Wednesday, March 27, 2019

How Much Does Home Staging Cost? Is it Worth It?


Home staging—where you decorate your house in an effort to entice buyers to bite—may seem counter intuitive at first blush: Why spend money on a place if you're moving out? Simple answer: because it can get you more money for your home sale. And evidence shows it's usually well worth the effort. On average, staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more than nonstaged ones, which is nothing to sneeze at. But just how much does home staging really cost? Here's the scoop, so you can decide if it's worth the investment for you.
How much does home staging cost?

File this one under "obvious"—but the pricier the home, the more it costs to stage. As a general rule of thumb, most stagers charge $300 to $600 for an initial design consultation, and $500 to $600 per month per room. "Therefore, a 2,000-square-foot home would cost around $2,000 to $2,400 a month," explains real estate professional Crystal Leigh Hemphill. Most professional home stagers also require a three-month minimum contract, "even if you sell the home in 24 hours." That could bring your final bill to $7,200.

What can cost extra?
Most stagers work with the knickknacks and art that the homeowner already owns. But sometimes they "need to purchase new accessories, fresh towels, flowers, and/or fruit, as these small touches make a big difference," says Sheila Schostok with Your Home Matters Staging and Redesign. which serves Chicago and southeastern Wisconsin. And those new purchases will add to the overall cost of the project.

The layout of your home could also add a ka-ching to a home staging expert's price tag. A job that requires heavy lifting in a multistory house usually means hiring additional help to move furniture, says Schostok.

And if you're listing a completely vacant home because you've already moved out, you're looking at the additional expense of renting every stick of furniture and all decor items.
Conversely, if you inherited a ton of antiques (or have a One King's Lane addiction), you may need to put excess belongings into storage, tacking that monthly rental onto your overall staging costs.
A final expense, an important one that can help ensure staging success, is the price of painting a room. A fresh coat in a 12-by-12 square foot room will cost a DIYer around $200, or $400 to $700 if left to the pros.

How to save on home staging
You don't have to stage your entire house from basement laundry room to attic storage. "A great way to save money when staging is by only focusing on the main areas of a home," says Schostok. These are the rooms you spend the most time in—your kitchen, living room, dining room, and master bedroom. Another wallet-friendly home staging option is to limit yourself to a consultation with a home stager. When Schostok tours a home with the owner, offering suggestions to maximize the potential for each room, "the price is far less, $125 for 90 minutes."

The biggest savings? Selling your home faster, at a better price, and without months of carrying costs—because your house was properly staged and buyer-ready.  Article taken from Realtor.com





Monday, March 18, 2019

The No. 1 Thing Millennials Hate About Their Home Is Not What You'd Expect


Life is full of regrets, from the risks you never took to the fashion choices you unfortunately made (shoulder pads, really?). But for many millennial homeowners, their biggest regrets may have to do with the homes they've purchased.

According to a recent survey by Bankrate.com, 63% of millennial homeowners feel buyer's remorse when it comes to their current home purchase. In fact, millennials (meaning those in the 23–38 age range) are more inclined to regret their home purchase than any other age group, and nearly double the percentage of baby boomers (35%) who say they have regrets.
So what exactly do millennials hate about their homes? The most common regret from all respondents is underestimating the costs of maintenance and repairs, with one-quarter of millennial homeowners noting that this was their biggest pain point.

A lot of folks don’t realize how much it costs to repair and replace items. They're used to picking up the phone and having a landlord or maintenance company come fix it," says Deborah Kearns, a Bankrate mortgage reporter and author of the survey. "It can be a real shock to the wallet."
Bankrate commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct the online survey of 2,668 adults, including 1,493 homeowners, from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1.

Other regrets that homeowners reported included size and location—many say they bought a house a little too cozy (12%), too big (5%), or in a bad area (8%). Homeowners are also kicking themselves for poor financial decisions, with 7% of respondents lamenting a poor investment and having high monthly mortgage payments.

