First-time home buyers in Haverhill, MA may be eligible for grant money to make repairs to foreclosed homes, as a result of a partnership announced between MassHousing, the City of Haverhill and Haverhill Bank announced April 15, 2010. Qualified home buyers who obtain a MassHousing Mortgage through Haverhill Bank will be eligible for a second loan to assist in rehabilitating the foreclosed property. The second loan will be funded through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which was created in federal economic recovery legislation.The rehabilitation loan could be forgiven depending on how long the home buyer lives in the home and the total amount of NSP funds used.The city of Haverhill is the first city in Massachusetts to partner with MassHousing in the NSP program and Haverh... 04/17/2010

Should we be asking for the condo questionnaires to be reviewed by the buyers and their attorney on day one of the transaction. I had a deal fall through because the condo association had $30,000 delinquencu because of  three units. Should those be seperated by the association as a seperate subdivision? Would you rell your buyers to walk away? When would you have found out about it 2 weeks before closing? Remember  ask for the questionnaire as part of your offer and make the seller pay for it.   12/14/2009

Single-family home sales in Weymouth, Massachusetts increased 45.6 percent in the first quarter compared to Q1 2008, climbing from 46 sales to 67. Sales were up from 66 in the first quarter of 2006 and down from 74 sales in the first quarter of 2007. The median price of a single family home in Weymouth, MA remained nearly unchanged at $285,000, up just slightly from $284,950; however, the median price is down 16.1 percent from Q1 2006 ($339,950). The average number of days on the market remained the same at 116, which was also the average number of days on the market in the first quarter of 2006.                   Median Price        Number of Sales        Days on the MarketQ1 2006:        $339,950                    66                                116Q1 2007:        $314,750         ... 04/23/2009

Compared to the first quarter of 2006, the median price of a single-family home in Haverhill, Massachusetts declined 23.9 percent in the first three months of 2009. Compared to the first three months of 2008 ($270,500), median price was down a modest  5.76 percent in the first quarter of 2009 ($254,900). Home sales declined from 70 in Q1 2008 to 55 in Q1 2009, a decline of 21.4 percent. Home sales rose in Haverhill in 2008.  After declining from 148 days to 132 days in 2008, the average number of days on the market for a single-family home during the first three months of 2009 rose to 173.                Median Price    Number of Sales    Days on the MarketQ1 2006     $335,000              85                                112Q1 2007     $302,500              68                         ... 04/23/2009

Single-family home sales in Haverhill, MA rose 1.47 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, from 338 to 343 sales; however, the median single-family home price declined 11.2 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, falling from $300,000 to $269,900. The data comes from MLS Property Information Network, Inc., the multiple listing service used by local real estate professionals. Haverhill, Massachusetts   Single-family Market Data    Jan. 1st through Dec. 31st    Year    No. of Sales2005        4732006        3952007        3382008        343 Year    Median Price2005      $330,0002006      $320,9002007      $300,0002008      $269,900 Year    DOM2005      862006      1172007      1302008      145 Check out the latest Haverhill, Massachusetts single-family home listings. 02/05/2009

Community Action, Inc. in Haverhill, MA has applications available for low- to moderate-income residents 55 years old or older to buy new construction condominiums for the reduced price of $209,100 and $220,913. The two-bedroom condominiums are part of The Fairways development located off Route 108 (Newton Road) in Haverhill.The maximum allowed annual income for a single person is $54,700. For a two-person household the income limit is $62,600; the three-person household income limit is $70,400; and the four-person income limit is $78,200.Applications are available at Community Action, Inc., which is located at 145 Essex Street in Haverhill. For more information, you can call Richard Lynch at 978.373.1971.Units are available for rent starting at $1,295 per month.If you'd like to see The... 11/26/2008

Comparing the first nine months of the year, the median price for a single-family home in Haverhill, Massachusetts declined about 10.75 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, but home buyers taking advantage of bargains gave home sales a boost.Through September 30, 2008, single-family home sales increased about 2.75 percent compared to the first nine months of 2007. That’s after a 16 percent decline during the same period in 2007 compared to 2006.The data comes from MLS Property Information Network, Inc., the multiple listing service used by local real estate professionals.With single-family sales up, Haverhill may have reached or is getting close to a bottom in the real estate market. The economy and unemployment certainly will be factors going forward in the housing market, but more home ... 11/07/2008

Whether buying or renting is better depends on your personal circumstances. Several factors need to be considered, including the rent you pay, the price of the home you plan to purchase, the mortgage interest rate, how long you plan to remain in the home and other factors. Here's a handy free calculator from Ginnie Mae that will help you decide whether renting or buying makes more sense financially for you. It's a great tool. The default amount for property taxes is 1 percent. That is probably a little low for our part of the country. I suggest changing that variable to 1.25 percent or 1.5 percent for Massachusetts and from 1.5 percent to 2 percent for New Hampshire to get a more accurate calculation. 09/12/2007

