I recently had the privilege of attending the Sotheby's International Realty Broker-Owner Orientation in Short Hills, New Jersey.  Aside from three very educational days of learning more about the power of the brand and the industry in general was the networking among an extraordinary and successful group of real estate professionals consisting of Owners, Brokers and key managers.  One of the highlights of this event was taking a chartered bus from Short Hills to New York City to get a private tour and dinner in the Board Room of the Sotheby's Auction House.  It truly was a surreal moment for me as I looked around the room and realized the history of the auction house and the quality of the crowd surrounding me.  For the first time since I launched the new company I took a few minutes t... 11/06/2008

I am so thankful for the opportunity to be part of such an amazing network of true real estate professionals!  The Sotheby's International Realty brand has a power that is not found in the real estate industry.  Since I launched Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty less than two and a half months ago, the office has more than doubled in size.  More important than the amount of agents I have recruited is the quality of agents. As our agents are saying, "Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty agents are la creme de la creme of Realtors in MetroWest!"  Another exmaple of the power of the brand...a recent recruit was contacted by a friend of a friend that interviewed several agents and decided that in a down market they only wanted the best brand to represent their property...the home o... 10/07/2008

Hearthstone is a fantastic Hopkinton Massachusetts neighborhood located off of Ash Street near the center of town. There are 27 homes located in this convenient Hopkinton neighborhood. Hearthstone Road and Carriage Hill Road are the Streets that compromise this subdivision. Hearthstone was approved in the mid 1990's under the Hopkinton Open Space by-law (OSLPD). Under the open space by-law the lot size is reduced but in return the developer give back land that will remain undisturbed creating a green belt. There are probably many folks that don't remember this but Carriage Hill Road was a dead end for quite a while before the Hearthstone subdivision was built. The street had only 3 homes and was a dead end. The 1st home on the street was built in the early 1990's.                       ... 10/04/2008

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/distinctivehomesboston/vol4issue3/ We are so excited to have developed a relationship with Heather from Distinctive Homes Magazine.  Heather's magazine is high quality and distributed to a very targeted audience.  The vision and position for the Sotheby's International Realty® network is what makes us unique. We work with marketing partners to come up with the following distinctive brand vision, positioning, personality and affiliation. Brand Vision - Artfully uniting extraordinary properties with extraordinary lives. Positioning - To those who value the unique, Sotheby's International Realty is the local real estate services provider that offers unrivaled access to qualified people and distinctive properties around the world. Personality - Inviting. Disc... 10/01/2008

26 Miles West of Boston and the Start of the Boston Marathon! We are excited to announce that Hallmark Sotheby’s International Realty in Hopkinton, MA has joined forces with Gibson Sotheby's International  Realty's Relocation Division.  Below please see a  map and further details about our expanded coverage abilities.  Other Sotheby's International Realty offices include Home Center SIR on the South Shore, By the Sea SIR on the North Shore, and now Hallmark SIR in Metro West.  "We are so thrilled to be a part of the Gibson SIR Relocation Division and the opportunity to combine our strength and overall Sotheby's International Realty  footprint here in Eastern Massachusetts," says Erika Paul, President and Owner of Hallmark SIR.    Sotheby's International Realty currently has 27 offices i... 10/01/2008

Welcome to the town of Hopkinton!  I hope this introductory video gives you a flavor for the town about 15,000 of us call home.  We love living and working in Hopkinton because of its natural beauty, high-performing schools, and wonderful community feel.    If you'd like more information about the community and schools in Hopkinton, please contact me! 09/30/2008

  Hallmark Realty a boutique real estate firm based in Hopkinton, Massachusetts was recently invited to participate in the 3rd Annual Sotheby’s International Realty® Global Networking Event.   This dynamic, three-day event provided a unique opportunity for all sales associates, managers and owners who are members of the Sotheby’s International Realty network to connect, exchange ideas and forge relationships designed to help build their businesses and drive new leads to their listings.   “The Global Networking Event will provide enormous value to our firm,” said Erika Paul “Having the ability to share ideas and expertise with such an outstanding group of our professional peers highlights the true strength of the Sotheby’s International Realty network. We plan on utilizing many new stra... 09/29/2008

