Massachusetts Real Estate News — Real Estate News and Views for Metrowest Massachusetts. Published by Bill Gassett RE/MAX Executive Realty

Massachusetts Moving and Storage With PODS

by Bill Gassett on July 27, 2010 · 2 comments

If you are pretty observant like I am you may have noticed a white container in a local yard that had in big bold lettering the word PODS and wondered what it was. PODS is short for portable on demand storage. More than likely a home owner who has one of these units is either moving or getting ready to move.

PODS offers service to over 200 million people in more than 20,000 cities in 58 states, provinces, and territories throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Whether you are moving across town or across the country PODS are a great alternative to large expensive moving companies. The way the PODS system works is they drop of a pod at your home and you are able to fill it up at your leisure. You are given the flexibility to pack at your own speed and do not have to worry about others touching your belongings. When you are done packing and are ready to move your container, PODS will come and pick it up for you and deliver it wherever you need it to go.

De-cluttering and organizing a home

There is no question that PODS offer a convenient solution to moving. Working as a Massachusetts Realtor however, I have found that one of the biggest benefits is the fact that a pod unit helps de-clutter and organize a home. In a competitive Real Estate market you really need your home to look it’s best if you want to put the most money in your pocket. Home buyers have lots of choices and will look for homes that are in turn-key condition.

Part of a homes appearance that can be easily changed without spending a lot of money is the cleanliness and organization. The goal should be to show off all the rooms in their best light. Staging a Massachusetts home is one of the smartest things you can do as a home seller. Buyers will be much more impressed by a home owner who clearly takes pride in the appearance of their home.

A home that shows well can mean the difference between selling quickly or sitting on the market for months! In the link to the home staging article above I offer a number of tips to getting your home prepared for the market. When I meet with a home seller in the Metrowest Massachusetts area one of the things I am never afraid to do is give advice on how to make their home more appealing to the masses. Of course I know some people are very sensitive about their home but if I don’t make suggestions we both lose!

On a number of occasions I have gone into homes that are just loaded with “stuff”. Some people seem to be collectors and just don’t ever want to give up anything they have ever purchased. As home owners we all accumulate lots of things we don’t even realize we have. If you happen to be a pack rat and just can’t stand to think about throwing anything away the perfect solution is getting a POD.

Benefits of a PODS storage container

PODS delivers a container to you so you can pack it and unpack it at your own pace.
PODS containers can be stored at your home or business for easy access. If you prefer not to have the container in your yard they can be stored in one of the companies dry and secure storage centers.
PODS storage containers come in 3 handy sizes: 8x7x7, 8x8x12, and 8x8x16 (sizes are approximate).
You don’t have to drive a huge truck around town, maneuvering in and out of tight spaces and fill it up with gas when you are done.
The PODS themselves remain at ground level for easy loading and unloading.
You’re not on any time constraints, so there are no late fees or extra charges for taking longer than you expected.
You are able to store your container for a few weeks or a few years.
A pod container can be delivered next day for loading.
You are the only one that has the key to your PODS storage container unit so you can be sure your property is safe.
PODS containers are weather resistant and have been tested to withstand a wind velocity of up to 110 miles per hour when partially filled.
PODS delivery trucks are equipped with a patented lift system that minimizes the shift of contents while in transit to one of their storage center facilities.
PODS Storage Centers feature sophisticated security systems.

If you realize there is quite a bit of excess furniture and other items hanging around your home, think strongly about getting a PODS unit to change the visual appeal.

Are you a Massachusetts home owner and want to get a pricing quote on a PODS storage unit? Click the link….>> Get a Massachusetts PODS Storage Quote.

Buying a Massachusetts Foreclosure Property

by Bill Gassett on July 20, 2010 · 5 comments

Are you considering buying a Massachusetts foreclosure property? Investors that have a long term perspective of the Real Estate market understand that purchasing a bank foreclosure can be an excellent financial proposition. In the Metrowest Massachusetts area there are plenty of them around and they can typically be bought at a discount to the present market value.

