H128445 - Hampden Village 55+ Retirement Community
• 2 bedrooms
• 1 baths
• Manufactured home
• 3 season porch w/ deck
.... visit our website and call the owner direct to schedule your showing today!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Westfield, MA 01085 Retirement Community For Sale By Owner
H128445 - Hampden Village 55+ Retirement Community
• 2 bedrooms
• 1 baths
• Manufactured home
• 3 season porch w/ deck
.... visit our website and call the owner direct to schedule your showing today!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Granby, MA 01033 Home For Sale By Owner
SOLD
Colonial home bordering conservation land, featured property with Virtual Tour
• 3 bedrooms
• 1.5 baths
• Bi-level 3 season porch w/ deck
• 2 patios
.... visit our website and call the owner direct to schedule your showing today!
Friday, February 22, 2008
New Lender Requirements In Massachusetts
In response to the rise in Massachusetts foreclosures and after the sub-prime lender fallout, the Attorney General has imposed new regulations on mortgage lenders, effective January 2, 2008. While many in the industry are not thrilled with the new provisions, it seems that measures were needed to curtail more problems from arising.
One of the new regulations requires loan originators to have a "reasonable belief" that a borrower can afford a loan, based on available information about the borrower's financial circumstances. Now, that's a novel idea, or as my teenage daughter would say, "Duh."
When you stop to think about it, mortgage brokers and real estate agents both depend upon commission sales to make a living. The higher the sales price of the home, the more the agent stands to gain. Similarly, the higher the sales price, the bigger the loan and the higher commission for the mortgage broker or loan originator.
As a buyer, you can thank your friendly real estate agent for helping you to "overpay" for your dream home, as the cost of a commission is added to the seller's bottom line. You may think you don't pay a commission, but you really do. Of course, purchasing directly through the owner helps reduce the chance of overpaying. As a home owner whose taxes continue to increase, just remember how your property valuation is tied into real estate sales in your neighborhood.
One of the new regulations requires loan originators to have a "reasonable belief" that a borrower can afford a loan, based on available information about the borrower's financial circumstances. Now, that's a novel idea, or as my teenage daughter would say, "Duh."
When you stop to think about it, mortgage brokers and real estate agents both depend upon commission sales to make a living. The higher the sales price of the home, the more the agent stands to gain. Similarly, the higher the sales price, the bigger the loan and the higher commission for the mortgage broker or loan originator.
As a buyer, you can thank your friendly real estate agent for helping you to "overpay" for your dream home, as the cost of a commission is added to the seller's bottom line. You may think you don't pay a commission, but you really do. Of course, purchasing directly through the owner helps reduce the chance of overpaying. As a home owner whose taxes continue to increase, just remember how your property valuation is tied into real estate sales in your neighborhood.
Plymouth, MA Commercial School For Sale
H128321 - 4,000 sq. ft. commercial building for sale.
• Currently a pre-school
• Seller will convert to suit
.... visit our website and call the owner direct to schedule your showing today!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Belchertown MA 01007 Home For Sale By Owner
H128386 - tri-level, featured property with Virtual Tour
• 3/4 bedrooms
• 1.5 baths
• Pool and pond!
.... visit our website and call the owner direct to schedule your showing today!
Northampton MA Co Housing Home For Sale By Owner
SOLD!#H128426 - Rocky Hill Cohousing, featured property w/Virtual Tour
• 3 bedrooms
• 1.5 baths
• High quality construction
.... visit our website for new listings!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Feeding Hills MA Home For Sale By Owner
#H128430 - Cozy Cape, featured property w/Virtual Tour• 3/4 bedrooms
• 2 baths
• Many improvements
• Walk to elementary school
.... visit our website and call the owner direct to schedule your showing today!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Massachusetts Home Inspections - A Buyer's Must
You've found the home of your dreams, applied for your mortgage and the countdown to home ownership begins. But wait - how do you know that your dream home isn't really a MONEY PIT? This is not the time to call Uncle Harry to ask what he thinks about the house -- it's time to call a professional, the home inspector. Now, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, home inspectors need to be licensed. While an inspector may show you credentials from an association like ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors), the NAHI (National Association of Home Inspectors) or other organization, this should not be confused with a valid license in good standing. You can verify any inspector's license through the Board of Registration of Home Inspectors at its website or by calling the Board at (617) 727- 4459.
