Real Estate Information

38 Charles Rd. Townhouse in Winchester, MA $339,000

Wonderful 3BR Townhouse is unique as it is one of the few within the complex. A half bath on the first floor distinguishes this unit from others in the complex.Living room, dining room, and all bedrooms have hardwood floors. The oversized yard provides a wonderful space for a growing family. The lower level offers additional space for expansion should you choose to use it. Come live in Winchester and enjoy the wonderful schools and neighborhood.

http://www.massachusettsvillages.com/sandersen/Posts/3716

or view online at www.northofbostonrealestate.com

Here is a wonderful new Winchester MA listing that has been completly updated

With the recent ½ point mortgage rate decrease, buyers in the Winchester market are actively looking and making offers 

to purchase real estate. In recent months, many potential buyers held back, concerned about rumors of lackluster 

real estate sales. September has really brought activity back to the market, sometimes with multiple offers. 

Timing & pricing are the two key factors sellers must focus on in order to get their homes sold. We explain 

to sellers that you have to sell the house 3 times; 1st to the brokerage community, 2nd to the buyers and 

3rd to the appraisers. If we price the home correctly and get the property on the market at the right time, 

then we see activity within the first 3-5 weeks. Priced incorrectly, or not marketed properly, homes in 

Winchester will see little action. The following is a summary of current Winchester activity.

In the month of September, 15 homes sold in Winchester; the sales price averaged $625K 

and days on the market averaged 111 Days. For the same time period in 2006, Winchester

saw 16 sales with an average price of $616K [average days on market of 96]. September 2007 

turned out to be the 2nd largest production month for The Andersen Team this calendar year. 

This is a strong indicator that there are buyers and sellers ready to act. Timing and pricing 

is critical, but the market in Winchester remains solid.

Fall is here, and along with cooler temps and football games our schedules seem to fill up with activities. Take advantage of this new season to get organized and clutter free! Start by reducing the amount of paper that enters your home and office. Paper clutter comes in many forms such as mail,  newspapers, magazines and flyers.

Mail is probably the biggest contributor to paper clutter,but you can tackle it by sorting through it everyday. The task does not need to be daunting, simply sort the bills from the junk and place any catalogs or magazines in a container. Throw away the junk mail, making sure to shred or tear thoroughly any credit card applications or other items that may put your identity in danger. Then open the bills and file them in a centralized location such as your office in the ‘to do’ file, so you will know to pay them. It only takes a few short minutes a day and if done daily you will not have to deal with a huge stack of mail to sort after a few weeks.

Invest in a simple filing cabinet or folder and then separate files by frequency of use using three simple categories: current, reference and archive. The current files will contain things that are used on a regular basis such as bills and ‘to do’ items. The reference file can contain items that you will only need occasionally such as health insurance policies and contact information such as addresses and phone numbers. Lastly, the archive folder will contain information that is needed long terms such as tax information, receipts and legal documents.

Consider utilizing your computer as a storage source as well. Instead of printing emails and articles create a folder on your hard drive and store them there. The files will be easily accessible and since they are not on paper, they wont get lost or thrown away accidently!
These are just a few pointers to help get you inspired to get organized and reduce clutter. We all have busy lives, but with a few changes and a couple minutes a day, you will see the benefit that comes with being organized and having a clutter free environment.

Everyone knows how important a credit report is to one's overall financial picture, however unfortunately some of the agencies that maintain these reports are often less than 100 percent accurate. Thousands of Americans may have mistakes on their credit reports that they are not aware of and sadly it could cause many problems from loan denial to not getting a job.

Your best bet for getting started in finding and resolving any problems is to review your credit report at least once a year.  You are entitled to one free federally guaranteed credit report per year; you may click this link to get yours online at AnnualCreditReport.com. Once you have your credit report, review it carefully and look for any mistakes. If you do see something that needs to be resolved you have a few options in getting things cleared up.

1. You can attempt to correct and dispute any errors yourself. Contact the credit reporting agency that reported the error and send a letter of dispute. They are required by law to notify other agencies and investigate the error. It is recommended you send this letter via certified mail so you have a record that you sent the letter.

2. Another option is to hire a credit repair agency but do your research first, as there are scams out there. Be sure to ask the agency to provide you a written contract and a 3 day waiting period in case you change your mind. The Credit Repair Organization Act requires agencies to do this as well as provide you with a statement of your rights.

3. Something else to consider is hiring an attorney, they will there for you throughout the entire process and can help fix the problem when sending just a letter does not work. Obtaining a lawyer is a good idea if you find your self encountering legal loopholes or if you are considering a lawsuit. 

