Doing the Best from where you are right now can be a comforting mantra in our busy and fractured lives.  This is a phrase that Expired listing guru Borino uses in all his classes.  I have taken this phrase and made it work by saying, "I will do the best I can, with all the skills and talents I have been given, from where I am, right now at this minute."  This allows me to recognize that where I am is just that, where I am. Where I want to go is out there, but if I can do the best today from where I am, I am still on the path to where I want to go.  Our days in real estate are never linear. Have you ever had a day where you knew where you were going with every minute?  I haven't, there is always the call that I didn't expect, the listing that needs some care and attention, the prospect t... 09/16/2012

 Back Bay Boston Housing Report GBAR July 2012. Larry Lawfer is a licensed Realtor® in Massachusetts #***7963. Realtors are held to a higher standard.As a benefit to Realtors® I get a detailed breakdown by month of what has just happened in the Back Bay Boston Housing Report GBAR for July 2012. Monday is Boston Back Bay day here on Truth and Service. 2012 Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of REALTORS®   Preamble Under all is the land. Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. REALTORS® should recognize that the interests of the nation and its citizens require the highest and best use of the land and the widest distribution of land ownership. They require the cre... 09/11/2012

  If your house has expired there are really only several reasons why this happened.  Let’s explore from the top down.  Price, of course.  Quite often there is a disconnect between what the Seller wants and what the Market will bear.  In simpler terms, the Seller more highly values the home than the Buyer.  The reason here is in the language. The Seller is valuing a home and the Buyer is getting a house.  One is where you put your money, blood sweat and tears into and the other is square footage, rooms and a yard. Big difference. Posted on September 6, 2012 by Larry Lawfer MLS Pinergy Expired Listings There are understandable reasons why a Seller overprices.  They are underwater with their loan and they need the money.  The Seller put money into the home along the way and wants all of i... 09/06/2012

Beacon Back Bay Boston MA Boston, Back Bay MA Condo Market Report Aug 2012 is in.  Activity is high right now because the market has finally gotten back to more normal responses.  Prices are still low but rising and interest rates are still historically low, but threaten to rise at some point soon.  I am told by various experts that when they begin to go up they will quickly.  Part of me doesn’t fully believe this because interest rates are tied to business growth and everyone wants the economy to grow right now.  If your listing is languishing on the market there are really only a couple of reasons why. Price, Marketing and the staging of your home. Call me if you are having problems with any of this and I can help you get sold for full market value in under 90 days guaranteed.  Now t... 09/03/2012

The new school clothes purchased along with the notebooks, backpacks and shoes.  I see kids with bright, expectant faces ready to face the new challenges.  I hear both the sigh of relief of getting back to a normal routine and the click of the camera as it records the first days.  I see lingering hugs of parents sending their little ones off for the first time, our lives change each year at this time. David-Terry-Larry on closing day I find the change of seasons to be exhilarating and exciting. We cruise out of the third quarter and into the final quarter of our year knowing what we have done is not as much as we are planning to do.  Not to get ahead of myself, but I can imagine a nice holiday season based on the work of today.  I know that helping people achieve their goals has always... 09/02/2012

As the Spring / Summer market gets put to bed and everyone awaits to see what new inventory will hit after Labor Day - sales over the past three months indicate that the Back Bay / South End / Beacon Hill property market is definitely in solid territory. Over the past 3 months (according to data obtain from the Multiple Listing Service) average sale prices for one bedroom / one bath condos under $450K in these neighborhoods have stayed stable with what we saw in 2011 ($363K) while the average days-on-market was about half of what we saw in 2011 (57 days in 2012 as compared with 104 days in 2011). In the over $450K sales range, one bedroom / one bath condos average sale price was $551K vs $575K in 2011. However, list price to sale price average was a bit higher in 2012 (98.3% vs. 97.1%) ... 08/22/2012

As we saw in the one bedroom condo market for the past three months, the Back Bay / Beacon Hill / South End two bedroom or more condo market is also very stable, if not stronger than the one bedroom market. For the past three months (according to data obtained from the Multiple Listing Service) we have seen year-over-year increases of 1.7% in the sales price of two or more bedroom condos ($471K in 2012 vs. $463K in 2011) for condos selling under $550K. The days on market also slipped from 84 days in 2011 to 62 days while the average listing to sale price ratio average climbed from 95.8% in 2011 to 97.7% in 2012. In the two bedroom or more over $550K market, the average sale price went from $1,247K in 2011 to $1,276 in 2012. The days on market was virtually the same (92 days in 2011 to 9... 08/22/2012