Real estate agents in Massachusetts are not allowed to refer buyers to a home inspector. In many states buyers are unknowingly steered toward inspectors with whom an agent has a relationship, often known as "easy", while avoiding inspectors with a reputation as being "deal busters". When Massachusetts adopted regulations for home inspections in 2001, this practice within the real estate industry was exposed and efforts have been made to inform consumers regarding their rights. A real estate agent can provide you with the list of licensed inspectors, or a link to the board, but must not give you a carefully selected list to a buyer. The exception is if you are represented by a buyer's agent.
It is becoming more popular with home sellers to pay for a "pre-market inspection" to help them learn what issues may come up during their buyer's inspection. Often the seller is willing to share this inspection with a potential buyer, so don't hesitate to ask if a report is available.
In addition to having a home inspection performed, buyers may also want to have other environmental tests/inspections performed at their expense, such as radon, well water, etc. If the seller has a septic system, they must pay for and provide you with a Title V Certification before passing title. The seller usually pays for the pest inspection (termite) however it can be paid for by either the seller or the buyer.
Think that only older homes may have issues? Take a look at the following home inspector's website, showing photos supplied by several home inspectors while viewing new homes. Make sure you consider this before you sign a Purchase and Sale Agreement.
One other thing....as you're walking through the home with your inspector, beware of the inspector pointing out a flaw while telling you "his brother in law is a plumber who could fix that in a jiff." Report him here.
Real estate agents in Massachusetts are not allowed to refer buyers to a home inspector. In many states buyers are unknowingly steered toward inspectors with whom an agent has a relationship, often known as "easy", while avoiding inspectors with a reputation as being "deal busters". When Massachusetts adopted regulations for home inspections in 2001, this practice within the real estate industry was exposed and efforts have been made to inform consumers regarding their rights. A real estate agent can provide you with the list of licensed inspectors, or a link to the board, but must not give you a carefully selected list to a buyer. The exception is if you are represented by a buyer's agent.
It is becoming more popular with home sellers to pay for a "pre-market inspection" to help them learn what issues may come up during their buyer's inspection. Often the seller is willing to share this inspection with a potential buyer, so don't hesitate to ask if a report is available.
In addition to having a home inspection performed, buyers may also want to have other environmental tests/inspections performed at their expense, such as radon, well water, etc. If the seller has a septic system, they must pay for and provide you with a Title V Certification before passing title. The seller usually pays for the pest inspection (termite) however it can be paid for by either the seller or the buyer.
Think that only older homes may have issues? Take a look at the following home inspector's website, showing photos supplied by several home inspectors while viewing new homes. Make sure you consider this before you sign a Purchase and Sale Agreement.
One other thing....as you're walking through the home with your inspector, beware of the inspector pointing out a flaw while telling you "his brother in law is a plumber who could fix that in a jiff." Report him here.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Who Is Looking To Buy A Home In Western Mass?
It certainly feels good to see traffic on MA4salebyowner.com is on the upswing. The holidays are over, and three major snow storms are behind us. A recent Daily Hampshire Gazette article pointed to our local real estate market here in the Pioneer Valley as being stable, and that we've been pretty lucky, compared to the eastern end of the state. It as helped that our major industries center around higher education and health care, not the technology sector.
As buyers begin to come out, sellers need to join the party. April is generally the start of the season, but this year we predict an earlier start due to the length of time it may take to sell. Of course, real estate agents are poised to fight for new listings and do their best to dissuade sellers from striking out on their own. One of the talking points agents use is to tell sellers that they can't get wide exposure when selling by owner. We're here to say they're wrong. Just yesterday we tracked our website visitors for about an hour and wrote down where they came from. Take heed -- Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley!
As buyers begin to come out, sellers need to join the party. April is generally the start of the season, but this year we predict an earlier start due to the length of time it may take to sell. Of course, real estate agents are poised to fight for new listings and do their best to dissuade sellers from striking out on their own. One of the talking points agents use is to tell sellers that they can't get wide exposure when selling by owner. We're here to say they're wrong. Just yesterday we tracked our website visitors for about an hour and wrote down where they came from. Take heed -- Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley!
