North Shore Home & Real Estate Talk

Spring’s Coming To The North Shore. Really.

Tina McManus — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:35:37 +0000

What a week! We, along with much of the North Shore, lost our power in the wet and windy storm last Thursday. From Thursday through Saturday evening we had no electricity and no heat. At least the temperatures weren’t below freezing, but a couple of 40-something degree nights and days, and the cold really started to seep in. Trees, tree limbs, and power lines were down everywhere. Totally unexpected. Thankfully, things seem to be returning to normal for most people.

In March, it seems the world is half-winter, half-spring. The birds think spring is on its way; their singing has become louder and more insistent in recent weeks. Crocuses are poking through the soil. Well, actually, Spring is coming. The official first day of Spring is March 20th, which marks the Vernal Equinox – where the night and day are of approximately the same length. We’ll set our clocks ahead on March 14, when daylight savings time begins (at 2:00 a.m.). Then there’s St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th and, I’m not making this up, Save a Spider Day on March 14th.

Here’s to spring; to longer days, to spring flowers, to singing birds - and to saving spiders!

St. Patrick’s Day activities in Massachusetts.

The Irish Experience at the Phillips House, Salem. March 12 and 13.

Maple Sugaring at Ipswich River, March 15 and 16.

Your House Is Ready For Its Close-Up

Tina McManus — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:27:41 +0000

In preparation for putting a client’s home on the market, I bring in an interior designer who gives tips on de-cluttering and presenting the home to its best advantage. Once the house has been “staged” – and only then – I have a professional photographer shoot pictures. These pictures are then used in a virtual tour, as well as in on-line and print marketing materials. While the photographer is snapping the photos, I’m often out in front of him removing extraneous items from the rooms. Everything shows up in photos and those photos are going to be looked at for the life of the listing; therefore, we don’t want to be highlighting refrigerator magnets, mail on the counter, shoes by the door, the cat-scratch post, etc.. I won’t rush and put a house into Multiple Listing until the home is ready. Once that listing is “turned on” in Multiple Listing, it goes out to all the major real estate websites and is viewed by hundreds of people. When a potential buyer goes on-line to look at your house, what kind of impression do you want to make? One of my Seller clients, who did a great job preparing her house for sale, is now looking for a new home for her family in another state. She was bemoaning the fact that so many of the houses she was looking at on-line were “filled with junk”. Asking, “Don’t the owners realize how bad their houses look?” Since the internet is the place where the majority of buyers nowadays begin their search for a home, make sure that your house isn’t eliminated because of poor presentation. Before you have those pictures taken, pretend your picky mother-in-law is coming to stay and have your house looking spiffy.

Staging Tips From Realtor Magazine

Property Photography That Sells Homes

Cape Ann Animal Aid Needs Your Support

Tina McManus — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:21:35 +0000

Dear Reader,

I am writing this on behalf of my friends at Cape Ann Animal Aid in Gloucester. Although I am now in my ‘forever home”, there are many more homeless pets waiting for their own special someone. The staff and volunteers at the shelter do an amazing job in very cramped and outdated quarters. All my friends would love a little space to play and hang out, brighter rooms, and larger cages. Many more pets like me could be rescued with a larger building. Cape Ann Animal Aid is more than half way to meeting their fundraising goal for a new shelter. The site work is nearly complete and they’re hoping for occupancy in 2010. Won’t you please help?

The Cape Ann Animal Aid Winter Bash & Auction

The New Shelter Project. How to Donate.

A Gain In Home Sales, Prices for Massachusetts In December

Tina McManus — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:18:29 +0000

Some good news for the Massachusetts housing market. Both the number of existing homes sold and the median price of homes sold posted gains in December. The Boston-based Warren Group reported that the median price of a Massachusetts home rose 10.4 percent in December to $295,000. The median price in December 2008 was $267,250.

Much of this gain can be attributed to the effect of the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit which expires the end of June 2010. The figures substantiate the feeling of many North Shore Realtors that the market has been very busy this winter, with full-price and multiple offers commonplace on lower-priced homes.

This is the sixth straight month that the number of home sales have increased in Massachusetts, but the first increase in the monthly median home price year-over-year since September 2007. Will it last? Foreclosures and the loss of jobs continue to hang over the housing market like storm clouds. If we see improvement in these areas, then we may see a housing recovery continue after expiration of the first-time home buyer tax-credit.

Boston.com

Banker & Tradesman

Baby It’s Cold Outside – Energy-Saving Tips For Your Home

Tina McManus — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:05:05 +0000

Last year, National Grid was offering a free energy audit to any customer who heated with gas. So, I decided to schedule one. There was a couple of months’ wait, but finally the day came and I met the “energy advisor” at my house. The entire process took a few hours, with me following the advisor around asking questions. Our house was built in 1992 and is fairly energy-efficient, but there were some tweaks that could be made. The big takeaway from the experience; seal air leaks. In our case, gaps around two attic access doors were allowing air to escape into the attic and out of the house, an unused fireplace chimney was a source of heat loss, as well as uninsulated outlets on our outside walls. I was surprised when the advisor told me that the attic should be roughly the same temperature as outside. It makes sense; if the attic is warm and the air outside is cool, it means that heated air from inside the house is escaping into the attic, and then heating the outdoors.

