Single Family homes sold and for sale in the Greater Fall River, MA area during the first quarter of 2012.

Single Family homes sold and for sale in the Greater Fall River, MA area during the first quarter of 2012.

Here is some real estate market data describing the housing market in the Greater Fall River area during the first quarter of 2012 and how it compares to the same time last year. The data is from the MLS and includes Fall River, Swansea, Somerset, Dartmouth, Westport, Berkley, Freetown and Dighton

There were 206 single family homes sold in the Greater Fall River area during the first quarter of 2012 at a median price of $212,450. For the same period in 2011, 165 single family homes sold with a median price of $220,500.

Volume was up a significant 25% this quarter, compared to last year, while the median price was off 3.7 %.

There are currently 746 single family homes for sale in the Greater Fall River area, with a median asking price of $229,900, as compared to a year ago when there were 831 homes with a median asking price of $309,900.

The first quarter of 2012 was a positive period for buyers and motivated sellers. The current lower asking prices and historically low interest rates puts those interested in purchasing a single family home in the Greater Fall River area in a very good position. Take advantage of these unique circumstances and begin your search for a new home today!

 To see the market analysis for each of the communities in the Greater Fall River numbers above or to learn more about the Greater Fall River MA area, visit my website at http://www.stevew-homes.com/ or contact me directly at 508-558-8035.

News and happenings in the Greater Fall River area

News and happenings in the Greater Fall River area

Here’s some news and happenings taking place in the Greater Fall River area.

Heads up when driving on New Boston Road. There is a new stop sign at the corner of Stetson Street and New Boston Road (at New Boston Bakery). I don’t know when it went up, but I hope it was recently. I only noticed it last night. It seems like a strange place for a stop sign, but it is there. Be careful!

The Narrows will be hosting The Pousette-Dart Band, led by Jon Pousette-Dart February 10 at 8 PM. According to their website” The Pousette-Dart Band, led by Jon Pousette-Dart carved a place in the landscape of American music in the 1970’s. They were a mainstay of album radio, a favorite on the college circuit, and became one of the busiest touring groups in the US working with such acts as The Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, The Eagles, James Taylor, The J. Geils Band, Eddie Money, Manfred Mann, Jonathan Edwards, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Emmylou Harris, Gary Wright, Robert Palmer,Randy Newman, Journey, Billy Joel, and many more including the now famous Frampton Comes Alive tour, and the progressive Yes Fragile tour – playing arenas from Coast to Coast.”

Blue legend Joe Louis Walker will be appearing at The Narrows Center for the Arts Saturday night February 11, just days after the release of his latest album “Hellfire”.  Walker, who wrote or co-wrote seven of the CD's eleven tracks, says it's the hardest rocking and most deeply soulful album of his career. His blistering blues guitar playing and gospel-tinged vocals effortlessly blend throughout the album, according to his website.

Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School will host the 2^nd annual Bristol County Home & Garden Show presented by the Herald News, Taunton Daily Gazette and the Fall River Chamber of Commerce. Ideas and products for your home and garden will be presented by local business. The event is free and will be held at Diman, 251 Stonehaven Road, Fall River, MA
on Saturday March 17.

The Fall River Little Theater will be presenting the Broadway play “A Few Good Men” by Aaron Sorkin. Many recall the movie version of the play of the same name which came out in 1992. It will be presented March 8 thru 11 at the Margaret L Jackson Performing Arts Center at Bristol Community College.

Here are a few indoor activities to enjoy over the next few weeks. The winter has been good to us, so far. Pretty soon we will be itching to get back outdoors to welcome spring!

For more about the Greater Fall River area, visit my website at  www.stevew-homes.com  or contact me directly at 508-558-8035.

Single Family homes sold and for sale in the Greater Fall River area during November 2011

Single Family homes sold and for sale in the Greater Fall River area during November 2011

Here is some real estate market data describing the housing market in the Greater Fall River area during the month of November and how it compares to the same time last year. The data is from the MLS and includes Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Dartmouth, Westport, Berkley, Dighton and Tiverton, RI.

