How will the Equifax data breach in 2017 affects your house hunting? Equifax's mistakes in September, 2017 gave away the social security numbers of half of us. Are you in the lucky half, or the unlucky half? Here is the story That data will be sold and resold by criminals for years to come. If you are
Here’s how James Morrison at Banker and Tradesman reported on Dave Twombly, my favorite agent of the week (wink!) Buyers Need Protection Just down Mass. Ave. at 4 Buyers Real Estate, also in Cambridge, the exclusive buyer agents tell the buyers they work with that home inspection contingencies are a must, according to agent Dave
You know that real estate bubble I keep saying is inflating? It just got a pump of air. I agree with Jim Morrison at Banker and Tradesman that easing credit restrictions is the wrong thing to do. It didn’t go well in 2006, and it won’t end well this time. What’s happened? Credit reporting has
Here’s the headline: Real estate prices just passed the line for affordability. This is news. When a market passes the point where average consumers can buy, the market is headed into a bubble. Yet RIS, the source of the info, does not conclude that the market is about to correct, yet. First, a definition: affordability
Mass Save is not just about wall insulation. Mass Save also has 0% interest loan programs to improve other aspects of your house’s carbon footprint. These are the rebates, in 2018. Not only are you able to borrow for insulation, but you can also borrow for these improvements. High Efficiency Heating Systems Central Air Conditioning/ Air
Some electrical repair can’t wait. Knob and tube wiring is one of those problems. This wiring, from 80-100 years ago, has not aged gracefully. It is considered a fire hazard by most insurance companies. Our clients are often told that they cannot get insurance, or they can only get insurance if they promise to remove
Q: How does monetary control policy in China affect buyers in Boston? A: Strict control of cash leaving China has slowed or stopped the flow of money used for down payments by Chinese people buying international properties. This is good news for our buyers. Source Since the Great Recession in America (2008), one of the
It took the Trump a New-York-minute to start making it harder for moderate income American to buy a house. On Friday, he revoked a reduction that was set to begin on January 27, 2017. The reduction would have lowered the annual mortgage insurance premium (MIP) that borrowers pay on FHA loans through HUD. The premium
General: most of the number-crunching services are predicting that housing prices will be stable. This means they will increase, but at a slower rate than we have been seeing over the past three years. Deregulation will loosen mortgage requirements. This is a positive for first-time buyers who are on the brink of purchasing. Some will
How well do exclusive buyer’s agents do, in the face of a tough seller’s market? Here are results for the hardest seller’s market we have faced, ever! Our report card for 2016: Total amount under original asking negotiated: -$188,359 Total amount negotiated after inspections: -$35,000 Total paid over asking price in bidding wars $229,300 Towns