Free Museum Admissions Sept. 26 by the Smithsonian Magazine

Here is a fantastic opportunity for families and museum lovers.  The Smithsonian magazine is offering FREE admission to museums throughout the U.S. on Saturday Sept. 26, 2009.

Via its Museum Day 2009 program, Smithsonian magazine will provide free passes to numerous museums across the United States.  You'll need to download the free museum card that is offered on the Smithsonian magazine web site. 

Here in Worcester County in Massachusetts, some of the museums included in this special day include:

• Ecotarium
• Fruitlands Museum
• Higgins Armory
• Museum of Russian Icons
• New England Quilt Museum
• Tower Hill Botanic Garden
• Worcester Art Museum

A full list of participating museums are on the Smithsonian magazine web site.  This would also be a nice bonus to give a client who is coming in from out of town that weekend.

Your Central MA Real Estate Resource,

Kathryn Acciari

(508) 982-0686

kathrynacciari@remax.net

Outdoor Dance Festival at Mass Motion Dance, Sturbridge, MA

You'll find high energy in the air on Sunday, September 13, 2009, when Mass Motion Dance, of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, holds its first ever Dance Festival.

The festival will run from 12 to 6 PM on the grounds of the Mass Motion Dance Academy at the corner of Route 20/Main Street and Route 148/Brookfield Road.   The studio will offer a sampling of dance classes and performances for all ages, along with a backyard BBQ, face painting, live music, and an indoor dance party for kids.

The highlight of the festival will be performances on a full-sized professional stage donated by the Boston Dance Alliance.  Performances will include:  

• BoSoma Dance Company from Boston.  BoSoma will present works by co-artistic directors Katherine Hooper and Irada Djelassi.  Among the dances to be shown, Hooper will offer her piece, Tapestry, a dance which weaves fluid and sharp movements.  Djelassi will present Boxed and Reverie's Muse,an abstract piece reminiscent of daydreaming. 
• The Lee Lund Dance Company from Milford, Connecticut.  This group is comprised of professional dancers from NYC and Connecticut.  The Lee Lund Dance Company performance will include an exhilrating performance set to Peter Gabriel's "Kiss of Life."
• The Dance Project.  This student company showcases Mass Motion Dance teens from both Sturbridge and Boston.  The Dance Project will debut works by owner/director Terri Gordon, Irada Djelassi and Katherine Hooper. 

Mass Motion faculty will offer demo classes for children and adults all day long in Mass Motion's large main dance studio.  A special dance party for kids is planned in the rear studio.  Spend the day celebrating the art of dance!

The outdoor stage has been donated by the Boston Dance Alliance.  Proceeds from the dance festival will support the BoSoma Dance Company 2010 performance season.  Suggested donations of $5.00 are welcomed at the door to participate in all events.

Don't miss this innovative event, which stands to become a yearly festival in the quaint New England town of Sturbridge,  MA. Please call Mass Motion Dance at (508) 347-2332 for more information.  

Sell Your Home in 10 Weeks:  A Series -  Part 3 of 4

In Part III, we will review the fine points of getting an offer on the table, negotiating the terms of the sale, and finalizing the contract.  Part III represents Weeks 4, 5, and 6.  If you missed my earlier posts, feel free to refer back to Part I and Part II.

Part III, Week 4:  Reviewing the Market

Your home has been on the market for several weeks, you have had numerous showings, and your agent held an open house for you.  However, no buyer has stepped forward with an offer to purchase your home.  What next?

More than likely, your REALTOR will want to review market conditions with you.  In a time when conditions change from week to week, it is wise to re-examine what has happened in your market since your house was listed.

Assuming you have been able to maintain the conditions recommended by your home stager, your REALTOR will most likely recommend that your home be repositioned in the market through a price reduction.  Even a slight reduction can be enough to rekindle the interest of buyers who have been keeping an eye on your home sale progress.

Be aware that you will want to keep your home priced slightly below the market in your area.  When buyers, and other agents, see that you are reducing the price on your home, it will serve as a signal that you are aggressively seeking to sell your home.  This will often draw back those buyers who viewed your home once already and wish to come back for a second visit. 

