If you like fresh produce, vegetables, meat, fish, soups and more, The Farmers Market in Newburyport is the place to go. It is held from 9-1 every Sunday morning in Spring and Summer at The Tannery on Marrimac St.  a few blocks from Market Square.   Local farms, fine food companies, and artisans  from around the area come together to sell their products at the market.                                        Come enjoy the delicious tastes and flavors or take some home to share with loved ones.  Coffee and pastries are offered as well as hot sandwiches and soups to be enjoyed.                                        07/03/2011

Anna Jaques Exposed? They care about us. Those guys from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 103, standing out there tirelessly and selflessly, rain, snow, cold no matter – to warn us about the hazards of using Anna Jacques Hospital. You see, if a hospital hires an electrical contractor who pays decent wages, provides health care and other benefits to its employees, but is not part of the union, then there is a direct negative correlation to the quality of the health care you will receive there. We all need to be continuously reminded of this. We need to see the huge plastic signs on our roads, on Market Square, reminding us of the dangers at Anna Jaques even as we try to enjoy our beautiful downtown. If only Anna Jacques would give in, would show no spine, and hir... 06/25/2011

How do you know if your Realtor is really looking after your interests and not just focused on selling you a house? 05/05/2011

Newburyport Top Buyer Agent Realtor John P. Wells explains what to expect a Seller to look for in an offer. 05/05/2011

This informative video by top rated Newburyport MA Buyer Agent and Realtor John P. Wells tells you what to expect from your Home Inspection. 05/05/2011

Reviews and Ratings for Newburyport MA area Realtor John P. Wells can be found on Zillow, where clients post them directly and Zillow independently verifies their authenticity.   Client comments have also been posted on the Virtual Homes Website. You might want to check out one of John's columns in the Newburyport Daily News about the future of the Newburyport/Salisbury/Amesbury area. About Newburyport Real Estate Agent John P. Wells:  My clients come first. Always. I always try to do what's best for you, even if that means recommending that you not buy a certain house, or even not buy a house at all right now! I like people, houses, architecture and land, so I love my calling. The only thing I'm selling is my service; it is not my job to sell you a house! Finding the right home and neg... 04/30/2011

Newburyport MA has some beautiful antique homes for sale.  Magnificent Federal and Georgian homes are available, as well as the occasional first period and Victorian home.   Many of these homes have been wonderfully restored.  They tend to be priced between $750,000 and $1.2 million. There are many smaller antiques, some of them half houses, mostly starting at about $400,000, that have been lovingly maintained and updated.   Newburyport truly has a great variety of very impressive homes for sale. Do you want to live near the center of town?   I do and it's fantastic being able to walk everywhere.   Newburyport is full of beautifully restored antique condos also. I would like to send you information about homes that meet your needs.  I won't harrass you - that's a promise; just get you s... 04/28/2011

Newburyport is a great city and a great place to be looking for condos for sale.  Outside of some condos in Newburyport near I95 and the Park-n-Ride that really are not attractive, there is very little in Newburyport for under $150,000.  Most condos run over $200,000; you can have a really nice two bedroom condo for about that price.  Go a little higher, towards $300,000 and there are super choices.   Do you want to live near the center of town?   I do and it's fantastic being able to walk everywhere.   Newburyport is full of beautifully restored antique homes and condos.   I would like to send you information about condos that meet your needs.  I won't harrass you - that's a promise; just get you started on the information flow you need to find a great place to live in Newburyport.  Pl... 04/28/2011

Newburyport is a great city and a great place to be looking for condos for sale.  Outside of some condos in Newburyport near I95 and the Park-n-Ride that really are not attractive, there is very little in Newburyport for under $150,000.  Most condos run over $200,000; you can have a really nice two bedroom condo for about that price.  Go a little higher, towards $300,000 and there are super choices.   Do you want to live near the center of town?   I do and it's fantastic being able to walk everywhere.   Newburyport is full of beautifully restored antique homes and condos.   I would like to send you information about condos that meet your needs.  I won't harrass you - that's a promise; just get you started on the information flow you need to find a great place to live in Newburyport.  Pl... 04/28/2011

CONDOMINIUMS Want to own a home but don't want the maintenance responsibility? Or maybe you travel a lot? Either way, owning a condominium is a great option. You need an agent experienced with condos to make sure that before you buy, proceed with caution and knowledge. As your buyer agent, I will ask for the condo budget, a history of fees and assessments, covenants & regulations, what is common area vs. limited common area, etc., all of which you need to review and approve to ensure no surprises after closing! Call me today to start looking for your condo home! 04/13/2011

When buying an antique home, there are many things to look for. Usually, antique homes have stone foundations with dirt floors. The stone foundations can seep water which will contribute to wood rot. Make sure there is no wood to dirt contact anywhere along the foundation. If the basement is unusually damp, there could be signs of beam and sill damage. If there is no vent, make sure there is a way to add one or more to keep air circulating throughout the basement. Also, don’t be surprised if the heating system is still forced hot steam via multiple radiators. Check the piping to make sure there is no asbestos present. Also, ask if there are any underground storage tanks. Does the property have old galvanized or lead pipes? How many layers of shingles are on the roof? When you look at th... 04/10/2011

