If You or someone you knows needs a Real Estate Advisor, I promise I'll do better than this guy:) ! Contact Me Today! 08/28/2009

Of all the paperwork that goes with a normal Real Estate transaction, the most overlooked form could prove to be the most costly.  Fortunately, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a very consumer friendly State and makes it fairly easy to stay out of lead paint trouble. Our office recently had this scenario occur.  Our agent was listing a home that the Seller said she was unaware if it contained lead paint or not. This is very common because, unless you have had a lead paint inspection, or the prior owner has told you that they had knowledge of lead paint, you have no way of knowing.  Here is where a few minutes of work can save a huge legal mess not to mention save someone from being poisoned by lead paint. A quick check of the archives in the MLS showed that indeed the property was p... 08/26/2009

Make Sure You Research Your Future Landlord!I want to alert you all to a couple of situations that have occured lately on the North Shore. Both cases were a direct result of Craigslist advertising. As a Realtor, I find Craigslist to be a very good way to advertise my clients properties. It is unfortunate that it has become a breeding ground for scam artist of all levels. The first case has been very well exposed by the local media. A man that was evicted from an apartment in Beverly decided to advertise the unit himself on craigslist and used his spare key to show prospective buyers the property. He took first, last and security deposit from multiple applicants and has yet to be found. RENTER BEWARE!Next we have a more sophisticated scam where the predator takes a home that is listed "... 08/04/2009

We all know by now that a short sale can be a very frustrating transaction for all involved.  There are way too many variables to guarantee a positive outcome once an offer is made. The bait is that more times than not you are getting a house at below market value. If you have the time to wait (usually 90-120 days)and prepare properly you can get a real deal. Biggest mistakes made by Listing Agents:   Pricing the property way below market value   Thinking that bank approval means the bank should decide what the best deal is.   Not using a third party negotiator to work with the bank   Holding off the process until approval is obtained.   Not monitoring the Liens and title issues that could be a problem down the road How can you use these to help bullet-proof your offer and increase the ... 05/07/2009

Search engines are an intregal part of today's information gathering process. Most consumers searching the MLS tend to just search then close out the web site. Sounds logical? Actually it isn't if the consumer fails to register with a "Log in" and save their searches! I can't tell you how many times I get calls on properties and ask where did you see the property? The answers are usually I can't remember I have been to so many sites! Here is a tip to save time and I hope you find the property as an easy reference. Log into http://vow.mlspin.com/default.asp?id=54037 Register! It takes a few seconds and then set up your Search. You can then save your search and at the same time register with me! Mike Ross! I have an exclusive web hunter program that will instantly notify me via the intern... 02/13/2009

01/01/2009-01/31/2009:     Total Sales(Single,Condo,Multi)= 16                    Break down:     Single: 12     Avg. Sale Price: $402,083       Avg. Market Time: 84 days                                           Condo:   2       Avg. Sale Price: $208,250      Avg. Market Time; 159 days                                                        Multi:    2        Avg. Sale Price: $234,950      Avg. Market Time: 257 days 01/01/2009-01/31/2009:     Total Sales(Single,Condo,Multi)= 22                         Break down:       Single: 11    Avg. Sale Price:  $507,318     Avg. Market Time:  133 days                                                    Condo:  8      Avg. Sale Price:  $236,613      Avg. Market Time:  158 days                                                          Multi:  3     Av... 02/04/2009

                                Make a great deal better with an FHA 203K loan!!  If you are like most of my buyer clients, then you are attracted to the low priced short sale and bank owned properties.  The problem is that once you get in to see them, you instantly think that they are over priced based on the amount of work needed to make them livable.  These homes can be converted into Great Deals by utilizing an FHA 203k Loan Program . This program allows you to determine what work needs to be done, get estimates from a licenced general contractor and then borrow both the purchase amount and the amount needed to fix the property up to acceptable standards.    Obviously, you will need to be able to qualify for the total amount based on your credit score. There will also be an appraisa... 02/02/2009

