It's starting. My phone is ringing because landlords are notifying their tenants of their plans to sell the apartment. Some will renovate, some will just sell. When a seller puts an occupied apartment on the market, it takes some diplomacy to make it work. Someone lives there, and it's for sale: Showing rented houses and
“Don’t get attached to that hot water heater, it will fail on you.” We tell our clients this because direct-fire hot water heaters are unreliable appliances that are created with built-in obsolescence. Many have five, seven, or ten-year warranties. They will last five years and three weeks, or seven years and three weeks, or ten
There are some houses that never should have been built. You can't even level them and build a better house on that lot. Either the lot is too small to build on — by current standards — or the land is not fit to hold a house. I have seen both. Potentially unsolvable problem, type 1
Mass Save is not just about wall insulation. Mass Save also has 0% interest loan programs to improve other aspects of your house’s carbon footprint. These are the rebates, in 2018. Not only are you able to borrow for insulation, but you can also borrow for these improvements. High Efficiency Heating Systems Central Air Conditioning/ Air
You are hearing the stories. I know. “…there were ten offers on every property and everything sells for $50,000 above asking price.” “NO ONE is buying with a home inspection…” “If you don’t have cash, you can’t buy in (name the town here.” The stories are true, but they are not true. Some properties are
Housing is all about the schools. This created the situation that springtime house hunters face in most areas around Boston. A little perspective: In the book The Two Income Trap, one of the ongoing tropes is that the pressure to send one’s children to “good” schools underlies the competition for houses in well-regarded schools systems.
Is that a termite? Relax! That's a flying ant. Flying ants don't eat your house, but termites do. Here's how to know the difference. Flying ants have a body shape like an ant. Ants have three distinct sections. Their antennae do not come directly forward, they bend. Termites, on the other hand, have a middle
When a brokerage serves both the buyer and the seller, what can go wrong? The seller’s agent – who must get the best price for the seller – is the same company that must get the best price for the buyer. Legally, and structurally, companies are run by a broker. This is the person responsible
Some electrical repair can’t wait. Knob and tube wiring is one of those problems. This wiring, from 80-100 years ago, has not aged gracefully. It is considered a fire hazard by most insurance companies. Our clients are often told that they cannot get insurance, or they can only get insurance if they promise to remove
The big issue in Boston area real estate is inventory. There are not enough houses for sale. We have a stalemate about inventory here. These are the factors: Empty-nesters are staying longer in their houses. This is a demographic and cultural shift. They are holding on to their houses, partly because of personal choices and