Well, summer is finally in full swing (kind of), and summer in Vermont is Real Estate season. The phones are ringing again and our cars are getting a welcomed workout.  In fact, things got so crazy around here that the Omega Real Estate team has added a new member.

We are proud to welcome Buyer Specialist, John Sortor, to Omega Real Estate Associates’ team.  Having enjoyed a diverse career in financial services (insurance and retirement planning), John has parlayed his experience into a successful real estate career.  Since 2006, he has specialized in the residential market as a buyer’s agent, and enjoys helping first time and experienced homebuyers navigate the ever-changing landscape of buying a home.

John spent his formative years outside of Boston, Massachusetts, graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and has lived in Vermont since 1993. Outside the marketplace, John enjoys the time with his wife, Denise, and two daughters, staying healthy through a variety of sports and home maintenance!

So enjoy summer while it lasts! Get out there and see some Real Estate. There are some amazing deals out there and we have just the man for the job…

Start your home or commercial property search at http://omegarealtyvt.com

I was doing some research on the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website and I came across a pretty cool calculator that figures how much house you can afford with an FHA loan. It’s pretty cool how it breaks everything down. Use the detailed explanation for more info. This could be particularly helpful for first time home buyers.

http://www.ginniemae.gov/2_prequal/intro_questions.asp?Section=YPTH

Thank God we don’t have anything in Burlington, Vermont that looks like that!

I don’t know if it’s just our listings or what, but it seems like certain Williston Commercial properties are getting a lot of attention lately.  It’s almost as if everyone becomes aware of and has to see the same property all at once. Does anyone else notice this?  We have the hot property of the week phenomenon going on here in Williston.  At first I thought it was just a coincidence but I think there might be something more to it. It could be something as simple as brokers talking to brokers but I like to think it’s weirder than that. One week a few months ago it was our listing at 151 Blair Park. Everyone wanted to see this space! Oddly enough a few of the potential tenants were day care operators (which is not a permitted use in this zone, but that’s a whole other post…stay tuned). What are the odds of several competing companies looking at the same property, the same week?

It happened again recently to another property in Williston, this time it was, 430 Commerce St., our new building at the end of the street. This time, something actually panned out and some of the 30,800 SF of warehouse space was rented.  It was crazy I tell you!  It usually only lasts for about a week and then it’s off too another hot property.

Why does this happen? Who knows, but I like it. I know at the beginning of the week that I might as well print off extra listing sheets and floor plans for the Hot Property of the Week.  If only there were a way to steer people’s attention to the property that I want to move, to create the hot property of the week.  It doesn’t work like that. We have a featured listing section of our website and it doesn’t get any hits. Why am I blogging about this?  Because it happens too often to not write about. Is this happening to anyone else?

It’s a beautiful location even when it’s frozen, and the price is great for a lot with lake frontage in Burlington.  Still, I don’t think it was shown once this winter.!!

The Setting sun on the frozen landscape makes me think of what is on its way in the very near future.

The lake is back to liquid (in most places) and the sun hangs high in the sky well past the drive home.  The sun is indeed setting on this frozen, barren real estate market and before we know it, both this property and the rest of the Burlington, VT market will emerge from the mud and will once again be warm, green and buzzing with activity. Are You Ready?