Andover’s Shawsheen Plaza Market Basket closed on Saturday.   During my last visit I couldn’t help but reflect on the thousands of times I shopped at that market.  I knew every shelf by memory and the employees were all familiar faces.  I’ve lived in Andover 27 years, so my trips to Andover’s Market Basket have evolved from purchasing baby foods and juice boxes to marshmallow fluff, Cheerios, popcorn and peanut butter and now my empty nester’s produce and yogurts!  Where else do you run into old friends and neighbors but in your local supermarket? Oh I’ll still shop at the other Market Basket locations, but like all real estate, location counts.  Stop and Shop will open in Shawsheen Plaza in October.  I’ll be learning to navigate new aisles and meeting new faces and with luck and good timing I’ll continue to run into my same old friends and Andover neighbors when I run in for fresh bread and milk!

Please drive carefully

School’s out and these hot, summer days are perfect for outdoor activities. Please be careful out there–especially when driving.  I often replace my gym routine with a morning run before heading to my RE/Max office in downtown Andover.  The roads I run along are in residential neighborhoods and if you know Andover you know that very few of our Andover streets have sidewalks. Many wind through wooded areas and tree lined neighborhoods. That leaves little room for walkers, bikers and children.  It’s often impossible to see beyond the upcoming bend in the road. We adults, I trust, are ever diligent, aware of our surroundings and pay close attention for sounds of oncoming vehicles.  Still, I’m often amazed–and alarmed–to witness so many drivers navigating our neighborhood streets at high speeds.  I shudder to think what could happen if a child or young person were on the road instead of me.  Drivers, please slow down and put your cell phones down…school’s out for summer and so are our children!

Keeping your home ready for potential buyers to tour is not easy.  Homes that show well are so neat and tidy that it almost looks as though no one lives there.  There are no dishes in the sink, no shoes by the door, no newspapers on the coffee table. There aren’t even hairbrushes or toothpaste tubes by the bathroom sink or towels hanging up to dry.  Clothes and linen closets are neatly organized–shoes, belts and pocketbooks lined on shelves, desks organized…even the tools in the garage and basement are in order.  Outdoors, leaves and grass clippings are swept and patios are decorated with flowering pots and outdoor furniture.  WHO LIVES THIS WAY EVERYDAY?  The answer is–no one—well, no one I know anyway.  As difficult as it is to tidy up everyday your efforts will pay off.  Nothing is more appealing to a potential buyer than a home that is clean and tidy. A clean and well staged home communicates a message to visitors that the home is well maintained and a well maintained home alleviates a buyer’s natural worries.  Looking to sell your home in Andover or North Andover?  Take time to prepare well…and enjoy the wonderful comments and offers your efforts will generate.

Have you ever seen the phrase “sold as is” in a description of a home for sale? What exactly does that mean and why write it into the property description?  In my opinion all homes are offered for sale  in “as in condition.” While many sellers make repairs and improvements to their homes before listing them for sale I have yet to find a PERFECT home. If you’ve ever shopped for a home you’ll know there is quite a range in the condition of homes offered for sale. An important step in the home buying process, therefore, is the home inspection.  Once a buyer negotiates a contract to purchase a home, it’s recommended that he or she hire a professional home inspector to assess the condition of the home.  If the inspection identifies unexpected  defects or problems with the home, the buyer has several options….proceed with the purchase under the initial agreed upon contract, ask the seller to make repairs, ask the seller to renegotiate the price with the buyer assuming responsiblity for making repairs, or give written notice to the seller that he will not be proceeding with the sale, cancel the contract to purchase and request that his or her deposit be returned.  In each of these options, the seller has the right to say no. If he or she  does and the buyer still wants the home, the buyer purchases the home in “as in condition.”  While it be more prudent for the seller to negotiate to make repairs  than to insist on the home being sold in “as in” condition the seller is under no such obligation.  As you can see the home buying process can become complicated as the process unfolds.  The consequences to both  the buyer and the seller during this process can be quite serious. As your REMAX real estate agent I am trained to guide you through the home buying and selling process. I can save you time and money and help you with all your real estate needs.