Buying a Massachusetts foreclosed home however, is not for the timid at heart and there are many things that buyers need to consider. If you have ever watched a late night infomercial you would think that buying a foreclosed home for 50 cents on the dollar and immediately re-selling it for a boat load on money is automatic. Don’t plan on it!

Foreclosed homes generally can be purchased anywhere from 5%-20% below the current market value. Along with the chance for immediate equity comes a lot more risk. As a buyer of a foreclosed home, you should be preparing yourself for a significant amount of due diligence.

Having been in the Real Estate industry for the past twenty four years the best advice I could provide is to make sure you have an attorney represent your best interests.

One of the 1st things an attorney will do is a title search to see if there are any liens or other liabilities on the property. Things like unpaid taxes, mechanics liens, or court judgments are all possible land mines. The sooner you determine the legal status of the property you are interested in the better as this will help determine if it is even worth it to put in an offer.

The last thing you want to have happen is to think you just bought a home for $500,000 but then find out there is $100,000 worth of liens on the property.

Having your financing already lined up is a very important consideration as well because these kind of transactions tend to move very swiftly.

Unlike a traditional Real Estate transaction everything is “buyer beware”. When purchasing a non foreclosed home the seller will have had some kind of history with the property and should be disclosing any known issues. In a foreclosure the lender has never lived in the property therefore they would have no idea what problems if any the home has.

Most of the time you will be buying in “as is” condition. In many cases a person who has lost their home because of financial difficulties probably has not had the funds to keep up with the maintenance.

There could be any number of problems that are not readily apparent. Issues with some of the more expensive components of a home such as heating, plumbing and electrical systems are all possible. There could also be vandalism by the previous home owner or other vandals as well.

I have been to plenty of foreclosed homes where the owner has taken out their anger on the property. I have been in homes where the entire kitchen was removed! Some of the other more common issues today is the copper plumbing being taken out of a home. I know that may sound crazy but it happens!

Still interested in buying a foreclosed home? Here are the three scenarios when buying one:

A pre-foreclosure where you buy directly from the home owner before the bank takes over.
At an auction where you may be in competition with other buyers.
From a Real Estate company or the bank itself. This is known as an REO aka Real Estate owned.

In a pre-foreclosure you get to do all your various due diligence including any home inspections and a title search to make sure there are no liens. In a pre-foreclosure the owner signs over the deed to you and you take title to the property. In this scenario you acquire the mortgage a must bring it current giving the bank any missed payments.

Buying at an auction typically carries the most risk but also can come with the greatest reward.

Auctions are handled differently from state to state. Some are held right at the property and others at the local court house.

Many times with an auction you are not allowed to inspect the property prior to the scheduled auction date. These types of sales tend to bring out more “investor” types as these properties can be bought on many occasions for a price that could warrant a “flip” where the buyer turns around and re-sells the property.

A buyer going to an auction will need to come up with a fairly large deposit and will be expected to show the lender that they have the ability to complete the purchase. The other consideration in the auction scenario is that you may have to spend time and money removing the previous owner. A task that most buyers don’t have the stomach for.

The REO scenario is usually the least risky as the bank has acquired the property and has wiped out the liens through purchase.

Once a home is Real Estate owned many banks will list these homes with a Realtor. The buyer gets clear title, is most often allowed to inspect the home, and is allowed to have a mortgage contingency. This is typically the best route for the non savvy Real Estate investor.

A few other very important considerations in the foreclosure process in the “pre-foreclosure period” and the “redemption period”. The pre-foreclosure period is the time between a previous owner’s notification of default and the point when the property can be sold by the lender.This time period is also when the existing owner can make good on the note and keep their home, or sell it themselves. So the shorter the pre-foreclosure period, the more advantageous it is for the new buyer.

