Claudette's Blog

George V. Brown Statue

At the official starting point of the Boston Marathon, on the Common in Hopkinton, MA, George V. Brown stands ready, to signal the start of the annual race. 

Known as Hopkinton's "First Citizen of Sport," he served as the starter for the Boston Marathon for 33 years.  For 11 of those years he also managed the race.  Brown had four sons and three daughters and since 1905, for every year except one, a member of the Brown family has been the starter of the annual race.  George V's grandson, Walter F. Brown, became the starter in 1990 and has continued on in that role. 

As a lifelong Hopkinton resident, (1880 to 1937) George V. Brown played a significant role in the development of many sports in this country as well as internationally.  

He served as Boston Athletic Association Governor, coach, and athletic director.  He was also Boston University's first athletic director and a member of the hockey hall of fame.  

The statue was scupted by Michael Alfano was dedicated to George V. Brown in 2008. 

Spirit of the Marathon Statue

"The Spirit of the Marathon" statue stands at the Mile One market of the Boston Marathon.  The statue celebrates the achievement in 1946 of famed Greek marathoner Stylianos Kyriakides.  The 10-foot high statue was a gift from New Balance to the Hopkinton Athletic Association. 

Kyriakides was the winner of the 50^th Boston Marathon and used his victory to draw attention to the plight of his war and famine-ravaged homeland after World War II. 

Having narrowly escaped execution during the Nazi occupation of Greece, Kyriakides defied all odds by entering the race after his doctors advised him not to.  Emaciated and not having run any races in six years, he triumphed that day by defeating then defending champion, Johnny Kelley. 

Using his victory as a platform, he then went on to serve as an unofficial ambassador for his country, raising money for reconstruction as well as strengthening ties between the United States and Greece. 

Sculpted by Mico Kaufman, the statue is a long-lasting symbol of one of Hopkinton's greatest traditions, The Boston Marathon. 

You can see this Massachusetts Landmark on the winding country road located on a plot which was donated by Weston Nurseries on Route 135, Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

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Copyright 2009 - Claudette Millette, President, TheBuyersCounsel -  800-392-1446, E-mail    

Learn More about Massachusetts Home Buyer Representation - Greater Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts -  Serving Massachusetts Home Buyers Since 1992 

  Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton, Natick, Newton, Northborough, Framingham, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough  

The ever-rising number of foreclosures has created a new term in the real estate lexicon: "foreclosure pets." 

Not only are distressed property owners suffering as they are being forced to vacate their homes but also a growing number of cats and dogs are being left to fend for themselves.  

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that over 1 million pets will be placed for adoption this year alone due to foreclosure.  Families who have left their homes and have entered the rental market often find that with their new landlords, pets are not welcomed. 

This requires distressed homeowners to make difficult choices.  One of them is what to do with the family cat or dog.  Often caring, but stressed-out foreclosure victims struggle to find new families for their animals or they drop them at the nearest animal shelter.  However, this is not the worse fate that can befall the family pet. 

The practice of pet abandonment is becoming more and more prevalent.  Recent reports show that for one in every five foreclosed homes, there is an animal that is being left behind.  It is a sad and growing epidemic.  Neighbors, junk haulers and often Realtors® are arriving at vacant properties only to discover a heartbreaking scene. 

These innocent victims of foreclosure are being left inside the home without food or water and in temperatures that are unsustainable.  The lack of water along with extreme heat or cold can kill an animal within a short time.  And, this type of death is far from painless. 

Some organizations have emerged to help combat the problem of pet abandonment.  One of them is "ForeclosurePets.org."  Founder, Scott Lanz has said that he was compelled to set up the website due to his love for animals. 

The purpose of his website is to connect the pets of distressed homeowners with "foster" or permanent families. The ultimate goal is to provide a free resource nationwide for homeowners to use rather than having to leave their pets high and dry.  

I called Scott today and we talked about the work that he is doing with his organization.  He describes it as a "bridge for homeowners" who are at odds about what to do with their pets.  Through this service distressed homeowners are able to upload photos and descriptions of their pets and draw the attention of people who are willing to serve as foster families for them. 

