Majestic Family Home set up on the hill, a short stroll to town. Property fenced & tree lined for privacy. Gorgeous stone archway leads to a rocking chair porch w/ grand front entrance way. Three stories w/ original details, fireplaces, pocket doors,etc. Gorgeous kitchen & living areas. House legally zoned 2 family. 3 or 4 BR's has own BA, heated garage, AC, Storage, Tree house.

Remember, if the buyer does not like the outside, that person simply drives on to the next house. Get your home ready for drive by traffic and give folks something extra nice to look at.

Call us today for a no-nonsense, no obligation assessment of your homes value and let me show you the key factors in obtaining a top dollar sale on your home! We would definitely like to help you in any way we can!

The condition of your home will have a huge impact on how fast it sells, and its eventual selling price. Preparing your home for sale can pay you huge dividends. Many fix ups cost very little and consist mostly of time and some elbow grease. Here are some simple tips to help your home show its best.

INDOORS:

1. Clean the entire home thoroughly. Shampoo carpets, wash walls, clean sills, window screens and blinds. Clean out light fixtures and dust shelving. Get detailed here.

2. Clean the clutter from all closets, cupboards and cabinets.

3. Make your rooms look as spacious as possible. Store unnecessary furnishing items that make your home look crowded.

4. Arrange furnishing so that it is easy to walk through your home.

5. Scale down the number of photos, pictures, portraits and posters hanging on walls. Make sure you patch all nail and screw holes.

6. Keep your curtains and draperies open as a rule. You will want your home to show very light and bright. Find ways to screen any unappealing views.

7. Make your kitchen shine. Remove clutter from counter tops and cabinets and store it. Keep your sink clean and clear of any dirty dishes.

8. Clean your refrigerator, inside and out. Make sure that you do the simple things like putting an open box of baking soda in your fridge. Also, remove unnecessary clutter from the door.

9. Clean your oven. Degrease it and keep it looking as good as possible.

10. Keep scented candles burning in the kitchen and bathrooms. Pleasant fragrances will entice buyers to stay longer in your home.

11. Keep bathrooms scrubbed and tidy with fresh soap and neatly hung towels. Try to color coordinate your bathrooms.

12. Keep all sinks in the home clean and repair leaks or slow drains.

13. Go through your entire home and touch up paint. Pay close attention to corners where there is traffic wear. Touch up baseboards, trim and cabinets and cupboards.

14. Place plants or flower arrangements in strategic parts of the home. A splash of color from plants, flowers, pillows or small rugs can give your home some real flair.

15. Make sure that your home is well lit. Put higher wattage bulbs in dark areas or corners. Keep all lights on during showings, even in mid day.

16. Use mirrors on walls if necessary to reflect light and make rooms look larger.

17.Make sure that all door knobs and keyed entries are working. Replace any worn knobs or handles.

OUTDOORS:

1. Clean up all around the house. Remove any debris piles such as wood, firewood and landscape trimmings. Trim all hedges, bushes and shrubbery away from the house. Keep all garden beds weeded and mulched.

2.Put some color by your home's entrance with potted flowers. Keep them watered and looking attractive.

3. Keep all walkways clear, clean and in good repair. This includes your driveways and any parking areas.

4. Keep all outdoor furniture clean and in good repair.

5. Clean your gutters and roof. Keep moss or algae from growing on, in or around them.

6. Keep your yard and lawn areas clean and in good health. A green lawn makes a home look great. Keep your lawn edged and free from weeds.

7. Repair any broken windows, screens, shutter or awnings.

8. Clean your garage area. Remove clutter and make it look organized and as spacious as possible. Try to have nothing in your garage but cars.

By following these 25 fix up tips, you can do a lot to increase the perceived value of your home and make it stand out above the competition!

Historic Carriage House conversion on the grounds of a replica of the Longfellow House in Cambridge MA.

Best part of town and filled with history and character! Features  large open space, two master suites, wide wood plank floors, front and side entrance, private stone patio.

Furnished or not.  Rent does not include utilities.

A magnificent country home on one of the most coveted roads in the Berkhires. Newer, quality construction w/ gorgeous spaces, bright natural light & views from every window. n experience of seclusion can be yours just 2 minutes from the eateries/galleries/ shopping of the village.

Interior Amenities include a Security System, cable t.v. with high speed internet access, house is wired with state of art IT upgrades, private master bedroom suite, main body of house has 9 foot ceilings with some vaulted and cathredral ceilings, hardwood cherry flooring throughout  with ceramic tile, custom cherry built in bookcases/entertainment center, flanking a beautiful stone accented gas fireplace.  Extra wide doorways create an easy flow for wheelchair acsess with a ramp available from garage

A house, an apartment, 7 garages, 2 workshops, over 3 ACRES!

