2011 year end market report in Vermont

Here is the recent 2011 year end Vermont Real Estate market report so you can look at sales in your area.

Call me with any real estate questions you may have or email me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com

For Report: click here

Find out how your town is doing in the Real Estate Market

Welcome to the Northwest Vermont Market Report created by Coldwell Banker Hickok and Boardman Realty.

Our goal in providing this report is to aid homebuyers and sellers throughout Northwest Vermont with the information they need to make informed decisions.

The report, which looks at sales from May through August, demonstrates the overall stability of Northwest Vermont’s property trends during the summer real estate season.Despite the property crisis that has affected many other U.S. communities, Northwest Vermont boosted the number of sold residential properties by 4.8% from May through August, while average sale prices slipped a modest 1.6%. Pending listings across Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties rose 29%, signifying a steady pipeline of buyers, while new listings increased by 11%. The region also demonstrated a robust sell to list price ratio of 96%. Real estate is a local business, and perhaps no more so than in the vibrant and diverse towns of Northwest Vermont. As you’ll see throughout the report, sale prices can vary dramatically from town to town, and each community— whether Charlotte or Winooski — carries its own characteristics. Feel free to call or email me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com with questions. Click here for report

Open house Sunday October 2nd in Burlington

Join me this Sunday October 2nd in downtown Burlington 1-3pm to view this beautiful home across from Battery Park. This home features original woodwork, stained glass, lake and park views, 3 plus bedrooms, 1 car garage with lots of parking as well as RH zoning with the potential to add apartments! This property is currently listed by my colleague, Steve Lipkin at Coldwell Banker Hickok and Boardman Realty.
For more info click here or email me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com

This home makes sense!

This 3 bedroom home offers you a beautiful backyard and three season porch in Jericho for $241k! Enjoy fully finished basement with fireplace! Hardwood floors throughout home and updated kitchen and bathroom. Call today for a showing or email me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com Who do you know who is thinking of buying or selling?

Property of the month

LOOK at this view every day!!! Perfect home for those who want to get away from it all and enjoy a home that feels like it is in the trees! 459 Pleasant Valley Road, Underhill. Home is offered through Coldwell Banker Hickok and Boardman Realty for $238k. Contact listing agent, Monique Bedard mbedard@hickokandboardman.com for easy showing and click here for more information.

New Listing 185 Park Street Burlington

Live Downtown and have no cosmetic/interior work to do at this affordable price!
Enjoy 4 bedrooms, updated kitchen, updated bath, gleaming hardwood floors, recessed lighting, new windows, enclosed porch, large basement, garage, and more! This home has a lot of style and charm and is waiting for you to move in and feel immediately at home. This listing is being offered through Coldwell Banker Hickok and Boardman Realty at $279,000 Contact me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com for a showing. Click here for more info

Property of the month

Is it time for you to own your own place? Is it time for you to have an investment? Look no further! 26 Bright Street in Burlington offers you an updated condo-conversion with basement storage, off-street parking, recently painted exterior, washer/dryer within unit, updated interior, and more! This condo-conversion is being offered at $136k with low condo association dues. Call now or contact me at mbedard@hickokandboardman realty for easy showing.

Find out how your Chinese sign will do in the year of the Rabbit

Starting on February 3, 2011 we entered the year of the rabbit which is promising a more peaceful year (as opposed to the year of the tiger that we just endured). I mean look at that cute little bunny!! How could anything go wrong? This is a time to settle your nerves and catch your breath! However, it is also a time for negotiations and those who try to force issues will ultimately fail. Read here

But how will your sign do this year? To simply look up your animal sign in the year of the rabbit is not enough. It is best practice if you can calculate your actual Ba Zi Element so you can accurately predict your year. I have located one site that really does this well. To guide you through this (as the site can be confusing for first time users) follow these directions:

When you enter the site, scroll down to the end of the page where it says, "Find your Chinese Horoscope Sign & Ba Zi Element". Enter your date of birth and gender. If you do not know the time of your birth it is ok (it will still calculate your sign correctly without your time of birth)

When it calculates your sign it will inform you of what type of characteristics your sign is. At this point, it will tell you colors that are favorable for you, it will also inform you of your overall luck for your whole life. After reading this, you can remember your animal sign characteristics and then go BACK to the original page and find your sign and characteristics and how you will do in the year of the rabbit. For example, I am the weak water ox. When I look at the original page to see how the weak water ox will do in the year of the rabbit, it says that this will be my BEST year. I'll let you know!! Good luck!

