Never DIY a repair, and other do’s and don’ts of home electricity
By Stacey C olino
The Washington Post
IT’S EASY TO TAKE
your home electrical system for granted — until it stops working. No one wants to be without light, air conditioning or a working refrigerator, so you might be tempted to find a quick fix online and do a DIY repair.
Not so fast, experts say. Electricity is an area where it’s usually better to bring in a professional. If you do the wrong thing, you could make things worse instead of better. And making a mistake with electricity can be expensive or even life-threatening.
“I have wired homes, upgraded panels and seen how fast one bad decision can turn a kitchen into a cautionary tale,” says Benjamin Tom, a Los Angeles-based electrician and a utility specialist with Electricity Monster. “Electricity does not wait for you to figure it out.”
One thing you can do yourself, though, is take some simple steps to prevent problems from happening. Here, electricians and general contractors share basic do’s and don’ts to help you avoid home electrical mishaps.
Do be on the lookout for overloaded circuits
Overloaded electrical circuits are a major cause of residential fires, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International in Arlington, Virginia.
An overloaded circuit happens when too many electrical devices are connected to a single circuit (a loop that electricity flows through), which causes the circuit to consume more power than it can safely handle.
Tom was called to one home where two fridges in the kitchen and a freezer in the garage were all relying on the same 15amp circuit. Every time one of the compressors kicked on, the garage lights would flicker. When he opened the wall to see what was going on, Tom found the insulation was turning brown and there was a faint burning smell. If they hadn’t caught it in time, “the damage would have started from inside the wall and burned through the studs before a smoke alarm could catch it,” he says.
Learn how to spot signs of trouble. “Overloaded circuits give quiet warnings,” Tom says. But “they’re easy to spot if you pay attention [and] know how to read them.” Warning signs may include flickering or dimming lights, frequently tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses, warm or discolored outlet wall plates, a burning odor around wall switches, or a cracking or buzzing sound near an outlet where appliances are in use.
If you notice any of these signs, contact a licensed electrician, who can make suggestions for redistributing the load (by moving appliances to other circuits), replace the wiring or
upgrade the electrical panel. In the meantime, take steps to avoid overloading circuits in the first place. Don’t plug too
Electricity is an area where it’s usually better to bring in a professional.
many appliances into the same outlet, and don’t rely on power strips for heavy-duty appliances, such as air conditioning units.
Major appliances should be plugged directly into a wall outlet, and only one heat-producing appliance — think: toaster and coffee maker — should be operated from a particular outlet at a time, according to the ESFI. (It’s also a good idea to unplug appliances when you’re not using them, for safety’s sake and to save energy.)
Don’t tape down a circuit breaker that keeps tripping
“If your circuit breaker keeps flipping, it’s trying to get your attention [and] doing exactly what it’s supposed to do — protecting your home from an electrical overload,” says Robert Lee, a senior technician for Lee Air Services in Southlake, Texas. Don’t ignore or try to get around those signals. If you tape it down or force it to stay on in another way, it could lead to overheating, melted wires and worse.
“Circuit breakers are designed to trip when something is not quite right — two wires could be touching or there could be an increase in wattage that exceeds what the breaker is designed to handle,” says Tom Jameson, a licensed electrician and owner of AstroWatt Electric, based in Apex, North Carolina.
A licensed electrician can figure out whether you need to add a new circuit, upgrade your wiring or improve your outlet setup.
Do label your circuit breakers
Taking the time to label the circuit breakers in your electrical panel can save you from fumbling around, trying to guess which circuits have tripped and where the electrical problem lies in your home when you lose partial power, Lee says. This also helps you figure out which circuit controls which lights and appliances, and it allows electricians to work more efficiently when they’re called in for troubleshooting. To identify and label which circuit breaker in an electric panel serves a particular outlet, appliance or area of the house, you can use a battery-operated circuit breaker finder, which you can find for less than $100 at big-box hardware stores. Or you could systematically turn off breakers to see which ones affect which areas of your home.
Do test your GFCI outlets
It’s also a good idea to test
GFCI (short for ground fault circuit interrupter) switches in your outlets monthly, Lee says. These safety devices, most often found in kitchens and bathrooms, quickly shut off power when a problem is detected to protect you from electric shocks. An easy way to do this is to plug a night light or another small device into the outlet. Turn the device on, then press the “test” button (which is usually black) to see if the device turns off; next, press the “reset” button (usually red) on the GFCI outlet to see if the device turns back on. If it’s not operating properly, bring in an electrician.
Don’t use extension cords for permanent wiring
“An extension cord is meant to be used temporarily,” says Jon Schlecht, a licensed electrician with Prairie Electric in the Portland, Oregon, area. It can overheat on both ends, which can cause a fire, he says.
Too many electrical devices connected to a single circuit can cause the circuit to consume more power than it can safely handle. (ADOBE STOCK IMAGE)
Lee Reich | In the Garden
Early planting is always a gamble
ICOULDN’T HELP MYself, so yesterday I broke protocol. After quite a few days of bright sunshine with daytime temperatures in the 70s, even the 80s a couple of days, I went ahead and planted all the tomato and pepper plants that I’ve been nurturing since their birth a few weeks ago — six weeks for the tomatoes, ten weeks for the peppers. Looking ahead, warm sunny days should follow, with night temperatures are predicted to dip down only into the 50s. My usual protocol has been to plant not with my gut, but with the calendar date. Over the years I’m come up with a detailed chart of when to sow and transplant different kinds of vegetables based on the average dates of the last killing frost.
Here, that date is around May 21. Or it used to be. (That chart — which I included in my book “Weedless Gardening”
— allows anyone anywhere to determine sowing and planting dates merely by plugging in the average date for the last killing frost for their garden. Last frost dates for specific locations are available online.)
As with other global warm-
ing trends, the average date of the last killing frost right here — meaning specifically in my garden, which is in a frost pocket — has been pushed back a week or more. In the past, I would wait until a week, even two weeks, after that last frost
date to set tomato and pepper plants in the garden. The average frost date is just an average; that week or two made sure my plants wouldn’t be caught off guard by a clear, cold night that didn’t hew to averages and charts.
When it comes right down to it, early planting is a gamble. The odds were good, so I took the gamble. My actions were also shaded by my not wanting to repot all the seedlings that were soon to outgrow their containers, and my hankering to see my garden with lots of plants in it.
The word “frost” allows for some wiggle room. You’d think it meant any temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Not so. Temperatures between 29 and 32 degrees could be called a “light freeze.” Peppers and tomatoes sufficiently toughened up (“hardened off”) with some exposure to bright sunlight, cool temperatures, and
wind can cruise right through a light freeze unscathed.
Moderate freezes, 25 to 28 degrees F., would cause some damage. A severe freeze, with temperatures below 24 degrees F. spells trouble for any tender vegetable plant.
Sufficiently hardened off cool season plants, such as cabbage and its kin, lettuce, and chard, are usually fine even at those temperatures.
In all this, whether or not damage or death occur must factor in how fast cold descends on the garden, and how long it sits around.
At this point, I’m confident that my plants will be fine. If Ol’ Man Winter decides to peek in again, I can always throw a cover — flowerpots, sheets, row cover — over the plants to protect them from cold.
Let’s shift gears and take a look at growing peppers, specifically, keeping them upright.
This simple trellis is one good way to keep pepper plants from flopping to the ground when loaded with fruit. (LEE REICH PHOTO)
GARDEN NOTES
SPRINGFIELD Garden club annual plant sale
The Springfield Garden Club will hold its annual plant sale on Saturday, May 31 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Monkey House in Forest Park. Free entry to the plant sale is available at the Trafton Road entrance to Forest Park, 200 Trafton Road. A spring tradition and the club’s major scholarship fundraiser, this is not the kind of plant sale that focuses on reselling plants from wholesale growers. Except for a few donations from generous area garden centers, these plants are from members’ gardens or have been grown from seed specifically for the sale
This is a major fundraiser for the scholarship program and a lot of fun for club members and customers alike.
