Realtor of the Year

On June 11, 2009, The Central Vermont Board of Realtors honored Ted Elzey for Realtor of the Year. This award is given for outstanding service and contribution to the Real Estate profession as well as their volunteer work within the community.

Changes

Memorial Day has come and gone; spring is turning to summer. With the change of seasons, brings additional activity to the office. Our agents continue to lend their expertise and guidance to the first time purchaser as well as the “seasoned” buyer. New listings continue to arrive, increasing choices for the customer who is looking for their starter home or their dream home. First time buyers need to keep in mind the $8000 tax credit – the dream of owning your own home might be easier than you thought.

Camp Ta-Kum_Ta

Thursday evening our agents attended an annual realtor fundraiser for Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a camp that provides challenging, extraordinary experiences in a safe and loving environment for kids who have or have had cancer. Camp exists for Vermont children (out-of-state children who are treated in Vermont), between the ages of 7-17, at no cost to their families. http://www.takumta.org/Central Vermont Board of Realtors has supported this fundraiser over the past 17 years. This year we were able to raise $2,500 for this great organization. Over the past 9 years we have been able to raise over $40,000.

Activity in the office

Activity in the office has been extremely good this week; partly due to a new listing we received recently that has been shown numerous times with more showing appointments over the next few days. Also, this week one of our listings received 3 offers, with one being accepted. We are in the process of helping first time homebuyers find a home that fits their needs so that they may take advantage of the tax credit.

Our snowbirds (Ellen and Cindy) have returned from the south, with their return, brings more energy to the office.

Market is on the upswing

Our office has several new listings this week, which indicates that the market is on the upswing. Also, buyers are beginning to take advantage of the low interest rate and the availability of property.

Two members from the Vermont Real Estate Commission spoke at the monthly Central Vermont Board of Realtors meeting this week. Several agents attended and were updated on the rules and regulations.

Educating our staff

The real estate marketplace is showing signs of potential upswing. Home affordability is the best in decades; mortgage rates the lowest in modern times. Sellers and buyers are starting to get it. In order to take advantage of this information we have invited appraisal and bankers in to update us on the latest information in the market.

Century 21 Broker's Council Awards

On March 18th, three Mill Stone agents went to the Century 21 Broker’s Council Awards luncheon along with forty other Vermont Real Estate agents. Roger Turcotte, who is a national speaker in the realm of real estate education spent two hours with us talking about the changes in the market place and teaching us how to respond to buyers and sellers. Among the awards given out that day by Century 21, The Mill Stone Agency, as an office, received the award for 5th highest number of closed units sold in 2008. Sales agent Cindy Greenwood was honored with the award for Two Million Dollar Producer in 2008.

$8000 Tax Credit

Purchase a home now and take advantage of the new tax credit of up to $8000.

A benefit that makes your new home more affordable.

A tax credit is available for first-time home buyers under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009. If you buy a home between January 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009, you may be eligible to receive a tax credit for 10% of the purchase price of your home - up to $8000. Program highlights include:

• Any individual (and if married, their spouse) who has had no ownership interest in a principle residence during the last three years is eligible
• Full credit for single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 ($150,000 on a joint return); partial credit for incomes up to $95,000 ($170,000 joint return)
• Applies to the purchase of a single-family home (including condos, co-ops, town homes, etc.) that will be used as a principal residence
• Home buyers can reduce (or even eliminate) their income tax liability for the year of purchase by claiming the credit on their tax return*
• If the home is sold before 3 years, the first-time home buyer (who is now the seller) must pay the IRS the entire amount of the tax credit at closing

We make home loans easy.

If you are a first-time home buyer, now is the ideal time to contact us to discuss your home financing options. In as little as 20 minutes, we'll give you a free mortgage pre-approval decision, so you'll know how much house you can afford. We'll make it as easy as possible for you to enjoy the financial advantages of the new tax credit. Call Century 21 Mortgage at 1-877-886-1174.

*Certain eligiblity criteria must be met. Home buyers should consult their tax advisor for further details.