Here's a sampling of where recent buyers are coming from:
Haverill, MA; Florence, SC; New Bedford, MA; Worcester, MA; Springfield, MA; Boston, MA; Reston, VA; Natick, MA; Northampton, MA; North Andover, MA; Phoenix, AZ; New Bedford, MA; Longmeadow, MA; Frederick, MD; San Diego, CA; Buffalo, NY; Goffstown, NH; Atlanta, GA; Chicopee, MA; and Burlington, VTIt's no accident that buyers find our website. We work hard to improve our search engine optimization so that our home sellers reach buyers naturally.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Compare For Sale By Owner Websites Carefully
A quick Google search on "for sale by owner" this morning returned 5,890,000 possible results. The popularity of for sale by owner, or FSBO, continues to grow, despite what the NAR wants consumers to believe. Its popularity is attracting more than active home buyers and sellers however. Businesses who market to home buyers and sellers are jumping on the FSBO bandwagon in droves. By the late 1990's, websites promoting for sale by owner started springing up overnight. Most sites offered free listings, or charged a very low fee to home sellers who posted an ad. Home sellers didn't seem to question why the advertising fee was so reasonable and were eager to respond, then sat patiently next to their phones, waiting for buyers to call. They got calls, but not from buyers. They heard from mortgage companies, moving companies and real estate agents.
It was during this time that we were approached by Picket Fence Preview, a very successful for sale by owner marketing service based in Burlington, VT, to offer a similar service as theirs in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. We began researching the FSBO market very carefully as we prepared to open our own business. What we found when noodling around the Internet gave us an eye-opener into the sordid side of real estate and FSBO lead generation. It was then that we began our quest to help consumers avoid the pitfalls of do-it-yourself real estate.
Real estate agents have incorporated many lead generation devices over the years, using companies like Warnocks, now LandVoice, and others. Mortgage companies are now realizing that there's big money in for sale by owner and have tried their hand at technology which uses sellers to attract buyers as in websites such as IsoldMHouse.com, ZeroBrokerFees.com and others. Leads are channeled by requiring buyers to register (opening the door to pre-qualifying) and blocking buyers from contacting sellers directly. Allied Home Mortgage pitches its website, The Yellow Sign, to FSBOs by giving them a free listing AND a free yard sign. Using call-capture technology, the unsuspecting home seller whose buyer calls are rerouted to a mortgage company is once again sitting next to his silent phone.
HouseValues, a real estate marketing and lead generation company based in Kirkland, Washington, agreed to pay $51,000 in costs and attorney fees recently to settle a case alleging the company's real estate lead generation services violated the state of Washington's consumer protection laws. The ruling found that the company was selling made up leads while boasting that 20% of its leads would turn into sales for real estate agents. See full story by the Seattle Post Intelligencer here.
It's like your Mom always said, there are no free lunches.
It was during this time that we were approached by Picket Fence Preview, a very successful for sale by owner marketing service based in Burlington, VT, to offer a similar service as theirs in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. We began researching the FSBO market very carefully as we prepared to open our own business. What we found when noodling around the Internet gave us an eye-opener into the sordid side of real estate and FSBO lead generation. It was then that we began our quest to help consumers avoid the pitfalls of do-it-yourself real estate.
Real estate agents have incorporated many lead generation devices over the years, using companies like Warnocks, now LandVoice, and others. Mortgage companies are now realizing that there's big money in for sale by owner and have tried their hand at technology which uses sellers to attract buyers as in websites such as IsoldMHouse.com, ZeroBrokerFees.com and others. Leads are channeled by requiring buyers to register (opening the door to pre-qualifying) and blocking buyers from contacting sellers directly. Allied Home Mortgage pitches its website, The Yellow Sign, to FSBOs by giving them a free listing AND a free yard sign. Using call-capture technology, the unsuspecting home seller whose buyer calls are rerouted to a mortgage company is once again sitting next to his silent phone.
HouseValues, a real estate marketing and lead generation company based in Kirkland, Washington, agreed to pay $51,000 in costs and attorney fees recently to settle a case alleging the company's real estate lead generation services violated the state of Washington's consumer protection laws. The ruling found that the company was selling made up leads while boasting that 20% of its leads would turn into sales for real estate agents. See full story by the Seattle Post Intelligencer here.
It's like your Mom always said, there are no free lunches.
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