Of all the factors most important when selling a home, pricing tops the list. Many will argue that location is everything, but the reality is that if you price it right you will sell regardless of the location. Many buyers have flexibility in regards to the location of a home and for the right price may consider areas outside of their ideal location. In regards to pricing, most buyers have a maximum purchase price and cannot exceed that amount based on their income and credit, so they have very little flexibility in that regard. When pricing your home for sale you must ensure you don’t over price the property because you run the risk of pricing it out of reach for many buyers that could afford your property if it was priced slightly less. 04/17/2012

MungoList.com allows sellers to list their homes in MLS for free until they sell.  The question we’ve been getting a lot lately is why? The answer is simple: MungoList is all about adding value.  While we believe that MLS empowers sellers to increase their chances of selling by increasing their exposure, the real value of using an agent comes from their ability to help you prepare your home to be sold,  assisting with negotiating the deal, ensuring you sell for as much as possible, and getting the deal closed. This is why you pay an agent top dollar. An agents true value comes from their ability to successfully help you sell for more and ensure the closing takes place smoothly, not from their ability to list your home in MLS. With MungoList you pay and agent for their time and expertise... 04/16/2012

As we endeavor to change the real estate industry for the better,  the first service MungoList is offering to real estate agents is the ability to provide your listings additional exposure on MungoList.com without the concern of having other agents featured on your listings. In today’s high tech world of listing syndication, it has become common practice for the “Big Three” (Zillow, Truila and Realtor.com) to make a profit on your listings by selling leads to other agents, unless you pay them a monthly fee to be exclusively featured on your own listings. This is absurd. While getting exposure for your listings is essential to getting them sold, you should also be at the forefront of your listings when they are shown on 3rd party non-realtor sites. As the real estate industry continues t... 04/15/2012

When it comes to showcasing your property to its maximum potential, professional photos are a must. Many sellers do not realize how much of a difference the photos can make when displaying a home online or in print. Professional photos allow buyers to see just how amazing and unique your property is. It really enables them to assess if the home will be a good fit for them before physically seeing it. As more and more buyers are  using the internet for their home search, many buyers are purchasing properties without ever seeing them prior to closing. It may sound crazy but it is happening  more and more. If you want to attract the right buyers and increase your chances for a quick sale, let quality photos showcase your home’s true colors. If you need a Photographer contact me. I know man... 04/14/2012

When it comes to selling a home, it is important to understated the importance of providing the right incentives that will get your home sold quickly. What type of incentives you ask? For starters, you need to give agents an incentive to show you home vs other homes on the market in your neighborhood. If you offer a higher commission to the buyer’s agent versus other homes on the market in your community, which property do you think the buyer’s agents will try to sell first? You guessed it, the one that offers a little bit more. While it is important to be conscious of how much you’re spending when selling a home, offering a slightly higher commission will get your home sold faster and may even get you a higher offer. As a seller you can also offer other incentives such as including cer... 04/12/2012

9 out of 10 times I meet with a seller to discuss the marketing of their Boston Ma home I'm asked: How often will you hold an open house? Unfortunately this is a bit of a loaded question and must be put into the context of the Seller. Depending on when and how they found the home they are now contemplating on selling will set their expectations. However seasoned agents, especially those who excel at using the internet, will agree that the "traditional" open house and the means in which they were announced are no longer valid. And what I mean by this is taking out advertisements in the local paper, kicking the seller out of their home mid day Sunday and praying buyers will come. So how do I answer this question? Simply this. Mr/Mrs Seller while I am am avid believer in the power of the O... 04/12/2012

As a home seller looking to sell your home quickly and for top dollar, it is essential that you make sure your property shows well. One aspect of making sure your property shows to its maximum potential, is keeping it clutter free. The more “stuff” you have a in a room, the smaller the room feels, the less you have, the more spacious it feels. When a buyer walks into your home, they must be able to envision themselves living in the property and using the space. This may sound like common sense but it is amzaing how many sellers don't even realize their home cluttered. More importantly, when a room is cluttered it makes it very difficult for a buyer to see themselves living there because they can’t see past your stuff. Some quck tips for reducing clutter are as follows: 1. Arrange Furnit... 04/12/2012

