Helping the homeless in Wellesley, MA - 01/31/11 07:37 AM
RE/MAX Landmark and Susanne McInerney and her Mass Estate Team have joined Bobby Baker in a fund raiser for The Boston Minstrel Company. On Feb 13 2011 Art From the Heart will be on display at the new RE/MAX Landmark Wellesley office located at 462 Washington Street in Wellesley. The photographic arts of Bobby Baker will be on display and for sale to benefit the Boston Minstrel Company and their work. This event is by invitation send your RSVP to info@massestateteam.com for admission.
Susanne, Ginny and Chuck of the MassEstateTeam.com are excited to be raising awareness for The Boston Minstrel Company … (1 comments)

Boston Red Sox Tickets on Sale, Jet in Anguilla - 01/30/11 10:22 AM
On my way to the office yesterday I passed this hopeful sign painted into the feet of snow that encloses our streets here in New England.  OK, so the Patriots are off playing golf, except for Coach Hoodie who is in Hawaii coaching the AFC pro bowl team. Traditionally at this time of the year focus moves to hockey, basketball and BASEBALL.  The emphasis is this region’s and not necessarily mine, although I do love my Sox.  Having grown up in and around Philadelphia I know the rabid feelings born into sports fans.  I know fans in New England, even the … (0 comments)

The Biggest Lobster, Anguilla - 01/29/11 03:34 PM

While marketing 7 Palms Villa in Anguilla I was shocked and amazed at the size of the lobsters on the island.  It seems that the living is good in the Caribbean even for the crustaceans....that is until they are caught and eaten.
So how much butter does a lobster of this size need to get eaten?  Is this a meal for one, or more than one?  Wow!
… (6 comments)

Golf in Anguilla, Villa for Sale - 01/29/11 09:07 AM
Anguilla is a wonderful island located in the Caribbean only seven miles from the better known St Martin’s.  While St Martin’s has gambling, night life, shopping like you are in Manhattan, Anguilla does not.  Anguilla is a safe, quiet, secure island with some of the best beaches in the world.  It is also home of a Greg Norman designed golf course.  Talk has resumed on a new top level course being built soon.
7 Palms Villa is available for purchase.  Property of this sort rarely comes on the market. Long range tax advantages, property ownership, income potential are just part of … (3 comments)

Shoveling Out, but thinking about an Anguilla Vacation - 01/28/11 09:31 AM
There are so many things to do in Anguilla and none of them include a snow shovel. (Well, maybe one, but that was from some Judd Apatow movie, I think.) The warm waters of blue are great home ground for all kinds of sport fish and good eating fish.  There is Greg Norman designed golf course that is a way to soothe your aching muscles.  If you are lucky you don't have a short dog because short dogs have some difficulty, you can imagine in snow well over their heads, let alone there evacuation apparatus.  A small dog can relieve himself … (4 comments)

Warren Buffet knows - 01/27/11 07:21 AM
Every night I indulge in an hour of reading about Real Estate.  Currently I am reading The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller.  I was given this book several months ago by a wonderful team leader in Dallas when I was interviewing after a disaster start with an EXIT office in Metro Dallas. (That office closed it’s doors at the end of last year.)  When I returned to Boston I joined the number one brand in real estate, RE/MAX Landmark, but I am thoroughly enjoying this Keller Williams book on how to be a millionaire agent.  Inspiration is everywhere for … (5 comments)

There is No Snow in Anguilla - 01/26/11 08:54 AM
Another day here in Boston with another prediction of snow.  How is it that the weather folks are getting this so right this year? They are rolling out of bed, like some ponxitanne phil and predicting snow and going back into their hole.  I do love the winter sports, I do love the quietness of the freshly fallen snow, but I am so ready for the blue waters and warm weather.  More than the starkness of the white, I love the shades of blue water the Caribbean offers.  7 Palms in Anguilla is a Villa that is on the market right … (5 comments)

Time to win! - 01/25/11 07:40 AM
It is early in the week, late in the first month of the year. What stories are you telling yourself in the morning? Are you sticking to the promises you made yourself? Are you allowing yourself to make excuses? How strong is your resolve? For me it is all about the story. Which is more compelling; where I want to go and how I see myself; or what is getting in my way and what excuses I allow myself. It is a daily dialogue and it happens every morning. While I have lost 4 pounds since the beginning of the year, … (5 comments)

