Homes for Sale and Market Report for Canton MA - February 2014 Seventeen homes have been listed for sale in Canton MA since the beginning of 2014. An additional 27 homes currently have accepted offers and are listed as either "Contingent" or "Under Agreement" pending signing of the Purchase & Sale Agreements or mortgage financing. (Information is according to the Multiple Listing Service Property Information Network). Althought slightly fewer homes have sold so far this year than during the same time last year (13 compared to 16), the average sales price of $541,923 represents a 5.5% increase.  It's too early to tell what will happen in the 2014 Canton MA real estate market and with homes for sale. With a snow storm almost every week and freezing cold temperatures the real estate market... 03/04/2014

One of the great things about Canton MA schools is that they encourage creativeness in their students through their fantastic performing arts program.  In an age when we find arts programs being cut due to budgetary restrictions, Canton MA schools shine.  This weekend, Canton's Galvin Middle School performs The Sound of Music and they would love to see you in the audience. What: The Sound of MusicWhere: Canton High School Auditorium (900 Washington St, Canton, MA)When: Fri, Feb 28th & Sat, Mar 1st 7pm to 9pm Most of you may already know The Sound of Music from the classic 1965 movie starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.  However, when Canton's Galvin Middle School performs The Sound of Music, you get to experience it in a whole new light.  These kids have been working hard all... 02/27/2014

Another Satisfied Homebuyer: Congratulations to the New Owners of 95 Walpole Street, Canton MA Congratulations to these clients of mine who closed on the purchase of their first home at the end of January.  I am a little late in writing this post!    These home buyers also found me through our ratings on Angie's List.  They first contacted me at the end of November.  Holidays or not, they were ready to get started on their home search.  It was a smart move as the inventory has only gone down since then.   We looked at a number of homes in the Canton, Norwood and Sharon.  I recommended this house that I had actually shown to other clients at the end of the summer.  My other clients were not interested.  The house had gone under agreement - and come back out due to problems with buyer fin... 02/26/2014

It should go without saying....a buyer's agent owes a fiduciary duty to his or her client at all times.  That means that the agent should be acting in his or her client's best interests at all times.  Among other things, the buyers confidential information should remain confidential....until or unless the Buyer authorizes the agent to disclose it. A listng agent or a seller's agent owes the same duty to their seller.   That's why there are some things I generally do not ask a listing agent - among them is "why is the Seller selling the house?"  I don't ask because the answers I get or expect to get range from "It's none of your business" to an outright lie as to why they are selling.  Bottom line, unless the Seller has told their agent to disclose the reason for the sale, then the agent... 02/16/2014

The author Brigitte von Weiss of VON WEISS LAW OFFICE is an Easton MA estate planning and elder law attorney.   Website:  vonweisslaw.com  What happens if the will is older than the marriage?  The Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code (MUPC) became effective as of March 31, 2012.  Before the MUPC, Massachusetts law provided that marriage invalidates a will in its entirety unless "it appears from the will that it was made in contemplation thereof."  Pretty simple and straightforward, right?    Under the new law, things are a bit more complex.  Under section 2-301 of MUPC, if a surviving spouse married the decedent after the decedent executed his or her final will, the surviving spouse receives a intestate share (what he or she would have gotten if no will) EXCEPT that the surviving spouse d... 02/13/2014

The author Brigitte von Weiss of VON WEISS LAW OFFICE is an Easton MA estate planning and elder law attorney.   Website:  vonweisslaw.com Who can be the personal representive (formerly known as executor)? The Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code (MUPC) became effective as of March 31, 2012. Under the MUPC, the person in charge of the estate of a deceased person is called a “personal representative”.  Before the MUPC, we used the terms "executor"--if a person died with a Will--and "administrator"--if a person died without a Will. Whether or not there is a Will, § 3-203(a) of the MUPC has a “priority ladder,” which establishes who has priority to be appointed as the personal representative.  Generally, the order is as follows: (1) the person named in the Will, (2) the surviving spouse who i... 02/08/2014

January is traditionally a slow time in the Canton MA real estate market.  Besides 2013, home sales rarely reach the double digit level during the first month of the calendar year.  Last month was no exception.  In January 2014, a total of six homes were sold in Canton MA.  That's just half of the previous year.  However, as you can see, last year was an anomaly we haven't seen since 2007, when a record 13 homes were sold during the month of January.  The homes sold in January 2014 ranged from a 2 bed/1 bath 813 sq ft Bungalow for $198,000 up to a 4 bed/2.5 bath 2622 sq ft Colonial for $660,000.  These six homes created an average sales price of $412,583, a 20.4% decrease over January 2013. The average days a Canton MA home spent on the market before it sold lessened considerably over t... 02/06/2014

