Happy New Year! Always at this time of the year, it seems to be a rite of passage to do a look back and analysis of the previous year. And so I figured I would do the same - looking back at the Top 10 2012 blog posts*. I picked the Top 10 blogs based on you - your feedback and comments via social media (Facebook, Twitter), online (my website, the Pinnacle website, Weston Patch) and/or live, in person. And here they are (drum roll please):

• 1. What Kind of 'Burb Home Buyer Are You? - Which ‘burb town characteristics best fit you and are most important to you when buying a home?
• 2. Screened-in Porch: Yea or Nay? - The compelling and not-so-compelling aspects of having a screened-in porch.
• 3. The Optimal Choice for Your Master Bathroom - If you only have the space and resources to choose one, which is the optimal choice for you - a master bathtub or shower? And what about from a resale perspective?
• 4. Weston and Wellesley Featured in Boston Magazine's "Swanky Town Smackdown" - The magazine touted the 10 Best Suburbs ofBoston as Brookline, Weston, Lincoln, Wellesley, Manchester,Newton, Winchester, Lexington, Concord and Belmont (in order of the highest to lowest median home price), and then the towns were rated on a variety of categories, including "Prettiest Outdoor and Green Spaces," "Main Street/Town Center Cuteness Rating," and "Commute Time to Boston."
• 5. Trash Disposal in Weston, MA: Public or Private? - A brief synopsis of Weston’s public and private trash disposal options and scenarios.
• 6. The Ideal Direction for Your Home: North or South-Facing? - There are so many things to consider when buying a home – location, type of home, living area, move-right-in or fix-it-up, lot size and utility, condition…  Does the direction in which your potential new home faces enter into your decision-making process?
• 7. What to do with that Popcorn Ceiling? - Is a popcorn ceiling something you can or can't live with? And what about when buying or selling a home?
• 8. Kids Birthday Party Fun in the 'Burbs - If you have children and live in the 'burbs of Boston, where to have your child’s birthday party is most likely a question that you have pondered at least once a year.
• 9. Tree Faces in Weston and Wellesley Real Estate - Adding a little whimsy to your yard with some fabulous tree faces.
• 10. Buying a House with a Pool: Keep it or Fill it in? - To keep the pool or fill it in – that is the question? Have you faced this question – and ensuing decision – during the home-buying process?

And here are a few of my personal favorites - blogs in which I just loved the subject matter and especially enjoyed writing:

• 10 Things You Might Not Know About Weston, MA - Are you familiar with US Weekly Magazine’s “25 Things You Don’t Know about Me,” which features celebrities getting personal and sharing some lesser known facts about themselves? Well, this is basically the same concept applied to Weston, MA.
• The Advantages to Living in the 'Burbs - Some of the fabulous benefits to living in the 'burbs, like finding a parking place and getting the kids into the car becomes as easy as 1-2-3….
• The Importance of a Dining Room - Nate Berkus and Barbara Corcoran share some tips on how to maximize the look and size of your dining room, which can be one of the most important rooms (after the kitchen) in the house when it comes to re-sale.
• 5 Simple Steps to Optimize Your Entryway - Hats off to Nate Berkus once again.... How to enhance the look of your entryway and optimize a potential buyer's first impression when selling your home.
• Buying a Home and the Hearing Sense - Where do you as a buyer fall on the noise spectrum - tolerant, intolerant or somewhere in between?
• Appealing to the Visual Sense: Selling a Shiny, Sparkling Home - Some things to do to make your house sparkle, shine and appeal visually to as many buyers as possible the first second they walk through the door.
• Mario Testino's "In Your Face" at the Museum of Fine Arts - great exhibit, great artist/photographer, great subject matter, great friends, great dinner, great evening overall - that about sums it up.....
• Snow Plowing Fun in the 'Burbs - This was my last blog of 2012, and I especially liked it for two reasons. First, I polled my friends and shared their input - and that's always so fun when writing my blogs. And second, the shared information actually helped some people whose snow plowers had failed to show up and plow after the December 29 snow storm. Love that!

And of course, I always get a kick out of the blogs covering The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Dancing with the Stars, Emmy and Oscar Fashionistas, holidays and celebrations, area store openings as well asfun, local happenings. I hope you enjoyed the 2012 blogs as much as I did, and now on to the new year, new content, new perspectives and much more.... Happy 2013!

For more information on this or on the real estate market in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns, please contact me, Lisa Curlett(781-267-2844 or www.homesalesbylisa.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.

* The Weston MA Pinnacle Report and Weston MA Homes Sold blogs were excluded from consideration.