Reich
CONTINUES FROM PAGE F3
My pepper plants, and perhaps yours, become top heavy with their weight of maturing fruit. Mine especially so because I don’t pick any until they have fully matured, turning red or whatever other color they sport at full maturity. Especially prone to toppling is the variety Sweet Italia, which I grow because of its especially luscious fruits which also ripen early.
I’ve tried various methods of keeping Sweet Italia’s fruit laden stems up. In the past, I grew them in those coneshaped, wire cages often sold for tomatoes, for which they are useless. Those cages get tangled together in storage and make weeding very difficult. My bamboo provides an excess of stakes of various thickness; three stakes next to a plant does keep the plant upright, but not its fruit-laden arms.
Twine woven in among the plants and tied to metal stakes set a few feet apart along the
The club’s many experienced gardeners and master gardeners can offer useful suggestions on which plants to buy or answers to some of your gardening questions.
The Springfield Garden Club awards an annual scholarship of between $2,000 to a graduating high school senior, undergraduate or graduate college student majoring in a full-time plant science or environmental studies program, such as horticulture, floriculture, landscape design, conservation, forestry, botany, agronomy, plant pathology, environmental control, land management or other allied fields. Using proceeds from past plant sales, the club has given out over $80,000 in scholarships to students in the last 30 plus years and we look forward to adding to that this year. For more information on the Springfield Garden Club events go to www.springfieldgardenclubma.org or visit them on
row held plants and most arms up, but scrunched everything together too much, cutting down light penetration.
This year my plants are going to stand up with the help of livestock fencing panels, cattle panels with 6x8 inch openings, and goat and sheep panels with 4x4 inch openings. With a bolt cutter I clipped them into one-squarewide strips. Each bed is home to two rows, about 20 inches apart, of peppers, with plants set 16 inches apart in the row. Sixteen-inch spacing allows me to set the panel strips centered over the plants. For now, the strips are on the ground beneath the plants.
Once the plants grow large and start extending their arms, I’ll raise the strips with some bricks set every few feet as high as needed to do their job.
I hope this works and welcome any comments on the prognosis. Do you have a method for successfully keeping your peppers from toppling or resting too many fruits on the ground? Perhaps your peppers grow unaided?
Facebook at https://www. facebook.com/SpringfieldMAGardenClub/
WESTFIELD Nature Workshop at Stanley Park
“Looking & Listening for Birds in the Woods” with Joanne Fortin will take place on Sunday, May 18 from 8 to 10 a.m. Spend time identifying birds by sight and sound. All
skill levels are welcome. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Fortin’s interest in nature and birding began when she was a child. She spent summers camping with her family in a pine forest on a lake, an experience she remembers as heavenly.
Her parents were avid birders and naturalists, and she considers herself a naturalist, too. Fortin has been an active member of the Allen Bird Club of Springfield for more
than 10 years, and she enjoys sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with others. The workshop will meet at the main entrance sign to the Frank Stanley Beveridge Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary located across from the recreation field. Wear summer hiking attire, sturdy boots and bring water. Nature workshops are free of charge. Stanley Park is located on Western Avenue.
Some plants cause more suffering than others for gardeners with pollen allergies
By Jessica Damiano Associated Press
FOR MANY, THE REturn of the spring garden brings with it a sneezy, itchy, foggy-headed feeling that hits the moment a warm breeze stirs up. I’m fortunate not to suffer much, but my blue car turned a chartreuse shade of yellow last week, and a $32 car wash provided results that lasted only two hours. Sigh. These seasonal allergies often go by the old-fashioned name hay fever, but it’s not the hay that causes misery for so many, it’s the pollen. And not just any pollen, but
the nearly weightless kind that floats up our noses and engages our immune systems. Trees, weeds, grasses and even some of our favorite flowers are culprits.
But pollen isn’t all bad. It’s essential to the reproduction of plants, the survival of insects and the entire food web. We humans could not survive without it, so we absolutely shouldn’t avoid high-pollen plants as a general rule.
However, if you’re an allergy sufferer who has had to forgo planting a garden due to health reasons, plants that release the least pollen
may enable you to smell the flowers.
Plants that might bring sneezes
Allergy-inducing plants are those that rely on wind rather than bees or butterflies to spread their pollen. Ragweed, which strikes in late summer and early fall, gets the most notoriety, but its springtime counterparts can be at least as irritating.
Trees most likely to cause symptoms include birch (Betula), catawba (Catalba), cypress (Cupressus), elm (Ulmus), hickory/pecan (Carya), oak (Quercus), sycamore (Platanus) and walnut (Juglans), according to the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS), created by horticulturist Thomas Ogren and published in his 2020 book, “The Allergy-Fighting Garden.”
Palm trees, too — but only the males. In fact, female trees don’t produce pollen at all, so seek them out when possible.
Grasses can irritate eyes and sinuses, too. The scale ranks Bermuda (except sterile male varieties), Johnson, Kentucky, orchard, sweet vernal and timothy grasses among the highest for allergens.
Weeds like ragweed, curly dock, lamb’s quarters, pigweed, plantain, sheep sorrel and sagebrush are also big pollen producers, Ogren found.
Not all plants are irritating to allergy sufferers
On the other hand, plants with “double” flowers or heavier pollen that doesn’t travel far are less likely to release much pollen.
Among trees, apricot (Prunus armeniaca), fig (Ficus), fir (Abies), fruiting pear (Pyrus), fruiting plum (Prunus domestica, Prunus insititia), redbud (Cerus), serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), female ash (Fraxinus), female box elder (Acer negundo), female cottonwood/ poplar (Populus), female maple (Acer), female palm (Arecaceae) and female willow (Salix) are easier on the respiratory system.
St. Augustine and sterile male Bermuda are safer bets in the grass department.
As for flowers, you’ve got options: Begonia, female clematis, columbine, crocus, daffodil, delphinium, hibiscus, impatiens, iris, bird of paradise, pansy, petunia, phlox, poppy, snapdragon, tulip, verbena and zinnia
Ragweed, which strikes in late summer and early fall, gets the most notoriety, but its springtime counterparts can be at least as irritating.
are friends. Roses, too — especially tightly packed, dense-petaled varieties, which exude even less pollen than those with single or semi-double flowers (rose allergies are more often fragrance-related than due to pollen, according to Ogren). And if you suffer from seasonal allergies, keeping windows closed and getting someone else to mow the lawn will also help to nip your symptoms in the bud.
Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the Associated Press and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter.
Also, be careful about how and where you use them. The ESFI cautions against plugging a space heater or fan into an extension cord or power strip because these can cause the cord, the plug or the outlet to overheat.
Jameson had a customer who
turned his dusty garage into a workshop by running extension cords along the floor to a workbench. One day, an extension cord that wasn’t connected properly created sparks, causing a small fire because dust is extremely flammable. Fortunately, he was able to put it out with a fire extinguisher, then he had Jameson’s company come to check the electrical system.
If you’re relying heavily on exten-
sion cords or power strips, that’s a sign that you have too few outlets, according to ESFI. A licensed electrician can survey your home and add additional outlets.
Do keep an eye out for damaged outlets
Yellow, brown or scorch marks on outlets are signs of damage. The same is true of cracks or loose connections where plugs don’t fit
snuggly into an outlet, says Chris Stevenson, a general contractor and professional roofer with 730 South Exteriors in Denver.
