Rhonda Cohen Realtor - Keller Williams

Congratulations to the buyers of a beautiful home 🏡 in Shutesbury!

The dream of finding a home 🏡in the country to be close to family and grandchildren has come to fruition. 🧸

The journey began 10 months ago and involved touring homes in New Salem, Petersham, Pelham, Amherst, and Shutesbury.

Along the way, the buyers’ knowledge of radon remediation, water 💧 testing, septic systems, easements, propane, hot water heaters, and solar ☀️ farms expanded.

Performing due diligence, asking questions, ❓problem solving were paramount.

The buyers’ persistence paid off. This home 🏡checked all the boxes ✅ – low maintenance, oodles of natural light, first floor living, ample storage, dry basement, and a yard for gardening.🌷

We also successfully negotiated a below list sale price in this market! 💰

After the home closed this morning, I met the buyers at their new home 🏡, while awaiting the delivery of their new furniture.

Lilly, their puppy 🐶, was romping 🐾 around in the backyard. Their daughter (who lives just 15 min away) was there to help with the move. She had toured many of the other homes with us.

As we reminisced, in a sun-filled ☀️open-concept living room 🛋️, we reflected on the other homes, it was clear to all of us that indeed this was the “perfect home” and well worth the journey!

Looking forward to seeing flowers bloom in the yard this summer! 🌷🌻🌼🌷

Our first winter wonderland of the season….

This is why we live in New England!

There are currently just 12 homes
🏡 on the market in Northampton!

Despite low inventory, buyers are touring homes. In the last 24 hours, I personally accompanied buyers to tour 3 properties in advance of scheduled open houses.

This photo taken this morning ☀️represents the quiet before the storm.

6-12 inches snow predicted this weekend! Yipppee!! ❄️

Stay tuned for winter wonderland photos!! ☃️

You might be wondering when is the best time of year to sell a home in the Pioneer Valley..

What about during the winter months when it is cold? ☃️

What about when there is less buyer demand?

What about exterior photos in February? Will this influence the price? ❄️

Think LOW inventory and professional photography! 📸

Actually, the BEST time to sell a home is when it works best for the homeowner.

Our area continues to be highly desirable and in high demand with multiple offers.

Over the past 30 days, I worked on 3 transactions! One cash and two with mortgages. 💰

To get top dollar, takes preparation, planning, and a top-notch marketing strategy.

Fresh paint, home maintenance items, staging, small touches, and beautiful photography sells homes. 🏡

I love the transformation of a home from the first time I tour and the Open House. So many details go into the finished product.

When we are all sitting at the closing table, there is a collective sense of accomplishment that all the effort was worth it. 💕

A rainy day ☔️ at our house results in the design and construction of a “new house” for Penny.

Emma: “Mom, Do you have a box?” 📦

Mom: “An Amazon box?” 📦

Emma: “Yes…. Do you have a bigger box?”

Mom: “A shoe 👞 box? Will that work?”

Emma: “Yes…Do you have a bigger box?”

Mom: “A moving box?” 📦

Emma: “Yes. Do you have tacky glue?”

Mom: “No. I think you used it up.”

Emma: “I will use the glue gun then. [20 min] This does not work.”

Mom: “Will duct tape work?”

Emma: “No. I need tacky glue.”

Mom: “Really? Give it a try.”

An hour later, Penny has a “new home” 🏠complete with kibble, a blanket , and a chew toy. It also has 2 windows🪟 and a sleeping Cavachon.

Exactly 11 months ago, I met a couple who relocated to the Pioneer Valley.

They were living in an awesome downtown Northampton apartment and they were hoping to find a permanent home 🏡 as soon as possible.

Their most important criteria were price, being able to walk to a coffee shop ☕️, close to the bike 🚲 path, and large enough for a growing family. They also preferred an older home that they could make their own.

Any property that hit the market in downtown Northampton, Florence Center and Easthampton that fit these criteria was carefully considered.

Along the way, they learned a lot about the Pioneer Valley as well as asbestos removal, k**b and tube wiring 🔌, foundations, field stones, utility bills, and condo associations!

Their persistence finally paid off.

They found a fantastic 3 bedroom, 2 bath home walking distance to the bike path and the nationally acclaimed Small Oven Bakery in Easthampton!

Note: I highly recommend Small Oven Bakery pastries, breads 🥖, and made-to-order cakes. 🍰

My personal favorite is the white lavender cake with raspberries and buttercream. 🎂

The bakery’s owner, Julie Copoulos, was named one of the top 10 bread bakers in North America!

A special thank you to Valley Kitchens who will begin renovations on this home next month.

Congrats to the buyers for their persistence, vision, and patience!!

Did I mention the buyers secured this home in a multiple offer situation below the home’s appraised value?

All smiles 😊 from a realtor who loves partnering with clients and making dreams come true. 💕

A regularly requested and highly popular breakfast item in our home 🏡 is homemade blintzes.

What is special about that blintzes at our house is they get eaten without filling – more like a crepe or skinny pancake. 🥞

Emma has actually never eaten a traditional blintz with cottage cheese filling!

She usually dunks them in maple syrup 🍁, or milk, or has them with blackberry jam.

My personal favorite is to eat them with homemade raspberry jam.

I learned to make blintzes from my father who was a fabulous baker and cook.

In fact, every time I make them (at least once or twice a week), it reminds me of my father.

I hold my frying pan handle 🍳 and swish the batter around in the skillet the very same way.

In my heart of hearts, I know that one day Emma will have the gift of this beautiful memory and she too will be able to make blintzes for the people she loves. 💕

More than half a million people left New York in 2022.