Use A Free Listing Update Service Whether you are buying or selling, a listing update service will help you to keep your eye on your local market. This is a service that most Realtors can provide to you and normally it is a free service. How it works: Set up your Home Profile: create a profile including specific details such as # of bedrooms, lot size, price range, desired cities/towns etc... Receive your initial list of homes: Receive an e-mail with all current listings that match your profile , (TIP: The more specific the profile the fewer homes you will have to weed through, you can always widen the search later) Receive update e-mail every day: each morning as you log on to your e-mail account you will have one e-mail alerting you to any new listings or any changes to listings that ... 02/02/2009

Literally. Here in the north shore town of Beverly, MA, a multimillion dollar mansion burned to the ground Thursday night into Friday morning. Thankfully the owners were away and no one was hurt. Why did this house burn completely? Not because of a lack of response from fire crews. The house was in a secluded area off a private road in Beverly, and the nearest fire hydrant was an estimated 1200 feet away! The first fire truck arrived one minute after a 9-1-1 call was made by a neighbor. That's fast. Trouble was, they had to run miles of hose, and the first responders didn't have enough length of hose in their truck. Neighboring town Peabody sent a fire company with plenty of hose, but by then it was too late, and the crews just made sure that the fire did not spread. It consumed the hou... 08/23/2008

Financing Solutions with David Reed For first-time buyers, often the first thought that comes to mind is, "I need a down payment." This is often followed by the question, "Now, where do I get that down payment?" Depending upon the loan type, a home mortgage typically requires 3 to 5 percent down. If you have the money, then you're set. But what if you don't?  What if you're renting? You can afford a mortgage within your means, but coming up with the down payment money needed to begin the transaction can be challenging. So, where can you turn? One of the most overlooked sources of down payment funds is likely right under your nose-in the form of government bonds and local grant programs. These programs either provide outright monetary grants for down payment or money to buyers in the for... 07/18/2008

Cynthia Nina-Soto | Keller Williams Realty | (978) 882-4676 158 Park St. #5, Beverly, MA sun drenched living room, town house style condo, off street parking, central location, on site laundry, walking distance to commuter rail. 1BR/1BA Condo offered at $119,900 Year Built 1920 Sq Footage 530 Bedrooms 1 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 1 Uncovered spaces Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $125 per month DESCRIPTION This 1-bed condo offers 2 levels of living space, off street parking, & basement storage. Enjoy your afternoons in the sun drenched living room & when you get tired lay down to rest in your cozy bedroom. Area shops, theaters, eateries, & parks always give you something new to do but if you are missing the hustle & bustle of Boston, the commuter rail is within walking... 05/21/2008

The amount of competing inventory affects a property's price.If there is a lot of competing inventory, then pricing will be lower than if there is little competing inventory.The report shows the number of months it will take to sell off the current inventory of active listings if the rate of sale remains constant.Price RangeActive ListingsSold Listings3/19/2007 - 3/18/2008Months of Inventory# Listings% TotalDOM# Listings% TotalDOM$150,000 - $199,99910.83%24631.21%944.0$200,000 - $249,99921.65%16114.44%752.2$250,000 - $299,99975.79%1003012.10%622.8$300,000 - $349,9991411.57%1206124.60%732.8$350,000 - $399,9992520.66%724618.55%686.5$400,000 - $449,99975.79%91228.87%923.8$450,000 - $499,99975.79%85228.87%953.8$500,000 - $599,9991310.74%217208.06%1157.8$600,000 - $699,99997.44%189124.84%130... 03/18/2008

By comparing sales over the last year with active condo listings, one can get an idea of how long to expect a particular unit to take to sell. It is increasingly important for Sellers to sharpen their offering by making it the most desireable unit within a particular price band.Price RangeActive ListingsSold Listings2/22/2007 - 2/21/2008Months of Inventory# Listings% TotalDOM# Listings% TotalDOM$37,500 - $49,99911.41%5300.00%0no sales$50,000 - $99,99922.82%2321.14%3812.0$100,000 - $149,99934.23%12463.41%516.0$150,000 - $199,9991419.72%722715.34%936.2$200,000 - $249,9991926.76%956838.64%963.4$250,000 - $299,9991318.31%972514.20%1106.2$300,000 - $349,9991115.49%663922.16%1583.4$350,000 - $399,99957.04%21473.98%618.6$400,000 - $449,99922.82%5010.57%1224.0$500,000 - $599,99911.41%26310.57%5... 02/20/2008