Using a damaged outlet “can lead to arcing, which generates heat and can ignite nearby materials,” Stevenson says. “If you see any of these signs, don’t ignore them. It’s like [having] a small leak in your roof — it might seem minor now, but it can cause big problems down the road.”
Daffodils are among the flowers least likely to cause seasonal allergy symptoms. (JESSICA DAMIANO VIA AP)
Cover photo: Impatiens are also among the flowers least likely to set off allergy symptoms. (JESSICA DAMIANO VIA AP)
Left, this July 9, 2023 photo provided by Jessica Damiano shows a zinnia flower in bloom. At right, a rose bush in bloom. Roses are among the flowers least likely to cause seasonal allergy symptoms. (PHOTOS BY JESSICA DAMOANO VIA AP)
Terry & Kim Kovel | Antiques & Collecting
19th-century stereo-graphoscopes create 3D illusions
ENGLISH INVENTOR
Charles John Roswell patented the first graphoscope in 1864. The graphoscope, a device to enhance viewings of photographs and other still images, consists of a round magnifying glass attached to an adjustable stand. Later models, like the one pictured here, included a stereoscope to view stereocards that create a 3D illusion. Collectors call these models stereo-graphoscopes. This one, which sold for $366 at Austin Auction Gallery, was made by the London firm Negretti and Zambra.
Established in 1850, the company started as a partnership between Joseph Zambra, a barometer maker and optician, and Henry Negretti, a thermometer maker and glassblower. Their earliest products, meteorological instruments, were of such high quality that they were appointed opticians to Queen Victoria in 1851. They soon opened a photography studio and, in 1854, became official photographers for the Crystal Palace Company.
They were making stereographs by then, and they photographed scenes around England and commissioned overseas expeditions for material for stereoviews. This graphoscope model, available in walnut and mahogany, was made in the 1880s.
Q. My grandmother had a lamp that sat on her TV set in 1959, possibly earlier. It is clear Lucite with two swans facing each other and flowers around them. The base is wood. It is lit with two Christmas tree bulbs. There is an obvious error — the swans are pink like flamingos instead of white or black. Overall, it is 11 1/2 inches tall, 12 1/2 inches wide, and 3 1/2 inches deep. Can you give me any information about it?
A. TV lamps were popular in the 1950s. There was a belief that having a dim, indirect light on while watching television prevented eye strain. Because they did not need to cast a lot of light, TV lamps were usually made in decorative styles. The most popular were ceramic figures; many midcentury pottery and lamp companies made them. Many companies made Lucite lamps like your grandmother’s. Bases were made of various materials, including wood, iron, and plastic. Lucite was first made in the 1930s
Art, science, and entertainment come together in 19th-century optical devices. Negretti and Zambra, makers of this stereo-graphoscope, were known for both their scientific instruments and their photography. (AUSTIN AUCTION GALLERY)
and was used for furniture and decorative arts after World War II. Some Lucite pieces had figures carved, painted, or embedded into the clear plastic, like your grandmother’s lamp. Birds, fish, and scattered flowers were favorite subjects; they appeared to float. You are right that birds in Lucite lamps are usually realistic colors; however, we have seen ceramic TV lamps with swans in fanciful colors like pink, green, or blue. Lamps like yours sell for about $75.
Q. I was told my wall hanging was a replica that had hung over a fireplace in the White House during John Adams’s presidency. There are three oval-shaped pictures that appear to be hand-painted on porcelain. Two are courting scenes, and one is a bust of a woman in a blue dress. They are in a three-part, gold-colored metal frame with a bow at the top. Is this description correct, and does it have value?
A. We have seen porcelain plaques like the ones on your wall hanging described as “Fragonard style,” after the French Rococo painter and printmaker Jean Honore Fragonard
TIP: Nineteenth-century photographs are more easily damaged than pictures from later years. They are more likely to fade or deteriorate. Keep all photographs away from intense light.
CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Mason’s ironstone, sugar, cover, pierced finial, blue transfer, Blue Vista, landscape, leafy borders, side handles, blue mark, c. 1880, 6 x 6 inches, $30.
Rug, hooked, rag, pictorial, cottage, brown roof, two red chimneys, multicolor flowers, trees in foreground, black border, 20th century, 2 feet 5 inches x 3 feet 4 inches, $60. Celadon, bowl, turned-in rim, horizontal bands of motifs, tapered base, Korea, 6 x 8 inches, $110. Match holder, silver, multicolor stone inlay, radial, blue center, red petals, allover etched ground, monogram on reverse, marked, dated, England, 1891, on chain, 2 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches, $130.
(1732-1806), who was known for his portraits, courting scenes, and genre scenes. Fragonard-style porcelain designs experienced a resurgence in popularity in the Victorian period and again in the 20th century. They appeared on dishes, trinket boxes, decorative plaques, and jewelry by several European porcelain companies. Wall hangings like yours sell for about $50 to $100.
We haven’t confirmed whether there was a similar wall hanging or work by Fragonard in the White House, but we do know that John and Abigail Adams, the first president and First Lady to live in the White House, purchased furnishings from France. When John Adams was in France on diplomatic missions before his presidency, during Fragonard’s career, he mentioned his admiration of the country’s art in his letters home to Abigail.
Kovels answers readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses
Sewing, machine, Wilcox & Gibbs, chain stitch, curved arm, leaves, vines, 1920s, 8 x 10 x 6 inches, $180. Toy, train, ride-on, Special Western Flyer, red, pressed steel, Steelcraft, 1930s, 24 inches, $190. Furniture, planter, tramp art, painted, white, chip carved, rectangular, pierced panel, vertical slats, two large raised diamonds, stretcher base, 29 x 33 inches, $220.
Glass-Venetian, lamp, sconce, figural, grape clusters, flowers, multicolor, gilt metal frame, mid-20th century, 16 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches, $285. Rookwood, vase, mottled blue ground, abstract flowers and leaves around shoulder, signed, impressed mark, 50th Anniversary, Margaret Helen McDonald, 1931, 5 1/2 inches, $345.
Bottle, Zanesville, bulbous base, 24 swirl ribs, applied lip, golden amber, c. 1820, 9 inches, $1,750.
or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, The Republican, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com.
Average rate on 30-year mortgage rises to 6.81%
Rate reaches highest level since late April
By A lex Veiga Associated Press
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. edged above 6.8% this week, returning to where it was just three weeks ago.
The rate increased to 6.81% from 6.76% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 7.02%.
Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including global demand for U.S. Treasurys, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions and bond market investors’ expectations about the economy and inflation.
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has remained relatively close to its high so far this year of just above 7%, which it set in mid-January. The average rate’s low point so far was five weeks ago, when it briefly dropped to 6.62%.
Borrowing costs on 15-year fixedrate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose. The average rate ticked up to 5.92% from 5.89% last week. It’s down from 6.28% a year ago, Freddie Mac said.
The elevated mortgage rates, which can add hundreds of dollars a month
Deeds
AGAWAM
Alan M. Gallerani, conservator, and Joanne E. Gallerani to Chestnut Hill Homes LLC, 74 White Fox Road, $251,000.
Andrew H. Dabek and Carolyn Webber to Chelsea Rohman and Nathan Jackson, 143 Brookfield Lane, Unit 143, $400,000.
Brittany A. Graziano and Eric Graziano to Nikolay N. Nedeoglo and Nelya Nedeoglo, 18 Cesan St., $393,000.
Car Wash Holdings LLC, to 92 Poplar St. RE LLC, 92 Poplar St., $1,100,000.
Charles Fijnvandraat, trustee, Charles A. Fijnvandraat, trustee, and CAF Nominee Trust, trustee of, to Melissa Dogan and Adam Dogan, 9 Regency Park Drive, Unit 9, $167,000.