Did you hear this: The USS Constitution is back in the water, in Boston Harbor’s water? Also known as "Old Ironside" Since we left Boston, MA I have been waiting to hear and see this great event. After many years of repair and preservation allowed this ceremonial photo opportunity. At 215 years young, the USS Constitution is the US Navy’s oldest commissioned warship afloat! How exciting is this. I wish I could have been there!   There was a picture of me at this point when I was a teenager:)) talk about being almost as old as the USS Constitution:)    If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Playa V... 08/19/2012

A Boston MA home buyer should receive a brochure, Home Inspectors Facts for Consumers Sheet, at the time of the signing of the first written contract to purchase from the Seller or Seller's agent.Since MA Home Inspector licensing in 2001, a consumer must have a signed exclusive buyer's agent agreement with  a Real Estate Broker or Salesperson before the Real Estate Broker or Salesperson can refer a home inspector.Without a signed exclusive buyer's agent agreement, the Real Estate Broker or Salesperson may only refer the buyer to the list of all MA Home Inspectors from the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Home Inspectors.Finding your Boston MA Home Inspector from the list of all MA home inspectors can be quite a challenge.  An internet search for "Boston MA Home Inspector" may help... 08/15/2012

In a new series on Activerain I will be sharing with you hyper local searches for people looking for Boston properties for sale. Today's hyper local search focuses on Bay Village Boston Apartments. For those of you not familiar with the Bay Village, this is a small neighborhood that sits on the boarder of the Back Bay and South End. Because of it's small size the Boston's Bay Village neighborhood is often overlooked by buyers and apartment hunters. Yet, many people would find Bay Village apartments to be a great fit, especially those who need to be close to Tufst Medical Center since it is one of the closest locations. So, please enjoy our hyper local search for apartments in Bay Village Boston.  08/13/2012

I just finished up showing the 15 North Beacon Apartments and I am now on my way down to show some Back Bay Luxury condos so I figured I would write a quick post about where to find Back Bay Luxury Apartments and also highlight some of the Back Bay's top luxury buildings.  Where to start? If your just starting your search I reccomend you check out our Back Bay Luxury Condos page. Here you will be able to get a great overview of whats for sale in the Back Bay Massachusetts luxury condo market.  What Buildings Are Hot? If you need some guidence on hot luxury condo buildings in Boston's Back bay then I would reccomend you check out this list.  W Boston Residences 285 Columbus Lofts 360 Newbury Garrison Square Back Bay Luxury Apartments Colonnade Residences Luxury Rentals Four Seasons Place... 07/27/2012

For those of you that live in Boston you already know how hard it can be to find a parking space in Boston. That's why many people look to purchase a parking space for sale in Boston. Since most brokers overlook this part of the business and based on my research there really are not many sites that offer Boston parking spaces for sale I decided to build a one stop shop to help people quickly find and purchase a parking space in Boston. From garage spaces to outdoor spots to shared tandem spots you will be able to find what you are looking for.  Step one: Build a list of Boston Parking spaces: To do this you just need to log on to our Boston Parking space page. You can narrow your search to things like Back Bay Parking spaces for sale.  Step two: make notes of the parking spaces you like... 07/24/2012

The 2012 second quarter numbers for Boston residential real estate sales show that while volume has increased significantly, values still remain steady. In Q2 2012 the total sales volume for Boston increased by 20% for the same period last year and increased 93% vs Q1 2012. While the average sales price increased by 31% vs Q2 2011, there was only a 1% increase in the average sale price vs Q1 2012. The increase in volume can be attributed to mortgage interest rates being at historical lows but it will be interesting to see what happens in Q3 2012. While rates are fantastic, the lending guidelines still remain relatively tight which is putting downward pressure on home values. 07/21/2012

Believe it or not, many of Greater Boston's more desirable neighborhoods have gone from steady to very hot. Units which did not sell, commonly known as Expired, are well below prior years averaging 10% of sold's. With exception to the Back Bay, most markets have been experiencing price appreciation over last year with significant increases in sold units while inventory is well off from one year ago.  Great news for sellers, not so for buyers having to face the reality that the market has shifted to favor sellers.  Here are the quick numbers.   Area Active Under Agreement Sold Failed to Sell (Expired) Arlington, MA 90 115 284 27 Boston - Back Bay, MA 155 59 250 41 Boston - South End, MA 89 90 294 35 Boston - Jamaica Plain, MA 140 64 248 42 Belmont, MA 50 69 152 16 Brookline, MA 164 135 ... 07/20/2012

