One of the best ways to shop for property is by doing it through the Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont REALTORS blog and website. Our website and blog will provide you the most up to date information on homes for sale in your area.  The only thing you need to do is click the search button and decide which of the homes you feel suits your needs. One reason why this site is so effective in helping you find the perfect home is because new updates happen every 15 minutes. You will have the latest information on new listings, price changes, back on markets and open houses.

The best part is that once you begin searching through the lists of homes this site has for sale, you do not have to leave the comfort of your own home. With less stress surrounding you, it becomes easier to begin your search, and this in turn means that you will have the right mindset to find a great piece of property that you can call home.

If you want to keep up to date without searching, you can sign up to receive daily email alerts. The alert will email you every morning with new listings, price changes, back on markets and open houses in your towns and price range. This daily email program allows you to find you the perfect home. In your search you can choose the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you prefer, the area it should be located in, and the overall price range that you are willing to budget for.

And don't forget a Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont AGENT is only a phone call away when you are ready to learn more about the homes you have been searching.

Painting your home for staging purposes is a little different than painting your home for personal pleasure. While your daughter may love having her walls painted Barbie pink, a potential buyer may see this as a distraction. Choosing neutral colors will enable buyers to imagine themselves in your home much easier. And while a fresh coat of paint on your walls may initially seem to be a costly endeavor to undertake, consider that painting your home can increase the value of your home by a few thousand dollars in some cases. Below is a basic guide to what colors you should have in mind if you plan on painting your home for show.

The Kitchen - Kitchens do well with yellows, oranges, and reds. As long as the shade is neutral, these colors will serve to highlight home appliances, kitchen size, and overall comfort. Picking these food-friendly colors will definitely kick your kitchen up a notch.

Bathrooms - Bathrooms, because of their size, are best served by very light colors such as tan or pale yellow. The darker you go, the smaller your bathroom will look. In addition, Light colors will also give a sense of cleanliness to a bathroom. If you happen to have a bathroom that already boasts a robust color due to architecture or tile, then pulling colors from these may be an option. For instance, if you have a tile floor in the bathroom with a blue or red in it, then drawing from these colors and choosing a paler shade for the walls could potentially work for the overall flow of the bathroom.

Bedrooms - Bedrooms should always steer clear of bright colors, but other than that, you can have a bit more freedom here. Things to keep in mind include the color and style of flooring and fixtures, and whether or not your master bedroom has a master bathroom. Be sure to pick colors that compliment each other if so.

Hallways and the rest - Again, you get a bit more freedom here. Salmon-hued paints have a tendency to make people look lively and energized, while beige and blue tones can convey a sense of tranquility and calm. Beige with green tones can be energizing, so it may be something to consider once you reach the living room. Bright reds should probably be avoided in hallways, as they have a tendency to keep people from fully relaxing. This may sound a little crazy, but it's true.

If you are thinking about owning a piece of property to live in while wanting to have an extra section to help pay the bills, then you will find that there is an effective way to do it. Today, many people are considering the idea of buying a multi-family home, because this allows you to have your own space for you and your family while getting extra income from renting the other apartments. Keep in mind that as advantageous as this is, there are a few points that you have to consider.

1.  Keep in mind becoming a landlord will require some extra work. When repairs are needed, or a tenant does not pay the rent it can cause some unwanted worries. This being said it can also be a great way to start off allowing you to live, in some cases, rent free while getting monthly income to help pay down your mortgage.

2.  In choosing the right tenants,  think like you are running a business, as you will be collecting an income from the home you are renting. Take the time to choose the right tenant, a credit check, otherwise you might find yourself in a situation where you will be losing money if your tenant does not pay up at the end of the month. If you are willing to put in the work, purchasing a multi-family home can be a great way to invest.

For more information on purchasing a multi-family contact your Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont REALTOR today.  Our agents are live and work in the Pioneer Valley and look forward to assisting Buyers find just the right home.

To start your search click HERE to see all the multi-families available in Franklin County, MA

To start your search click HERE to sell all the multi-families available in Hampshire County, MA

The weather is colder and you may be thinking about firing up the wood stove or stoking up the fireplace. Before you do that you want to make sure your chimney is in good working order. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends hiring a certified, professional chimney sweep to inspect your chimney.

The CSIA has a list of questions you should ask your chimney sweep before hiring them:

1. How long has the chimney sweeping company been in business? 2. Does the company offer current references? 3. Does the company have unresolved complaints filed within the city or state consumer protection agency or Better Business Bureau? 4. Does the company or individual carry a valid business liability insurance policy to protect your home and furnishings against accidents? 5. Does the company ensure that a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep will be on the job site?

It is important to get your chimney professionally inspected annually. The proper care and maintenance of a chimney can help protect people from unnecessary fires and carbon monoxide poisonings.

The weather is definitely colder but still not too late to plan a beautiful Spring. Bulbs planted this fall, will bloom starting in early spring.  Some of the most popular bulbs that flower in the spring include tulips and daffodils.

Planting bulbs is easy and perfect for the beginner gardener. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Plant in the fall or early winter before the ground freezes and when evening temperatures average between 40° to 50° F.

2. Prepare the planting bed by digging the soil so it's loose and workable.  You may want to add organic matter such as compost or peat moss to the bed.

3. Plant the pointy end of the bulb up.

4. Plant big bulbs about 8" deep and small bulbs about 5" deep.

5. Plant bulbs in clusters. A lone tulip or daffodil can look funny.

6. If you are planting bulbs that bloom at the same time, plant low bulbs in front of high.

So before the temperature falls too low, get out there and enjoy your garden. In about six months your garden will put on a spectacular spring show.

You have decided to sell. But before you put the sign in the yard there are some things you will want to make sure you have done. Time spent doing research and setting the right price will most likely yield you a better return in the end. A home is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it. 