Here is where they resettled.
Source: USA Today, 5:28am EST Nov 29, 2023

It is not your imagination that New Yorkers have been moving to Western Massachusetts. In fact, many cash buyers have been coming from out-of-state.

Homes in our area continue to be a “bargain” in comparison to New York, California, and Boston.

We are seeing retirees and young people move to the area.

The focus on sustainability, conservation, organic farming, hiking, bike trails, and living in a college town are big draws.

In less than 3 hours, you can be in New York City or in Burlington, Vt.

The convenience of the Hartford airport is also a big draw. Have you seen the recent updates and new parking structure? I would fly from Hartford over Logan any day.

So what does this mean for sellers? Properties need to be marketed nationally, have top-notch photography, floor plans, and video tours!

Penny just got groomed! She can see again 👀

I recently attended a busy Open House 🏠hosted by a 30-year real estate broker.

The property was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, Colonial with a large yard in a highly desirable neighborhood. 🌳

The buyer, who lived out-of-state had a relative attend the Open House.

It was clear to all involved that there would be multiple offers.

The buyer flew in the next day to tour the property. 🛩️

This property checked off all the boxes.

The only question was how could we get our offer accepted in this highly competitive market.

We understood that a cash offer in itself was insufficient. 💰

What sealed the deal? We promised to close within 10 days.

We could only have made that promise if we had a real estate attorney who was positioned to do this.

A huge kudos to Attorney Michael Gove and his team at Legacy Counsellors for making this possible.

On numerous occasions their team has gone the extra mile for clients.

It is truly an honor to attend closings at this office, where final paperwork gets signed and buyers become new homeowners.

After closing, I ran into the broker…

He smiled at me and said, “In my 30 years of doing business, I have never seen a closing happen so fast.

The sellers were beyond thrilled. They are on their way cross country to their new home.”

Penny and I are pretty inseparable. As long as “Mommy” is home. Penny is underfoot.

She follows me around the house, brings me toys to throw, and requests treats. When I am not home 🏠, she awaits my return.

The hardest part about the winter months ☃️in New England is having to leave Penny home during the day for longer periods of time.

During the warmer weather ☀️, she has gotten used to accompanying me on car rides to showings and quick errands.

As I am getting ready to leave the house, she gives me her puppy eyes. 🐶She is not sure what has changed that now I scoop her up and put her in her kennel instead of my taking her with me.

Penny is my first dog since childhood. She is just 2 and she still demands a lot of attention, steals and chews socks 🧦 , and gets into things she should not.

However, the unconditional love of a pet is truly priceless.

May Penny continue to bring love to everyone she meets! 💕

Six months ago, I met a buyer who was looking to downsize and move to the Pioneer Valley. He was looking to be part of a community and have a place where his newly adopted rescue dog, Pogo, could live. 🐶

One property we toured was too small. Another needed considerable updating. Another was on a busy street. A month ago, he calls me from a busy Open House and says, “I think I found the one.”

We put together a competitive offer and beat out 3 other offers! Our offer, of course, was subject to HOA approval of Pogo. 🐾

Congrats to the buyer (and Pogo) on closing on your new home today! It was a seamless transaction and a true honor to work with you.

It is such a great feeling to help people during the home transition process.

I am thankful for the relationships I have and continue to build as a realtor in the Pioneer Valley. 🌻

What a wonderful Thanksgiving! I gratitude of yummy, healthy delicious food, a family trip to Brattelboro, and celebrating Penny’s second birthday this week.

Hey! Want to get to know me better?

I fell in love with the Pioneer Valley as an economics student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

My passion for teaching and learning led me to pursue a PhD in educational studies and policy at the University of Michigan.

For the next decade, I worked as a school district administrator and curriculum leader with an eye towards creating engaging learning experiences in K-12 classrooms. At its core, my work was about helping learners to see possibilities and accomplish their goals.

In 2011, I met my husband who was living in South Hadley.

Our shared appreciation of nature, living in a college town, organic produce, and the arts made settling in the Pioneer Valley an obvious choice.

After our daughter was born, work-life balance became paramount.

My husband and I decided that I would stay at home to be the primary caregiver.

It was during this time that I stumbled upon the possibilities of building wealth through owning real estate.

We scraped together $45K for a down payment on a vacation rental property in Destin, Florida. It was to be our daughter’s college fund and a place to create family memories.

Through the guidance of a talented realtor/investor, who reassured us that we could cover our expenses through renting our property, I set up and managed our first airbnb.

This 1980s property, with original kitchen cabinetry and bathrooms, became the highest revenue generating property in the resort.

Fast forward 7 years, we sold the Destin airbnb for a $300K profit and purchased 2 more airbnbs that have since increased in value by another $150K.

For consistently providing high quality accommodations and customer service to guests, I have garnered more than 300 5-star reviews!

During COVID, like so many people, people made career shifts and got a family pet.

In my case, I became a licensed realtor and joined Keller Williams Realty as a full-time realtor. And our beloved Cavachon, named Penny, became a family member.

Becoming a real estate agent felt like a natural extension of my background in education, economics and real estate investing for a host of reasons.

You see, I love finding solutions to problems; I love the thrill of finding that perfect home at the right price, exceeding expectations in a competitive market, and creating win-win solutions for buyers and sellers.

I love helping people and seeing people accomplish their dreams.

To me, real estate is foremost about making connections, serving others, and getting results.

Knowing that my clients find comfort in my diligent work ethic, professionalism, commitment to high standards and a genuine sense of caring keeps me passionate about mastering my craft.

Today, I’m grateful to be helping people in the Pioneer Valley sell their homes at the highest price through providing exemplary real estate services.