Quite often, a price reduction is enough to get buyers excited about purchasing your home.  Let's say that two days after repositioning your home in the market, your REALTOR calls to say that a buyer has submitted an offer. 

Part III, Week 5:  Dealing with Offers

Once your REALTOR has an offer in-hand, he or she is obligated to present it to you regardless of the amount and terms being offered.  When you sit down to discuss the offer, you will be tempted to react based on the purchase price offered.  Try to maintain self-control until you discuss all of the terms with your REALTOR.  A strong purchase price is exciting, but you also want to consider:

• Financing of the buyer - do they have a pre-approval from a reputable mortgage lender?
• Deposits - how much risk is the buyer taking?  Did the buyer's agent submit the  money deposit with the offer?  Are they putting down $1000 or $10,000?  This is an indicator of their seriousness and possibly their financial stability.
• Closing date - is their desired closing date in line with your plans?  Are they asking for an unusually long length of time for closing?
• Contingencies - do the buyers have property to sell?  Are they asking you to include items that you wish to exclude?  Are the home inspection time-frames in line with what your REALTOR would expect?

After considering all aspects of the offer, not just the price, discuss with your REALTOR your next move.  Will you accept the offer as it stands?  Will you decline it?  Or will you make a counter-offer?

Since an offer is an indication of interest on the part of the buyer, I'd suggest that you consider making a counter offer.  Your REALTOR will advise you on the options for doing this.  You don't want to make a counter offer that gives too much away at one time.  Neither do you want to make a counter offer that is so small a step that it is a waste of everyone's time to discuss it.

The negotiating stage can be stressful for both buyers and sellers.  Be polite, be grateful for an offer, and try to remain cool if the buyer makes a counter offer as well.  If they really love your house, everything will come together.

Part III, Weeks 6  and 7:  Home Inspection and Purchase Contract

So, you have reached an agreement with the buyer.  What do you do now?

Buyer Home Inspection:  In the state of Massachusetts, the buyer will usually want to have a home inspection before signing the final purchase contract.  The home inspection will take about 3 to 4 hours, depending on the size and condition of your home.  But remember - you also had a home inspector review your home, so the buyer's inspection should go quite smoothly.

Be prepared for one possibility:  If a problem is found on the home inspection, the buyer will most likely want it repaired, or may ask for a credit so that they can fix it themselves.  Sometimes the home inspection ends up being a time for another set of negotiations.  Be prepared, just in case.

Purchase Contract:  During these two weeks, you will need to be in contact with your attorney.  He or she will be responsible for drawing up the purchase contract, more formally known as the Purchase and Sale Agreement (P&S for short).  The P&S is the legal document that describes all the agreed-upon terms of the sale.

Once the home inspections are complete, and all negotiating is complete, your attorney and the buyer's attorney will discuss the P&S.  The buyer will sign it first.  Then, you (the seller) will sign it. 

The buyer is obligated to provide a second deposit at the signing of the P&S.  Your REALTOR will make sure this is all on track and that the buyer has put down this deposit.  Either your REALTOR's firm or your attorney will hold any deposits made by the buyer until the closing, at which time those monies will be credited to the buyer's down payment.

Buyer's Mortgage Commitment:  This is the last important step in this phase of the sale.  After the buyer and you have signed the P&S, the buyer must obtain what is called the Mortgage Commitment.  This is a letter from the buyer's lender stating that the buyer is indeed qualified to obtain a mortgage in order to purchase your house.

The buyer will have to provide the lender with such documents as tax returns, pay stubs, debt records, credit card records, and bank account balances.  The bank will also send out an appraiser to confirm that the purchase price of your home is indeed in line with the amount the bank is willing to lend. 

If all goes well, the bank will issue the buyer's mortgage commitment letter about 7 to 10 days after the signing of the P&S. You can breathe a big sigh of relief once this major milestone is passed. 

Next time, I'll talk about the final steps of selling your home.  Until then, it is time for you to start packing!

Yours in real estate,

 - Kathryn Acciari, REALTOR
RE/MAX Professional Associates
49 Main Street
Sturbridge, MA  01566
(508) 982-0686 cell
kathrynacciari@remax.net  email

Search for Homes
AskMeAboutSturbridge
Kathryn's Blog

By the way, if you know of anyone moving to Central Massachusetts, it would be my pleasure to help them find the perfect home!

