Taste of Nashoba

Taste of Nashoba

Nashoba Valley is celebrating their 15^th year of “Taste of Nashoba”.  On March 22^nd from 5:30-8PM, visit Lawrence Academy to see what all of the local attractions have to offer!  Restaurants, caterers, bakeries, and breweries will all be showcased at this event.  Year after year the number of attendees grows, along with the participants.  Over 1,000 people attended last year, and even more are signed up to stop by and engage in the fun this year. 

Will there be any new additions this year?  Yes, there are several newcomers including Welcome Wagon, Vitamin 1, Great Road Kitchen Oyster Bar and Grill, and many more.  Along with the first timers, there are dozens of returning vendors.

The Taste is the Chamber's largest and most popular social engagement of the year, so don’t miss out!  Tickets are $25 dollars if you sign up in advance, or $30 at the door.   For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Melissa at Melissa@nvcoc.com or call 978.425.5761

Here is the list of who will be there:

•    110 Grill

•    Aaronap Cellars LLC

•    Annie's Gluten-Free Bakery

•    Bailey's Bar & Grille

•    Bridges By Epoch Westford

•    Bull Run Restaurant

•    Burtons Grill

•    Carlin's Restaurant

•    Carlson Orchards, Inc.

•    Charlotte's Cozy Kitchen

•    Coleman Catering

•    Concord's Colonial Inn

•    Devens Common Center

•    Devens Grill

•    DoubleTree by Hilton

•    Evivva Cucina

•    Gibbet Hill Grill

•    Golden Girl Granola

•    Groton Wellness

•    Holiday Inn Boxborough

•    Jack O'Lantern Wine & Spirits

•    Mariano's Ristorante

•    Nashoba Café @ Nashoba Valley Medical Center

•    Nashoba Park Assisted Living

•    Nashoba Valley Technical High School

•    Red Tail Golf Club

•    Rivercourt Residences

•    Shaker Hills Country Club

•    Shriver Job Corps Center

•    Slavin in the Kitchen

•    Stonehedge Inn

•    Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt

•    Sunset Tiki Bar and Grill

•    The Great American Grill

•    The Red Raven

•    Union Coffee Roasters

•    Wachusett Brewery

•    Westford Regency

New Home Sales Surge By 5.7%!

2016 Predictions - Mortgage Rates & Home Sales Rising with Refinancing Dropping

Over at CoreLogic.com there is a lot of analysis of the housing and mortgage markets, including foreclosure information. Recently CoreLogic released their report 2016 Housing and Mortgage Rates Forecast.

They report that expectations for 2016 show that the Fed will probably raise short term interest rates by one percentage point gradually over the year. This is expected to cause mortgage interest rates to rise by around a half point, to around 4.5% for the 30-year fixed rate mortgage. Those of us who remember rates in the past averaging more in the 6% to 8% range probably aren't too excited about these historically low rates.

However, particularly with first time home buyers, the mortgage interest rate influences the amount of the payments and the value of the home loan for which they can qualify. Even with discouraging mortgage rate increases, a modest increase in the number of home sales over those in 2015 is expected. Refinancing activity is expected to drop however.

An improving labor market is expected to spur household formations in 2016, with 1.25 million new households expected. More households will spur demand for both purchases and rentals, but rentals will get the most pressure. With rental vacancies already at the lowest levels in 20 years, rents should be rising more. This could move some buyers from renting back into the market.

Even with just a modest increase in the number of sales, it's still going to be another consecutive year with more sales than in any year since 2007. Rising demand is going to help prices to continue to rise. The CoreLogic Home Price Index showed a year over year increase of 6% over the past 12 months.

It's been a whole new housing analytical world since the housing and mortgage crash. We still have owners holding on and not listing, and that's keeping inventories low. Depressed inventory is as responsible for rising prices as modestly increasing demand. First time home buyers are still avoiding the market in droves compared to pre-crash historical numbers.

At some point low inventories and rising demand could bring prices to a level that will bring sellers back into the market. Many are still making up for equity lost during the crash, and some are still underwater in their mortgages. When they do start listing in more normal numbers, then we could see some slowing of price increases and maybe more demand.

