Night Out to Support Canton MA's Problem Solving Teams The regular readers of my blog probably know about Canton's Championship Problem Solving Teams.  The good news is that Canton is sending at least two teams to the International Problem Solving competition in LaCrosse Wisconsin, possibly more.  (The teams that won first place in the State competition get an automatic invitation.  The second place state winners have to wait to see if they can go.) Canton Public Schools is able to fund the cost of the team registrations as part of its budget,  However, the traveling costs are beyond what can be funded by the schools, especially in these times of budgetary constraints.  As a result, the cost to send the teams to the competition must be either paid for by the team families and/or must be... 04/12/2011

Canton's JFK Xylo's Perform Benefit Concert The JFK Elementary School, under the direction of music teacher Rebecca Smart, has its own after-school Xylophone group, known as the JFK Xylo's.  It is open to older students and they meet after school hours to learn the various xylophone instruments and to practice.  This great program is funded in part by MusicCounts! - Canton's music booster organization.    The Xylos are performing their second annual benefit concert to help raise money for Heifer International on Wednesday, April 13th at 7:00 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School, located on Dedham Street in Canton, MA. For those who do not know, Heifer International is an anti-poverty non-profit organization.  They provide resources to needy families in poor and developing count... 04/11/2011

Canton, Mass. Real Estate - Week ending April 9, 2011 Here is a brief snapshot of the real estate market for single family homes in Canton, Mass. (Source MLSPIN)  Number of Homes on The Market                                              75 Average List Price                                                           $606,123 Average Market Time                                                      161 Days 04/10/2011

What Kind of Agent Do You Want Representing You? When hiring an agent, I think it is important for both Buyers and Sellers to consider what kind of agent they want to represent them.  Of course, everyone wants an agent that provides excellent service, is responsive to their clients, knows what he or she is doing and knows how to get the job done.  And, you want someone with whom you get along - obviously. But sometimes what people fail to realize is that the agent represents them to the other parties in the transaction.  The only impression that a buyer or a buyer's agent has about a Seller, is what they see from the listing agent (and vice versa).  An agent should be able to work past all that but sometimes a buyer cannot.  Recently, I have seen and heard about agents who do not treat ... 04/09/2011

Canton MA's Luce School Carnival is Saturday A sure sign of spring, the Dean S. Luce Elementary School's annual Carnival will be held Saturday, April 9th from 10 am - 3 pm at the school, located on Independence Street in Canton MA.  A completely indoor event, it is not dependent on the weather.  But, with the great weather that is predicted this weekend, there is no excuse to stay at home.  Come on out and enjoy this fun family event! The carnival is one of the major fundraisers for the school's parent/teacher organization, the Luce School CAPT (Canton Association of Parents and Teachers).  The CAPT provides and supports programming at the school and funds items that cannot be funded through the school budget.  In this tight economic times, the work of the CAPT is more important than ev... 04/08/2011

1851 Washington StreetList Price: $279,900 Sale Price: $258,500Style: Colonial     Living Area: 1,056 Sq. Ft.Garage: 1    Parking: 6Rooms: 7   Bedrooms: 3      Baths: 1        Days on Market 32   33 AlgonquinList Price: $459,900 Sale Price: $470,000Style: Multi Level    Living Area: 2,340 Sq. Ft. Garage: 2    Parking: 6Rooms: 11   Bedrooms: 3      Baths: 2        Days on Market 7 22 Morton CircleList Price: $499,999 Sale Price: $430,000Style:  Colonial    Living Area: 3,200 Sq. Ft. Garage: 2    Parking: 6Rooms: 11   Bedrooms: 5      Baths: 3        Days on Market 210 9 Farm StreetList Price: $555,000 Sale Price: $536,000 Style: Contemporary   Living Area: 2,700 Sq. Ft.Garage: 1    Parking: 8Rooms: 9   Bedrooms: 4      Baths: 2.5        Days on Market 159 9 Richard StreetList Price: $629... 04/07/2011

