Being in over your head financially is a huge burden.  The stress of knowing that you can't make ends meet can take a toll on your body and mind.  Many people are facing mortgage debt that is greater than what their house is currently worth and they think because of this situation they are forced to lose their home, thereby damaging their credit and self esteem.  The message that needs to be brought to these people is that there are OPTIONS.  You are not in this situation alone,  there are thousands of people facing this decision who are just like you.  Because of the encompassing nature of this problem, the lenders are trying to work with the homeowners to find alternatives to foreclosure. I am working with sellers in Westfield, MA and the surrounding areas to help them through this d... 01/13/2009

It is exciting to announce that Park Square Realty, Westfield, MA is once again the top office!  We consistently beat out other "big" offices with up to four times as many agents as we have.  How do we do it?  Hard work, professionalism, dedication to our client's goals and more hard work!   I am proud to be a part of the success of Park Square Realty and pleased to share these statistics with you.  Need to buy or sell real estate in the Westfield, MA area?  Be sure to contact: Lesley Lambert, The Real Estate Natural at Park Square Realty.  413-575-3611  therealestatenatural@yahoo.com   Park Square Westfield Office was #1 for sales volume and transactions in the Westfield Area.Park Square Feeding Hills Office was #1 for sales volume and transactions in the Agawam & Feeding Hills Area.Pa... 01/08/2009

I don't think I am too different than many folks when I state that 2008 was a monumentally tough year.  It was hard on me emotionally on both business and personal levels and most of my clients, friends and family members have expressed the same.  Having spent much time picking myself back up after repetitive knock downs, I can find myself losing the energy to get up.  It is easy to get wrapped up in one's own personal crisis du jour and to forget that everyone has problems and many of them are far more impacting than your own.  This story is about a person who has a problem more significant than anything I can imagine, but he didn't stay down.  He never gives up and in fact, he goes forth and tells everyone that they shouldn't allow themselves that failure either.  I have never met thi... 01/06/2009

Ok, so you caught me, this post has absolutely nothing to do with real estate (other than it is a realtor who is posting it :p )!  However, I was chatting with some tweeps on twitter today and mentioned that I was making risotto for dinner.  I had shown houses all day long in the cold Western Massachusetts winter weather and was ready for a hearty and warm meal.   A fellow realtor @kathy_jackson asked for the recipe and it got me to thinking that I don't HAVE a recipe. I told her I would try to write it out for her and so here it goes!  Now for those of you who have never had risotto, it is the most lovely of winter side dishes (or main dish sometimes) and is creamy, savory and delicious!  You can flavor it a million different ways and once you get the hang of the basic recipe it is a l... 01/04/2009

Are you waiting until Spring to sell your house in Westfield, MA or elsewhere?  Let me tell you wy this is a BAD IDEA: #1 The rates haven't been this good for years and it isn't expected to last for long.  The buyers are looking to get into a home before the rates go up. Visit here for more mortgage information from a Western Ma based lender. #2 The real estate market "IS" busier in the Spring, but that isn't a good thing for sellers.  There are a lot more homes for sale, which means more competition for you.  This time of year you have a better chance of being the best home available. If you are unsure of the value of your home visit here. #3 Buyers who are buying in the winter are serious buyers who have a real interest or need to move right away.  These buyers are ready to make an o... 12/23/2008

  WHAT IS MORTGAGE INSURANCE AND WHY DO I NEED IT? Private mortgage insurance and government mortgage insurance protect the lender against default and enable the lender to make a loan which the lender considers a higher risk.  Lenders often require mortgage insurance for loans where the down payment is less than 20% of the sales price.  You may be billed monthly, annually, by an initial lump sum, or some combination of these practices for your mortgage insurance premium.  Ask your lender if mortgage insurance is required and how much it will cost.  Mortgage insurance should not be confused with mortgage life, credit life or disability insurance, which are designed to pay off a mortgage in the event of the borrower's death or disability. You may also be offered "lender paid" mortgage ins... 12/19/2008