It's tough predicting the new real estate markets. CoreLogic is one of many companies publishing reports and projections. I'm sure you can find others with different conclusions, and real estate investors have a constant stream of date through which to sift for trends. We are constantly evaluating our markets and seeking opportunities. I don't see anything really negative about rental investing over the next few years, so have fun!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dean-graziosi/2016-predictions-mortgage_b_8911614.html

How to Prepare Your Home for the Winter

The winter months can be difficult for homeowners as they face increased utility usage and weather conditions that can cause damage to the home.  Kiplinger.com recently posted a slideshow advising of 15 ways to prepare your home for the winter.  Their suggestions include:

·      Tune up your heating system

·      Reverse your ceiling fan

·      Steps to prevent ice dams

·      Check your roof for damaged, loose, or missing shingles

·      Caulk around windows and doors

·      Clean the gutters

·      Divert water

·      Turn off exterior faucets

·      Drain your lawn – irrigation system

·      Mulch leaves when you mow

·      Prepare your mower for winter storage

·      Wait until late winter to prune trees and shrubs

·      Test your sump pumps

·      Clean chimney and vents

To view Kiplinger’s entire slide show: http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/real-estate/T029-S001-12-ways-to-prepare-your-home-for-winter/index.html

Top 10 Reasons Home Buyers Prefer New Homes vs. Used

The following article by Jay McKenzie recently appeared on NewHomesSource.com.  It makes some very good points.  We’d be happy to talk to you about our new homes at The Willows Ayer.  Give us a call any time at 888-569-9946.

Today's new homes offer more benefits than ever before. Here's a quick list of the Top 10 reasons why so many home buyers prefer new homes to used houses:

1) Design Your Dream Home Your Way: Why settle for someone else's choices when you can select your favorite cabinets, countertops, appliances, carpets and flooring? While you're at it, you can choose gorgeous bath and kitchen fixtures, lighting and other options that you love. Your new home will reflect your style, not someone else's taste.

2) Choose a Floor Plan and Room Layout that Meets Your Needs: Want a master bedroom on the first floor? It's yours. With massive his and her's walk-in closets? Done! Want high ceilings and a luxurious, resort-style master bath? Perhaps you'd like a sitting room with a fireplace in your owner's suite or French doors that open to your private patio or the pool? It's easy, when you build your master suite your way.

3) All New, Under Warranty: A used home likely has tired products that may soon need replacing. Your new home — and the products that comprise it — are brand-new and under warranty. What's the cost to replace a roof, appliances, countertops or a water heater on a used home? Those components of your new home feature the latest designs and building materials and should offer you years of comfort and enjoyment before needing replacement.

4) Energy and Cost Savings: Today's new homes are far more energy efficient than homes built just five years ago. Versus homes built ten or 20 years ago, it's game over, advantage new.Why settle for drafty, energy-wasting single-pane windows in a used home? Many new homes offer double or even triple-pane windows. Special window coatings and inert gases between the layers of glass are often available, saving you even more energy and money in both heating and cooling season.

5) Comfort and Indoor Air Quality: Today's new homes meet stringent energy standards and codes not in place in the past. They combine high-performance energy efficiency with state-of-the-art ventilation and air filtration. The result is year-round, draft-free comfort and higher indoor air quality.

6) Low Maintenance: New cars today are computer-designed and computer-equipped. That's why they perform much more reliably than a car that's 15 or 20 years old. Homes are the same. Today's new homes have open floor plans and high ceilings that reflect the way we live today. They're also made of cutting-edge building products that require less care and maintenance. Another plus? The latest building systems and components are designed and engineered to work together.

7) Community Amenities: Many new homes are built in lavish master-planned communities with resort-style community centers, pools and clubhouses. Many new home communities also feature hiking trails, protected open lands and some of the best new schools and shopping near (or even within) your new home community.

8) Advanced Technology and Design: It's possible to replace all of the single-pane windows in a resale home with today's high-performance windows. It's also possible to add insulation to a used home. However, it's very expensive to replace dated appliances, cabinets and countertops in a used home — and you still won't have the high ceilings you dream of on the first floor of an older two-story home. All are reasons to build your new home your way, to reflect the way you live today.

9) Safety: State-of-the-art circuit breakers. Electric garage door openers with infrared beams that stop if a tricycle or child is too near. High-efficiency furnaces and air conditioners that use the latest environmentally-friendly coolants. Cabinets, carpets and paints that use fewer volatile organic compounds, so that you and your family can breathe easier.

10) That New Home Feel: A used home was someone else's dream, not yours. It reflects their choices and family memories. You may learn to love avocado-green appliances (and you may be willing to scrub stained countertops or grease-encrusted ovens and cooktops) but more and more people prefer that never lived-in feel.

After all, when was the last time you went to a department store and selected used clothes? Or visited a car dealer and paid more for a used car than a new car?

New homes offer the latest designs, style, comfort and quality. They provide a care-free lifestyle so that you can enjoy your home, not work on it. Start shopping now on NewHomeSource.com, the world's largest and most complete new home website. You'll be glad you did.

http://www.newhomesource.com/resourcecenter/articles/top-10-reasons