The redemption period is the time when the previous owner is allowed to buy back the home after the lender has sold it. Again, the shorter this time period, the better it is for the buyer. Some states have no redemption period, making it an optimal situation for someone to purchase.These time periods vary depending on the State the property is located in. Knowing the exact redemption period is critical because you could end up losing time and money if the previous owner ends up buying back the home.

Most of your efficiency as a buyer depends on whether the state in which the property is purchased uses mortgages or deeds of trust for real estate transactions.

When a state uses mortgages, it means they also conduct their foreclosure proceedings through the courts. These transactions tend to take longer and have a range of potential problems. When a state uses deeds of trust, the foreclosures are non-judicial and tend to resolve quicker and with far less head aches.

In Massachusetts the primary means on foreclosure is non judicial (no court action). If the deed of trust, however, does not contain a power of sale language, (language in the mortgage that allows the mortgagee to sell the property) the lender may seek judicial foreclosure.

As few as 75 days may pass from the time a property owner receives a notice of default until the property is sold at a public foreclosure auction sale.

As you can see there is quite a bit to know when buying a Massachusetts foreclosed home. In addition to having a good attorney, a knowledgeable local Realtor can be an important piece of the puzzle in helping to determine the market value of the property you wish to purchase.

When To Do a Short Sale Home Inspection

by Bill Gassett on July 13, 2010 · 10 comments

In most Real Estate transactions there is a buyers agent representing a buyer and a sellers agent representing the seller. In a traditional purchase, the home inspection is generally done within the 1st week or two after a contract has been executed by both the buyer and seller.

This is know as a “home inspection contingency” and allows the buyer and their home inspector the opportunity to carefully look over the home for any potential structural or mechanical defects.

If the buyer does not like the results they generally can exercise their right not to move forward with the purchase of the property.

When to do a home inspection for a short sale property can sometimes be a bone of contention depending on which side you are representing in the transaction.

Buyers of course do not want to spend money on home inspections when they do not know for sure whether their short sale offer is going to get approved or not. In many short sale offers I receive, the buyers agent will ask in the offer to let the buyer do their home inspection after the short sale approval letter comes from the lender.

As a Massachusetts short sale listing agent however, I need to protect my clients best interests. Allowing a buyer to wait until after the lender’s approval to do a home inspection would give the buyer the ability to walk away far too late in the transaction and could force the seller into a foreclosure sale because they would not have enough time to find another buyer.

In addition most short sales are “as is” transactions. The reason the seller is doing a short sale to begin with is that they do not have enough money to continue paying the mortgage. Buyer’s need to understand going in that the home inspection is not going to be an opportunity for them to present a laundry list of repairs they want the seller to remedy.

Lastly, the buyer is not going to be able to negotiate any costs of repairs if the home inspection was completed after lender’s approval. When the lender or lenders approves a short sale it is based on a definite dollar amount they will be realizing at the closing and they do not allow for further negotiations.

If the home inspection is done up front in a short sale it could be possible to negotiate a credit prior to the offer being submitted to the lender.

For all these reasons it makes sense that the home inspection is done prior to short sale approval!

As the number of Massachusetts short sales has grown so has the number of unqualified Realtors who have started to represent home sellers. If you are a Massachusetts home seller and need to do a short sale it is of the utmost importance to realize that not every Realtor is qualified to represent a short sale!!

Many consumers make extremely poor choices by working with agents that don’t have a lick of experience with getting short sales approved. Picking a good Massachusetts short sale Realtor is critical to your success.

There are many errors I see constantly by agents who are representing sellers in short sales throughout the Metrowest area. If you are considering doing a short sale I would highly recommend reading some of the short sale articles I have written below. The articles cover some of the considerations as well as mistakes you want to avoid when trying to successfully complete a short sale.

As a home seller you need to remember that tons of short sales across the country do not get approved and end up in foreclosure. Sometimes this is due to the Realtor not properly handling the sale. There are also debt removal and tax consequences discussed below that you will want to be familiar with.

