Through the Internet, home buyers can access a nearly infinite amount of home buying guides and how-to-buy-a-home advice. The sheer volume of home buyer tips and advice can be overwhelming! And all that information may not really help you in your particular situation and sometimes is downright contradictory.
What most Massachusetts home buyers need is a good Massachusetts Realtor® to guide them through the home buying process and put the all the variables of home buying into the context of their own individual needs as purchasers.
Whether you’re a first-time home buyer, are selling your current home and buying another, or are a relocation buyer moving to Massachusetts, you’ll benefit greatly from having a trusted real estate advisor on your side who has a sound understanding of the steps ahead of you.
Having a good Massachusetts Realtor® for professional guidance and expertise will help you make the right home buying decisions.
The following posts will give you an overview of current “hot topics” in the Massachusetts real estate market from the point of view of the home buyer.
You can get answers to any questions you have free for the asking . . . simply use the “ask a question” widget in the column at left or click the “Contact” button in the top navigation bar.
Happy Home Hunting!
From the category archives:
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[post_content] => Mortgage rates are supposed to rise in 2011, according to the general consensus of the finance industry at the start of the year. But here we are more than a quarter of the way through the year and interest rates remain essentially unchanged.
Does anyone really know where rates are headed?
We’ve seen recent predictions of higher mortgage rates turn out dead wrong.
Last year at this time the news media advised us to ‘lock in mortgage loan rates now’ amidst warnings that there was serious ‘trouble ahead’ for housing and the economy when rates rose later on in 2010.
But rates did not go up in 2010; they actually fell instead for most of the second half of the year. And rates do not appear poised for a run-up any time soon in this year either.
So why the discrepancy between interest rate forecasts and reality?
The case for higher rates seems to make sense
The rationale behind the predictions of higher rates makes a lot of sense on paper. Rates have been historically low for a very long time now. The U.S. has borrowed trillions of dollars over the last two years. With announcements today that the economy is doing better and job openings are becoming more plentiful, there should be upward pressure on interest rates.
Yet on the same day that the above upbeat economic data was released, bond yields actually fell. The bond market focused instead on President’s Obama’s announcement of his plan to reduce future Federal borrowing.
There may be forces at work keeping interest rates low that have not yet been recognized by financial experts.
Forecasts just guesses?
That may be part of the reason why so many predictions over the last few years about the future direction of interest rates have proved inaccurate. While the mortgage experts quoted in the news are sincere and mean well with their interest rate projections, we’ve seen again and again that no one really knows for sure what the future holds for rates.
With interest rates having been so low for so long now, they will likely rise at some point in the future. But estimating when and by how much rates will rise remains pure guesswork.
The bottom line for anyone making purchase or investment decisions: don’t base your behavior on the day’s headlines.
Act prudently to take advantages of what opportunities are available to you now. Do what makes financial sense for your future and don’t worry about what you can’t control.
Recent predictions about rates in 2011
Here are some of the better articles I found on where interest rates may be headed in 2011:
http://mortgage-x.com/general/rate_trend.asp
http://fha-interest-rate.com/2011/03/fha-mortgage-rate-predictions-irrelevant/
http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/mortgage-rate-trend-index8-162143-1.aspx
http://www.dailymortgagereport.com/2010/12/housing-mortgage-predictions-2011/
Copyright ©2011 02038.com
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[post_content] => Greater Boston home prices rose in January, according to figures released last week by Standard and Poors.
2nd monthly rise in a row
The seasonally-adjusted S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for Boston rose 0.5% in January, marking the second consecutive month that home sale prices increased in the metro Boston area.
Due to a two month reporting lag, January’s results are the most recent reflected in the Index.
Home prices still below 2010 levels
Despite the uptick in home values over the last two months, the seasonally adjusted Boston Index remains 0.6% below year-ago levels.
According to the seasonally adjusted Index, post-recession Boston home prices peaked in May 2010 right after the April 30, 2010 end of the Federal home buyer tax credits.
