If you have children and live in the burbs of Boston, specifically in our neck of the woods – Weston, Wellesley, Wayland, Needham, Dover and the surrounding towns – then what to do and where to have your child’s birthday party is most likely a question that you have pondered at least once a year. Of course, you can always have a fun shindig at your home…. But through the years, I have learned that there is something fabulous to be said for having a kids birthday party at a location outside of your home. Basically, you show up and then leave (of course after paying them for the experience), without having to set up and clean up the party and with the assistance of a party organizer to deal with any issues or problems.  It’s extremely low maintenance, stress-free and fun for all – even the parents!

Here are a few of the burb locations where we’ve had parties for our children or been to parties for their friends:

• AMC Cinemas, Framingham, MA – The kids gather to see a fun movie, share popcorn and eat cake. How much fun is that?!
• Boston Sports Club, Waltham, MA - This is a great place to have a party, especially for the younger ones. The kids can play on an amazing structure (at least at the BSC in Waltham) and in the gym.  Party providers organize games and songs for the kids too.
• Build-A-Bear, Natick, MA (see second photo) – My kids have loved having parties here over the years. It’s especially great for the little ones, but my older daughters (nine and 12) still love attending parties here. You can’t bring in cake so what we typically do is venture down to the Food Court at the Natick Mall after the party and enjoy cake there.
• The Clayroom, Brookline, MA - The kids choose from a variety of pottery options (piggy banks, ice cream cones, jewelry holders, plates, vases and more) and then paint and decorate the items, which then go into the kiln and are picked up a few days later. You can bring in a cake and drinks or ask the Clayroom to provide pizza and cake. This party idea is geared for older children as the little ones will be done decorating in less than 10 minutes.
• Creative Movements and Arts Center, Needham, MA – Like the classes that Creative Movement offers, parties consist of fun activities and games for kids of all ages.
• Exxcel Gymnastics & Climbing, Newton, MA – The kids get to indulge in exciting games and obstacle courses, rock climbing, rides on the zip line as well as Trampoline and foam pit fun. There is even a free t-shirt for the birthday child.
• Fun and Games, Framingham, MA – Parties here are truly so much fun. The kids use tokens for the games and machines, and then the ‘piece de resistance’ is that they get to choose their prizes based on the number of tickets they have won. Fun and Games also has Laser Tag. This is a great place to go even if it’s not a child’s birthday.
• King’s Bowling, Dedham, MA (see top photo)  - We just had a birthday party here, and it was fabulous. Pizza, drinks and cake were provided as was a bowling trophy for the birthday child.  There is another location in Boston.
• Lazer Zone, Marlboro, MA – The web page says it all, “Party like an alien.  LazerZone throws out-of-this-world birthday celebrations.”  There’s LazerTag, 2xLazerTag, Thrill Zone, Karaoke and more. Most of the party packages include pizza, unlimited popcorn and drinks. This will be more enjoyed by the older kids and not the wee little ones.
• Planet Gymnastics, Natick, MA – Another locale for kids of all ages.  The supervised gym activities include obstacle courses, games, playing with a parachute and more. After the gym fun, it’s on to cake and balloon fun.
• Plaster Fun Time, Framingham, MA (see third photo) – We’ve had numerous birthday parties here. Bring in your own cake, while the kids choose their plaster piece to decorate and then choose which spray to use. This is for kids of all ages, and there are locations in Dedham, Newton and Waltham too.
• Sky Zone Sports, Boston, MA – The kids will be setting their sights high as they bounce up and down and across the all-trampoline, walled playing courts. There are even three-dimensional versions of sports favorites, such as dodgeball. If you want cake, you need to include that as part of a reserved birthday/group package complete with private room rental.
• Snip-Its, Framingham, MA – This is catered more for the girls. We haven’t had parties here but my girls have gone to parties at Snip-its.  The kids have a chance to explore fun hair styles, party outfits, make-up and more. Snip-its provides cupcakes, cakes, beverages, party favors and a gift for the birthday girl.
• Sweet Beads of Lexington, Lexington, MA – This locale also caters more toward girls, and it is for children ages 6 and up.  Kids make their own custom necklaces and then partake in pizza and cake fun if you choose this option.

Of course, this is just a mere sampling of party locales in the area – there are many, many more. That being said, is your favorite kids birthday party location listed above?  If so, which is it?  If not, please share your thoughts on where you like to have your kids birthday party fun.  I can’t wait to hear….

For those of you who love market stats*…click here – April 16-30 2012 Solds in Weston MA – to see information on the single-family homes that sold/closed in the last half of April 2012 in Weston, MA.

Our number of sold properties and market volume for this two-week period were down from those data points in the same time frame last year. Because we had five solds in these past two weeks as opposed to seven the year before, our market volume number was down – $4,766,700 for these two weeks vs. $5,480,000 for the same two weeks last year.  That being said, our numbers were up for when looking at this April vs. last April.  Specifically there were 13 solds this April as opposed to 11 solds last April.  And this translated to a higher market volume for this April vs. last ($16,390,223 vs. $11,225,000).