If you are needing to complete a short sale of your home or condo in Ashland, Bellingham, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Southboro, Westboro, Natick, Northboro, Northbridge, Whitinsville, Upton, Uxbridge, Shrewsbury, Worcester, or Douglas Get in touch! I would love to interview for the chance to represent your best interests.

I am successfully completing short sales through out the Metrowest Massachusetts area. So far, knock on wood, I have a 100% success rate for short sale approval!

If you are outside of the Metrowest Massachusetts area and need to do a short sale please feel free to contact me and I would be happy to refer you to a Realtor in your location that handles short sales and knows what they are doing! I have referred short sales to other Realtors all around the country.

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About the author: The above Real Estate information on when to do a short sale home inspection was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-435-5356. Bill has helped people move in and out of many Metrowest towns for the last 24+ Years.

Thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for Real Estate and love to share my marketing expertise!

I service the following towns in Metrowest MA: Hopkinton, Milford, Southboro, Westboro, Ashland, Holliston, Medway, Franklin, Framingham, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Upton, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Northboro, Bellingham, Uxbridge, Worcester and Douglas.

Tagged as: Home inspection for short sale, Massachusetts short sale, Massachusetts short sale attorney, Massachusetts short sale home inspection, Massachusetts short sale Realtor, Short sale home inspection, When to do a short sale home inspection

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USDA Loans For No Down Payment Financing

by Bill Gassett on July 7, 2010 · 8 comments

A USDA guaranteed loan is a government insured 100% purchase loan. This type of loan is only offered in what is considered a rural area. They are serviced by direct lenders that meet Federal guidelines.

USDA loans (US Department of Agriculture) aka Section 502 loans are an excellent mortgage vehicle for those home buyers who do not have money to put down but have decent credit ratings. Typically a credit score over 600 will allow a buyer to secure USDA financing. A score between 580-600 will come under much heavier scrutiny but will not rule out the borrower.

Most people think that 100% financing is a thing of the past due to the mortgage market melt down. While it is hard to get 100% financing, it is not impossible because of the USDA loan.

The USDA loan is typically used to help low to moderate income households purchase homes in rural areas. These loan products are backed by the Federal government. A common obstacle for many folks to owning a home is the lack of down payment funds. The use of a USDA loan makes the reality of home ownership far more reachable to a large percentage of borrowers.

Qualifying for a USDA Loan

In order to qualify for a USDA mortgage loan you can only have an income up to 115% of the median income for the area that the home you are interested in buying is located.

The guidelines also include repayment viability based on P.I.T.I (Principle, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance) divided by gross monthly income being less than 29%. Total debt divided by gross monthly income must also be equal to or less than 41%.

Families applying for the loan must not currently have housing that is adequate. The test of adequacy is based on family size. For example ff a family of five is living in a two bedroom apartment then that is not adequate and they would be eligible for the loan. The home must also be reasonable in size based on the size of the family. You would not be buying an enormous home with a USDA loan!

One of the other great benefits of the USDA loan is that there is no mortgage insurance required. Without the need for private mortgage insurance the borrower can save a substantial amount of money!

In my experience, unless you are in a heavily populated city the definition of rural is pretty loose. Many areas that you may not consider to be rural in your mind may qualify for a USDA loan. Areas that have a population under 20,000 will probably pass the test in most circumstances.

To see if a USDA loan would work for your financing needs it would be smart to check with a qualified mortgage professional. Not all lenders work with these type of loan products as they are more paperwork intense.

For additional information on USDA loans I would suggest visiting the USDA loan website which provides a vast amount of information on this loan product..

If you are located in Massachusetts and want to know if you qualify based on the income limits for a specific area you can visit Massachusetts USDA offices which will provide you with the local income limits based on the county that the property is located in.

If you are located in another state here is the link to the USDA State & local offices.