Heath Trudell, Caroline Trudell and Caroline Pierce to Akin Karadas and Ayse Karadas, 5 Capua Lane, $565,000.
James P. Craven Jr., to William E. Lee and Patricia A. Lee, 20 Conifer Drive, $375,000.
John Finnegan and Kathy Finnegan to Kelly Donner and Vincente Messina, 35 Trinity Terrace, $355,000.
MAA Property LLC, to Jessica R. Harrelson, 123 South St., $339,900.
Ronald M. Hence, estate, and Kayla M. Duga, representative, to No Limit Assets LLC, 51 Bradford Drive, $255,000.
Sadiq A. Elias to Erin Burns and John Meyer, 54 Chapin St., $275,000.
Shirley J. Murray, Shirley Murray and William Murray to Rosimar
Alicea Alcaide, 418 Meadow St., Unit C3, $268,000.
STE Properties LLC, to Erin Burns and John Meyer, 274 Cooper St., $275,000.
Tedeschi Properties LLC, to Humberto Padilla Jr., 92 River Road, $353,000.
Tina M. DePalma to Loretta A. Elkas, 5 Maple View Lane, Unit C, $334,000.
Tracy Tavares and Jessica Tavares to Jacob S. Mendez and Stephanie F. Trimboli, 19 Brookline Ave., $350,000.
Xhemail Ahmeti, Hyrije Ahmeti and Fitore Halili to Zachary Alan Clark, 32 Plantation Drive, Unit 32, $270,000.
AMHERST
Brian J. Hession, Cassia A. Hession and Cassia A. Smith to James A. Green and Gwen E. Gustafson, 526 Station Road, $625,000.
Gui Dong Liang to 571 Main H LLC, 571 Main St., $420,000.
ASHFIELD
Christopher Paine to Paige H. Law and Robert Law, trustees of the Law Living Trust, 326 Main St., $640,000.
BELCHERTOWN
Anthony T. Quinta and Talia M. Quinta to Joseph Backes Sills and Caitlin Eva Kindervatter-Clark, 191 North St., $1,200,000.
Michael Andrews and Lisa Andrews to Nicholas R. Mason and Rory M. Mason, 140 Barton Ave., $469,000.
Charles M. Voth and Anne Carey Voth to Bligh Adeline Voth, Liam
in costs for borrowers, have discouraged home shoppers, leading to a lackluster start to the spring homebuying season, even as the inventory of homes on the market is up sharply from last year. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in March, posting the largest monthly drop since November 2022.
The recent swings in mortgage rates reflect volatility in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.
The yield, which had mostly fallen this after climbing to around 4.8% in mid-January, surged last month to 4.5% amid a sell-off of government bonds, triggered by investor anxiety
Charles Owen Voth and Eamon Wall Voth, 10 Fox Run Drive, $100.
BERNARDSTON
Beth M. Johnson and Shelley Nicholson to Jean E. Marquesen and Sarah J. Marquesen, 940 Brattleboro Road, $386,500.
BLANDFORD
Andrew J. Quinn and Sherri A. Quinn to Andrew L. Bloom and Jodi A. Bloom, 43 Otis Tolland Road, $510,000.
BRIMFIELD
Maple Lane Development Corp., to Peter Champagne, Sturbridge Road, Lot 1, $10,000.
Richard A. Buck Sr., and Cindy L. Buck to David Jay Pipenger and Jodi Lynn Pipenger, 55 Haynes Hill Road, $636,500.
Thomas J. Russo and Tiffany A. Russo to James L. Sherman and Sara E. Sherman, 71 Brookfield Road, $385,071.
BUCKLAND
Sarah Davenport to Jennifer Carcio and Marc Carcio, 13 Bray Road, $285,000.
Zoar Outdoor Adventure Resort LLC, to Hawks River LLC, 7 & 17 Main St., $1,500,000.
CHESTER
Jason Goldaper, trustee, and Have
over the Trump administration’s trade war.
The yield eased in the weeks since, but climbed above 4.5% earlier this week after the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day truce in their trade dispute. That raised expectations that the Federal Reserve won’t have to cut interest rates as deeply as expected this year in order to shield the economy from the damage of tariffs.
The 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.45% in midday trading Thursday.
Economists expect mortgage rates to remain volatile in coming months, though they generally call for the average rate on a 30-year mortgage to remain above 6.5% this year.
Faith Trust, trustee of, to Jeremiah Ocasio and Litza Marie Luna Ocasio, Goss Hill Road, $65,000.
Nicholas R. Mason and Rory M. Mason to Tara Vrooman Murante and Matthew Murante, 424 Route 20, $440,000.
CHICOPEE
Anita Chmura and Anita M. Mulhern to Jennifer Vincelette, 200 Lambert Terrace, Unit 15, $255,000.
Carolyn F. Whitmore and Brian Paul Lambert to Kristen Marie Eldridge, 458 Broadway St., $440,000.
Gia H. Yang and John H. Yang to David T. Flowers, 2200 Pendleton Ave., Unit 6227A, $222,500.
Joanne E. Welch, representative, and Timothy G. Welch, estate, to Adam E. Lyon and Kathleen Lyon, 120 Old Field Road, $321,000.
Joshua M. Johnson to Christine H. DiBella, trustee, and Christine H. DiBella Trust Agreement, trustee of, 27 Otis St., $450,000.
Kawrin G. Polanco to Logan Lacroix, 162-164 East Main St., $435,000.
Lachenauer LLC, to Armando S. Santana, 1730 Memorial Drive, $220,000.
Lawrence A. Labrie and Louise A. Labrie to Kayla Camacho, 127 Schoolhouse Road, $389,000.
Rose M. Calero and Marvin Orellana to 564 Chicopee Springs LLC, 564-566 Springfield St., $485,000.
Ryan J. Manning to Jeremy J. Dugan and Penny E. Dugan, 15 Leonard St., $425,000.
Ryan P. McEwan to Fabiola Ladoucer, 17 Sunnyside St., $464,000.
Thomas W. Adasiewicz, estate, and Paul Adasiewicz, representative, to Emily Laroche, 20 Glendale St., $234,000.
Vilma Torres to Charles Offenbacher, 585 Sheridan St., Unit 45, $296,000.
Vyacheslav Paliy, trustee, and Atasheny Trust, trustee of, to Yevgeniy Mikhaylichenko, Sergey Mikhaylichenko and Lyudmila Mikhaylichenko, 52 Dillon St., $410,000.
Westover Shops LLC, to WMass Land Acquisitions LLC, 0 James Street, $240,000.
CONWAY
David M. Patterson and Sherri A. Patterson to David M. Patterson, 111 Hoosac Road, $142,113.
CUMMINGTON
Victoria S. Dwight and Victoria Dwight to Victoria Dwight, trustee, and Victoria Dwight Family Trust, 86 West Main St., $100.
DEERFIELD
Donald Brian Bastis, “aka” Brian Bastis, personal representative of the Estate of Deborah Ann Prior, “aka” Deborah A. Prior, to Joan Buddington, 5D Adams Court, Unit 5D, Commons of Deerfield, $320,000.
EAST LONGMEADOW
First Congregational Church of East Longmeadow, to Wafae Laarej, 239 Porter Road, $440,000. Giovanni Montefusco and Rosa Montefusco to Sullivan S. Douglas and Olivia Odell, 22 Donald Ave., $353,000.
Deeds
Joshua Senecal, Joshua A. Senecal and Samantha Senecal to Ryan Wayne Mullins and Sandra Pradhan, 4 Redin Lane, $300,000.
Michael J. Ross to Michaela L. Hughes and Austin Jones, 285 Maple St., $309,500.
Nicole Anderson, Nicole Garabedian and Kevin Garabedian to Madeline Kate Rush, 5 Michel St., $342,500.