People tend to think of replacing windows when they think about saving energy, but windows are very expensive and there are many other things you can do to save on heating costs. Make sure your attic is well-insulated. Insulate and seal any attic doors or hatches. Buy insulation for the outlets on your outside walls. Install a programmable thermostat. Add an insulating jacket to your water heater if it is a pre-2004 model. Insulate your hot-water pipes. Seal any leaky joints in ductwork. Chimney “balloons” or “plugs” can stop warm air from escaping up your chimney. Even insulated drapes or energy-saving honeycomb shades can help limit heat loss. Finally, you may want to pay for an energy audit, if you don’t qualify for a free one, to find out where your house is losing heat.

Information on Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credits.

FineHomeBuilding.com and Fine Home Building Magazine are great sources for articles on insulating your home.

Chimneyballoon.us a source for the Chimney Balloon, a draft stopper.

BatticDoor.com offers chimney draft stoppers, insulated attic access door systems, attic stair covers, and clothes dryer vent seals.

North Shore: Winter Wonderland?

Tina McManus — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:29:04 +0000

Remember that first snow fall in December? Everyone was waxing poetic on Twitter and Facebook (including me) about the beauty, the quiet, the peace, etc., etc. of the snow. Now it’s mid-January and today I’m looking out my window in Beverly at six inches of heavy, slushy, wet snow. The only sounds I hear are of neighbors’ snow blowers. I must admit I’m feeling a bit cranky about getting out and shoveling, with my sore back and elbow. While watching the weather last night, I heard that oft-repeated phrase, “in Boston expect 2 to 4 inches, but on the North Shore, snowfall will probably be in the 6 to 8 inch range.” Arrrrrgh!

I’m watching a chickadee, titmouse, and wren huddle in our snow-covered weeping cherry - which makes me feel like I really don’t have so much to complain about. Once I get the shoveling chores done, maybe I’ll enjoy the snow once again. Take care driving, use common sense shoveling, and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate when you’re done for the day.

Here’s to a New North Shore Year

Tina McManus — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:24:23 +0000

Now that the excitement of the holidays is over, we have arguably the two bleakest months of the year to look forward to. I, like countless others, have been taking stock of the past year and making some resolutions for the new one. Last year, the year of the “Great Recession”, was challenging for many of us. It was a year when I joined the North Shore Business Forum and the Beverly Chamber of Commerce and discovered that we have many talented businesspeople right in our own community. It was a year when I tried not to let the little things bother me too much. Spending all day planting Fall bulbs – only to watch the squirrels dig them up and carry them off the next morning. Seeing all of our big, fat tomatoes succumb to blight. Losing the never-ending battle with collie hair. I’m thinking more carefully about what I need versus what I want. So, I’ll hunker down and make the best of the rest of winter. I’ll get outside and look for Bufflehead ducks in the harbor, take short walks with the dog, do a little skiing and snowshoeing with my husband, and wrap myself in a throw and curl up with a good book. Happy New Year!

IceStone – a Sustainable Countertop Material?

Tina McManus — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:24:40 +0000

If you’re looking for a good-looking, contemporary, and greener countertop material, you should read this article about IceStone. One of the newer alternatives to granite and quartz.

stories of sustainability: IceStone

Posted using ShareThis

At the Beverly Main Streets “Santa Shuffle”

Tina McManus — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:46:04 +0000

Sunday at 10:30 a.m., Beverly Main Streets began registration for their first annual Santa Shuffle. A mile run/walk that started out from Balance Training Studio on Rantoul Street and proceeded up School Street, along Cabot, and down Broadway back to the studio. Luckily the rain held off for the event and it was warmer than it has been in recent days. Gretchen Driscoll was kind enough to donate her studio as headquarters and many volunteers worked as Santa’s helpers to decorate, sell raffle tickets, and check in the participants. My husband, dog – Casey, and I walked along with a group of cheerful Beverly residents, including those who brought their dogs along. Carolers sang at the start of the walk, cookies and hot chocolate were sold inside; and when we returned, Santa was there to pose for pictures with the children, and a small orchestra provided lovely music. Prizes were awarded for best costume and the raffle winner was drawn. All in all a merry start to what we hope will be an annual fun event by Beverly Main Streets.

Salem Arts Association Event

Tina McManus — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:12:01 +0000

I’m off to the Open Studio Tour hosted by the Salem Arts Association today (Saturday) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Some of the artists have opened their own personal studios and others are being hosted by downtown businesses. A great time to look for unique Christmas gifts. More information and map here.