What a Prize! - 01/25/11 07:35 AM
The Bachelor, a popular TV show, is at it again. They have listed an 8 day stay in Anguilla as one of their two grand prizes. The word is out, Anguilla is one of the most romantic and beautiful spots in the world to vacation. Now you have an opportunity to buy a part of paradise.
7 Palms Villa has come on the market. This is a home for a family to enjoy, or a group of families to share. Take a look at some of the other posts here and give me a call to get started. Call Larry 972 … (2 comments)

Romance in the Air - 01/24/11 07:54 AM
We are within a month of Valentine’s day.  Are you one of those people who consider this another Hallmark Holiday?  You know one of those days invented by marketing people to sell their ware, or are you a romantic at heart?  The island of Anguilla near St Martins in the Caribbean is considered one of the most romantic spots in the world.  Proof of that fact is that it has recently been chosen as the place where The Bachelor will shoot it’s next season and Cap Juluca has been chosen by NBC for a Today Show wedding.
7 Palms Villa is … (4 comments)

Antidote to freezing weather. - 01/23/11 11:41 AM
The temperatures in New England today and for the next couple of days may not get over Zero, and that is cold.  We aren't due for another snowstorm for a couple of days and that allows us to rest our sore backs and calloused hands.  So we got that going for us.  This is the time of year I daydream about warm beaches and blue water.  Anguilla is the spot for me.  One of the most romantic spots in the world, Anguilla is located in the Caribbean near St Martins.  Here are some new shots of the island and what it … (5 comments)

Top Ten Reasons to Own a Villa in Anguilla - 01/21/11 07:40 AM
Location, Location, Location- Anguilla, located in the Caribbean 7 miles from St Martin’s is considered one of the top destinations in the world to go and vacation by celebrities, jet setters and those of means.  A short flight from New England puts you away from the crowd and sitting atop one of the most beautiful vistas in the world. Privacy, Safe and Secure- 7 Palms Villa is a gated home that is both safe and secure.  Anguilla is an island that allows it’s visitors all the privacy they want and need.  This is the only place on the earth where Paris … (6 comments)

Who’s Fault is it? - 01/21/11 07:34 AM
There is a great deal of confusion about who is at fault in the hasty foreclosure of homes across the country.  More importantly there is a great number of ways you can go about protecting yourself whether you are the one being foreclosed on, or the one purchasing a foreclosure.
Our office has meeting each month where we discuss the latest news about these issues.  We invite in a trusted loan officer who provides us up to the minute information and statistics.  We are lucky that way and that is just a small portion why I am so lucky to be … (4 comments)

Getting into the Groove - 01/20/11 08:18 AM
Besides the fact our work as a real estate consultant is filled with pitfalls and hurdles, most of us love it.  That is we love most of it, I have yet to meet anyone who loves the prospecting part.  Everyone loves the result of prospecting, but does anyone like the grind?  It is a process; it is work. I think of a blog that Seth Godin wrote about work where he said that a professional is someone who goes to work when they don’t want to and does the job they have chosen, or are assigned to.  Here are some other … (5 comments)

Evening Chuckles - 01/19/11 07:12 PM
I have never posted any jokes, but I was tickled with many of these.  I thought I would share.
I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way, so I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.  The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it's still on the list.  If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.    War does … (6 comments)

Following up the interview - 01/19/11 07:37 AM
Last week I had an interview with a prospect who was looking for a real estate consultant to help them locate a home in one of four areas. Each of the areas is very different in terms of communities.  One is a city, one is rural and two different suburban communities with really very little in common.  I wrote last week about my preparation and was ready for the phone interview.  I knew about the recent sales and activity of each area.  I was versed in the person calling because I had researched her on line and read a number of … (4 comments)

Anguilla, Shoal Bay Restaurants - 01/18/11 08:38 PM
In our lives we are always looking for the best.  We want that in our lives and strive for it.  Sometimes if we are focused enough, hard working enough, smart enough or lucky enough we get just that.  The best is determined by the majority and not the individual, but it is the individual who makes up those who become the majority and the word is in.  Anguilla, a beautiful island in the Caribbean has some of the best beaches in the world and has restaurants that are considered the best in the Caribbean and rate 5 stars.  Here are some … (0 comments)

