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Acton MA School System

04-11-11
Betsy Purcell

Acton Boxborough Regional High School

Families looking to purchase Acton, MA real estate may want to know what the school district is like in Acton. The simple answer is excellent. The school system consists of five elementary schools, the Conant School, the Douglas School, the Gates School, the McCarthy-Towne School, and the Merriam School. There is also a Public Preschool that is available for three and four year olds.

There is one junior high school for grades 7 and 8, the Raymond J. Grey Junior High School, and the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School for grades 9 through 12. Acton, MA homes buyers may be surprised to learn that Acton has a rather unique system for placing students in schools. Rather than sorted by neighborhoods, the district has an “Open Enrollment”, where students are placed into a lottery and given placement by ranking the schools in order of preference. If a family with elementary age kids buys in Acton, JUST UNTIL TUES APRIL 26, they can get into the schools lottery (held 4/27) to have a choice of all 5 schools. This option for Acton newcomers to have an equal chance with Acton residents for school choice happens once a year! Then the school wait lists start……

The school district excels academically and in extra curricular activities such as baseball and basketball. In fact the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School earned a Blue Ribbon award from the US Department of Education in 2009. Both the junior high and senior high schools received renovation and expansion from 2000-2005. Buyers with young families can be rest assured that purchasing Acton, MA real estate is indeed a very wise investment when it comes to educating their kids.

If you’re interested in exploring properties in Acton or elsewhere in MA, contact your local expert Betsy Purcell at (978) 758-7414 to get started today!



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Acton MA Real Estate: Reasons to Sell NOW!

02-15-11
Betsy Purcell

Selling Your House? 5 Reasons To Do It NOW!

by The KCM Crew on February 15, 2011 · 5 comments

in For Sellers,Pricing

The conventional wisdom when selling a home has always been to wait until the ‘Spring Buying Season’. Over the years, that has seemed to make sense and is now accepted as a good strategy for those who want to sell their house and receive the best possible price. This real estate market has shattered many previously held beliefs. The wisdom of waiting for a spring market is another belief that is about to fall. Here are five reasons why?

1.) Interest Rates Are On the Rise

Interest rates have spiked up rather dramatically over the last ninety days and are now over 5%. Initially, an increase in rates has a positive effect on the market as it forces buyers off the fence. However, it also eats into a buyer’s purchasing power. As rates increase, the mortgage amount a buyer qualifies for decreases. This will eventually have a negative impact on prices.

2.) Your Dream Home Will Never Be Cheaper

If your family goal is to sell your current house and take advantage of the fabulous selection of properties currently available to buy the home of your dreams, DO IT NOW! Prices will continue to soften in most markets. However, if you are buying, COST should be more important than PRICE. Cost can be dramatically impacted by rising mortgage interest rates. Do the math and decide if now is the time.

3.) Buyers Are Out Early

There is mounting evidence that buyers are coming out earlier this year. A belief that now is a good time to buy coupled with the increase in interest rates has started the buying season early.

Pete Flint, CEO of Trulia:

“We’re seeing a national resurgence of buyer and seller activity on Trulia.com. In January alone, we experienced an unprecedented level of site traffic including 11 million unique visitors – which is more than 70 percent year-over-year growth. We’ve are now experiencing 100,000 property views per minute.”

The National Association of Realtors just reported that the number of house sales increased 12.9% over last month.

4.) Inventory Increases Every Spring

Every year there is an increase of inventory which comes to market as we approach the spring. Here is the number of listings available for sale in 2010.

  • February – 3,531,000
  • March – 3,626,000
  • April – 4,029,000

We believe there will be an increase in these numbers in 2011 as there is a pent-up selling demand created by the weak market of the last few years. You won’t have to worry about this increasing competition if you sell now.

5.) We Are in the Eye of the Foreclosure Storm

While banks are trying to rectify their foreclosure procedures, there is a large supply of discounted properties which has been delayed coming to market. This inventory will be released sometime in the next few months. Foreclosures sell on average at a 41% discount. When released they will be competing with your house for the buyers in the marketplace. If you are looking to sell in 2011, you want to sell before this inventory becomes your competition.

