full of family fun.  There are concerts every Wednesday during the summer, a playground for the kids, a gazebo to sit under, and trails to walk along.  Events are held year round and the common is the pride of Bellingham.

The town of Bellingham offers a great school system, low taxes, easy commuting via 495 and the commuter rail, shopping, dining, and a wonderful sense of community.  Bellwood Townhouses Condominium is just one its many jewels.

The market sucks!   GM is bankrupt!  Companies going out of business!  1 in 5 homeowners underwater! Sale!  Sale!  Sale!

Yay!  The news headlines make everything so exciting!  I am so pumped up!  No really, it's a great time to get into real estate!  I'm going to learn so much!  If I can survive in this market, I can survive anything! (can you taste the sarcasm)?

*sigh*  I've had enough. I'm tired of the glass half empty.  I'm tired of everyone making the best of bad news.  "The first time homeowners tax credit will help all of us."  "Prices are so low, interest rates are low." Buy Buy Buy!  But first time buyers can't afford down payments.  "Saving for a down payment and closing costs is still too great of an obstacle for 82% of house hunters looking to take advantage of the current market," said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth.
http://rismedia.com/2009-07-13/what-are-the-greatest-obstacles-to-homeownership/#ixzz0LIZY3wRT&D

I'm tired of seeing the bad when there is SO MUCH GOODcoming out of this recession.  And it may be hidden in places you might not expect.  For example, for the first time ever my home town of Bellingham, MA is holding free movie nights in the high school football field every other week this summer.  Big deal, you say?  My city does that too.  We're not talking about a city.  We're talking about a bedroom town.  We're talking about a town that has been facing and dealing with major budget cuts and lower home values.  BUT!  Local businesses are sponsoring these movie nights. Giving back to the community.  And that's what I mean when I say these times are good for us.

I can remember as a little girl (when things were tough for my family), my mom would have a grocery budget and add in her head what she was spending as we rode on the back of the cart.  "Why are you putting that back?"  "It's not in the budget," she would say.  I went grocery shopping recently and with the same mentality in mind, put an item back that I wanted to try.  "It's not in the budget."  I said to my two year old.  He's too young to understand, but even at his young age he can still take advantage of all this recession has to offer.  From free movie nights to free concerts to free meals.  Local communities are offering free opportunities to get together.

And that's what I mean when I say these times are good for us.  We're getting together.  We're meeting as communities in ways we haven't done in many years.  We're not so focused on I, me, mine.  We're more focused on us, ours, theirs.  There is always someone less fortunate than you.  When you go through a job loss, a medical emergency, a loss of a home, you understand that.  As a generation Xer I understand that.  I learned from the experiences my baby boomer parents learned from my depression era grandparents.  They prepared us for this time whether they knew it or not.  And we are teaching our children whether we know it or not. My mom didn't know that on every trip to the grocery store she was preparing me for future trips, with her grandson.

Yes, there will still be those who live for themselves only.  Those Gordon Geckos who believe greed is good.  But I can't help in my glass half full mentality (at the moment) to think that we are only going to benefit from this.  We are going to realize how good it feels to help one another.  How good it feels to spend less than we make (for once)!  How good it feels to live our passion and be able to make a living from it.  How good it feels to inspire others.  And more importantly that we are teaching our children and grandchildren to be kind, giving, loving.  To teach them that money isn't everything.  To teach them that making a positive impact on the world and on the people around them is more important than making a positive impact on their wallet.

• Tuesday July 14th and Wednesday July 15th: Regal Cinemas Bellingham Free Family Film Festival. Selected G & PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. On the screen: Wallace and Gromit (G) and Akeelah and The Bee (PG)

• Wednesday July 15th:  Access Bellingham-Mendon Inc.  Concerts on the Grass Series. 7pm Free concert on the common! Rising Tribe (bluegrass & folk)  Kids Activity: 6pm - 7pm  Free Pony Rides

• Wesdesday July 15th: Pick up softball game!  Bellingham Business Association versus Town Employees. High Street Field at 6pm.  Following this event is an after-party with complimentary appetizers sponsored by Uno's.

• Thursday July 16^th Movie Night! Bellingham HS Football Field featuring 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' (PG) FREE ADMISSION Come enjoy this Box Office smash hit for children of all ages on our 20 ft screen! The show begins at 8:30pm and the Concession stand opens at 8:00pm Bring the kids down for the drive-in experience free of charge!! Sponsored by Realty Executives Tri-County, Inc.

• Saturday July 18^th from 10-3. The Bellingham First Baptist Church will once again be hosting a "skate jam" at the skate park located behind Stallbrook Elementary School. Come on down and enjoy all of the skate park apparatus all free of charge!!

Just a few of the ultra cute things Alex has done this week.

He and I visited Kasper Park on Thursday (to read about our experience check out my blog under www.activerain.com/eringolding).  He was climbing up a small rock wall and I kept telling him, climb, climb.  He started saying something over and over again and it took me a second to realize what he was saying. "Suban, suban, suban." (Climb in Spanish)  Thanks Diego!

Yesterday we took a family trip to the Franklin town common for it's Friday afternoon farmer's market.  Jeremy chased after Alex while I bought some squash and garlic.  When I was done and caught up with them Jeremy said, let's go to the gazebo.  Alex ran in front of us singing "Where are we going?  Zebo!  Where are we going?  Zebo!  Where are we going? Zebo!"  Thanks Dora!  (Not sure if I was Boots and if Jeremy was Tico or Benny).

To top it all off.  Kathleen came over to babysit last night while Jeremy and I took advantage of free movie passes and a gift certificate (love free dates).  When we got home Kathleen said that she and Alex had an adventure.  (Oh Geez, what now?)  Kathleen had changed Alex's diaper and went upstairs to get his PJs.  When she came downstairs Alex had his diaper around his ankles and there was a puddle on the floor.  "Pee!" *sigh*  Kathleen asked him if he was done.  "Done!"  I appreciate Alex wanting to be a big kid now, but he really needs to improve his aim.  By about 20 feet!

Being one of the few sunny days we've had this summer, I decided to take my two year old son Alex to the newly built Kasper Park at Silver Lake in my hometown of Bellingham MA.

I've heard a lot of good things from neighbors about this park but I had to give it the Alex test to believe all the hype. We pulled in and immediately a sing song voice from behind me sang "playground, playground." Was it that obvious? Yup! Kaspar Park is THE playground!

With two areas, (one for the 2-5 year old crowd, and one for the 5-12 year old crowd) ingenious play design, slides and swings galore it is a kids paradise!

Far removed from the Silver Lake Park I remember growing up, Kasper Park has brought new life into the once idyllic spot. While pushing Alex on the swing and looking out across the lake, I saw a family of snow white swans gliding across the silver surface. There was an older gentleman sitting on one of the benches facing the lake taking in the glimpses of sun peaking through the clouds. Families were strolling along the beach taking in all that the nature of the lake enviroment had to offer. Sand, cool looking rocks to collect, small fish darting at the shore. And in the background, children in all their shouting, laughing, happy glory.

It is moments like this that make me so proud to call Bellingham my home. It is on this spot that a community came together.

Silver Lake is once again a place that everyone can enjoy, young and old, wild and tame. All the result of a few hard working residents who saw, came and conquered. Raised money, made plans, researched, and built this paradise in Bellingham MA.