Once that crucial market support was removed, Greater Boston sale prices stagnated for a couple of months, and then entered a pronounced slumped beginning last August.
Seasonally-adjusted Greater Boston home prices bottomed last November, and have turned modestly higher since then.
Unadjusted Boston Index not a reliable guide
Note that Standard and Poors issues an alternate Case-Shiller Home Price Index for Boston, one that is not seasonally adjusted.
Most of the media reports you will see on the MA real estate market refer to that unadjusted Index.
But the unadjusted Index suffers from great seasonal fluctuations, reducing the reliability of that Index as an accurate gauge of the direction of Massachusetts home sale prices.
Stage set for spring price rebound?
Because of the two month lag in reporting in the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, we will not know how spring 2011 home prices are faring in Boston for several months.
But due to the increased activity I as a real estate broker have been witnessing recently in the local market, I think we will see a continued improvement in MA home sale prices during the spring of 2011.
U. S. housing market about to recover?
There certainly has been a lot of negative real estate news recently. Massachusetts home sale volume is down, and home prices are falling many U.S. metro regions.
However, CNN/Money.com recently posted an article from Fortune Magazine that bears reading.
The article essentially issues a call to buy real estate now.
Nothing stays down forever and the contrarian thinking underlying the article makes a lot of sense.
Those buying a home or investment real estate in 2011 may find themselves several years from now saying 'I can't believe I paid so little for the place back in 2011!'
Copyright ©2011 02038.com
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[post_content] => February’s brutal weather appears to have played havoc with the Massachusetts real estate market. Home sales activity in MA last month plummeted as the winds howled and the snow and ice mounted.
Worse than 2009
Closed home sales volume in February fell below the previous low for the last decade seen back in February 2009 during the worst of the world-wide financial panic.
February pending transactions (homes that went under agreement but whose sales are not yet closed) also hit a new low in MA for the new millennium as rounds of snow storms buffeted the state.
Blame the weather
It may be that the abysmal weather played a big role in February’s dismal results.
MA home sales had been on the rebound last December and January, despite the advent of cold and snowy weather.
But what had been bad weather in January turned even worse as February got under way. Massachusetts ended up with over four feet of snow on the ground by the middle of the month.
Schools were closed as travel became difficult. Home showings and sales activity withered as MA residents focused their attention on the challenges of removing ice dams from their roofs and getting safely to and from work and the food store.
Bad February in Franklin, MA as well
February was disappointing for home sales in the Town of Franklin, MA as much as it was across the Commonwealth.
Note that pending sales in February rose a bit in Franklin, marking the first rise in February pending home sales in town over the last four years.
Snow is melting now
The coming of March brought with it significant snow melt.
Home sales activity in my office in Franklin has noticeably picked up recently as the snow cover has retreated.
It will be very interesting to see how March’s home sales stats turn out – you can be sure I’ll keep you thoroughly up to date!
Copyright ©2011 02038.com
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[post_content] => Greater Boston home sale prices are stabilizing and even rising a little according to seasonally adjusted home price data released this week by Standard & Poors. Seasonally adjusted home sale prices in the metro area rose 0.8% in December, the most recent month covered by the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for Boston.
First rise in Boston home prices since May
The modest rise in Greater Boston home sale prices in December was the first increase since May 2010.
MA real estate hurt by end of tax credits
From last June through November, MA home prices had been under pressure.
The local real estate market essentially suffered withdrawal pains after the expiration of the two Federal home buyer tax credits at the end of April 2010.
Soon after the end of the Federal tax credit programs, home buyer demand dried up. Home prices plateaued and then began to slide. The Massachusetts real estate market went into a noticeable slump during the second half of 2010.
Real estate market recovering now?
The post-tax-credit real estate slump in Massachusetts may now be easing.
The number of homes sold in Massachusetts rose in both December and January.
So December’s increase in the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for Boston may be additional evidence that the MA real estate market is getting its legs back.
Unadjusted home sale prices slip
Note however that the non-seasonally-adjusted Boston Index slipped a bit in December.