Sell Your Home in 10 Weeks:  A Series.  Part 2 of 4

Part II,  Weeks 2-3

In Part 1, we discussed the prep work necessary to get your home ready to go on the market.  If you missed Part 1, you can read it here.

In Part II, we will take a look at putting your home on the market and factors to consider in pricing.  We will also review the aspects of the marketing plan that your REALTOR puts together.  Finally, we will discuss tips for showings and open houses.

  House for Sale!

Week 2:  Your Home Goes on the Market

This is the week for you to choose a REALTOR to manage your home sale.  Your choice should be based on several factors:  their knowledge and experience; their marketing plan; and your comfort with that person. 

Your REALTOR should have a marketing plan that includes a variety of marketing vehicles.  Ask if the marketing plan includes:

• Yard sign - alerts passers-by that your home is for sale
• Postcards to neighbors - so they can tell their friends
• Flyers at local bulletin boards - posted at high-traffic organizations
• Internet - MLS, web sites, email announcements to your REALTOR's database of contacts
• Social media - announcements on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
• Blog - does your REALTOR have a blog?
• Video - for exposure on YouTube and other video sites

This type of high-level marketing plan takes time for your REALTOR to develop and put in place.  It helps your REALTOR attract qualified, motivated buyers for your home.  In order to sell your home in 10 weeks, nothing less than a full-service marketing plan will do.

What about price and commission?  Ah, these two areas are where sellers face difficult decisions.  To sell your home in 10 weeks, you will need to have your home in top condition, listed by a REALTOR with a comprehensive marketing plan, and priced at a competitive market price.

Review the market conditions of your area with your REALTOR.  He or she should share with you such information as the number of homes on the market, the number of homes similar to yours that have sold in the past 3 months, the sales prices of those homes, and the ways in which your house is similar to or different from the homes that have sold.

Based on these numbers, your REALTOR will provide you with a range at which your home should be priced.  Take your REALTOR's advice on the list price of your home.  If you are hesitating, consider these questions:  How many homes have you sold in your lifetime?  How many homes has your REALTOR sold?  Who has more experience in selling homes - you or your REALTOR?  Who knows better the features that are attracting buyers right now? So...who can most objectively pinpoint a price range for your home?  You know the right answer.

Regarding your REALTOR's commmission, in most cases their fee is based on a percentage of the sale price of your home.  Look at your REALTOR's sale record, marketing plan, and level of expertise.  Have a frank discussion with them about the value they bring to your home sale, and how the commission gets distributed if a buyer's agent is involved.  By the time a sale is complete, your REALTOR will often net only 1-2% of the sale price of your home.

A word about discount brokers:  Often, home sellers will hire discount brokers who will list their home on the MLS for a discounted fee but provide no additional service.  This saves the seller money; however, be advised that a discount broker usually attracts discount buyers.  If you followed my Week 1 plan, your home is ready for quality buyers who are looking for a quality home.  Think very carefully before hiring a discount broker.

Photographs and Video:  Your REALTOR will take numerous photographs of the interior and exterior of your home.  If you prepared your home as described in Week 1, this should be a fairly unintrusive photo shoot.  Your REALTOR should use a digital camera and digital video camera to take the best quality shots.

Go through every aspect of your listing agreement with your REALTOR.  This is a legal agreement, and you both have responsibilities.  Once you fully understand what will happen, sign the contract.  Congratulations!  Your home is officially for sale.

Week 3:  Surving the Showings

The first two weeks that your home is on the market will be the busiest time for showings.  In this plan, we aim to get an offer accepted during these two weeks. 

Your REALTOR should install a lockbox on your house in order to make showings more flexible.  A lockbox is simply a tamper-resistant container that holds your keys.  Only your REALTOR, or other approved agents, will be given access to the lockbox.  Having a lockbox means that your home can be shown when you are away from the property.

As showing requests come in, your REALTOR will contact you to confirm the showing times.  Plan to be flexible enough to allow showings mornings, afternoons, and early evenings.  It will be inconvenient, but you want as many buyers to come in as possible, don't you?

