Archive for the 'Team Insights' Category

Stowe, VT offers year round activities, one of the major draws in this area aside from Stowe Mt. Resort and The Trapp Family Lodge, is the the rec path.

The rec path is 11 miles long and runs from the center of Stowe Village up towards Mt. Mansfield, ending near Topnotch Resort. The path follows the West Branch River and the Mt. Road.

It is great for biking, walking, running in the summer and cross country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. There are plenty of swimming holes located along the path.

The path is fun for all ages and there are places to stop and eat along the way so you can fully experience all Stowe has to offer.  During the summer the Helen Day Art Center hosts Exposed in Stowe, an outdoor art exhibit along the path.

Running next to the paved Rec Path, is the Quiet Path, which is for walking and quiet enjoyment of the natural surroundings, it’s also great for walking your dog off the leash.

For more information on the path click here: Stowe Rec Path

Here’s another installment in my series: “Sunsets Throughout the Seasons in Stowe, VT.”

This was taken from my backyard on May 5, 2012 of the sun setting over Mt. Mansfield and Stowe Mt. Resort.

When we sit down with clients to discuss selling their homes one of the main features we review is the shape of the house.  Not just the overall condition and impression it will make on the market, but how it will be received by the market.  What we have found is there are very few home owners that don’t need to declutter on some level.  By decluttering your home you make it show and feel larger and move inviting to potential customers.

Think about how much stuff we collect over the years, how much of it just ends up taking up space in a closet or the basement.  What type of impression does that leave?  Many people may think that since you can’t keep an organized home it’s a sign of other underlining problems like you haven’t kept the house in shape.  Even if you just clean up your closets so they give the appearance of having more space that’s a start.

Recently the New York Times ran a great article dealing with decluttering your home to help it sell faster.  Please click here to read that article: Declutter That House to Sell It Faster – Market Ready – NYTimes.com.

Here’s the latest article from Smith Macdonald Group’s McKee Macdonald featured in this week’s Stowe Reporter:

Spring Cleaning for Sellers

Winter is over, albeit a short one by Vermont standards, but it’s time to refocus and use “mud-season” to your advantage.  If your home has been on the market for a while, or just coming on the market spring cleaning takes on a whole new meaning.  Buyers expect to see a property that reflects the season.  This reflection has to take place on-line as well as at the actual property.

First understand where your home is being viewed and how it reaches buyers.  Knowing how and where buyers shop allows you to meet their expectations.

• 89% of all buyers start their search on-line
• 88% go through a realtor, who use an on-line format to present your home to potential purchasers
• Buyers expect an on-line shopping experience that is similar to other on-line shopping experiences for items like clothing, cars, etc.

Since the first showing of your home happens in an on-line environment, this is one area you should focus some of your spring cleaning.  In order to meet buyer’s expectations, you should be presenting them with a complete and full listing experience on-line and at the actual home.  Here are a few questions you should be asking yourself:

• Is my home where buyers are searching and can find it on-line
• Am I presenting the property as seasonally relevant
• What do my photos convey
• Do I have video
• Does my spring clean up come across on-line
• Have I addressed winter damage

Be prepared as a seller, by examining damage that might have occurred during the winter, you can be proactive and fix issues or figure them into your new and improved asking price.  This allows for you to account for any damage and shows potential buyers that you’ve done your homework.

In addition to the cosmetic changes, examining your asking price in relation to recent sales cannot be overstated.  Sales from the winter months have established where homes are most likely to trade in the warmer months.  Using this information to your advantage will result in a faster sale at a higher price.

By making sure your listing on-line has gone through a transformation, it will help you to prepare your home for actual showings.  Spring cleaning of any home is paramount to keeping it in top shape, but for homes on the market it can be a matter of selling or not.

Click here to read the article on the Stowe Reporter’s Website.

$100,000 Challenge Announced for Cady Hill Forest

The community is being challenged to raise $100,000 in the month of April, in order to claim a generous $25,000 gift for Cady Hill Forest from the Stafford Family Foundation.

The land trust, which has raised nearly $1.2 million toward the $1.56 million project, is urging the community to pitch in and get the job done.

For everyone who has been thinking about giving to the project, we urge you to donate before April 30^th so we can claim this gift!