There were 88 single family homes sold in the Greater Fall River area during November 2011 at an average sale price of $238,227 and median price of $220,850. For the same period in 2010, 71 single family homes sold with an average sales price of $342,617 and median price of $250,000.

Volume was up a significant 24% this month, compared to last year, while the average price was down 30.5% and the median price also off 11.7 %.

There are currently 948 single family homes for sale in the Greater Fall River area, with a median asking price of $289,450, as compared to a year ago when there were 882 homes with a median asking price of $309,000.

November has been a positive month for buyers and motivated sellers. Greater inventory along with lower asking prices and historically low interest rates puts those interested in purchasing a single family home in the Greater Fall River area in a very good position. Be one of the lucky ones to take advantage of this rare opportunity. Start looking for your next home today!

 To see the market analysis for each of the communities in the Greater Fall River numbers above or to learn more about the Greater Fall RiverMA area , visit my website atwww.stevew-homes.comor contact me directly at 508-558-8035.

2011-12 School year in the Greater Fall River area brings PCB’s and MCAS

2011-12 School year in the Greater Fall River area brings PCB’s and MCAS.

The 2011-12 school year has been back in session for a few weeks now and two local communities are witnessing a similar problem. The Westport school district is dealing with the clean up of PCB’s found in the Middle School during the summer. Testing and subsequent clean up of the potentially harmful materials caused a 2 day delay in the opening of the school. Ceiling tiles and calking around windows have been removed and most of the building is now open. The multimillion dollar clean up was an unexpected expense for the school district and will be dealt with at a future town meeting. Superintendent Colley message to parents and guardians explains more.

As a result of the Westport situation Fall River officials decided to test two school building built during the period when PCB’s were used in construction. Tests at Durfee High School show no PCB’s present , however tests at the Talbot Middle School indicated PCB’s may be present in some of the calking around some of the windows. The middle school has been closed since September 19^th. The School department is providing updates for the public at www.fallriverschools.org/talbot.cfm .

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MCAS scores from the spring 2011 testing period have been released by the state Department of Education. All regions of the state are reported and you can compare your districts results with the state averages for each class, and see the actual results by individual school.  The Fall River School Department  has a District summary and press release on the School department website.

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For more about the Greater Fall River area, visit my website at www.stevew-homes.com or contact me directly at 508-558-8035.

Outdoor activities abound during the coming weekends in the greater Fall River area

There is a feeling of fall in the air today and with the great weather outdoor activities abound during the coming weekends in the greater Fall River area.

Local high schools will be kicking off on Friday nights and Saturdays all over the area for the next few weeks, so support your favorite teams and get some fresh air at the same time. 

Here is something you don’t come across every weekend! Buttonwood Park Zoo will celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day this Sunday, September 18^th from 10 to 4 PM.  Join in the family friendly activities including Elephant Tracks, a fund raising 1 mile walk around the Zoo at 11:30 and demonstrations and crafts from 1 to 4 PM.

Each weekend from September 3 through October 23 take a ride down Route 58 in Carver MA and enjoy our great fall weather plus the entertainment, crafts, food and drink all celebrating THE New England Renaissance Festival at King Richards Faire. The 80 acre site comes alive with acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, minstrels, dancers, fire eaters, puppeteers, animals and more.

Next Sunday, September 24 from 12 to 8 PM come to the Gates of the City, Ponta Delgada Blvd. on the waterfront in Fall River for the 2^nd annual “Eat 2 the Beat” food and music festival. Enjoy musical tributes to Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones while sampling foods from local restaurants.