The author Brigitte von Weiss of VON WEISS LAW OFFICE is an estate planning lawyer and elder law attorney in Easton, MA. I am often asked "Should my Will state my wishes regarding my burial and funeral?" The Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code (MUPC) became effective as of March 31, 2012. Before the MUPC, the executor had no authority as to the bodily remains of the decedent.  Under § 3-701 of the MUPC, the named (named in the Will) personal representative has power to carry out the written instructions of the testator pertaining to the disposition of the bodily remains and other arrangements such as funeral and burial, even prior to his or her appointment.     As a side note, "decedent" is the term referring to the person who died, "personal representative" is the MUPC word for executor... 02/05/2014

I am often asked "How does my divorce affect my estate plan?"  The Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code (MUPC) became effective as of March 31, 2012. Before the MUPC, Massachusetts law provided that divorce revoked the provisions in favor of a former spouse in a pre-existing Will (the former spouse was treated as having died first).  The net effect was that former spouse did not inherit directly under the Will and any nominations appointing the former spouse were void.  The prior law was sometimes problematic.  For example, under the old law, the stepchildren potentially could inherit (even though the former spouse did not) since the former spouse was treated as having died first and, consequently, children of the former spouse were entitled to the share of the former spouse.  Also, under... 02/05/2014

Robin Hood - he steals from the rich and gives to the poor.  It's always an appealing story!   Last month I wrote about the JFK Elementary School's production of Mystery at the Museum.  This week, it is time for the Dean S. Luce Elementary School's production of Robin Hood.     While each of the schools does a great job with their plays, the Luce School Play will always hold a special place in my heart because for six years I ran the play as the parent coordinator (a/k/a the producer), working alongside a very talented and dedicated director.  It was definitely a labor of love.  I still fill a bit nostalgic when play time rolls around.  Now I can simply relax in the audience and enjoy the show.   The Luce School Play is a little different from the other two elementary schools in Canton ... 02/04/2014

Website:  vonweisslaw.com The Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code (MUPC) became effective as of March 31, 2012. Before the MUPC, Massachusetts law provided that a child not included in the will (“omitted child”), or their descendant(s) in certain circumstances, may elect (by filing a timely claim) to take an intestate share (what he or she would have gotten if no will), regardless of whether the child was born before or after the execution of the will, unless (1) the omitted child (or their descendant(s) in certain circumstances) was "provided for by the testator during his life time" or (2) "it appears that the omission was intentional and not occasioned by accident or mistake[.]"  M.G.L. c. 191, § 20.  The new law pertaining to an omitted child, §2-302 of the MUPC, applies only to a ch... 01/26/2014

Canton's JFK Elementary Students Perform an Original Play When it comes time for budget cuts in schools, oftentimes, arts programs are the first to go.  Unfortunately, these are considered "fluff" and nonessential.  Luckily, Canton elementary schools and the CAPT (Canton Association of Parents and Teachers) disagree.  In what has become an annual rite of passage for the fifth-graders at Canton's JFK Elementary School, the show must go on.  And this year, there's a twist! What: The Mystery at the MuseumWhere: Canton High School AuditoriumWhen: January 24 & 25, 2014 at 7pm Instead of adapting a work that is already in existence, Canton's JFK Elementary students will be performing an original play this year.  Ms. Barbara Carbone, a 4th grade teacher at JFK and the director of this year's 5... 01/23/2014

Canton MA Real Estate 2013 Year in Review Now that we've welcomed in the new year, I'd like to reflect back on how far the Canton MA real estate market has come in the last year with the Canton MA Real Estate 2013 Year in Review. There were a total of 184 homes sold in Canton MA during 2013.  This is the highest amount on record since 2004, when 189 homes were sold.  In fact, the amount of homes sold in Canton MA continues its steady climb, with the year ending 5% higher than in 2012.  The average sale price for a Canton MA home increased 12% since 2012, when the average was $435,924.  Homes sold in Canton MA during 2013 ranged from a 2 bed/1 bath 912 square foot Cape-style home that sold for $121,000 all the way up to a 5 bed/4.5 bath 4691 square foot Colonial that sold for $1,270,000.... 01/02/2014