But the unadjusted Boston Index is distorted by severe seasonal fluctuations.
So it may be wise to discount the relevance of that unadjusted measure of Greater Boston home price performance.
What will Spring 2011 bring?
It is way too early to draw any conclusions from the recently encouraging home price and sales volume figures in the Commonwealth.
In order to determine the overall health and direction of the MA real estate market we will need to see how Massachusetts home sale prices and transaction volume fare in the upcoming spring 2011 home selling season.
But at least recent signs have been positive.
Copyright ©2011 02038.com
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[post_content] => While both December and January saw increased home sales in Massachusetts, the inventory of homes for sale in MA rose in February as home buyers fought cold temperatures and deep snow to keep the Massachusetts real estate market moving forward.
Don’t read too much into inventory rise
The supply of available homes in MA this month climbed 17% to 7.5 months, compared to 6.4 months one year ago. Inventories rose sharply also in the Greater Franklin region and the Town of Franklin, MA itself.
Such a big spike in supply might be worrisome.
But considering how bad the weather has been over the last 2 months, the Massachusetts real estate market has been performing pretty well.
Ice and snow did not help
Starting in December and continuing unabated into mid-February, storm after storm hit New England, choking roads and sidewalks with feet of snow.
As glittering icicles and ice dams sprouted on many homes and some roofs caved in from the weight of the snow, the cold temperatures and deep snow made it hard for home buyers to physically get into homes, much less purchase them!
Last February very active due to tax credits
There’s another factor lessening the significance of February’s increase in housing inventory over year-ago levels: market activity last February was artificially buoyed by the two Federal home buyer tax credits.
Buyers were very active buying homes back then in order to qualify for one of the credits.
So comparing housing inventories this month to the supply of available homes back in February 2010 does come with a pretty significant caveat.
Current market doing OK with better times ahead
After accounting for the artificially stimulated market last February and considering all the abysmal weather we’ve had, this February's inventory stats look a lot better.
Especially when you remember just how bad the economy was 2 years ago in February 2009, market conditions this February are relatively upbeat!
The sun is getting noticeably stronger now, so we have warmer, longer days ahead - I think everyone in MA is looking forward to a sustained snow melt-off, an early spring, and a continually improving real estate market!
Copyright ©2011 02038.com
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[post_content] => Many people discover their roof has an ice dam only when they see water dripping inside their home from a ceiling. That’s a bad feeling!
Your first impulse may be to immediately call a roofer to have your roof fixed.
But ice dams are caused by poor roof ventilation or improper insulation, not by faulty roof shingles or defective gutters.
There may be nothing you need to do to stop an active roof leak due to an ice dam except to have the ice dam removed as soon as possible.
How to tell if you have ice dams BEFORE there’s a leak
It’s best to remove your ice dams before they cause a roof leak.
The tell-tale sign of ice dams are long icicles on the exterior of your home.
The icicles frequently hang off the roof’s eves or gutters.
If you see such signs of ice dams, it may be best for you to call a professional to have the snow removed from your roof and the ice dams opened up.
DIY remedies
If you are a dedicated do-it-yourselfer, your goal is to open channels in the ice dam to allow water to flow off your roof.
Under no circumstances should you go up on your roof in icy conditions.
Your best DIY approach to ice dams seems to be to stay on the ground and throw ice melt up on the roof.
The preferred de-icing agent appears to be calcium chloride.
There are hockey puck-sized tablets of ice melt you can throw up on the roof to thaw out the ice dams.
You can also use several homemade “throw socks” to do the melting work.
Here's how to do it:
Fill an old tube sock with ice melt granules.
Tie the sock closed and leave a long “retrieval rope” attached to the sock. Throw the sock up on your roof and position the sock on the roof above the ice dam.
The ice melt approach may take time to work, but it is much safer than going up on a high roof to manually eliminate the dam.
What to do if an ice dam causes an active roof leak?
The big problem comes when you have an ice dam that is causing water to come inside your home.
You may have to put up with the leak until professional help arrives.
