All real estate licensees, not just Realtors®, are obligated to follow Fair Housing laws. That obligation includes not providing information that could be used to enable their clients to discriminate. Children are a protected class – protected against real estate discrimination. Children are protected under the general heading of “familial status” in National Fair Housing
I coach my clients to buy a home that will serve them -- given their best guesses about the future – for the next seven to ten years. Many of them heeded my advice. Therefore, it will often be 15-20 years later when I hear that my clients are looking towards their next move. Many
Question: The listing sheet says: “Seller requires Use and Occupancy until January 7, 2022.” What does that mean? A Use and Occupancy Agreement is a contract that allows a seller to stay in the property after closing. Although there are templates online, my advice is to have an attorney write or review any Use and
Single-family home buyers need to purchase homeowner’s insurance shortly before they close. Some have never bought any insurance before. If that is your situation, what do you need to know? What to be ready to pay before closing Short answer: You will pay 15 months of homeowner’s insurance by closing day. For houses, lenders will
Many of our clients read The Boston Globe for real estate news. In an October 4, 2021 article, entitled “(Some) good news for buyers in Boston’s (slightly) cooling housing market,” Zoe Greenberg gave some hope that the post-lockdown housing boom is showing signs of going back to the seller-favoring conditions we have had since the
Over the years, some of our clients have needed emergency services for different kinds of house disaster. Fortunately, full-blown fires are rare. Flooding definitely happens to our clients. Disaster: basement flood Most often water in the house is from broken pipes, washing machine overflows or intake line failure, or leaking hot water tanks. Every few
In the process of house hunting with my clients, I see some pretty strange renovations. But this one, well, it makes the top ten for weirdness. See for yourself: Yes, that’s an unfinished attic. Yes, that is a toilet. Yes, that is a connected toilet. It is a fairly old toilet — with a large tank. It
“Are you aware that when you send me a referral, you only send me Black people?” a Black Realtor® said to a white colleague. That was a wake-up call for that white person. In 2020, the National Association of Realtors® took a hard stand against hate speech, on and off the job, for members of
Happy New Year to our Jewish clients and friends. Today, a personal note. While you are reading this, I am celebrating the Jewish New Year. It is a happy time and also a time of reflection. For the past month, I have been thinking about my life and what is important. Since this is the
I am starting a new series: Bad Ideas in Real Estate These are ideas that I hear, either socially or from prospects or clients, that do not work. They are usually “tricks” that someone picked up online, or heard from someone they know. I start this series with a tactic that crossed my path this