CNN Money quoted the leadership Of RealtyTrac on this issue:

“We’ve now seen three straight months with fewer than 300,000 properties receiving foreclosure filings, following 20 straight months where the total exceeded 300,000,” said James Saccacio, CEO of RealtyTrac.

“Unfortunately,” he added, “This is less a sign of a robust housing recovery and more a sign that lenders have become bogged down in reviewing procedures, resubmitting paperwork and formulating legal arguments related to accusations of improper foreclosure processing.”

“We expect a spike in the first quarter,” said Rick Sharga, a RealtyTrac spokesman.

Bottom Line

These are five strong reasons to sell now instead of waiting until later in the year. Sit down with a local real estate professional today and decide the best options for you and your family.

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Market Beginning to take off in Acton MA!

01-29-11
Betsy Purcell

For the 3nd time in as many weeks, I have had to deal with disappointed buyers. In each case we have looked at several properties, all of which have been on the market for between 60 and 180 days. My clients have finally found a property that works for them, and when I contact the listing agent to talk about an offer I'm about to put in, I find out that they already have an accepted offer, or in one case 3 offers came in over 2 days after 120 days of sitting... This isn't an issue of an agent not flagging a property in the MLS; we are suddenly getting many offers for properties in Acton MA! It's a good problem for many reasons, but the buyers seem incredulous, (I must admit, so am i!) and have trouble believing it!

This isn't to say that prices will be increasing, in fact, prices have continued to decline in Acton, but buyers are finally making a decision and going forward with the purchase of a home.

We've been hearing that this will happen, with the threat of increasing interest rates in the future. Maybe buyers are finally listening! It's a great time to buy!

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I want to Buy a Home in Acton MA!

01-12-11
Betsy Purcell

Congratulations! You've finally made the decision. After many months of looking online, comparing towns, comparing homes, comparing school systems, tax rates, commuter access, you have decided that Acton, MA is the town for you. Now what? Attending open houses is a great step to start to get the feel of the community. Begin to understand the nuances of various neighborhoods, and areas within Acton. Do you want to be near the train? Do you want to avoid a busy road? There are so many things to think about. OK. So now you've been to 8 or 10 open houses. Have you contacted a mortgage person to get pre-approved for a loan? If you don't already have one, then it's time to find a Realtor to work on your behalf, to help you through the process of buying a home. A competent local Realtor will not only help you find the home you are wanting, but will help you understand the offer process, the inspection process, find a competent attorney, negotiate the best price and conditions, and all at no cost to you, the buyer.

Some buyers are afraid to make that offer.. What if a lower priced home comes on the market next week? It's time to make the decision. You can't time the market. Buying a home is not only about the money. It's about getting settled. Having a place to really call home. Belonging to the community you want to live in. With the very real possibility of interest rates increasing, buyers have to understand that if interest rates go up 1%, that will decrease their buying power by 10%!!
So, yes, it's time to make Acton (or whatever town you choose) your home! What a feeling of relief when you're all moved in!

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I want to buy a house in Acton MA this year!

01-08-11
Betsy Purcell

I've been wanting to buy a house in Acton for a long time. I'm tired of waiting...

Prices have come down, interest rates have come down. But what if I buy a house and the prices continue to go down? And more likely, what happens if interest rates go up?

For every 1% increase in the interest rate you pay, your buying power decreases by 10%!! In real numbers, if interest rates increase from 4.5% to 5.5%, instead of that $525,000 house you want and can afford to buy, (but are waiting and hoping to get for $495,000) you'll now be able to purchase a home for $472,500.

Average sold home prices in Acton, MA have decreased from a high in 2005 of $633,000 to $571,000 in 2010. That's a 10% decrease over the past 5-6 years. Now I know that's an average, and there are all sorts of factors that go into those numbers, but the fact remains, real estate in Acton is a good investment. The taxes you pay are cheaper than sending your kids to private schools. We are very lucky in our area, because the excellent schools, the proximity to major employment areas, (Boston, Rt 128 corridor, Worcester) and the safe and pleasant community that Acton is, keep buyers interested and homes selling for market value.

It's time to make the decision to buy a house. Get settled. Make it your home! Love your town, get involved. Watch the kids grow up. It's a great place to call home- what are you waiting for? Call me. I'd love to help!

Betsy Purcell, Keller Williams Realty, 978-758-7414 betsypurcell@kw.com

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