If the weather has been bad and there are a lot of other homeowners seeking emergency ice dam work, you may end up waiting hours (if not days) for someone to come help you.
That may mean there’s a lot of water dripping into buckets in your house!
Easily accessible roof
If the ice dam is on a low roof that you can safely get at via a ladder, you may want to see if you can quickly stop the water leak by removing the dam yourself.
See the video below on how you might accomplish this:
Avoid the temptation to hack away at the ice dam. You can inadvertently cause a lot of damage to your roof by being rough.
Go easy on hammering and be very careful with any pointy objects.
The bottom line with all DIY ice dam projects: when in doubt, stop and call a professional - and don't go up on the roof!
Root causes of the ice dam problem
You may have to wait until warm weather comes to MA to address the causes of your ice dam problems.
Here are some links to sites addressing the common problems with poor ventilation and inadequate insulation that lead to ice dams; the sites provide tips on how to prevent dams from occurring in the first place:
GreenBuildingAdvisor.com
BOWA.com
UMass-Amherst
So the next time after a major snow storm in Massachusetts you marvel at all the pretty icicles hanging down from area rooftops, think of ice dams and the steps homeowners can take to prevent the damage ice dams can cause!
Copyright ©2011 02038.com
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[post_content] => January home sales in Massachusetts rose 6.7% from year-ago levels, making last month the best January in the Commonwealth since 2007 in terms of single family home sales volume. The January uptick in single family home sales in MA came on the heels of a widely-reported sales surge in the state last December.
Price decline spurs sales
Over the last few months, home buyers have been taking advantage of recent declines in MA home prices to secure good deals.
This buyer activity resulted in January’s increased closings, shown in blue on the chart below:
Sales up without help from tax credits
The increased home sales volume is especially impressive because it occurred with no tax credit stimulus from the Federal government.
The Federal home buyer tax credits were artificially supporting the housing market back in early 2010. The credits expired at the end of last April, triggering a pronounced market slump during the second half of the year.
The pick up in home sales over the last two months may be early signs that the MA real estate market is finally getting back on its feet.
Franklin, MA home sales up modestly
Single family homes sales were also on the rise in Franklin, MA last month.
Although only 10 single family homes in Franklin listed on the MLS sold in January, last month was the best January for home sales in Franklin, MA since 2007.
Pending sales down
Pending sales (homes that went under agreement but are not yet sold) in Franklin and throughout the state were down in January.
This would usually be a negative sign for the housing market.
However, it may be safe to discount the significance of January's downturn in pending sales, given how many snow storms hit Massachusetts last month.
In fact, the number of homes that did go under agreement in January was notable in light of how intensely lousy the weather was for most of the month.
So all in all, January’s housing market activity in Massachusetts is encouraging!
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[post_content] => January may mark the start of a new year, but for the real estate market in Massachusetts the first month of 2011 feels less like a new beginning and more like the “same ole same ole” in terms of the supply of homes for sale in MA.
Home inventory levels on the rise
The inventory of single homes for sale have been on the rise in the Commonwealth since market activity slumped after the expiration of the Federal buyer tax credits back at the end of April 2010. Conditions this January may indicate that the elevated supply of available homes in the state will extend well into 2011.
7 months of supply
There is currently a seven month supply of homes listed for sale on MLSPIN, the largest MLS system in Massachusetts.
This contrasts unfavorably with the roughly 5 months’ worth of single family residences on hand back in January 2010.
Housing inventory locally mirrors state-wide levels
There’s just about a 7 month supply (6.8 months if you want to be exact) of single family homes for sale in the Town of Franklin, MA on the MLS currently, compared to Franklin's low 4 month inventory last January. This is the first time in about the last 18 months that Franklin, MA's inventory of homes has not been significantly lower than the state-wide supply.
The regional market surrounding Franklin, Massachusetts is also carrying just a shade under a 7 month supply (6.9 months) now; the figure was 4.4 months last January.
