home buying: How to Get MLS Listings for Your Massachusetts Home Search - 05/01/12 06:09 AM
How to Get MLS Listings for Your Massachusetts Home Search
Looking for a home these days has become a little easier than it was years ago due to all of the technology at our disposal. Of course, you will still want to avail yourself of the services of a good buyer agent who knows the area and can help you in your search from start to finish. But even before you work with an agent you can start to preview the terrain by signing onto a Massachusetts MLS Listings service.
Some of the sources you can choose from are Realtor.com, Trulia and Zillow. A number of real estate … (0 comments)
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home buying: What Does a Massachusetts Buyer Agent Do? - 03/19/12 10:36 AM
What Does a Massachusetts Buyer Agent Do?
You should know that not all Massachusetts real estate agents are created equal. There are agents who specialize in listing homes and there are the fewer select agents who specialize in representing home buyers. And, in between, there are Realtors® who do a mixture of both.
Obviously, your home buying needs are not going to be served by the agent whose sole specialty is listing and selling homes. A Massachusetts Buyer Agent is dedicated to serving the needs of someone who is buying a home and, as such, has had the … (3 comments)
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home buying: The Elements of a Massachusetts Offer to Purchase Real Estate - 06/18/11 07:00 PM
The Elements of a Massachusetts Offer to Purchase Real Estate
Once you have found the perfect home, it is the job of your Realtor® to write up an Offer to Purchase. Since Massachusetts has a two-contract process, the Offer to Purchase is the first step, to be followed in 7 days to a week by the Purchase and Sale Agreement.
The Massachusetts Offer to Purchase is typically written on the standard preprinted form provided by the local board. However, the contingency pages are another matter. These pages are specifically geared to protect your interests as a home buyer, and specifically - your deposit.
The … (3 comments)
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home buying: What is the Most Important Room in a Home? - 03/11/11 02:06 PM
When asked this question, most buyers will single out the kitchen as the most important room to them. Its size has nearly doubled over the last twenty years and so, it seems, has its relevance in a home sale.
Regardless of how much time is spent decorating a living room, family room or any other part of the house, the kitchen is usually where the center of action is. Whether people gather together for meals or wander in at different times, this is the place where they like to congregate.
Really - the kitchen is the heart of any home.
Originally intended as a place designated only for cooking, the kitchen has become so much more. Whether it is for entertaining … (13 comments)
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home buying: Protecting Your Home with the Massachusetts Homestead Act - 03/01/11 10:45 PM
Protecting Your Home with the Massachusetts Homestead Act
In your quest for the perfect home you have taken all of the appropriate steps so far, including:
Property search and home visits. Comparative market analysis to arrive at an appropriate value. Due diligence regarding the neighborhood and zoning. Negotiating to get the best price. A home inspection to assure you of its structural soundness. There is one more item to add to your list. It's called the Massachusetts Homestead Act.
What is Massachusetts Homestead Act?
Home buyers have a valuable mechanism that is available to them to protect their home purchase. According to Massachusetts General Laws, you … (9 comments)
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home buying: Home Buyer Etiquette - Viewing Homes for Sale - 02/21/11 02:32 PM
Home Buyer Etiquette - Viewing Homes for Sale
As a prospective home buyer you will want to be sensitive and respectful when touring properties with your Realtor®. After all, at some time in the future, you may be on the receiving end as potential buyers traipse through your beloved abode in search of their perfect home.
Home buying is an emotional experience and sometimes people can forget the fact that, whether the house is filled with precious antiques or it is completely vacant - it belongs to someone else.
Here are a few simple guidelines to follow on your home hunting … (55 comments)
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home buying: Buying a Home During the Winter Months - It Could be a Good Deal! - 02/06/11 07:32 PM
If you are in the market for a new home and think that winter is not the best time to look, you may want to change your perspective. While the cold winter months come with a set of challenges, this time of the year also has its advantages.
It may seem logical to wait until the spring market since that is the time that most sellers choose to list their homes. However, embarking on your home search in the winter can actually save you money.
One of the reasons to choose this time of the year for a home search is that … (7 comments)
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home buying: Should I Buy New Construction or a Resale? - 01/12/11 10:16 PM
Whether you are moving up from your current home or buying for the first time it can be a difficult decision whether to purchase a new home or a resale.
A brand new home can be an exciting proposition. Not only is it sparkling new but the surrounding homes in the development will also be of the same vintage. And this can put you in a favorable position when it comes time to resell.
However, there are two sides to this issue and you will need to explore them both to help in your decision-making.
Keep in mind that a brand new home is a … (10 comments)
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home buying: In This Day and Age - What Good is Owning a Home? - 09/27/10 05:28 PM
A recent cover of Time Magazine featured the phrase, "Rethinking Homeownership" and dwelled on the downside of owning a home since we have been through some turbulent times.
This is doom and gloom of the worse kind. A home may not be the ultimate piggy bank that it once was, but does that mean we should become a nation of renters?
Before we turn in our welcome mats and put away the "Home Sweet Home" plaques we may want to look at the opportunity that is here and the reasons to buy a home right now.
Quality of Life. A rental property is not going … (67 comments)
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home buying: Are You Sabotaging Your Home Search with Too Many Objections? - 09/14/10 10:16 AM
Are You Sabotaging Your Home Search with Too Many Objections?
Sometimes home buyers can set themselves up for a restricted experience when looking for a home. Having a large list of objections can act as a hindrance and could very well prevent you from keeping an open mind.