"We know that people in these situations feel like they have no other options and are heartbroken leaving their loved one behind.  But the good news is that we can help them find temporary shelters in the area for their pets until they get back on their feet or place them in a new home permanently.  There are options!" 

Foreclosure can be a traumatic for everyone involved.  But, a pet is more precious than an old sofa that needs to be discarded.  If you find yourself in this situation, please take the time to make arrangements for your pet to be cared for.

It's the right thing to do. 

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  Copyright 2009 - Claudette Millette, President, TheBuyersCounsel -  800-392-1446, E-mail    

Learn More about Massachusetts Home Buyer Representation - Greater Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts -  Serving Massachusetts Home Buyers Since 1992 

  Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton, Natick, Newton, Northborough, Framingham, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough  

There is a crispness in the air and the weather is changing.  

At 5:19 p.m. on Tuesday, when the sun passes halfway between its summer high point and winter low, autumn will have officially arrived. It's the end of the summer and the beginning of a new season.  

Call it autumn, harvest or fall - there are certain qualities that are unique to this time of the year. 

Change of Temperature 

There is an invigorating rush from the soothing cool air.  Particularly in the morning - It's natures' wake-up call. 

Change of Wardrobe  

Shorts, tee shirts and flip flops have ruled the summer.  They now must make way for woolens and tweeds, jackets and gloves, and, in general - high fashion. 

Football  

With another new season comes a new Super Bowl hope. And, the all-important question - who will be performing in the half-time show?   

Autumn Leaves 

They are just beginning their metamorphosis that will continue over the next few weeks as they transform into a symphony of color.  It's a spectacular show with no charge for admission. 

A Change of Attitude  

Whatever joys, successes and trials the summer has bestowed on you, fall has arrived and delivers with it the freshness of a new season. 

Copyright 2009 - Claudette Millette, President, TheBuyersCounsel -  800-392-1446, E-mail    

Learn More about Massachusetts Home Buyer Representation - Greater Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts -  Serving Massachusetts Home Buyers Since 1992 

  Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton, Natick, Newton, Northborough, Framingham, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough  

The issue of Casino Gambling in Massachusetts has had new life breathed into it this week.

House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo has said that he has "expanded his thinking" and would like to see resort casinos implemented in Massachusetts.  Prior to this he had only supported the idea of slot machines at the state's horse and dog tracks.  

He joins Senate President, Therese Murray who said a speech on Friday that Massachusetts should legalize casinos and specifically capture some of the revenue that is escaping to Connecticut through Foxwoods Casino and the Mohegan Sun. 

At a Chamber of Commerce breakfast, Murray said, "If we are going to approve gaming, we should explore the option of resort-style destination casinos." 

"The reality is that hundreds of millions of dollars are going to Connecticut from Massachusetts residents every year.  We need to explore ways to capture that revenue.  In addition to retaining the revenue, it will create jobs and get people back to work." 

Governor, Deval Patrick, has been in support of this idea for quite some time and his proposal to have three resort casinos licensed was defeated last year only due to the opposition from then House Speaker Sal DiMasi.  

With DiMasi's departure, the issue has shifted dramatically.  It seems no longer to be a question of if we will have casinos in this state - but, when? 

Opponents say that gambling is addictive.  But an equally important question may also be - why now?  

The casinos to the south of us in Connecticut are no longer producing the revenue that they once did and some may even say they are struggling.  The Globe recently reported that Foxwoods, the former success story in the industry, has laid off 6 percent of its workers and has seen revenues from slot machines plunge. 

The gaming industry seems to be hurting at the moment.  So, some may wonder how this proposed plan could help our economy.

The question right now might be - are casinos the safest bet for Massachusetts?