What would you do with a windfall of cash? - 01/17/11 08:48 AM
Granted this is not the kind of question that many people face these days, but if you are a person who has just sold the business, or gotten oil or mineral rights sold on your land and have a bunch of new cash sitting around this is an important question.  Protecting your assets and enjoying them are two separate issues.  The villa in Anguilla would combine both and also provide you tax benefits, bragging rights and one of the nicest homes in one of the most exclusive areas in the world.
7 Palms Villa sits on it’s own land on the … (7 comments)

Social Media Best Practices - 01/16/11 09:10 AM
I wouldn’t characterize this posting as rules, because we all know there are no rules in social media, but there are best practices.  The 80/20 rule is one of them.  You should be talking about others about 80% of the time.  Promote your neighborhood, your neighbors, local businesses and other bloggers who inspire you.  This is a great practice because you are not sticking your chest out, like so many old school agents, and blustering on about how you are the best.  This is a great approach because when you promote others in your sphere of interest they will most likely … (9 comments)

20 Questions - 01/14/11 10:03 AM
Later today I have a call with a prospect I was referred to earlier in the week.  I have already blogged about the referral and what I have done to prepare, but I just mentioned my 20 questions.  I use these 20 questions as a launching point for getting an honest understanding of what the prospect really wants.  I have always known it is all about the client and these twenty questions (which I change for each prospect) is the best way to drill down on what they are looking for.  It is not about the price or square footage, it … (10 comments)

Nailing the first interview - 01/14/11 07:47 AM
On Monday I got a referral from a wonderful and well respected client/adviser/friend of mine.  A person I feel blessed to have such arelationship with.  I followed up with an email immediately.  I took the time to research the person I was referred to so that I could be more specific and therefor helpful to them.  From the quality of my referral I was feeling life couldn’t get much better.
Just so happens I was having lunch with Paige that very day.  (Isn’t it funny that things happen for you in business with someone right around the time you are having … (6 comments)

Boston Fed and Trulio wade in on the market - 01/13/11 08:34 AM
On Wednesday the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston published their Beige Book.  This book analyzes the market in this area and how the economy is doing.  There is good news here.  The New England economy is growing stronger as retail, manufacturing and business services are reporting improved business conditions.  It suggests that the residential real estate industry is still in the doldrums.  In retail, the Fed's contacts indicate sales growth in the low double digits and overall growth as cautiously optimistic for 2011.
The bright spot in manufacturing is in the semiconductor industry where sales remain strong compared to 2009. The … (3 comments)

Be the voice of reason - 01/12/11 08:15 AM
Newspapers and the electronic media continue to spew inaccurate, or misleading information about the state of the housing market and this perpetuates the fear in the public.  We, as real estate professionals, need to be the voice of reason.  Make it point to reach out to your clients and prospects providing them a fuller and less biased view of the real estate market.  There are still foreclosures and there will be more to come, this is true but the true facts here in Massachusetts as in other areas of the country is that prices have stabilized and in some cases moved … (7 comments)

Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Appraisers - 01/11/11 08:20 AM
The Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Appraisers (MBREA) is a 77 year old organization serving the needs of professional appraisers in Massachusetts.  Education, answers to difficult valuation questions, connection to other professionals are just a part of what this organization provides its membership each and every day.  The MBREA is lead by Steve Sousa and a board of appraisers that are elected new every year.  This practice allows the organization to continually grow with new ideas and better programs.
In November I went to one of their events and interviewed many of the current members about why they joined the MBREA … (1 comments)

Dedham Market Snapshot-3 months trailing - 01/10/11 08:04 AM
The ability to understand leading trends in home sales is based on the statistics of homes actively on the market and the ones sold.  The banks use the trailing three months models because the market has been somewhat sketchy the last year or so with the mortgage backed securities melt down caused by the banks.
Dedham is a wonderful community located to the west of Boston.  Here is what Wikipedia has to say. Dedham /ˈdɛdəm/ is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States.[1] The population was 23,464 at the 2000 census. It is located on … (0 comments)

Blogging to be noticed - 01/09/11 10:21 AM
Why do we blog?  We know from statistics that blogging is good for our businesses and building the reputation of the individual.  We know that setting up a blog is easy and in most cases free.  We know we can use “key words” to help build our ability to capture and deliver people searching for your key words.  We know that sharing story, especially great story with helpful tips, not only develops our credibility, but in the long run will continue to develop our following.  A good story about how to buy or sell a home is always instructive.  People looking … (6 comments)