Some objections are completely valid while some are just plain limiting - they can include:
Gas heat is dangerous. Oil heat smells. Electric heat is expensive. Corian counters crack. Marble counters can be fragile. Granite counters emit radon gas. Formica looks cheap. Cathedral ceilings are difficult to heat. Low ceilings are confining. Skylights can leak. Wood floors … (17 comments)
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home buying: What is Included in a Home Purchase? - 09/10/10 05:15 PM
What is Included in a Home Purchase?
There can often be confusion on the part of buyers as to which items come with a property and which do not. This is particularly true if the listing broker has left the items vague in the listing. It is crucial to spell things out, but if they have not been, there are some general rules to follow.
Real Property vs. Personal Property
For the purpose of a real estate transaction, Real Property is the land and everything attached to it, including the ground to the core of the Earth and up to the sky. This would encompass … (6 comments)
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home buying: Why is Title Insurance Necessary for your Home Purchase? - 08/29/10 05:11 PM
Why is Title Insurance Necessary for your Home Purchase?
Home buyers often ask what the significance is of title insurance in the buying process. You have so many expenses that are coming out of your pocket right now. Is this one that is particularly worthwhile?
Unlike home owners' insurance which is to cover any problems that may arise in the future - title insurance is there to cover something that may have already occurred.
According to the American Land Title Association (ALTA), about 25 percent of all residential real estate transactions have issues with the title. Most are resolved prior to … (7 comments)
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home buying: Finding the Right Buyer Agent for Your Massachusetts Home Purchase - 06/24/10 06:27 PM
Finding the Right Buyer Agent for Your Massachusetts Home Purchase
Choosing a buyer estate agent to work with is a major decision and should not be taken lightly. There is a world of difference between someone who is experienced, full-time and dedicated to their career and an agent who is part-time, dabbling and not fully-equipped to serve your needs.
Some areas in Massachusetts still have a declining market and others are fraught with uncertainty. In order to get the best result with your home search and buying experience you will need to find the right professional to help you.
Here are … (3 comments)
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home buying: What if the Home You are Buying Does Not Appraise? - 06/02/10 03:27 PM
What if the Home You are Buying Does Not Appraise?
If the home you are planning on purchasing is unique there may simply not have been many sales of similar homes in the area. In which case, arriving at a fair offer price can sometimes be a challenge.
To arrive at an offer price, your buyer agent should put together an analysis for you of all of the homes in the area that have sold, preferably within a mile of the home and within the past six months. These homes will have a similar square footage and be in the same age … (4 comments)
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home buying: Was the Home Buyer Tax Credit Really a Help or Just Hype? - 05/01/10 02:01 PM
Was the Home Buyer Tax Credit Really a Help or Just Hype?
Now that the drop dead date of April 30 has come and gone we can look at the government's home buyer tax credit through a different set of eyes.
I don't know how this program played out with most Realtors® but I really had very few people who were driven by it or that actually took advantage of it. It was more a question of, "If it happens fine - if it doesn't that's fine, as well."
As a home buyer, if you did not have a home … (21 comments)
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home buying: Mortgage Rates are on the Upswing - 04/11/10 08:53 AM
Mortgage Rates are on the Upswing
As predicted, interest rates are starting to climb.
Resulting from an improving economy and the end of the government's program to keep rates low, the interest rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 5.21 percent. This was up from 5.08 percent just last week. This is the highest it has been since the middle of August when it was at 5.29 percent.
This is good news-bad news, of course. If interest rates are climbing then it stands to reason that sentiment about the economy is improving. As a matter of fact, investors have been feeling … (5 comments)
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home buying: Are Open Houses a Waste of Time? - 03/08/10 09:59 PM
Are Open Houses a Waste of Time?
I spent some of this weekend attending open houses to look at and video for relocation clients. It was one of the first nice weather weekends we have had in awhile and it certainly drew out the perspective buyers.
What I witnessed were houses that were absolutely buzzing with people who were interested families - with loud children. I could hardly hear the narration of my videos over the clamor.
At least one of these ended with the broker receiving an offer the same day.
So, are open houses are waste of time?
I … (26 comments)
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home buying: The Importance of Curb Appeal - 03/04/10 09:51 PM
The Importance of Curb Appeal
I was asked recently what the meaning was on a listing sheet when a broker stated that a property was "not a drive-by." My answer was simply that it means that house just does not look very good from the street. In order words - it has no curb appeal.
Curb appeal describes the attractiveness of the exterior of a home. These days the science has been turned into a booming business with numerous television programs instructing homeowners on how to create and improve it.
If a home has no curb appeal it is going to … (9 comments)
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home buying: Ballard Hill Estates - Ashland Massachusetts - 01/21/10 04:08 PM
Ballard Hill Estates - Ashland Massachusetts
Green Street in Ashland runs through a lovely and wooded residential area and leads directly to the neighborhood of Ballard Hill Estates.
With the city forest abutting one side and trees lining all around, this development seems to be tucked away in a world of its own. Albert Ray Drive leads into the neighborhood that is made up of Lucy French Way, Enslin Circle and Dearth Circle. The three cul de sacs created provide a safe and family friendly atmosphere.
At the entrance to this community is the Montessori Pincushion School, a private a prestigious school … (0 comments)
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home buying: How Many Homes Will You Look at to Find the Right One in Massachusetts? - 01/07/10 11:11 AM
As you embark on your search for the perfect home in Massachusetts you may wonder what the process will entail. How long will you look and how many homes will you view before finding the right one?
A recent Wall Street Journal article showcased the epic home search of Lidia Pringle. In her quest for her dream home in Tiburon, California, Ms. Pringle shopped for over two-and-a-half years and looked at a total of 298 homes.
This methodical home hunter kept meticulous files and a careful watch on the market during the entire time. Her tenacious and painstaking search was so comprehensive that local Realtors® were … (7 comments)
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