Boston is one of the oldest cities in the US and becuase if this it can be hard to find new homes in Boston. Thats why I wanted to share with you a quick sample of some of the new Boston homes that I can show you. These listings are constantly updated so be sure to click through to our Boston new home guide. Thanks for reading and these rare finds! New Homes In Boston MA For Sale 48 Rutherford AvenueBoston - Charlestown, MA MLS #: 71377465 Price: $859,000 3 Beds 4 Baths Sq. Ft. 1,695 Schedule a Showing 54 Rutherford AvenueBoston - Charlestown, MA MLS #: 71377474 Price: $869,000 3 Beds 4 Baths Sq. Ft. 1,832 Schedule a Showing 6 Arrow Street, # 2Boston - Charlestown, MA MLS #: 71377483 Price: $879,000 3 Beds 4 Baths Sq. Ft. 1,892 Schedule a Showing 6 Arrow Street, # 1Boston - Charlestown,... 07/07/2012

If your not headed out of town for the 4th of July or you are visiting Boston this weekend and want to take a look at a few Boston Lofts this weekend then we recommend checking out our list of Lofts having open houses in Boston. Since it is a holiday weekend there are not a ton of open houses but there are still some pretty nice properties that are open for viewing this weekend. Here is a sampling of some of the Boston lofts having open houses this weekend.   Some open houses we reccomend...> 21 Wormwood St, # 516Boston - Seaport District, MA MLS #: 71402342 Price: $569,000 1 Bed 1 Bath Sq. Ft. 1,124 Map This Property Schedule a Showing Open Houses: Start Time End Time     07-01-2012 01:00 PM 07-01-2012 03:00 PM     735 Harrison, # 406Boston - South End, MA MLS #: 71330765 Price: $599,0... 06/29/2012

Boston's Seaport District is one of the hottest markets to buy real estate in right now. So, in an effort to keep you updated I wanted to share with you the current list of Seaport District Real Estate. Hope you enjoy!   Seaport Distrcit Real Estate       9 W Broadway, # 513Boston - Seaport District, MA MLS #: 71380778 Price: $469,000 1 Bed 1 Bath Sq. Ft. 758 Schedule a Showing 35 Channel Center, # 407Boston - Seaport District, MA MLS #: 71392852 Price: $479,900 1 Bed 1 Bath Sq. Ft. 994 Schedule a Showing Virtual Tour 25 Channel Center, # 607Boston - Seaport District, MA MLS #: 71390641 Price: $548,100 1 Bed 2 Baths Sq. Ft. 1,229 Schedule a Showing 141 Dorchester Ave, # 116Boston - Seaport District, MA MLS #: 71344441 Price: $579,000 2 Beds 2 Baths Sq. Ft. 1,210 Schedule a Showing 3-a D... 06/21/2012

This 1 bed 1 bath Back Bay condo is nicely renovated and offers buyers a chance to get into one of the best locations in the Back Bay at an affordable price point. This building also has an awesome common roof deck! View Full Details On This Property View All Back Bay Condos For Sale 06/21/2012

Shoal Bay Anguilla view from the porch When looking for the best in the world in terms of vacations everyone has an opinion.  According to polls conducted in a variety of travel magazines and on-line surveys Anguilla has come up as one of the Top 20 places in the world for both their beaches and several of their restaurants.  If you are looking for the best, Anguilla has it all.  Shoal Bay East is world known for the amazing, romantic, family friendly beach. This is just one of the many beaches on this beautiful island located just 7 nautical miles from St Martin’s.  Unlike the rowdy, gambling night life you can find in St Martin’s, Anguilla is a quiet and family friendly resort that caters to the wealthy, the celebrity and you if you are lucky enough to have found this wonderful vacat... 06/07/2012

When it comes to buying and selling a home, a home inspection is a significant step in the process. It can be likened to removing a veil of sorts, in that, a home may look great and appear to be everything you ever dreamed of, but a home inspection reveals the good and the bad. Having a home inspection allows you to see a house up close and personal, and enables you to make an educated decision on how to move forward after seeing the good and the bad. Sometimes and inspection can lead to a buyer deciding not to move forward, but if nothing else it is leverage to get a better deal. On a side note to sellers, If a home inspection is being performed on your house, STAY AWAY! As a seller it is natural to want to defend the defects found in your home, but a home inspection is no the time or... 06/07/2012