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Copyright 2009 - Claudette Millette, President, TheBuyersCounsel -  800-392-1446, E-mail    

Learn More about Massachusetts Home Buyer Representation - Greater Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts -  Serving Massachusetts Home Buyers Since 1992 

  Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton, Natick, Newton, Northborough, Framingham, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough 

For home buyers in the Greater Boston, Massachusetts area a jumbo loan means one that exceeds $523,750.  Over the past two years, rates on these loans have skyrocketed, effectively putting a damper on this end of the real estate market.  

Home buyers with large mortgages are now getting some relief from huge monthly payments as rates on jumbo loans have started to fall. As lenders have decided that it is now safe to reenter the upscale housing market, rates have fallen to around 6 percent.  This narrows the gap between conventional loans and jumbos to 1 percentage point. 

Housing prices in Greater Boston and other Massachusetts areas force thousands each year to go the jumbo loan route.  And, high interest rates on these loans have seriously affected this segment of the market.  

Guy Cecala, chief executive of Inside Mortgage Finance, an industry newsletter, has said that he is relieved by the drop in interest rates but that they need to drop more in order to have a major impact.  "It's better because it was so terrible before, but we still have a huge way to go, Cecala said. "There are still a lot of borrowers out there who would like to trade up" to more expensive homes.  

Rates on jumbo loans began their steep climb in 2007 when investors were frightened off by the subprime crisis.  These loans are perceived as risky for lenders since they involve large amounts of money and are not backed by the federal government.  

The situation is improving partly due to the fact that a growing number of lenders are feeling more comfortable with keeping these loans in their own portfolios.  The perception is that since the housing market is stabilizing, keeping these loans in house is a safer investment than relying on the stock market. 

Hopefully, this is a sign that the credit market is loosening a bit. 

Buyers in this higher end of the market also have another option to consider known as a conforming jumbo.  This loan was created by Congress last year.  Conforming jumbos cover loans between $417,000 and $523,750 in the Greater Boston area with rates that average around 5.5 percent according to HSH.com and these loans are backed by the government. 

In many of the high-end Massachusetts neighborhoods, the drop in interest has not yet made enough of a difference.  Sellers in these areas are still holding out for prices that still too high in eyes of potential home buyers.    

First time buyers, in particular, need guidance with their purchase to be able to negotiate a lower price and also avoid having to resort to the use of jumbo loans. 

Do you have questions about buying a home in the Metrowest area?  I would love to talk with you. Please feel free to call me at 508-881-6230 - any time or E-mail me. 

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Copyright 2009 - Claudette Millette, Broker, Owner, TheBuyersCounsel

Learn More about Home Buyer Representation - Greater Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts -  Serving Massachusetts Home Buyers Since 1992 

  Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton, Natick, Newton, Northborough, Framingham, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough 

In something I see as an expanding snowball effect, the sentiment for extending the Home Buyer Tax Credit is growing daily.  It is beginning to feel more like fear now that if this snowball is allowed to melt, home sales will fall into a black hole.  

The IRS recently reported that over 1.4 million Americans have claimed the $8,000 first-time home buyer credit to date.  And, it is widely asserted that this program has had a huge hand in helping to stabilize the housing market this year.   

The current credit of $8,000 for first time home buyers has been in effect for sales as of January 2009 and is currently scheduled to end on November 30 of this year.  

So far, it has been available only to those who have not owned homes for three consecutive years prior to purchase.  The home must be a primary residence and income restrictions apply.  Couples can not earn more than $150,000 and individuals qualify if they earn less than $75,000. 

As the clock winds down on this popular incentive, housing industry advocates are worried about the consequences of its expiration - mainly that the headway which has been made could come crashing down and that the market will take a serious downturn when it ends. 

"Just like the Cash-for-Clunkers program, there could be a hangover effect," said Mike Larson, a real estate analyst for Weiss Research.  

Of course, NAR is aggressively pushing Congress to extend the credit until at least the end of next year.  They are also asking for it to become available to all buyers, not just first-timers.  

There have been numerous blog posts and articles dedicated to the pros and cons of the extension and both sides have valid points.  One is that this a huge amount of government spending will eventually catch up with us and we will have to pay dearly in the end.    