Current supply of homes would take 7 months to find buyers
At the current rate of home sales in Massachusetts, it would take seven months for the market to “absorb” the standing inventory in MA. In other words, all the homes presently for sale in MA would take seven months to all find buyers.
This is not an unduly worrisome amount of inventory.
In the current environment of slow home sales and depressed real estate markets across the US there are many other regional markets carrying much heftier housing inventories.
Copyright ©2011 02038.com
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[post_content] => In choosing which city or town in which to live, many prospective home buyers don’t analyze one important demographic: the educational achievements of the community’s residents. In fact, home buyers can use a community’s percentage of college graduates as a sort of a shortcut to making a better home buying decision.
Why live in one of the best educated communities?
Buying a home where better educated people live can increase the likelihood of your being happy with your new home. That’s because there are lots of social and economic advantages associated with a highly educated populace.
Sociologists and economists generally agree about the many benefits of a highly educated population. These positives include a more productive workforce, lower crime rates, greater affluence, and a healthier socioeconomic environment.
How to discover a community’s educational achievements?
Your job has gotten a lot easier. There’s a slew of new, easily-available census data on the educational achievements of residents in every city and town across the US.
This information has just been published as part of the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Massachusetts is tops in education
A recent news article reporting on the publication of the new American Community Survey data had this to say about where MA ranks in terms of the best educated population:
“The data shows the Bay State at the top of the pack nationally in its percentage of college graduates, with 38 percent of residents over 25 holding a bachelor's degree or higher. The national average is 27.5 percent. Only Washington, D.C., ranked higher than Massachusetts.”
Middlesex and Norfolk Counties the best educated in MA
Within Massachusetts, the American Community Survey data on education highlights Middlesex and Norfolk Counties as having the highest concentration of college educated inhabitants.
So Massachusetts home buyers would do well to focus their home search on cities and towns in Norfolk and Middlesex counties.
There certainly are highly educated communities in other MA counties, but in terms of sheer numbers of college educated residents, Middlesex and Norfolk Counties clearly are the leaders.
Franklin, MA a stand-out
In Norfolk County, the Town of Franklin in Norfolk County merits particular attention because of its attractive combination of highly educated residents and affordable home prices.
Franklin ranks well in the American Community Survey data among other top MA communities (both within and outside of Norfolk County) in terms of the percentage of residents holding at least a college degree.
This places Franklin, Massachusetts on par with Wrentham (47.9% of residents aged 25+ with a college degree) and Walpole (47.3%) and above such prestigious area towns as Norfolk (40.8%) and Foxboro (42.4%).
Only highly affluent (and expensive in terms of home prices) Metro West communities such as Hopkinton and Medfield greatly out-paced Franklin with respect to a highly educated populace.
Take a closer look at Franklin, Massachusetts
Franklin, Massachusetts offers affordable home prices, great schools, easy access to major commuter linkages, and plentiful, world-class shopping.
So when you are considering where to buy a home, look at the educational achievements of local residents. That will give you a good lead to the best areas to make your home investment!
Copyright ©2010 02038.com
[post_title] => Why buy a home where the highly educated live
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[post_content] => Home sales in Massachusetts were anemic in November, mirroring weak real estate activity across the US. CNNMoney.com recently announced that today’s lagging home sales, attractive home prices and historically low mortgage rates present prospective buyers with “some of the best home-buying conditions in years.”
As you'll read below, some local buyers acted in November to buy homes, striking deals and securing good bargains.
However, the challenge for other motivated home buyers today is to gather the courage to grab that smart home purchase now while so many other would-be buyers tarry on the sidelines, stalled either by uncertainty or the likely unrealistic hope for further significant declines in Massachusetts home prices.
Home sales down across the Commonwealth
Home sales last month in Massachusetts were down 34.8% from year ago levels. At least pending sales did not drop too much off last year's pace.
Note that home sales in November 2009 were boosted by the Federal home buyer tax credit, making current market activity appear that much worse in comparison.
