by David Bates | Jun 17, 2013
Perhaps the lack of inventory has contributed to fewer deals falling apart, but when Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over til it’s over,†professional experiences have taught me that he might as well have been talking about residential real estate brokering. Sure, an offer was signed, a home inspection completed, a purchase and sale agreement executed, a commitment letter received and it may look like a deal, but I’m not going to spend that commission check yet. A lot can happen in the last 24 to 48 hours before a closing, and those events can rock the deal boat or even sink it. These last few hours are like the bottom of the ninth inning, so I know it pays to keep Mariano Rivera cool and do everything possible to keep good fortune on my side.
by David Bates | May 12, 2013
Max Vigliotti went to the South Boston open house armed with four pre-approvals. A couple of the pre-approvals allowed his buyer to make an offer in excess of the listing price. What the full-time agent and Southie resident didn’t figure was that the bidding would get so crazy for the condo, the final price would go beyond any of the preapprovals.
by David Bates | Apr 14, 2013
Rich O’Connor, a veteran Beacon Hill agent, tells me he could list a dog house and get five offers on it in 24 hours. I don’t doubt him. I just wonder how much over asking the offers would go. I mean, would it be just a few percentage points in excess of the list price or would the bidding for the dog house get even crazier?
by David Bates | Mar 17, 2013
Putting yourself in a position to buy a home in Boston is like trying to get service in a busy bakery: You’re going to have to take a number.
by David Bates | Apr 2, 2012
I had a listing with a 2.5 car garage. Who bought it? A couple with two cars and two motorcycles who hadn’t been able to find a home that adequately housed their mobile lifestyle.
