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….

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.

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….

The positioning of a home’s garage is an interesting topic, and one about which I hear quite a bit when I am showing houses to buyers.  But before we get to the various garage positions, something to keep in mind is that when you are buying a home, the choice for how your garage is positioned is usually not your own – it’s what you inherit.  And yet, depending on the specific lot and home characteristics, you can sometimes change its placement if it’s not to your liking. On the other hand, if you are building a new home, you can happily design your garage any way you’d like….

Here are some of the basic garage positioning options:

Front-Facing Garage (see photo above) – I feel that many of the homes in our neck of the woods (Weston, Wellesley and the like) were built with garages facing the street….  The problem with this positioning is that when you look at the house, you take in the garage as well.  And the garage is not usually quite as aesthetically pleasing as the rest of the home.  The good news about this placement, however, is that you enter the home on the first floor rather than from the basement or level below.

Garage Under (the Home) – you often see this garage positioning in homes in our area as well.  This garage under option can either be facing the street or sideways to the street (as pictured here).  The criticism with this placement, however, is that it means entering the home from the basement and having to walk up a flight of steps to get to the kitchen and the other rooms in the home.  This is particularly unappealing for those who have difficulty climbing steps.

Sideways-Facing Garage – this seems to be the most preferred positioning for the garage as it basically allows it to be camouflaged or hidden (as pictured below).  This way when you are looking at the house from the street, you can’t see the garage as it sits sideways and is therefore shielded from the street.  Many times, because of the way the garage has been designed, it looks like another room of the house.  New construction is often built this way because of the many homeowners who prefer this positioning.

Rear-Facing Garage – this is another way to “hide” the garage, but we don’t see it often in this area.  The criticism of this placement is that the driveway further extends to the back of the house thus using up that valuable green grass and backyard space.

Attached Garage – where we live with our rough winters (except for this particular winter), garages are mostly attached to the house allowing easy access into the house without having to encounter all of the nasty weather elements. Therefore an attached garage – however it is placed in relation to a home – is almost always preferred to a detached garage.

Detached Garage – detached garages are often featured in older homes.  Many times, you will see home buyers, who inherit a detached garage, trying to find ways to ultimately attach the garage to the house.  But sometimes given the distance from the house, this is not a possibility.  And in these cases, it’s prudent to always have a hat, umbrella and boots with you in the car so you are prepared for whatever weather element confronts you when getting from the garage to your house….

What are your thoughts and preferences for your garage?  And is the positioning of the garage something about which you have strong feelings?  In other words, if you bought a house and weren’t happy with the placement of the garage, would you try to “move heaven and earth” to change it?  I can’t wait to hear….

One-on-one date – with Kacie B., who was the first lady to have the second one-on-one date.  Ben was looking forward to seeing if their feelings were still there and whether they would run out of things to say to one another.  Spoiler alert - their feelings were still there, and they didn’t run out of things to say. But back to the date – Ben and Kacie were picked up in a helicopter and taken to one of the deserted islands of San Blas.  There they needed to find and cook their own food, which comprised of coconuts and fish. Yum…. Their date continued with a romantic dinner during which Kacie disclosed that in high school she had an eating disorder – anorexia and bulimia.  She opened up to him, he loved that, they kissed and he gave her a rose.

Group date – with Emily, Nicki, Lindzi, Courtney, Casey S. and Jamie. They ended up in a rain forest going to Embera Village.  There the women of the village took the Bachelor women and dressed them in beaded tops (on top of their bikini tops).  Courtney decided to take off her bikini top and just wear the beads, which didn’t seem to cover much because there was a blurred strip over her chest during the entire segment.  Meanwhile Ben, who had simultaneously been clothed by the village men in a loin cloth, really liked Courtney’s beaded top status – or lack thereof.  Then they all tattooed one another; it was all very primal.

During the evening portion of the group date, Jamie took some one-on-one time with Ben and was intending to kiss him, but she just couldn’t go there.  Spoiler alert – given Jamie’s inability to put herself out there and kiss Ben, I had a sneaking suspicion that she wouldn’t ultimately get a rose, and I was right.  I think I am psychic when it comes to these things (wink, wink)…. So back to the date – as Jamie is going on and on, talking and talking, saying nothing upon nothing, Courtney decides to disrobe and strut and saunter in and around the pool in her white bikini.  Therefore Ben, of course, can’t concentrate on a word Jamie is saying….  Courtney ultimately gives Ben her room number and encourages him to come for an after-hours visit.  But hah, it’s Lindzi who gets the rose.  And Courtney ends up pulling an all-nighter (at least it looks like it may have been), waiting for Ben who is a no-show.  Oh Yeah!