The process can be overwhelming - Where Do I Start?

Your Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont REALTOR has all the resources necessary to help your choose the right listing price for your home.  We list and sell real estate throughout the Pioneer Valley every day.  With our local knowledge and national reach you have all the tools working for you with Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont REALTORS.

Track your neighborhood values

Our REALTORS can track home values right in your neighborhood, find out what homes similar to yours are selling for, so you will have a good idea what your home is worth.

Buyer or seller market

Coldwell Banker | Community Realtors, live and work in Western Mass 365 days a year, they know how to judge whether it's a sellers' market or a buyers' market in your neighborhood. Remember that all real estate is local. You will want to research things like interest rates, home inventory, job forecasts, and even time of year.

Research inventory

How many homes are for sale? If you live in a desirable neighborhood and there aren't many homes for sale, you will have a clear edge here. However, if you see lots of homes on the market and they're not selling very quickly, you might have to reduce the price you had in mind.  Our agents watch the stats on the local market daily, just to be able to help home owners, like your, make some of the most important decisions of your lives.

Call us today, we look forward to helping you reach your real estate dreams!

So. Deerfield: 413-665-3771     .     Shelburne Falls:  413-625-6366

Amherst:  413.461-3650          .          Florence:  413-586-8355   

 

 

Spring is in the air and many homeowners are now gearing up to put their home on the market for sale.   If you are a seller who needs to know what buyers think, then this study by the National Association of Realtors is for you.  Here is just a few highlights from that study which provides detailed insight into the home buyer's experience.

Here are highlights from that report.

• 66% of recent home buyers were married couples--the highest share since 2001.
• For 42% of home buyers, the first step in the home-buying process was looking online for properties. While fourteen percent of home buyers first looked online for information on the complete home buying process.
• The use of the Internet in the home search process rose slightly to 92%.
• The typical home buyer searched for 12 weeks and viewed 10 homes.
• 88%  of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker. This share steadily increased from sixty-nine percent in 2001.
• 88% of sellers were assisted by a real estate agent when selling their home.
• Two-thirds of home sellers only contacted one agent before selecting the one to assist with their home sale.
• The share of home sellers who sold their home without the assistance of a real estate agent was 9%. 40% knew the buyer prior to home purchase.

Coldwell Banker | Community Realtors is highly aware of the conditions of the real estate market and look forward helping you navigate through the process.  Give one of our agents a call today?

 

With Easter coming up soon, there is one decorating job to get done, "Color Easter Eggs".  If you and your family follow this tradition, then this post is for you....

There is a science to making the perfect hard boiled egg. Whether it is for Easter or egg salad, or a protein packed breakfast a hard boiled egg makes a great meal.

1. Put the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan, covered by an inch of cold water.

2. Gently bring the eggs to a boil will help keep them from cracking.

3. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water to keep the egg whites from running out of any eggs that happen to crack while cooking,

4. Add a half teaspoon of salt to help both with the preventing of cracking and making the eggs easier to peel.

5. When the water starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds.

6. Remove the pan from the heat.

7. Cover the pan and let sit for 12 minutes.

8. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them into a bowl of ice water.

9. Eat within 5 days.

10. Enjoy!

If you have a water well in your home or you are considering buying a home with a well there are some things you need to know. When purchasing a home with a well the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends an initial water quality test. The test should include coliform, bacteria, nitrates/nitrites, and pH. Additional recommendations for well testing include arsenic, lead, copper, radon, a gross alpha screen, and volatile organic compounds. While living in the home the well should be tested annually.

If the home has a water treatment system, a test should be done on both the raw water coming into the house before the treatment system and after the water has passed through the treatment system. This will identify contaminants in the water and ensure the treatment system is functioning properly.

If the home is being financed with an FHA or VA loan, the lender will most likely require a well test. The FHA Scan tests for coliform, lead, nitrates and nitrites. Prospective buyers should also hire an independent professional to have the water tested at a state certified lab. For more information on drinking water quality standards, visit EPA's website: www.epa.gov/safewater.

In addition to a well quality water test, the mechanical workings of the water system should also be inspected also known as a quantity test. The pump, pressure tank, water treatment system, condition of the area around the well, and the well's proximity to potential contamination sources will all be examined.

There are currently over 900 million people on Facebook with 526 million daily active users. So why not advertise where people are? It only makes sense to get the maximum exposure when you are trying to sell your home.

Facebook makes this possible in a way that is unique to online marketing and you should expect from your real estate professional that Facebook is part of the marketing plan. Real estate has always been something that online consumers search for from the comfort of their home and now mobile device.

There is a shift in our society to communicating and searching for information online, traditional advertising models may not be as effective as they were in past. Facebook offers the ability to target an audience like never before and the opportunity for your message to go viral or across the internet.

Here are a few Questions & Answers to help you decide who your REALTOR will be:

1. Q:  Do they have a Facebook business page?  A: Yes we do.

2. Q:  What does it look like? Is it professionally designed? The way they market is a reflection of how your home will be marketed.  A:  We would be delighted if you would check out our page - Coldwell Banker | Community Realtors Facebook

3. Q:  Does the Facebook page have a property search?  A:  Yes we do, you are able to search all of the Pioneer Valley right from our Facebook page.

4. Q:  Does the Facebook business page have a way to capture the lead or inquiry?  A:  Yes, All emails from the Facebook search go though our lead generation system to ensure quick response to inquiries.

5. Q:  Will your home be promoted on Facebook with photos, and written descriptions? A: Yes it will, in fact if they click on your address they will obtain complete listing information and that also includes photos.

At Coldwell Banker | Community Realtors our agents are trained to use all the cutting edge services that will sell your home in today market place.  Give your Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Agent today!