Canton MA Recreation Offers Vacation Week Program The children in Canton MA are quite lucky to have an active Recreation Department within the Town of Canton that sponsors and sets up a wide variety of recreation offerings.  In addition to year-round programming for all ages, the Recreation Department runs and manages the Metropolis Skating Rink, the Bolivar Pond Swimming Pool, the Armando Recreation Center, various playgrounds located throughout the town and the Gridley School preschool program located at the historic two-room schoolhouse.  The Recreation Department is responsible for the highly successful Canton Dolphins Swim Team, which has both a summer and winter program. For the upcoming February Vacation, the Canton Recreation Department is offering a Sports and Games Clinic for ... 02/16/2011

Canton MA Real Estate Market Snapshot As of today, there are currently 68 single family homes actively listed in the Canton MA Real Estate market.  As always, there is a wide variety of pricing and options.  On the low end, there is a four-room, two-bedroom, one-bathroom Colonial listed for $259,900, with a seven-room, three-bedroom, one-bathroom Ranch not far behind at $269,900.  The high end tops out with a twelve-room, six-bedroom, four and one half bath Cape-style home listed at $1.5 million.  The average price is at $643,606.00, but that includes five homes listed at over $1 million.  With those homes out of the mix, the average price is just over $592,000.00.  There are definitely many options for buyers of varying price ranges.   There are also varied options for condominium buye... 02/12/2011

What Is A Homeowner's Insurance Binder? This is a question I received from one of my clients. Sometimes we get used to the terms and forget that a new buyer may not speak the same language. In preparing my clients for the upcoming closing, I was going over the requirements that they would need to meet. I reminded them that they would need a homeowner's insurance binder. Here is the question I was emailed: So I have a question, what is a homeowner's insurance binder? And, here is my answer: The mortgage company requires that you obtain homeowner's insurance on the home you are purchasing. They will require you to pay for the first year's premium up front prior to closing and bring a "binder" showing that you have insurance. The binder is basically a certificate that your insurance agent ... 02/09/2011

Search Canton MA Real Estate From My Facebook Page Yes, that's right.....visitors to my Facebook Page can search the MLS without ever leaving Facebook.  It is thanks to the MLS App available on Facebook.  I am not sure if they offer it for any other state besides Massachsetts but you can ask the developer directly.  Here's how it works, there is a tab on my Facebook Page that reads "Search Homes".  The default is set to Canton MA Real Estate but the user can change it to any town they like.  Just like any MLS search, you can search by location, price, number of bedrooms, etc.  When the user clicks on a property, it gives them details.  If they want more information about a property or want to see it, they can do that directly from the app.  There is no need to send a separate email or g... 02/09/2011

Canton's Got Talent! And you can come and see all that talent this Friday, February 11th at 7:00 p.m. at Canton High School! MusicCounts!, Canton's music booster organization, is holding its second semi-annual talent contest, featuring talented members of the Canton Public Schools. That's right - teachers, staff and administrators will step out of their comfort zones and compete in a talent show in order to raise money for MusicCounts!. MusicCounts! was formed in 2001 in response to a growing need for support of music programs within the Canton Public Schools curriculum. It is an advocacy group that is dedicated to advancing music education within the Canton Public Schools. MusicCounts! sponsors a variety of after-school ensembles that otherwise would not be funded. They also provide sc... 02/07/2011

Ten Reasons Why It Is Super Sunday in Canton MA While it is not quite as exciting without the Patriots playing in the Super Bowl, it is still Super Sunday here in Canton MA. The sun is shining. The temperature is over 40. The ice and snow are slowly melting. The melting is going down the gutters & downspouts - not through the roof. The sky is a crystal clear blue. Folks are preparing for their Super Bowl parties. There are a wide variety of homes for sale to meet the needs of a wide variety of buyers. There is a good chance there will be a full week of school this week (knock on wood). The Canton Food Pantry is holding its Super Bowl Sunday food drive. Did I mention the sun is shining?  I think that should count for two reasons! 02/06/2011

This post was inspired, in part by Neal Bloom's post entitled Our Realtor Left Us at the Closing Table in which Neal describes a transaction where the buyer agent had not shown up at the closing and in fact had not provided much service at all to the buyers. Here is what you should expect from your buyer agent (in no particular order): 100% loyalty to the buyer's interests at all times throughout every stage of the transaction Prompt response to phone calls and emails - before, during and after representation Explanation/discussion prior to the home search of what to expect during a home search and what services the buyer agent will provide to the buyer Explanation of cost to buyer, if any Assistance with mortgage preapproval - whether that means referral to a qualified mortgage lender ... 02/05/2011

