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.

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

We had more properties sell in these last two weeks than in the same two weeks in 2011 (2 vs. 1) as well as a stronger market volume ($1,694,025 vs. $1,446,000), but our median price was down for these two weeks vs. last year ($847,013 vs. $1,446,000). We are still up in terms of our year-to-date numbers** 2012 vs. 2011. Specifically, our 2012 number of properties sold is 11 vs. 6 in 2011, our 2012 market volume is $16,676,025 vs. $7,096,000 in 2011, and our 2012 median price is $1,300,000 vs. $1,250,000 in 2011. Although these solds are primarily the result of activity from the end of the prior year, this year’s numbers show a stronger end to last year (2011) vs. the year before (2010). Let’s hope this positive activity continues.

And finally, there weren’t any land sales in these last two weeks.

As always, I hope you enjoy this information, 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 if you are considering putting your house on the market in the next few months, please contact me, Lisa Williams (781-267-2844 or www.homesalesbylisa.com), for a complimentary home appraisal or with questions about the market.

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

** Year-to-date numbers are January 1 – February 15 for 2012 and 2011.

Are you familiar with US Weekly Magazine’s “25 Things You Don’t Know about Me,” which features celebrities getting personal and sharing some lesser known facts about themselves?  As I was reading last week’s segment on Madeleine Stowe, I thought it would be such a great idea to bring this same concept to Weston, MA….  I’m starting with just 10, and then I’ll continue with more fascinating fun facts over time….

So without further ado, here are 10 Things You Might Not Know About Weston, MA:

1. Weston is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2013.  According to Wikipedia, “The Town of Weston was originally established as the West Precinct of Watertown in 1698, and the town was separately incorporated as the town of Weston in 1713.”  Planning for the big celebration is just getting underway, and if you’re interested, you can request to be part of the Weston 300 Group on Facebook or email the group at Weston300@groups.facebook.com.

2. Weston has more than 2,000 acres of conservation land.  The Weston Forest & Trail Association owns 186 acres, and there are approximately 100 miles of trails.  Known for its rural feel, open space, trails, meadows and woods, Weston is conveniently located a mere 12* miles from Boston – it’s the best of both worlds.

3. Weston has two reservoirs: First, the Weston Reservoir, located off of Ash Street, is part of the greater Boston’s water supply and maintained by the MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority).  This is a popular spot for residents and visitors to walk their dogs, enjoy for exercise and simply just appreciate the beauty of it.  Second, the Norumbega Reservoir, located off of Glen Road and Oak Street, is a 125 million gallon water storage tank now used to hold water.  This reservoir was opened to the public a few years ago for recreational use.

4. Weston has a government comprised of the following – an Open Town Meeting, Board of Selectmen and Town Manager.  As delineated on the town’s website, “The Town Meeting is the legislative body and must approve all spending, changes in the Town By-laws and Zoning By-laws.  It is conducted by the elected Town Moderator.  Any citizen of Weston who is a registered voter may participate in Town Meeting.”

5. Weston just approved an override for a new Field School, the elementary school housing grades 4 and 5.  The new school is scheduled to open in September 2014.  Weston is also in the midst of constructing a new science wing for its high school, which is expected to open for the 2012-2013 school year.

6. Weston was Ranked #1 Best Public High School by Boston Magazine in 2010 and 2009.

7. Weston has a Recreation Department, which provides wonderful programs, classes and activities for all ages.  Here is the Spring/Summer 2012 Brochure so you can get a glimpse of what Weston Recreation is all about. In addition to the approximately 500 programs offered over the course of the year to more than 7,500 participants, the Recreation Department also manages Memorial Pool and coordinates the Concerts on the Town Green during the summer on Wednesday evenings.  The concerts are a great way for the entire family to have fun together, enjoy the music, dance, picnic and more.

8. Weston is and has been the home to many well-known figures, including David Ortiz, Jerry Remy, Bobby Orr, Jim Pallotta and Steve Pagliuca.

9. Weston is a somewhat dry town.  From 1838 to 2008, Weston was a dry town, but in 2008, the town voted that Omni Foods could sell wine in its supermarket.  The sale of beer and hard liquor are still prohibited, however.

