Patriots in Boston, yesterday, today and tomorrow have shown the world that we can not and will not ever be swayed by the act of some terrorist(s).  In this town where our Declaration was forged and debated not one mile from my home years, before it was signed in Philadelphia on July 4th 1776. We are a fierce and independent people.  Patriots Day is a day of celebration here in Massachusetts. It is the day we celebrate the first battle of our American Revolution in Lexington, MA.  As our President noted last night, "It's a day that celebrates the free and fiercely independent spirit that this great American city of Boston has reflected from the earliest days of our nation,"  Part of our celebration is to invite runners from all over the world to come to our fine city and compete in one ... 04/15/2013

I am sitting in my home in Boston contemplating what I can possibly think, or do, or say right now. An eight year old child is dead, another adult is dead, and nearly one hundred injured. Two or three bombs exploded in Boston today, likely to be an act of terrorism.  More bombs which failed to explode were found.  This all happened during the Boston Marathon, a 117 year tradition of international proportions.   Growing up in Israel in the 1980's, I am used to news of bombings.  From early in my childhood I learned to spot suspicious unattended items in public and out of place cars.  I have no need to ask why these things happen and who would do such a thing.   But it doesn't get easier, it gets harder every time.  One day I will need to explain bombings of civilians to my children.  Th... 04/15/2013

 Reflecting on this Tragedy at the Boston Marathon in Boston, MA My heart and prayers goes out to the injured and their families in Boston, MA. Hope the healing will start soon and the perpetrators are speedily caught, so justice could be served! We are always so busy with our day to day lives that we seldom truly reflect, unless there is a Tragedy in our lives, such as a family member or a friend, or someone we know who had something tragic happen to them. Then again there are catastrophes around the country and around the world which make us pause and reflect. As some of you know I lived about ten plus years in Boston, MA and ironically before Real Estate I was part of the Security for the Boston Marathon. This was before 9/11 nevertheless I can tell you from firsthand experience, eve... 04/15/2013

http://raceday.baa.org/individual.html   CHECK THIS WEBSITE OUT TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR RUNNER LAST CHECKED IN - THIS MAY GIVE YOU SOME COMFORT.   IF YOU HAVE RUNNERS NUMBER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THEY LAST CHECKED IN.   04/15/2013

Boston’s Marathon Monday On the third Monday of April it’s Patriot’s Day.  Patriot’s Day is observed in Massachusetts and Maine commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which were the first battles of the Revolutionary War.  We celebrate the holiday with the famous Boston Marathon.  Hence, in Massachusetts it is known as Marathon Monday.    About the Marathon Boston is all over the pages of American history, and the Boston Marathon gives Beantown the distinction of having the oldest annual marathon.  The first marathon was in 1897 when 13 people raced.  Today over 20,000 people run.   Women were officially allowed to enter the race in 1972.  People from all over the world come to run the grueling 26 miles on the eastern Massachusetts road.  The race begins... 04/10/2013

Thinking about buying in Brighton? Here are some recent sales that will give you a feel for the market - http://www.buyeragentsofboston.com/searches/2509964.rss Make sure you are up-to-date and prepared for what your dollar is going to buy you in the market place by working with an experienced and professional buyer agent as well as educating yourself as to what properties have sold recently and at what price. 04/03/2013

The spring housing market has arrived and we are starting to see more inventory hit the market. Make sure you are up-to-date and prepared for what your dollar is going to buy you in the market place by working with an experienced and professional buyer agent as well as educating yourself as to what properties have sold recently and at what price. Thinking about buying in the Back Bay? Here are some recent sales that will give you a feel for the market - http://www.buyeragentsofboston.com/searches/2509783.rss 04/03/2013

If you live (or park) in the City of Boston, the official street sweeping season begins on April 1 (although some neighborhoods may have begun earlier as part of a pilot program). To find out when your neighborhood is scheduled, just click on this link - http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/sweeping/ You can search for schedules as well as register to receive reminder e-mails when streets of interest are scheduled for weekly cleaning. 03/31/2013

Contingency to Sell Home: Selling a Condo and Buying a House in Boston Area If you need to sell your condo to buy a house in Brookline, Newton and the Greater Boston area, you are not alone.  With housing so expensive, not many can manage to keep both homes, or even pay for the house without the proceeds from the condo. A contingency to sell your home is a common way to protect you in this situation.  You make an offer with a contingency on an accepted offer, purchase and sale, or closing of the condo you are selling. Sounds like a plan, right?  WRONG! In today’s market you are competing with other buyers, and a contingency to sell a home is a great way to RUIN your chances of securing the property of your choice.  Put your home-seller thinking cap for prospective for a moment. An offer... 03/30/2013

Mortgage Requirements for Condominiums in Boston Buying a condo in Boston, MA with a mortgage?  Prepare yourself for this process!  Many buyers are overwhelmed by the process and wonder why so much information is required.  Other than your personal financial information, a condominium purchase has many other elements.  Use the checklist below, and you can have an easy home buying process. 1. Closing date.  Tell your mortgage officer your expected closing date as soon as possible so your rate can be locked, even before the application is submitted. 2. Application.  Your mortgage application to buy a condo or any other property is due shortly after the Purchase and Sale.  In our Boston forms, we expect an application within two days of signing purchase and sale. 3. Purchase and Sale, (P&S... 03/28/2013

OH MY... George H Tekei best known for his life long role with Star Trek writes today "For those friends wondering, this special "red" equality symbol signifies that marriage equality really is all about love. Thanks to the Human Rights Campaign for this effort. Please consider changing your profile today in support--esp if you are a straight ally. It was not too long ago(1983)  that I as an student just out of collage began my career as an electrical engineer with Raytheon. Our country was in the middle of the cold war with the communists and my security clearance was a constant reminder of that I too had a secret that was to be protected. How things have changed!  Now that same company is a role model of diversity..... "As an integral part of our overall business model, Raytheon work... 03/26/2013

