July 4th is over and some homebuyers are wondering if it is too late to get into a home before school starts.  Some buyers lost out on multiple offers.  Others have not found the right place due to limited inventory.  Still others were not ready to buy in the spring but they are now. No matter what the circumstances - yes! You can still get into a new home before school starts! In Canton MA, the first day of school for the 2014-2015 school year is September 2nd - the day after Labor Day.  Some neighboring districts such as Milton or Sharon might start prior to Labor Day but that generally puts them around August 27th.   That gives us plenty of time to find a house and close before school starts.  A typical time period from offer to closing is between 30-45 days, assuming no issues come ... 07/09/2014

It would appear that the weather isn't the only thing heating up in Canton MA.  Buyers continue to search out homes in the Canton MA real estate market to make their own.  Let me break down the Canton MA home sales report for June 2014. A total of 33 Canton MA homes were sold in June 2014.  That's a 26.9% increase from the same time last year and an amazing 83.3% increase from just last month!  These homes ranged from a 3 bed/1 bath 900 square foot ranch-style home that sold for $319,000 (just $900 less than the listing price) all the way up to a 5 bed/4.5 bath 4000 square foot Colonial in Algonquin Estates that sold for $1,170,000. The average sales price for a Canton MA home increased by 6.1% from the same time last year (from $534,342 in 2013 to $567,127 in 2014).  However, this is a... 07/03/2014

It is summertime here in Canton MA.  That means that the sun is shining, the temperatures are going up and the kids are out of school.  As working adults, most of us don't have the luxury of enjoying three months of vacation.  How are you going to keep your kids away from the TV all day?  Try one of these last minute Canton MA summer camps 2014. Canton Public Schools offers their special Canton Academy summer program in July and August.  Courses offered through Canton Academy include Robotics, Sculpture, Video Game Design, TV Production, Creative Writing, Brain Busters, Extreme Science and even a Hogwarts Summer School of Magic.  There are several different classes for each elementary school grade level (K-6).  For more information, please contact Director Ed Amico at (781) 821-5052. Th... 06/26/2014

Wow!  May was a hot month in Canton MA home sales.  Even though the average sale price increased significantly, the total number of homes sold skyrocketed.  People are clamoring to own their own piece of Canton MA and here's why. A total of 18 Canton MA homes were sold during May 2014.  That is slightly more than the 17 sold at the same time last year and a whopping 125% more than last month (when just eight homes were sold).  These homes ranged in size and price from a 3 bed/1.5 bath 1273 square foot Ranch-style home for $290,000 (which sold in just 11 days, by the way) to a 5 bed/4 bath 4476 square foot Contemporary-style home on 1.33 acres of land which sold for $1.1M. The average sales price for a Canton MA home was $580,183, an amazing 25% from the same time last year.  However, th... 06/05/2014

2014 Canton Summer Fun and Safety Fair Can you believe it?  We're already at the end of May!  This year is simply flying by.  As summer approaches here in Canton MA, it is time to start thinking about how to keep your kids occupied and safe during their time off of school.  The 2014 Canton Summer Fun and Safety Fair will definitely help you achieve this goal. What: 2014 Canton Summer Fun and Safety FairWhere: Pequitside FarmWhen: Friday, May 30th 5pm to 8pmCost: FREE admissionContact: Canton Board of Health (781) 821-5021 The Canton MA Board of Health in conjunction with our local Fire Department, Police Department, schools, DPW and other town departments will be holding the 2014 Canton Summer Fun and Safety Fair tomorrow, May 30th at Pequitside Farm from 5pm to 8pm.  As always, this sa... 05/29/2014

We are still seeing a lack of inventory here in the Canton MA real estate market - and in the surrounding communities.  Well-priced homes in good condition are selling quickly, with homes going off-market as quickly as they are coming on.   Buyers today are having to make a decision. Are they willing to move quickly to purchase a home or do they want to wait? Either route has its risks and benefits.  Moving quickly means that you can beat out other buyers considering an offer on the home.  However, you may need to put in a full priced offer and other homes may come on the market after you've already gone under contract.  You also need to make sure that you do not make a rash decision that you will regret later.  Doing your homework up front and doing as much due diligence and research a... 05/27/2014

This Monday is officially be Memorial Day.  Have you made plans for the weekend yet?  Or are you still deciding what to do in Canton for Memorial Weekend 2014?  This Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the Blue Hills Trailside Museum will be hosting their pond walk along Trailside Pond at 2:30pm.  Located on the border of Canton and Milton, the Blue Hills Reservation (which houses the Blue Hills Trailside Museum) offers 7000 acres of sanctuary for local rescued Canton wildlife such as snowy owls and river otters.  If you make a trip out to the Blue Hills Trailside Museum this Memorial Day weekend, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk, see the pond and dip for pond creatures right from the dock!  All this is available with your museum entrance fee ($3 for adults, $2 for seniors ... 05/22/2014