Another Satisfied Homebuyer: Congratulations to the New Owners of 95 Sherman Street, Canton, MA  Congratulations to clients who closed right before Christmas on their purchase of a home in Canton MA!   These first time home buyers contacted me during the summer to help them with their home search.  A family of three, plus a mother who lived with them for part of the year, they were ready to buy their first home and move out of the small three-bedroom apartment they all shared..   They were looking for something with more space, close to the commuter rail and preferably walkable to parks, schools and amenities for the mother, who did not drive.  Canton has some nice homes with an "in-town" location but we had a little difficulty finding just the right one at first and were faced with mul... 01/01/2014

Your Christmas Tree looks great....for Christmas...but once New Year's is over you will start to think about what to do with it. Once the holidays have come to an end, people will have taken down their lights and removed the ornaments from their Christmas tree.  The tree now looks a little sad - completely unadorned and more than a little bit dried out.  Where does it go now? If you live in Canton MA, you cannot put the tree out for pickup with your regular trash pickup.  Lawn and yard waste, including Christmas trees (and other live greens) are not allowed in the regular trash.  They must be brought to the Pine Street recycling facility, where they will be composted, like other yard waste.  The recycling facility closed for the season on November 30th but is open for Christmas Tree dis... 12/29/2013

What I Did on My Christmas Vacation in Canton When I was a kid, the first week back at school each year meant that I would inevitably be assigned the task of writing a composition about what I did over the summer vacation.  This was meant to be an easy way to start exercising those mental muscles that had gone lax over the summer break.  Schoolchildren in the Canton area will be heading back to school next Thursday.  Give them something to write about when asked what they did on their Christmas vacation in Canton by trying on one, two or all of the events listed below: Blue Hills Ski & Snowboard Lessons Where: Blue Hills Ski Area Boston (4001 Washington St)When: Dec 27, 28 & 29Contact: (781) 828-5070 Group and private lessons are available.  Don't have equipment?  No problem.  Blue Hill... 12/27/2013

Another Satisfied Homebuyer: Congratulations to the New Owners of 40 Fern Brook Circle, Canton, MA  Congratulations to clients who closed earlier this month on their purchase of a home in Canton MA!   These home buyers contacted me during the summer to help them with their home search.  They were currently living in a duplex with parents - but the parents decided to sell the duplex and these buyers decided to purchase their own home and wanted something with sufficient space to entertain their large family, with space for family and friends to visit and the potential for parents to move in with them in the long-term.   They were hoping for something with an in-law suite or something that could be converted.  We looked at the home at 40 Fern Brook Circle early on in our search.  They wan... 12/22/2013

It's hard to believe but Christmas is less than two short weeks away! Do you need to finish your shopping?  Maybe you want to get into the holiday spirit?  Or perhaps you want some family-friendly holiday activities? You can find it all this weekend at the Village Shoppes in Canton!   Located at "Cobb's Corner" at the intersection of Route 27 and Washington Street in Canton, you can find the Village Shoppes, offering a variety of stores and restaurants for your shopping pleasure.  There's a toy store, Hallmark shop, candy, wine, clothing stores and more.  In addition there are ongoing events to help get you into the holiday spirit: December 14: Ice Carving begins at 1:00 pm December 15: Photos with Santa from 1-4 pm December 22: Horse-drawn Hay Rides from 1-4 pm   Every weekend enjoy li... 12/13/2013

  The Canton MA real estate market continues its steady increase in homes sold for November 2013.  Between November 1st and November 30th, 16 single-family Canton homes were sold between $279,900 and $719,900.  That is a 14% increase over last month's sales figures and a 33% increase from the same time period last year.  That's a significant year-to-year increase. All Canton MA single-family homes sold during the month of November 2013 ranged from a 3 bed/1 bath Colonial for $279,900 to a 4 bed/2 bath Colonial for $719,900, with the average for the month coming in at $458,438.  While this is lower than the $533,529 average from last month, it is 16% higher than the $395,000 average from November 2012.  It is also important to keep in mind that Canton MA homes in November sold for an ave... 12/05/2013

Last weekend students from Canton's Galvin Middle School joined students from Milton High, Mansfield High and Ursuline Academy in a "flash mob".  Check out this inspiring performance!     And what a positive message they are sending...."I'd Like to Teach The World To Sing in Perfect Harmony".  I think we could all use a little more of that.     11/21/2013