Steven P. Edwards and Cindy L. Edwards to Reisner A. Rodriguez Blanco and Daiana O. Rodriguez, 287 Allen St., $350,000.
EASTHAMPTON
Karen L. Martindell to Celaine R. Roos, 12 Kimberly Lane, $467,000.
Thomas Kropiewnicki and Michael Kropiewnicki to Vera Godaire, 3 Broad St., $100.
Lawrence C. Skorupski, trustee, Jean Ann Skorupski, trustee, and Jean Ann Skorupski Declaration of Trust to Jeffrey Cummings, 15 Holly Circle, $676,000.
GOSHEN
Daniel Pikett to Alan R. Kirouac, trustee, Patricia M. Kirouac, trustee, and Alan & Patricia Kirouac Living Trust, Lake Drive, $10,000.
Janet L. Gibson to Janet L. Gibson, trustee, and Janet L. Gibson Revocable Trust, Lake Drive and 37 Pond Hill Road, $100.
GRANBY
Michael W. Livingston and Melissa A. Livingston to James E. Goulet and Melinda Lisbeth Harris, 86 Morgan St., $385,000.
HADLEY
East Street Commons LLC, to Deborah A. Feltovic, 20 East Commons Drive, $438,000. Chamisa Corp., to Gleason Masonic LLC, 31 Campus Plaza Road, $1,426,000.
HAMPDEN
Adesina Adeoluwa Adegoke and Kimberly Walters Adegoke to Mohamed Abdullahi, 72 Stony Hill Road, $460,000.
Bedrock Financial LLC, trustee, and Cumberland Blues Realty Trust, trustee of, to Kala Frye Bourque and Zachary Bourque, 99 Chapin Road, $775,000.
Cheryl Guimond, trustee, and GM Family Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, to Nicholas Turnberg, 12 Woodland Drive, $135,000.
HATFIELD
Jill C. Tucker, personal representative, Jill C. Tucker, Stanley L. Symanski, estate, and 119 Real Estate LLC, to Meaghann O’Neil, 56 Elm St., $290,000.
Carol M. Veronneau, Carol M. Veronneau, personal representative, and Gary P. Burda, estate, to Thaddeus Smiarowski III, North Hatfield Road, $450,000.
HEATH
Heidi Griswold and Kelly Griswold to Daniel J. Brisson, 535 Route 8A, “aka” Jacksonville Stage Road. $420,000.
HOLLAND
Thomas F Kosinski to G. Kady Builders Inc., Vinton Road, $67,000.
HOLYOKE
Aaron E. Maheu and Valentina Kalkey to Lisa Poehler, 16 Westfield Road, $346,000.
Behyar J. Roohi and Sita B. Roohi to Allan Jean-Baptiste, 864-866 Dwight St., $425,000.
James P. Perry, representative, Timothy G. Perry, estate, and Timothy George Perry, estate, to Ryan Perry and Lisa Ann Perry, Maplecrest Circle, Unit 15F, $150,000.
Max Source LLC, to Roberto Camacho, 18 Center St., $137,500.
Michael Yelle and Cynthia Yelle to Ella Sussman and Tyrone O’Banner, 1-9 Martin St., $320,000.
Patrick D. M. Bresnahan, James P. Bresnahan Jr., John A. Bresnahan and Daniel B. Bresnahan to Todd A. McGee, 30 Meadowview Road, $290,000.
Sapataria Coelho LLC, and Halifax Capital LLC, to Elver E. Acosta, 85 Congress Ave., $285,000.
Victor Acosta and Cristina Acosta to Cheryl A. Jacques, trustee, and Cheryl A. Jacques Family Trust, trustee of, 34 Maple Crest Circle, Unit F, $220,000.
HUNTINGTON
Cornerstone Homebuying LLC, to Lauri Domina, 14 Rocky Brook Drive and 14 Rocky Brook Road, $190,000.
Jason Goldaper, trustee, and Have Faith Trust to Jeremiah O’Casio and Litza Marie Luna O’Casio, Goss Hill Road, $65,000.
David P. Baillargeon and Lori A. Baillargeon to James Stoudenmire, 10 East Main St., $180,000.
Daniel S. Fennessey, Johana E. Sze and Johana Sze Fennessey to Johana E. Sze, 14 Kennedy Drive, $70,000.
LONGMEADOW
Naylor Nation Real Estate LLC, to Michael Lee Manning and Jennifer Manning, 77 South Park Ave., $525,000.
LUDLOW
Alison Pariseau to Laura Arbelaez, 57 Waters Edge Drive, $264,900.
Catherine R. Kneszewski, representative, Richard R. Nystrom Sr., estate, and Richard R. Nystrom, estate, to Andrew Carlson and Rebecca Carlson, 183 Ventura St., $290,000.
Jane P. Wagner and Jane Wagner to Margaret Lilliam Bresnahan, 665 Center St., Unit 706, $365,000.
Manuel F. Cheria and Donna M. Cheria to Roland Purcell Joyner Sr., and Celestine Joyner, 12 Rood St., $680,000.
MHI Builders LLC, to Caitlin A. Alves and Braeden Conlan, 24 Balsam Hill Road, $900,000.
Summit Ridge Builders Inc., to Sharon Stagg, 5 Marion Circle, $379,000.
MIDDLEFIELD
David S. Quirk and Roxanne Reed to Emily Reid and Melanie Bello, 159 Skyline Trail, $421,000.
MONSON
Gene R. Smith and Doris E. Smith to Laurent Bernard Michel Olivier, 130 Stebbins Road, $150,000.
Patricia A. Finch to Gregory Gebo and Elisabetta Monteleone, 32 Paradise Lake Road, $330,000.
Sarah L. Piette to Ariel Sandoval, 167 1/2 Palmer Road, $310,000.
MONTAGUE
Justin D. Killeen to Andrew Reed and Courtney Reed, 342 Federal St., $300,000.
NORTHAMPTON
Barbara K. Kirchner and Lisa D. Fiorelli, attorney-in-fact, to Rutherford H. Platt, trustee, and Rutherford H. Platt Family Trust, 78 Hillcrest Drive, $360,000.
Mark Haselkorn, trustee, and Suzanne L. Haselkorn Revocable Trust to Stephen A. Shulman and Miriam A. Markowitz, 156 Emerson Way, $1,455.000.
Melinda Mason and Melinda M. Smith to Matthew James Denny and Kelsey Shoub, 17 Kensington Ave., $1,395,000.
Chamisa Corp., to Gleason Masonic LLC, 21-31 Main St., $3,174,000.
Ellen L. Koteen and Diane N. Palladino to Kristoffer W. Williams and Jocelyn M. Breton, 469 Sylvester Road, $842,000.
Bridget A. Diggins to Kristen Ironside and Jeffrey Bratz, 93 Overlook Drive, $375,000.
Geovana Barbosa Baia and Sergio Almeida Reis to Arlindo M. DeAguiar, 20 Summit St., $50,000.
Brandi Lynn King and Jamey H. King to Benjamin W. Minty, 87 East Road, $470,000.
Reginald C. Haughton Jr., to Erin Rose Gaffney and Colby Lloyd Mason, 15 McCarthy Lane, $305,000.
Reenson Realty LLC, to Sara Billings and Moses McNamara, 67 Fountain St., $380,000.
PALMER
Hussein Syed Akbar to Mohammad Abidallah, 100 Breckenridge St., $270,000.
Pah Properties LLC, to Robert T. Sjodahl, 3016 Foster S.t, $535,000.
So Mei Chau and Yuen Kwong Chau to Mary Frances Thompson and John G. Cohan, 14
Lauren Drive, $450,000.
