ERA Key Realty Services

Marissa Zarella of Chelmsford has joined ERA Key's Team Blue Real Estate Group, located in the Wilmington Office. 

“As the newest member of Team Blue, Marissa is eager to harness the opportunities this role presents to deepen her understanding of the real estate industry,” said Team Blue Leader Lori Penney. “Marissa has already demonstrated a keen understanding of market trends and an aptitude for meeting client needs.”

 Marissa was previously a Realtor with LAER Realty Partners of Chelmsford. Before that, she was an Account Analyst with Clark Insurance in Lowell. She studied business administration at Stonehill College in Easton.

 “I am thrilled to join Team Blue with ERA Key Realty Services and look forward to contributing to the team's success,” she said. “This move represents a significant step in my career, and I am excited to leverage the resources and support of Team Blue and ERA Key Realty Services to provide even better service to my clients.”

Team Blue specializes in real estate in the Boston Suburban areas and Southern New Hampshire. For the past five years, Team Blue has been earned the #1 Team Award from ERA Key Realty Services. Known for its customer-centric approach and innovative marketing strategies, Team Blue’s goal is to guide clients through the contractual, investment and emotional decisions involved in the real estate process.

For more information on Team Blue’s services, contact Lori Penney at 978-375-2520 or loripenney@erakey.net, or visit the team’s Facebook and Instagram pages @TeamBlueRealEstate.

Manuel Chambers of Worcester has joined ERA Key Realty's Auburn office as a Realtor.

He is also a teacher in Worcester Public Schools. He has also taught in Yuma, Ariz.; Springfield, and Holyoke, Mass.

He earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, as well as an associate’s degree from Holyoke Community College.

“As one of the area’s largest real estate agencies, ERA Key provides me with plenty of opportunities to keep building relationships, while developing a successful career in real estate,” Manuel said.

A dozen ERA Key agents and staff helped build two new single-family homes at 521 and 523 Sunderland Road in Worcester recently during a recent build day for Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester.

The volunteer effort was organized by the Worcester office, which also contributed $500 to the local Habitat for Humanity office. An additional $326 has been raised to date through a fundraising page set up on Charity Proud.

Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization that seeks to build “strength, stability and self-reliance in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable housing. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage.”

“Helping Habitat for Humanity build homes is one way we also help to build a healthy, strong community,” said Framingham Manager Ali Corton. “Contributing time and effort as volunteers is as important to us as the financial contributions we make.”

Volunteers, pictured above, included Worcester Manager Kelly Brown, Framingham Manager Ali Corton, Auburn Manager Jonathan Boisjolie; Worcester Office Administrator Cyndi Quinn and Spencer Office Administrator Nicole Cusson, and agents Valerie Cohen, Bryan Davis, Kris Gaffney, Josh Hoffsommer, Brian Hurley, Erin Mahoney and Chris Reilly.

Pictured below, left to right, are Josh...

A Victorian home at 140 Hartford Ave. East, Uxbridge, built around 1900 for the Whitin family, offers amenities rarely seen today, such as stained-glass windows, a wrap-around porch, a foyer with a grand stairway, window seats and lots of natural woodwork. 

But its Victorian charm is complemented by modern amenities, such as an auxiliary heating system and an updated kitchen featuring a five-burner AGA Legacy gas stove and other new appliances, plenty of counter space and cabinets, plus an island. 

The home, which has been listed by Kathy Craig of ERA Key for $814,900, makes full use of its 1.5 acre lot and 4,275 square-feet of living area. It features five bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, a private office, a third-floor game room, and a basement with a large exercise area, a utility room and a laundry room. 

The home, which has hardwood floors throughout, includes a spacious dining room with a built-in cabinet and a canvas-covered ceiling, a living room with a fireplace, and a family room that’s ideally suited for entertaining. If the ample closet and storage space...

Valerie Cohen, a Realtor in the Framingham office, received a pin for 20 years of service during the recent annual meeting of The Realtor Association of Central Massachusetts.

