BloombergBusiness-Good Market Anguilla is small and private, family and business friendly island with English as the language and the dollar as it’s currency.  It never snows in Anguilla, but midish June it is mid summer and warm, very warm in New England.  Being from New England, descendents of the first Americans looking for independence and freedom, we can anticipate the cold winter.  This may be a metaphor for your financial life as well. Real Estate has proven to be the best long term investment over the years against any other investment tool.  Period.  Prices are at the lowest, interest rates are tool   Using a Self Directed Retirement Account I understand from the professionals I have discussed this with, that there are very important tax benefits to using some of this investme... 06/24/2012

When an agent rejects a perfectly good offer with a value that you know will never appraise, what can you do?  I like this agent and my client loves the property, but during our back and forth on the purchase price I was told a number of things about how Appraisers do their job.  Not wanting to get into an argument I suggested that he was wrong and that the price they have on their property will not appraise.  I was sent a long and nicely written note by the agent, which I appreciated, there just aren’t enough polite agents, but his thinking was so far off. Huffington Post most ridiculous real estate signs I was told that Appraisers never use price per square foot in their calculations.  I work with a lot of cash buyers and always have our properties appraised because the lack of a ban... 05/21/2012

The work of a real estate professional is amazing on many levels, and yet it can be overwhelming with all the varied tasks that we have to be good with to compete for our clients.  Firstly real estate is a financial transaction and your real estate professional needs to know, understand and be able to communicate complex transactional and legal matters with you. Although they always say they are not lawyers or accountants and your should  hire ones to professional opinions, the more your Realtor® knows about the process through trainging and experience the better for the client.  Transactional details are critical to the success of a deal and demand attention and quick effective response to arising issues. Real estate is also emotional. It is one of the three basic needs of the human.  ... 05/06/2012

Real Estate is change, forever and continually. The deal today is not the deal yesterday, nor is it the deal tomorrow.  Opportunity comes and goes.  Right now it i coming. By all indications predicted and transipiring the real estate market is picking up because there is some confidence building, some restrictions lifting and some political pressures for the news to turn brighter, and it is.  Word of bidding wars has returned, but before you get too giddy, word is also that more foreclosures are about to be released because of the settlement between the government and many large banks, like Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo and others. There is a payback to some select customers of these banks for their foreclosure ordeal.  Details are available at National Mortgage Settlement. The wi... 03/26/2012

Wellesley MA single family housing report Feb 2012 shows a lot of activity. There are 179 homes in the Active, Under Agreement, Sold, Expired and Canceled sectors. This is up from last month.  It is clear that Spring season is upon us.  139 of this homes fall into the Active area,  but many of them are showing some kind of agreement before the sale, meaning there is an Offer but they are waiting for some verification before putting the home under agreement.  This is a lot of homes and will give buyers a lot of choices in almost all the categories.  The Days on market are coming down, but 152 is a lot of time to be on the marked.  The Under Agreement homes are on the market almost half as long, meaning that the homes coming on the market are getting the most attention.  The sold homes n... 03/15/2012

Luxury Real Estate in Wellesley, MA There are a multitude of million dollar homes for sale in Wellesley, MA. Located a mere 30-minute drive from central Boston, this quiet suburb is characterized by beautiful, spacious homes set amid quiet, peaceful forest. Boston is a mere train ride away on the comfortable MBTA commuter train service. The Wellesley town center has all the charm of the traditional American main street. This walkable district is lined with both interesting specialty shops, like the veritable Wellesley Booksmith, and daily services including banks, pharmacies, and even a tailor. Wellesley is home is many educational institutions. Wellesley High School is known for its superb recreational facilities. Babson College offers residents a quality, local education and offers s... 01/24/2012

Having it all! Anguilla Real Estate It is bonus time of year and with the economy settling in to the slow realization that the sky is no longer falling further we can get back to thinking about all the great opportunity out there in the real estate market. Anguilla real estate is one place you should be looking.  With virtually no taxes, a safe and stable government that is based on the dollar and is English speaking Anguilla is a great place to park some of that hard earned cash and watch it grow. The real beauty to this plan is that you can have your cake and eat it too in this situation. Anguilla has the highest rental rates in all of the Caribbean. With shows like ABC’s The Bachelor and celebrities like Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, LL Cool J, Sandra Bullock and even Paris Hilton (who... 12/22/2011

