Purim Carnival in Canton MA On Sunday March 20th at 3:00 pm, the Canton Chai Center will host a Purim Carnival at Canton High School.  There will be food, music, entertainment, crafts, games and more.  Come in costume and win a prize!  RSVP is requested ~ visit the Canton Chai Center website for more details. Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai from death and destruction by the evil Haman.  (My apologies to my Jewish friends for my limited knowledge!  Feel free to correct me and add information!) The Canton Chai Center welcomes people of all faiths to join in the carnival.  This looks to be a fun, family event.  It is a great opportunity for those of Jewish faith to celebra... 03/19/2011

The Canton, MA Council on Aging is a wonderful organization devoted to providing Canton senior citizens with resources to meet their special needs.  The popular "Legal Clinic" will be held Friday, March 18, at the Council on Aging's offices, located at 660 Washington Street.  You must make an appointment by calling 781-828-1323.  This event is free to Canton Seniors 60 and older.  Melissa A. Juarez ~ Broker/Owner MBBA, LLC If you are a potential home buyer or are looking to downsize in Canton or any other south of Boston community, please contact me to start receiving listings and open house schedules.  Let's connect today and we can begin visiting homes tomorrow.  I can answer any other questions you may have regarding schools, public transportation, houses of worship, parks, local gov... 03/17/2011

Will Gas Prices Impact Where You Buy A Home? We have all seen the ever increasing price at the pump.  It takes a little bit more out of our pocket each time we fill up.  While people have always considered commuting distance when deciding where to buy a home, it seems that it is even more important.  For many years, people were moving out and away from the cities for more space and often lower prices.  They were willing to commute that extra distance to get a larger home or a big yard for the same price of a smaller place closer to the city. However, it is now a consideration whether or not to do that.  Will the savings in housing costs be eaten up by commuting costs?  And, now that people change jobs more frequently, future commuting options may also need to be considered.  Today you m... 03/16/2011

In the News: My Fifteen Minutes of Fame They say that everyone has their fifteen minutes of fame.  Well, I think I have had mine as I was recently featured by a local media outlet.  Our local Patch site did a story about me for their In the Spotlight segment.  This segment features local members of the community. I was honored that they thought to ask me.   For those of you who are not familiar with Patch, it is a hyper-local online news site.  They have sites located all over the country.  You can find out if there is one in your area at the main Patch site. It is an interactive site, so you can comment on the stories.  And, they offer free business listings so if there is one in your town, it costs nothing for you to put in a listing.  They also offer a variety of advertising options ... 03/13/2011

A Canton MA home buyer should receive a brochure, Home Inspectors Facts for Consumers Sheet, at the time of the signing of the first written contract to purchase.A standard home inspection in Massachusetts is a visual examination of the physical structure and major interior systems of a residential building consisting of one to four dwelling units. It should be understood that there are certain risks inherent in the purchase of property and a home inspection is inherently limited in its scope and depth. The information gained from home inspection conforming to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice may reduce some of those risks, but the home inspection is not intended to provide the client with protection from all of the risks involved. Visit the Canton MA Home Inspecto... 03/11/2011

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton MA Canton MA is lucky to be home to the Irish Cultural Centre of New England (ICC) - THE place to go for all things Irish! Given that Saint Patrick's Day is around the corner, it is the perfect place to celebrate the biggest Irish holiday of all. On Sunday, March 12th, the ICC is holding a Saint Patrick's Day Open House, where you can experience a variety of Irish cultural activities, including Irish music, dancing, "craic" and food. The doors open at 5:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m., there will be a traditional Irish Mass. At 7:00, you can enjoy a traditional Irish boiled dinner and enjoy the music of the Andy Healy Band. Admission is free for ICC members and $5.00 for non-members. Cost of food is additional. If you would rather ... 03/10/2011

If you want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and want to try something different, why not cook an Irish feast for the family?  On Monday, March 7, the Irish Cultural Center, located at 200 New Boston Drive in Canton, MA will sponsor a class on how to prepare an Irish boiled dinner. The class starts at 7 p.m. While Ireland, admittedly, is not well-known for its haute-cuisine, this dish is a traditional classic featuring cabbage, bacon (corned beef), carrots and potatoes. Melissa A. Juarez ~ Broker/Owner MBBA, LLC If you are a potential home buyer and you are interested in Canton or any other south of Boston community, please contact me to start receiving listings and open house schedules.  Let's connect today and we can begin visiting homes tomorrow.  I can answer any other questions you m... 03/04/2011

