Westfield, MA

Being in over your head financially is a huge burden. The stress of knowing that you can't make ends meet can take a toll on your body and mind. Many people are facing mortgage debt that is greater than what their house is currently worth and they think because of this situation they are forced to lose their home, thereby damaging their credit and self esteem.

The message that needs to be brought to these people is that there are OPTIONS. You are not in this situation alone, there are thousands of people facing this decision who are just like you. Because of the encompassing nature of this problem, the lenders are trying to work with the homeowners to find alternatives to foreclosure. I am working with sellers in Westfield, MA and the surrounding areas to help them through this difficult time.

What are the Options For Homeowners Facing Foreclosure?

1. Try to “make nice” with your lender. You can call your lender and ask them to reinstate the loan. You may be allowed to reinstate or make the loan current by paying a lump sum or making scheduled payments to your lender over a given amount of time. Just explain to them you had a few bad months and things are now better and most lenders will try to work something out with you.

2. IF you have equity, refinance. Usually the lender would refinance the existing loan and include as part of the new loan any late payments, and fees that you would need to regain control. It would all be "wrapped" into one mortgage.

3. Assuming you have no equity and have to sell, you can list your home with a Realtor who has been trained how to do short sales. Almost always your best option.

4. You can give the property back to the lender. If there are no other liens on the title, the lender may agree to take the property back. This process of transferring ownership from you to the lender under these circumstances is called a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure, and is sometimes referred to as a "friendly foreclosure" because in essence that what it is. You just walk away. You must discuss this with your lender.

5. You can file bankruptcy. First, you need to seek the advice of a attorney. In no way are we trying to provide legal advice. Only an attorney can give legal advice. The two most common "chapters" of bankruptcy are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.

Bankruptcies are "work out" others are "wipe out". Chapter 7 is the "wipe out" and Chapter 13 is the "work out". Bankruptcy is a federal court action designed to help individuals repay their debts or eliminate their debts depending on their circumstances. Chapter 13 bankruptcies are designed to reorganize debts in an effort to repay all debt. Chapter 7 bankruptcies are geared more towards liquidation of assets. Both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 immediately stop the foreclosure process and any creditors from taking further action against you.

To read the rest of my E-book, "Should I Short Sale My Home?", please visit my website.

If you are in this situation and need help, please do not hesitate to call. I am experienced in short sales and have a team of professionals in place to get you through this difficult time.

Contact Lesley Lambert, The Real Estate Natural at Park Square Realty, Westfield, MA at 413-575-3611 for a FREE consultation.

It is exciting to announce that Park Square Realty, Westfield, MA is once again the top office! We consistently beat out other "big" offices with up to four times as many agents as we have. How do we do it? Hard work, professionalism, dedication to our client's goals and more hard work!

I am proud to be a part of the success of Park Square Realty and pleased to share these statistics with you.

Need to buy or sell real estate in the Westfield, MA area? Be sure to contact:

Lesley Lambert, The Real Estate Natural at Park Square Realty. 413-575-3611 therealestatenatural@yahoo.com

Park Square Westfield Office was #1 for sales volume and transactions in the Westfield Area.

Park Square Feeding Hills Office was #1 for sales volume and transactions in the Agawam & Feeding Hills Area.

Park Square Realty (Company) was #1 for sales volume and transactions in the combined Agawam/Feeding Hills and Westfield areas.

And once again, Park Square Realty Company was the #1 Company for listings sold in the combined West Springfield, Agawam/Feeding Hills, Southwick and Westfield Quadrant.

An impressive point: In all of the above categories, the #2, #3 and #4 Companies
all have more offices and agents than Park Square Realty.

At Park Square Realty, our vision has always been "quality over quantity".

Source of Information: MLS-Property Information Network 1/1/08 – 12/31/08

I don't think I am too different than many folks when I state that 2008 was a monumentally tough year. It was hard on me emotionally on both business and personal levels and most of my clients, friends and family members have expressed the same.

Having spent much time picking myself back up after repetitive knock downs, I can find myself losing the energy to get up. It is easy to get wrapped up in one's own personal crisis du jour and to forget that everyone has problems and many of them are far more impacting than your own.