After the global economic crisis of 2008, many people have lost their jobs, their savings, and are in peril of losing their homes.  Many homeowners find themselves in a position where they are struggling to stay in their homes, or conversely, struggling to get out from under their homes.  There are many solutions available either way.  I work with a team of agents who have loss mitigation experience that assist distressed homeowners every day.  People wanting to stay in their homes have numerous avenues to pursue such as refinancing their loan.  Lending criteria however has tightened and refinancing the note(s) may not be an option.  The next step is to try a lender workout through forbearance, reinstatement, repayment plan or loan modification.  Those who are underwater but have liqui... 04/05/2011

Newburyport Mass, home of the US Coast Guard, is a lovely city along the ocean on the north shore showcasing numerous historic properties.  There are several landmark homes on the National Register of Historic Places, and many neighborhoods are listed as well.  Did you know that you can order a free copy of the report on your landmark home or neighborhood from the National Park Service?  With years of experience assisting a Washington DC non-profit trust preserve historic architecture in Newburyport and other Essex County towns, I am very knowledgeable about the area, neighborhoods and antique home inventory.  Buying an old home requires a good eye for its structure aka "bones" and never is a home inspection more important.  Antique homes can still be structurally viable hundreds of yea... 04/03/2011

The Grog, Newburport NA Much maligned among Newburyporters as not a place to go for dinner, the food is surprisingly good and much lower priced than the competition; appropriately for pub fare.  For under $20, they serve the tastiest steak in town.   This is the oldest pub in town, and the atmosphere is fun and very casual, very busy and noisy in the weekends.  Upstairs serves the same food in a more elegant setting.  This place is worthy of your patronage and representative of where the Newburyport natives hang out in spite of themselves....  :-) www.thegrog.com 01/31/2011

Ten Center St, Newburyport MA I go here frequently.   The atmosphere is unsurpassed in Newburyport.   The place is very well managed with competent and friendly servers.   The food is arguably the best it town - although I have to say that Michael's Harborside, owned by the same company but with lower prices - is tough competition. There has been some reported inconsistency in food quality among my friends.  The last time I ate there was this past Sunday, when they serve a limited menu, and I ordered a steak I've had there several times before.  This one came to my table not nearly seared to my liking and greatly lacking in flavor as a result.    But I'll keep going back; this is a prime spot for a romantic date in Newburyport! www.tencenterstreet.com/ 01/31/2011

Ceia Restaurant, Newburyport MA This restaurant is new to Newburyport, located on State St. in a location that has gone through three restaurant metamorphoses since Scandia moved to Amesbury.   This one could be a winner.   My first visit there this weekend found a very busy restaurant, with seating at the bar also popular.  It takes time for any chef and staff to find their "sea legs" in a new restaurant, and the food was very good and well presented.  The service was excellent and attentive; prices are on a par with other local restaurants of this high quality. I had the Osso Buco and my lady friend had Sea Bass.  Both were excellently prepared.  The chef seems to like working with different types of beans, and the Osso Buco's accompanying flavors were perhaps a little too much orient... 01/31/2011

David's Tavern, Newburyport MA Davids Tavern Located in the basement of The Garrison Inn in Newburyport center, David's has a neighborhood pub feel to it, and the bar is indeed populated by regulars.   Weekends it becomes a very active, and noisy crowd, and can be a fun place to be if you like that sort of thing. The food prices are incongruous with this setting.  The food is very good, on a par with the best in town, and priced to match.   You would expect lower prices in this setting.   In addition, service can be slow, so you can spend a long time at a table in a noisy setting when you could be enjoying a much more refined atmosphere conducive to enjoying an excellent meal elsewhere for the same price. David's Website   01/31/2011

This is a great article in today's Daily News:   The Daily News 01/16/2011

Single Family Home Sales The Newburyport, MA real estate market report indicates that there were 124 homes sold in 2009 as compared to 144 in 2008. This represents a 14% decrease in the number of homes sold. The average sales price changed from $522799 in 2008 to $437231 in 2009, a 16% decrease in value. The days on market changed -21 % from 148  to 117. Condominium Sales The Newburyport, MA condominium market data indicates that there were 88 condos sold in 2009 as compared to 116 in 2008. This represents a 24% decrease in the number of condos sold. The average sales price changed from $322252 in 2008 to $325816 in 2009, a 1% increase in value. The days on market changed -24 % from 140  to 106. Data for the Newburyport, MA real estate report was compiled by Virtual Homes Real Estate us... 01/10/2011

Francis, the Chef/Owner of the Plum Island Grille on Plum Island in Newburyport, MA, is a classicly trained European Chef who cuisine is creative and "spot on" delicious. I've been in for appetizers several times recently.  Last night I had the Beef Tartar, and it was perfection!   The high quality beef is hand chopped, not processed, and the combination of flavors explodes in your mouth.  The Plum Island Clams, in blue cheese hinted cream sauce with bacon, was every bit as good.  The Caeser Salad with warm Gouda cheese is a complete meal if you add the grilled salmon, chicken or shrimp.  don't turn down the anchovies - they are real, fresh anchovies and nothing like the canned salty stuff (that I detest).  If you've never tried anchovies this way, you can buy them at the gourmet food s... 12/02/2010