East Greenwich celebrated the holiday season with 3 more “strolls”.  The town is decked to the max and so is Residential Properties Ltd.!

We emptied out our conference room and it was turned into a holiday wonderland! All furnishings are on loan from Marianne Mernick-Sullivan at Consignments Ltd. The display was designed by Mary Harrington of At Home Redesigns.  Hats off to Marianne and Mary for a stunning display!

The spirit of giving was shown by a group of agents from our East Greenwich office who have been knitting scarves for the troops since last month.  The scarves were presented to our local recruiters on December 9th to send over to the soldiers in time for the holidays.

Other items were sent along as well, including food, homemade cookies, toiletries, newspapers, magazines, and cards handmade by students from Our Lady of Mercy in East Greenwich and Bay View Academy in East Providence.

Reasons a seller might want to take a house off the market during the holidays:

1. To take a break from maintaining a “showing ready” home.

2. So that they may relax and enjoy the holiday season.

3. So that they may fully decorate for the holiday season (not recommended if keeping one’s house on the market).

4. If there is no urgency or timeframe for the move.

5. So as not to be potentially faced with the possibility of moving during the winter months.

Reasons a seller may want to keep a home on the market:

1. Buyers that are looking at this time of year tend to be more serious and are looking for a house rather than “just looking”.

2. Many people use vacation time near the end of the year and have greater availability to view homes.

3. There are generally fewer properties on the market at this time, and therefore less competition.

4. A house will not sell if it is off the market.

5. If the house has a small yard, it is more likely to be overlooked in the wintertime.

6. The Holidays are not celebrated by all potential buyers.

7. To reap the benefits of prior marketing exposure – those already aware of the property through previous marketing efforts may now be in a better position to take action.

8. Employers relocate employees at all times of the year.

9. To avoid the holding costs of maintaining the property until springtime.

Tips for home maintenance during winter months:

1. Keep spaces as clear as possible. Keep walkways clear and well-lit.

2. Box up items that are not crucial for day-to-day living.

3. Decorate with items that are important holiday traditions but don’t go overboard. It is not effortless for buyers to see themselves in a new home.

4. Keep views clear. Allow potential buyers to view the property from all windows.

5. Make closets and storage spaces including the garage and basement as appealing as possible. A seller can make an investment in garage organizers that can be taken with them to their new home (or purchased by the buyer).

Join us on December 6th as we celebrate this festive event, with holiday music beginning at 2 p.m.  Stroll through the many shops along the wharf, offering cookies, hot chocolate and cider.  Frosty the Snowman arrives at 4:30 and a holiday sing-a-long begins at 5 p.m.

The 38th official Christmas on Bowen’s Wharf is marked by the Lighting of the Christmas Tree at 6 p.m.  The tree will stand majestic as her many branches extend towards the sky, awaiting the glow of her lighting, signifying the commencement of the season.

Also not to be missed is the Holiday Harbor Illuminated Boat Parade by Sail Newport. Large and small vessels decorated with lights, will sail through the harbor for all to view.  Weather permitting, Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive by boat to great young ones and listen to their individual wishes.

The event is FREE and open to the public.  Meet us at our office at One Bowen’s Wharf, where anticipation and excitement will make you and the wharf come alive.

Our favorite time of year is fast approaching – the second week of December, which is Distribution Week for Adopt-A-Family, Inc. in Woonsocket.

For some of us, it’s an annual reunion with a couple hundred of our dearest friends; some we’ve known for 20 years and only see for one action-packed week in December.

Now in its 26th year of operation, Adopt-A-Family is a non-profit Rhode Island corporation whose mission is to provide Christmas gifts of toys, games & clothes for needy children in Woonsocket. Sandy Soares, an agent in our Cumberland office, has worked for Adopt-A-Family as Program Coordinator for many years and has been part of the organization since 1990.

Since 1992, 24,692 children have been provided for through the organization’s efforts in a city where 35% of the children live below the poverty level. In 2007 alone, they provided for 2,220 children…enough kids to fill 100 classrooms!

At the time of this writing, the organization has donors for 660 families but they are still looking for donors for an additional 350 families in need. Certainly this year has been a difficult one and many charitable organizations are seeing a big drop-off in contributions.

If you would like to help a family who might be right in your own backyard, contact Sandy Soares at 401.766.2291 ssoares@residentialproperties.com or adoptafamily@cox.net. The last date to “adopt” is December 1.

Photos by: Al Belisle

[slideshow=aff,450,338]