PELHAM
Kenneth L. Gay and Carol A. Gay to Rebecca Cary, 64 Daniel Shays Highway, $359,000.
PLAINFIELD
Ursula Burnham to Michelle Burnham, Nicholas Burnham and Christina Strickler, 234 West St., $100.
RUSSELL
Stephen E. Rettie, estate, Brett Singer, representative, and Kathleen Singer, representative, to Brooks A. Benford Jr., and Vicki L. Benford, 184 Main St., $125,000.
SHELBURNE
Lindsey Adamski, “aka” Lindsey M. Adamski, and Chelsey Page to Andrew Zadroga, 97 Lucy Fiske Road, $325,000.
SOUTH HADLEY
Timothy M. Fuller and Kayla A. Camacho to Mary Beth Agostino-Evans and Christina L. Agostino-Evans, 2 Rita Circle, $400,000.
Catherine West, personal representative, Patricia Ann Jasmin, estate, and Patricia A. Jasmin, estate, to Brenda Parella and David Parella, 49 Pearl St., $425,000.
Gabriel A. Pula, personal representative, Jessica E. Giroux, personal representative, and Linda K. Pula, estate, to Samantha J. Warwick, trustee, E. Murph J. McKeon, trustee, James W. McKeon Irrevocable Trust and Suzanne M. McKeon Irrevocable Trust, 106 Stonybrook Way, $529,900.
Kevin J. McMahon to Andew S. Levin, 150 Stonybrook Way, $525,000.
Mary L. Zubi, trustee, and Revocable Indenture of Trust of Mary L. Zubi to Fariha Mahmood Quereshy, 90 Shadowbrook, $487,000.
SOUTHAMPTON
Marian Michael Orszulak to Brett Remillard, Whiteloaf Road, $37,500,
D. Louise Fowles to Southampton Town and Southampton Town Conservation, Wolcott Road Off, $185,000.
Michael J. Simonzi and Beatrice J. Simonzi to Margaret E. O’Connor and Susan Elizabeth Cartmell, 40 Cook Road, $630,000.
Gail Tummarello and Gail P. Tummarello to Paul A. Lussier and Cynthia J. Lussier, 22 Pomeroy Meadow Road, $450,000.
SOUTHWICK
Bell Point LLC, to Agilitas Energy Inc., 99 College Highway, $40,000.
Laura Ronghi to Noel J. Winter and Jessica M. Winter, 203 South Loomis St., $465,000.
Mary Hollander to Kathryn Berthiaume, 47 South View Drive, Unit 47, $345,000.
Michael R. Burns and Mary Burns to Alexandru Pascal and Alona Pascal, 42 Granville Road, $315,000.
Deeds
Pete H. Goucher and Ann Marie Goucher to Dominic Bia and Paula Morris, Coe Hill Road, $420,000.
Albania Germosen De Cabrera to Florita Ayala, 46 Kane St., $297,000.
Alfred J Albano (JR COMMR) to Tyeka Robinson, 107-109 Parkside St, $390,000.
Angela C. Dellacroce, Mary C. Perkins-Dobek and Paul M. Dobek to Anthony Serricchio, 114 Nassau Drive, Unit 114, $191,000.
Brenda Colon to Numeri Capital Investments LLC, 3 Norfolk St., $140,000.
Springfield Boston Road BLD LLC, to 484 Boston Road Realty LLC, 472 Boston Road, $1,250,000.
Calvin D. Pixley, estate, and Judith E. Pixley, representative, to Our Legacy LLC, W S Spencer Street, $31,000.
Cheryl A. Olschafskie to Maribel Maldonado and Pedro Victor Aquino, 286 Talmadge St., $330,000.
CIG2 LLC, to Luis A. Negron, 59 Pine Grove St., $365,000.
CIG2 LLC, to Manuela Olivares, 572574 Carew St., $477,000.
Dominic Kirchner II, trustee, and Saklaa Realty Trust, trustee of, to Marie Antoinita Alcindor Pierresaint and Marguerite Theodore, 169 Princeton St., $371,000.
Dwight G. Parkes and Zodi Parkes to Albania Germosen De Cabrera, 13 Greentree Circle, $376,075. Elis Hernandez to Marsha Louise Jackson, 140 Chestnut St., Unit 316, $94,000.
Elizabeth Puente to Our Legacy LLC, 77 Coleman St., $178,000.
Fallah Razzak to Hilario Guerrero, 65 Wilshire Road, $354,900.
Feliciano Bonilla to Alondra Morales, 15 Wellington St., $385,000.
Gama Investments LLC, to Eridania Arias, 393-395 Wilbraham Road, $345,000.
Ian T. Iwinski to Isaiah Ortiz and Ashleymarie Figueroa, 52 Merrimac Ave., $265,000.
Jaime B. Margolis and Trevor S. Maloney to Britaney N. Guzman-Bailey and Caitlin Guzman-Bailey, 53 Eckington St., $360,000.
Joseph M. Kenney and Kelly Kenney to Logan N. Bono and Jacob C. Podmore, 37 Gourley Road, $315,000.
Krista Santiago and Antonio A. Santiago-Mendez to Dominic Santaniello, trustee, Lucas Giusto, trustee,
and Naples Home Buyers Trust, trustee of, 374 Commonwealth Ave., $196,800.
Better Builders Construction LLC, to Allene Harris LLC, 72 Lancaster St., $515,000.
Lenix Omar Vega Reyes to Janet Boehmer, trustee, and George D Armstrong 2010 Revocable Trust, trustee of, 140 Chestnut St., Unit 105, $98,000.
Leonard R. Cossette Jr., trustee, and Cossette Investment Trust, trustee of, to Hien Hguyen and Lan Phan, 65 Patterson Ave., $220,000.
Linda M. Salemi, Donna L. Tranghese, Richard I. Persson, representative, and Richard D. Persson, estate, to VMS Capital LLC, O ES Morton Street, $220,000.
Northern Flooring & Remodeling LLC, to Aklilu Kassaye Hailu, 211-213 Pine St., $496,000.
LMA Realty LLC, to Joseph R. Conway, trustee, and Mack NA Servicing Trust, trustee of, 195 Jasper St., $85,000.
Louise T. McGrath to Vivek Gaur and Geetanjali Pathak, 133 Nassau Drive, $220,000.
Luis Pagan to Ryan Randall Realty LLC, and KMAK LLC, 54 Phillips Ave., $212,000.
Luis Rafael Junior Castillo Ruiz and Joel Gonzalez to Harlem Echavarria Sanchez, 1001-102 Wait St., $444,000.
Martha L. Garcia to Michele Lacy, 26 Mapledell St., $350,000.
Mary A. Cleary to Robert Bigler, 252 Mallowhill Road, $295,000.
Mary F. Uschmann to Brion X. Robert and Georgia Patnode Robert, 181 Sumner Ave., Unit 181, $395,000.
Mer Realty LLC, to Reyna Fernandez De Ortega, 17 Ashley St., $285,000.
Michelle Alvarado, Michelle L. Peloquin and Paul Alvarado Santos to Akofa Modey, 72 Garland St., $302,000.
Nancy M. Kloczko to Meghan Marie Rosso, 157 Gillette Ave., $250,000.
Nancy Vaz, Melissa Nunez, Carmen Buttafuoco and Ryan Vaz to William E. Carmody, 191 Pine Acre Road, $312,000.
Naylor Nation Real Estate LLC, to Kenia A. Rodriguez Gomez, 50-52 Prospect St., $225,000.
Nicholas Turnberg, trustee, Belmont Avenue Realty Trust, trustee of, and Nicholas W. Turnberg, trustee, to Isabella Dos Santos, 833-835 Belmont Ave., $380,000.
