Today, the problems I am discussing are not finite; but “infinite” is not the right term. Really infinite: A problem is not infinite if the house could be torn down and rebuilt. (Many can be, but you probably don't want to.) Infinite problems are the rare houses that never should have been built. They cannot
In the process of choosing a house or condo to buy, house-hunters find themselves in a lot of old houses with old and recent repairs. Every house has a component that is worn out, unless you are looking at something that just got a down-to-the-studs renovation. Like a car, a house will have something that
Recently, one of my agents presented an Offer through an auction that was a hybrid of bidding war and true auction. The story: The Listing Agent conducted the auction well. It took about 10 phone calls between us over a 45-minute period, and it was done. Then she checked with her seller. Then the
We recommend that househunters choose an attorney and an inspector (and a back-up for each) early in the house hunting process. That way, when you find a house and start making offer, you are not scrambling to interview attorneys and inspectors during a busy week. You need to know what they are going to be
If sellers did no staging at all, buyers would walk into houses to see dirty dishes, clutter, stray remote controls and phones, open toothpaste tubes, half-full trash bins… in other words, the full detritus of everyday living. Before you start house hunting have an honest talk with yourself about how you use your space. Do
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. I have a
When I wrote for Boston.com, I got this from a reader who wanted me to help him and his wife buy a 2-family house. They started to be a bad prospect when I read this: We're happy to wait until the right property comes on the market at the right price...but in this market, we're
So, what do you do to get the best education you can afford for your children? Public information: The Department of Education publishes district profiles. To open a report card, write the town or district into the box for “Search for your Report Card.” Then use the hyperlinks below that to see the information. Within
What does buying a house cost, above and beyond the monthly mortgage payment you will be taking on? First-time house-hunters know that there is a dreaded broker fee and so-called closing costs. Add to that the fee for inspections and legal work. Do you know how much to set aside to cover these costs? Here
There’s no curb appeal when there are no curbs. We have clients willing to climb Mount-They-Shoveled-It to see places for sale and clients who are sitting it out. They all want to know when spring will spring in real estate. Spring in real estate generally happens when the snow melts; that’s going to be a