This report, downloaded from our regional MLS, shows the amount of properties for sale in the various price bands and the likely amount of time it will take for a property to sell if the rate of sales remains constant: Please mote - DOM means Days On Market Price RangeActive ListingsSold Listings2/19/2007 - 2/18/2008Months of Inventory# Listings% TotalDOM# Listings% TotalDOM$99,000 - $99,99921.74%700.00%0no sales$150,000 - $199,99900.00%020.80%270.0$200,000 - $249,99910.87%6114.38%721.1$250,000 - $299,99954.35%1243112.35%581.9$300,000 - $349,9991613.91%936023.90%713.2$350,000 - $399,9992017.39%924618.33%715.2$400,000 - $449,99976.09%73249.56%883.5$450,000 - $499,99986.96%124239.16%1054.2$500,000 - $599,9991311.30%202207.97%1157.8$600,000 - $699,99997.83%186135.18%938.3$700,000 - $799,99... 02/17/2008

The absorption rate is the rate of sale per month stated as a percentage. For Example, if the absorption rate is 8%, then 8 out of 100 properties for sale sold that month.This report shows the underlying strength of the market by comparing the percentage of "For Sale Properties" that sold in the prior period to the current period. This report detects imbalances between the supply and demand for real estate. The absorption rate is affected by the: number of units that sold and the number of units for sale. If the absorption rate is rising, the market demand for real estate is improving and if it is falling, the market demand is deteriorating. (credit to IMAX Web Solutions)February 2008Price RangeSoldFor SaleAbsorption Rate UnitsMedianPriceDOMUnitsMedianPriceDOMUnits Sold / Units For Sale... 02/17/2008

I recently posted a blog on the advantages and power of video and especially on how YouTube is rapidly becoming my favorite medium for marketing.Well, here's another sample of the power of that site and a way to promote yourself and/or your clients' properties.Expect to see a lot more real estate marketing on YouTube in 2008.Regards,Jay Burnham, VPColdwell Banker Residential BrokerageNorth Shore, MassachusettsThe Coldwell Banker Guy 01/01/2008

Welcome to Beverly, Massachusetts birth place of the United States Navy. As one of the first settlements in New England, Beverly has been a vibrant seaport throughout its history. Today Beverly Harbor is an active port and an attractive destination for numerous leisure activities.Many local residents are employed in the fishing and lobstering industries as well as strong service related businesses to support the  yachts, powerboats, sail boats that use Beverly Harbor. Beverly has instuted a "smart growth" policy to build additional new housing on the waterfront as well as new condominium developments close to the MBTA Commuter rail Depot Station.  Combined these two locations represent a great choice for people to call Beverly home.For official information about the City of Beverly, Mas... 04/29/2007

The lead article in todays Boston Sunday Globe April 29. 2207 is titled Brokers in Blogsville. The article talks about many aspects of real estate but has a heavy emphasis on agents going on line to get knowledge, opinions and information out to a tech savvy consumer market. It mentions the differenet types of authors using blogs such as REALTORS, loan officers, technology experts, legal matters and not surprisingly enough home owners and critics who are beginning to take on the real estate industry's self serving statements!Unfortunately the Active Rain Real Estate Network and the Localism feature didn't get any "ink" however a few members that I have seen on this site did get mentioned.  The idea that Brokers now have a direct connection with buyers and seller and how it is transformi... 04/29/2007

Originally a large seaport, Beverly is now a summer haven for sailors and swimmers alike.  Beautiful beaches, a picturesque harbor and offshore islands for hiking and picnicking make this a desirable seaside community.Homes in Beverly range from modest frame homes in well-established neighborhoods to spectacular seaside estates.Many apartments and condominiums, some with views of the sea or harbor, are also available for a maintenance-free lifestyle,The poulation of Beverly is about 36,000 and the distance to Boston is 18 miles.  04/28/2007

I recently posted a blog on Localism sharing some quality information a consumer would need concerning a move to a new state. I highlighted an information tool called e neighborhoods which gives a comprehensive report of facts about a city or town. I recieved a new lead in which the customer called me! In the course of our discussion the customer informed me that he had been web searching, found the localism site and decided to call someone to talk about Beverly, MA and the surrounding area.  I strongly recommend to all members new and old  of the AR network to use the localism feature. 04/28/2007