We closed!   98 Haverhill St. Unit B Andover, MA   Sold May 28 after only 57 days on the market.  Congratulations to the new home owner.  See what homes are selling in your neighborhood by logging on here!

Caution--turtle crossing

I went for a morning jog in my Andover neighborhood this morning and came across a woman who had stopped her SUV full of young children to escort a turtle across the road.  This was the second time in two days that I came across this same situation, that is, a turtle being guided across a roadway by a concerned citizen. Not being a turtle expert, I can’t say for sure whether or not this was an Eastern Box turtle, or a Blandings Turtle — two species which inhabit the area and which are rare and/or endangered–or perhaps just some other more common species.  However, it struck me not only as a nice gesture but another reminder of the natural environment and resources we have to enjoy here in Andover.  Not only to we have friendly neighborhoods, good schools and people who care about the community, but we’ve got acres of conservation land and walking trails to enjoy right in our own backyards. Have questions about living in Andover or North Andover? Give me call!  In the meantime drive carefully—that spot in the road just might be one of our four-legged friends!

We closed on a home yesterday–well, my buyer clients did. It’s their first home and as you can imagine they were thrilled with their new home and excited to move in, unpack and make it their own. When we went to  the final walk through the sellers were still in the process of moving out.  Packed boxes, furniture and some wayward toys remained strewn throughout the home.  The moving company had been delayed, so the move wasn’t going according to schedule. The sellers were doing their best, sincerely apologized for the state of affairs and knew they were in for a very, very long day.  Of course, we always prefer to have everything completely moved out–in fact the sales contract clearly spells that out.  Thus, the  buyers could have postponed the closing until all the belongings were removed and everything was in order.  To their credit they understood the situation and closed on schedule.  A little risky? Perhaps—but they were planning on painting the walls anyway so a little spackle would take care of any bumps in the walls.  Also, during the previous months both parties had been respectful and cooperative negotiating  a sales agreement that was fair to both parties therefore a level of trust had already been nurtured.  A happy ending was the result—-and a good night’s sleep for both buyers and sellers! Congratulations Daniel and Shannon on your new home!

Sales of single family homes continue to improve in Andover and North Andover MA .  Median sales prices and number of homes sold are up this year when compared to the same period in 2009. Whether or not this  improvement in the housing market will continue now that the home buyer tax credits have expired remains to be seen.  Never the less the news is clearly good for the housing market in the  Andovers!

Customer loyalty

A current marketing promotion caught my eye this week.  TD Bank is offering to give new customers a free flip video camera as a reward for opening a new checking account.  While I haven’t read the fine print I did ask the teller at my local branch if the promotion was good for current customers and if not ALL current customers, perhaps those of us who have several accounts and who have had those accounts for decades.  Promotions such as these, of course are not new and not unique to TD Bank.  Other large companies such as Comcast and Verizon frequently offer their own versions of marketing promotions to attract new customers.

Not surprisingly the answer was no. There are no such rewards for loyal customers.  Most companies choose to spend their time and energies attracting new customers, often, in my opinion, ignoring their current customers and missing opportunities to develop customer service or customer loyalty.  I see the same patterns in the real estate industry.  While many realtors spend the majority of their time and resourses prospecting for new business—things like direct mail and personal promotion, I devote myself to serving the needs of my clients before, during and after each transaction.  My clients know that I will stay in touch with them and be available to help them with any real estate or real estate related need long after they’ve moved into their new homes. They recieve valuable information from me on a regular basis and understand that I value their trust in me.  They know that when they recommend my services to a friend I will follow up with a level of care and service they have come to know.

Have a question about real estate here in Andover or North Andover?–ask a question about my client appreciation program.

On Saturday May 8, 9 a.m. – 12 noon, Andover,  9 local charities will have volunteers at the far end of the Brickstone Square parking lot (York St, off Rt 133) to collect your clean working used items.  All donations will go to charity organizations that donate, reuse or recycle items from small household items to bay gear, linens, bicycles, small furniture and building materials.  See flyer for more details –  what a great way to support the local Andover community and help organizations dedicated to serving our neighbors in need.