I Am Dirt in Canton MA On Thursday, April 7th, John Morello's one-man show I Am Dirt will be performed in Canton MA at Canton High School.  He is doing a presentation during the day to the 10th, 11th & 12th grade students at Canton High.  In the evening, there is a presentation at 7 pm for Canton parents and other community members at the Canton High auditorium. This powerful presentation is being sponsored by the Canton High chapter of S.A.D.D. and the Canton Alliance for Public Education (C.A.P.E.). This one-man show is a highly recommended - and from all accounts a highly-entertaining - program aimed at educating students about the dangers of substance abuse.  John Morello is an actor and comedian by trade and uses his skills to entertain his audience while providing a powerful messa... 04/06/2011

Canton's 24-hour Plays are Back! On Saturday, April 9th, the Canton High Drama Club will present their annual 24-hour plays at Canton High's Morse Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. Just what is a 24-hour play, you ask?  Well, it does not mean that you have to sit and watch plays for 24-hours!  The 24-hour plays are a unique opportunity for Canton High's actors, actresses, writers and directors.  Students who wish to perform in the 24-hour plays will audition this Friday, April 8th after school.  They must come prepared to audition as a character they have created.  They need to be in costume and have at least one prop.  The character can be anything that they can imagine so the possibilities are endless. Once all the performers have auditioned, the student writers begin writing plays to incorpora... 04/05/2011

Canton MA Recycling Facility is Open for the Season In Canton MA, yard waste may not be thrown out with the regular trash.  You must bring it to the Pine Street Recycling Facility.  In addition, leaves may be burned with the proper permit during certain times of the year. Canton's Pine Street Yard Waste Recycling facility opened for the season on April 1st.  Many of us have downed limbs, branches and brush as a result of all that snow we had this past winter.  I know we have been picking ours up and collecting it until we could bring it to the recycling facility.  So, a sure sign of spring, the facility is up and running.  Time to clean up the yards and bring it all in. If you missed the two open weekends in January and still have your Christmas Tree in your yard, you can finally get ri... 04/04/2011

Canton MA Spring Real Estate Market Update The Spring market is heating up in Canton MA and other surrounding towns.  In the past month, 10 single family homes have sold in Canton MA.  The prices ranged from a low of $220,000 to a high of $1,225,000, with a variety in between.  In the same time period, there were two condominiums sold in Canton MA, one sold for $275,000 and one for $290,000.   There are 7 single family homes in Canton MA that have gone under agreement in the past month and 4 condominiums. There are 4 single family homes that have just come on the market in Canton MA, with a total of 71 single famiy homes for sale in Canton MA.  There are 3 condominiums that are new to the market in Canton MA, with a total of 46 being listed as active. The spring market is here and is he... 04/02/2011

Unaccompanied vs. Accompanied Showings - What is best for Buyers may be Best for Sellers Quite often in Canton MA and Milton MA, many real estate showings are accompanied, meaning that the listing agent is there.  While we do have our share of lockbox showings, more often than not buyers and their buyer's agents accompanied by the listing agent. The good part about having this listing agent there is that she or he is available to answer questions on the spot, without having to ask later or email.  Or if there is difficulty in finding something or opening a door, the listing agent is there. The down side?  Often, they are there following the buyer and the buyer's agent around so there is little chance to take in the room or discuss the pros and cons of certain features.  It is really dif... 03/31/2011

03/30/2011

Canton MA is Going To the Birds On Saturday April 2nd, Canton's Visual Arts Center is holding its annual gala to benefit its childrens programs.  "For the Birds" will be held on Saturday, April 2nd, at the Reebok World Headquarters in Canton MA from 7 pm to 11 pm.  Tickets are $50.00 per person.  The event will feature food, drink, jazz & latin music & silent auctions.  As a special treat, Canton's own Blue Hills Brewery will be providing a beer tasting station, along with the beer selections for the evening.  Other liquid refreshments will also be available. The Visual Arts Center is a Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary located right here in Canton MA.   Massachusetts Audubon is the largest conservation organization in Massachusetts.  The Visual Arts Center is a 138-acre wildlife sanctuar... 03/29/2011