Wondering if the home you are looking at purchasing is good feng shui for you personally? Contact me to find out!! You can contact me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com

NEW property of the month. Attention investors!

Attention investors: Take a look at this multi-family unit with two 3 bedroom units across from the lake in downtown Burlington. Located at 50-52 North Avenue, each of the units have a great view of the lake. Property is being offered at $249,900. This duplex is currently being listed by my colleague, Steve Lipkin. To schedule a showing, feel free to contact me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com

For more information about this property click here

Powerful Feng Shui message for 2011

I was sent this email/link yesterday and it called out to me as a powerful message to start the year. I often find myself donating lots of household items in January. Like most of us, I see January as a "new beginning" and it makes sense to me that to move forward and allow the "new" to enter, we must let go of the "old" that holds us back. Clutter is stagnant. Clutter weighs us down. Clutter distracts us and makes it difficult for us to focus. So, join me this weekend in clearing out your items that no longer serve any purpose or are attached to negative memories or past longings that you need to let go of. Give it away so that the new energy can flow into your life. Read Suzee Miller's message for more insight Click here

As always, feel free to contact me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com for any real estate need you may have. Who do you know that may have a real estate need this year? I would be happy to work with them!

Picture taken from Frontdoor.com

New "pick of the month" home in Five Sister Neighborhood

This 3 bedroom home is located in the highly sought after Five Sister Neighborhood. Original woodwork and charm awaits you with additional space in the finished attic. This home is currently listed with my colleague, Nina Lynn. For more info click here. For a showing, please contact me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com

USA Today reports steady job market supports Burlington Vermont. Read here for full article.

Feel free to contact me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com if you are interested in looking at a property or selling your current home. I look forward to hearing from you!!

In response to the Doom and Gloom TIME magazine article on housing

Still deciding if home ownership is right for you?

This is a great response to the TIME magazine article on September 11th titled, "A case against home ownership" that reported a doom and gloom outlook on buying/owning a home. (Click on the title to read full article).

The response to this report, titled, "10 Reasons to Buy a Home" provides a different opinion. I am providing links to both so you can decide yourself.

Contact me with comments at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com

Does your living room have good Feng Shui?

Yes, this is me enjoying company in

my living room. A couple of Feng Shui items I would like to point out. Notice how the furniture is round? Feng shui is very careful to avoid sharp edges of furniture. The coffee table and end table (as well as the couch) is round so that energy can flow smoothly throughout the room.

Do you have sharp edges on furniture pointing at you while you are seated? These are considered "poison arrows" and can affect your body as well as your general luck and well being.

Second, notice the birds? These are two love birds which are in the southwest direction of my home to enhance my family's "love life".

Finally, you may be curious about the giant Rhinoceros? This is a very crucial piece in our living room. While calculating my flying star chart of my new home, this particular room has the mountain star "7" in this section of the home which can open this area of the home up to burglary. The Rhinoceros is used to tame this affliction in this section of the home.

Are you fascinated by this ancient Chinese custom yet? Are you curious about the feng shui in your home or are you looking to buy or sell a home and want to know which home is best for you?

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

mbedard@hickokandboardman.com

Open House this Sunday September 12th 1-3

Join me and a lender from Spruce Mortgage at 277 Sunderland Woods in Colchester for an open house this Sunday. This home features a large fenced in back yard which backs up to woods. You won't believe how large this yard is! You can also enjoy the fireplace, finished basement, two car garage, deck, and more! This home is located in a quiet neighborhood not far from I-89 and Winooski making it the perfect location! I look forward to seeing you there. For more information on this property, click here or you can email me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com

Property of the month. Open house on Wednesday!

