Lisa Shaw RE/MAX Executive Realty

Today's festivities in Sutton turned out to be a success for all. Local Re/Max Executive agents Erika Creamer and Lisa Shaw, headed by Michelle Granger and Sandi Bouncing brought the Re/Max balloon to Sutton's Chain of Lights celebration yesterday. The agents and their families donated their time and spent the day coordinating the balloon rides to ensure the maximum number of rides were fit in. The donations that were collected went to Lily's Pad and of course Lily and her family were honored with the first ride!

It gave me great pleasure to be part of such a successful event and for such a great cause. For me, Lisa Shaw, being a Realtor isn't just about selling homes, it's about benig part of a community like Sutton and helping and enjoying the people in the towns you work with. The day turned out beautiful with the sun shining and several fun activities for everyone. Whittier Farm hosted the location of the balloon but that wasn't all, the farm provided food, a petting zoo, sleigh rides a giant sand box and plenty of tractors for the kids to play with. The farm is a perfect place to celebrate the holiday season with family and fiends, the community of Sutton is fortunate to have such great opportunities from Whittier Farm and many other local businesses.

Sutton is a small town community and a great place to live. Anyone looking to relocate to Blackstone Valley should seriously consider looking in Sutton. Just last week my husband, 18 month old son and myself stopped at another local farm to purchase a Christmas tree and wreath, the Lavoie Family Farm welcomed us with open arms, their open house type atmosphere and custom built outdoor living room with open hearth fire provided delicious treats and fun for us all. There were neighbors and other locals stopping in to celebrate and purchase trees and several of the local teenagers were there to help with the little ones while their parents shopped for trees of enjoyed a bowl of homemade stew. What a great way to spend the Saturday after Thanksgiving! All in all the town is the home of several farms and other great business's and families who all know the meaning of a strong community and strive daily to help one another and enjoy life.

Subject to short sale or third party approval...You've seen the words but do you really know what you are getting involved with when you're searching the web and see an ad that says subject to short sale approval. This might be something you don't want to miss. When i first started doing short sales for sellers about 8 years ago, I was surprised that this option even existed for homeowners. Now, short sales are dominating the market and offering very good value to buyers if they have the patience to wait.

Short sales are unlike regular real estate home sales for several reasons, the most frustrating one being that there is a third party involved, the sellers bank. As if it wasn't difficult enough to get a buyer and seller to agree on a price that suits them both, with a short sale you need the sellers bank to agree to that price as well. The good news is, most banks are very reasonable about the price and that's a great incentive for the buyer to be willing to wait the extra time they take. More good news too, the average short sale back 8 years ago when I started doing them was taking well over a year to complete, now most short sales that I'm doing are only averaging 3-4 months from start to finish. that's not much longer than a conventional sale these days!

What does all this mean to you as a buyer or a seller, do your research and hire someone who is fluent in short sales, say for instance...me! Don't be fooled by the signs and ads you see for free short sale negotiation, hire someone with a proven track record like myself who understands the process and works with a team of lawyers, town officials and banks to provide unsurpassed service. if you're even thinking about doing a short sale, contact me and we can go over the details and I can answer your questions. It's really a good option for a lot of sellers and helps them get back on track.

Hi my name is Lisa Shaw a lot of you already know me but I wanted to formally introduce myself and let you know you would be seeing a lot more of me. I am a Realtor and focus on helping people buy and sell properties in Central Massachusetts. Customer service and educating consumers in the real estate market and trends is an important part of my business and it should be an important part of your criteria if you are looking for an agent. As a client you should always feel comfortable with your agent and believe that your Realtor is always working in your best interest.

I'm from Millbury, MA and really enjoy what Blackstone Valley has to offer as a life style. I worked in new construction for many years and have a General Contractors license as well. Building and renovating homes is one of my hobbies. I have rehabbed and built homes for the last 20 years and this has given me specialized knowledge in all aspects of the real estate industry as well as a great sense of accomplishment and I love seeing the end result. Check out www.shawsells if your'e thinking of buying or selling in the area or even if you just like to browse.