For Homebuilders, Something Has to Give
Homebuilders are cutting back: not just in the number of bedrooms, but also the number of bathrooms and anything else where they can make their plans less expensive to build.
DIY Comes with Some Peril
Many do-it-yourselfers, especially rookies like me, aren’t as fortunate. More than 9,000 injuries chronicled in 2020 resulted in amputations.
Buyers of New Construction Have New Tastes
Messy kitchens; concierge services; coworking spaces; connections to local businesses: These are what homebuyers want in new developments.
This Clause Keeps Sellers in Charge
Up until a month or two ago, sellers were in the driver’s seat, but as buyers’ use of contingencies rise, they still have an option to control the deal.
Will Crash or Slowdown Follow Boston’s Lab Boom?
It’s looking like the answer to the question of what to do with a piece of real estate is no longer just “convert it to life science space,” at least for a few years.
Sale Fees Don’t Always Jibe with Price
At the same commission rate, real estate agents who sell an $800,000 house receive eight times the compensation of those who sell a $100,000 home. But does it take eight times the effort to sell the more expensive property?
Failed Deals Could Spell Bargains
The tea leaves are lining up in favor of homebuyers who can afford today’s higher mortgage rates.
Act Quickly to Avoid Foreclosure
Experts say that a 2008-style housing crash is unlikely to happen now, if only because lending standards are much tighter than they were prior to the Great Recession. Still, foreclosures are starting to tick upward.
Title Theft Company Lies to Consumers
Calculating people are always looking for ways to separate the rest of us from our money. Such, it appears, is the case with Home Title Lock, an outfit that promises to “protect” you from home title theft.
Homebuyers Spend $14K on Houses Post-Purchase
You’ve paid an ungodly amount for your house. You’ve also paid more than you can believe in closing costs. But if you are like the typical homebuyer, your spending isn’t over.
Signs Are Still Silent Salespeople
Some sellers have a good reason for not wanting one. But for most people, “For Sale” signs are a 24-hour marketing tool that shouldn’t be ignored, even as house hunts mostly start online.
What’s on the Other Side of the Fence?
You can’t pick your neighbors. You can pick your neighborhood, though, and it is a good idea to give that as much thought as the house itself, even in a beggars-can’t-be-choosers market like this.
Signs Point to Housing Slowdown
Owners who are just now putting their homes on the market appear to be an optimistic bunch. Whether they are too hopeful remains to be seen, but the signs are pointing to a slowdown that could stop the march of ever-higher prices.
Buyers Have Alternatives as Mortgage Rates Rise
Rising mortgage rates are sidelining many would-be homebuyers. But there are two ways to meet the challenge.
Mortgage Market Opens for Gig Workers
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shut many self-employed buyers out during the pandemic. But now, those rules are gone and some lenders, perhaps sensing a grand opportunity to boost market share, are targeting gig workers directly.
Agent Fees Are Negotiable? Yeah, Right
The agents that buyers use to visit houses and write up a contract are paid their share of the sales commission by the seller’s agent. They are paid whatever the seller’s agent offers – usually half of whatever the seller’s agent charges.
Stopping ‘Legal’ Tax Lien Thievery
Deborah Foss is a 67-year-old grandmother in New Bedford, who survives on a small fixed income from Social Security. She has several medical conditions, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, COPD and neuropathy. Why did the state of Massachusetts take her house away?
Homebuilder Incentives on the Horizon
Short-term interest rate buy-downs and free or discounted upgrades may soon be coming to a housing market near you.
Homebuying Frenzy Continues Despite Obstacles
Wits’ End would make an appropriate name for a new subdivision in today’s wild housing market. While there’s not yet such a place on the map, many would-be buyers are quickly running out of patience.
How to Trim Your Buyer’s Closing Costs
You’ve scrimped and saved, and you finally have enough money for a decent down payment. But do you have enough to cover your closing costs, too?
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