Medford, MA

It is March 27, 2009, the end of the first week of spring. Today is a wonderful warm day and the big question on many minds here in Massachusetts is "Is the cold weather over?" Many signs say yes; the first flowers of spring are in full bloom, the huge piles of snow have melted away and the days are getting longer. Of course, we just suffered through a few nasty cold and windy days that felt more like winter than spring but today reminds us soon we can put away our heavy overcoats and put on some sunscreen. One way or another, summer is coming.

Another question many real estate professionals are pondering is "Has the housing market come around?" Here too are many signs of encouragement. In our areas, inventories have dropped, buyers are again actively looking and more properties are going under agreement. The stock market has followed a pattern similar to the weather, higher some days, dropping back down others. However, overall the trend has been upward. Along with the improvement of the stock market, I can look at the increases in home sales, building permits, mortgage applications and the increase of orders of durable goods as indications that the economy is recovering. Increased activity within my office also offers the hopeful outlook that both buyers and sellers are regaining confidence in the market. While one week does not create a complete recovery, my bet is things will continue to improve.

When was the last time you went to your local library? As a kid, one of my favorite trips was to the library. There were so many books to read, so many adventures to have! My first job in high school I was a page at the Medford Public Library. Then, somehow, my reading habits changed. Instead of going to the library, I was buying books online or downloading them and reading them on my Treo. But thankfully I have rediscovered the wonder of my local library!

The Medford Public Library is part of the Minuteman Library Network which means that you can go online and search through all of the books available at 35 public libraries and 6 college libraries. A few weeks ago a client of mine (thanks Jen!) recommended I read The Not So Big House. I went to the Medford Public Library online and put in a request for the book. In less than a week, I received an email letting me know the book was waiting for me. The Sudbury Public Library had shared the book with me! This is a wonderful book showing that bigger isn’t always better, especially when it comes to creating a home that feels like a sanctuary at the end of the day.

Right now Medford is holding its first Community Read project where people are encouraged to read and talk about a book. The city choose The Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo. I’ve just finished reading the book (I took it out at the library, of course!) and found it fascinating. I knew that there had been a molasses disaster in Boston, but that was about all that I knew. Stephen not only brought the people involved to life, he also did a very good job explaining the political and social issues going on both in the U.S. and Europe and how everything from the slave trade in the 1700’s to World War II contributed to the disaster.

Libraries have been green since the first official lending library was opened in 1598 in the U.K. Books are “recycled” and read by countless people. Go visit your local library so you can read and go green!

As you drive up Route 93 heading north from Boston, you’ll notice something new spinning in the wind - the McGlynn MiddleSchool in Medford, MA has a wind turbine! If you’ve been reading this blog, you already know that I’m a Prius-driving tree hugger (and proud of it) so you can imagine how excited I am about the wind turbine. I’m especially pleased at the choice of locations since it brings alternative energy models directly to students.

Sean O’Connor, a 6th grade teacher at the McGlynn (an all around great guy and client of mine!) was just featured on WBZ while teaching his students about wind power.

The wind turbine will supply about 10% of the school’s energy needs, saving the city of Medford approximately $25,000 a year.

Looking for ways to cut your energy usage and save some money? On March 4th there will be a free seminar at Medford City Hall called Introduction To Home Energy Savings. They'll be going over inexpensive solutions you can do yourself.

Introduction to Home Energy Savings
Wednesday March 4th from 6 - 8 PM
Medford City Hall - Alden Chambers
85 George P. Hassett Dr., Medford, MA 02155

RSVP to PBarry@Medford.org