Wednesday, August 24, 2016

End of Summer Party @ Lexington Community Center




Friday, August 26, 2016 - 5:30pm to 10:00pm
Come over to the Lexington Community Center and join us in celebrating our first year of operation! We will have a DJ, yard games, food trucks, and we will be watching The Lego Movie on a 20 foot inflatable screen! Event starts at 5:30pm movie will begin at 8:00pm. Feel free to pack a lunch. We hope to see everyone there!

In partnership with Lexington Recreation & Community Programs, Lexington Human Services, and Lexington Police Department.



Wednesday, August 17, 2016

7 Tips to Keep Your Lexington Pet Cool This Summer

The summer months can be uncomfortable (especially this year in Lexington)—even dangerous—for pets and people. It's difficult enough simply to cope with rising temperatures, let alone thick humidity, but things really get tough in areas that are hit with the double blow of intense heat and storm-caused power outages, sometimes with tragic results.

We can help you keep your pets safe and cool this summer. Follow our tips for helping everyone in your family stay healthy and comfortable when the heat is on (and even if the power isn't).

Practice basic summer safety

1. Never leave your pets in a parked car
Not even for a minute. Not even with the car running and air conditioner on. On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels. On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Your pet may suffer irreversible organ damage or die

2. Watch the humidity
"It's important to remember that it's not just the ambient temperature but also the humidity that can affect your pet," says Dr. Barry Kellogg, VMD, of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. "Animals pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which takes heat away from their body. If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves, and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels—very quickly."
Taking a dog's temperature will quickly tell you if there is a serious problem. Dogs' temperatures should not be allowed to get over 104 degrees. If your dog's temperature does, follow the instructions for treating heat stroke.

3. Limit exercise on hot days
Take care when exercising your pet. Adjust intensity and duration of exercise in accordance with the temperature. On very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours, and be especially careful with pets with white-colored ears, who are more susceptible to skin cancer, and short-nosed pets, who typically have difficulty breathing. Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet's paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible. Always carry water with you to keep your dog from dehydrating.

4. Don't rely on a fan
Pets respond differently to heat than humans do. (Dogs, for instance, sweat primarily through their feet.) And fans don't cool off pets as effectively as they do people.
Provide ample shade and water
Any time your pet is outside, make sure he or she has protection from heat and sun and plenty of fresh, cold water. In heat waves, add ice to water when possible. Tree shade and tarps are ideal because they don't obstruct air flow. A doghouse does not provide relief from heat—in fact, it makes it worse.


Whip up a batch of quick and easy DIY peanut butter popsicles for dogs. (You can use peanut butter or another favorite food.) And always provide water, whether your pets are inside or out with you.
Keep your pet from overheating indoors or out with a cooling body wrap, vest, or mat (such as the Keep Cool Mat). Soak these products in cool water, and they'll stay cool (but usually dry) for up to three days. If your dog doesn't find baths stressful, see if she enjoys a cooling soak.

6. Watch for signs of heatstroke
Extreme temperatures can cause heatstroke. Some signs of heatstroke are heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizure, and unconsciousness.
Animals are at particular risk for heat stroke if they are very old, very young, overweight, not conditioned to prolonged exercise, or have heart or respiratory disease. Some breeds of dogs—like boxers, pugs, shih tzus, and other dogs and cats with short muzzles—will have a much harder time breathing in extreme heat.

7. How to treat a pet suffering from heatstroke
Move your pet into the shade or an air-conditioned area. Apply ice packs or cold towels to her head, neck, and chest or run cool (not cold) water over her. Let her drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes. Take her directly to a veterinarian.
Prepare for power outages
Before a summer storm takes out the power in your home, create a disaster plan to keep your pets safe from heat stroke and other temperature-related trouble.

Taken from The Humane Society 




Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Avoid Unapproved Renovation Problems in Your Lexington Home

You’re walking through your clients’ Lexington home, getting ready to list it for sale, when you see what looks like a makeshift bathroom in the basement. You ask your clients about it and, sure enough, they had a handyman install a sink and toilet down there 10 years ago. Did they ever have permits pulled? If they didn’t, that can come back to haunt them—and you—because it can grind the sale to a halt if a presale inspection is required by your locality or the sales contract requires the seller to provide a certificate of completion to show the work was done to code.

Each municipality establishes its own rules for handling unpermitted work. Separate from what your municipality requires, the standard sales contract you use in your state might require the seller to provide a certificate of completion for any work done on the house. Of course, the parties are free to replace the provision with an “as-is” clause, which would allow the sale to go through whether unpermitted work had been identified or not. But that’s a negotiating matter between the buyer and seller.

It’s not our job, as a real estate professional, to inspect a property to determine if there’s unpermitted work. But if, in the course of working with a seller, you see something in the property that raises a red flag, talk with the sellers about it. If they confirm that work was done without the necessary permits, you can recommend that they take proper steps to get the work inspected and, if necessary, brought up to code.

Here are three points to keep in mind to avoid problems as you prepare to list your Lexingtonhouse for sale.