Onota Realty LLC, to DiFranco Realty Inc., trustee, and TwoMarks Nominee Realty Trust , trustee of, 583 State St., $330,000.
Oskrmy Properties LLC, to Jessica Kane and Danny Mize, 18 Northway Drive, $300,000.
Rachel E. Zamora, trustee, and
Sharla D. Zamora Revocable Living Trust, trustee of, to Jack Ormeche, 8 Braywood Circle, $340,000.
Sha B. Pradhan, Devi Pradhan, Dewen Pradhan and Dhana Pradhan to Bao Nguyen, 104 Signal Hill Circle, $495,000.
Sheila Payen to Dominic Kirchner II, trustee, and Methuselah Realty Trust, trustee of, 50-52 Sycamore St., $272,400.
Leslie J. Rivers Revocable Trust, trustee of, and Leslie J. Rivers, trustee, to Hector L. Vazquez Mejia and Floridalma Mejia Ramos, 885-887 Belmont Ave., $460,000.
Value Properties LLC, to Nordia Brown, 63 State Street Terrace, $236,000.
WALES
Cheryl B. Murray, executor, and Clarence D. Brown, estate, to Allan Schwartz and Katherine Schwartz, 33r Monson Road, $65,000.
WARE
Dominic Santaniello, trustee, Lucas Giusto, trustee, and Naples Home Buyers Trust to Meghan Graelin Cresswell and Julian Ludlow Lambertson, 7 Dale St., $195,000.
Barbara Kimball to Jordan L. Kelly and Brad A. Bailey, 76 Beaver Lake Road, $357,000.
Samuel B. Healy, trustee, and Louis H. Healy Jr Trust to Bruce D. Meekin and Diana L. Meekin, Beaver Road, $32,500.
Robert S. Shurtleff and Theresa R. Shurtleff to Harold James Dupuis IV, and Jessica Elizabeth Rogers, 115 West St., $207,000.
Ross C. Pelski to Ware Town and Ware Town Conservation, Upper Church Street, $337,500.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Craig Carrier, trustee, and Catherine S. Carrier Trust, trustee of, to Alexander Korniyenko, 95 Park Ave., Unit 6, $128,000.
Robert L. Tassinari Revocable Indenture of Trust of, trustee of, Louisa F. Tassinari, trustee, Karen J. Tassinari, trustee, Brian J. Tassinari, trustee, and Louisa F. Tassinari Revocable Indenture of Trust of, trustee of, to Shawn Coulombe, 291 Park St., $335,000.
Linda S. Elgin and Ethan Elgin to Roger Claude Ayotte and Laura Gomes Ayotte, 1038 Morgan Road, $395,000.
Lori A. Nelson, Mathew F. Nelson and Megan Eischen to Lori A. Nelson, 71 Forris St., $144,000.
Philip A. Wendler, trustee, and Dorothy B. Wendler Trust, trustee of, to Karen Wendler, 55 Westwood Drive, $116,666.
Sharbel Joseph Hannoush, Elsa Maurice Hannoush and Elsa Maurice Noujaim to Brianna Difronzo and Vincent Scaficchia, 134 Christopher Terrace, $555,000.
Sok-Wah Lee to Gufran Almahdawi, 48 Colony Road, #48, $160,000.
William C. Simonet and Ann B. Simonet to Heath Emmet Trudell and Caroline Clare Pier Ce Trudell, 230 High Meadow Drive, $623,725.
William L. Levine to Ayisha Gimala, 14 Kelly Drive, $385,000.
WESTFIELD
Cynthia Ciarcia to Linda S. Elgin and Ethan Elgin, 133 Mullen Ave., $300,000.
Elisabeth Titus to Neil Peloquin, 2 Beveridge Boulevard, $320,000.
Freedom Mortgage Corp., to D & A Investments LLC, 3 Norton St., $307,224.
Giberson Construction Inc., to Xi Chen, 27 St. Paul St., $539,000.
Judith E. Pixley, representative, and Calvin D. Pixley, estate, to Our Legacy LLC, 3 Vernon St., $135,000.
Mary E. Blair and Alan R. Blair to Oleksandr Melnychuk and Khrystyna Melnychuk, 303 Munger Hill Road, $719,900.
Ross Dukette to Fumi Realty Inc., 66 Stony Lane, $277,500.
Yevgeniy Mikhaylichenko and Lyudmila Mikhaylichenko to Kevin A. Shay and Savannah L. Shay, 28 Tannery Road, $515,000.
WILBRAHAM
2022 Boston Road LLC, to Kat Real Estate LLC, 2022 Boston Road, $549,000.
Car Wash Holdings LLC, to 2138 Boston Road RE LLC, 2138 Boston Road, $1,525,000.
Emi Investments LLC, to Yegor Stefantsev, 12 Hillcrest Drive, $450,000.
Pinaki Pal and Joyeeta Biswas to Jenna Marie Perez and Ben Haynes, 5 Circle Drive, $435,000.
Sheldrick L. Streete, trustee, Idella D. Streete, trustee, and 2022 Streete Revocable Family Trust, trustee of, to Michael Mastrangelo and Allison Mastrangelo, 6 Wagon Drive, $880,000.
WILLIAMSBURG
Stephen Denney Smith and Sean Alan Mallari to Elizabeth A. Lowry and Bradley Leslie Landon, 62 Village Hill Road, $340,000.
WORTHINGTON
Victoria S. Dwight and Victoria Dwight to Victoria Dwight, trustee, and Victoria Dwight Family Trust, 401 River Road, $100.
Notes
HAMPDEN Memorial Day plant sale
The Hampden Garden Club will be holding their Memorial Day plant sale on May 26, from 8 a.m. to noon, rain or shine at Academy Hall on Main Street.
HOLYOKE Senior center plant sale
The Holyoke Senior Center at 291 Pine St. will have a plant sale on Saturday, May 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The sale supports the purchase of plants and supplies to beautify the grounds and give fresh herbs to the Senior Center kitchen. Please, come see the plant offerings and buy a raffle ticket for their gardening related prizes.
AGAWAM Garden club plant sale
Agawam Garden Club is planning its annual plant sale for Saturday, May 31. This year’s event will be held at the Historical Thomas Smith House, 251 North West Street, Feeding Hills and will run from 9 a.m. to noon. The sale will include many perennials and shrubs all from members gardens and all a bargain.
Because the plants are all grown locally in members gardens, they are well acclimated to the area. Proceeds from the sale go towards funding the club’s scholarship and providing educational programs for the year. Please check the club’s website for further information at agawamgardenclub.com.
Send items for Garden Notes to pmastriano@repub.com two weeks prior to publication.
PUBLIC AUCTION
Maine Coon mix, 1 female, 1 male $50.00 each. Call 413-777-9659 or text 575-1389
1,000’s of Baseball, Football, Basketball cards from early 1900 to present. All Hall of Famers. Also, selling boxes for $3.60. BUYING ALL SPORTS CARDS, RETIRED VETERAN CALL 413-596-5783 Cash paid, LP records 45’s, CD’s, reel-to-reel tapes. Rock, Jazz, Blues, Classical. Scott 518-424-8228 Britttany Finegan at 358 Oldwharf Rd Dennisport, Ma 02639 is looking for Romone Gordon to get in contact with at cell phone number 475-343-0053
84 SHAMROCK STREETDEPOSIT $10,000
2:00 PM - PALMER, MA 3 GREEN STREETDEPOSIT $10,000
TERMSOFSALES:DEPOSITSINTHEAMOUNTS SPECIFIEDABOVEARETO BEPAIDBYTHEPURCHASER(S)ATTHETIME ANDPLACEOFEACH SALEBYCERTIFIEDOR BANKCHECK.ALLBALANCESDUEARETOBE PAIDWITHIN30DAYSOF EACHINDIVIDUALSALE. OTHERTERMS,IFANY, TOBEANNOUNCEDAT EACH SALE.