So, how’s it going so far? - 01/08/11 08:08 AM
We have made it to the end of the first week of the new year, how is it going for you?  Have you already found a way to not do what you planned to do?  Have you stuck with it all week, but feel weak from the work?  Is your resolve still strong and you are gaining momentum?  All of this I have seen this week and felt myself.  Resolutions are easy to make and easy to follow if you are in the right mindset and put powerful emotions to your planned actions.  There are keys to making your resolutions part … (10 comments)

Wellesley, MA Market Snapshot trailing 3 months - 01/07/11 08:00 AM
Here on Truth and Service each month I will provide the residents of Wellesley with a Market Snapshot of the single family residential home market.  As you look at these numbers keep in mind that they are averages and not specifics.  Each purchase and/or sale of a residence is unique, each home, neighborhood and condition is unique in itself. This is one of the laws of real estate.  So take these averages for what they are .  An overall snapshot of what is going on in the area with regards to housing prices, days on market, length of time on the … (3 comments)

Bank President has right idea….now let’s see - 01/06/11 07:18 AM
Chris McLaughlin of Smart Real Estate, wrote yesterday about Bank of America. “Our goals remain the same: put these issues behind us; focus on serving customers and clients; and continue to help distressed homeowners facing difficult times,” said Bank of America Chief Executive Brian Moynihan.  The deals with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae don’t cover loan servicing obligations, other contractual obligations or loans contained in private label securitizations. But the agreements are a sign that the bank is working quickly to deal with buyback claims.  Fannie Mae said in a statement that the Bank of America deal was a “fair and … (5 comments)

Real Estate Friends - 01/05/11 07:54 AM
Real Estate is like every industry.  There are honest hard working people, there are people cutting corners, there are people with no clue and there are brilliant people.  The trick is to surround yourself with the best possible people out there.  Find people who are using techniques and tactics that are better than what you are currently using. Engage these people. Since most of us are proud of our hard work and, if you don’t directly compete in our area, are happy to share with you what they have learned through their efforts.
On the flip side of this equation are … (3 comments)

The Bachelor will film in Anguilla - 01/04/11 10:18 PM
The cast and crew of the Reality Show The Bachelor have been seen in Anguilla recently.  There are very few spots in the world more romantic and beautiful than Anguilla.  Conde Nast voted it as one of the 10 best beaches in the world.  Here is an Ad we are putting in the paper tomorrow offering this Villa for sale.  It is a great opportunity for the person who wants beauty, security, privacy and caribbean luxury.  7 Palms Villa is about seven miles from St Martin in the Caribbean.  Anguilla has more five star restaurants on its small island than any … (5 comments)

Market Statistics for Milton MA 02186 - 01/04/11 08:34 AM
Within the last three months of the year in Milton, MA there are 62 Active listings of single family homes for sale. 
These homes have been on the market an average of 174.95 days
The average price for these home that are active is $731,742.
On the Sold side within the last three months of the year there were 42 houses Sold.
Of those houses sold the average Listing Price was $560,411 and the average Sale Price was $533,764.
This is an average of 95% list price to sale price on the solds.  They were sold in an average of 85 … (3 comments)

31 Day Challenge in January. - 01/03/11 09:29 PM
I have many goals this year and staying in front of all the content that I want to share with my clients, prospects and peers is one of them.  I am excited to be part of this challenge.  My college aged son is home for the holidays and I was just showing him some of what I do on a daily basis.  I showed him my goals and objectives written for this year.  He and I are very much alike in that we love a challenge and love the discipline to make things happen.
Today I started off with the goal … (6 comments)

Change for the Better, Making your career count - 01/03/11 08:23 AM
This Goals time of year, when we assess and we reset it is always a time to look around and see what other people are doing.  For me I was looking for a group of people who were like minded.  People who wanted to demonstrate a professional, consistent approach to our industry and wanted to be proud of what they did and how they did it at the end of the day.  Other people want other things.  Some may need more education and training on a daily basis, some want none of that.  Our business is so varied because the public … (1 comments)

 
Larry_sep_11_portrait Ambassador_large

Larry Lawfer, Realtor®, I.R.E.S. CLHMS

Keller Williams

Wellesley, MA

More about me…

Keller Williams

Address: 680 High Street, Westwood, MA, 02090

Office Phone: (617) 774-8292

Cell Phone: (617) 690-3919

Email Me

What would you do today, if you knew you could not fail? What actions would you take, what would you share and how would you treat the people around you. Storyteller Marketing in Real Estate by Larry Lawfer will explore the real estate industry in MA and beyond through the eyes of the community it's people and stories.


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