10. Weston was briefly considered, in 1967, as a site for a stadium for the professional football team then known as the Boston Patriots.  As most of us know, the stadium was ultimately built in Foxborough, MA, and today it is known as Gillette Stadium.

These are just some of the fun facts about Weston, MA.  There are many more to come…so stay tuned.  But in the meantime, do you have any special Weston facts that you’d like to share? I can’t wait to hear….

* This mileage distance is per the town’s website found under the “About Weston” section. I have also seen other sources saying the distance between Weston and Boston is 15 miles.

Ben Flajnik certainly was blind to Courtney in last night’s episode of The Bachelor – it’s sad but true. I know we were all wishing that he would wise up, smell the coffee and ditch Courtney…and yet alas, not this week.  But I’m jumping ahead….   This week’s show was filmed in Belize, and Ben was down to six ladies – Emily, Rachel, Lindzi, Kacie B., Nicki and Courtney.  The evening began with Chris Harrison explaining that there would be three one-on-one dates in which roses would not be given out and one three-on-one date in which a rose would be given out.  So here’s a brief synopsis:

One-on-one date – with Lindzi.  The couple “took a huge leap of faith” jumping together from a helicopter into the Blue Hole, an underwater crater.  According to Ben, when he’s with her there’s nothing they can’t accomplish.  She admits that she is falling in love with him but quickly adds the unfortunate fact that “he’s got five other girlfriends.”  They end the night by putting a message that is both serious and funny – just like their relationship – in a bottle.  He sums up their date by remarking that Lindzi is incredible and that he can see himself with her….

One-on-one date – with Emily. They went bike riding, hung out in town and then went diving for lobsters.  Their evening was filled with dancing and eating the lobsters they caught at the Lazy Lizard Beach Bar & Grill.  Ben says it was an awesome day, and that it “feels pretty right.”  He also adds that “overall she’s a great person.”  Oops – even though that’s a compliment, it doesn’t sound so passionate to me, does it to you?

One-on-one date – with Courtney.  Oh My Goodness!  The pair go to Lamanai, an ancient Mayan site.  As they are picnicking together, Courtney tells Ben that she thinks she may have lost her spark for him.  It may be too late.  She also admits that that if he hadn’t chosen her for a one-on-one date, she wouldn’t have accepted a rose from him, thus barring him from meeting her family.  Insult after insult.  And he sits there and takes it.  He goes on to say that he has a “crazy moment of clarity” – the past, present and future – and she is in it.  Wow is he blind to her.  Not only that but he is overjoyed when she says that the spark has returned.  That was quick.  And they both agree that they believe in the concept of soulmates. Yuck.  Then after the date, in typical Courtney fashion, she uses her hands as a gun firing away and smugly says, “You can all go home now girls.”

Three-on-one date – with Rachel, Nicki and Kacie B.  The foursome go shark diving, and Kacie B. ultimately gets the rose because of “wearing her heart on her sleeve” and opening up to Ben, telling him that she is falling in love with him.  But the most interesting part of the date happens when the three ladies warn Ben about Courtney, explaining that they don’t think she is there for the right reasons and then boldly stating, “We want you to be cautious about Courtney…just tread lightly.”  Go ladies – oh yeah….

The Rose Ceremony – even though Ben starts the Rose Ceremony asking for a time-out to speak with Courtney, our hopes aren’t answered.  He just wants to make sure that she is “in this.”  Of course she says yes, even though it’s been difficult for her – sigh, sigh.  And so of course, he keeps her on.  Blind again to Courtney.  So the roses go to Nicki, Lindzi, Courtney and Kacie B., who had won her rose at the three-on-one date, and Emily and Rachel go home.  Oh well, there’s always next week.  But I’m not overly hopeful because next week’s episode features the Hometown Dates, and Courtney’s family is obviously only going to say fabulous things about her.  The truth won’t come out, and Ben will basically continue to be clueless….

Let’s see for sure though.  Tune in with me next Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC to see the Bachelor’s Hometown Dates.  Who do you think will make it to the final three?  I’ve got my thoughts, and I can’t wait to hear yours….