Stowe Land Trust works hard to preserve the land in and around Stowe.  This is one of the many reasons Stowe remains pure and natural looking and fantastic.  Their new project will help to conserve the Cady Hill Forest for generations to come.  What the result will be is 320 acres of town forest preserved and put into use with 11 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking, walking the dog, snowshoeing and more.  All of this will be a short walk from the village of Stowe.  This will add to the many properties that the Stowe Land Trust has preserved and put to community use over the years like Wiessner & Kirchner Woods, H. D. Burnham Farm and Mill Trail Property.

In order to get there the Stowe Land Trust needs to raise the final $450,000 by May 30, 2012.  Help Stowe Land Trust reach this goal by donating to help preserve this beautiful land.

Visit the Stowe Land Trust site to learn more about the Cady Hill Forest and all their projects.  Donate and Learn Here.

Summer/Spring skiing has come to Stowe Mountain Resort with temps reaching the high 70′s people are out in their t-shirts and shades.

The mountain is projected to stay open as long as they can, so come and enjoy the skiing before summer is really here.

Finding ways to increase the value in your home in today’s market can be challenging, but looking towards green options might be one way that allows for some monthly carrying costs to be reduced.  Building green isn’t a new idea, but finding ways to maximize your “green” output is still popular.  Homes that can produce enough energy can actually give back to their local utility companies and see a small profit or zero balance on their bills.

Vermonters have been using green energy for longer than most people and it’s something that appeals to their sense of keeping Vermont clean and pollutant free.  To learn ways that people outside of Vermont are capturing and profiting off green energy read below.

Green homes that give back to the grid | Inman News.

Why is the kitchen so important in a house?  For one isn’t it the central hub of your home, where families gather to cook and prepare meals.  Where you meet in the morning for that first cup of coffee.  It’s also where everyone ends up hanging out at the party!

Kitchens can make or break a home in terms of it’s appeal and selling possibility.  A nice kitchen in a home that’s seen some wear and tear can help buyers get past the work that needs to be done elsewhere.  Don’t think that you have to have the highest end kitchen to attract buyers, sometimes if your kitchen is well laid out and updated all you need to do is clean it up to make it more appealing.  Of course if your kitchen is from the 80′s or earlier than you want to consider doing some upgrades, appliances at a bare minimum.

Read more about what is possible with kitchens.

Realty Times – Kitchens Sell a House.

Realtor Magazine takes a look at the year ahead and what sections of the market will be hot and best bets.  They focus on both residential and commercial.  From the residential stand point international investors will play a large portion in the US market given the economic situation outside of the US.  Also distressed inventory in centrally located neighborhoods will continue to draw attention as well as good rental units.  On the commercial end of the market they target, office and retail space as well as warehouse space and multifamily units.

In the Stowe market we will see all of these areas take shape in one form or another.  Stowe offers opportunities in all of these categories, so it becomes attractive to buyers.

The Year Ahead: Real Estate’s Best Bets in 2012 | Realtor Magazine.

Grandview Farm Designed by Cushman Design Group

New England Home Magazine is featuring a Rowayton architect and real estate developer built for themselves.  Locally we have several architect’s that work with local builders to create special homes for themselves and their customers.

Check out Cushman Design Group, who designs some of the areas most spectacular homes.  According to their website, “The Cushman Design Group, Inc. provides integrated architectural design services, specializing in all aspects of high quality residential, commercial, interior, site planning and landscape design. We are committed to design excellence and achieve it with a balance of creativity and technology coupled with attention to our clients´ budgetary and programmatic requirements”

Sam Scofield also brings a unique eye to building in the Stowe area.  Stating on his website, “My strengths lie in tailoring projects to the often conflicting needs and desires of my clients with thoughtful design, as well as consideration for the site, applicable codes and zoning regulations, and acknowledgement of construction practices.  As a result of my extensive building and project management experience, I can integrate architectural and construction perspectives while assuring quality and cost effectiveness for successful and enjoyable projects”

Youkel, named for it’s founder Alain Youkel, does a lot of work in the Stowe area but also in Burlington and Montreal.  “We believes that the built environment has a direct influence on the way we live, work and play. Architecture addresses the social, material and spiritual need of the people based on their culture and the climate of the place. Our practice is based on creation of value, context and function through design excellence. We believe that high quality of design is attained through a clear understanding of the objectives, intensive dialogue, budget and program control, and proficient project management throughout the design process.” according to their website.

For more architects in the Stowe area click here.

Beyond the Pale | New England Home.