Wildwood Glen Estates is a 31 lot subdivision off of Lumber Street on the West side of Hopkinton. This mid range Hopkinton neighborhood consists of homes along Glen Road and Breakneck Hill Road. Glen Road actually continues into another neighborhood that was developed by National builder, Pulte Homes Inc called Hopkinton Ridge. There are many who initially don't realize that Wildwood Glen and Hopkinton Ridge are two distinct areas. For those with a keen eye, the thing that jumps out about Wildwood Glen is that there are quite a few different styles of homes. Wildwood Glen Estates was developed by Robert Depetri of Lumber Street Resolution Realty Trust. Back in the late 1990's when this neighborhood was constructed, Bob not only built a few homes himself but also sold off lots to multipl... 09/29/2008

Olde North Mill is a 30 lot subdivision off of North Mill Street on the East side of Hopkinton Massachusetts. This prestigious neighborhood consists of Chadwick Way and Wellington Way, as well as homes that border along North Mill Street. It is located directly behind the Ravenwood Subdivision. This Hopkinton neighborhood was developed by Hallmark Properties, a local design build firm. At the time these homes were built Hallmark consisted of two partners Ed Tarca and Ron Roux. They are no longer working together but each of them is still building fine homes on their own. Hallmark also developed parts of Highland Park as well as Cranberry Cove in Hopkinton. Olde North Mill is simply a beautiful setting with incredible custom homes. Each home has been uniquely tailored to fit the individu... 09/27/2008

Alprilla Farms is a Hopkinton neighborhood that is set on what used to be old farm land. It is located off of Front Street fairly close to the center of town. The Alprilla Farms subdivision was developed in the 1980's by builder John Hackenson. There are 32 homes in this mid range Hopkinton area. The homes in this neighborhood are typically between 2200 square feet up to about 3200 square feet with just a few exceptions. The home pictured below is one of the largest in the neighborhood and has gone through substantial additions and renovations. The majority of the homes are around 2400-2500 square feet. As of September of 2008, most of the properties would have a value between the mid $400's up to  the low $600's. The minimum lot size is one acre. The trademark of John Hackenson was the... 09/26/2008

Coming on the heels of being named one of the nations top 500 Public High Schools, the results of the Spring 2008 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests burnish Hopkinton High School's stellar reputation for high achievement.  Particularly notable,  76% of last year's sophomores performed at the highest "advanced" level in the math test.  In all three subject areas, the Hillers scored over 90% advanced & proficient.  A statewide assessment exam, the test is administered only to the 10th grade. 09/25/2008

Ravenwood is a popular Hopkinton neighborhood located on the East side of town near the Holliston town line. There are 71 homes located in this upper end luxury Hopkinton subdivision. Ravenwood was developed in from the l990's to early 2000's by Ron Nation of 20th Century homes. Ron is currently building the homes in Connelley Hill Estates which is the only active neighborhood in Hopkinton with homes being built over a million dollars. The streets in this neighborhood consist of Hidden Brick Road, Tammer Lane, and Pendulum Pass. Many people mistake Ledgestone Drive and Sterling Drive as being part of Ravenwood. These Streets are actually located in an adjacent neighborhood know as Ledgestone. The value of the homes in Ravenwood as of October 2009 range between the low 600's up to a Mill... 09/21/2008

Highland Park is one of Hopkinton's top luxury neighborhoods. In fact, Highland Park has to be right up there with with some of the most popular subdivisions in all of Metrowest Massachusetts. The Streets in this Hopkinton hot spot consist of Stoneybrook Road, Edgehill Road, Wedgewood Drive, Bridgeton Way, Riverbend Road, and Singletary Way. Highland Park was built in phases with the 1st part of the subdivision being built in the late 1980's. The main entrance to the subdivision is off of Saddle Hill Road. Highland Park abutts the Hopkinton Country Club golf course. The value of the homes in Highland Park neighborhood range from around the Mid 600's all the way up to a Million plus as of July 2009.   Stoneybrook Road and Edgehill Road were the 1st Streets to be built. The housing on the... 09/16/2008

White Oak Estates is a popular neighborhood located on the North West side of Hopkinton off of Spring Street and Route 135. White Oaks Estates was developed in the late 1980's. There are 51 homes located in this Hopkinton subdivision. The streets located in this neighborhood are Longwood Road, Meadowland Drive, Emma Drive, and Ralph Road. Most of the homes in the White Oaks subdivision would have a value of in the 500's as of October of 2009. These homes would range in size from around 2300 to 2800 square feet. There are however, some homes that would command more money in this neighborhood. As White Oaks was built the homes did tend to get larger. The newer homes located along Ralph and Emma have a significantly higher value.   These homes that were built along Ralph and Emma in the 1... 09/13/2008

