Last night’s episode of The Bachelor was filmed in Switzerland, which is the last stop on this season’s journey to the Bachelor finale. The evening begins with Ben saying that he is starting to fall in love with all three ladies – Nicki, Lindzi and Courtney.  He goes on by admitting that he has a difficult decision ahead, namely who to send home.  Ben has one-on-one dates – including the potential for an overnight component should the lady concur – with each of the three women.  Here’s a brief recap of what happened on the three dates:

Date with Nicki – their date starts with a helicopter ride through the mountains and glaciers of the Alps ultimately bringing them to a highly-elevated picnic lunch location. I just have to say that while in the helicopter with the earphones on, Nicki and Ben almost look like brother and sister, which to me is the writing on the wall for this couple, but I digress….  Back to the date – Ben says their relationship is “getting to new heights, but at the same time, it’s grounded.” Then later he attests, “Spending the day with Nicki, I always feel like I have a smile on my face…. Every time I see Nicki, I have a better time than the last. Those are really good signs.” Meanwhile, Nicki admits that it’s been so long since she’s recognized being in love. And of course, she readily accepts Ben’s invitation to spend the night together.  And with that, they go to the suite and very soon thereafter into the hot tub, which is a recurring prop/activity throughout all of these dates.

Date with Lindzi – Ben has an “adrenaline” date planned for Lindzi in Interlaken, which according to Ben is the extreme sports capital of Europe. The first part of their date involves repelling 300 feet off a ledge into a gorge. Both are scared as they don’t like heights, but they feel it should be a bonding experience for them.  And despite her fear of repelling, Lindzi actually admits to us, “I think I’m more scared to tell Ben that I love him.”  Thankfully, it all goes well, and the two end up in a hot tub followed by dinner at the Victoria–Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa. Lindzi also says yes to the overnight date, tells us that there’s “nowhere else I’d rather be in the world than here with Ben,” and confesses that she likes where this is going. Ben agrees and remarks that this is the “most vulnerable I’ve ever seen her…. I see myself with her for the rest of my life. I do.”

Date with Courtney – Ben and Courtney are taking a train ride to Wengen as part of their date, and once there, they will explore the town. Prior to seeing her, he confides to us that ”what worries me [about Courtney] is how she’s treated the other women.”  After shopping for a picnic lunch, Courtney has some reflective moments and explains to us, “I’m so happy I hung in there because it’s been a really long journey….  It was tough for me at times. Looking back, I feel bad for treating the girls the way that I have…. I hope it doesn’t get in the way of what could be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” Ben later tells her that it’s been hard for him to hear the negative comments from the other women, which results in Courtney rising to the occasion and admitting that she made mistakes and didn’t handle the situation with the other women well at times.  That’s all Ben needs to hear, illustrating he is still so blind to Courtney.  He totally lets her off the hook and tells us, “It’s a weight off my shoulders hearing Courtney apologize for the way that she’s handled herself toward these other women because I was having huge doubts and concerns in this relationship if I didn’t hear it [an apology] from her….  I feel like we’re  good and moving forward.”  And yes, Courtney agrees to the overnight, and they subsequently kiss and luxuriate in the hot tub….

Kacie B.’s Comeback - Ben was not expecting that Kacie would venture to Switzerland and pay him a visit.  But she does – she wants to understand why he eliminated her as she didn’t see it coming at all.  Ben explains that he felt like they were worlds apart with very different backgrounds and that he therefore probably couldn’t have given her what she needed. Kacie appreciates the answers though they don’t make her feel any better. She then goes on to say, “Because I do love you and I do care about you, I don’t want to see you get your heart broken again.  And I feel like…if you were to choose Courtney, you would get your heart broken…  I’ve watched her for a while…it seems like she’s in this to win it.” After hearing what Kacie B. says about Courtney, Ben goes into a bit of tale spin wondering, “Do I really like this woman or am I being played? I don’t know what to do.”

The Rose Ceremony – Ben hems and haws, but we all know who will be the one to be eliminated – Nicki. And even Nicki says upon exiting that she hopes he is making the right decision.  Everyone knows but Ben.  And honestly, he probably does know on some level.  But he’s choosing to ignore what his voice of reason is telling him deep down.  As I said last week, he’s made his bed, now he needs to lie in it.  I’ve resigned myself to what I think the finale will bring….

