Mary White, broker-owner of Barnbrook Realty in Great Barrington has been elected to serve as the President of the Berkshire County Board of Realtors. In her inaugural address at Cranwell Resort in Lenox, White announced that her number one priority as President is to help improve housing accessibility in Berkshire County. She is leading the association in a new endeavor to identify specific housing shortfalls in the Berkshire marketplace, build coalitions with other housing organizations and set achievable goals for assisting communities in dealing with the current pressure on the housing market.

Residential home sales in Berkshire County have been on the rise for the past several years, but the availability of housing to satisfy all income levels is decreasing in certain segments, notes White. This unfulfilled demand has kept sales climbing and resulted in the substantial jump in average home price in Berkshire County.

“Statistics from our Multiple Listing Service show an increase of over 18% in sales price countywide in the past one-year period. In the past 10 years, housing prices in Berkshire County have risen over 83%. Considering the current economic climate, more and more people are looking at these numbers and realizing that real estate is a solid investment. In a beautiful region like the Berkshires, the subsequent increase in second homeownership is not surprising, but it makes the issue of availability and affordability for those who want to live and work here a real concern”, White states.

White reports, “The average sale price of a home in Berkshire County has risen from $183,089 to $217,158 in the past year. One of the primary reasons for this significant increase is a simple matter of supply and demand. Housing availability in Berkshire County has dropped by over 38% in inventory of residential homes for sale since 1992. If you consider that only 10 years ago we had 1208 properties for sale, compared to today’s total of 739, then it is easier to understand why home prices have appreciated 83%. This trend isn’t going to simply go away, and can have a large impact on economic development and revitalization in Berkshire County. Each community will be affected in different ways, and it is our job as Realtors to help make a difference.”

As a long-standing, volunteer member and current Vice President of Construct, Inc., a housing service organization in Great Barrington, a licensed appraiser, a member of the Southern Berkshire Housing Coalition and member of the New Marlboro Planning Board, White recognizes the scope of the housing needs in our community. Since joining the Realtor Association in 1981 she has served in many leadership roles, notably as the 1996 President and was selected the 1996 ‘Realtor of the Year’ by her peers. She earned her Graduate Realtor Institute Designation and the Certified Buyer Representative Designation and is active on the Professional Standards committee and appeal panels for the association.

In addition to her service to the Berkshire Realtor association, she also serves as a Massachusetts Association of Realtors Director and is a Berkshire Realtor Representative for visits to our national legislators on Capital Hill in Washington DC. In the community, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club in Great Barrington, as Treasurer of the South Berkshire Interfaith Committee, as a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of Fairview Hospital, and is a communicant of St. Peters Church in Great Barrington. Mary makes her home in New Marlborough with her husband John. They have four grown children.

Also elected to serve the Realtor Association were five county-wide officers, Charles Sawyer of Dayspring Realtors in Pittsfield is serving as President Elect, Lynne Blake of RCI Real Estate in North Adams was elected to Vice Presidency, Barbara Osborne of Ashmere Realty as Secretary and Dennis Welch of Lenox as Treasurer. Past President Sherry Street of Dayspring REALTORS will also serve with North County Directors Elizabeth Randall of Adams and Carlyne Mills of RCI in North Adams. The Central Realtor representatives include Dan Boulais of Century 21 Franklin Street, Barb Hassan of Lanesboro and Mary Ellen Raymer of Century 21 A. Perras Realty. Three additional Realtors were elected to represent the southern Berkshire region, with Riccardo Boehm from Berkshire Country Properties, Pat Melluzzo from Wheeler & Taylor and Ellen Greenberg from Alford Farms Realty.

The Berkshire County Board of Realtors serves 410 real estate professionals throughout the county in their mission to fulfill the American dream of homeownership for our citizens. Services include the compilation of property data, advanced education, professional standards services, and legal, environmental and market information.

Mary R. White
Barnbrook Realty
271 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230

Office phone – (413) 528-4423