When it comes to selling a home, good marketing is essential. The key is to ensure your listing is viewed by your target audience. According to the NAR (National Association of Realtors). 90% of home buyers start their home search online. As a result, it has never been more important to list your home for sale on the internet using multiple websites. To take this one step further, over 90% of homes that are sold in the U.S. are listed in MLS.If you are looking to sell your home on your own it can be difficult to get the type of exposure that will reach your target audience and get your home sold quickly. On MungoList.com, you are able to list your home for sale and get maximum exposure on sites like Zillow.com, Realtor.com and MLS all for Free. MungoList is the only site that provides F... 04/11/2012

As a home seller, it is very common to think that ones home is worth a specific amount, however the reality is that a home is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.  If you list your home for sale and expect to get offers at the higher end of your homes estimated value,  but receive multiple offers at the lower end of the spectrum, you should really adjust your expectations.  Many sellers receive offers that they feel are too low and decide to hold out thinking they will get a higher offer. In most cases your best offer comes within the first two weeks of listing a home for sale. Whether you’re a FSBO (For Sale By Owner) seller or choose to use a traditional agent, you should be mindful of this when deciding to sell. Otherwise you may end up selling your home for less because... 04/10/2012

If your looking to sell your home on your own, it is import that you understand that this is business decision.  Although you may have put a ton of money into your  home over the years and feel that the improvements you made should yield a certain profit, a comparative market analysis is the end all say all for your homes value. What this means is that you need to take the emotions out of the decision when it comes to finalizing the list price and let the numbers be your guide.  While your home is extension of you, it is also an asset that has a definitive value dictated by the market. So at the end of the day when deciding to list your home for sale, get the best valuation you can from a Mungo Pro and focus more on the numbers and less on your emotional attachment to your home and the ... 04/10/2012

The Friends of Titus Sparrow Park invite all to the annual SPRING EGG HUNT | SATURDAY, April 7th at 10AM! Last night we packed into one of the friends of the park to pack eggs for this years hunt. What fun the kids and parents will have, so ..... Bring your baskets, and don't be late!Neighborhood children are invited to meet the Easter Bunny and gather eggs hidden in the park.The bunny arrives at 10am.The hunt starts at 10:15am.There will be refreshments and crafts, too.Please remember that donations of toys for the sandbox are welcome now and throughout the summer (shovels are particularly useful).Thanks! 04/03/2012

The Clarendon Back Bay: Boston Luxury Condo Building Spotlight.   Right now there are lots of great condos at The Clarendon Back Bay for sale. For those of you not familiar with The Clarendon Back Bay, this building is a 33 story luxury condo building located in the heart of Boston's back bay. Properties at The Clarendon range from 700k-6million. If you would like to find out more about what is currently availible please contact me at 617-259-0235 Example Of A Current Listing At The Clarendon Back Bay ....>   400 Stuart St, 17B, Boston, MA MLS # 71328108 Located on the corner of Clarendon and Stuart, The Clarendon is designed by world-renowned Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP. This classically elegant 33 story luxury residential tower features 102 graciously appointed one to four bedro... 04/01/2012

Hello Readers of my activerain blog! I just wanted to let you know that we have launched the new version of www.davidshomefinder.com This site focuses on all things Massachusetts Real Estate like homes for sale in Brookline Mass, Homes for sale in Arlington Mass, homes for sale in Belmont Mass etc.  So stop on by, search through 100's of great listings and call me at 617-259-0235 when you are ready to get out there and look at some homes!     04/01/2012

Boston based start up, MungoList.com allows all Massachusetts FSBO sellers to list their homes in MLS for free until they sell. In addition to MLS exposure, your property is also listed on Realtor.com, Zillow.com, and hundreds of other real estate websites. In addition, MungoList pros can provide you with real estate consulting services such as a competitive pricing analysis, showing assistance, staging advice, photographing your property and help you with the steps involved in getting your home sold once it is under contract. MungoList.com provides the most efficient way to sell a home on your own. If you are thinking about selling your home on your own you should definitely consider using MungoList. MungoList is the next generation of FSBO listing services and will help you sell for m... 03/14/2012