Happiness Over the Sale of a House I know we are all happy when a house sells - happy seller and happy buyer = happy listing agent and happy buyers agent.  But, that is not what I am writing about.  As a buyers agent I see many homes that my buyers do not end up buying.  After all, that is the nature of the business.  Along the way, there are many homes that I have seen that I, personally, have really liked - even loved!  It's not about me so often that opinion is kept to myself.  I find it one of the added bonuses of being a buyers agent - getting to see all those lovely homes for sale. Some of those great homes are passed up by my buyers for a variety of reasons but for one reason or another, they just do not suit my buyers needs.  Many of them I continue to see listed in the MLS week... 03/27/2011

Canton, Mass. Real Estate - Week ending March 26, 2011 Here is a brief snapshot of the real estate market for single family homes in Canton, Mass. (Source MLSPIN)  Number of Homes on The Market                                               72 Average List Price                                                           $639,340 Average Market Time                                                      174 Days 03/27/2011

Spring Has Sprung   While the warm weather may not be quite here yet, Spring has definitely sprung in the Real Estate market.  I recently had a buyer ask me if the Spring market had begun yet.  Yes, it most certainly has. I see new listings coming on the market every day and I see homes going under agreement every day.  In the past month in Canton MA, there have been 13 homes (single family and condos) sold and 9 have gone under agreement.  As of this writing, there are seven NEW listings in the MLS.  There are a total of 72 single family homes for sale right now in Canton MA and 47 condominiums for sale in Canton MA.   Fifteen of those properties currently for sale have an accepted offer on them - just waiting on contingencies to move to under agreement. So, to all buyers out there who... 03/25/2011

Canton, Mass. Real Estate - Week ending March 19, 2011 Here is a brief snapshot of the real estate market for single family homes in Canton, Mass. (Source MLSPIN)  Number of Homes on The Market                                               72 Average List Price                                                           $639,340 Average Market Time                                                      172 Days 03/25/2011

Canton Drama to Present "Harvey" this Weekend The Canton High School Drama club will be performing its annual spring play this coming weekend.  "Harvey" will be presented on Friday March 25th and Saturday March 26th at 7:00 pm in Canton High School's Morse Auditorium.   "Harvey" is a comedy and tells the story of Elwood Dowd, a middle-aged, eccentric gentleman whose best friend is Harvey, an invisible 6'4" tall rabbit.   Eldwood's sister tries to have him committed to a mental institution and by mistake, his sister ends up being committed while Elwood is released.  A comedy of errors ensues. The rest of the play is spent tracking Elwood down and learning more about Harvey and how he influences the others who ultimately end up encountering him.  "Harvey" was most famously performed in a ... 03/24/2011

167 Turnpike StreetList Price: $249,000 Sale Price: $220,000Style: Colonial     Living Area: 2,928 Sq. Ft.Garage: 0    Parking: 2Rooms: 6   Bedrooms: 2      Baths: 2        Days on Market 1 610 Pleasant  StreetList Price: $379,000 Sale Price: $355,000Style: Raised Ranch    Living Area: 1,211 Sq. Ft.Garage: 2    Parking: 6Rooms: 6   Bedrooms: 3      Baths: 1        Days on Market 152 65 Indian LaneList Price: $499,000 Sale Price: $482,500Style: Cape    Living Area: 2,936 Sq. Ft. Garage: 1    Parking: 4Rooms: 10   Bedrooms: 4      Baths: 2        Days on Market 160 5 Mulberry Lane List Price: $499,900 Sale Price: $500,000Style:  Ranch    Living Area: 3,000 Sq. Ft. Garage: 2    Parking: 4Rooms: 8   Bedrooms: 3      Baths: 3        Days on Market 9 60 York BrookList Price: $599,900 Sale Pri... 03/21/2011

Congratulations to Canton's Problem Solving Teams! Canton MA has been the proud hometown of several championship problem solving teams over the past several years.  This year is no exception.  Canton took home several first, second and third place prizes in yesterday's Massachusetts State Problem Solving Competition. What are problem solvers you ask?  According to to the Future Problem Solving Program International, Inc. the problem solving program "stimulates critical and creative thinking skills, encourages students to develop a vision for the future, and prepares students for leadership roles."  Students in grades 4-12 form teams, and with guidance from their coaches, use a six-step model to solve complex societal problems. The teams practice during the school year, working on sample... 03/20/2011