Canton MA home sales in April 2014 have tapered off a little from the previous month.  Buyers will be happy to hear that the average sales price has gone down a bit, though.  Another good piece of news for Canton MA home buyers is that you will also be waiting a lot less time to to get into your new home.  Let's dive right in to the Canton MA home sales report figures for April 2014. There were a total of eight homes sold in Canton MA during April 2014.  That's 38.5% less than the 13 sold in March 2014 and exactly half of the 16 that were sold in April 2013.  April sales ranged from a 3 bed/1 bath 936 square foot Ranch-style home that sold in just 14 days to a 4 bed/2.5 bath 2600 square foot custom built Colonial that sold for $670,000. The average sales price for a Canton MA home in Ap... 05/01/2014

The first weekend in May always brings one of the best long-standing spring events in Canton MA. The 13th Annual Luce School 5 K Fun Run/Walk and Childrens Fun Run will be held on Sunday, May 4, 2014, starting at 10:00 am at the Luce Elementary School in Canton MA.  This event is run by and for the benefit of the Dean S. Luce School Canton Association of Parents and Teachers (CAPT) but is really an event for the entire Canton MA community.   I remember being at the CAPT meeting when the first Fun Run was proposed!  It was originally the idea of a couple of teachers who came to the CAPT to promote it as a fun event and not necessarily a fundraiser.  It has turned into a good fundraiser and a fun annual event in the Town of Canton.  The event kicks off at 10:00 am with the half-mile child... 04/27/2014

Earth Day may have officially taken place on April 22nd, but that doesn't mean we should forget about the impact we have on the earth the other 364 days of the year.  For example, did you know that you can't just toss your old tires, pool chemicals and other household hazardous waste (HHW) into your curbside trash?  The town of Canton MA designates specific days of the year to bring in your HHW for proper disposal.  The next Canton MA Hazardous Waste Collection Day is on Saturday, May 3, 2014.What: Canton MA Hazardous Waste Collection DayWhere: DPW Garage (150 Bolivar St)When: Saturday, May 3, 2014 9am to 1pmContact: Canton Recycling Dept (781) 575-6650Canton MA Hazardous Waste Collection Day is offered to Canton MA residents only.  No commercial businesses will be allowed to bring thei... 04/24/2014

Local Stoughton restaurant, Foley's Backstreet Grille, is holding its Second Annual 5K to benefit The Mass Hospital School. The Mass Hopsital School, located in Canton MA, is a health care facility that provides care to children and young adults who have severe and/or multiple disabilities.  It is a wonderful place that provides medical and rehabilitative care so that its patients can each their full potential.  Affiliated with the Department of Public Health, it is a non-profit always in need of more funds for its budget. Foley's also hosts an annual Golf Tournament.  Last year they added a 5K and together the events raised $13,000.00 for the Mass Hospital School. The Second Annual 5K to Benefit the Mass Hospital School will be held on Sunday May 4, 2014 at the Mass Hospital School loc... 04/14/2014

Canton MA real estate has a lot to offer its residents.  Their educational system puts an emphasis on arts as well as education.  Recreational activities like the recent Owls Live! offer an education wrapped up in fun outside of the classroom.  According to the Canton MA home sales report, the 1st quarter of 2014 has been a respectable start to the year. For the 1st quarter of 2014 (January 1st through March 31st), a total of 26 Canton MA homes were sold.  While that is 10% lower than the 29 sold in the 1st quarter of 2013, you can see from the graph above that it is exactly the same as 2011 and 2012.  Canton MA homes that sold in the 1st quarter of 2014 ranged from a 2 bed/1 bath 813 square foot bungalow for $198,000 to two $1+ million Colonial homes in Algonquin Estates.  The average ... 04/03/2014

The Canton MA Food Pantry needs you now more than ever!  With $8.7 billion being cut to the SNAP program (aka food stamps) across the country via the Farm Bill, struggling families will be turning to places like the Canton MA Food Pantry to help fill the void left by the budget cuts.  I know how wonderful members of our Canton MA community are when it comes to helping their fellow man.  That's why I'm asking for you to help the Canton MA Food Pantry fill their cupboards so that no one will have to go without a meal. Each month, the Canton MA Food Pantry sends out an email to let its subscribers know what items are most in demand at that time.  The list changes from month to month.  If you would like to subscribe to future newsletters, just send them email at cantonfoodpantry@gmail.com t... 03/27/2014