But I’m jumping ahead.  Before Ben makes his ultimate decision on March 12, tune in with me next Monday on ABC to see “The Women Tell All.” It should be interesting.  I even hear Courtney makes an appearance, which could be cause for fireworks. What do you think of Courtney?  Is she in love with Ben or just “in this to win it.”  And will she receive Ben’s final rose? I think I’ve tipped my hand, but I can’t wait to hear your thoughts….

I’m so curious to hear your thoughts…. What did you think of last night’s 84th Academy Awards Ceremony, a.k.a the 2012 Oscars?  And even more, what did you think of the fashion choices?  This year, I decided to do it a bit differently.  Because there were so many fabulous dresses, I put five into the “Best Dressed” category instead of just one.  And instead of calling it “Worst Dressed,” I heard the ladies on The Talk refer to it as, “Could Have Done Better,” and I think that’s a perfect way to say it.  There are five “Could Have Done Better” as well.

Before I get started, “Best Dressed” to me is the whole enchilada.  It’s not just how the dress fits and looks; it’s the way the body type, skin color, hair, jewelry and any other accessories (i.e., cape, purse/clutch, date for the evening) complements or enhances the woman’s look.  Similarly “Could Have Done Better” alludes to the entire look of the person. So anyway, the kids and I voted, and here are our choices…..

Another which do you prefer question – which I just love.  They’re a great way to get your opinion and preferences, therefore also getting valuable insight into your minds and the trends of today (a.k.a. consumers/buyers).  As you can probably guess, this question really applies to those of you who own homes with second floors and can make a choice about where to locate your master bedroom. So in other words, we’re basically talking about colonials, capes, multi-levels and often contemporaries too. Even if you’ve bought a home and inherited a master bedroom that is not on your level of preference, with these types of homes, you can often make changes to the floor plan and room sizes and relocate the master to the floor of your choice. But those of you who own ranches don’t have much say in the matter; your master bedroom is generally on the first floor.

So back to the question at hand…. Which is your preference – having your master bedroom on the first or second floor?  In my humble opinion, the answer to this question probably depends on where are you are in the course of your life.  Are you single, a couple without children, a family with young or older children, an empty nester – the list of possibilities is endless?!  For those who are single, don’t have children or have older children, the preference for a master bedroom on the first floor or second floor is probably not earth-shattering – there is some flexibility there.  Though once the children come, and especially when they are young, parents seem to have a strong preference to all be on the same floor.  This generally means the second floor since that is where the bedrooms are traditionally located in a home with two stories.  On the other hand, when the children have moved out of the house and the parents are getting older and are having a harder time navigating stairs, the preference seems to be hands-down for a first-floor master bedroom (and as an aside, a garage on that same level as well).

From a re-sale perspective, the best way to look at this is what appeals to most buyers therefore increasing the number of buyers or buyer pool. And the predominance of buyers – at least in our neck of the woods in Weston, MA, Wellesley, MA and surrounding towns – are families with children.  And so what appeals most to these families are homes with bedrooms all on one floor, traditionally the second floor.  As mentioned above, families with older children are often willing to have their master bedroom on the first floor while their children are on the second floor or the lower level, but some are not willing to be separated.  It’s like the Venn diagram we learned about when we were young – the largest intersection of buyer preferences is for the master bedroom to be on the second floor with all of the other bedrooms.  Once you have bedrooms on different levels, buyers may have to make concessions about their preferences, which can result in their discounting the house and finding it less appealing.

These are my thoughts from a general perspective.  I know there are many other opinions about the ideal location for a master bedroom.  What are your thoughts?  Do you love having all of the bedrooms on the second floor or do you prefer having your master bedroom on the first floor thus having some separation from the kids or from the other bedrooms?  I can’t wait to hear….

Before even getting into last night’s Bachelor episode with the final four ladies and their hometown dates, I have to begin with the Courtney Spoof on YouTube….  This has brought me so many smiles and laughs out loud that it has actually made the pain of Courtney’s progression toward the Bachelor finale a bit easier.  I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this as well. Does it make you LOL too?

And now back to last night’s less scintillating hometown dates (which I will keep short and sweet):

Visiting Lindzi in Ocala, FL

According to Lindzi, this is horse country.  Ben meets Lindzi’s parents, who challenge the couple to a carriage race and end up winning.  Lindzi confides that Ben is only the second man she has brought home to meet her parents, and the first one broke her heart. Lindzi hasn’t had a lot of dating experience; her parents kept her busy with horses. Ben thinks her parents are “salt of the earth.”  He says he wouldn’t change anything about the day – it was wonderful.