USDA loan alternatives

If you find that you do not meet the income requirements for a USDA loan another popular choice for a lower down payment loan would be an FHA loan. There are no income restrictions with an FHA loan you will only need to have a 3.5% down payment. For a comparison of conventional mortgage plans to an FHA loan see conventional financing vs FHA loans.

While there have been tremendous changes for the better in the mortgage industry, the media loves to portray the mortgage market as one where borrowers have almost no chance of getting a loan. Doom and gloom unfortunately always seems to sell better than the actual reality of things.

There is no question that mortgage lenders have really tightened their belt and are not lending to anyone that is breathing and walks into their office. There is however, plenty of funding available to those that have a job with a steady income and a decent credit rating. So don’t assume you can not get a loan!

We are currently in one of the most attractive times in our history as far as borrowing money goes. It is rare to see an interest rate environment where rates are so attractive, combined with a significant drop in housing prices we have seen from 2005 to 2010!

Realtors Should Be Attending Home Inspections With Their Clients

June 30, 2010

In the Real Estate industry it is usually pretty easy to spot a truly dedicated Realtor who has a passion for their business. It is also just as easy to spot a pretender that does as little as they can get away with. Unfortunately, there are very low barriers to becoming a Realtor. Take a [...]

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Fannie Mae Strikes Against Strategic Defaults

June 25, 2010

You may have heard or read recently about strategic defaults as this topic is all over the news. A strategic default is when a home owner walks away from their mortgage when they are still able to make the payments. The reason why a home owner would consider a strategic default and just walk away [...]

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Home Warranty Benefits For Massachusetts Homes

June 22, 2010

Home warranties are something you see every now and then being offered by a Massachusetts home seller who is looking to provide a perk and piece of mind to a perspective home buyer. The seller pays for the warranty upfront and the Realtor advertises that the property comes with a home warranty. A home warranty [...]

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Picking The Wrong Massachusetts Realtor Can Get Ugly!

June 18, 2010

As a Realtor, knowing how to market your services as well as a clients property online can be very powerful. In the Real Estate field it can certainly be the difference maker in whether or not a client chooses to hire you or NOT! It is not that hard to figure out that Realtors are [...]

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Home Improvements With The Worst Return On Investment

June 14, 2010

One thing I have learned over the years while working as a Massachusetts Realtor is that many folks do not realize the correlation between making improvements to their home and what the corresponding return on investment will end up being. So many people blindly assume that every improvement they make to their home will bring [...]

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Massachusetts Home Buyer Turn Offs

June 10, 2010

Getting a Massachusetts home sold today is a lot more difficult than it used to be. The fact of the matter is that there are far fewer buyers that can qualify to buy a home today. We all know that lending practices have tightened and rightfully so. There are also millions of people that have [...]

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Massachusetts Homestead Protection Act

March 26, 2010

The Massachusetts Homestead Protection Act is one of the biggest no- brainers for any homeowner in Massachusetts to take advantage off. Quite simply, an estate of homestead is protection for a persons residence from most creditors. The declaration of homestead protects the equity in your home for up to $500,000 in the event you are sued. [...]

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Stop Making Mortgage Payments During a Short Sale?

February 18, 2010

There are a lot of myths floating around when it comes to successfully doing a Real Estate short sale. One of the more prominent untruths is the fact that you need to be in default with your lender in order to do a short sale. On numerous occasions both online and around the water cooler [...]

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Tax Deductions to Remember When Buying a Home

March 8, 2010

When you are getting a mortgage to purchase a home, there are certain deductions that the IRS allows that are well worth remembering come tax time in April. The following is a list of some of the deductions that many people forget about when buying a home: POINTS Points on a home loan are tax [...]

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Massachusetts Public Open Houses Are a Waste of Time For Home Sellers

February 28, 2010

Yes… I am talking about the waste of time that thousands of Realtors continue to participate in week after week on Sundays in Massachusetts….THE PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE. Let me rephrase that…A waste of time for the seller of the home. This will probably come as a surprise to you but Nationally less than 1% of [...]

