We want to wish you all a happy and healthy Holiday Season!  This has been a November and December to remember…. we have taken 5  new deposits and are preparing for the New Jefferson Model to be furnished.   We hope that everyone has a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year- we look forward to seeing you in 2010!

Homeowners  who sell their house before June 30, 2010  can benefit from both of the new government tax credits. On November 6th an extension and expansion of the first- time homebuyer credit was signed.  The maximum $8000 credit will be in effect through June.  Homebuyer’s must sign a contract before April 30 and close by June 30.  The income limits were also raised.  Single buyers can now earn up to $125,000 and married couples can earn up to $225,000. You may not have a “first time buyer” home, but you can take advantage of the  “move-up buyer”  market.

The bill also added a tax credit opportunity for existing homeowners who buy a new home.  They will now be granted a maximum $6,500 credit toward their next principle home purchase, if you have lived in the current home for at least five out of the past eight years. You can use this tax credit to buy a condominium at a community like Adams Farm.  This is great news and should make for an early and busy Spring market.

Not being economy experts, we can only gauge this news by what we observe in our local market and the amount of people that visit Adams Farm.  We’re very excited by what we’re seeing. People are once again putting their homes on the market and many are taking the leap and buying. We have sold two homes in the last month.  It’s incredibly refreshing to see the activity. It almost feels like things are back to normal, or at least, very close to it.

There has been a lot of buzz in the Shrewsbury area about Brendon Homes’ two newest communities – Hickory Hills and Farmview, both in Shrewsbury. If a single family home is what you’re looking for, these communities are a must see. With ten homes already under agreement and under construction, you can really get a sense of how the neighborhoods will look when they are finished – beautiful as always!  And don’t forget – “The Shops at 9 and 20″ is moving forward – Brendon Homes will have some exciting announcements soon about the great stores and restaurants that will be minutes from all of Brendon Homes Shrewsbury communities.

If your idea of a perfect day is on a sailboat, motor boat or jet ski, Shrewsbury’s picturesque Lake Quinsigamond is the place to be on a warm summer day. The 4 mile long lake is a local favorite for personal boating and fishing as well as competative rowing. The 2,000 meter rowing course is internationally recognized and hosts events such as the New England Rowing Championships and the ECAC National Invitational Championship. In addition there are two state parks, Lake Park and Regatta Point, with beaches and tennis courts. The perfect summer day at the shore is just minutes away!

Whether you prefer active or passive recreation, Shrewsbury has something for everyone.  Dean Park, a 75 acre respite, offers tennis, baseball and softball, a playground and pavillions for picnics or gatherings.  There is a pond where visitors can fish or watch the myriad of ducks and swans. Beautiful walking/jogging trails and bike paths meander through the park. What a treasure!

If you want to live at Adams Farm, now is the time.

Home prices reduced as much as 25% …

We have five fabulous homes at one great price!

All existing inventory homes now priced at $599,000

Washington home styles priced at pre-construction values!

Was $789,900 – NOW ONLY $599,000

Opportunities are limited so now is the time for you to call this Active Adult Community home.

According to Money Magazine, Shrewsbury ranks in the top 100 towns in the United States. “Shrewsbury … scored extremely well in arts and leisure and education.  Shrewsburany scored fairly well in diversity as well.” The article also mentions there are 1500 eateries within a 15 mile radius. Those of us who live or work here already know that Shrewsbury is an outstanding town. Great cuisine as well as the many cultural choices are just the beginning of the hidden treasures that the area has to offer.

Many home sellers today are distressed from the downward trend in the value of their home in the last 3 years. There is another way to look at it.  Depending on how long they have lived in their home, in many instances homeowners have doubled or tripled their initial investment.

The familiar refrain of “I’m not going to give my house away” would not ring true, if it was 2005.  The 2009 market is becoming very busy with first time homebuyers looking to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit and low interest rates, allowing homeowners to move up or scale down.  Waiting for prices to go back up to what they were in 2005 may take many years. This leads us to an important question. Do you really want to wait that long?

Selling at 2009 prices means buying at 2009 prices. If you want, or need to make a change it’s really time to sell.

Many home buyers are waiting to see if the interest rates will go down any more. Many home sellers are waiting for home prices to come back to where they were in 2005. Both may be making a mistake.

Interest rates in the 5% and 6% are still very good (this is coming from a person that bought a house in the 1980’s at 14%!).  While waiting for a better interest rate, buyers may be missing out on some great deals and the rates can go up suddenly.  Didn’t we see a half point rate increase in one week recently?  If you want to make a change, it’s really time to buy.