Since your home is in tip-top showing condition, you really just need to do a light cleaning and straightening up before any showing.  If you have pets, make arrangements to have them cared for and removed from the property during showings.  This will be inconvenient, but if you want to sell your home it is important to remove distractions.  Keep the buyers focused on your beautiful home.

Your REALTOR may want to hold an open house, and if so, he or she will provide you with tips for preparing for this block of time.  Some ideas may include:

• Bake cookies so the house will smell good
• Set the table with your best dishes and linens
• Place fresh flowers around the house
• Play light music

One thing I advise against is the burning of scented candles.  These can be a turn-off to buyers who have allergies to the perfumes used in such candles. 

Your REALTOR will ask visitors to sign in, and he or she will follow-up with each visitor after the open house.  The aim is to obtain feedback from every person who sees your home so that you have a gauge as to its appeal.

After all of this work, you hopefully have one or more offers on the table by the end of two weeks!  In Part III, I will address the business of negotiating offers and working through some of the legal aspects of your home sale.

Until then, keep the showings going!

Kathryn Acciari, REALTOR
RE/MAX Professional Associates
49 Main Street
Sturbridge,  MA  01566
Cell:  (508) 982-0686
Email:  kathrynacciari@remax.net
Web:  kathrynacciari.remax.com
Blog:  kathrynsells
Community:  AskMeAboutSturbridge.com

Strengthening the Massachusetts Real Estate Market One Property at a Time!

Also see:  Sell Your Home in 10 Weeks, Part I  

Hate Typing?  Try Dial2Do Voice Command Service

I've discovered a free online service that helps you reduce your typing. It is called Dial2Do.  Through the use of voice technology, Dial2Do let's you send and listen to email messages, text messages, reminders to yourself, and even post messages to Twitter using your voice.  If you are tired trying to type from your phone's keypad, Dial2Do may be the app for you.

To set up your account, go to Dial2Do. Create your account using your email address and a password.

Once your account is created, you'll have a series of commands that you use.  For example, to send a text message to someone you dial the Dial2Do number, speak your command ("text") and then speak your message.  Depending on your preferences, you can have a copy of your spoken message texted to your cell phone and/or email.

I plan too use this service to send Twitter messages when I am away from my laptop, and I'll also use it to send text messages.  But there are dozens of other voice commands you can select.  You can use "weather" to listen to a weather report.  There's "business card" when you want to save someone's contact info before you lose their card.  And use "translate" to change your voice message to a text message in a different language!

You can even use Dial2Do to vocally send posts to your blog if you use Blogger or WordPress. Now that is cool!

Lots of great possibilities on Dial2Do. Check it out.

Sell Your Home in 10 Weeks:  A Series.  Part 1 of 4

"What?  Sell my home in 10 weeks?  In this market? That can't be right!"

Well, you did read right, and it can be done.  This series is designed for home sellers who want to sell a home soon and with as little hassle as possible.  With an open mind and the right advice, you can indeed sell your home in 10 weeks - just in time to enjoy the year-end holidays at your next place of residence.

Before we get into the actual steps involved to reach success, let's just consider who this series will benefit.  You should follow this series if:

1.  You want to attract the best possible buyers for your home. 
2.  You honestly, truly want to move.
3.  You are open to any and all advice by professionals in the real estate industry.

With that said, let's get started.

Part I - Week 1:  Preparation

The actions you take in this phase of my plan will have an enormous impact on your success rate.  Skip any step and you place yourself in danger of an elongated marketing time for your home.  In this phase, you are going to get your house, your paperwork, and yourself ready to place your home on the market.

The first step you must take is to build a team of professionals who will guide you and advise you through the marketing and selling of your home.  The team that will cover your back will include a REALTOR, an attorney, a home stager, a home inspector, your current mortgage holder, and an appraiser. 

Interview REALTORs:  The very first person you should meet with is a REALTOR.  In fact, I advise that you meet with three REALTORs and then choose one.  You are going to place your utmost trust in this person, and you have the right to interview several of these real estate professionals. 