Valerie has extensive experience with clients seeking to relocate and working with military personnel. She was named to the Circle of Achievement, which includes agents who have sold at least 45 units or total volume of at least $6 million, for each of the past several years.

She co-chairs the Framingham office’s charitable giving committee, which determines where funds from the ERA Key Realty Services Charitable Trust will be donated. She also regularly volunteers for charitable events sponsored by the Framingham office.

She is a graduate of Queensborough Community College of The City University of New York (CUNY). She has earned certifications as an Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR), a Cartus Network Referral Specialist (CNRS), a Military Relocation Professional (MRP) and a Distinctive Property Specialist (DPS). She is a member of the Realtor Association of Central Massachusetts (RACM), the Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

“During her two decades of service, Valerie has not only become one of our top agents,” Framingham Manager Ali Corton said, “she has also shown a real commitment to community service. Whether she’s helping someone in the military find a home or volunteering at a charitable event, she always seems to be helping someone.”

ERA Key’s Framingham office recently donated $500 each to the Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton, and the Metrowest Symphony Orchestra and Family Promise Metrowest, both of Natick.

The $1,500 in donations were made through the ERA Key Realty Services Charitable Trust. Baypath Humane Society is dedicated to providing shelter, care, humane treatment and loving homes for stray or unwanted companion animals. The Metrowest Symphony Orchestra has been providing classical and pops concerts, using both professional and volunteer musicians, for the enjoyment of area residents since 1973. Family Promise Metrowest provides shelter, education and comprehensive support to families that are facing homelessness.

“With all the challenges faced locally in the tight and expensive housing market,” Framingham Manager Ali Corton said, “we are glad to support local agencies providing much-needed resources to our community’s most vulnerable people and pets.” 

Pictured, top, left to right, are, back row, ERA Key’s Nelson Zide, Eliz Portal of Family Promise, ERA Key’s Ali Corton and Valerie Cohen; seated, ERA Key’s Cheyenne Dellasanta and Rob Haser of HUNT Mortgage. Above, left to right, are Zide, Baypath’s Elizabeth Jeffries, Corton and Cohen; seated, Dellasanta and Haser.

Edward L. Oliveri, an agent in ERA Key’s Chelmsford office, has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who.

Selection by Marquis Who's Who is based on factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility and prominence in a field.

With more than 15 years of experience as a Realtor “he focuses on helping his clients understand the buying and selling process throughout every transaction and ensuring their trust,” according to Marquis Who’s Who. “Remaining abreast of the ever-changing market, Mr. Oliveri also strives to ensure that every buyer and seller receives the best deal.”

After graduating from Northeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology, he became a quality assurance manager at Data Metrics in Wilmington.

“As a devout Christian, Mr. Oliveri has been heavily engaged in religious work as a Eucharistic Minister and lector at Saint Margaret of Scotland Parish in Lowell, Mass.,” Marquis Who’s Who noted. “He has also served as an altar servant for funerals, has been involved in ministry work with Saint Joseph the Worker's Shrine in Lowell, has served as a senior president and treasurer at his local Saint Vincent De Paul Society, as the founder of the Men of Saint Joseph, and has been a Boston Catholic Appeal participant. He has also been active with the Oblate Historical Museum as an Oblate Associate.”

He received a Christian Worker Recognition Award from Saint Joseph the Worker Shrine.

During his real estate career, he has received numerous awards, and one year closed...

Agents in ERA Key Realty’s Whitinsville office have recently donated $4,575.63 to area charities and schools.

Donations, which were made through the ERA Key Charitable Trust, included $500 each to the Northbridge High School Food Bank, the Town of Upton Food Pantry, Uxbridge Public Schools and the St. Denis Food Pantry in Douglas. The donation to Uxbridge Public Schools was made to provide students with after-school snacks.

In addition, Carla Horn arranged the donation of $2,575.63 through the Charitable Trust for school supplies for elementary schools in Northbridge, Uxbridge and Douglas.

“High inflation has made it especially difficult for families and individuals in the communities we serve,” according to Charitable Trust Chair Laura Hebb. “We do our best to give back through our charitable trust.”

