Summers in the real estate business used to be more smelly than they are in the current market. Sellers and their agents have gotten more diligent about getting summer smells out of the house before putting it on the market. Well, most of the time. But not always. Houses collect and hold odor in the
Summers in the real estate business used to be unpleasant, sometimes because houses were dirty. Houses also collect and hold odor in the heat of the summer (and in the dead of the winter). Most summers, in the cities and college towns, rental property was shown while the tenants were still there, in hopes of
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 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
It's starting. My phone is ringing because landlords are notifying their tenants of their plans to sell the apartment. Some will renovate, some will just sell. When a seller puts an occupied apartment on the market, it takes some diplomacy to make it work. Someone lives there, and it's for sale: Showing rented houses and
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 ants have a body shape like an ant. Ants have three distinct sections. Their antennae do not come directly forward, they bend. Termites, on the other hand, have a middle
In single-family houses, the air conditioner compressor can be a problem for you or for your neighbors, depending on where you place it. If it is your machine, your windows will be closed when it is running, so it has to vibrate a lot before it will get on most people’s nerves. Where houses are
Many of my buyers see oil heating as a big negative. I see this as a victory for the “natural gas” lobby. When I ask people why they prefer gas, the answers come right from the advertising: “cleaner, safer, always there.” Cleaner? Are you aware that methane leaks are all over the place? Have you
First, remember that I am looking at this from the buyer’s side; that’s what I do. I don’t know the minds of sellers. I only know the history of past seasons and the gossip of listing agents about what is coming up. Here’s a quick and easy analogy: seasonal house buying is like seasonal clothes
Here is something for everyone who is about to sign a lease and is thinking “should I be buying?” Unlike most Realtors® my answer is not, “Hell, yes! Right now! Hurry!” The economic decision: Owning: For most people, owning a house or condo involves paying down a mortgage, but never owning outright. In previous generations,
The porch is making a comeback in American home architecture. In 1993, 42% of new houses were designed with a porch, in 2013, that figure rose to 63%. When I work with house and condo buyers, they almost always want to have someplace to step outside, even if it is only a small porch. It