A REALTOR should not only prepare a market analysis of your home, but should also be able to tell you exactly how he or she plans to market your home.  Find someone you are comfortable with who also has a variety of marketing techniques, particularly Internet tools.  Your REALTOR should also be willing to serve as the coordinator for your home sale transaction - the hub of information among all of your team members, as well as the buyer's team.

At this stage, you are interviewing REALTORs.  If you find one who you like during this first week, wonderful.  If not, we'll address working with your REALTOR more in-depth in Week 2.

Alert Your Attorney:  A great real estate attorney knows the ins and outs of real estate law.  If your current attorney does not practice real estate, ask him or her (or your REALTOR) to refer you to a lawyer who regularly practices real estate.  A real estate transaction is a legal transaction, and you can not sell a house without legal representation.

Hire a Home Stager:  This is a step that many home sellers skip because they view it as an unnecessary cost.  If you skimp on this, you putting yourself in the hands of fate instead of taking control of your home sale. 

A home stager will come in and give you ideas on how best to present your home to potential buyers.  When you interview stagers, ask if they have different levels of service.  You may be able to go with a basic level where the stager gives you a list of activities.  Or, if your sofa is 20 years old and your rugs are threadbare, you may need a full staging using the home stager's warehouse of furnishings. 

By the time your stager is done, your home may look so nice you may not want to move!  That's when you know your home is ready for the market.

Employ a Home Inspector:  As an agent who has worked with many buyers, I can tell you that the home inspection is often the point that a deal falls apart.  The inspector finds a defect, which alarms the buyer.  The buyer withdraws the offer.  How do you think the seller reacts?

There is a way to reduce the likelihood of your deal falling apart because of inspection issues, and that is to hire your own home inspector.  Consider it sales insurance.  Your inspector will examine your home for defects.  You then make all repairs suggested.  Make your inspection report available to any buyer who tours your house, and they have an extra sense that you truly care about the condition of your home.  It creates a sense of trust and security, plus it can be compared to the buyer's own home inspection report.

Make Contact with Your Current Mortgage Lender:  During this week of preparation, call your mortgage lender.  Inform them that you intend to place your home on the market and ask them to send you a list of all documents that you will need to have at the ready.  Also, confirm with them the amount that remains on your loan.  This way, you avoid unpleasant surprises the day before closing.  You want to have an idea where you stand:  will you make money on the sale of your home, or will you have to pay the lender some monies at closing?  Get your paper work in order this week, before it accidentally gets packed away.

Seek the Services of an Appraiser:  The REALTOR who you choose will give you an estimate of the market value of your home.  An independent appraiser will give you an opinion as to your home's worth.  This is a second opinion of sorts and provides you with extra assurance in the event that the appraisal by the buyer's lender comes in much lower than your own appraisal.  We want apples to apples, not apples to lemons, correct?

Other Activities:  Building your team should take at most two to three days.  What should you do the remaining days of this week?  I am so glad you asked.

The remainder of your time is to be spent packing and cleaning.  Yes, it is elbow grease time.  Pack away any items that are absolutely unnecessary for the next 10 weeks.  Rent a storage unit and remove these items from your home.  What about storing them in the garage?  The buyers will want to picture their car in the garage.  What about storing them in the basement?  The buyers will want to picture their belongings piled up in the basement.  What about storing them in the attic?  The buyers will want...you get the idea.

In terms of cleaning, your REALTOR and home stager should both be able to provide you with a detailed honey-do list of ways to make your home sparkle inside and out.  But if you want to get started on cleaning, send me an email and I will be happy to send you a list.  Just be sure to type "Send House Cleaning List" in the subject line.

Summary

Part I, and Week 1, are all about getting ready to put your home on the market.  Think of it as getting a product ready for sale, because that is exactly what you are doing. As you have probably realized, it costs money to sell a home!  The money spent will come back to you in time savings and hassles avoided.  You're worth it, aren't you?

While you go about these tasks, you will start to feel many emotions:  anxiety, excitement, fatigue, crabbiness, doubt.  Know that this is normal.  You are saying good-bye to a home that holds many of your memories and shows the world who you are.  Try to roll with these emotions and focus on the reasons that you wish to move and your hopes for the future.  Your team will be there to help you and make it as easy for you as possible.

