Peabody 9-6

SEPTEMBER 6, 2018
WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880 5
There’s plenty to do at
the Institute Library
Calling kids and families
of all ages! Family Lego
Saturdays continues this
fall with more sessions on
Saturday, Sept. 22, Oct. 20
and Nov. 17 at 10:30 a.m. in
the Children’s Library at the
Peabody Library on 82 Main
St.
The library will provide the
LEGO blocks, making for a
great opportunity for families
to unplug and enjoy their time
together working on something
cooperatively. Duplo and Mega
Bloks can be provided for the
littlest family members upon
request, so everyone can join in
By Thomas Grillo
Homebuyers who want to
live in Peabody have to be wondering
why they don’t have the
upper hand when it comes to
prices.
From January through July,
the most recent data available,
the number of single-family
homes sold has fallen by 15
percent from a year ago, according
to The Warren Group,
the Boston-based real estate
tracker and publisher of Banker
& Tradesman. For the first
seven months of the year, 218
homes have been sold. That’s
down from 257 for the same period
in 2017.
But as sales fell, prices rose.
The median cost of a single-family
home in Peabody
swelled to $426,600 from
January through July, up from
$396,000 for the same time a
year ago, a nearly 8 percent
hike.
Economists say that’s the
exact opposite of what’s supposed
to happen. Typically, as
sales dip so do prices.
But Cookie Melanson, a
broker with Century 21 North
East in Peabody, said there’s
nothing typical about this
market. The simple reason why
prices are rising is the lack of
homes for sale, she said.
“There’s not much inventory
and that’s driving buyers
to overbid to get the home they
want because there’s not much
out there to choose from,” she
said. “I had one house where
on the fun.
This program is free and
open to the public, but space is
limited and registration is required.
For more information
or to reserve a free spot, please
go to www.peabodylibrary.org,
call 978-531-3380 or stop by in
person.
And don’t miss drop-in fun
crafts in the children’s library
with crafting fun taking place
on Sept. 20, Oct. 11, Oct. 25,
Nov. 8, Nov. 15. Craft supplies
will be available from
5-7 p.m.
This fall stop by the children’s
library for some fun making
the buyer was willing to pay
nearly $80,000 over the asking
price, but it didn’t appraise that
high.”
At press time, there were 17
single-family homes listed in
Peabody on the MLS Property
Information Network, the
Shrewsbury-based listing service,
from $394,900 for a
1,000-square-foot renovated
Colonial on Fountain Street to
$689,998 for a new, five-bedroom,
multi-level Colonial on
Prospect Street.
“Typically, we have about
three dozen homes for sale,
but the market is very tight,”
Melanson said.
When inventory is low,
home prices tend to rise. As
a result, trying to buy a house
in this type of market can
make the already complex
process of buying a home
even more overwhelming. To
help buyers successfully get
through the buying process
in a tight inventory market
with as little stress and difficulty
as possible, the National
Association of Realtors has
these suggestions:
— Get pre-approved: Before
beginning house hunting, prospective
homebuyers should
receive pre-approval from
one or more lenders to show
sellers they are serious. Then,
after taking into account additional
costs of ownership such
as taxes and insurance, buyers
should determine a final budget
they can afford. When listings
are scarce, bidding wars can
seasonal crafts. Whether
it’s back to school, autumn,
Halloween or Thanksgiving,
we’ll help kids to create their
own special project. All materials
will be provided and
there will be a sample and librarian
on-hand to assist. Stop
by anytime during the evening
to complete a fun craft that can
be gifted, used for a decoration
and more!
This program is free and
open to the public and all supplies
will be provided. No need
to register, just stop by the library
during the designated
time.
Few home choices and
high prices in Peabody
drive up prices, so buyers must
be prepared to walk away if
the asking price surpasses their
budget.
— Identify desired neighborhoods
and home wants
versus needs. When housing
inventory is tight, buyers
may need to compromise on
what they want from a home.
Certain things, such as stainless
appliances or hardwood
floors, can be added. But if a
buyer wants a specific school
district or big backyard, those
cannot be addressed later and
must be taken into account
during the house hunting
process.
— Be ready to pull the
trigger quickly. In a seller’s
market, homes don’t stay on
the market long. When a house
that is in their budget and
checks off all of their needs
come along, buyers should
be ready to submit an offer
quickly, or risk missing out on
the home.
— Bid competitively and
limit contingencies. While it is
tempting to submit a low offer
as a starting bid, in a seller’s
market buyers must submit
their highest offer from the
beginning or risk losing out.
Remember, in multiple bid
situations it is not always the
highest offer that is most attractive
to the seller, but the
one with the fewest contingencies.
Removing restrictions and
being flexible with the move-in
date can make a bid stand out
to a seller.
Obituary
Alfred W. Guinard Jr., 80
PEABODY — Alfred
W. Guinard Jr.,
80, of Peabody and
formerly of Lynn,
died early Thursday
morning at his home
following a brief illness.
He was the
devoted husband of
Catherine (Pawlicki)
Guinard, with whom
he shared more than
47 years of marriage.
Born in Lynn, he was the son
of the late Alfred W. Guinard Sr.
and Salina (Paquette) Guinard.
He was raised and educated
in Lynn and upon marrying
his wife, he moved to Peabody
where he has lived for the past
47 years.
Alfred served with the United
States Navy during peacetime in
the late 1950’s and early 1960
before his honorable discharge.
He later worked as a machinist
for General Electric
at River Works in Lynn for
more than 25 years before
he retired.
Alfred enjoyed
cooking and was
a movie buff of all
genres, including
science fiction, war
movies and comedies.
He loved animals
and was an
avid fan of all Boston’s
professional
sports teams: Bruins,
Celtics, Red Sox
and New England Patriots.
Besides his loving wife, he is
survived by his three children,
Michael, Steven, and Kimberly;
his brother, Gilbert; and by his
devoted four grandchildren and
a great-grandson. He was predeceased
by his sister Patricia.
Service information: At the
request of the family, funeral
services will be private. Arrangements
were made by the
CONWAY, CAHILL-BRODEUR
Funeral Home, 82 Lynn
St., Peabody. To view online
obituary and sign
guestbook, visit www.
ccbfuneral.com.
Elks “Most
Valuable Student”
Scholarship is
seeking applicants
Applications for the Elks
National Foundation “Most
Valuable Student” (MVS)
Scholarship for 2018-2019 are
now being accepted.
Through the program, established
in 1933, the nonprofit has
helped thousands of students
who needed financial assistance
to fulfill their dreams of
attending college.
MVS scholars are outstanding
students who are at
or near the top of their class,
active in school and community
activities and recognized as
leaders by their peers. Students
will be judged on scholarship,
leadership and financial need.
Scholarships are available to
any high school senior who is
a U.S. citizen and will be attending
a four-year college.
Applicants do not have to be
related to an Elks member.
The Foundation awards more
than $2.4 million annually in
scholarships to 500 students
nationwide. Male and female
students compete separately for
identical awards.
There are two first place
awards for $50,000 each;
two second place awards for
$40,000 each; two third place
awards for $30,000 each;
14 fourth place awards for
$20,000 each and 480 runner
up awards for $4,000 each. The
finalists will be notified in late
April.
Applications are available
online only at enf.elks.org/mvs.
For more information contact
your local Elks lodge or your
school’s guidance department.
The deadline for submission
is Nov. 15.
Letter To
The Editor
We love to hear from you.
Write to the Editor,
tgrillo@essexmediagroup.com
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