  USEFUL INFORMATION TO PROTECT YOU!!! Selecting an attorney is a very important, unavoidable decision. Before you sign an agreement of sale, you might consider asking an attorney to look it over and tell you if it protects your interests.  If you have already signed your agreement of sale, you might still consider having an attorney review.   An attorney can help you prepare for the settlement.  In some areas attorneys act as settlement/closing agents or as escrow agents to handle the settlement.  AN ATTORNEY WHO DOES THIS WILL NOT SOLELY REPRESENT YOUR INTEREST, SINCE, AS SETTLEMENT CLOSING AGENT, HE OR SHE MAY ALSO BE REPRESENTING THE SELLER, THE LENDER AND OTHERS AS WELL. If choosing an attorney, you should shop around and ask what services will be performed for what fee.  Find out ... 12/18/2008

  BE CAREFUL... REAL ESTATE AGENTS ARE NOT INSPECTORS Real Estate agent are not trained to find structural, electrical, plumbing, septic and other problems with a home or land and do not guarantee the condition of property they sell.  In gereral, agents have no duty to inspect a property for defects and have no duty to verify information received from seller, municipal departments or other reputable sources.  Naturally, real estate agent may not "knowingly (make) any substantial misrepresentation.  Agents have no liability for innocently passing along to buyers information from reputable sources, even if it is later determined to be inaccurate.  Agents who provide buyers with names of lawyers, accountants or other professionals do not guarantee the accuracy of the reports of thos profes... 12/18/2008

I sat down and watched my all time favorite classic Christmas movie: Santa Claus is Coming to Town with my daughters the other night.  While enjoyable for all the normal reasons, I was reminded of a very important lesson while enjoying a song.  Here are the lyrics to the song: "Put one foot in front of the otherAnd soon you'll be walking cross the floorPut one foot in front of the otherAnd soon you'll be walking out the doorYou never will get where you're goingIf you never get up on your feetCome on, there's a good tail wind blowingA fast walking man is hard to beatPut one foot in front of the otherAnd soon you'll be walking cross the floorPut one foot in front of the otherAnd soon you'll be walking out the doorIf you want to change your directionIf your time of life is at handWell don... 12/03/2008

Confession time.  I have been a REALTOR for 20 years in Westfield, MA.  I have a background in training and management and ran a real estate company for over a decade.  I was the recipient of awards from an international real estate franchise and did motivational speaking and training for them for several years.  I hosted a real estate television show.  I was fearless...until it came to knocking on doors. Latent fears are strange and usually make no sense.  I can recall making my younger sister do the door knocking when we were selling girl scout cookies.  I have never been able to comprehend what I was afraid of, just acknowledged that the mere thought of knocking on a strangers door made me slightly ill. Worse than the fear was the knowledge that I was being a hypocrite.  I would stan... 12/02/2008

  As I meet with clients these days the #1 question is "What about all the news about the plummeting home values?"  It is with pleasure and certainty that I am able to reassure people with real estate in Westfield, MA that the news isn't as bad for us as it is for people in other areas of the country. Here are the stats: Westfield, MA Average Sales Price in 2008 = $225,560 Westfield, MA Average Sales Price in 2005 = $241,015 Percentage of downward change from 2005 to 2008 = 6.4% That's right...while other areas in our country are suffering with up to 50% drop in value, we are experiencing a much milder adjustment in Westfield, MA.  So, if you were thinking about making a move and were unsure as to what has happened to your property value, this is some reassurance.  As a real estate agen... 11/18/2008

I have recently been doing a lot of research and testing with SEO and trying to gain ownership of area search phrases, such as "realtor, Westfield, MA"   I am a total newbie, but I have been spending a lot of time educating myself here on activerain.  While searching for my company's name, Park Square Realty, I came across www.merchantcircle.com and decided to try adding myself to their directory.  I created a profile for myself in Westfield, Massachusetts and within one day I had another listing on the first page of google...too easy! Visit my profile to see how it works...we can add each other as connections for referral potential, too!     11/17/2008

STONY HILL CONDOMINIUMS, WESTFIELD, MA     I thought you might be curious to know what the market activity has been in our development over the past year. If you or someone you know is thinking of making a move, I can provide the professional help needed.  Just call 575-3611. The following report will show you all of the activity since October 2007.   Condominium Active Listings    MLS # Status Address Town   Rms   Br   Bth   Style   Garage List Date DOM   List Price     70814914 ACT 419 Southwick Road U:H37 Westfield, MA 5 2 1/1 Townhouse 1 Attached 9/3/2008 35 $209,900                                                                                                         70752080 ACT 419 Southwick Rd U:A3 Westfield, MA 5 2 1/1 Townhouse 1 Attached 4/28/2008 163 $219,500              ... 10/08/2008

Westfield, MA is the home of this downtown gem of a historic garden.  Restored through the fundraising, hard work and dedication of concerned citizens (like myself), the garden is a joy.  For more information on the history of the garden click here: http://www.grandmothersgarden.org/history.htm As a continuing fundraising effort the Friends of Grandmothers' Garden hosts an annual garden tour which is always a huge hit. Be certain to save some time to enjoy all of these lovely gardens! The Tenth Annual Grandmothers' Garden Tour will be held Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29, 2008. This year's tour, "Garden Treasures",A 10th Anniversary Celebration, will feature local private gardens, and, of course, our own Grandmothers' Garden. In addition to the tour, on Friday June 27, one very s... 06/27/2008

The Best of Years, The   Worst of YearsWow, has it been one heck of a ride since a year ago April. Last spring I was less than six months back into my real estate career after a 3 year maternity leave. I had been managing a company for over a decade and would now be "back in the trenches" as an agent. Things were going well, business was building and commissions were slated to come in. Just then, my husband announced he wanted a divorce and left immediately. To make matters worse, when I went to pay mortgages, I discovered that both my primary home and rental property were in pre-foreclosure. Thus began the struggle. All commissions went to saving the properties. All available hours went towards earning commissions. The houses went on the market and I started packing. Here I am a year l... 04/24/2008

So, I finally got my own home in Westfield, MA sold, the cooperating agent is totally terrific, the buyers love the house and can't wait to get in...now the only thing left is for me to get OUT!PODS to the rescue!  After researching the moving options in Western Massachusetts I order up the largest storage unit PODS offers and start loading it up.  How excellent to not have to hustle everything out the door at once.  Things are looking good until I find out that I cannot move to my new residence across Westfield until two weeks after the closing on my home....ahhh the joys of moving!  So, now what?  Well...my children and I can go stay with my mother and thank goodness I have a pod and not a truck because I can get the pod moved to my mother's driveway.  Off my POD goes and whoever inve... 04/22/2008

Another Affiliate comes on board to help homeowners in Massachusetts save on their energy bills! We would like to Welcome The Energy Doctors of Western Massachusetts. Located in Westfield t will be providing Home Energy Audits to the western Massachusetts area.At The Energy Doctors, we are dedicated to providing homeowners, homebuyers, and businesses with unbiased and accurate information regarding the energy efficiency of their home or office. With today's soaring energy costs, it just makes sense to inspect your home or business for energy problems such as missing insulation, hidden water damage, doors and windows that leak energy (and money), so that you can then fix those areas that will be most cost efficient. You wouldn't buy a car with out a test drive, you should not buy a home ... 04/01/2008

  The Home Buyer's Guide to CreditA tutorial on credit reports and credit scores, created specifically for home buyers. Brought to you by the Credit Center at HomeBuyingInstitute.com.Table of Contents1 - What is Credit?2 - Credit and Home Buying3 - Your Credit Report4 - Your Credit Scores5 - What is a Good Score?6 - Improving a Credit Score7 - Bad Credit Home Buying8 - Recommended ResourcesIn this guide, we will eventually discuss the strong connection between credit and home buying. We will also talk about what constitutes a good credit score, and how you can maintain one. But let's start with the basics by defining what credit is in the first place.What is Credit?Back to topIn home buying and mortgage terms, "credit" usually refers to your credit score (which, in turn, is derived from... 03/20/2008

Those of us in the Northeast look to spring in a reverent, inspiring way.  We trudge through the snow, slush, mud and endure the cold, rain and snow with the promise of better weather on the horizon.  Western Massachusetts is gearing up for Spring with lots of fun events for everyone...get on your glad rags and head out!Mayor Boulanger of Westfield, Massachusetts will host the annual Mayor's Easter Egg Hunt at the Westfield Boy's and Girl's Club.  Easter Egg Hunt Westfield on Weekends is a terrific organization that specializes in planning social events in the heart of Westfield, MA. WinterGreen Days a restaurant and pub tour on April 5, 2008.  The wearing of the green is a month long celebration in Western Massachusetts with Holyoke hosting the place to be on the final weekend of the m... 03/19/2008