How would you like to own a residential property with a great old house, an apartment, 5 garages, 2 workshops and almost beautiful ACRES in South County and have a positive cash flow at the same time?

Check out Rental Income below:

• house $1,250.00 / month
• apartment $800 / month
• two workshops  $350 / month
• 5 garages $75 each or $375 / month
• Property income $2,775.00 /  Sellers current expenses  2,062.63

 For once the numbers work!!

For free recorded information 24 hrs a day call 800-595-2BUY Dial ext. 1663

Buyer closing costs

When a buyer applies for a loan, lenders are required to provide them with a good-faith estimate of their closing costs. The fees vary according to several factors, including the type of loan they applied for and the terms of the purchase agreement. Likewise, some of the closing costs, especially those associated with the loan application, are actually paid in advance. Some typical buyer closing costs include:

·        The down payment

·        Loan fees (points, application fee, credit report)

·        Prepaid interest

·        Inspection fees

·        Appraisal

·        Mortgage insurance

·        Hazard insurance

·        Title insurance

·        Documentary stamps on the note

Seller closing costs
If the seller has not yet paid for the house in full, the seller's most important closing cost is satisfying the remaining balance of their loan. Before the date of closing, the escrow officer will contact the seller's lender to verify the amount needed to close out the loan. Then, along with any other fees, the original loan will be paid for at the closing before the seller receives any proceeds from the sale. Other seller closing costs can include:

·        Broker's commission

·        Transfer taxes

·        Documentary Stamps on the Deed

·        Property taxes (prorated)

Negotiating Closing Costs
In addition to the sales price, buyers and sellers frequently include closing costs in their negotiations. This can be for both major and minor fees. For example, if a buyer is particularly nervous about the condition of the plumbing, the seller may agree to pay for the house inspection.

Likewise, a buyer may want to save on up-front expenditures, and so agree to pay the seller's full asking price in return for the seller paying all the allowable closing costs. There's no right or wrong way to negotiate closing costs; just be sure all the terms are written down on the purchase agreement.

Prorations
At the closing, certain costs are often prorated (or distributed) between buyer and seller. The most common prorations are for property taxes. This is because property taxes are typically paid at the end of the year for which they were assessed.

Thus, if a house is sold in June, the sellers will have lived in the house for half the year, but the bill for the taxes won't come due until the following year! To make this situation more equitable, the taxes are prorated. In this example, the sellers will credit the buyers for half the taxes at closing.

Every home seller will greatly benefit from doing the following five things.

Real estate and physics have some very basic fundamental principles and laws.  An example, in physics the law of gravity is paramount.  If you throw a ball up, you know that it is going to come down.  Tough to defy this law.

In real estate, the most basic Law, is that the better home looks, the faster it will sell and for more. Tough to defy this law.  Therefore, as a seller it is necessary to prepare your home properly for sale.  You want your home to look great and be shown in the best possible light.  This can be easily accomplished in a short period of time.  You merely:

1. Un-cluttering- time to start packing, you are moving anyway! Begin to throw away, give away, pack away and put back needed items neatly. Everything "personal" needs to be packed up or hidden. Be sure to not forget the garage and yard.
   
   2. Cleaning - make your home sparkle with extra attention! Get in to all the corners, closets and drawers. Pay close attention to the front porch and windows. Kitchens and bathrooms must be clean and fresh smelling.
   
   3. Repairing - time to fix all those things that are broken! Make sure everything is working, you don't want to give the buyer a reason to reduce the price!
   
   4. Neutralizing - color and decor in neutral colors/style. May be a time to paint and remove wallpaper. All collections need to be packed up. Put away extra furnishings and decorations.
   
   5. Dynamizing - props and setting the scene!  But remember.....less is more!
   

Great Barrington Realtor®

Completes Loss Mitigation Certification Program

Great Barrington, MA – Corinne McKeown, Broker/Owner of Storybook Homes Real Estate earned a Certification in Loss Mitigation on March 8, 2008.  The program was offered by The Massachusetts Association of Realtors®, and taught REALTOR® attendees how to work effectively with complicated transactions involving foreclosures, short sales, properties at auction or bank owned (also known as real estate owned or REO), and how to protect buyers and sellers as they work through the process.