Buyers were in a rush last November to buy homes because November 30, 2009 was the original expiration date scheduled for the hugely popular Federal home buyer tax credit program. (It turned out that Congress at the last minute prevented that expiration by expanding the home buyer tax credit into two separate tax credit programs and extending both to April 30, 2010.)
Almost as bad as November 2008
However, home sales throughout Massachusetts in November 2010 were only slightly above the abysmal sales results for November 2008. Home sales were especially depressed 2 years ago during the height of the worldwide financial panic.
Same story in Franklin, MA
Conditions last month were no better in the Town of Franklin, Massachusetts.
Franklin suffered the worst monthly single family home sales results for any November going back as far as 2003. Pending sales in Franklin for November were only marginally above 2008 levels.
Uncertainty caused by mixed economic conditions to blame?
The deep slump in November homes sales took place against a backdrop of mixed economic developments during the month just past:
The US economy added fewer jobs in November than expected, it was announced today.
But November US retail sales were up.
And both GM and Ford announced strong gains in November US car sales.
So while the economy is growing, there is persistent weakness in overall job creation, which makes it hard for many would-be US home buyers to commit to that home purchase they’ve been planning.
CNNMoney.com declares “best home-buying conditions in years”
The reluctance by tire-kicking home buyers to actually undertake a home purchase lies at the heart of why CNNMoney.com is saying now is the perfect time to buy a home.
Home buyer diffidence in the face of economic uncertainty is contributing to the current weakness in home sales and the recent decline in MA home prices.
But it is precisely the low home sale volume and sagging home prices that, when coupled with very low mortgage rates, are presenting home buyers with such a great opportunity to score a good deal on a home now.
Motivated buyers acting now
Indeed, some smart buyers were making offers last month, taking advantage of the intensely pro-buyer market conditions.
As you may know, I am a real estate agent in Franklin, MA.
I personally had a solid November, putting four homes under agreement and earning me my office’s “Agent of the Month” award for the fourth time this year.
So if you are thinking of buying a home, you want to be a contrarian like my four clients this November: buy when others are not buying and you will be in position to capitalize on the current market weakness - it won't last forever!
Copyright ©2010 02038.com
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[post_content] => Mortgage rates are supposed to rise in 2011, according to the general consensus of the finance industry at the start of the year. But here we are more than a quarter of the way through the year and interest rates remain essentially unchanged.
Does anyone really know where rates are headed?
We’ve seen recent predictions of higher mortgage rates turn out dead wrong.
Last year at this time the news media advised us to ‘lock in mortgage loan rates now’ amidst warnings that there was serious ‘trouble ahead’ for housing and the economy when rates rose later on in 2010.
But rates did not go up in 2010; they actually fell instead for most of the second half of the year. And rates do not appear poised for a run-up any time soon in this year either.
So why the discrepancy between interest rate forecasts and reality?
The case for higher rates seems to make sense
The rationale behind the predictions of higher rates makes a lot of sense on paper. Rates have been historically low for a very long time now. The U.S. has borrowed trillions of dollars over the last two years. With announcements today that the economy is doing better and job openings are becoming more plentiful, there should be upward pressure on interest rates.
Yet on the same day that the above upbeat economic data was released, bond yields actually fell. The bond market focused instead on President’s Obama’s announcement of his plan to reduce future Federal borrowing.
There may be forces at work keeping interest rates low that have not yet been recognized by financial experts.
Forecasts just guesses?
That may be part of the reason why so many predictions over the last few years about the future direction of interest rates have proved inaccurate. While the mortgage experts quoted in the news are sincere and mean well with their interest rate projections, we’ve seen again and again that no one really knows for sure what the future holds for rates.
With interest rates having been so low for so long now, they will likely rise at some point in the future. But estimating when and by how much rates will rise remains pure guesswork.
The bottom line for anyone making purchase or investment decisions: don’t base your behavior on the day’s headlines.
Act prudently to take advantages of what opportunities are available to you now. Do what makes financial sense for your future and don’t worry about what you can’t control.