1. Pay attention to renovations with red flags. Most unpermitted renovations are small scale. Contractors that work on large-scale renovations such as additions typically won’t do the work without pulling the proper permits. But other projects could have cut corners: a sink and toilet rather than a full bathroom in the basement or a window that looks new but doesn’t seal properly.

2. Ask questions. If something triggers a concern, ask the sellers about it. If they have unpermitted work, or if the work was done by the previous owner and they don’t know whether it was permitted or not, they should consider going to their local building department to see what work requires a permit. Municipalities vary greatly on this. Some require a permit only for major renovations, like a new bathroom. Others require a permit for something as small as adding an electrical outlet. If they discover work done before their time that should have been permitted, sellers should inquire with the city to see whether permits were ever pulled and a certificate of completion issued.

3. Take proper action. If sellers learn there’s unpermitted work, their best course of action is to make an appointment with a city building inspector, apply for new permits, and, if needed, have the work brought up to the latest code and a certificate of completion issued. One downside: Today’s generally tougher code requirements may make it more costly and cumbersome to have the project pass inspection. It’s always a better idea for home owners to get the proper approvals from a municipality at the time the work is done than to wait until they sell the house years later.



Monday, August 8, 2016

Why to Buy and Sell Real Estate in Lexington, MA This Summer

Lexington home-buying and home-selling tips
It’s August already, which means summer is flying by here in Lexington, MA! Have you gotten out and enjoyed all the events and activities our community offers in the summer months? Have you achieved your Lexington real estate market goals? It’s not too late! Summer is a great time to buy or sell a home, or both, and as your Lexington real estate agent, I am here to help you out.

If you’re not sure now is the right time for you to buy a Lexington home, here are some reasons that it is:
  • Prices have appreciated by 5.9 percent over the last 12 months and are expected to increase another 5.3 percent over the next year. Bargain prices are a thing of the past. The smart time to buy is now, before they increase more!
  • Mortgage rates, on the other hand, are still historically low, hovering around 4 percent. They have remained low longer than real estate experts had originally expected, but experts still predict an increase in the coming years.
  • When you rent, you are still paying a mortgage, but it is your landlord’s mortgage that you are paying! You never see that money again. When you pay your own mortgage, you are investing in your future and creating equity. When you sell, you’ll see your money again, and then some!
If you’re not sure now is the right time to sell your Lexington home, here are some reasons that it is:
  • Demand is strong. Because of low mortgage rates and increasing home prices, buyer demand is strong in the Lexington real estate market! Sellers should take advantage. The more demand there is, the more options and negotiating power you hold, and the faster you’ll find a buyer.
  • There is also less competition that usual right now, which puts you in a place of power. Real estate experts do predict that more sellers will enter the market soon, and new homes will be built, so now is the time to sell and take advantage of less competition from other sellers.
  • If you want to sell so that you can move into a bigger, better dream home, there isn’t a better time to do so! Remember why buyer demand is high? Mortgage rates are low, and rates and prices are predicted to increase over the next year. The sooner you sell and rebuy, the more you’ll save with your new home.
Whether buying or selling, there’s a reason you want to do it. Why wait? Move on with your life and accomplish your goals and dreams in the Lexington real estate market this summer! As your Lexington real estate agent, I would love to help you out. Contact me at any time to begin the process.

Theresa D'Antuono

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Wilson Farm August Events

Red Cross Blood Drive
Thursday, August 4th • Noon to 5:00 pm
Walk-ins are welcome.




Corn Fest
August 13th & 14th • 11am - 4pm
Join friends and family at New England’s Favorite Corn Festival; Saturday and Sunday, August 13th + 14th • 11am - 4pm. Celebrate another bountiful harvest with our famous corn-shucking contest, a petting zoo, corn hole, games, photo fun, delicious samples, and much more! This festival is free and open to the public! #WilsonFarmCornFest

Tomato Fest
August 27th & 28th • 11am - 4pm
Celebrate one of our favorite festivals of the season, Tomato Fest! Saturday and Sunday, August 27th + 28th • 11am - 4pm. Featuring over 16 different kinds of tomatoes, including 10 heirloom varieties, this is a weekend built for foodies and tomato fans of all ages. Join us for cooking demos, gourmet samples, fun games, and more! This festival is free and open to the public.#WilsonFarmTomatoFest


Adult Farm Tours
August 11th & 25th
Join Jim Wilson for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at Wilson Farm. On select Thursday evenings throughout the summer, you'll have the chance to learn about our growing practices, the crops we harvest, and lots more! Tours begin at 6:30pm. Call our office at 781-862-3900 to RSVP

Children Farm Tours
Thursday, August 11th • 10:00 am & 3:00 pm
Children only • Ages 5 and up
Must reserve your spot prior to tour • Spots fill up fast!
Call our office now at 781-862-3900 to RSVP

As seen on WBZ-TV!

For more information please visit: http://www.wilsonfarm.com/v2.0/events/events.html