Canton MA Food Pantry Releases Statistics for 2010 The Food Pantry in Canton MA released their numbers for 2010: The Food Pantry supplied 316 households with food. 2960 clients received food - 1133 adults, 929 senior citizens and 898 children. 9534 bags of food were handed out. That is a lot of people for a small town.  Thank goodness for the hard work of the Canton Food Pantry volunteers and the citizens of Canton who donate to them on a regular basis.  Sometimes people forget that even in a fairly affluent town like Canton MA, there are many people who need the help of the Food Pantry, but hunger and even homelessness are present everywhere. Fortunately, there are also many, many residents and businesses in Canton MA that support the Food Pantry regularly with donations of food, fundi... 02/03/2011

Alice In Wonderland - Presented by the Luce School in Canton MA As mentioned in an earlier blog post, each of Canton's elementary schools has the opportunity every year to put on a play, full with lights, sound, costumes.....the works. On February 4th and 5th, the Dean S. Luce Elementary School in Canton MA will present the musical Alice in Wonderland. The Luce School's play will always hold a special place in my heart. This is the first time in six years that I have not been running the Luce play. The play has a very talented Director who works wonders with the kids.  The other aspects of the show are coordinated by a parent volunteer from the school's parent organization. The parent coordinator is pretty much the producer of the show. For the past six years, I had the honor to be the ... 02/02/2011

Canton Students Perform with Brockton Symphony Orchestra The Canton Public Schools are fortunate to have an excellent and ever-developing music program.  Several years ago, they introduced string instruments into the choices for those wishing to learn to play an instrument.  Many of those students are now in the middle school and the string program is growing by leaps and bounds.  Having had children in the elementary schools when the program first started, I have been lucky to view first-hand the progress these students have made.  I remember the first string concert about four years ago. Now, these same students are in the eighth grade and the difference is just astounding. This past Saturday, the Orchestra students from the Galvin Middle School in Canton MA had the opportunity to pla... 01/31/2011

JFK Elementary School in Canton MA to present Robin Hood If you do not realize it already, I am a big supporter of the performing arts in Canton MA and in the Canton Public Schools.  I am a true believer that it is important to be well-rounded and for kids to have exposure to all  different areas. Canton is lucky in that it has an excellent performing arts department.  It has excellent teachers, support from the administration and support from the parents and community at large.  I have written about this before in previous articles. Every year each elementary school in Canton puts on a play, usually a musical.  This is not a typical kids play where the lines are fed to them and it is done during school.  It is performed on the "big stage" at Canton High, with sound, lights and the work... 01/28/2011

Meet Your Canton MA Buyer Agent Sometimes it is nice to see and hear the person who is writing the blog so I thought I would share with you my introductory video.  It may not be ready for prime time, but this is an opportunity for buyers to get to know me.  Take a look and get to know your Canton MA Buyer Agent.   If you would like to meet me in person rather than on video, I would be happy to meet with you to discuss the home buying process and how a buyer agent can help you buy the home of your dreams.  01/27/2011

There are some easy and inexpensive things you can do to stay warm, lower your heating bills, and prevent damage to your home in Canton MA this winter. Here are 7 tips: 1. If you haven't had your heating system checked in more than a year (or ever!) now is a good time to schedule an appointment. Have the connections and thermostat checked annually. You can clean and change filters yourself. Regular maintenance on your heating system will help it run more efficiently (lower bills) and prevent emergency repairs. 2. Knock down heavy icicles building up over your walkway or stairs. You can use a shovel or broom to knock them down and away from the path. As they drip and re-freeze, they create icy patches on stairs and walkways. 3. Buy a window insulator kit to prevent cold air from entering... 01/26/2011

