How is an Offer to Purchase like a love letter? When a buyer makes an Offer to Purchase, it should be clear and complete. It must give the seller the impression that you are a ready, willing, and able buyer. It should reassure the seller that you are organized, have solid financing, and that you
As a house hunter, you are under no obligation to tell your lender that you are pregnant or plan to be pregnant. Pregnancy is not a legal reason for a lender to deny you a mortgage, unless your income changes in a way that makes you no longer qualified for the mortgage. In 2008, when
It was only last August when WBUR published this story about home-buying. I critiqued it here. In short, the story encouraged buyers to do five things (in bold). A summary of my critiques is in italics after the “advice”: Prepare To Waive Contingencies. No, no. no, no, never. Check The Basement! Seller says you have
Do you suspect you have mold allergy? Guest blogger Elizabeth Shields writes about mold allergy symptoms and what you can do if you find out that you have a mold issue at home. Mold is a typical issue every homeowner has to deal with from time to time. They’re the slimy black, sometimes greenish, white,
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.