No matter what you think of war, any war, one thing is certain. If not for the brave men and women who have served our nation, I wouldn't be writing this blog and you wouldn't be reading it. Let's face it, the enemies of America, past and present, have never been strong supporters of freedom of speech. Please honor our nation's heroes on Memorial Day. History of Memorial DayFind Ways to Say Thank You New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans: The mission of the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans is to extend a helping hand to homeless men and women veterans who are addressing the challenges of addiction, trauma, severe and persistent mental illness, and/or unemployment, and who will commit themselves to sobriety, non-violence, and working for personal change. National Coalition f... 05/28/2007

REALTOR® Magazine Online reported May 7, 2007 that Bank of America planned to begin offering nationally a no-fee mortgage, which will eliminate most of the charges that add a few thousand dollars to every closing. The program has launched. I saw the brochure at a local branch about two weeks ago."The loan also eliminates private mortgage insurance and the bank is guaranteeing its customers the best deal on interest rates and an on-time closing. Borrowers must put down at least 5 percent. The loans aren’t available to subprime customers." Bank of America says the loan eliminates, on average, $3,350 in closing costs on a $200,000 loan. Read This Article 05/26/2007

Average U.S. 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage interest rates jumped to 6.37 percent, up from 6.21 percent the previous week; however, rates are still lower than this time last year, CNN Money reported May 24, 2007. Last year the average 30-year, fixed-rate home loan stood at 6.62 percent. "'Stronger than expected consumer confidence and recent comments from members of the Federal Reserve raised some inflation concerns in the market, causing it to lower expectations of a Fed rate cut this year. This helped push mortgage rates higher this week,' Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's vice president and chief economist, said in a statement. "'We expect a gradual rise in mortgage rates over the remainder of the year with sales slipping further in the second half of the year. A gradual recovery returns to... 05/26/2007

For home buyers looking for an affordable place to live, the keywords are "small" and "old." Many neighborhoods in nice Massachusetts communities have smaller, older homes on small lots that are surprisingly affordable. The Boston Globe reported April 14, 2007 that investigating smaller and older homes is a simple strategy for finding something affordable."Small houses line the streets of many older neighborhoods, like those built quickly for the masses of veterans returning from World War II. Through the 1950s, small houses could be easily built on smaller lots, before restrictive zoning rules led to the rise of one-acre home lots, said Henry Pollakowski , the director of the Housing Affordability Initiative at MIT's Center for Real Estate."The article mentions Dracut, MA as a place fo... 05/14/2007

U.S. home builders broke ground on new homes at an annual rate of 1.518 million in March, up 0.8 percent from the prior month, Boston.com reported April 18, 2007."The increase in housing starts was led by a 45 percent jump in the Midwest. Starts fell 7.7 percent in the West, 6.1 percent in the Northeast, and 2.7 percent in the South."Read This Article. 05/04/2007

This is something completly new for me, but I am looking forward to using this forum to discuss some of my views/concerns regarding real estate and mortgages.  I'll probably include my views on just about everything else that interests me too - if I say something you don't agree with, feel free to respond in kind (and please do so kindly!)  05/01/2007

The number of U.S. Mortgage applications jumped 3.6 percent compared to the previous week, and the spike in applications ended five weeks of declines, CNN Money reported. The data comes from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The MBA survey includes about 50 percent of all U.S. retail residential mortgage loans. Respondents include mortgage bankers, commercial banks and thrifts. Since home buyers do not typically go through the formal application process until after they have an offer accepted by a seller (at least that how it plays out in Massachusetts and New Hampshire), the rise in mortgage applications should result in buyers chipping away more at the hefty inventory in the housing market. Read This Article 04/27/2007

Haverhill, MA Mayor James Fiorentini hopes to use an upcoming regional conference of developers, landowners and environmental engineers to showcase downtown properties that the city believes are ripe for development, including the long-vacant Woolworth building, the Eagle Tribune reported March 28, 2007.The regional meeting, which is expected to have 200 people in attendance, is being organized by the Massachusetts-Rhode Island chapter of the National Brownfields Association and the Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council and will be held in June."'We intend to pick six or eight properties ahead of time that are ripe for development and showcase them to developers who have never been to Haverhill,'" the mayor said. "'As I said when I was elected head of the chapter, this position ... 03/28/2007

The mayor of Haverhill, Massachusetts has formed a 19-member committee to write an open space plan to deliver to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, according to a February 26, 2007 article in The Eagle-Tribune.The report will help the city obtain state grants to buy and preserve land.The city presently owns about 2,000 acres of open space, and 2,800 privately owned acres also are maintained as open land.Read This Article 03/13/2007

I strive to provide the most professional efficent services to my clients. I am a Dedicated, Commited, Hardworking, Full time Realtor. First time home buyers to investors I work hard for you so all your real estate needs can be meet.   12/19/2006

CITY HISTORY The City of Haverhill, located in northeastern Massachusetts on the Merrimack River, is one of the oldest historic communities in the state. It is situated in northern Essex County, is bordered by the towns of Methuen on the west, Groveland and Boxford on the south, West Newbury on the east, and the state of New Hampshire on the north. Haverhill contains almost 36 square miles of area and a wide variety of land uses, ranging from rural agricultural areas to urban areas such as the city's historical industrial center. Established in 1640 as Pentucket, Haverhill was incorporated as a city in 1870. Although originally settled as farmland, the city evolved into a major industrial center through the establishment of saw and grist mills in the late 17th century, tanneries and boa... 11/03/2006