This story is about a person who has a problem more significant than anything I can imagine, but he didn't stay down. He never gives up and in fact, he goes forth and tells everyone that they shouldn't allow themselves that failure either.

I have never met this man, in fact, until I was sent a link to his video by my manager at Park Square Realty, Westfield, MA I had never even heard of him: his name is Nick Vujicic, he is a 25 year old man who was born without limbs. His calling is to travel the world to inspire people to overcome challenges. His website, whether you are of religious mind or not, is more than inspiring.

This video was sent to me by my office manager. I watched it today several times in awe as this young man works to inspire others when it would have been so much easier to give up. He won't give up and he is showing me that I am not willing to, either. I hope you find some inspiration here, as well.

Ok, so you caught me, this post has absolutely nothing to do with real estate (other than it is a realtor who is posting it :p )! However, I was chatting with some tweeps on twitter today and mentioned that I was making risotto for dinner. I had shown houses all day long in the cold Western Massachusetts winter weather and was ready for a hearty and warm meal. A fellow realtor @kathy_jackson asked for the recipe and it got me to thinking that I don't HAVE a recipe.

I told her I would try to write it out for her and so here it goes! Now for those of you who have never had risotto, it is the most lovely of winter side dishes (or main dish sometimes) and is creamy, savory and delicious! You can flavor it a million different ways and once you get the hang of the basic recipe it is a lot of fun to experiment with the flavors.

This traditional Italian rice dish is a terrific clean out the fridge item as you can adapt the ingredients easily once the base is created. My risotto is not traditional (but it is yummy!), for traditional recipes I can recommend www.allrecipes.com.

Base ingredients:

Aborio Rice

Brown Rice

Wild Rice

Chicken broth

Lemon juice

White wine

Onion

My favorite additions:

Roasted garlic

Goat or Feta Cheese

#1-Melt a half a stick of butter and a small amount of olive oil in a pot. Add onion and saute until tender. Add 1cup Aborio rice, 1 cup brown rice and 1/2 cup wild rice and saute until rice is browned.

#2- Add 1 cup white wine and 1/3 cup lemon juice (juice is optional). This will cause the pot to smoke up a bit. Allow liquid to absorb.

#3- Add 1 cup pre-warmed broth. Allow to absorb and continue to add until the rice if fluffy and creamy. Can take anywhere from 3-4 cups broth.

#4- Allow risotto to set for 5 minutes.

#5- Add optional ingredients. The combo I made tonight: 1/2 cup feta cheese, chopped black olives, quartered artichoke hearts, roast garlic. Another favorite: roasted garlic (can you tell I love it?), goat cheese and steamed broccoli. I have also made it with sweet potato and parmesan. bacon and sweet onions...the options are endless!

Now go forth and create!

Are you waiting until Spring to sell your house in Westfield, MA or elsewhere?

Let me tell you wy this is a BAD IDEA:

#1 The rates haven't been this good for years and it isn't expected to last for long. The buyers are looking to get into a home before the rates go up. Visit here for more mortgage information from a Western Ma based lender.

#2 The real estate market "IS" busier in the Spring, but that isn't a good thing for sellers. There are a lot more homes for sale, which means more competition for you. This time of year you have a better chance of being the best home available. If you are unsure of the value of your home visit here.

#3 Buyers who are buying in the winter are serious buyers who have a real interest or need to move right away. These buyers are ready to make an offer on the right house today.

#4 Home prices are not expected to go up in the next few months. In fact, the trend for many areas shows that a gradual decline will continue. Waiting may cost you $$ off your bottom line.

#5 Even if home prices elevate in the Spring, if you are making another purchase after this sale, THAT property will have raised in value, thereby removing any profit you gained. To calculate your next purchase visit here.

#6 Your REALTOR needs the business. OK, ok...you say, so what if they do? Well...they have a lot more free time to spend on your marketing right now. Take advantage of their availability and reap the rewards!

If you have a house to sell in the Greater Westfield, MA area be sure to call:

Lesley Lambert, The Real Estate Natural at Park Square Realty