So what exactly can potential homeowners do to prevent home buyer's remorse down the road?
How to avoid home buyer's remorse

Once you've finally picked out your dream home, it's tempting to sign the papers as quickly as possible to get those keys and move in. But not so fast: Getting a home inspection is a crucial step that can save homeowners from future remorse, Kearns notes.

"The entry-level price range is competitive, and some buyers will skip a home inspection contingency to make their offer more competitive," she says. "But this is a huge mistake."
A home inspection will help buyers understand exactly what they are about to acquire. An inspector may unveil issues in the home that are not noticeable to the naked eye, like electrical issues or mold, and this can save a homeowner a pretty penny.


Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Patriots' Day in Lexington 2019 is the 244th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington



The Battle of Lexington is commemorated every year on the third Monday in April. The highlight is a historical reenactment of the battle that pays tribute to those patriots who first fell on the Lexington Green on the morning of April 19, 1775. It is performed by members of the Lexington Minute Men Company and His Majesty's Tenth Regiment of Foot.

We are currently looking for event sponsors, parade ambassadors* and applications to participate in the parade.

Current Schedule of Events but check back often as this will change!

Parade Ambassadors are community volunteers who carry a sponsor’s banner in front of a marching unit during the afternoon parade.  As Parade Ambassador, you are part of one of the Town’s most important traditions.

Parade Ambassadors assemble on Patriots' Day at the East Lexington Fire Station at 1:15 PM.. Members of the Celebrations Committee greet you, assign you to a team (if you are not already part of a team), give you your banner, and escort you to your place in the parade lineup.
You are expected to complete the entire 2.5 mile parade route which takes approximately 1 to 2 hours start to finish, depending on your placement in the lineup.
Search For Lexington Area Homes For Sale

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Net Worth of Lexington MA Homeowners

Lexington MA Homeownership Perks
There are numerous perks to being a Lexington MA homeowner, both financial and non-financial, that are worth discussing. But as your Lexington MA real estate agent, there is one I’d like to talk about today.

That is net worth. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University found that the net worth of homeowners over the age of 65 was 47.5 times greater than that of renters of the same age group. That’s huge!

If you buy your home before the age of 36, you may own your home by the age of 65. Even if you’re still making mortgage payments, you will have the net worth of your home and the equity you have gained. Renters find it harder to accrue net worth over time, as rent prices continually increase.

When ready to buy a home in the Lexington MA real estate market and invest in your future, contact me, your Lexington MA real estate agent! Let’s make homeownership happen for you!

Theresa D'Antuono

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

LexArt: Spring Classes and Workshop Sign-ups


Join with our local and nationally known, expert art instructors as they focus on improving artistic skills at all levels from the beginner to the advanced.  Learn traditional and contemporary techniques in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere.

Our Winter/ Spring program includes many offerings: Wildlife Painting for adults, Scarves to Dye For, mixed Media Embroidery, Making Wax Models, Concrete and Mixed media, Pastel Painting, Air Brushing, Bird Carving, Ceramics, Teen Pottery, Metal Clay, Enameling, Digital Photography, Polymer Clay/Beading, Open Figure Drawing Class and Introduction to Machine Woodworking.
Classes fill up quickly. Call 781-862-9696 • www.Lexart.org for a detailed listing of all classes & fees.

30 Waltham Street, Lexington MA 02421
Office Hours:  M-F 9am-4pm
Office - enter at 3rd side door off parking lot

LexArt, the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, was founded in 1935.  We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit regional education center dedicated  to the preservation and promotion of 
excellence in both the traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. We hold a variety of exciting exhibits in our Parsons Gallery year-round, featuring the works of our members,  invited artists and groups, as well as collaborative  exhibits and events.

We offer a full schedule of classes and workshops at reasonable rates, for Adults and Teens, year-round (days, evenings and weekends), all levels, which are open to members and the public. 

Junior Membership (ages 12-18) is for the purpose of taking classes.

Scholarships are available to graduating seniors from Lexington High School, and we provide continuing support to scholarship recipients in furthering their art careers at accredited art institutions.

      Give us a call anytime, or just stop by.
           Visitors are always welcome.

LexArt Office   781-862-9696   lacs.lexington@verizon.net