CALL OUR AUCTION SCHEDULE LINE AT (617) 964-1282 FOR A LIST OF THE CURRENT DAY’S AUCTIONS AND VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.commonwealth auction.com FOR CONTINUOUSLY UPDATED SCHEDULING INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL SCHEDULING INFORMATION COMMONWEALTH AUCTION ASSOCIATES, INC. (617) 964-0005 MA LIC 2235
MORTGAGEE’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE AT PUBLIC AUCTION
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
11:00 AM - SPRINGFIELD
104 Andrew Street
sgl fam, 1,548 sf liv area, 0.13 ac lot, 7 rm, 4 bdrm, 1 bth, Hampden: Bk 16023, Pg 512 12:00 PM -WARE
182 Monson Turnpike Road
sgl fam, 1,502 sf liv area, 0.33 ac lot, 6 rm, 3 bdrm, 1 bth, Hampshire: Bk 14451, Pg 228 1:00 PM - SPRINGFIELD
19 Colonial Avenue
NORTH CHELMSFORD (978) 251-1150 www.baystateauction.com
Yes, you can kill succulents. Here’s how to avoid that sad fate.
By Monica C ardoza
The Washington Post
IT’S EASY TO LOVE succulents. They’re decorative, compact, inexpensive and readily available. But it’s their reputation for being low-maintenance that makes people want to bring home one or three — or a dozen.
While it’s true that they aren’t demanding plants, succulents, which include cacti, do have very specific needs in terms of soil, water and light. And when those needs aren’t met, the plant suffers. Then, in an effort to correct the problems, owners often just end up making things worse, or even killing the plant.
“People have that nurturing instinct,” says Paul G. Wesolowski, president of the Philadelphia Cactus & Succulent Society. “They want to give it love and attention and water, and they literally kill it with kindness.”
Here, plant experts share tips for helping your succulents thrive.
Start with healthy plants
You can find high-quality succulents at plant shops, independent garden centers and big-box stores. But you have to know what to look for. Choose plants that are evenly colored and uniformly plump, indicators that they have received the correct amounts of water and light. Avoid succulents with wet soil, a sign that they have been overwatered. These plants may eventually develop soft, mushy leaves or root rot, which can lead to their demise. “I’ve bought plants and let them sit for about a week, and they had rotted by the end of that week,” says Cassidy Tuttle, author of “Succulents: Everything You Need to Select, Pair and Care for Succulents.”
Compact succulents that have received inadequate light will get leggy and stretch, known as etiolation.
“The new growth may plump out, but the skinny section will have what’s called a ‘neck,’ and will never plump
out again,” says Wesolowski. Go for plants that are compact with thick, glossy leaves instead. (Succulents generally have leaves in which they store water. Those without leaves store water in their stems.)
Check the plants for disease and infestations, including mealy bugs, which look like a cottony, white substance, and powdery mildew, which initially appears as white circles on leaves and stems. If you have succulents at home, quarantine your new ones for a week or two. “This avoids spreading a pest or disease overlooked in the store,” Wesolowski says.
Choose plants labeled with their botanical name so you can look up their specific care needs online. “The kind of succulent you have will impact the amount of light and water it needs,” says Tuttle, who blogs at Succulents and Sunshine.
Or you can buy from online retailers. One of the largest is Altman Plants. Smaller ones, recommended by Tuttle, include Mountain Crest Gardens and Leaf & Clay. The Philadelphia Cactus & Succulent Society also maintains a list of recommended online sellers.
Before ordering, Wesolowski says, carefully read the plant description, including whether it will arrive in a pot or as an unpotted plug. Also make sure you understand the return policy. “Typically, a reliable nursery will give you a refund,” he says. “If
you don’t think a plant you received online is as described, you can send it back, and depending on the policy, it may be a refund or a credit toward another purchase.”
Choose the right soil
Commercial succulent soil runs the gamut from organic mixes containing peat or shredded coconut, or coir, to gritty mixes with larger particles, including granite, pumice and calcined clay.
“A lot of commercial nurseries use a peat-based potting mix, and when peat dries out, it’s hard to rewet, and the water rolls right off it,” says Wesolowski, who uses a coir-based mix instead. “Coir doesn’t dry out the way peat does, and it’s not endangered the way peat bogs are.”
Tuttle prefers a gritty mix. “A larger particle size allows for more airflow through the soil, so it can dry off faster,” she says. “It also gives succulents more space to put off new roots.”
She makes her own but compares it with Jack’s Gritty Mix. To prevent the mix from escaping through drainage holes, Tuttle uses drywall mesh tape on the inside of the pot.
If the soil you choose contains fertilizer, don’t add more. But if it doesn’t, a half-strength solution of low-nitrogen cactus/succulent fertilizer once a year may be adequate. “If you fertilize, the plants grow faster, and most people don’t have enough light to keep their
Wesolowski says. “The roots need air. Otherwise, they can rot.”
To water from the bottom, Tuttle recommends sitting the pot in water for about 15 minutes, or until the top of the soil feels moist. While it’s sitting, you can pour some water on top “to get things going.” Then remove it from the water and allow the excess to drain. “I call it the ‘soak and dry method,’ getting your soil soaked all the way to the center, then letting it dry out completely before you water again.”
succulent compact,” Tuttle says.
Water by need, not frequency
“When in doubt, give it drought,” Wesolowski says. “Succulents are designed to store water and can go weeks or even months without it. You can kill it in two weeks by watering it every day.”
If you’re unsure whether to water Wesolowski suggests a “pencil test.” Stick a pencil (or a toothpick or the plant’s thin plastic label) into the soil. “If it comes out dirty, it’s water that’s allowing the dirt to adhere to the pencil,” he says. “If it’s relatively clean, the soil is dry, and you can water.”
Pots with drainage holes prevent overwatering and root rot. However, if your container has no drainage hole, approximate how much soil is in it, then add half as much water, Tuttle says. A container with about a cup of soil, for example, can take a half cup of water. Pick it up to feel how heavy it is, and don’t water again until it’s lighter, or use the pencil test.
If you’re watering from the top in a pot with drainage holes, pour the water slowly into the soil in small doses so it saturates the center of the pot before running out the bottom into a saucer. The topsoil should get evenly wet, and the pot should feel heavier. “It can sit in the saucer of water for a day, but you don’t want it to be constantly sitting in a saucer of water,”
Provide adequate light
Most succulents need a lot of light — think at least six hours of bright, indirect light each day — to thrive. To achieve that you have three options: natural light, grow lights or a combination. A south-facing window receiving bright light all day may suffice. But if your plants are near a window and they begin to stretch or lose their bright colors, it’s time to add lighting.
Grow lights come in a variety of models, including lightbulbs, stand-alone fixtures, hanging options and more. For a small terrarium with three plants on her desk in her windowless office, Tuttle outfits an adjustable desk lamp with an LED bulb and places it 6 to 12 inches from the plants. “They’re maintaining their color, and staying compact,” says Tuttle, who sets the light’s timer for 12 hours a day.
Tuttle and Wesolowski both have so many plants that they find it easiest to keep them in shelving units outfitted with long tube grow lights. “The artificial lights they have today are incredible,” Wesolowski says. “The better, more efficient lights tend to be 2- or 4-foot-long tubes or fixtures. They also make smaller lights. But I say, ‘Go all in. Get the 4-foot fixture. Just buy more succulents.’”
Monica Cardoza is a freelance writer in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Here, a collection of succulent plants. Succulents generally have leaves in which they store water. Those without leaves store water in their stems. (ADOBE STOCK IMAGE)