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What Kind of Massachusetts Realtor Do You Want?

March 4, 2010

There is a lot of talk in Real Estate circles about how Realtors should run their business in regards to returning either another agents or clients phone call. There are of course some pretty differing opinions amongst Real Estate agents themselves on what they should be held accountable to. There are quite a few including [...]

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Massachusetts Property Tax Relief for Seniors

March 5, 2010

One of the things that Massachusetts seniors face in many of the destination towns where schools are top notch is the growing burden of higher taxes. There is almost always a correlation between a towns popularity and the market value of the homes. When you look at why property values are higher in one town [...]

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Price Per Square Foot is Misleading for Real Estate Values

March 10, 2010

Over the years working as a Realtor I have seen numerous home buyers as well as other Realtors try to use dollars per square foot as a good measuring stick for market values. Sorry folks but that is a very poor way to analyze value. There are a number of reasons why this is the [...]

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Massachusetts Seller’s Statement of Property Condition

March 15, 2010

The Massachusetts sellers statement of property condition is a form that many Massachusetts Real Estate companies require their agents to have the seller sign. Massachusetts however, does not require these forms to be filled out as part of a Real Estate transaction so it is up to the individual company to decide if they are [...]

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Need a Massachusetts Short Sale Realtor? Don’t Pick a Short Sale Buffoon!

March 24, 2010

One of the biggest mistakes I see being made over and over again by those that need to short sell their Massachusetts home is picking the wrong Real Estate agent to work with. Don’t make this mistake and turn into Realtor road kill! The are an abundance of Realtors that are listing short sales and [...]

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Real Estate Value Range Pricing is Nothing But Deception

March 17, 2010

Real Estate value range pricing is not that common in Massachusetts thankfully! The term value range pricing can also be known as “variable pricing”, “value range marketing” and “range pricing”. So what is Real Estate value range pricing exactly? It is when you list a home for sale and rather than going out on the [...]

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FICO Credit Scores and Increasing Your Creditworthiness

March 29, 2010

Credit scores are one of the largest factors that lenders use in evaluating whether or not to lend money to a borrower. Credit scores are designed to measure the risk of someone defaulting by taking into account various factors in a person’s financial history. If you are considering purchasing a Massachusetts home one of the [...]

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Testing a Massachusetts Well When Buying a Home

March 20, 2010

As a home seller or buyer in Massachusetts there are always questions that come up regarding testing the water when a home is serviced by a private well. If you happen to be buying a Massachusetts home that is serviced by a well and not by public water you better make darn sure that you [...]

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Buying a Massachusetts Bank Owned Home

March 18, 2010

There are a few different ways in which a buyer of Real Estate could obtain ownership of a foreclosure. Here is a quick summary of the three possible scenarios: A pre-foreclosure where you are able to buy directly from the home owner before the bank takes over. This is commonly referred to as a short [...]

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Sell Your Massachusetts Home in 70 Days Guaranteed?

March 22, 2010

Have you ever seen the Massachusetts Real Estate advertising that says “We will sell your Massachusetts home in 70 days guaranteed” and wondered what the hell that was all about? This is just another marketing gimmick that in some respects is no different than value range pricing. The difference being is that more times than [...]

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Real Estate Pricing Ending in 900 May or May Not Be a Good Idea

April 19, 2010

When I 1st got into the Real Estate business twenty four years ago we used to carry around the big bulky MLS books. Back in those days this was how we knew what properties were on the market in Massachusetts. The internet was in it’s infancy and jumping online to look at properties was not [...]

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Handling Offers When Selling a Massachusetts Home

April 5, 2010

One of my favorite things when selling a Massachusetts home is to receive multiple offers. I know there are a lot of Real Estate agents that hate this situation because on many occasions it can become contentious. When there are multiple offers on a home from a couple of different parties there is only one [...]

