I think that at this point, it is safe to say that we have all seen the little scan-able bar codes on advertisements and for sale signs. Have you ever scanned one? Do you even own a smart phone that can? Do you even know what they are? For those of you who answered "no" to that last question, they are QR codes, which is short for "Quick [...]

So far this year one third of the homes purchased in Massachusetts were bought in cash-- mortgage free. In an economy that is known for its down market- why are we seeing this? Possibly because the only people who have enough assets to buy in this economy are the ones who would buy in cash anyway? Or maybe it's a reaction to the new, firm, [...]

Piggy backing on the most recent post, I would like to discuss with you the first step to buying, when you do decide that the time is right for you. If you are like most people, you won't have 10-20% of the price of a home sitting in cash in your savings account, especially when you are a first time home buyer without any substantial [...]

September 1st is a BIG day in the Boston rental market. Everyone is moving out and in and the streets are crowded with moving trucks. If you resigned you lease and you are going to be paying rent on the same unit for another year, you might be thinking to yourself right now that maybe it's time to actually buy something. What is the [...]

Almost a year and a half ago, the converted Hotel Cambridge located at 483 Beacon Street suffered from a massive, 9-alarm fire. This hotel building was designed and built by Willard Thomas Sears in 1898. The historic monument in Boston's Back Bay was redone in 1985 and the converted hotel now houses 69 residential units. The renovations [...]

This morning I was watching Get It Sold on HGTV while getting ready for work, and it inspired me to write about the sheer importance of staging a home that you're trying to sell. I know it's a common topic, and that I have written about it before but it is more a part of my life now than ever before. Recently, one of our sale's agents had [...]

We all know the current state of the real estate market. If you have been following this blog, or if you have been following Boston Real Estate anywhere, then you are aware that the Boston rental market is through the roof, and people just aren't buying (and therefore people aren't selling). The sales are tricky right [...]

I was walking to the bank this morning past Government Center, and was astonished to see rows and rows of brand new New Balance bikes parked outside of City Hall. It was certainly a curious sight to see, so I made a mental note to look it up when I got home. Apparently, I am just behind the times because residents of Boston have been [...]

The vacancy rate in rental units is down lower than it has been in the Boston area since the end of 2002.

"Boston-area rents are hitting new heights - with the median price recently reaching $1,665 a month" (source). Perspective-tenants are scrambling to find affordable places for September 1st. We hear stories of some landlords taking [...]

The keys to selling a property efficiently and for the best price in today's real estate market are sometimes tricky. Today, you are competing with foreclosure and short sale prices in addition to every other home for sale (not to mention for rent).  In my opinion, 2 main ingredients are necessary on top of competitive and aggressive pricing [...]