In Hopkinton we describe LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION in the following ways: neighborhood country road lake front convenient to major routes walk to town, and IN-TOWN "In-town" refers to the area within about a 1500 foot radius from the main intersection in the center of town Route 135 (Main Street) and Route 85 (Cedar Street to the North and Grove Street to the South, just to keep it simple).  View Larger Map  Everyone loves the in-town location because you can actually walk to the places, old and new, where we love to hang out around town. Take Sauce on Main for example, with both patio and indoor seating (with a fireplace for the cooler days), Sauce is a great place to meet a friend, grab a sandwich, drink coffee, even have a beer or glass of wine. For the school-age crowd (especiall... 09/11/2008

Cranberry Cove located on Wescott Drive in Hopkinton Massachusetts is one of the more outstanding luxury subdivisions in the Metrowest Massachusetts area. This Hopkinton neighborhood is located adjacent to Lake Whitehall on the west side of town off of Pond Street. All of the newer homes located in Cranberry Cove have a value far in excess of a million dollars with a few of them topping the multiply million dollar mark. The homes range in size from 6000 to 10,000 square feet. The neighborhood is marked by exceptional homes that look like the rich and famous belong in them. Many of the homes have a flavor of the Old World Tuscan Style homes, characterized by a mix of cast stone, used brick, and wood.     Most of the homes built in Cranberry Cove were built by Hallmark Construction, a Hop... 09/09/2008

Valleywood Estates is a neighborhood on the West side of Hopkinton with approximately 51 homes. The neighborhood was developed in the early 1980's. The Streets in Valleywood include Ericka Drive, Valleywood Road, Tiffany Trail, Lynn Path, and Circle Drive. Even though Valleywood is an older subdivision it is still one of Hopkinton's popular neighborhoods. Most of the homes that were built and Valleywood were constructed by Ron Nation of 20th Century Homes. Ron has built many homes in Hopkinton and is presently building in Springwood Estates. The price range of the homes located in Valleywood as of October 2009 is about the mid $400's to the low $600's depending on the home and it's various features. One of the reasons Valleywood Estates has remained popular is the fact that the floor p... 09/05/2008

Pinecrest Village is an affordable town home neighborhood that was built in the late 1990's. This neighborhood is located off School Street in Hopkinton Massachusetts. There are 64 units in this neighborhood. These units have two bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and full basements. Quite a few of the home owners have finished the lower levels creating additional finished space. Some of the condos in the far end of the neighborhood have full walk-out basements with a slider. The units have spacious eat-in kitchens with ample room for a table and also feature sliders to a deck creating lots of natural light. The 1st floor also has a large family room. Many of the units have hardwood and tile flooring as well as crown moldings. The bedrooms at Pinecrest are generous in size.                           ... 08/30/2008

Apple Tree Hill is situated off Rte 135 on Elm Street in Hopkinton Massachusetts. Apple Tree Hill was built in the late 70's. There are 32 units in this townhome neighborhood. Apple Tree Hill is an affordable complex that has great access to 495 and the Mass Pike. The 495 Interchange is only 1.5 miles from this location. These townhomes feature a spacious fireplaced family room with sliders to a private patio area in the rear. The 1st floor also includes a small eat-in kitchen and a dining room. The 2nd floor has two good size bedrooms and a full bath. There is also a 1/2 bath on the 1st floor. Most of the units at Apple Tree Hill do not have basements and are built on slabs. There are a few units that do have full basements. These townhomes have electric heat pumps as a heating source... 08/26/2008

The Preserve is the only gated community in Hopkinton Massachusetts. The Street leading into the Preserve is Forest Lane. There are 40 townhomes in this neighborhood located directly across from the Hopkinton State Park on Rte 85. The prices in The Preserve generally range from the low $300's up to the $400k price point as of September 2009. The Preserve is one of the better condo values in Hopkinton. At The Preserve you are able to get a one car attached garage and a decent amount of living space with some nice amenities. The square footage of the townhomes runs from around 1650 to 1800 exclusive of any finished basement space.                                                                                                                                                                 ... 08/25/2008