ERA Key Realty Services

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.”

Linda A. Morel of Chelmsford has joined the Chelmsford office as a Realtor.

She previously was a Realtor with an independent family owned agency and with ReMax in Arlington.

She also has many years of experience in the software industry and is currently a Major Account Sales Executive at DigiCert, Inc. in Boston. She previously served as a Senior Strategic Account Executive at Deque Systems, Inc. in North Chelmsford, a Senior Sales Executive for RadView Software Ltd. in the greater Boston area, a Senior Account Executive for NEOTYS USA, Inc. in Lexington and a Principal Partner and Sales Consultant at Strategic Prospects in Chlelmsford.

Linda earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration, and law and justice from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and studied law at the Massachusetts School of Law, Andover.

She is a disaster recovery volunteer in the northeast U.S. for the Red Cross, a member of the Chelmsford Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee and a volunteer at the House of Hope, a homeless shelter in Lowell. She is also a Make-A-Wish volunteer and a Lowell Transitional House volunteer.

“I decided to join ERA Key after speaking with several local real estate companies,” Linda said. “ERA Key had a warm and friendly atmosphere. I found the Chelmsford manager to be very friendly, honest and a joy to talk to. ERA Key has a reputation for honesty, integrity and excellent customer service.”

ERA Key President and COO Cheryl Eidinger-Taylor discusses the local housing market in the latest issue of the Worcester Business Journal.

LATE SPRING: THE BOTTOM HAS DROPPED OUT OF THE SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING MARKET, BUT REAL ESTATE AGENTS SEE THINGS WARMING UP

By Timothy Doyle

The first half of 2023 was a difficult one for home buyers and for real estate agents as single-family home sales cratered and home prices plateaued high above pre-COVID levels. 

In Worcester County, year-to-date single-family home sales fell by nearly 28% through April compared with the same time period in 2022. The median sale price in the first four months of 2023 in Worcester County was $400,000, down slightly from $405,000 in 2022, but up from $290,000 in 2019, according to data from Peabody-based research firm The Warren Group. The early-year decline was a continuation of a trend started in 2022. 

Now, real estate professionals are optimistic for a normalization of the market for the rest of the year. 

“This is a late spring market, later than normal,” said Cheryl Eidinger-Taylor, president and chief operating officer with ERA Key Realty Services in Whitinsville. Eidinger-Taylor added she is seeing the beginnings of an uptick normally seen in April. 

Tough time for the buyers

Real estate professionals told WBJ the main culprit is a lack of inventory. The dearth of homes for sale is caused by existing homeowners who...

A farmhouse-style ranch home at 2 Briarcliff Road in Hopedale that’s listed by Milford agent Kim Poirier is the "Home of the Week" featured on Boston.com.

Home of the Week: A farmhouse-style ranch for aging in place

By John R. Ellement

It’s not a prerequisite for ownership of this 58-year-old ranch-style home, but if one is looking to age in place, this house definitely qualifies. A down-to-the-studs reimaging by SPB Design Build — a contractor focused on creating age-in-place and multigenerational residences — resulted in a barrier-free home.

The adaptation starts with a wide, gently sloping, smooth walkway that slips under the gable roof shielding the front doorway. The 63-square-foot foyer has a bench with storage along a shiplap wall. The foyer leads to an open floor plan that the dining area, great room, and the kitchen occupy. This comes as no surprise in a home that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Think doors and hallways that are wider than the standard size, no carpeting, and curb-less showers.

To the right off the foyer, a bay window overlooking the front yard and a boxy, cast-iron light fixture with four glass globes marks the dining area.

Exposed beams and a shiplap wall on the right direct one’s eye to the 280-square-foot great room, which features a cathedral ceiling punctuated by...