Recent predictions about rates in 2011
Here are some of the better articles I found on where interest rates may be headed in 2011:
http://mortgage-x.com/general/rate_trend.asp
http://fha-interest-rate.com/2011/03/fha-mortgage-rate-predictions-irrelevant/
http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/mortgage-rate-trend-index8-162143-1.aspx
http://www.dailymortgagereport.com/2010/12/housing-mortgage-predictions-2011/
Copyright ©2011 02038.com
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by Warren Reynolds on April 13, 2011
Mortgage rates are supposed to rise in 2011, according to the general consensus of the finance industry at the start of the year. But here we are more than a quarter of the way through the year and interest rates remain essentially unchanged. Does anyone really know where rates are headed? We’ve seen recent predictions [...]
Tagged as: mortgage rates
{ 1 comment }
by Warren Reynolds on April 3, 2011
Greater Boston home prices rose in January, according to figures released last week by Standard and Poors. 2nd monthly rise in a row The seasonally-adjusted S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for Boston rose 0.5% in January, marking the second consecutive month that home sale prices increased in the metro Boston area. Due to a two month [...]
Tagged as: Case Shiller Index Boston
{ 0 comments }
by Warren Reynolds on March 7, 2011
February’s brutal weather appears to have played havoc with the Massachusetts real estate market. Home sales activity in MA last month plummeted as the winds howled and the snow and ice mounted. Worse than 2009 Closed home sales volume in February fell below the previous low for the last decade seen back in February 2009 [...]
{ 0 comments }
by Warren Reynolds on February 24, 2011
Greater Boston home sale prices are stabilizing and even rising a little according to seasonally adjusted home price data released this week by Standard & Poors. Seasonally adjusted home sale prices in the metro area rose 0.8% in December, the most recent month covered by the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for Boston. First rise in [...]
Tagged as: Case Shiller Index Boston
{ 0 comments }
by Warren Reynolds on February 18, 2011
While both December and January saw increased home sales in Massachusetts, the inventory of homes for sale in MA rose in February as home buyers fought cold temperatures and deep snow to keep the Massachusetts real estate market moving forward. Don’t read too much into inventory rise The supply of available homes in MA this [...]
{ 0 comments }
by Warren Reynolds on February 9, 2011
Many people discover their roof has an ice dam only when they see water dripping inside their home from a ceiling. That’s a bad feeling! Your first impulse may be to immediately call a roofer to have your roof fixed. But ice dams are caused by poor roof ventilation or improper insulation, not by faulty [...]
{ 3 comments }
by Warren Reynolds on February 3, 2011
January home sales in Massachusetts rose 6.7% from year-ago levels, making last month the best January in the Commonwealth since 2007 in terms of single family home sales volume. The January uptick in single family home sales in MA came on the heels of a widely-reported sales surge in the state last December. Price decline [...]
{ 1 comment }
by Warren Reynolds on January 24, 2011
January may mark the start of a new year, but for the real estate market in Massachusetts the first month of 2011 feels less like a new beginning and more like the “same ole same ole” in terms of the supply of homes for sale in MA. Home inventory levels on the rise The inventory [...]
{ 0 comments }
by Warren Reynolds on December 29, 2010
In choosing which city or town in which to live, many prospective home buyers don’t analyze one important demographic: the educational achievements of the community’s residents. In fact, home buyers can use a community’s percentage of college graduates as a sort of a shortcut to making a better home buying decision. Why live in one [...]
Tagged as: Home Buyer Tips
{ 0 comments }
by Warren Reynolds on December 3, 2010
Home sales in Massachusetts were anemic in November, mirroring weak real estate activity across the US. CNNMoney.com recently announced that today’s lagging home sales, attractive home prices and historically low mortgage rates present prospective buyers with “some of the best home-buying conditions in years.” As you’ll read below, some local buyers acted in November to [...]
{ 0 comments }
Warren Reynolds, Esq, GRI, e-PRO
Tel: 508.613.2889 | Contact
Century 21 Commonwealth
9 Main Street
Franklin, MA 02038
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