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The Leading Edge:
Sharper Skills Make Local Realtors Your Trusted Advisors
By Liana Measmer
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and newly headquartered in Westford ( www.NortheastRealtors.com ), reported all real estate is local, so the trends in your region will garner the most current and accurate information.
Just don’t do it alone. Buying a home is no small matter. Besides being the largest financial transaction you may make, it’s probably also the most complex. There are a lot of good reasons to work with a qualified real estate professional.
At the Second Annual Billerica Green Real Estate
Round Table on Jan. 6, six local experts and officials met with Realtors from around town to present them with information they could use to hone their expertise, empower their clients and earn consumer confidence.
“ Today’s buyers and sellers have so much information at their fingertips via the web, but they lack the insight, knowledge and perspective,” said Tom Courtney, NEAR President. “It’s our job to help them with that.” prices on home sales in the mid $320’s, Courtney commented it is a good time to buy and sell. He pointed out the market is favorable to first time buyers and there is a ready supply of mortgage money at historically low interest rates.
So, what makes a strong and credible Realtor you can put your trust in? Suggests the National Association of Realtors, those who support ‘responsible home ownership’. These Realtors understand your specific needs, research properties, accompany you in viewing those properties, advise you in formulating your offer, and provide a list of qualified vendors for other services you may need.
“We can see that prices that were declining are stabilizing, and that the average days on the market are down dramatically from the peak,” said Courtney.
Tom Popson, Mortgage Consultant for MetLife Home Loans, reminded Realtors of the value and availability of FHA mortgages and VA loans. A VA loan is guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs against loss to the lender, and made through a private lender. (HUD homes may be purchased with a VA loan.)
FHA loans are insured against loss by the Federal Housing Administration, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Such financing allows for a lower down payment, as little as 3.5 percent, than required by most lenders.
FHA loans also offer flexible credit requirements, allowing credit scores as low as 620 with exact minimums set by lenders.
Short sales occur when the loan on a property is greater than what the property can be sold for. In many short sales, the clock is ticking. Foreclosure may be imminent and the individual doing the short sale negotiating needs to be mindful of this time frame.
Certified Insurance Counselor Tony Lucacio stressed the need to help buyers become well informed and make smart decisions when it comes to homeowner’s insurance. Lucacio encouraged Realtors to reinforce to their clients the need to read as well as understand their commitment letter.
Buyers should contact their insurance agent early, since certain processes like credit checks on premiums and assessing older, multifamily, or commercial properties may take longer. Lucacio explained, especially on commercial properties, subsidized and student rentals would delay the underwriting process.
Lucacio went on to discuss condominiums and condexes, and the issues they posed. Again, he restated the importance of the paperwork involved, driving home the need for complete sets of condo documents which include by-laws, master deeds, and declarations of trust.
“We’ve had such a major influx of these buildings,” said Lucacio.
Lastly, Economic Development Coordinator Stephanie Cronin offered exciting commercial growth news. EMD Serono, located on Middlesex Turnpike, is planning to hire 200 scientists who are hoping to find the cure for cancer. Nova Biomedical is looking to move to Billerica and may be hiring as many as 100 people.

Also, Cronin reported that she is looking at the Center and Boston Road and considering façade improvement programs, by reaching out to bring in more restaurants. She passed out a handout of business resources and offered to put any Realtors’ commercial listings on the town’s website, explaining the 10 percent abandoned building deduction incentive allows businesses to take a 10 percent deduction on all their expenses.
“A business who starts out here and grows here is most likely to stay here,” said Cronin.
Milano’s Take Out: Alternative to Expensive Date Nights
By Sherry and John Livsey

If you are anything like we are lately, the idea of a romantic evening out without the kids is like a dream from your past life. Our budget and schedule are such that having a babysitter over while we go off to some fancy restaurant is just about impossible. That is why our latest celebration was take-out and a movie at home. We put the kids in front of a movie with their dinner. Meanwhile, a lovely dinner in the dining room with candles and wine was our “getaway” for the night.
We ordered from Milano House of Pizza because they deliver and their menu has a great variety. They have a kids menu, which is helpful for us as one of our kids does not like pizza. One of the kids got an individual pizza and the other had the chicken tenders and fries. They were both very happy with their dinner and movie selection of “Despicable Me” for the next 95 minutes which happens to be the right amount of time to enjoy a relaxing dinner and polish off a bottle of wine.
Once the kids were settled in, we took off to enjoy our “date” in the dining room. John had the fried scallop dinner with French fries and salad. I ordered the ravioli with chicken cutlet which also came with salad. The scallops were light, tender and delicious. For delivered seafood, we both thought the dinner was perfectly cooked and still quite hot. It’s difficult to get fried take out that stays crisp and dry, but we were both impressed with the quality of our food.
My dinner was perfect for a cold winter night. The chicken cutlet was thick and juicy, layered with sauce and cheese then baked to golden deliciousness. I enjoyed the sweet flavor of the tomato sauce over the ravioli and the cutlet very much. The portions are very generous for the price; we could have shared one dinner but were happy to have the leftovers to enjoy for lunch.
As much as we enjoy eating as a family and hearing about everyone’s day, it’s also nice to sit down as a couple and complete a sentence without interruption from time to time! The kids enjoyed the rare treat of eating in front of the TV and we enjoyed the treat of not cooking dinner, doing dishes, and collapsing in exhaustion from our long, busy day. Once the kids were settled into bed, we watched “Date Night” (how appropriate) while sipping a chocolate martini for dessert. Where else can you have a romantic dinner and movie for under $50 in your pajamas? Sometimes, there really is no place like home!
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Most people don’t think about having their eyes checked until they sense there is a problem.

Unfortunately, that can lead to blindness. In fact, one million cases are reported yearly.

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Jamie Bornstein is seen here helping her son, Ryan make his party-wear at the annual Family First Night New Year’s Eve celebration at Town Hall. From 4-8 pm, families enjoyed free hot dogs and cookies, games, music, and crafts in a safe and warm environment.