Join Me at Cocktails for CAPE! CAPE (Canton Alliance for Public Education) will be holding its 7th annual Fundraising Gala on March 11th at 7:00 pm at the CBS Scene at Patriot's Place in Foxboro, Massachusetts.  This year's event is called Cocktails for CAPE. CAPE is a non-profit organization, run entirely by volunteers, whose mission is to provide funding for those projects and programs in the Canton Public Schools that are not able to be funded through the regular school department budget.  We all know that these are trying times for municipalities everywhere so the need for additional funding is more important than ever. CAPE has three main fundraising events - The Annual Spelling Bee, the CAPE Gala and the Honor Thy Teacher Program (which I will write about later this spring).  Sinc... 03/04/2011

Canton MA Middle School Presents Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Once again, the Canton MA Public Schools Performing Arts department is at it again.  This weekend, Friday March 4th & Saturday March 5th, the Galvin Middle School will present the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" under the direction of its music teacher, Mr. John Russell. The musical is based on the Bible story from Genesis about Joseph and his "coat of many colors".  It was the first musical written by the famed team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.   There is really no dialogue in the show; it is mostly completely singing.  It is one of my favorite shows - probably because I know all the songs!  My oldest daughter performed in this show last year at a local dinner theater.  As with ot... 03/02/2011

In January of 2011 there were 6 homes that closed within the month for Canton MA. This is a decrease of 1 home as there were 7 homes that closed in January of 2010. The Average list price for the homes that closed in Canton for January of 2011 was $382,283 The Average list price for the homes that closed in Canton for January of 2010 was $568,391 The Average sale price for the homes that closed in Canton for January of 2011 was $358,983 The Average sale price for the homes that closed in Canton for January of 2010 was $567,358 The Average Market time for the homes that closed in Canton in January of 2011 was 105 days. The Average Market time for the homes that closed in Canton January of 2010 was 103 days.  4 homes went under agreement in Canton, Massachusetts for the month of January 2... 02/27/2011

There is A Reason I Referred You to that Lender This post was insprired Patricia Kennedy's blog post How Far Can We Go To Discourage Buyers From Using A Lender Who Constantly Fails to Deliver and since the re-blog feature still seems to be "temporarily" disabled, this is the next-best thing. Most experienced agents have had those transactions from hell, where the lender seems to be doing everything possible to keep the deal from happening.  No matter how much we stay on top of the details and deadlines, something new keeps popping up to cause ore delays and stress.  We have all also had a number of very pleasant transactions, where the lender is even more on top of the details and deadlines than we are, making it a stress-free experience. You are hring an agent based on their experience... 02/27/2011

A Rainy Day is A Great Time to Look at Houses It is nice to have a nice sunny day to take a buyer out to look at houses.  Everything looks better on a sunny day.  Buyers are more optimistic.  And it sure makes it easier to look around outside, not to mention opening that lock box! Yesterday, we had a very rainy day here in Canton MA.  I had a client scheduled to see several places.  Well, one of them that we went into (a vacant property) we opened the door to the basement and heard what sounded like a waterfall running into the basement.  In fact, I first thought maybe there was a shower running somewhere but sure enough, it was water from the rain, flowing into the basement.  My buyer promptly crossed that house off the list.  There were other concerns she had but the waterfall in the ... 02/26/2011

There are 9 properties with Open Houses scheduled for Sunday February 27th in Canton MA.  Seven are single family homes and two are condominiums. First, the single family home open houses: 15 Fencourt Road. $499,900.00 12:00-2:00. 6 Pamela. $564,900.00 12:00-1:30. 33 Pleasant Street. $720,000.00 12:00-1:30. 50 Strawberry Lane. $799,900.00 12:00-1:30. 15 Evelyn Way. $799,900.00 1:00-3:00. 201 Pecunit Street. $1,099,000.00 2:00-4:00. 4 Albert Street. $1,299,000.00 2:00-3:30 Next, the condominium open houses: 19 Pine Street, Unit L. $199,900.00 11:00-1:00 22 Maple Street, Unit C. $335,000.00 1:00-2:30 Buyers beware of attending Open Houses unrepresented.  Read my Open House Tips For Buyers prior to heading out.     If you are looking at homes for sale in Canton MA, contact your Canton MA B... 02/25/2011

Open House Tips for Buyers Buyers love looking at Open Houses, especially at the beginning of their search when they are still trying to decide whether to buy or not or perhaps where to live. It feels like a comfortable way to look at a house without too much commitment. Sometimes buyers go into an Open House and fall in love with the house and decide this may be "the one." I find it's best to prepare for that possible scenario and so have put together some Open House Tips for Buyers. Get a mortgage preapproval before looking. If you fall in love with that house, you want to be able to move quickly. I know you think you are "just looking" but you never know when you might find the right one. Find a buyer agent to work with. The tips below help to underscore why it is so important to hav... 02/23/2011

