There is a world of difference between what 4 Buyers Real Estate means when it calls itself an Exclusive Buyer Agency and what the various local offices of the National Association of Realtors means when they say “exclusive.” When Realtor Associations say “exclusive”, they mean that the buyer is responsible to work exclusively (only) with
There are small changes ahead in Massachusetts real estate practice as a result of large lawsuits against the National Association of Realtors. Here’s what our future clients need to know. It was back in May, that I wrote about how the lawsuit will impact our clients; it was still in progress, so things changed between
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.
The buyer’s job is to look at houses, listen to their advisors (us, your attorney, and your lender), and then make the best choice of house for your money. Your job doesn’t include a deep dive into the ins and outs of the various lawsuits flying around the real estate industry. Still, you need to
What is Happening with Those Lawsuits? I am getting asked about this from clients, want-to-be clients, and friends at social occasions. For those who don’t know about these lawsuits, there was a verdict in October in a Missouri court that went against the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) and some big real estate companies. Then,
Anyone following real estate in the past three years or so has run into people who think that home inspection is (or should be) optional. Waiving home inspection has become a negotiation tool. This thinking plays into the interests of professional investors and hurts people who plan to owner-occupy their homes. It particularly harms first-time
Good information helps buyers make informed decisions. Widely available information levels the playing field, so that all buyers have access to the vast majority of properties for sale. Recent lawsuits against Multiple Listing Systems and large real estate companies threaten to harm potential home buyers by expecting them to pay for their representation as well
I’ve gotten some messages from former clients who follow business news. There are some big-deal lawsuits flying around regarding the Multiple Listing Service and buyer agent compensation. The outcome of recent lawsuits is likely to increase seller awareness of the part of the commission that is paid to the buyer’s agent who brings an informed
House hunting idea: two households band together and buy a two-family house together. Massachusetts allows owners of two-family and three-family houses to convert them into two or more condos. This is not typical in other parts of the country. There are lots of advantages to buying a two-family house, especially in our high-price condo market.
A mortgage is a debt, and an old debt can delay a closing. It almost never happens when there are professionals representing the seller. Once in a while, a seller doesn’t have a thorough attorney or broker. Then a title search will find out that their property still has an open mortgage without a recorded