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
Even in the summer, buyers should think about heating. Why? Because a buyer can’t feel how well the system works once it is shut off for the season. Even when we test it during home inspection, it is not the same as when it is fighting the winds howling outside. This summer, there have been
Here we are in the middle of a pandemic and in the hot a humid part of the summer. What does WBUR do? It publishes a “scare the buyers into giving up their rights” article. It is seller propaganda. It is not helpful to buyers. The advice “for buyers” mostly serves the seller’s needs. What’s
House hunters who love cats or dogs have one more thing to think about when house hunting. Some condo associations restrict all pets. Some associations restrict cats or dogs. . Some restrict dogs or cats, unleashed or uncrated, but only in the hallways. Some big associations ban dogs only. Some that don’t ban dogs will
"This house smells!" Houses collect and hold odor in the heat of the summer (and in the dead of the winter). Most summers, in the cities and college towns, rental property was shown while the tenants were still there in hopes of selling before the end of the lease. This led to lots of smelly
The landlord’s point of view: 2020 was a hard year for landlords. Vacancy was higher than normal. It was difficult to keep apartments full. Tenants had legitimate problems being unable to pay the rent. It was difficult to get repairs done, since workers were heavily booked and tenants were reluctant (legitimately) to let them in…
Where are all the sellers? 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