Wellesley MA Real Estate You will most quickly fall in love with the stunning homes for sale in Wellesley, MA! Home to 27,000 residents and with a history spanning more than 350 years, Wellesley offers a wide array attractions, including many famous historical sites such as the Wellesley Clock Tower. Because of its close proximity to Boston, there are several transportation options available for commuters, and the public transportation in Wellesley is clean and comfortable! Education is a big feature of Wellesley, with several public elementary schools available to students as well as the Wellesley Middle School and High School. Wellesley College plays a huge role in the community as well - its campus offers a botanical garden and arboretum containing over 1,000 species of plants. The ... 12/08/2011

Wellesley November 2011 Housing Report Wellesley, MA Single Family Housing Report November 2011 had a larger number of homes in the market than either Weston or Wayland. This isn’t entirely a surprise it is a larger community.  The Average Days on Market (DOM) went up, but that is happening all over this area right now. With the media spewing as much conflicting information as possible it has buyers and sellers confused.  Consumer confidence is also an issue, it is hard to know what to believe.  The truth is that the market has been fairly stable. The slight ups and downs are the part of a normal market.  Let’s get to the numbers.   Single Family Active Listings: 128    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 3,946.69     Avg. List$: $1,778,298    Avg. List$/SqFt: $429     Avg. DOM: 171.57     Single Fami... 12/06/2011

Vintage Homes in Wellesley, MA There is much to be said about vintage houses for sale in Wellesley, MA. This beautiful suburb of Boston has an spectacular eighteenth century feeling that you will soon find to be so relaxing and engaging that you will never want to leave. With literally hundreds of historically important homes for sale, anyone looking for this unique beauty will have no trouble finding it here. There is plenty for the entire family to enjoy, including the Davis Museum and Cultural Center, which has a multitude of art displays and shows located on the Wellesley College campus. There is the Walter Hunnewell Arboretum to enjoy with over five hundred species of plants in fifty three families including a world renowned topiary garden. The Elm Bank Horticulture Center is anot... 11/22/2011

A home inspector working in Wellesley MA is required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector. The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection. Visit the Wellesley MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in Wellesley MA and the Massachusetts H... 11/12/2011

Shoal Bay East video, Anguilla When most people who have been to Anguilla think about what to do in Anguilla, so many people think beach, relax eat, but this is barely scratching the surface.  We offer a number of private and exclusive homes for sale or rental.  Rent, Rent to own, Option Contracts, purchase, seller financing are all possible if you are interested in being at one of the nicest islands in the Caribbean.  US News TRAVEL and TripAdvisor have a variety of suggestions I would like to share with you. Rendezvous Bay shows up on the list very high in many of these lists of things to do.  Anguilla is known for having the highest rental rates in all of the Caribbean, but the Rendezvous Bay has more moderate accomodations.  The area is not as busy as Shoal Bay east, but shares som... 11/08/2011

  Modifications to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) due out November 15   For borrowers who haven’t been able to take advantage of today’s interest rate environment due to declining property values and erosion of equity, there may be hope yet. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) just announced that it will expand eligibility for the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) to include more Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac borrowers who have been timely in making payments, but may have very little equity or may already be under water. Industry experts estimate that the HARP program has benefitted around 900,000 borrowers to stay in their homes via refinancing;  the FHFA expects this guideline enhancement will substantially increase the number of eligible borrowers under the HA... 10/31/2011

The Six Pillars of Character   As many of us celebrate the New Year and the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, it is a time for reflection and evaluation in all things we do.  I remember hearing a real estate coach once say that "Success is defined as living in alignment with your core values...."  For me that means a lot.   Character Counts!         The Josephson Institute of Ethics defines ethics in terms of moral duties and virtues that flow from six core ethical values, collectively known as The Six Pillars of Character.   Trustworthiness: Being honest, having integrity, keeping your promises and being loyal.   Respect: We must not only respect ourselves, but remember that each person has the right to our respect.   Responsibility: We must be accountable for our own acti... 09/29/2011