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Make Sure You Get Your Massachusetts Short Sale Debt Released!

April 16, 2010

If you are an avid reader of my Massachusetts Real Estate blog you probably have guessed that one of my passions is to help out those that are in need of completing a short sale. Massachusetts home owners struggling to make mortgage payments are often turning to doing a short sale as a means of [...]

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Massachusetts Assessed Home Values Are Not The Same As Fair Market Value

March 31, 2010

As a Massachusetts Realtor who has been around the block a few times, I often come across things that are written and said by other Realtors that just want to make me scratch my head in disbelief. All this head scratching could partially explain why I started to lose my hair at such an early [...]

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Painting a Massachusetts Home with Duration Paint by Sherwin Williams

May 17, 2010

If you live anywhere in the New England region you know that are weather can go from being beautiful to down right nasty in the blink of an eye. Where I live in Massachusetts a homes exterior can take a terrible beating due to the elements. If your Massachusetts home has clapboard or wood siding [...]

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Massachusetts Home Sale Contingencies and Right of 1st Refusal

April 9, 2010

If you are selling your home in Massachusetts it is possible you may see a buyer try to purchase your home with a home sale contingency. In other words they write into the Real Estate contract that they will not have to proceed with buying your home unless they successfully close on the property that [...]

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Questions to Ask a Short Sale Listing Agent as a Buyer or Buyers Agent

April 7, 2010

There is no doubt that a short sale is not your run of the mill Real Estate transaction. Anyone who has ever been involved with one as a listing agent knows there are a lot of hoops to jump through! On a national level there is a very high percentage of short sales that never [...]

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Massachusetts Tax Stamps and Other Costs to Sell a Home

April 2, 2010

One of the things that I have realized over the years while representing Massachusetts home sellers is the fact that many are completely unaware that there is a tax to sell your home! While it is true that if you live in Massachusetts you come to grips quickly that just about everything gets taxed, sometimes [...]

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Realtor Communication Skills The Number One Complaint!

April 28, 2010

If you look at any of the National Real Estate surveys the number one complaint from consumers against Realtors who are representing home sellers is the lack of communication skills. There are countless stories of sellers signing a listing contract and then never hearing from their Realtor again unless they initiate the contact. Obviously if [...]

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Real Estate Commissions Agent Bonus and Unethical Realtors

April 12, 2010

Many many years ago when I got into the Real Estate business every Realtor represented the seller. Consumers did not have the luxury of having a Real Estate agent in their corner to represent their best interests. Consumer law in Massachusetts however, changed in the 1990′s. Buyers are now afforded the opportunity to have a [...]

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Marking a Property Under Agreement or Accepting Back Up Offers in Real Estate?

May 13, 2010

In Massachusetts when you are marketing a seller’s home and you procure a ready willing and able buyer to purchase a property you have hopefully started your journey to a successful closing. One of the things that Realtors are required to do is change the status of the property when we have a signed contract [...]

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Massachusetts Flooding and The Potential Pollution of Local Water Supplies

April 14, 2010

I am pleased to introduce guest blogger Ashley Connolley from Northeast Water Wells who is here to discuss some of the potential issues a home owner can face from the recent record breaking storms and flooding in the Metrowest Massachusetts area. Ashley was kind enough to drop by and give some things to consider regarding [...]

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Picking a Dominant Online Metrowest MA Realtor

May 2, 2010

It is a fact that 90% of all home buyers start their search for a home online. The days of buyers using newspapers and magazines as a viable means to find a home are over! Keeping this in mind, the goal of any Realtor that is worth their commission is to make darn sure the [...]

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Why Accompanied Showings in Real Estate are a Big Mistake

April 21, 2010

In the Metrowest Massachusetts area where I am located it is pretty rare to see an accompanied showing. In towards Boston it becomes much more common place. Some areas around the country have them and others don’t. Why? Who knows but more than likely it has to do with tradition. I am glad the policy [...]

