brockton: Brockton Ma Single Family Home Sales Spike in July. - 08/05/14 12:00 PM
      The number of single family homes sold in Brockton in July of 2014 jumped to 65.  While they have been trending upward since the awful winter weather (36 homes sold in January), the first half of 2014 saw an average of about 47 homes sold per month.   
     By the end of most years about 600 single family transactions will occur.  Most months will see an average of about 50.  Some active months will be above that and, conversely, the slower winter months will be in the mid to upper 40's sold.
    These sales … (0 comments)

brockton: Going Backward With Technology. - 12/17/13 09:46 AM
Active Rain Contests     The challenge put forth was to explain how we are going to implement technology in our businesses in 2014.  In the movie Caddyshack, the obnoxious Al Cervic, (played by  Rodney Dangerfield) instructed his stockbroker to do the opposite of everyone else.  “If everyone is buying, then sell,sell, sell, and if they are selling, then buy,buy, buy.”  That was his trading philosophy since he was a Real Estate developer and didn’t appear to know anything about stocks.
    
     As it was with Al in stocks, so it is with many of us with technology.  Armed with an … (54 comments)

brockton: Can Anyone Give This Guy Some Money? - 09/03/13 12:46 PM
     Chuck is going to be 72 years old this year.  His wife passed away in 2012 after a lengthy illness.  He's a pretty simple, unassuming guy who spent most of his working life in a shoe factory.  He and Mrs. Chuck truly loved and needed each other.  She worked as a book keeper and was very good with stretching the money and paying the bills.  He had never written a check and, when he was single, paid all of his bills with cash.  She didn't drive, and he was happy to take her shopping and anywhere else she wanted to go. 
     … (3 comments)

brockton: It's the Baby Boomer Dilemma!!! - 02/03/13 11:37 PM
     For us the decision came in 2005.  The home that we all grew up in had just become too much for our mother to take care of. She was 80 now and our dad had passed away more than a decade ago. Her “I ‘ll be fine” argument no longer sounded so sure. You could tell it in her voice. Her mind was still sharp as a tack and was in excellent health, but the day to day management of the house was taking its toll.
 
Through friends, we had found an apartment complex that had recently been built which … (0 comments)

brockton: Let's Just Get those Smoke Detectors Up. - 01/07/13 11:09 PM
     If I had a nickel for every time that I had a home seller tell me that the smoke detectors work fine, I wouldn’t be rich but I would have a whole bunch of nickels.  Sometimes it is just better to skip the ion/photo speech and go to the how they work if there was a real fire and everyone was asleep mode.
    What if you kept setting off false alarms near the kitchen or bathroom, and one of the kids took the battery out because it annoyed them, or alerted the family that they had spent too much time … (4 comments)

brockton: The Origins of Brookfield Heights in Brockton, MA - 01/03/13 09:51 AM
   

 
 
 
  Brookfield Heights is a section of Brockton, MA that is nicely located in the Northeast part of the City, bordering the towns of Abington and Holbrook.  From about 1958 to 1962 the Campanelli Brothers built several thousand houses designed to appeal to the young, first time homebuyer. Nearly all of the designs featured an eat-in-kitchen,a family sized living room, three bedrooms and one bath.  It also included an attached garage, which was often modified into living space(s).
     At the time, the demand came from young men and women who had grown up during the … (2 comments)

brockton: 'Santa Hat Day" in Brockton (MA) This Sunday!!! - 11/15/12 12:05 AM
The City of Brockton will be holding its' 'Santa Hat Day" this Sunday, November 18th in the downtown section in an attempt to break its' own mark in the "Guiness Book of World Records" for having the most people gathered in one place wearing Santa Hats at the same time.  This year they will be teaming up with the Town of Mullinger, Ireland in an attempt to set the record for greatest number of people in two continents wearing Santa Hats at the same time.
     Registration will begin at 10am in front of the Parking Garage and the Official Tally … (3 comments)

brockton: What Owning a Home Used To Stand For. - 04/22/12 11:25 AM
    Why We Will Rue The Demise of The Greatest Generation
 
Austin (Bud) Kingston passed away last week at the age of 87 with very little fanfare.  There were no news people  around to note his demise. There was no mention on CNN, Fox News, or any other news outlet about his Reality Show, drug addiction, questionable talent for entertainment  or sexual deviancy, for he had none of those. Far from it.
 
    Bud was born on his parents humble farm in southern New Jersey in 1925.  He worked hard, learned to respect his elders and was eternally grateful … (6 comments)

brockton: Value Range Pricing You Can Believe In. - 02/02/12 02:31 PM
     In perusing some older blogs of the best and brightest of the AR Community, I happened upon a piece by Broker Bryant on his opinion of Value Range Pricing in which he was in favor.  In the many comments that followed he was praised, villified, called a genius, and threatened to be publicly thrashed in the Town Square at noon.  Of course, I figured, he must be on to something good, so I gave it a try.
     It worked!!!  Perhaps it was just beginners luck, but this tiny bungalow that has been fully rehabbed brought a string of showings that … (0 comments)

brockton: Why Fifth Graders Should be Running Things - 10/17/11 06:08 AM
Why Fifth-Graders Should be Running things!!!
 
It should be obvious to the most casual observer that we adults have made an awful mess of things. Everyone seems to be angry and many have taken to the streets in protest complaining about one thing or another, and our so-called leaders seem incapable of telling us anything that would resemble the truth. Even the peaceful Amish have been acting up lately.
 