Finally, there weren’t any land sales for the last half of April 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 Williams (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.

This is the time of the year when homes and properties are starting to look their best. Trees and flowers are blooming, thus allowing an element of privacy and helping shield noise from busy roadways. The  grass is filling in and looking more and more green each day. The sunlight is casting a gorgeous hue on all upon which it shines. Late April and early May is an ideal time to sell a house….

And this is the perfect segue to my next point – my twice-monthly Pinnacle Report covering the Weston, MA real estate market…. We saw a very strong two weeks of market activity in Weston – 19 single family homes came on the market, and 14 sold.* This is the highest number of new listings since March 2011.  And according to my records, we’ve never had this many sold listings since I started doing the Weston Pinnacle Report in January 2010. These high numbers are a bit surprising given that school vacation week took place during this time frame. Our inventory (104) is fairly consistent with our inventory from this time last year (107). Here’s to a continued healthy Spring market.

To get the details on the market stats, please click Weston-Pinnacle-Report-4-16-2012-4-29-2012. And 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 Williams (781-267-2844 or www.homesalesbylisa.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.

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

The Webster/Goodale House at 19 Gypsy Trail in Weston, MA was built circa 1898 as a summer hunting lodge and is the oldest house in the Webster Hill area. Located in the northeast corner of Weston, the Webster Hill Area was developed in the 1910s and 1920s and is one of the topographical high points in Weston. (In fact, one can enjoy seasonal views of the Boston skyline from the home.) Webster Hill takes its name from Frank G. Webster, a banker with the firm of Kidder Peabody in Boston.

Around 1911, the Webster hunting lodge was rented for the summer to author Arthur Stanwood Pier, who wrote for Youth’s Companion and was instrumental in promoting the Boy Scouts. It was purchased in about 1913 by Margaret and Francis Goodale, who enlarged and remodeled the lodge into a year-round residence in the Colonial Revival style. Later remodeling and expansion resulted in a grand yet comfortable and gracious residence. The main entrance, located on the south facade of the main block, is marked by a handsome Colonial Revival entablature.

This special home features the charm and fine detail that the history suggests but is beautifully updated for today. Specifically, there are eight fireplaces, beautifully-beamed ceilings in the living and dining rooms, gorgeous hardwood floors and an especially unique rear stairway with two points of entry from the first floor. Some of the recent additions and enhancements include connecting the carriage house to the main house thus creating a gallery with natural slate flooring and beautiful mosaic tile work, renovating the family room and kitchen, redesigning and landscaping the property, building new front and rear decks and extensively upgrading the systems and utilities.

19 Gypsy Trail in Weston, MA is priced at $2,500,000.  For more information or to see the property, please contact the listing agent, Lisa Williams (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.

Sometimes you hit the jackpot, and you buy a house with a perfectly-perfect, level and expansive backyard…. The kind of backyard in which you can play a game of football or soccer with the family and neighbors, put in your own ice hockey rink for the winter, install a fun play set for the kids, display all kinds of tree and plant specimens, have lavish outdoor parties with all of your closest friends or simply just take in the beauty of its expansiveness on a daily basis. These backyard uses, however, assume that you want to keep your perfectly-perfect backyard as it is. But what if you don’t? What if you want to make some changes to your backyard so that you can use it for specific recreational purposes.  And so you install a tennis court, sports court or pool (of course this assumes that you don’t have a septic system located directly under your backyard). The bottom line is that the possibilities are endless however you choose to use and enjoy your perfectly-perfect backyard.

The answer to this question might change, however, when considered from a re-sale perspective, especially if you buy your home knowing that you will be selling it again in the very short term. The optimal sales objective is to have your home and land appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. You already know where I’m going with this….  And so a pool, for example, may not appeal to families with babies and toddlers. Similarly a tennis court may not appeal to those who don’t play tennis and a sports court may not appeal to empty nesters. This is all well and good – and true t00 – yet there is something to be said for enjoying your property just how you want no matter whether you plan to sell your home in two or 20 years….

From my own personal perspective, I am lucky enough to have an almost-perfect, level and expansive backyard.  The reason it’s almost-perfect rather than perfectly-perfect is because my septic system is located beneath it, and so my possibilities are limited….  But what about you?  What are your thoughts on this fun-to-ponder subject? Would you keep your perfectly-perfect backyard as it is because you simply love it that way not to mention that you’ll get the added benefit of appealing to the widest array of buyers as possible when you eventually sell your home? Or would you put in a sport court for your kids who are avid basketball players or a pool because your family loves to have neighborhood pool parties? I can’t wait to hear….

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 Williams (781-267-2844 or www.homesalesbylisa.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.