LIVE DOWNTOWN IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL!
Downtown Burlington condo (103 Maple Street unit #1) with exclusive front porch and two car driveway only 2 blocks from lake and a short walk to Church Street. This unit features wide plank hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, dishwasher, washer/dryer within unit, jetted tub AND flat screen tv included in sale! As an additional bonus, seller is offering 3% back at closing for closing costs with accepted offer!! Enjoy your downtown living and be in the center of it all. Additional storage in basement and low association dues which include your heat! Join us at an open house Wednesday July 14th 4:30-6:00 on your way home from work! Or email me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com click here for more info and pictures

Won't you be my neighbor???

Wow! This home features 2,917 finished sq feet with new wiring, new kitchen, newer heating, central air, and more! Three stories of finished space with five bedrooms and four baths. Located just a few blocks from Church street you can have all your friends over and stroll downtown. Offered at $449,000 with my colleague Brian Boardman at CBHB Realty you can live next to me!! I LOVE this area of Burlington and you will be amazed at the original woodwork and majestic glory of this home. For more information or to schedule a showing contact me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com

Pick a color...feng shui guide to colors

Did you know that each room and area of your home has a particular color preference based on feng shui? I am going to keep it simple for this short blog (no need to get complicated).

First, remember that each direction of your home is influenced by the five elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood.

Next, remember that each element resides in a specific direction. Below is a guide to help you choose the right color for your space.

Fire: Located in the South area of your home (can also be in the southwest and northeast of your home). Fire colors would include: Red, orange, pink, purple, strong yellow

Earth: Located in the Southwest and Northeast of your home (also located in the center of your home) Earth colors include beige, light yellow (earthy/sand colors)

Metal: Located in the West and Northwest (also located in North of your home). Metal colors include Gray and white

Water: Located in North of your home (also in East and Southeast of your home). Water colors include blue and black

Wood: Located in East and Southeast of your home (also located in the South). Wood colors include Green and Brown

Now does this mean that you paint each wall the following colors listed above based on that area of your home? Nope. Remember that the objects you use in a space also affect the feng shui and it is about balance. For example, if you have a lot of natural woodwook, this will contribute to the wood element (therefore painting the space brown would be too much wood element). The key is to find the balance of all five elements within a space. Remember that shapes of furniture also affect the element. For more on this click here. This is a great site (that I borrowed from) to help you learn more about the balance of the five elements.

Happy Painting and decorating!!

Picture taken from http://tinyurl.com/3ywzzgs

NEW pick of the month home in Burlington, VT

Wow! Three bedroom, 1334 sq feet home located at 38 Gove Court in Burlington for $329,900! This listing features granite countertop, eat-in kitchen, stainless steel appliances, gas stove and more! Listed with my colleague, Chris Von Trapp, please contact me now before this one disappears! mbedard@hickokandboardman.com

What if my front door faces the back door or the stairs in feng shui?

So you found the house you love but the front door directly faces a stairway or the back door?

According to feng shui, this could prohibit positive energy from benefiting the first floor of the home. Energy will quickly rush out the back door (example, money luck, good health, relationships, etc. flows in the front door and quickly out the back), or perhaps up the stairs.


There are cures for this which I became interested in this week as the home I just purchased has this affliction. I knew this prior to purchasing the home and intended on finding the appropriate cure for this as opposed to passing up the home I love. Here is what I found to share with you:



~Place a round table in-between the two doors to re-direct the energy (not possible in my situation as it would look silly)



~Work with color to re-direct the energy (this is a powerful tool and my next feng shui article will be devoted to color and finding the right color for each room (Fascinating stuff! I struggled with colors until I utilized feng shui suggestions)



~Use a tall, healthy, strong plant and position it in-between the two doors (this is the cure I chose to use)



For more on these cures click here



What if my front door directly faces the stairs? First, how close together is the front door and stairway? If there is significant space, energy may have the ability to flow to other areas of the home (especially with the right placement of objects and color). The trick is to re-direct the energy so that it doesn't quickly disperse up the stairway. The use of plants, art, and again color will help with this. Caution: NEVER place a mirror directly facing the front door. This will direct the energy immediately out the door as opposed to allowing it to come in the home and nourish the rooms.





Check in next week when I discuss the use of color to benefit each room and maximize your well-being!


Feel free to contact me at mbedard@hickokandboardman.com with any questions you may have or if you are interested in selling or buying your next home