Are you looking for a fun school vacation activity for the kids?  Did you know that the Ponkapoag Golf Course in Canton, MA is having a sledding party today? The Golf Course is located at 2167 Washington Street.  Sledding will be held today, February 22 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.  Make sure to dress warm and pack your sled.  It promises to be a blast! Canton, MA is located just a mere 15 miles outside of Boston, MA.  With its proximity to downtown Boston, Canton offers residents an easier commute than many other communities located south of Boston.  There were 5 single family home sales in Canton this past month, with prices ranging from $302,000 to $715,000, which means there were a variety of homes available, affordable for the area. If you are a potential home buyer and you are interested i... 02/21/2011

"Love Letters" Presented by Canton Community Theatre   The Canton Community Theatre ("CCT") is one of the hidden treasures in Canton MA.  Established in 2001, it was established by its founding members to bring education, entertainment and cultural exposure.  Ever since its first summer production of The Music Man in 2001, CCT has entertained the town with an annual summer show.  In addition, there are other productions and community events organized throughout the year.  CCT, run entirely by volunteers, gives back by organizing caroling during the holiday season, fundraising for other community groups and more.  This weekend, CCT will provide a late-Valentine's Day offering in its presentation of Love Letters by A. R. Gurney.  The show focuses on two characters, a man and a woman.  The... 02/21/2011

Sunday's Open Houses in Canton MA There are 18 properties with Open Houses scheduled for Sunday February 20th in Canton MA.  Nine are single family homes and nine are condominiums. First, the single family home open houses: 11 Rebecca Road, $309,00.00.00 1:00-3:00. 266 Sherman Street. $329,000.00 12:00-1:30. 5 Bailey Street. $379,900.00 12:00-1:30. 91 Greenlodge. $$539,000.00 12:00-2:00. 6 Pamela. $564,900.00 12:00-2:00. 60 Indian Lane. $739,000.00 2:00-4:00. 20 Bazin Lane. $799,900.00 1:00-3:00. 15 Evelyn Way. $799,900.00 2:00-4:00. 201 Pecunit Street. $1,099,000.00 12:00-2:00. Next, the condominium open houses: 90 Neponset St., Unit 901. $124,900.00 1:00-3:00. 90 Neponset St., Unit 904. $130,000.00 1:00-3:00. 24 Forge Pond, Unit H. $259,000.00 12:00-1:00. 55 Turtle Brook, Unit 55. $29... 02/19/2011

School Vacation Week in Canton MA Yes, it is school vacation week in Canton MA.  Time for the annual February vacation, kicked off by the President's Day holiday.  With all the snow days, early releases and late starts due to the snow this winter, some parents are wondering how it can be vacation week.  Didn't the kids just have a bunch of days off? Relax.  There are plenty of things to do in Canton MA this February vacation. As mentioned in an earlier blog post, the Canton Recreation Department is offering a Games and Skills Clinic, Tuesday through Friday from 9 am to noon at the Galvin Middle School. Canton High is offering a Kids Night Out on Wednesday night from 5 pm to 8 pm at Canton High School.  $5.00 admission gets your kids ages 10 and over open gym, movie & games.  Food is ava... 02/19/2011

Spring Is in the Air Well, it is at least for now!  The temperature rose to the mid-50s in Canton MA today - the warmest day since some time in November.  The sun was shining & the snow was (and still is) melting.  While those large snowbanks will last for a while longer and we most definitely will have more colder days, things are heading in the right direction. So, now that it seems that spring is almost at our doorstep if you are considering buying a home in Canton MA, Milton MA or a surrounding community, now is definitely the time to buy.  There are homes coming on the market daily, as well as homes going under agreement daily.  Mortgage rates are inching upward, but are still low. Not sure where to start with your home search?  Let an experienced Buyer Agent explain the process to... 02/17/2011

Annual Spelling Bee in Canton MA is this Friday I wrote earlier this year about the great works of the Canton Alliance for Public Education otherwise known as CAPE. One of their biggest fundraisers, the Spelling Bee was supposed to be held on January 21st.  Like everything else this winter, it had to be canceled due to snow.  So the new date for the Spelling Bee is this Friday, February 18th, starting at 6 pm at Canton High's Morse Auditorium. It is a team competition and teams from the elementary schools, them middle school and high school will all compete, with winners in each age/grade category.  After a short break, there will be the adult competition with teams made up of teachers, administrators, parents, Girl Scout leaders and various other community groups. It is definitely a fu... 02/16/2011