Blog

      • Mortgage Rates Projected to Rise: We can all agree that mortgage rates have been phenomenally low for a long time.  The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae and the National Association of Realtors have all projected that the 30-year mortgage rate will be at least …
      • Cut Refinancing Expenses: Refinancing (especially at today’s low rates) can be fabulous just make sure to keep an eye on the cost to refinance.  Many people tend to ignore the refinancing costs because these expenses are rolled back into the new mortgage. Many people fig…
      • Selling a Temporary Rental: Some people who bought at the height of the real estate market decided rather than sell their home at a loss, kept the property and rented it out – choosing to wait until the market recovered.  
        It’s a valid strategy but there are time restrict…
      • MLS Change: Soon properties will no longer be allowed to remain “Active” for sale but “flagged” as having an offer accepted. Having houses that are not for sale show as still active has been confusing for buyers and has messed up statistics in the area for the l…
      • What Color to Paint?: Have you had this experience like me?  You finally choose a color from the overwhelming myriad of paint samples, spend the day painting, step back once the paint has dried and then realize it’s not the color you thought it would be?  It sho…
      • Win a Celtics Basketball Court:

        Are you a Celtics fan? 3 lucky people will win a Celtics basketball court and Celtics themed bedroom. Check out the video below to learn how to enter:

      • Medford – Best Place To Live:

        Boston Magazine has just announced their 2013 Best Places to Live. It’s always fun to see which cities and towns make it on this annual list. Medford was named a Best Place to Live in the Starting Out category. Woo-hoo!!

      • Listing Photos – Good, Bad & Ugly:

        The quality of the photos and video that are used to market your home for sale can make a big difference in the amount of showings for your house, how long you’ll be on the market and can even effect the amount of money you get for the house. I …

      • Let Your Tenants Pay Your Kids’ Tuition: Whether your children are looking to go to college or a trade school, saving for this extra expense (while making sure you have enough money for retirement) can be difficult.
        You might want to consider purchasing an investment property.  A good…
      • The Key to Changing Your Locks: Most people change the locks as soon as they move into a new home and never touch them again. Other times when it’s wise to change the locks is when keys are lost, stolen or unreturned; such as if a service provider hasn’t returned the key.

        Rep…

      • Water Damage – What’s Covered?: Thankfully we didn’t get much damage from Sandy around here, but who knows when the next superstorm will hit the Boston area and hit us hard.  A number of things can cause water damage to a home and it’s good to understand what’s covered by…
      • Fixed Rate Mortgages: You might find this hard to believe but 30 year fixed-rate mortgages haven’t always been the standard. As part of FDR’s New Deal in 1934, the Federal Housing Administration was created to help Americans purchase homes with affordable terms.
        Prior to…
      • How Often Can You Refinance?: Have you refinanced recently but rates are now lower? Some people believe they shouldn’t refinance more often than once every two years. The determining factors are if you’ll lower your payments and plan to stay in the home long enough to recapture …
      • 3.8% Medicare Tax: Are you concerned about the new 3.8% Medicare Tax going into effect on January 1st? Watch this video to see how it might affect you, especially if you’re considering selling investment property and will have a capital gain.

        Download this free…

      • Somerville Condo Market Update: Check out my latest video showing what’s been happening in the condo market in Somerville

        Here’s the formula:
        Low inventory + brisk market = higher prices

      • Medford Single Family Homes Update:

        Today I’m trying something different. Here’s my take on the current trends in the real estate market for single family homes in Medford in a video format. Let me know what you think.

      • Reflection: The pace of our lives today is very fast. With our smartphones, we’re always on. Especially in my career as a real estate agent, the lines between “work time” and “off time” are very blurred. This is why once in a while I go off into the woods to…
      • 5 Top Uses for a Market Analysis: A market analysis can be a very useful thing but many people only think about getting one when they are considering selling their house. However, there are other times when a market analysis is either necessary or just handy to have. Here are my 5 …
      • The Cambridge Condo Market: The Cambridge condo market continues to be hot. Well priced condos are selling quickly and it’s not uncommon to see multiple offers in the city.

        The chart below shows the last 2 years of condo activity in Cambridge.

        The black line show…

      • Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Whether you’re selling your house or not, it’s important to keep your family safe with the property smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. When you are selling a property in Massachusetts, the local fire department has to come do an inspecti…