Real Estate Investing in Boston If you are considering investing in Boston real estate, you are not alone.  Property investors are coming back strong into the market for good reason.  It’s a great time to start or expand your real estate portfolio. Investors buy real estate for two reasons: for rental income or to “flip.”  Flips are made even more popular by HGTV.  But they require both the ability to buy the property and finance the renovation, while selling it quickly. Most investors are in the market for income properties.  In areas such as Brighton, Allston, Brookline, and Fenway, buyers are willing to pay over asking for a condo in a good building.  Why is this market so hot? There are a few reasons:     Interest rates are low, borrowing is cheap. Rents are up, way up in the past y... 03/21/2013

By Mike Mahoney of Remax in Boston | http://www.HomesinBostonMass.com Today I spend a couple of minutes in a short video showing what the Greater Boston Real Estate Market is doing now. If you are planning to sell, now is the time.  Carpe Diem. Watch the video.  Click the video below to watch or click here to begin 03/20/2013

If you live or own property in Boston - as a renter, homeowner, or investor - you need to be aware that Tom Menino is pushing for even more regulation to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. This onerous regulation is going to require property owners and residents to submit energy usage or face fines of up to $9,000.00 for residents or $90,000.00 for commercial property owners. The details from the Greater Boston Real Estate Board are below, but this is clearly a "stick" vs "carrot" approach and has not produced any tangible benefits in energy conservation in areas of the country where it has already been attempted. The only benefit is to the firms that do energy audits and an increased payroll at City Hall to manage the process. I urge you to contact your City councilor and let... 03/20/2013

North End one bedroom condos (popular with first-time buyers) and West End one bedrooms (popular with medical residents and professionals) have shown good growth over the past 6 years. In the January 1, 2007 - March 1, 2007 time frame, the average price of a one-bedroom was $306K or $495.00 a square foot (all information obtained from MLSPIN). In the same period in 2013, the prices jumped 20% to an average price of $368K or $634.00 a square foot. Given the lack of inventory, low interest rates and rising rents I think the one-bedroom / two-bedroom market in these areas is going to be very competitive for the Spring 2013 market. Make sure you have a buyer agent experienced with multiple-bid situations, like Buyer Agents of Boston, so your dream home will be come a reality. 03/19/2013

Although it is snowing outside, I'm thinking of opening day and along with it the Fenway condo market. Just ran some numbers and one bedrooms are stable with where they were back in the January 1 to March 1, 2007 timeframe where the average one bedroom sold for $311K was a little bit higher than in the same timeframe as 2013 where the average selling price (all info obtained from MLSPIN) was $298K. For the two bedroom condo market, the average sale price in 2007 was $369K and in 2013 the average sale price increased 11% to $410K. Thinking about buying a home near Fenway Park? Just let me know and we can get started right away. 03/19/2013

One of my buyers who was just pre-approved asked me if we should set up her search for homes a bit above her price range. Fair question.  I often set up searches for my home buyer clients above their pre-approval maximum, but in this case I said we should not. In what price range should you look for a home?   It may sound like an obvious silly question - in the price range you can afford, right?  But there is more to it than that.  Consider the following when setting up a property search online or through a buyer's agent on MLS: 1. What's the market doing?  In a tight market, most sales will be close to the asking price or higher.  I'm experiencing this now in my area, so looking above the top of a buyer's range of affordability is a set up for frustration and heartache.   When the mark... 03/18/2013

Not to be outdone, Beacon Hill is not too far behind it's neighbor when it comes to price appreciation over the past 6 years. For one bedroom condos, the average selling price in the period of Jan 1, 2007 - March 1, 2007 was $419K with a price per square foot of $672. In the same period in 2013, the average selling price jumped 38% to $581K with a $731 price per square foot. Looking at two bedrooms, the average sale price jumped from $721K in the Jan 1 - March 1, 2007 period to $939K in 2013, an increase of 30% with an average price per square foot of $753 in 2013 (all data provided by MLSPIN). Don't forget that Buyer Agents of Boston is a Beacon Hill specialist - just give us a call or send an e-mail and we can get started on your home search right away. 03/18/2013

I just ran some numbers for a Back Bay client and 2 bedroom prices are up over 45% since 2007. In the period of Jan 1, 2007 through March 1, 2007, the average 2 bedroom condo in the Back Bay was selling for $966K with an average price per square foot of $677.00 (all info obtained from MLSPIN) Fast forward to the same period in 2013 and the average selling price was up to $1,406K for a 2 bedroom condo and a price per square foot of $990.00. Not a bad return on investment plus you had a place to live. Thinking about buying in the Back Bay, South End or any community within the 128 belt? Just give me a call or send me an e-mail and we can start on your home search right away. 03/18/2013

  This week I had the opportunity to spend some time with Peter Souhleris and Dave Seymour of A&E’s Hit TV Show, Flipping Boston, when they hosted our Habitat for Humanity charity auction in Lowell, Massachusetts.  These two young entrepreneurs have made a name for themselves in the Boston area as experts in buying and flipping real estate.  In addition to running a successful house flipping business and appearing regularly on their TV show, they also own a well known real estate firm, and they have a soon to be released book, The Flipping Formula, on investing in and rehabbing real estate.  Whenever I have the opportunity to meet successful business people I use my time wisely to pick their brains about their accomplishments.  So, how is it these guys are killing it in business while ... 03/11/2013