The other side is the mounting fear about what will happen when giveaway is over. 

NAHB president, Jerry Howard has said, "If we don't extend and expand the program, the seeds of growth planted could die." 

Senator Johnny Isakson, a former real estate broker, has revisited a bill that he tried to push through last spring to extend the tax credit, making it available to all buyers and to increase the amount to $15,000. 

Others in Congress, Howard Coble of North Carolina and Dan Burton of Indiana (both Republicans, by the way) are also pushing for an extension to the end of 2010 and to open it up to all home buyers. 

There may be two problems that could stand in the way of the extension right now: 

• The White House is not supporting it.  They are not standing in the way but are not pledging to do any work to make it happen, also
• Finding the additional money is going to be tough.  $14 billion has already been allocated to it and this will cost billions more. 

I see this issue as being driven by anxiety on both sides and will be curious to see who will win out and the ensuing effect it will have on the housing market.  

Has the current tax credit program had an impact on you?  Do you have a fear about it coming to an end?

Related Posts:

Extending the $8,000 tax credit

Using the Tax Credit as a Down Payment on a Home

Taking Advantage of the $8000 First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit

Update - the $15,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit Cut from the Stimulus Bill

Do you have questions about buying a home in the Metrowest area?  I would love to talk with you. Please feel free to call me at 508-881-6230 - any time or E-mail me. 

Subscribe to my blog

Copyright 2009 - Claudette Millette, President, TheBuyersCounsel

Learn More about Massachusetts Home Buyer Representation - Greater Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts -  Serving Massachusetts Home Buyers Since 1992 

  Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton, Natick, Newton, Northborough, Framingham, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough 

If you are thinking of having your dream house built in Massachusetts you may be interested in a recent survey by J.D. Power and Associates.  It shows that the quality of new construction seems to be improving.  

Could this be the result of fewer homes being built? 

With a smaller number of home buyers in the market, builders have had to step up their competitiveness.  We have seen this in their pricing, giveaways, special financing and, now, perhaps it has even had a positive affect on their quality.  

With less to do, builders' work may be improving.  Timetables have tightened up as well. In the past, buyers had to wait patiently often past the original delivery dates.  These days there are more new homes that can be bought that are close to or already at completion.    

The percentage of homes delivered complete and on time this year came in at 76% which is up from 2008's number - 70%.  

Back in the housing boom, from the late 1990s through the first half of the 2000s numerous defects were reported in newly constructed homes.  Some problems were due to a shortage of skilled workers and others arose from a lack of high-quality building materials.   This Journal article delves into complications from water seepage, mold, cracked floors, poor window installation as well as other inadequacies suffered. 

Criterium Engineers, a national building inspection firm reported that 17% of newly constructed homes built in 2006 had at least two significant defects.  

On a positive note, insurance companies have now reported that new construction defect claims have gone down significantly which seems to coincide with the decrease in numbers of new homes.  

According to the survey,Pulte Homes,which recently acquired Centex and has become an industry giant, had high marks for its quality.   

Most of the new construction in communities in Greater Boston and Metrowest Massachusetts is done by local builders rather than the big name contenders.  When a client is looking to have a new home built, I  gather up as many references as possible to check on the builder for quality, timeliness and buyer satisfaction. 

When buying a newly constructed home - a builder's reputation for quality is paramount.

Related Articles:

Sales are Up at Luxury Home Builder

Will Home Buyers Buy New Construction Based on a Brand Name?

Do you have questions about buying a home in the Metrowest area?  I would love to talk with you. Please feel free to call me at 508-881-6230 - any time or E-mail me. 

 Subscribe to my blog

Copyright 2009 - Claudette Millette, Broker, Owner, TheBuyersCounsel -  800-392-1446, E-mail    

Learn More about Massachusetts Home Buyer Representation - Greater Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts -  Serving Massachusetts Home Buyers Since 1992 

  Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton, Natick, Newton, Northborough, Framingham, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough