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Desirable Davis Park location! 3 BR, 1 1/2 BA Ranch style home on .5 acres w/lots of updates incl kitchen w/new KraftMaid maple cabinets,new laminate floor in kit, new floors in baths,newer windows & garage doors/openers. New 6 panel interior doors.1756 SF w/1200 SF unfin in basement, bonus room over garage great for expanded living space and/or guest qtrs, cozy fireplaced LR,covered porch, new cedar deck & an AG pool for summer fun. Fenced backyard w/gate to school yard. Move in condition!

Listed by: Kelly Farr, Realtor
CENTURY 21 Advantage

Chief Economist and Senior Vice president of research for the National Association of Realtor’s, Lawrence Yun, was in town recently giving his views of what we can expect for 2010 in the real estate market.

According to him, our market will experience another slight dip in 2010 before it starts making a turn for the better in the back half of the year.
He stated that price declines are coming to an end and that we are beginning to see a stabilization of home values. Additionally, median home values for a single family homes fell 3.8 % from 2008 to 2009 in Chittenden County.

He stated that Vermont was lucky in a sense because we were not hit as hard as most of the rest of the country was.
He stated that federal tax dollars were definitely a big part of the beginning of the recovery and he is hoping by the government extending the first time home buyer credit combined with the additional tax credit for move up buyers will prove to be effective for home sales this first quarter of 2010.

He did note that he felt that interest rates would start to rise this year and should reach the 6% mark this year for the first time in years.
If you would like more information on how to proceed this year, contact me Brian French the real estate man on the street at brian@c21-advantage.com your real estate advantage.

It’s that time of year where the leaves are absolutely spectacular. The temperature has dropped and so have some of the leaves from the trees. We are getting ready for the inevitable. In fact, in the higher elevations we can see snow on the mountains. My daughter has a soccer game this afternoon and it is going to be very cold watching them run around. I think it is actually cold enough to break out my winter jacket. It may look funny because it is only October, but I don’t care. It will keep me from shivering the whole time that I am there. This year has just flown by. My son who is a junior just took his PSATs yesterday. Wow how did that happen. College is only a couple of years away and we have started the information gathering part of the process. Yes the colors are changing in Vermont and so is the color of my hair. If you have any real estate needs, please drop me a line. I would love to hear from you. Brian

Children’s Health Magazine has rated Burlington as the best city in the country to raise a family.  It is no surprise to us who live here. In fact, that is one of the reason so many of us do.  Recently, I was talking to an old high school classmate of mine who told me that he moved back to Vermont from Colorado because it was a great place to raise his kids.

The magazine ranked 100 U.S. cities based on six categories: employment, health, housing, safety, education and family life. The data came from government and non-profit agencies.

So what made Burlington stand out? The magazine said the city’s education system, which has a graduation rate much higher than the national average, and the lack of fast food chains played a big role. Burlington had the fewest fast food chains of any city in the rankings. Detroit came in last.

Burlington was also selected by Business Week Magazine this year as the best city in Vermont to raise children.

Source: WCAX News

 

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  Step inside this beautiful Vermont home in Essex Junction 

It is not often that you get a chance to purchase a home in such a desirable area in such great condition, at such a great price. But this could be your opportunity. This 3 bedroom 2.5 bath home is ideal for the growing family. Wonderful school system in a quiet neighborhood makes this home a unique opportunity. Enjoy the fenced in pool, or the large family room on the first floor. Cathedral ceiling in the living room and finished area in basement that used to be used as a dance studio.  $319,000.

Ok, so now I have your attention. What I am referring to, is for first-time buyers to put a home under deposit and take advantage of the government’s $8,000 tax credit. If you don’t put something under deposit within that time period, you may not have time to get the property financed and closed by December 1st. If you don’t close by that date the offer expires and you have lost out on a wonderful opportunity. So, therefore, the clock is ticking and decisions need to be made. If you need help, just drop me a line. Brian

Recently we have been dealing with a number of short sales in our area which have been draining to say the least. A short sale is when the seller of a property is selling their home for less than what they owe to the bank.  The bank has to approve such a transaction and therein lies the problem. In numerous cases, it takes months for the bank to assign the slowly defaulting loan a negotiator who has authority to negotiate a sale with a new prospective buyer.  Due to the large volume of loans, these companies are handling, the mortgage companies and banks are just over-whelmed and under staffed to handle the workload.  I have seen people make an offer on a property and have to wait four months only to have the bank foreclose on the property and buy it themselves. There seems to be something fundamentally wrong with the system, and because of that, I suggest you have a plan B if you are trying to buy a short sale property. Brian

If you haven’t pulled the trigger on purchasing your first home and take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit, the clock is ticking. Unless they extend the deadline, which I don’t think they will, you have until December 1st to close on your first home in order to be able to take advantage of this golden opportunity. There are not too many times in your life that you are presented an opportunity like this one, so that is why it is important to get out there now and get going. Call your local mortgage professional first and then drop me a line. We can make your dreams come true. Brian

Kelly Farr, Realtor

 

      

Shawn Kelley, Realtor

Kelly and Shawn Sales Associates with CENTURY 21 Advantage in South Burlington, were named the office’s top sales associate in the month of April.

               

We are pleased to recognize Kelly and Shawn with this honor.   Their competitive intelligence, professionalism and dedication to homebuyers and sellers have made them a valued and trusted real estate resource for the Greater Burlington community and a major contributor to the overall success of our office.

If you look in the daily news you will find so many people who are close to having their home foreclosed on or are in the process of it. The economy has had a devastating effect on so many people and we hope that things will turn for the better sooner than later.  With that said, there are things you can do to assure that you will not lose your most prized possesion, your home. If you haven’t already, start an emergency savings plan. Deduct 10-20% of your income before you pay all your bills and put it in a separate savings account. If you can’t do this much, start with the smallest amount possible. Reduce your credit card debt. Credit card debt is one of the biggest reasons why people can not afford to get ahead. If you can’t pay off your credit card bill with what you are charging in the next month, then find a way to go without unless it affects your health or well being. There are lots of ways to save money on things that we think we need, but really don’t. Priortitize your life. Be a coupon shopper and don’t pay full price for anything. Take your lunch to work with your leftovers from the night before. Car pool if possible. Turn down your heat and shut off your lights when you leave a room. There are lots of ways to save money if you really stop and think of what is truly important. If you have your health, a loving family and a roof over your head, how much more do you really need to be happy.