The Canton Community Theater has been enriching the lives of Canton citizens since its inception in 2001, from the annual summer productions like The Wizard of Oz, Music Man & Beauty & The Beast to their spring/winter productions like Death by Chocolate, Love Letters or Just Desserts to providing holiday cheer during the annual Holiday Stroll at the Village Shops.    Now, the Canton Community Theatre (CCT) is putting the final touches on its spring production of Clue!  Who will it be?  Miss Scarlet? Colonel Mustard? Miss Peacock?  Maybe it was Mr. Green or Professor Plum? You have to come to the performace to find out!  .   Many longtime CCT favorites like Kathy Fox Alfano, Renee Hanscom, Rich Morton and Michael Kazenel will be performing, along with newcomer Mitti Bhattacharya and CHS ... 03/21/2014

Looking for something to do St. Patrick's Day weekend in Canton MA?  Well, you've come to the right place.  Canton is the home of all things Irish! Canton MA is home to the Irish Cultural Centre of New England (ICC) - THE place to go for all things Irish! It is the perfect place to celebrate the biggest Irish holiday of all. Today, Saturday March 15th the doors open at 1:00 pm. You can enjoy live Irish music and watch the Irish Rugby Game starting at 1:00. There will be all sorts of Irish activities throughout the day. $5.00 for adults. Kids are free. Food & drink are additional. On Sunday, March 16th, the ICC opens at 10:00 am. Start off the day with Sunday mass at 10 am. Then enjoy a meal of Corned Beef and Cabbage starting at 11 am & served throughout the day. Enjoy Irish music and I... 03/15/2014

There are alaways variety of recreational and educational activities going on in the town of Canton MA.  For example, this Saturday is the Owls Live! Festival at the Massachusetts Audubon's Museum of American Bird Art,formerly known as the Visual Arts Center.   The Museum of American Bird Art is a a professional art museum located on a 124-acre wildlife sanctuary right in the heart of Canton MA.  Located on the grounds is not only the museum, but miles of beautiful outdoor walking and hiking trails, bird viewing house, and the estate house, which is home to countless adult, child and family program offerings throughout the year.   This weekend the museum is hosting its Owls Live! Festival this Saturday, March 15, 2015 at 1:00 pm.  In addition to live owls, there will be owl-related craf... 03/14/2014

It's time for the Canton High School annual spring play.  This year, the Canton High Drama Club is proud to present Thornton Wilder's Our Town. In the fall, Canton High Drama presents its musical.  This year they performed Legally Blonde.  In the spring, it is often time for a more serious production. Our Town is a three-act play, that tells the story fictional Grover's Corners New Hampshire. The play covers the years 1903-1913.  The lives of ordinary townspeople are depicted throughout the three acts and covers Daily Life, Love and Marriage and Death and Dying. The stage manager narrates throughout the play. Our Town first debuted on Broadway in 1938 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  It remains a popular show and is performed often. Performances will be Friday March 14 and Saturda... 03/10/2014

Spring must be on the way!  I know this because the Dean S. Luce Elementary School's annual Carnival will be held this weekend - Saturday, March 8th 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. 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 climate, the work of the CAPT is more important than ever. The Luce School Carnival is a really fun event offering a variety of fun carnival games, face pai... 03/07/2014

January may have started this year off slow (which is typical in Canton MA real estate), but February seems to be picking up steam.  Even with the frigid temperatures outside, Canton MA home buyers are determined to get their piece of the American dream. The total Canton MA homes sold in February 2014 were seven, that was almost double the four sold in February 2013.  You have to go back to 2010 before you see more homes sold at the same time of the year.  The properties sold last month ranged from a 3 bed/1.5 bath, 1170 square foot Cape-style for $280,000 to a 5 bed/4.5 bath, 7140 square foot Colonial in Algonquin Estates that sold for $1,275,000.  The average price for a Canton MA home sold in February 2014 was $652,786.  That's a 30.6% increase from the $500,000 average for the same ... 03/06/2014

Several Canton and other local dance studios are coming together this Friday to perform in a dance benefit - Why We Dance - to raise money for the Furbush Children's Fund. The Furbush children, of Canton, lost their mother to a brain tumor this past November.  Their father died suddenly in January.  The Canton community has come together, as they always do, to support this family.  The Furbush Children's Fund has been set up to raise money for the support the young Furbush children. Why We Dance is a collaboration of a number of local dance studios.  Dancers from the following studios will be performing: Dance Out, Hailey School of Irish Dance, Hazel Boone Dance Studio, Braintree Academy of Dance, Edge Studio of Dance There will also be a musical performance by the very talented Wolff S... 03/05/2014