Archive for the ‘Home Owners’ Category

Liz and I attended the Mass West Home & Better Living Show today at the Mullins Center at UMASS.  It was a great show with lots of energy we will definitely attend this show again.

I had the opportunity to sit in on a talk given by Tom Sullivan of Pollinators Welcome. He talk was titled Edible Landscape Design and discussed how to attract vital pollinators to your yard and introduced the benefits of growing food where you would normally have grass.

I have included a portion of the presentation bellow.

Please contact Tom Sullivan of “Pollinators Welcome” for the complete video and details on creating edible landscapes.

When we’re helping our clients sell or buy their homes.  After the closing is finished and the dust has settled.  Many of our clients let us know that they are thinking of getting a dog.  Well just in the past few weeks this happened with 2 of our clients.  They told us that they are think of buying a dog as a Christmas for the family.   To help our clients we thought it might be helpful to talk with a professional, so we have asked Jim Helems from Dog Pals – Dog Training for his advice

To Buy Or Not To Buy A Dog For Christmas

Are you thinking of bringing home a new dog for Christmas? You may have heard the saying “A Dog Is For Life, Not For Christmas” and in most cases this is true, but not always.  First and most importantly it can not be a rash decision, but must be thought out carefully and done for the right reasons. You will need to do some research. Ask your self these questions:

1. Why are you getting the dog now?
   • Hopefully it is not because the kids are driving you crazy.
   • Maybe you have more free time in the winter. My wife designs landscape projects and she is home more in the winter and we actually plan on new additions to our pet family for the late fall or winter time. This is actually the best time of year for us.
2. Have you though about the costs of raising a dog?
   • On average a dog will cost between $750.00 to $1,500.00 per year per dog. This cost is based on a healthy dog with minimal veterinarian costs.
   • There will be:
     • Food costs
     • Veterinarian costs, flea and tick preventative, heart worm, vaccinations and maybe other medications and spay and neutering costs
     • Town licenses
     • Training crate
     • Microchip
     • Collars, leashes, bowls, and toys
     • Training classes and treats
3. Are you getting a dog because you promised one to your child?
   • If so remember it is ultimately your responsibility to care for the dog.
   • The younger the child the more responsibility you will have.
   • I recommend having the mind set that I am caring for the dog and any help from the youngsters is great and that you should reward your child for helping and not yelling because they are not.
4. Have you thought about the breed of dog you are going to choose?
   • If you live in a city and have a small apartment, a Border Collie or Australian Shepherd would not be a good breed for you.
   • Do you live a very cold environment, here a shorted haired dog will not be happy in the winter and you will need to purchase coats for your dog. These include many smaller dogs, Chihuahuas, Grey Hounds, and Cairn Terriers.
5. Have you thought about the time of year?
   • The holidays can be very stressful for many families with all the chores that go along with the holiday. Shopping, decorating, visiting family (near or far), large meals to prepare just to name a few. Having to care for a new family member can put you over the edge.
   • If it snowing outside and 5 degrees are you going to be willing to bring a new puppy outside every thirty minutes for a potty break.
   • Maybe you will not be able to put up a Christmas tree or other ornaments which could be dangerous for a new puppy or dog.
6. Where are you going to get your new family member?
   • There are many good places to get a new dog and each will have it’s pros and cons. Some of the most popular ways are through:
     • Local shelters
     • Newspaper advertisements
     • Rescue organizations
     • Local breeders
     • Pet stores
7. Have you thought about the dog and his or her feelings?
   • Believe or not dogs can get very stressed during the holidays as well. Dogs are creatures of habit. Even older family dogs may not enjoy the yearly change, the busy life style, the fact you are probably spending less time with them.
   • Now think about a rescue dog that may have been neglected and sent to a shelter only to be brought into a home that really can not properly take care of him.
   • This is not a good way for your new life partner to enter your home. It is not fair for you or them.

If all you get out of this article is to think before you buy, to second guess yourself then I have done my job. I am not saying you should not bring a new pet into your home during the holidays, but you do have to really think about your decision and make sure the timing is right.

What could be worse than bringing home a shelter dog, just to return him with all the other unwanted gifts.  Dogs do have feelings and due feel abandoned and only creates an unhealthy dog that will probably be put to sleep (killed) because of us humans.  So please think about whether or not to buy a dog for Christmas and make sure you are comfortable with all the responsibilities that go along with owning and caring for a living creature.

A dog is the only thing on earth that will love you more than it loves itself.

Jim Helems, CDTI

Morgan Stanley knew early on that New Century's practices were unsound, Martha Coakley said.

A victory was won today for home owners across the Commonwealth.  Attorney General Martha Coakley office discovered that Morgan Stanley was funding New Country Financial Corp.   Allowing New Country Financial Corp to write subprime loans in 2005 through 2007.   Coakley said, “Morgan Stanley knew that New Century was making predatory loans, but continued to provide the lender billions of mortgage dollars by buying the loans to turn them into securities.” The $102 million settlement from Wall Street’s Morgan Stanley & Co.,is going to  help more than 1,000 Massachusetts homeowners who are in foreclosure or saddled with unwieldy subprime mortgages through New Country Financial Corp.

The past few weeks our First Time Buyer clients have been keeping us  busy.  Everyone has been trying to beat the deadline for the tax credit.  Well grate news the new bill was voted on this week.  The Senate and the House of Representatives have passed the bill.  The bill was then sent over to the office of President Obama.  He singed the bill this afternoon.  There are a few changes that I would like to make clear.

Changes to the First Time Home Buyer Credit