“By providing schools with extra supplies, we hope to lessen the burden on teachers, who often pay for supplies with their own funds,” Carla said. “Hopefully, this assistance helps everyone, providing what is needed for classwork and assignments.”

Pictured are Laura Hebb, left, and Carla Horn.

Kelly Brown of Petersham has been named Branch Director of the agency’s Worcester office.

Brown previously was a Branch Manager with Coldwell Banker Realty in Chelmsford and a Realtor for Coldwell Banker Realty in Leominster. She began her career in real estate at Foster-Healey Real Estate in Leominster. Before real estate, she spent her career in sales and sales management mostly within the building materials industry.

She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Montana, Missoula, and has studied business administration at Southern New Hampshire University, Hooksett. She has volunteered as a Sunday School teacher, Junior Church Leader, and at local food pantries.

“I was attracted to ERA Key, because its technology, training programs and team approach will enable me and the agents in our office to better serve our clients,” Kelly said. “As manager, I will have an opportunity to put my past sales experience to good use for the benefit of all of our Worcester agents.”

“Worcester is the largest city in our region, so it’s important for us to have an experienced manager in that office,” said President and COO Cheryl Eidinger-Taylor. “We believe that Kelly has the experience and the talent needed to help our office achieve even greater success than it has to date.”

Agents and staff in ERA Key’s Worcester office are rolling up their sleeves and breaking out their hammers to help Habitat for Humanity build two new single-family homes at 521 and 523 Sunderland Road in Worcester.

Agents and staff in the Framingham, Auburn and Spencer offices have also been invited and other offices may be added.

Ground was broken in June for the new homes and ERA Key’s volunteers will be working on site on Wednesday, Nov. 1.

In addition, a fundraising page has been set up on Charity Proud with the goal of raising $1,000 for the project.

Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization working in local communities throughout the U.S. and in 70 countries.

Habitat’s vision is to build “strength, stability and self-reliance...

James Coppinger of Framingham has joined ERA Key's Framingham office as a Realtor.

Coppinger previously worked for many years in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, then became a firefighter for the Town of Framingham.

He was also a chef at Natick Labs. At the time, his Barn Burning Baked Catfish Wrapped in Bacon was a finalist in the 2007 national Tabasco Cook & Ladder Competition held at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.

“My goal for every client is to find the perfect place to call home,”Coppinger said. “I joined ERA Key, because I believe it will provide me with the best opportunity to achieve that goal.”

Mara A. Eisenhardt of Marlborough has joined ERA Key's Marlborough office as a Realtor.

She is a Construction Technology Specialist at Commodore Builders, a construction management firm in Waltham. She has also worked as a CAD Drafter at Walsh/Cochis Associates in Westborough.

She is earning a bachelor’s degree from Boston Architectural College. She speaks German, as well as English, and is a licensed drone pilot.

“I was seeking greater knowledge of the real estate market, as well as purchasing and selling properties,” Eisenhardt said. “I found that ERA Key has some of the best training in the field, and offers great opportunities for new and current Realtors.”

The following article by ERA Key President and COO Cheryl Eidinger-Taylor was published recently in Banker & Tradesman.

Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates have risen more than 260% since the year 2020, when the year ended with an average rate of 2.67%, according to Freddie Mac.

Today’s average mortgage rate is 6.96%, which may seem high compared with the historically low rate of 2020, but it’s still below the historical average of 7.74% from 1971 to the present. And those who need a mortgage can be thankful that today’s rates are far below the 18.53% average rate reached in October 1981, when rates were raised to lower inflation that was even higher than we’ve recently experienced.

But what can we expect moving forward? Will rates continue to rise? Or will they drop back to a lower level?

Many experts believe mortgage rates will fall moderately in the coming months. For example, Freddie Mac chief economist Sam Khater said that, with inflation decelerating, rates should “gently decline” over the remainder of 2023. Others predicted rates could drop to 5.5% to 6.6% by year’s end:

• Fannie Mae’s July Housing Forecast predicts that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate will drop to 6.6% by the end of 2023 and 5.9% by the end of 2024.
• The National Association of Realtors expects that the 30-year fixed rate will fall to 6.0% by year’s end and 5.6% in 2024.
• Bank of America Global Research predicts that rates will drop to 5.25% by the end of the year.
• Michael...

