The porch made a strong comeback in American home architecture. In 1993, 42% of new houses were designed with a porch. By 2005, more than half of all new construction had porches. In east south central America (Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi) 89% of newly constructed houses have porches. Why does America have a love
Women who leave the workforce From March to June 2020, children were going to school via Zoom in most towns and cities in Massachusetts. Someone had to supervise children doing remote learning. Someone needed to be home, if the children were home. That someone was their mother, more often than not. Women who worked essential
Many of our clients read The Boston Globe for real estate news. In an October 4, 2021 article, entitled “(Some) good news for buyers in Boston’s (slightly) cooling housing market,” Zoe Greenberg gave some hope that the post-lockdown housing boom is showing signs of going back to the seller-favoring conditions we have had since the
In every market, I run into buyers who do not look at Fair Market Value (FMV) when they decide what a property is worth. That's a mistake. To negotiate the lowest possible price for a property, a buyer needs a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to determine the Fair Market Value (FMV). Properties sell for what
2020 was the year of pandemic engagements. 2020 was a year of rising divorce rates. 2020 was the year to organize and declutter at home. 2020 was the year to move. What do we expect in 2021? These affect when things go back to normal: How well infection
Here at 4 Buyers Real Estate, the year 2020 will go down in history as the year when our summer, fall, and winter buyers chose to buy because they hate where they are living now. In normal times, purchases feel more optional. This year, they had a special urgency. After the lockdown in the spring,
How do I choose a town to buy in when I don’t live there? That is one of the most frequently asked questions by prospective buyers. They live in an apartment now. They know it is too small for their long-term use. They want a yard. But, where? You’ll make a better decision if you
"America is in a recession, so why are home buyers so optimistic and house prices rising?" I answer questions on Quora sometimes. I choose ones that either interest me personally or professionally. This one is a question that I have been hearing professionally, so it was one I considered answering. When I read the first
Creating a Pod During this pandemic, extended families of blood or affinity are forming. The term “pod” is being used to describe small groups of households who are sharing tasks like shopping and childcare. Modern pods are usually neighbors or parents of school-chums. Being in a pod involves a good deal of trust that the
Parents and their children are in limbo this summer. Some schools may still reopen, in some form, come September. But how can parents make good decisions about what is best for their child? Working parents (especially mothers) are bearing the brunt of the burden created by closing schools and day care centers in 2020. What