One can Dream....

Every year, HGTV (I'm shamelessy addicted) gives away a beautifully built and fully furnished and decorated home in one of the country's most scenic locations (past locations have included Sonoma, CA and the Florida Keys). This year, HGTV's Dream Home is located right in our very own backyard...in stunning Stowe, Vermont! Just 40 minutes from Burlington, Stowe is the quintessential Vermont ski town. The network will be debuting the home on January 1st (when you can officially enter to win the Dream Home), so make sure you check it out, as it will be packed with lots of information on not only the house, but the surrounding area and the local materials that we used in its construction. This year's slopeside home will even feature a "ski dorm" to accomodate all of the winner's newfound friends clamoring to check out everything Stowe has to offer- both on and off the trails!

If you are impatient (like me) and can't wait until New Year's Day to see the rest of the new Dream Home, you can check out pictures here. Otherwise, make sure to check out HGTV on January 1st at 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

If you are looking for a more modest "dream home", feel free to call or e-mail today to get your home search started! Remember, you can always search all of the area's newest listings 24/7 by visiting HickokandBoardman.com.

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

-Jamie Wright, Realtor
Jamie@BurlingtonVermontHomes.com
(802)846-9530

Just a couple changes could get your home sold FAST!

As we enter the winter months, home sellers tend to get a tad anxious that their homes may take a little longer to sell. The truth is, there are less buyers out househunting in the middle of winter than there are in the summer months. HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL BUYERS OUT THERE...and it only takes one to get your home sold! What sellers need to bear in mind is that they need to keep their homes looking better than competition! (Well, okay, they need to take into account other factors too...such as pricing, marketing, etc....but that can be for another post!)

Real Estate expert and author Barbara Corcoran (you might recognize her from TODAY on NBC) offers a few tidbits of advice in this article that I found on Hooked on Houses: 5 Things That Sell Houses Faster Now. While I am not suggesting that you re-paint the exterior of your home in the middle of the winter, a couple of these suggestions are low to no-cost solutions that could make a big difference. (Ahem: CLEAN AND DE-CLUTTER!!)

You can also check out her appearance on TODAY, in which she explains in a bit more detail her reasoning behind these suggestions (and adds a slight variation to them). To view the segment "5 Smartest Home Fixes" from TODAY, click here.

So, don't just wait for the spring to roll around in hopes that a new pool of buyers will generate the perfect buyer for your home...get it sold now!!

If you are looking to buy or sell a home this winter, feel free to contact me to discuss your options!

-Jamie Wright, Realtor
Jamie@BurligtonVermontHomes.com
(802)846-9530

photo credit: HookedonHouses.com