Two-on-one date – with Blakeley and Rachel.  Salsa dancing, and Blakeley is so confident about her dancing skills and getting the rose that she can almost taste it.  But as we all know, sometimes too much confidence can back fire, and it does.  Blakeley gets the boot, and the rose goes to Rachel.  Bye Blakeley.

Casey S. goes home – let’s just suffice it to say that she’s still in love with a man named Michael, who doesn’t want to marry her.  She was hoping to open up to Ben during their weeks together but that hasn’t seemed to happen, and she needs to go home and deal with the situation.  Plus it’s not fair to all of the other ladies who are pining away for Ben.  Bye Casey S.

The Rose Ceremony – Jamie does finally get up the courage to kiss Ben at the final rose ceremony, but it’s a bit on the controlling side and too little too late.   Bye Jamie….

So now we’re down to six ladies, and next week they’ll be in Belize….  I can’t wait to tune in to ABC Monday at 8 p.m. to see what happens next, but in the meantime, what are your thoughts?  Who do you think is Ben’s #1 pick at this point?  I have my own ideas, and I can’t wait to hear yours….

Interestingly, Barbara said that dining rooms are one of the most important rooms (after the kitchen) in the house when it comes to re-sale.  I found it interesting because there are many homes these days in which dining rooms are converted to other rooms or they are incorporated into the kitchen.  In fact, I just went to see a $3 million dollar house that does not have a formal dining room.  It had been converted to additional family room space, and apparently they use their eat-in-area as their dining area (and it really was a pretty spectacular eat-in-area). But I agree with Barbara. When it comes to re-sale, buyers tend to want the traditional rooms, the dining room and living room in particular, to be part of the floor plan.  Even though the way we “live” in our houses today usually means we don’t frequently use these traditional rooms, they are important for re-sale as buyers tend to discount properties without these spaces.

Now on to the “Dumpster Diving” and some tips on how to maximize the look and size of your dining room. Barbara found the following dining room components on her diving expedition in New Jersey - a round table, four dining room chairs, a credenza and a chandelier.  To see how Nate was able to transform these pieces of furniture and accessories into a fabulous, glamorous dining room, click Dumpster Diving for Dining Rooms.  Barbara and Nate also gave us a few, helpful tips when it comes to enhancing your dining room and making this crucial room sparkle, and just as importantly, look bigger:

• Feature a round dining room table- according to Barbara, everyone judges the size of the dining room based on the size of the dining room table.  A circular dining room table makes the room look bigger and generally fits better within the room, which is what you want when selling your home.  Buyers like rooms that look spacious and aren’t cluttered with oversized pieces of furniture that don’t fit.
• Use chairs with lower backs – another tip from Barbara.  She asserts that chairs with high backs make the dining room look shorter, a.k.a. less big.
• Include an area rug – Barbara mentions that an area rug grounds the room, making it look larger and fancy (though I must say the “fancy” really depends on the rug).  And for just this reason, she prefers an area rug to wall-to-wall carpeting or bare flooring.
• Provide an alternative lighting source – this has more to do with enhancing the lighting and therefore the look of the room.  Nate attests that having a chandelier and matching table lamps on a credenza, for example, allows more flexibility with the lightening and therefore more ability to influence the mood and look that you are trying to create.

What are your thoughts?  Is the dining room an important room in your household?  Or have you converted it to additional family room space or absorbed it to make your kitchen bigger and more open?  I can’t wait to hear….

For those of you who love market stats*….click here – January 16-31 2012 Solds in Weston MA – to see information on the single-family homes that sold/closed in the last two weeks of January 2012 in Weston, MA.

As was the case in my last report, the year does seem to be getting off to a good start….  These last two weeks were stronger than the last two weeks of January 2011.  Specifically, we had more than twice as many properties sell (seven vs. three), and our market volume was more than triple what it was last year ($11,207,000 vs. $3,635,000).  Our median price was also higher during these last two weeks vs. the last two weeks of January 2011 ($1,417,500 vs. $1,150,000).  Similarly the month of January 2012 was stronger than January 2011. Nine properties sold this January vs. five in January 2011, and our market volume was 2.65 times higher this January than in January 2011 ($14,982,000 vs. $5,650,000).  Good news…let’s hope it continues.

In terms of land sales, there was one in these last two weeks – 31 Montvale Road, which featured .69 acres, sold for $607,500.

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 (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.