Tenants, save money on your home heating. Yes, I know that you are stuck with the system your landlord chose, but you can make it work better. Windows, the quick fix: Open and close, then lock all your windows. Locking the windows reduces the cold air flow significantly. Most people don’t know that these windows
Pop quiz: Did America’s Constitution give the right to vote to all American citizens? Of course not. No African-Americans, no women, no renters. No renters? Not until 1850 was the vote extended to men who were not property owners. What was the logic of the founding fathers? Was the idea that landowners were the big
All houses built before 1975 need to be equipped with 10-year smoke detectors. Current law requires that smoke detectors be replaced every 10 years, but most people don’t do it. The new rule, detectors will have sealed 10-year batteries. When the battery squeaks, it is time to replace the whole unit. Here’s the thought behind
Do you learn better by doing a project than by sitting at a desk and reading? Do you think your children are like you in that regard? If so, you may want to move to Somerville--for the schools. Say what? Somerville Schools just got the motherlode of good luck in the school department. Powderhouse Studios
Danger! Open house It has long been obvious to us that open houses are not safe for the owners of the house. Agents for the seller cannot protect the house, were someone to come in with a notion to steal. Recently, an incident was reported to the police in Weston, where drugs were stolen from
The Massachusetts Association of Realtors® frequently has political initiatives that we are against. As a member, I refrain from assisting them in these actions. I notify my representative that I am a member of the association, but disagree on a particular policy. This summer, my association embarrassed me by fighting tooth and nail against mandatory
One of my pet peeves about houses for sale is that many of them are unpleasant because they are dirty. Houses collect hold odor in the heat of the summer and in the dead of the winter. Sellers, ventilate. Sellers, clean your homes. Sellers, don’t cover it with perfume! It’s little wonder why some places
Many of our clients depend on online information about houses they are thinking of buying. It’s a mistake. I look at these sites, over and over, and I remain unimpressed. Today, I took another look at Home Disclosure. They are part of the Realty Trac constellation of data services. I used my personal house as
Part I: Building the home music studio that won’t drive your neighbors crazy Email from M.R., a long-time reader: I'm a landlord in Somerville (I have two 2-family houses), I'm a long-time reader of the Globe RE blog, and finally, I'm a basement drummer. I've spent a few weekends' worth of time sound-proofing the basement
In 2012, I had two different clients who were looking for a home for themselves, and for their grand piano. The piano space was on their short list of "must haves." A lot of the housing I work with does not have living rooms that can happily house that big an instrument. Most two-family house