  Posted on September 24, 2011 by Larry Lawfer   Tudor, Milton MA 02186 It’s all about ME! So many real estate agents think of this as true.  It is about their commission, their good listings, their lead generation and systems and they are so wrong.  Someone who is focused on the “me” looses out on their capacity to listen to their clients and give them exactly what they want. The “me” agent cares little for anything but themselves and therein lies the problem. ME is the phrase I define as the Motivation towards Excellence.  Each and every day I approach the day with the desire to be excellent.  It is true that no one is perfect, but what is wrong with trying to be excellent.  Listening well to your clients goals and dreams gives you the road map to helping them achieve their success.  ... 09/27/2011

Anguilla View of Ocean from Restaurant In Anguilla and all over the Caribbean the best houses to rent along with the best deals happen right now at this time of the year.  Later into the year and especially after the first day of snow and the prices go into full mode.  Now is the time to get your vacation deals in Anguilla.  This island in the British Virgin Islands is easy to get to and hard to forget.  By vote of the Conde Nast folks you have several of Anguilla’s Restaurants as the top in the world and you have the beaches voted into the Top Ten in the World.  This place is truly magical by even magical standards. Golfing, Swimming, Snorkeling, Reading, Relaxing, Rejuvenating, Reinventing, Closing the deal, Creating great memories are all available on Anguilla.  While the beaches an... 09/14/2011

Barrel Stay Restaurant, Anguilla You certainly never have to stray too far for a good meal in Anguilla. Truth be told, Anguilla has some of the best restaurants in the Caribbean.  You can also find great food right on the beach.  Many of the restaurants sit near the water so that you can enjoy both aspects of your vacation. The scenery and the quiet meal with a loved one.  Here is one of  the restaurants you can visit in Anguilla.  In this space I will give you a taste of the good eatings on the island and a direct link to their website to make reservations. In reading the Chef’s statement about the food his words resonate with a love of food and a love of the island and all the localvore. Graham Belcher says, “Cooking to the highest international standards is my passion and my profess... 09/12/2011

  Wellesley MA Single Family Home Market Report Aug 2011 is showing activity of 204 homes spread out through the Active Homes, Sold, Under Agreement, Expired and Canceled homes.  This is a good bit of activity in the area and most of it is in the Active phase   4 Swathmore Road, Wellesley, MA 02482 Single Family Active Listings: 144       Average List Price: $1,768,410     Average Market Time: 166.51 As you see most of the homes are actively on the market with only a small amount in the rest of the categories. What this often indicates is that there will be a lowering of prices to match the number of houses on the market.  Now remember these are averages and they change in each level of sale which means their could be a run on homes in the 2 million dollar range, but nothing is moving i... 09/10/2011

I have had the privilege from learning the real estate business around some agents and brokers who have spent their lives in the profession.  I have watched them work their prospects and their clients and deals.  I have seen them handle telephone calls and emails and I have learned so much. To be honest I have learned so much of what not to do.  What they are doing may have worked in the 60′s, 70′s, 80′s or 90′s but does not work now and never will again.  The business is different, the agent does not hold all the cards because information is available about homes and property everywhere. I was first hired down in Texas and watched that agency slowly crumble and disappear in a year even though the agents had been around for a long time and had some skills.  Sadly the skills they had an... 07/02/2011

  Anguilla Alien Land Holding Finding Paradise and a great real estate deal you would think would be easy these days, and it is for those in the know.  The worldwide economic issues over the last several years have brought real estate prices in line with value.  It has also spawned a “can do” attitude within the real estate community to figure new ways to offer luxury and a deal at the same time.  Buying property internationally has little and no oversight.  Most people go blindly into buying, or selling their international property hoping for a good outcome.  Hope is no way to approach the luxury market and expect to get a real deal. For instance we represent properties in Anguilla where the seller is willing owner finance, sell to a group, rent long term or a number of other innovativ... 06/13/2011