We had twice the number of sold properties in these two weeks this year vs. the same time frame last year (4 vs. 2), and therefore our market volume was also up ($4,809,000 this year vs. $2,541,500 last year). The median price for these two weeks, however, was down from the same time period last year ($1,250,000 in 2012 vs. $1,270,750 in 2011). Of note, two of the properties that sold during this time frame were previously on the market and accrued a significant number of days on the market that weren’t reflected in the sold data.  When you include the days on the market that weren’t reflected, the average days on the market increases from 252 days to 563 days.

Finally, there weren’t any land sales for the first half of May 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 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.

Now on to my Pinnacle Report covering the Weston, MA real estate market…. The last two weeks of market activity in Weston has been solid – 13 single family homes came on the market, and 8 sold.* As has been the recent trend, the activity has been taking place at a variety of price points, which is a healthy market indicator. And of note, two of our sold* listings were priced above $6 million. Our inventory (106) has increased slightly since my last report (104) and is lower than where it was this time last year (116). Here’s to continued positive Spring market activity.

To get the details on the market stats, please click Weston-Pinnacle-Report-4-30-2012-5-13-2012. 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 Curlett 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.

Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms, StepMoms, to-be Moms and every other kind of Mom there is! We all would not be here today if it weren’t for our Moms so this is an extra-special day. This morning at church, we read together this incredible poem (Judy Welles, adapted) comparing Moms to flowers, and I wanted to share it with you….

• Today we pay homage to our mothers. Your mother and mine, our collective mothers, all of them.
• Like wildflowers, how unique they are, how different from one another.
• Some mothers are like forsythia spilling over the neighbor’s fence – almost unbearably cheerful, energetic and determinedly curious, insinuating themselves into our lives.
• Some mothers are like daisies by the side of the road – humble, perhaps a little frayed around the edges.
• Some mothers are likes irises in formal gardens – austere and complicated, holding themselves back as we try in vain to discover what’s really inside.
• Some mothers are like roses displayed on a trellis – lovely, sweet-smelling, sure of their favored place in our hearts.
• Some mothers are like thistles in a field – their sharpness wounding us as we try to get close.
• Some mothers are like violets coming up in the lawn – unassuming but tenderly loyal, always there regardless of how we take them for granted.
• Some mothers are like ivy on a brick wall – holding us too tightly, unwilling or unable to let go.
• Some mothers are like beds of peonies – bosomy, overdressed, embarrassing us with their lavishness and the lipstick marks they leave on our cheeks.
• Some mothers are like lilac bushes beside the kitchen door – welcoming, familiar, reminding us that we can always come home again.
• Living or dead, perfect or flawed, gorgeous or plain, they are our others. From them we were given the gift of life. Let us say thank you, each in our own way, as we worship together this day.

And then on a just-for-fun note, I wanted to share some TV Mom trivia that aired earlier this week on the Today Show’s hour featuring Kathie Lee and Hoda (answers are below*):

1. Which of the following TV Moms gave birth in real life on the same day that her character gave birth on TV?

A) Maggie Seaver from “Growing Pains“

B) Lucy Ricardo from “I Love Lucy“

C) Samantha Stephens from “Bewitched“

D) Debra Barone from “Everybody Loves Raymond“

2. In addition to being a Mother of five in “The Cosby Show,” Attorney Clair Huxtable, was originally scripted to be what?

A) Dentist

B) Plumber

C) Florist

D) House Wife

3. Which TV Mother said, “I’m not going to vacuum until Sears makes one you can ride”?

A) Peg Bundy from “Married with Children“

B) Marge Simpson from “The Simpsons“

C) Roseanne Conner from “Roseanne“

D) Debra Barone from “Everybody Loves Raymond“

4. Which actress begged producers to giver her TV Mom character a profession?

A) Barbara Billingsley from “Leave it to Beaver“

B) Florence Henderson from “The Brady Bunch“

C) Shirley Jones from “The Partridge Family“

D) Joanna Kerns from “Growing Pains“

5. Which TV Mom is famous for saying, “I can’t talk! There’s too much fruit in the house!”

A) Edith Bunker from “All in the Family“

B) Debra Barone from “Everybody Loves Raymond“

C) Peg Bundy from “Married with Children“

D) Elyse Keaton from “Family Ties“

6. Which TV Mom went back to college after years of regretting not going?

A) Norma Arnold from “The Wonder Years“

B) Lorelai Gilmore from “The Gilmore Girls“

C) Angela Bower from “Who’s the Boss?“

D) Murphy Brown from “Murphy Brown“

Happy Mother’s Day – from my home to yours….  I hope your day is filled with fun, laughter, love, appreciation, caring, peace, understanding, kisses, hugs, happiness, special times and so much more….

xoxo Lisa

* Answers: 1(b), 2(b), 3(c), 4(b), 5(b), 6(a)

U.S. News & World Report just came out with its Best High Schools report, and it gives Weston High School high marks, ranking it 5th in the state. According to the publication, “We reviewed 21,776 U.S. public high schools; 87 Massachusetts schools made our rankings.” The academic indicators analyzed were College Readiness Index, Math Proficiency, English Proficiency and Student/Teacher Ratio. Per the study, the top 10 high schools in Massachusetts are:

#1 – Sturgis Charter Public School, Hyannis, MA, also ranked #15 nationally

#2 – Boston Latin School, Boston, MA, also ranked #62 nationally

#3 – Hopkinton High School, Hopkinton, MA, also ranked #89 nationally

#4 – Belmont High School, Belmont, MA, also ranked #111 nationally

#5 – Weston High School, Weston, MA, also ranked #132 nationally

#6 – Dover-Sherborn High School, Dover, MA, also ranked #166 nationally

#7 – Sharon High School, Sharon, MA, also ranked #168 nationally

#8 – Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, Malden, MA, also ranked #172 nationally

#9 – The Bromfield School, Harvard, MA, also ranked #206 nationally

#10 – Cohasset High School, Cohasset, MA, also ranked #210 nationally

Wellesley and Needham High Schools also ranked within the top 20 high schools in Massachusetts; specifically Wellesley at #12 and Needham at #17.

Weston High School has also received high marks for the last three years in Boston Magazine’s Best Public Schools feature. In 2011, Weston ranked #3, and in 2010 and 2009, Weston ranked #1.

For more information about the schools or real estate market in Weston, Wellesley, Needham, Dover 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.

How much power does a house number have? In other words, does the house number play a significant role in your decision-making process when buying a home? Many of us have heard the superstitions around various numbers, especially the alleged unlucky numbers of 4 and 13. Number 4 in the Chinese culture is considered unlucky because it sounds like “death.” Number 13 is also considered to be unlucky in many countries, including our own. Have you ever been in an elevator and found that the button for the 13th floor – as well as the 13th floor itself – was not there? And then there’s Friday the 13th. I must admit that I can sometimes be a bit trepidatious about traveling on Friday the 13th. And yet there are others who think that these supposed unlucky numbers are, in fact, lucky….

So back to the question at hand – if the house that you had fallen in love with was #44, would you still buy it? What about if it were #13? I do know of buyers who have changed their house number, specifically from #40 to #38, which they considered to be a more auspicious number. Where does the house number rank on your preference list when buying a home? Is your new, to-be house number a significant factor, completely inconsequential or a bit of both when making your decision to buy? 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.

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….

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.

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.

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.