Reviewing your credit report as well as your credit score is key, be sure to do this preferably on a regular basis and at least once a year. It is important to make sure all the information is correct so when you do need to have a credit check, it will be accurate. Good credit is valuable and taking a few moments to double check everything will be worthwhile,

 Unless your employer is paying for your relocation, when it comes time to move you have two options, you can hire a moving company or you can move your items yourself.  Both options will cost money but it is possible to avoid paying more than you should by budgeting for those hidden costs that seem to pop up unexpectedly.

The general thought of hiring professionals to handle your move sounds like your least stressful option, but keep in mind it will also cost you more in transportation and labor charges. Most movers that are paid by the hour might not work quite as fast as you’d like and those paid by the job could possibly rush the move to get to their next job that could result in mishandled, damaged property. The best solution to hiring a moving company is to do your research, contact previous customers and check the company out, make sure they are reputable. Almost all companies offer free quotes, so investigate how much the cost will be with at least 5 companies to get an idea of cost, keeping in mind the cheapest may not always be your best bet.

Keep in mind and be prepared for fine-print charges that tend to add up quickly. For example:
A moving company may charge a transportation surcharge if the company compensates its movers for work performed in metropolitan areas where labor rates tend to be higher.  Many companies charge extra for moving heavy items such as piano’s and pool tables.

While these hassles may seem to be avoided by doing the job yourself, there can also be problems associated with this choice. There is the obvious stress and physical labor involved, as well as the time to be taken off from work, time and money spent renting a truck, moving furnishings, driving the truck to a new location and unpacking again.  Keep in mind; if you drop or break an item, it is at your own cost, there is no reimbursement!

Both options have their pros and cons, so the best advice is to do your research and compare the moving costs of hiring professional movers versus doing it yourself.

At one time or another many families face the prospect of moving, and while moving can be very stressful for adults, children also experience the stress along with other emotions. Children can feel scared, angry and excited when they learn they are moving from their familiar surroundings to a strange, unfamiliar home. Here are some helpful hints you can follow to help make the move easier for your children and you!

• Before the actual move talk to you children about what to expect so they have plenty of time to prepare and get used to the idea.

• Check out from the library or purchase an age appropriate book about moving to help them learn about moving in words they can understand.

• If you are moving across town, take your children to visit the new home and explore the new neighborhood.

• If you are moving to a new town or state, do as much research as possible about the area together.

• After you have moved into the new house, attempt to get your children’s rooms together first before other rooms of the house so they have a comfort zone to go to with their familiar items.

• Try to avoid big changes around moving time like toilet training or moving from a crib to a bed.

Keep in mind to be realistic to how you expect your children to transition and adapt to the new home and neighborhood. It may take several weeks for a child to adapt and feel comfortable in their new surroundings. Every child is different so remember to be supportive and focus on the positive things that the new home offers, for instance closer to a park or more kids to play with in the neighborhood.

School is in session, the days are getting shorter and there is that crisp feeling in the air, autumn is right around the corner. Now is the time to do some basic maintenance procedures, your home will last longer, provide better insulation in winter, and provide for low-maintenance solutions later on.

Start with the exterior of the house, examine weather-stripping around doors and determine whether windows or other spaces need caulking.  Be sure to also check the roof, you’ll want to replace any cracked or damaged shingles or roofing pieces, as well as clean gutters and downspouts so that leaves and fall debris don’t block drainage. Inspect your landscaping and determine which plants require a trip indoors to survive the cold season, and don’t forget to prune or cover plants that will remain outside for the winter months.  After you mow the lawn for the final time, service the lawnmower by changing the oil and inspecting the sparkplugs. Also be sure to fertilize your yard with a high phosphorous mixture to promote root growth for a green, healthy yard in the spring. Remember fall is the time to plant flower bulbs such as tulips and daffodils!

For the interior of the house, schedule for your furnace and heating system to be inspected and serviced before the first time you turn it on for the season. Many homeowners find out the hard way that their system is not working properly on that first cold day, be prepared and have it inspected ahead of time. Also take the time to clean heating ducts, registers as well as humidifiers to make sure the air circulating in your home is clean. If you’ve got a fireplace, it’s a good idea to clean and inspect it before using it again as well have your chimney inspected and cleaned. As a general rule, fall is also a good time to replace smoke and fire alarm batteries throughout your home.

By following these simple preventative tips, you will be able to enjoy your autumn and not worry about things when winter comes.  Spring will eventually come and those bulbs you planted will be a welcome sight!