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FHA Loans V.S a Conventional Loan

April 22, 2010

I am excited to announce guest blogger Michael Dunsky from Guaranteed Rate Mortgages who will be covering some of the great benefits to FHA financing. Michael has been one of my preferred loan officers for years and always does an outstanding job with his clients. Check out Mike’s terrific article on FHA Loans v.s conventional [...]

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How Not to Sell a Massachusetts Home

April 26, 2010

Every week on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) you see countless homes that come up “expired”. For those that are not familiar with the term, an expired listing is a home that did not sell. When looking over the possible common denominators of why some homes do not sell the reason is usually pretty easy [...]

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Staging and Preparing a Massachusetts Home For Sale

May 6, 2010

Back in the boom times of the Real Estate market from the mid 1990′s until the mid 2000′s getting a Massachusetts home truly ready for the market was far less important than it is today. Every home seller today is in stiff competition with the next guy down the street with far less buyers in [...]

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Massachusetts Bedroom Misrepresentation With Septic Systems

April 30, 2010

One of the things that Massachusetts home owners who are serviced by a private septic system need to be keenly aware of when selling their home is to make sure they do not misrepresent the bedroom count. When a home is serviced by a septic system in Massachusetts the advertised bedroom count must meet the [...]

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Why Most Real Estate For Sale By Owners (FSBO) Fail

May 3, 2010

One thing that makes the world go around is the desire to save money. Everyone likes to save a few bucks. In Real Estate saving a commission translates into big dollars. It is hard to blame anyone for wanting to save the type of money that is made when a Realtor sells a home or [...]

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Short Sale Tax Consequences

May 10, 2010

As a Massachusetts Realtor that has been doing quite a few successful short sales, one of the things I like to make sure of when I meet a potential client that is looking to do a short sale is to give them a complete understanding of how they work. Short sales can be complicated transactions. [...]

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Breaking a Massachusetts Real Estate Contract

May 27, 2010

When a Real Estate client expresses a desire to break a Real Estate contract you know the next few days of your life are probably not going to be too pleasant. When people are looking to break a contract it is usually a highly charged emotional event! In Massachusetts we are a two contract state. [...]

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Massachusetts Home Owners Insurance Savings Tips

June 1, 2010

One of the things that every Massachusetts home owner is required to have when procuring a loan for a property is to have home owners insurance. Most banks and mortgage companies will not give someone a loan unless their home is insured. Most loan documents will also give the bank the option of taking legal [...]

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Should I Move or Improve My Massachusetts Home?

June 2, 2010

As a Massachusetts Realtor getting asked the question should I move to another home or improve on my existing home is something I hear fairly often. The answer to this question often depends on each individual home owners circumstances. Massachusetts home improvements are cheaper There is no question that now is a great time to [...]

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Acceptable Hardships For Massachusetts Short Sales

May 20, 2010

I have encountered quite a few people in my Real Estate travels that incorrectly assume that anyone who owes more money than their home is worth and wishes to short sell their Massachusetts home can do so with no problem. Sorry folks but it does not always work that way. In some respects it actually [...]

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Getting The Best Mortgage Home Loan

May 21, 2010

Getting the best mortgage home loan for your particular needs is all about doing the proper research so you can hand pick the program that works for your situation in life. There are numerous loan programs available to savvy home buyers. The most common loan programs are the conventional fixed rate mortgage and the adjustable [...]

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Fixing Credit Report Errors

June 7, 2010

There is no question that getting a home loan today is far more difficult than in years past. Gone are the days where anybody that had a pulse could speak with a bank or mortgage company and feel confident they would walk away with a mortgage. When you are looking to make a home purchase [...]

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Real Estate News and Views for Metrowest Massachusetts. Published by Bill Gassett RE/MAX Executive Realty

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