Next time, we'll take a look at the marketing of your home and some ways to survive the showings.  Until then, happy cleaning!

Kathryn Acciari, REALTOR
RE/MAX Professional Associates
49 Main Street
Sturbridge,  MA  01566
Cell:  (508) 982-0686
Email:  kathrynacciari@remax.net
Web:  kathrynacciari.remax.com
Blog:  kathrynsells
Community:  AskMeAboutSturbridge.com

Strengthening the Massachusetts Real Estate Market One Property at a Time!

A Summer's Weekend in Sturbridge - Things To Do Aug. 14-16

The weather is heating up, and it looks to be a beautiful summer weekend in Sturbridge, MA.  If you happen to be in town, here is a list of events that are going on.  If you participate in any, come back to this site and write a comment!

Weekend Events:

Stageloft Repertory Theater  presents
"The Sunshine boys" - A Comedy by Neil Simon
Fri and Sat at 8 PM, Sun at 2 PM
Contact Ed Cornerly (508) 347-9005

Chess Tournament:  39th Continental Chess Open
Sturbridge Host Hotel
Main Street/Route 20
Read more info at:  KindredSpirits Blog

Jaguar Festival of New England - you don't want to miss this!
Sturbridge Host Hotel
http://www.jaguarfestival.com/www.JaguarFestival.com/Welcome.html

Friday Events:

Friday Night Summer Dinner Series
at Old Sturbridge Village 5:30-9:00 PM
al Fresco Dining and Live Music on the Patio
Reservations Suggested: (508) 347-0363 

Live Music - Admiral TJ Brien's
407 Main Street (Route 20), Sturbridge
(508) 347-2838

Saturday Events:

Hayloft Steppers
Square Dancing
http://www.hayloftsteppers.org/Dances.htm

Sunday Events:

Boston Red Sox 2004 and 2007 World Series championship trophies at Old Sturbridge Village on Aug. 15
11 AM - 3 PM

And if you're just looking for a place to eat, Sturbridge has a great variety of restaurants.  Many of them will have live entertainment on this weekend.  Check our list of restaurants for more information.

Kathryn Acciari, REALTOR - (508) 982-0686

Open Houses in Southbridge, MA - Sunday, August 16

Stop in and view two delightful homes in Southbridge, MA, on August 16.  We'll be holding open houses for the following two properties:

1.  From 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM, come to 112 Chapin Street.

This delightful home is an 1884 Victorian that has undergone updating to bring it to today's standards.  You'll love the newly remodeled kitchen with its cathedral ceilings, double oven, and gas fireplace.  The dining and living rooms are spacious, with hardwood floors.  This home has 3 sizable bedrooms, all with hardwood floors.  And look at the detailed woodwork inside and out.  This sweet home has 1836 square feet and recent updates to the furnace, electrical service, plumbing, roof, and insulation.

Enjoy fall evenings on the deck or front porch.  This home is located in a part of town that is convenient to shopping, medical facilities, and restaurants.  Now priced at $205,000.

2.  From 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM, visit us at 150 Clemence Hill Road in Southbridge, MA.  If you have been searching for new construction, this may be an alternative for you.  Built in 2005, this Colonial style home feels brand new.

Located on beautiful Clemence Hill, you will love the views from this two-level home.  The eat-in kitchen features maple cabinetry and stainless steel appliances, plus and island for extra storage and seating.  The doors of the eating area open to the deck, which overlooks the hills.  Breathtaking.

With 1632 square feet, this home includes a formal dining room as well as a living/family room.  All 3 bedrooms are spacious, and the master bedroom includes a walk-in closet.  The home has 1.5 bathrooms.

Additional features are a storage shed, above-ground swimming pool, and a walk-out basement.  Electrical service is 100 amps.  This home is priced at $235,000 - a fantastic deal for a home in move-in condition.

Please contact us for additional information on these two homes, and stop in to see them on Sunday, August 16.