Visiting Kacie B. in Clarksville, TN

Despite the fact that Kacie greets Ben with a marching band accompanied by some of her own baton-throwing as well as a leap-through-the-air hug, this is probably the least successful of the hometown dates. Her father is a Federal Probation Officer, who doesn’t drink. As Kacie says, “This is the bible belt, Ben.” And Ben’s comment is that he’s not sure they’ll have much in common.  Kacie goes on to admit, “I’ll be upset if what they (her parents) say makes Ben question us.”  A hint of foreshadowing as this is exactly what happens in my opinion.  In fact, Kacie’s Dad says to her, “If he asked me (for his blessing), I would say ‘No.’”  He doesn’t think they should rush things nor should they live together if they aren’t married.  And Kacie’s Mom concurs.  This hometown date does not go well, to say the least.

Visiting Nicki in Fort Worth, TX

There’s not much to say about this hometown date….  The couple has fun shopping, drinking at a bar and then going on to meet Nicki’s parents.  As you may recall, Nicki has been married before, and her Dad “doesn’t want to see her get hurt again.”  But her family turns out to be quite supportive of Nicki and Ben.  I am still not convinced of true connection between the two, but what do I know?  The bottom line is that Nicki’s family liked Ben, and therefore the hometown date went well.

Visiting Courtney in Scottsdale, AZ

I can see where Courtney gets her looks, sing-songy voice and ditsy (at times) approach – her Mom.  I wonder if she got her mean girl attitude from her Mom as well?  Anyway, her parents seem to really like Ben, and their time together went well.  After leaving Courtney’s home, she has decided to stage an impromptu fake wedding.  They write and exchange their own vows, place rings on one another’s fingers and then Courtney tells Ben she loves him.  I think that might be all he needs to hear, unfortunately.  He totally digs her.  Of all the women, he definitely seems to like her the most, but we all know the real truth about Courtney.  I guess he’ll have to learn the hard way.

The Rose Ceremony – Ok, I’m just going to say it.  I thought Nicki was going to go.  I just didn’t see the connection there as I did with the other three.  But alas, I was completely mistaken. Ben booted Kacie B.  Not only that but he didn’t give any kind of reason for his decision.  And so I had to come up with my own explanation, which is this…. Kacie’s family was the only family which didn’t fully embrace Ben.  They were ultra-conservative and ultra-controlling.  And in fact, her Dad said that if Kacie “is not the one, then tell her sooner than later.” I think this hometown date made it clear to Ben that they had come from very different backgrounds and maybe were therefore very different people.  And this is precisely what Kacie feared…

All this aside, I have to say that I feel this Bachelor season is different from the others. I don’t see the excitement, passion, chemistry and connection between the characters/contestants that I have in the past. And I’m starting to see the writing on the wall – I’m thinking that Ben is going to end up choosing Courtney.  Well, I’m not going there yet.  But if he does, you know that famous expression, “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it?” I think that will be quite apropos….

So tune in with me next Monday on ABC to see the overnight dates with Lindzi, Nicki and Courtney in Switzerland as well as a surprise visit by what seems to be an eliminated Bachelorette?!  In the meantime, who are you thinking will be the final two?  I can’t wait to hear….

Time again for my twice-monthly Pinnacle Report covering the Weston, MA real estate market.  And since it’s school vacation week and I’m sending this to you remotely – from warm, sunny Naples, FL – I wanted to share with you a photo of some of the natives in the area….

Now on to the real estate front…. The early Spring market activity has continued. In the last two weeks in Weston, 12 single family homes came on the market and nine sold*.  Given the large number of new listings, our inventory (71) has increased slightly since my last report (67) and is higher than it was a year ago (65). As we enter into the month of March, we expect our inventory levels to increase as is typical for this time of the year. Meanwhile we hope that the number of new and sold* listings basically stay on track with one another, thus keeping our market healthy.

To fully enjoy all of the market stats, please click Weston Pinnacle Report 2-6-2012 – 2-19-2012 for the details.  And if you are considering putting your house on the market in the spring, please contact me, Lisa Williams (781-267-2844 or www.homesalesbylisa.com), for a complimentary home appraisal or with questions about the market.

* Sold means “pending/under agreement” and not yet closed.