The Fall River Preservation Society sponsored walking and bike tour series will continue September 17 with “A tour of OakGroveCemetery” followed by “Historic Architecture in the Highlands” on September 24.  A bicycle tour of historic Steep Brook called “Steep Brook: Fall River’s Colonial Village” will take place on October 1 and finally “The Underground Railroad in Fall River” tour will take place on October 8. Each tour starts at 10:00 am. More information regarding the tours can be found at the Fall River Preservation Society web site, www.fallriverpreservation.org .

These are just a few thoughts of activities available in the Greater Fall River area over the next few weeks so, get out of the house and enjoy the our great fall weather!!

 For more about the Greater Fall River area, visit my website at  www.stevew-homes.com  or contact me directly at 508-558-8035.

A fantastic resource available to everyone in the Greater Fall River area and it is FREE!

A fantastic resource available to everyone in the Greater Fall River area and it is FREE!

Most folks know that your local public library is a wonderful resource in any community, and the Fall River Public Library, “The Peoples University” is no exception, but I recently found a service they offer and I love it!

OK, time for a little background. I used to commute from Fall River to places north like Avon, Waltham and Boston. Anyone who travels up and down Route 24 during rush hour traffic knows this simple 45-60 minute drive can easily become a 2-3 hour nightmare on any given day, and if the weather is bad, you are almost guaranteed a long trip. As a result I got tired of the usual music radio stations and talk radio shows and eventually found the wonderful world of audio books.  I started listening to biographies of historical figures like Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and historical works like ”Mayflower”.  I also enjoyed mystery novels by James Patterson, John Grisham, Dean Koontz and many others. I actually started to enjoy the commute.

I no longer spend hours in the car and had not been listening to the books until I started exercising and walking earlier this year. I purchased a few audio books on line and downloaded them to my IPOD and started enjoying my workout much more. I especially like to take a 4 mile walk at the waterfront here in Fall River and the time goes by in a snap. Now, my children will tell you I can be frugal, or better put-cheap. I discovered that the Fall River Public Library is part of the Sails Library Network known as  SAILSINC. Here you can download Audiobooks, eBooks and music all for FREE. You don’t even have to go to your local library branch, just download them to your home computer anytime you want, 24/7.

I suggest that if you don’t already have a library card, get down to your local branch and sign up. It’s free and any Massachusetts resident can get one. Then start listening to best sellers (I am listening to “The Help” right now) and maybe got some exercise too!

To learn more about the Greater Fall River area, visit my website at  www.stevew-homes.com or contact me directly at 508-558-8035.

What has been going on in the Greater Fall River housing market during August?

What has been going on in the Greater Fall River housing market during August?

Here is some real estate market data describing the housing market here in the Greater Fall River area during the month of August and how it compares to the same time last year. The data is from the MLS and includes Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Dartmouth, Westport, Berkley, Dighton and Tiverton, RI.

There were 130 single family homes sold in the Greater Fall River area during August 2011 at an average sale price of $234,664 and median price of $207,500. For the same period in 2010, 87 single family homes sold with an average sales price of $254,893 and median price of $225,000.

Volume is up this year by a whopping 49%, while the average price in down 7.9% and the median price down 7.3%.

There are currently 1064 single family homes for sale in the Greater Fall River area, with a median asking price of $295,000, as compared to a year ago when there were 970 homes with a median asking price of $324,950.

Greater inventory along with lower asking prices and historically low interest rates puts those interested in purchasing a single family home in the Greater Fall River area in a very good position. It’s time to act now!

 To learn more about the Greater Fall RiverMA area, visit my website at  www.stevew-homes.com  or contact me directly at 508-558-8035.

Fall River MA. Real Estate Market Activity for the 1st half of 2011

Fall River MA. Real Estate Market Activity for the 1^st half of 2011 according to MLS Market Statistics is summarized below:

For the period of January 1 through June 30 2011, 215 properties sold (single family, multi family and condos) in Fall River, MA. For the same period in 2010, 255 properties sold. This was a decrease of 40 properties or 16%.

For the same period the average selling price in Fall River in 2011 was $160,714 versus $166,251 in 2010, or a 3% decrease.