Taught by national and local experts in loss mitigation, the course equipped attendees to deal with short sales on both the buying and listing side; instructed them how to best approach lenders; and identify what information they will be required to produce.  Since not all short sales avoid foreclosure, attendees also learned about the auction process including viewings, financing, and bidding.  This course also addressed the human element of these transactions as consumers potentially face losing their homes. Ms. McKeown is also a Certified Buyer Representative, and holds the Certified Residential Specialist designation, the highest credential in the Real Estate industry.

            To learn more about the process of short sales to avoid foreclosures, or if you know anyone who may face losing their home, contact Corinne McKeown in confidence at 413-644-9440.

This is a really wonderful property, a hop-skip-and-a-jump from town, near the famous, big brown bridge.  Three nice sized bedrooms (including a very large master),  A modern bath upstairs and a water closet down, there is room for a family, vacationers, or visiting friends.  Ample open and colorful (we mean it!) dining/kitchen area and a bonus kitchen-off-the-kitchen for utility, food storage and clean up.  Living room features a gorgeous and efficient, new gas Environ Stove as an added heat source and fabulous ambiance in the cooler months or evenings in any season.  Deep rich hard wood floors throughout the entire house, a bar for entertaining or breakfasting, a functional and attractive mudroom that doubles as a screened porch in the summer, and the kind of rocking chair front porch that you would expect in a historical New England farmhouse.  But that's not all!  Improvements include a privacy fenced back yard, lined with a colorful and fragrant perennials and fruit trees, and an enviable bluestone patio that looks like an old English garden.  A barn/garage with a new, mod tin roof, great for storage but otherwise in need of some repair.   Newer windows on every side of the house for a fabulous cross breeze, an abundance of natural light in every room (and fabulous quality lighting as well), detailed original moldings and banister and a finish able huge third floor space for studio or additional living space.  A grand Magnolia (the second nicest in all of Great Barrington) stands majestically at one corner of the house providing wonderful treat for the senses.  This is a dead end street with little traffic, a most convenient location near the best restaurants, galleries and boutiques of the Berkshires, and fine, fun neighbors.  Colors by Janette McGuire; Interior design and landscape art by Berkshire X Designs.  Nothing else in town can touch the quality and appeal of this great retreat.   House also available as a seasonal rental.  Broker owned.

http://www.realestatewords.com/

Those of you who want to check out these opportunities in more detail, I've found a very informative website for you to check out. 

Click on the link below to get free information on Foreclosures in ANY Real Estate Market - including our Beautiful Berkshires!  You too can enjoy the joys of Home Ownership with these great deals.  It's for any US Market and is a great source of Forclosure information for REAL ESTATE Agents and Home Buyers  alike.   I've done the research and this is the best, more reliable resource to locate forclosed properties at unbelievable prices.   Enjoy a free trial!  When you find a forclosure in the Berkshires that interests you, it's best to have expert representation - so call me and I can help!   Here's the link:

http://www.foreclosure.com/?rsp=1807&AID=10381908&PID=2758232

Storybook Homes also has a couple of very special opportunities within it's listing inventory. Please visit www.StoryBookHomesInTheBerkshires.com  to view these hot properties being offer well below market value!  You can also email me at corinne.mckeown@Realtor.com and I'll send you listing info on these properites and other forclosures as they come down the pike.

FOR HOMEOWNERS FACING POSSIBLE FORECLOSURE: Learn What You Can do to Protect Your Home.  If you feel like you may be in danger of facing foreclosure and need immediate help, call 888-995-HOPE or visit www.995hope.org. Homeowner's HOPET, a counseling service provided by the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, can work with you to find a solution.

How to Avoid Foreclosures and Keep Your Home (PDF: 1.7Mb)
You're not alone if you're having trouble paying your mortgage. The housing boom led to a record homeownership rate of nearly 70 percent, but some home owners now face problems making their mortgage payments and can't refinance their loans. This brochure will help you understand your options and give you tips on how to avoid losing your home--regardless of what kind of mortgage you have. Text-only version available (PDF: 71Kb)

• How to avoid foreclosures (HUD)
• Foreclosure Assistance Programs by State
• Help for Homeowners Facing the Loss of Their Home (HUD)

 Please let me know if this information has been helpful! 

Proeprty consists of 292 lineal feet of roadfront along Rt. 7 North of town at Historic Belcher Square in B-2 Zone.  Property have four separate buildings and 3 curb cuts.  Buildings in need of major restoraction but have potential for retail or commerical use.  Extrememly high visibility and exposure property. Additional acreage to the rear can be pruchased with this parcel to maximize building footprint density.   Property can also be sold in two parts is purchased by two buyers concurrently.  Excellent investment and development opportunity with potential for a strip type call or comination retail, offices and residential on top floor. Demographics and zoning info available on request for qualified Buyers..