72 Hours After Closing and the Water Heater Starts to Leak - 09/24/09 03:08 PM
There is no moral to this story.  It's just one of those things that happened.
After a fairly tenuous three week period prior to the closing on an older home for my first time home buyer, I didn't think things could get any worse.  But they did.
It started when the attorneys for the buyer accused me of manipulating a legal document when my client corrected the purchase price that had erroneously been entered as "two hundred thousand dollars" when it should have been "two hundred thirty-five thousand dollars." 
Then, the bank appraisal came in at $9,000 under the offer price.  The … (1 comments)

Does your Realtor have a Winning Internet Strategy? - 09/22/09 02:40 PM
Dear Home Seller: 
Does your real estate agent still advertise in the newspaper?  Did you know that home buyers look at the Internet for information on real estate listings almost 10 times more than the newspaper?
Real estate has been, and will continue to evolve around technology.  Who can get the information out to the broadest group of potential buyers and how to capture those buyer leads.  One of the reasons why I became a local Weichert franchise owner was because of the superior technology and tools utilized by everyone in the Weichert Organization.  While real estate is still a "people … (1 comments)

Attention all Massachusetts Association of Realtors Members - - This is a MUST Read! - 09/21/09 11:23 AM
 ATTENTION ALL MASSACHUSETTS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS MEMBERS:
There is an identity theft scam going on.  Do not give out your personal information to anyone and call the MAR immediately if someone contacts you regarding a supposedly-new law about fingerprinting in MA.  IT DOESN'T EXIST!!!
TELL ALL OF YOUR REALTOR FRIENDS ABOUT THIS AND REPOST THIS BLOG ON YOUR SITE.  YOU MAY SAVE SOMEONE A LOT OF EMBARRASSMENT.
Read the official text below:
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"MAR has been informed that several members have recently been the targets of a telephone scam.
This is how the scam works: 
A person claiming to be from the … (1 comments)

CNN Picks Natick MA as one of the "Best Places for a Healthy Retirement" - 09/18/09 10:33 AM
Congratulations Natick!  You've finally got the attention of the world looking down at the Natick Common figuring out what many of us residents already knew - - Natick is a great place to live!
Well, CNN actually ranked Natick the #8 best place in the country to retire.  Although I am (hopefully) many years away from that milestone, I do enjoy living in South Natick and helping the community and its residents in the homeownership services that my firm has to offer.
Click here to read the entire CNN article.   
 
 
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BORED WITH YOUR CURRENT JOB? 
Do you feel … (0 comments)

If the lemon ain't ripe, don't try to make lemonade - 09/18/09 10:19 AM
Thank goodness it's Friday.  I've had a busy week. 
I thought that I would enjoy a cup of decaf this morning while reading blogs from my favorite real estate blog site - Active Rain.  But instead of divine inspiration and thinking about how neat it is to be participating in one of the greatest things a person can do - fulfilling the American Dream of buying a home - I got depressed.
It started with a blog entitled "The extinction of the Realtor" .  I'd like to rename it "If the lemon ain't ripe, don't try to make lemonade".  It seems that we … (0 comments)

BPO 101 - DAY 2 - 09/16/09 02:14 PM
BPOs are often associated with foreclosures and short sales, but other companies such as relocation firms order BPOs. A BPO stands for "broker price opinion," and it involves using a process very similar to an appraisal.
Companies hire a real estate broker to prepare an opinion of value. The representative of the broker, generally a real estate agent, compares three similar properties that have recently sold to the subject property and adjusts upwards or downwards for differences. The final result in an opinion of market value.
Broker price opinions are sometimes controversial, especially if the agent preparing the BPO has little … (0 comments)

Are There Any Realty Trac Supporters Out There? - 09/16/09 01:31 PM
I'm at my wit's end with Realty Trac and Foreclosure.com.  It seems that I am in the service business, whereas they are in the taking other people's money business.  To go one step further, these companies are making my service business look bad to consumers.
Let me explain.  Our national website www.Weichert.com, has teamed up with Realty Trac to provide consumers access to foreclosure, REO and auction properties throughout the country.  When someone inquires about a property that they see on our website, a local agent is contacted and a "warm transfer" of the consumer to the agent occurs.  When they … (2 comments)