Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Whether you are a first time buyer or someone who hasn't purchased a home in a while, these 10 steps will take you from start to finish in the Buying process
Whether you are a first time homebuyer or a home owner that hasn’t gone through the process for a while, buying a home can seem intimidating. This guide should lay out the process, taking you from the start to the closing bell. 1. Pre-approval: this is an important first step for two reasons. First, your agent will want to know a realistic price range to stay within when picking homes to show you. It does not help anyone to show properties that are well out of your range of value. Secondly, it is critical to pick a bank or mortgage company that is going to work with you and keep the transaction as hassle-free as possible. Currently, the small, local banks and companies have been the best at delivering hassle-free loans. 2. Shopping: …
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Time-saving tips to getting your house in tip-top showing condition and keeping it that way!
It is tough to fit cleaning into today's schedules. Between working, school, sports, homework, volunteer shifts or social plans, the amount time available to keep the home in great shape seems to continue to lessen. If your home is on the market, the need to have it show in its best condition is extremely important, especially in today's buyer's market. Trying to keep your home in this condition can be stressful. The following 9 tips should help you to get your home in this condition and help keep it that way. 1. Keep a weekly schedule. Creating a schedule with reasonable, daily expectations for everyone will help share the load. It will also make the tasks more manageable over all. If the house is tidied up every day, the extra things…
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
An overview of the Mass Save program and how it can benefit homeowners and tenants alike through utility cost savings
Do you want to learn how to be more efficient in your home? Are you wishing you could bring your utility costs down? Mass Saves is a free program available in Massachusetts available to tenants and homeowners that is sponsored by Massachusetts gas and electric utility providers. The program consists of having an energy specialist come out and visit you at your home. This visit will include an extensive inspection of your home and it is important to have all areas available to the inspector, including all heating systems, attic and basement spaces. These appointments can take up to 2-3 hours depending on the size of your home. At the end of the appointment, you will receive a custom list of energy saving recommendations and the specialist…
Monday, January 2, 2012
If the condo complex you are trying to buy or sell has not been approved by the Federal Housing Administration, it may be the unqualified building killing the deal.
This is a column by local real estate agents Walt Fitzgerald and Ali Ludwig. In February 2010, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) came up with a new set of lending guidelines, drastically changing how condominium units are approved for FHA backed loans. That was long enough ago, that you would think there would not be a continued negative impact. So what's the deal? Many people do not realize that the condos up for sale are still not FHA approved. Until February 2010, a lender could get an approval for a condo unit through a "spot approval,” if the unit was on the FHA's list of previously approved properties. After February 2010, the spot approval process was removed. Now the entire complex needs to get approved under the new …
Friday, December 16, 2011
An article featuring some of the common protocol miscommunications between buyers and agents.
The longer I am in the Real Estate business, the more I realize that many agents often make assumptions that their buyer knows how a real estate transaction works. After all, the clients coming in are very educated about the market in general – they may even be spending more time looking at properties on-line than we agents do. However, the nuances of the relationship between agents and the client are not as quickly discovered online and do vary by region. Therefore, it should be our responsibility to further educate the consumer about our protocol in following a typical real estate transaction. With all parties having the same expectations throughout the transaction, it will go more smoothly and all parties will benefit. Here are 8 things…
Friday, December 9, 2011
Rick Misitano, Senior Paralegal at the Law Offices of James M. Bosco & Associates goes over some things to be aware of if a homeowner is facing foreclosure.
This is a weekly column by local real estate agents Walt Fitzgerald and Alison Ludwig, also known as Walt and Ali's Team. As we all know, there are many homeowners across the country who are unable to pay their mortgage, for various reasons, and who are facing foreclosure. With more and more attention being given to the sometimes illegal, and unethical behavior of the banks who are foreclosing, it is extremely important for homeowners to know their rights when faced with this situation. Rick Misitano, Senior Paralegal at the Law Offices of James M. Bosco & Associates, specializes with Foreclosure and Short Sale Clients. He offers the following opinions: 1. Do not ignore notices from the lender. Along with this, do not follow the advice …
Monday, December 5, 2011
A discussion with Senior Paralegal Rick Misitano from the Law Offices of James M. Bosco, who goes over the basic terms of Atty General Coakley's lawsuit against 5 big banks for unlawful and illegal foreclosures.
The following column was submitted by Walt and Ali's Team. Martha Coakley, Massachusetts State Attorney General, filed suit last week against five of the Big Banks and the Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS), citing "unlawful and illegal foreclosures against homeowners in Massachusetts", according to yesterday's press conference. The two goals that she laid out to be accomplished through this lawsuit are to force accountability upon the banks and to provide homeowners with "real and enforceable relief...for the harm that the misconduct has caused." There is little question that dealing with the declining real estate market is a key step in turning the economy around- a step the banks have not appeared to care to take. The …
Friday, November 18, 2011
Tips to help homeowners sell their home faster and for more money during the winter months.
Think that the winter months are the worst time to sell real estate and that homes don’t sell? Think again! While home sales do tend to slow down over the winter months, nothing is more serious than a Buyer looking at properties over the holiday season. These Buyers are motivated and are carrying their checkbook with them, ready to buy the house of their dreams. So how can homeowners capitalize on these Buyers? Follow these 9 tips: 1.) Focus on curb appeal. Fall and winter months can be drearier than the spring and summer with their greens and flowers, however having raked your leaves, trimmed your hedges, cleaned the gutters and your yard will make a big impact on curb appeal for short money. 2.) Play with the season. Homeowners …
Friday, November 11, 2011
Tips for buyers to make the most out of the winter Real Estate market.
The fall months this year have been unusually warm, so it may be hard to believe that the winter real estate market is almost here. The Spring Market is the one that many buyers wait for, but there are some great reasons not to wait and to take advantage of the homes that are on the market over the holiday season. 1. Less competition. There are less buyers over the winter months. The Buyers that are out viewing homes are serious buyers and Sellers realize this. Sellers should be more willing to accommodate your showing needs and to negotiate terms in offers. 2. Sellers are also more motivated. Homes move slower over the winter months, which Sellers are well aware of. A good Agent will educate their Sellers to the market conditions, …
Friday, October 28, 2011
This is the first of a two part article about radon. This week, we explain what radon is and how to test for it.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that is naturally occurring. It comes from the natural decaying of uranium in almost all soils. While some areas are more likely to have higher radon readings, homes all across the country have had high radon levels. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer -- second only to smoking. Smokers who also have high radon readings in their homes have a 10 times greater risk for lung cancer. The only way to know if there is radon in your home is to have it tested. Outside, radon comes up through the ground and disburses into the atmosphere. It comes into homes in many ways, through cracks or holes in the foundation, dirt floors, …
Travis Estes
4:31 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Great article. I wanted to mention that the Greener Chelmsford Initiative has been looking to expand access to this program through an outreach partnership with Next Step Living. I'm happy to answer questions about the process and further explain the Mass Save program. Email me if you have any questions. Thanks, Travis Estes travis.estes@nextsteplivinginc.com more ›