  The Boston Back Bay Condominium Housing Report Feb 2012 includes 210 listings in the Active, Under Agreement, Sold, Expired and Canceled categories.  Lots of new listings came on the market to get the Spring season started.  The Days on Market are coming down again and the mix is about right with the Active’s slightly longer on the market than the solds. The good news is that the Under Agreement listings are a lower DOM and them means next month the stats for the others should come down as well.  Get your Condo priced right, get it staged to sell and get an agent who knows how to promote your property here on line. That is where the buyers are. Condominium Active Listings: 159    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 1,621.70     Avg. List$: $1,781,825    Avg. List$/SqFt: $967     Avg. DOM: 147.53    ... 03/09/2012

Based on the numbers it appears that Boston poised for a recovery. January 2012 saw a 5% decrease in value and a 3% increase volume. In addition Boston inventories are down 17% from a year ago. As volume increases the values will begin to rise. The pressure from low inventories is also pushing buyers to make offers very close to the listing price when the ideal property comes on the market. Buyers are "thirsty" for good deals, so you need to act quickly. This is further shown by looking at 2010 vs. 2011. Volume is slightly down by 6% (hence the low inventory) while values are up 5%. 03/08/2012

MungoList.com is an innovative real estate listing service that enables you to sell your home for less in commissions and fees, by getting you the maximum exposure for free, and connecting you to a local real estate consultant that can provide real estate services to help you per your request. Here's how it works: As a seller, when you list your home on MungoList.com, your home will then be syndicated to multiple websites including MLS, Realtor.com, Zillow.com, Trulia.com and hundreds of other real estate websites. In addition to providing you with a wide range of exposure, we will also provide you with services to help you sell including a comparative pricing analysis, showing assistance, open house assistance, staging advice, photographing the property and much more. All services are ... 03/08/2012

295 Beacon Street Boston Unit 5 is now for sale! This stylish 1 bedroom condo is located in the heart of the Back Bay at the intersection of Beacon Street & Exeter. If you would like to learn more about 295 Beacon please visit the custom built site we made by hand for this listing @ www.295Beacon.com  If you are a seller looking for unique custom built marketing like this please call me, David Laven @ 617-259-0235   02/24/2012

Evolmls is a huge scam!!! So there is this company EvolMLS.com that our MLS aka MLSPIN had as a partner for a short period of time. They are supposed to be a text to lead service. Unfortunantly that is not the case. What they are is really a company that takes your credit card info and then gives you a crappy product that does not work and when you call them or email them to try to cancel you get no response at all! I have been trying to contact Evolmls.com aka Evil MLS for months now with no response yet they keep charging my account month after month! So, to all of my fellow agents & realtors avoid Evolmls.com or risk being ripped off like me!   Hope this post saves you from being scammed by EvolMLS too!   David   02/22/2012

It's Sunday night so time to share my top 10 Back Bay Boston properties of the week. Please click on the links below to see more info on each of my picks. Also, if you would like more info on Back Bay Boston Real Estate or would like to check out one of these back bay homes please call me at 617-259-0235.       221 Columbus Ave, # 702, Boston, MA   Price: $1,699,000 2 Beds 2 Baths Sq. Ft. 1,857 MLS #: 71334499     280 Commonwealth Avenue, # G8, Boston, MA   Price: $359,900 0 Beds 1 Bath Sq. Ft. 684 MLS #: 71334584     121 Beacon St, # 1, Boston, MA   Price: $599,900 2 Beds 2 Baths Sq. Ft. 940 MLS #: 71333327     390 Commonwealth Ave, # 301, Boston, MA   Price: $549,900 2 Beds 1 Bath Sq. Ft. 954 MLS #: 71325810     30 Commonwealth Avenue, # 3, Boston, MA   Price: $775,000 1 Bed 1 Bath Sq... 02/05/2012