Buying a house is the beginning of a life dream. Selling a house is the end of one. Many home sales are triggered by normal life transitions: Seeking more space, often for positive reasons, such as wanting more room for children. Seeking less space, often for conservation of either maintenance effort or money. Following new
Do you own a house that needs a big change? Do you know what you want to do, but don’t know how to get it done? Are you overwhelmed by the contractors you’ve interviewed? My cool client Holli Bassin met someone who she thought would be an asset to any client who is considering a
Buyers (and buyer’s agents) get frustrated by the communication they sometimes get (or don’t get) from the seller’s side, during an offer situation. First, remember: The seller’s agent is duty-bound to follow the seller’s instructions. The seller’s agent may not disclose any information that is not approved by the seller. The seller’s agent’s goal is
Real estate sites like Zillow use the data from local Multiple Listing Services (MLS), and then add additional properties for sale by people who are not using the MLS. If you are looking at Zillow, all the properties read, “(type of property) for sale.” That works. However, you then need to click on the property
The first week of February is too early for the annual “scare the buyers” article from The Boston Globe. I guess it was a slow news cycle in the real estate division. This annual tradition of throwing together statistics without context usually occurs a bit later in the year. In 2017, it was at the
A thing of beauty is a joy forever! In honor of Valentine's Day, here is a guide to true love between a house and its buyer. Most people think about beautiful houses as those that have outstanding architecture, or high-end, well-chosen tile or other finishes. That kind of beauty speaks to everyone, at some moment.
Do you or someone you know plan to buy a house in the next one to three years? Are you worried that your credit score will increase mortgage costs or even disqualify you for a mortgage? Do you want someone to get you through the credit service red tape? My friend and EBA colleague, Tom
Happy Groundhog’s Day 2022. It is the turning point from winter, looking towards spring. The holiday runs parallel to, and takes from, earlier practices that recognize that we are roughly halfway through winter. In metro Boston, that usually leaves us in the middle of winter, during the snowiest part of the season. This year is
In real estate a “captured room” is a room that can only be accessed by going through another room. Captured rooms can make the house less usable, thus less valuable. Does it matter? Whether a captured room matters, for value, depends on whether it changes the way people can use the room. Types of captured
If you have a new year’s resolution to buy a house in 2022, here are some things you can do to smooth the path to getting a mortgage. The paperwork does not have to be overwhelming, if you are prepared. The mortgage broker, also called a loan originator, is responsible to the lender to prove