The average number days homes were on the market (amount of time it took to sell the property) in Fall River for this period in 2011 were 156 days versus 139 days in 2010 - an increase of 17 days or 12%.

To summarize, home sales for the first six months of this year versus last year, in Fall River MA, were off 16%, the price the homes sold for was down 3% and the length of time it took to sell these home increased 12%. There are 444 homes for sale in Fall River as of 7/1/11 with an average list price of $218,406 and have been on the market for an average of 194 days.

To learn more about the Greater Fall River area, visit my website at www.stevew-homes.com or contact me directly at 508-558-8035.

The Greater Fall River summer produce crop is in!

The Greater Fall River summer produce crop is in!  Summer is here and it is time for local fresh grown fruits and vegetables from local farm stands and farmers markets. As they say buy local and buy fresh. Supporting these farmers has all kinds of benefits for you, and the community overall.

First, buying local benefits you by providing you with the freshest, healthiest, most delicious fruits and vegetables you can get. These tomatoes or heads of lettuce weren't picked, packaged and shipped for a few days before reaching your grocery store. Often times these have been in the garden only hours before lining the sunny shelves of a roadside stand. Nothing is more delicious than the taste of local sweet corn steamed, boiled or grilled just hours after plucked from the field. Buying local is more economical for you also. These products have not been shipped across the country or from overseas saving transportation costs and reducing the carbon footprint required to bring them to market.
 
Secondly supporting local farms and farmers keeps your dollars here in the greater Fall River community. This support helps maintain family farms in the area providing  employment opportunities for many and sustaining a valuable industry which not only provides healthy food alternatives to the community, but continues the New England tradition of small farms and open spaces. In only minutes you can drive in any direction from the hectic pace of city life in downtown Fall River and find yourself on a country road in Swansea, Tiverton, Little Compton, Westport, Dartmouth, Dighton or Berkley and the reinvigorate your senses to the sights, sounds and smells of a local farm.

The City of Fall River provides three Farmers Markets easily available to pedestrians and those using public transportation. Located at  Kennedy Park, Ruggles Park and downtown near the Government center they are available not miles away, but minutes away.

Here is a list of some Farmers Markets in the area now thru the fall 2011:

• Kennedy Park Farmers Market - at Broadway and Bradford Ave. Saturdays 7 AM -1:30 PM
• Ruggles Park Farmers Market - Locust and Seabury Street Wednesday 9 AM -3PM
• Downtown Fall Rive at Lou Sevin Promenade "a wide brick walkway that runs parallel to South Main Street, just to the east of the Bella Restaurant behind the Academy Building at the corner of South Main Street and South Frontage Road next to Government Center" Thursdays 9AM -2PM.
• Westport Farmers Market 870 Main Rd. Westport Saturdays 8:30 AM -1 PM
• Sakonnet Growers Market Rt.77 at East Road, Tiverton 4 Corners. Saturdays 9AM - 1PM

 
And here is a list of Farm Stands:

• Adirondack Farm 1046 Blossom Road, Fall River, MA
• Wild Dogwood Farm 148 Sanford Road Westport, MA
• Sampson Farm 222 Old Bedford Road Westport, MA
• Orr's Farm 187 Adamsville Road Westport, MA
• Almeida;s Vegatable Patch 110 GAR Highway Rt 6 Swansea, MA
• Simcock Farm 361 Marvel Street, Swansea, MA ( Great Ice Cream also!)
• Kettle Pond Farm 181 Bayview Ave. Berkley, MA
• Tavares Hillside Farm 164 Slades Corner Road, Dartmouth, MA
• Pocasset Orchards 1427 Old Fall River Road, Dartmouth, MA

These are just a sampling of farms in the area. Find more in your neighborhood and this season support our farmers by buying local!
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Steve Waddicor is a Realtor© with SB&A Realty Group serving the Greater Fall River area. Visit me at http://www.stevew-homes.com/ .