Kathryn Acciari and Pamela Crawford, REALTORs
RE/MAX Professional Associates
49 Main Street
Sturbridge,  MA  01566
Cell:  (508) 982-0686
Email:  kathrynacciari@remax.net
Web:  kathrynacciari.remax.com
Blog:  kathrynsells.activerain.com

Giant Fungi Attack Small New England Town - August 2009

STURBRIDGE, MA:  The quaint town of Sturbridge, MA, is under siege by mysterious, enormous fungi.  Numerous residents have reported that their lawns and gardens are little more than havens for toadstools and never before seen varieties of mushrooms.  A summer of heavy rains and overcast skies has taken its toll on this usually drought-ridden area.

"I came home from vacation, and I had to chop down the mushrooms before I could cut the lawn," one victim proclaimed.  "The mushrooms were as big as pancakes."

"Usually, by this time of the year our lawns have gone into dormancy from lack of rain," stated another home owner.  "But this year even the folks with sprinkler systems have been able to turn them off and just rely on the rains."

But not all residents are taking the appearance of the fungi in stride.  "Some of these growths are downright creepy," added one gardener.  "I have to wonder if they weren't placed here by aliens or grew from some sort of oceanic upsurge."

While some residents are methodically removing the fungi using manual methods, others have raided the shelves of local nurseries for bottles of anti-fungal solution.  Such sprays do appear to have some effect on preventing further growth.

While no unusual beings have come forward to claim credit for the fungi, residents are forewarned to use caution in dealing with the newly-appeared growths.  They may be poisonous or cause undesirable skin reactions.

"If I knew whether they were edibile, I might saute them with my steak," one fellow was heard to say.  "But I really can't identify these, so I'll just have to stay on top of them with my weed wacker."

-------------------------------------------------

Story written by Kathryn Acciari.  While the photographs are of true fungi, the story and quotes are entirely fictitious.  No fungus was harmed in the making of this story.

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Pop-Bys and Mailings for August - The "No Holiday" Month

Did you ever realize that August is one of the only months that has no major holiday or event?  Think about it - quickly go through each month, and you will find that a holiday for that month pops into your head except for the month of August (and maybe June, but that has the last day of school).

So for the month of August, I researched some of the lesser-known holidays and created my list based on a few of my favorites.  Here they are:

August Pop-Bys:

 1.  August 1st is National Mustard Day.  Pick up a case of Grey Poupon at your local warehouse store and drop the mustard off at your clients so they can dress up their sandwiches.  Tag:  Excuse Me...Do You Need Any Grey Poupon?

2.   August 10th is S'Mores Day.  Take a bag of marshmallows to those clients who enjoy camping.  Tag:  Keep Me in Mind for Helping S'More of Your Friends.

 3.  August 15th is Julia Child's Birthday.  Deliver a whisk to your cooking clients' kitchen doors.  Tag:  Thought I'd Stop by and See What's Cooking.

4.  August 24th is National Peach Pie Day.  And the peaches are ready for picking.  Take peaches or pies to your clients.  Tag:  Working with You was Just Peachy!

5.  August 31st is National Trail Mix Day.  Hand out jars of your own blend of trail mix.  Tag:  I'm Just Nuts for Helping Your Friends and Family Members.

Client Appreciation Events        

1.  August is Foot Health Month, and August 6th is Wiggle Your Toes Day.  Host a pedicure event for the clients you most like to spend time with, and whom you feel will enjoy each others' company.  Give each participant a bottle of nail polish to take home.  What a treat!

2.  If you have access to a barbecue pit, host a S'Mores evening under the stars.  Hold a contest for the most-perfectly-browned marshmallow.  The winner gets his or her own stainless steel marshmallow roasting stick.

Mailings

1.  August 13th is International Left-Hander's Day.  Let your southpaw clients know that you recognize the good company they keep by sharing part of this list of famous lefties with them.  (Did you know that four of our nation's five most recent Presidents have been left-handed?)  Tag:  Hope to See You on this List.

2.  August 28th is Dream Day.  This is the day that Martin Luther King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial.  Send a copy of the speech to your clients and encourage them to revisit their dreams.

Have a wonderful month!

- Kathryn Acciari, REALTOR
RE/MAX Professional Associates
49 Main Street
Sturbridge, MA  01566
(508) 982-0686 cell
kathrynacciari@remax.net  email

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By the way, if you know of anyone moving to Central Massachusetts, it would be my pleasure to help them find the perfect home!