Having worked as a volunteer for the last few years with Junior golfers it has struck me that these kids just have a better sense of what is right and … (4 comments)

brockton: Brockton Junior Golf at D.W Field GC. - 06/21/11 04:55 PM
    The Tuesday Night League for junior golfers begins next week on the 28th, and will run through the end of August.  The program is open to boys and girls ages 11-17 and features various, 9 hole formats. While the emphasis is on having fun while learning the game, the kids are instructed on etiquette, rules and fair play.  The first tee time is around 3 o'clock, but the players should be at the course by 2:30 so that teams can be made out and be ready when the pro shop instructs us to get a group on the tee. 
     Many … (4 comments)

brockton: 8 Clayton Rd. Middleboro, MA Open House Sun.5-22 from 12-2. - 05/21/11 04:13 PM
Stop by and check out this nifty ranch right near Rt. 44 at the Raynham line.  Nice quiet home off the beaten path, yet minutes to Rts. 24,44, 495 and less than a mile from the Middleboro Rotary.  Shopping, medical and fine dining are just a few of the nearby  amenities.
Inside the house is a well designed layout of function and practicality for everyday living and entertaining. the sellers' are fussy and have already done the upgrades.  Meticulously cared for, and inviting to both first time home buyer, or anyone looking to downsize without the restrictions and fees of a … (1 comments)

brockton: The Short Sale Appraisal Dilemma - 11/29/10 01:43 PM
    It is happening again.  The short sale banks appraisal has come in more than ten percent higher than what, I believe, the buyers bank appraisal will come in at.  The unfortunate fact is that both will still be within the margin of error.  The first guy,(let's call him John) was sent by the bank nearly two months ago.  John used comps that were no more than ninety days old at that time.  That means that the comps are now five months old when they closed, since the actual offer was accepted one to two months prior to closing.
     In addition, those … (3 comments)

brockton: Death of a Short Sale - 09/12/10 02:43 PM
    Last week an offer on a short sale property in Massachusetts was rejected by a bank in North Carolina because the offer was below the figure established from a drive by BPO.  The property has a heating system that doesn't work, and a mold issue in the finished basement that needs to be remediated ($5000.00) before moving in. These are just a few of the problems found by the home inspector. There were many more.
   The offer was 25% below the price paid in 2005 when the home was in great condition, while the market has dropped by as much as 33% since … (7 comments)

brockton: Golf Imitates Life in Real Estate - 08/16/10 02:34 PM
     The 2010 PGA Championship was played on a torture chamber of a golf course.  Wind, rain, fog delays and over one thousand sand traps, and the best players in the world had to navigate their way through it competing only against each other.  For Realtors it seemed like just another day at the office.  Buyers trying to steal properties, unrealistic sellers, banks with underwriters, home inspections and appraisers are all lurking about trying to make your life difficult.
     Through 71 out of 72 holes Dustin Johnson was in position to seal the deal and write his name in the history books … (0 comments)

brockton: Branding Lesson from Mr. T - 07/06/10 05:54 PM
After many meetings, seminars and various other observations regarding 'branding' it is my conclusion that stealing is the best policy.  It's not illegal, it's free and it's fun.  Suddenly, watching commercials takes on a new meaning, be it Flo from Progressive.com who gives sex appeal to buying car insurance, the Old Spice guys who have resurrected a tired old brand, to the 'Most Interesting Man in the World', who sells beer.  Much good can be taken from these templates of the advertising world.
     In this area, south of Boston MA, agents struggle with an identity, often changing slogans that promise … (3 comments)

brockton: Why Some Adult Communities Are Dying on the Vine. - 05/17/10 03:02 PM
    It seems like only yesterday that Over 55 sub divisions were sprouting up everywhere.  While most were catering to boomers who were downsizing, others were laden with high priced features, including living areas that far surpassed the square footage of the old homestead.  Nothing mattered because we were selling those 50 year old homes for 'funny money' and buyers were lined up around the block with mortgage approvals in hand. That is, until the spit hit the fan.
     We are seeing developments catering to the higher end of our market going belly up, or at the very least, lying dormant.  The more … (2 comments)

brockton: Brockton, MA - The '60s, 3 Deckers and small city living - 03/24/10 02:43 PM
     During the 1950's and 60's Brockton, MA was still a bustling industrial city that was noted for being a shoe manufacturing center.  While those factories were closing, many of them moving south for cheaper labor costs and tax breaks, enough of them were still running to provide employment.  In addition, the skilled laborers often possessed craftsmanship that could not be taught, only learned from those who had come before them. The industry as a whole, however, was on the move.
     As a youngster Brockton was a collection of four sections and mine was the North End, also called Montello.  We … (0 comments)

brockton: Short Seller Tax Liability? Anyone? - 10/25/09 01:11 PM
One of the most frequently asked questions by sellers' of short sales is if they will have a tax liability.  The information that I am getting is contradictory, at best.  Will they get a 1099 Form from the bank?  What if they get back on their feet in a few years and try to buy another home, can the bank come after them for the short sale loss?  They also ask just how bad of a hit will their credit scores get when compared to a foreclosure, or bankruptcy.
     Free advice will be readily accepted from any Attorney, Tax Professional, or … (4 comments)