It used to be that bidding wars were clustered in the spring, but bidding war season seems to go all year round now. Until the local housing shortage ends, bidding wars will be with us. However, there is a silver lining to this situation: when a house does not sell quickly, the price becomes more
Is that a termite? Relax! That’s a flying ant. Flying ants don’t eat your house, but termites do. Here’s how to know the difference. flying ant Flying ants have a body shape like any other ant. Ants have three distinct sections. Their antennae do not come directly forward; they bend. Termites, on the
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
A while back, we had a front row seat to buyers who made a $100,000 mistake. They were not our buyers. They were buyers who came to a house being sold by one of our clients. Our clients hired a good listing agent, who was recommended by us. When the dust settled, we heard the
The Spring Market The spring market begins when sellers start listing their properties in larger numbers. We’re in it now. Just when you want to be outside on the weekends, you will be starting to house hunt. Open studios time? House hunt. Porch fest time? House hunt. The spring market is driven by increased
April is Fair Housing Month. Jared Wilk, 2024 President of GBAR (Greater Boston Association of Realtors), sent out his monthly message. Here is his outline, with my responses after the series of dashes (-----). Take the fair housing course. --- well, of course! Learn about implicit bias. --- The summary page for Realtors explained what
Agents who know 4 Buyers Real Estate know that our clients are well informed and are unlikely to withdraw from the transaction without cause. Since withdrawal rates are up, this matters. Agents who know us, know that if our lender says there will be no problems, there will be no problems. We have had lower-down
Every year, the Somerville Fair Housing Commission creates educational programs to help people in Somerville understand their rights in regard to Massachusetts Fair Housing Law. Fair Housing Event 1 This year, the Commission is taking on the controversial issue of tenant screening. What can a landlord ask? What kinds of questions can lead to legal
This seems to be the number-one question. It is a terrible question based on terrible assumptions: How much over asking price should I offer, on average? Don’t assume that asking prices are based on Fair Market Value. In reality, asking prices are a made-up number intended to get the highest number of offers, so that
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,