Being that we are in the midst of the gift giving season, it got me thinking about House Warming Gifts. The ones my husband and I received when we built our home in 2002 really stand out in my memory. Becoming a homeowner is such a huge accomplishment, and I remember settling in with a new frame here and a beautiful plant there..it really [...]

Many sellers think that once the snow starts to fly, they should take their home off the market for a few months so it will appear new and refreshed for the spring. Any Realtor will tell you, "If you want to sell your house, you need keep it active". You can't sell a home that isn't available for buyers to see. If you are still a doubter, [...]

If you have purchased a home recently and you discovered that the town you live in has your property's assessed value at GREATER than what you paid for it, there is a chance you can get your property taxes reduced. A few local towns did their periodic assessments at the height of the market, so some buyers are purchasing homes in this current market with tax assessments at much higher values.

Now every town in Vermont does things differently (we all know that!) but the process is generally quite simple. 1. Contact your town treasurer to find out the how and when to file a grievance. Many towns do it in the spring, others are on-going. 2. Contact the Realtor you used and ask them to provide you with a few comparables - these are homes that sold around the time you purchased yours that support the reduced assessed value you wish to obtain. For instance, if you purchased a home for $350,ooo and the tax assessment is at $425,ooo, you would want to have some property closures of similar style homes that fall into that $350K range. 3. Make sure to have a hard copy of your purchase and sale contract and any closing documents - some towns will request that. Some towns will also request a letter in writing stating what you are looking for, or possibly have a form for you to fill out, but that's about it. Let us know if you've had experience with this or have anything to add!

Northwestern Vermont Board of REALTORS Releases July 2013 Market Statistics The Northwestern Vermont Board of REALTORS (NVBR) has released its real estate market statistics for July 2013. The information is derived from data contained in the Northern New England Real Estate Network and covers Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. [...]

June 2013 Market Reports As potentially the brightest sun in the current economic recovery, housing activity has followed the mercury higher this summer. Interest rates and new construction activity have been in the spotlight lately, fueled by concerns over tapering Federal Reserve activity and ongoing inventory constraints. Watch for [...]

May 2013 Market Reports Were halfway through the year and it seems our collective attention has shifted from monitoring price and sales gains to eagerly anticipating more new listing activity on the part of sellers. This shift is the result of an imbalance between strong demand for homes and constrained supply. In some markets, purchase [...]

April 2013 Market Statistics The Northwestern Vermont Board of REALTORS (NVBR) has released its real estate market statistics for April 2013. The information is derived from data contained in the Northern New England Real Estate Network and covers Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. Comparisons to last year at this time: New [...]

Northwestern Vermont Board of REALTORS Releases March 2013 Market Statistics The Northwestern Vermont Board of REALTORS (NVBR) has released its real estate market statistics for March 2013. The information is derived from data contained in the Northern New England Real Estate Network and covers Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. [...]

February existing-home sales and prices affirm a healthy recovery is underway in the housing sector, according to the National Association of REALTORS. Sales have been above year-ago levels for 20 consecutive months, while prices show 12 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says conditions [...]