The market in Canton MA has plenty of opportunities for Buyers of all price levels. There are currently 61 Single Family Homes on the market with prices ranging from $259,000 for a six room, three bedroom, two and one half bathroom Colonial to $1,500,000 for a twelve room, six bedroom, four and one half bathroom Cape-style home.  The average list price is just above $646,000 and the average time on the market is 191.95 days. The condo market also offers a lot of opportunities for buyers looking to buy a home in Canton MA.  There are 39 condominiums currently on the market with a low price of $116,000 for a four room, one-bedroom/one-bathroom garden-style unit to $389,000 for a six room, three-bedroom, two-bathroom duplex-style unit. Canton is located just south of Boston, with easy comm... 01/25/2011

Once again, I was reminded howi important it is for Sellers to hire an Agent with Short Sale Experience if they plan to list their home as a short sale. I will remind everyone that I am an Exclusive Buyers Agent.  I do not take listings.  So, I am not saying this so that Sellers will list their short sales with me.  When I have a client interested in a short sale property, I contact the listing agent to find out the likelihood of the short sale getting approved.  How do I do that? I ask questions! For example:  What is the status of the short sale?  Which lender is servicing the loan(s)? Do you know if there is mortgage insurance on the first mortgage? How are you going to handle submitting offers to the bank, especially multiple offers? Are you going to be negotiating the short sale fo... 01/24/2011

Bitter cold weather is predicted for tomorrow in Canton MA and the Boston area. They are saying it is going to be colder than it has been in 5 or 6 years. I remember that last REALLY cold spell. They actually canceled school one day because of the cold! Brrrrr! While we get plenty of cold weather here, it is not usually below zero, as it is predicted to be tomorrow morning. It is going to be a day for lots of layers and limited time outside. I have already warned my kids about being dressed properly at the bus stop in the morning. We are also going to prepare our house tonight. The lower level of our house is much colder than the rest and we are not fortunate enough to have more than one heating zone. The pipes to the bathroom downstairs can be vulnerable in the extreme cold too so we h... 01/23/2011

We have seen more than our fair share of snow this season in Canton MA.  As the sayin goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. The kids have been enjoying the snow at least and there are several favorite sledding locations in Canton.   Pequitside Farm  - Located at 79 Pleasant Street in Canton, Pequitside Farm is a 33-acre property owned by the Town of Canton and managed by the Canton Conservation Commission.  On the property there is a large Colonial-era house that is available for rental, a playground area, and lots of open space - including a nice hill for sledding right next to the house.  It's a smaller hill and perfect for the younger sledders - not too steep and relatively easy to climb back up.  There is a parking lot right at the house too, making it convenient for parents. Galvi... 01/22/2011

It is Always Important to Have A Backup Plan – even at Starbucks. Starbucks in Canton MA seems to have a seating problem.Today is the second time that I have run into problems in Starbucks in Canton MA.   Now, let me start off by saying that I love Starbucks.   Working out of a home office, I like to go there occasionally to have other people around.I also like to meet clients at Starbucks as it is a neutral location for both of us.Today, I went there because I had my monthly cleaning crew in my house and I wanted to get out of their way.I had a home inspection to attend a little later on so I wanted to go somewhere where I could get a little work done before the inspection.So, I headed off to my favorite Starbucks right here in Canton MA.   When I drove in the parking lot I wondered if... 01/20/2011

Commuter Rail Service in Canton MA Canton MA is home to two different commuter rail stations, Canton Center located in the "downtown" section of Canton and Canton Junction, which is located just a little bit outside of the center. The nice thing about having the two different stops is that there are two different commuter rail lines that service the town, increasing your commuting options. The Stoughton line, runs from next door neighbor Stoughton, MA and makes stops both at Canton Center and Canton Junction, ending in Boston with stops at both Back Bay Station and South Station. The Providence line, runs from Providence, RI and only stops at Canton Junction. It also ends in Boston at both Back Bay and South Station. With both lines running through the "Junction" there are a variety of ... 01/19/2011

  Dig Out That Fire Hydrant!   It has snowed a lot this winter here in Canton MA. The most recent blizzard left the fire hydrant at the corner of our street plowed in. Now, the hydrant was clearly marked by the fire department so why the plow drivers plowed it in is a story for another blog I suppose. But, it was plowed in so I sent my husband out the other day to dig it out.  I would like to remind others to do the same. There were a couple of fires in the local news over the past couple of days. Both stories involved fire departments that had trouble accessing the fire hydrants due to snowbanks, ice and high snow cover. Time spent going to the next hydrant or digging it out is time lost and in one of these local cases, there was some serious injury. So, if you live next to or near a f... 01/18/2011