Lucas Bimberg of Franklin has joined its Millis office as a Realtor.

He was previously a Commercial Account Representative for RSA Security LLC in Bedford. Before that, he was a Sales Representative and Account Executive for Dassault Systèmes SE in Waltham. He began his sales career as an Account Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. in Waltham.

He studied construction management at Central Connecticut State University and earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Framingham State University.

“During my first experience with ERA Key, I recognized that the Millis office had an innovative, forward-thinking team of future-oriented professionals,” Bimberg said. “That’s just what I was looking for. I look forward to working with them and to becoming a key resource for my clients.”

Joselle L. Turner of Whitinsville has joined its Whitinsville office as a Realtor.

She previously served as General Manager of the Valley Pub in Whitinsville. She has been involved in many fundraisers and community activities through her restaurant work.

“When I decided to get into the real estate industry, I wanted to learn from the best of the best,” she said. “Whitinsville agents Laura Hebb and Carla Horn were instrumental in my getting my license and signing on with ERA Key.”

ERA Key's Team Blue hosted a fundraiser on July 26, 2023 to help support the Wilmington Animal Food Pantry. 

In honor of National Dog Photography Day, the team hosted a free photoshoot for anyone in the community who wanted to bring their dogs. The team asked for donations for the food pantry including cat litter, cat dry food, dry dog food, new toys, leashes and collars. 

The Wilmington Animal Food Pantry serves the surrounding communities, including Wilmington, Tewksbury, Woburn, Billerica, Burlington, Reading and North Reading. The non-profit collects donations from the local community to provide free animal food and supplies to families in need. When people are unable to provide for their pets financially, they often surrender them to a shelter. 

“Our team recently heard about the Wilmington Animal Food Pantry, and we were all immediately interested in helping,” said Lori Penney, leader of Team Blue. “Each one of us on the team has a dog at home, so it was important for us to get involved in any way we could. We saw that National Dog Photography Day was on July 26 and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to host a fundraiser to get some awareness for this wonderful organization.”

Team Blue is located at the Wilmington branch of ERA Key Realty Services. The team specializes in real estate in the Boston Suburban...

ERA Key agents in the Billerica and Chelmsford offices recently donated about $2,000 worth of women’s clothing to Uncommon Threads, a non-profit based in Lawrence, Mass.

Uncommon Threads uses an “outside-in, inside-out” approach to “help low-income women see and feel their true potential by using clothing and image as tools for building self-esteem and self-worth. Unlike other organizations that solely focus on work attire, Uncommon Threads addresses all aspects of a woman's clothing needs while nurturing personal growth through self-esteem focused styling sessions and workshops.”

Pictured, left to right, top, are Lisa Benoit, manager, Billerica office; Rob Haser, Hunt Mortgage; Mary Bilodeau, manager, Chelmsford office; bottom, left, Michelle Nugent, store and inventory manager, Uncommon Threads; Claire Prudhomme, ERA office administrator, and Lisa Benoit, manager, Billerica office; middle, agents Beth Cleary, Carolyn Corbett, Andrea Dutile and Daisy Walker; right, agent Andrea Dutile with representatives from R.J. Home Inspections.

Lisa Beth Elliott of Hampstead, N.H., has rejoined ERA Key's Billerica office as a Realtor.

She previously left ERA Key to become a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Verani Realty in Londonderry, N.H. She has also been a Realtor with Coco, Early & Associates in Methuen and a Client Relationship Manager at William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance in Andover.

She is also an Accounts Payable Specialist at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, N.H. She has also worked in other sales, retail and administrative positions. She is a volunteer at the Family Promises Shelter in Nashua, N.H.

“I returned to ERA Key, because I love the teamwork and ethical integrity that the Billerica office offers me,” Lisa said. “It’s good to be back.”