Similar to my blogs, Appealing to the Visual Sense: Selling a Shiny, Sparkling Home and Smelling Your Home, this is about another of the senses – the auditory sense and what you hear inside and outside of the home…. Though this time, it’s not about selling a home, but buying one. When you are buying a home, your senses are on high alert.  Is the home visually pleasing? Does the house have an appealing smell?  And very importantly, is the property noisy or quiet, and what do I hear when I am there? The reason that this is written from the buyer’s viewpoint is because unfortunately the seller can’t do much about the noise of the location – “It is what it is,” as we like to say. The sellers have also likely accepted their home’s location, and therefore they have adjusted to and become de-sensitized to the sounds. And so it comes down to where the buyers and their preferences fall on the noise spectrum.

Over the years, I have met buyers – as my clients and as potential buyers of my listings – who have absolutely no tolerance for noise and others who have a high tolerance for it. And that preference can only be decided by the buyer. In other words, it may be that a noisy home suits one buyer just fine and not another. It’s quite personal, and therefore one (i.e., a real estate agent, spouse or friend) can’t necessarily evaluate the noise factor for another.

Often what goes hand-in-hand with a noisy location is convenience. That being said, noisier locations can still be desirable. In fact, where I live in Weston, MA, it’s fairly well known that the southside of town has more transportation noise than the northside, and yet the convenient location of the southside makes it highly desirable. And interestingly on the North Shore of Boston, many of the coveted neighborhoods in Manchester-by-the-Sea, for example, abut the train commuter line – go figure?!

In some cases, you may have to accept road noise based on your preference for a certain type of home. If you tend to like older, antique homes, many of them were built on busier streets and as a result have road noise. On the other hand, an ultra-quiet location may feel too remote for some buyers, especially those moving from a more urban location and those who welcome and are used to the sounds of the hustle and bustle of activity.

If we get right down to it, the truth about noise – for those who are willing to consider a busier location – is that it is generally something for which you build a tolerance. After a while, you acclimate to the sounds and basically don’t hear them anymore. Take it from me; I live in a home that is quite close to the South Station commuter line. I am so used to the sounds that most of the time, I don’t even notice that the train has passed by.

So let’s just say that you have fallen in love with a house on a busier street or in a noisier location, and you have decided to move forward and buy it. Your next question may be – can fences, barriers or berms help? My answer to this – based on the many houses I have toured and helped clients buy and sell over the years – is yes, to a degree. But this is mostly because of the visual trick that your mind plays on you. If you can’t see it (the busy road or train line, for example), it’s harder to hear it, but the sounds are still there. The same is true for waterfalls. The soothing sound of the water falling can mask the sound of the noise, but at the end of the day, the sounds are still there….

What are your thoughts? Where do you stand on the noise spectrum? And has it influenced to buy or not buy a home? I can’t wait to hear….

For more information on this or for any real estate needs in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (781-267-2844 or www.homesalesbylisa.com).

Pinnacle Residential Properties announces its price reduction on 19 Gypsy Trail in Weston, MA to $2,399.000. This is an incredible price for a property of this size and stature. Once the Webster-family Hunting Lodge, this special home features the charm and fine detail that the history suggests yet is beautifully updated for today. Renovations and enhancements include an ideal kitchen with adjoining eat-in area and family room, a gorgeous gallery connecting the carriage house and extensive system upgrades. Situated in an estate-like setting, the residence also offers a tennis court and an expansive deck overlooking professionally-landscaped grounds. All this located close to Weston town center and with easy access for commuting.

For more information or to see the property, please contact the listing agent, Lisa Curlett (781-267-2844 or www.homesalesbylisa.com). And click here for a complimentary search of the MLS real estate listings where you will have access to all homes currently on the market in Weston, Wellesley,  Wayland, Needham, Dover and surrounding communities.

As many of you know, the finale of ABC-TV‘s The Bachelorette aired last night from Curacao…and to say I was ecstatic about the results is an understatement. But before I get into all that, let me just set the stage for you in case you haven’t been watching. Emily Maynard is this season’s (#8) Bachelorette, and last night, she was choosing between Jef Holm, 27, the entrepreneur from Utah, and Arie Luyendyk, Jr., 30, the race car driver from Arizona. Emily, 26, is a single Mom who lives in Charlotte, NC with her seven-year-old daughter Ricki. (Ricki’s Dad was a race car driver and engaged to Emily. He tragically died in a plane crash before the two knew she was pregnant. And years later in 2011, Emily was the choice for Brad Womack in season #15 of the Bachelor, but the relationship didn’t last.)

So back to last night’s episode and the fabulous results…. First, I have been watching the Bachelor and Bachelorette since its inception in 2002 (maybe I shouldn’t so boldly admit that, but oh well), and last night was a first – at least a first that I’ve ever seen. Emily made Bachelor/Bachelorette history. Knowing that she truly loved Jef, she opted out of her last date with Arie. Usually she would have a last date with both bachelors and then make her choice at the final rose ceremony. But Emily bucked the traditional process and told Arie that she was not choosing him at the start of their last date. Thank goodness for some authenticity and for the fact that she didn’t torture him knowing that her stronger feelings were for Jef. Loved that.

And second, and most important, she chose the guy for whom I was rooting*. I love Jef. He is handsome (of course), mature, down to earth and genuine (at least he is seemingly all these things though I don’t know for sure because I don’t know him personally). I was worried that Emily’s lust/chemistry with Arie might prevail, but this would have been short-sighted. And she made the right choice, opting for long-term confidence over short-term lust. She didn’t say the latter part just the former, but I am putting words in her mouth and elaborating for her as I saw and felt this too. Every time Emily and Jef were together, I would hear things like, “we get each other,” ” I feel so comfortable with him,” and “he’s so funny” (she consistently said that being with a funny man was high on her list of priorities for true love). My concern was that her remarks about her extremely good kisses with Arie might distract her from the true, right man – a.k.a. Jef. But it didn’t.

So Alleluia and Congratulations to Emily Maynard and Jef Holm – and to Ricki too. I hope you enjoy life, love and tons of laughter for years and years to come. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you all, and I hope that you make it successfully and happily down the aisle – I will most certainly be cheering if you do!

For more information on this or for any real estate needs in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (781-267-2844 or www.homesalesbylisa.com).

* Just as an aside, I actually very much liked Arie. I just liked Jef more and thought he was the right choice for Emily.

For those of you who love market stats*…click here – July 1-15 2012 Solds in Weston MA – to see information on the single-family homes that sold/closed in the first half of July 2012 in Weston, MA.

Another solid two weeks in terms of sold properties. We had the same number of properties (8) sell in the first half of this July vs. last July. But our market volume for these two weeks was significantly higher than for the same two weeks last year – $12,548,465 in 2012 vs. $7,840,000 in 2011. This difference is the result of the much higher average sale price for these two weeks – $1,568,558 in 2012 vs. $980,000 in 2011. And yet our median price for this two-week period was lower than the same time last year ($816,483 in 2012 vs. $921,250 in 2011), which makes sense given the three sales under $550,000 in these last two weeks.

There weren’t any land sales for the first half of July 2012.

As always, I hope you enjoy this analysis, and please let me know if you have an interest in learning more about other market stats so I can provide this additional data for you. Also for more information about the real estate market in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns or if you are considering selling your home, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (781-267-2844 or www.homesalesbylisa.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.

* These market figures are based on information provided to and compiled by Pinergy/MLS Property Information Network, Inc.