If you neglect water leaks, you can create a problem hidden in your walls. You or the next owner will not know how bad it is until you tear the house apart. This is the kind of problem we define as “not finite”; it is the kind of problem a buyer should avoid. In 2015,
If you are confused about the state of the real estate market, welcome to the club. A big part of why you are confused is bad reporting. There is so much of it! Every week, I am running across real estate headlines saying that real estate is about to crash and also that prices are
This question comes up every summer, as leases are renegotiated for the upcoming year. Most leases in eastern Massachusetts turn over during the summer because the Boston metro area is highly influenced by the academic calendar. If you have an annual lease, the landlord can increase the rent at the end of the annual lease.
Asbestos is a very good fire-stopper. It was used in construction materials for that reason. In the older housing stock common in Eastern Massachusetts, there is frequently asbestos someplace. Over the years, previous homeowners may have already removed it. Your home inspector will look for it before you purchase (if you insist on having that
Recently, during the most competitive times in the seller-favoring real estate market, more sellers were asking for the right to stay in the home after the closing. This makes life much easier for the seller. Under typical circumstances, the seller and all their possessions must be out of the house before closing. The buyer walks
A guest post today by Valerie Taylor 5 Interior Design Trends for the Next Decade Photo by Spacejoy on Unsplash The year 2020 was a game-changer for everyone worldwide due to the coronavirus health crisis. As people spent a big chunk of their time inside their homes, they started to see the value of creating
Want to find a bargain? Find a house that smells funny. Summer is a good time to find them, since summer is a stinky time of year. There seem to be two kinds of houses on the market right now: those that have been fully renovated or cleaned and staged, and those that look like
Insulated window shades and curtains are effective in lowering heating and cooling costs. It’s common sense! Just think about how much cooler it is under the umbrella in the summer instead of being directly in the sun. When the sun shines into your windows, heat passes through the glass into your house. It then rises
Groundhog's Day in July! It is both joyful and humbling to be around our clients every year at our annual client appreciation party. The key to our success has been the large number of our clients who recommend us to their friends, family, and coworkers. It is confirming to me and my team that we
The porch made a strong comeback in American home architecture. In 1993, 42% of new houses were designed with a porch. By 2005, more than half of all new construction had porches. In east south central America (Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi) 89% of newly constructed houses have porches. Why does America have a love