If there's one document in property management that simply has to reviewed (and updated as necessary) on a regular basis, it's your lease. This is, after all, the document that will ultimately determine your rights and protect your best interests when it comes to issues both big and small.  Because you're dealing with a host of rules and regulations on the federal, state, and local levels, it's imperative that you not only adjust your lease as necessary when laws change, but also that you're in compliance and protected on all three fronts. If you're not proficient in legalese, chances are reviewing your lease (and, moreover, identifying those elements that need to be changed) is a daunting endeavor at best. Following are some tips and best practices for keeping your lease up-to-date and... 08/02/2010

  Boston College student housing , the big question always is should I be on or off campus? It really depends on you here is some info about life at Boston College that will help you decide whether you want to be in Boston College student housing on campus or off campus. Boston College does more than simply train students for careers. The school has a religious set of ideals that encourage students to become an influence for good in society. Boston College’s courses come with heavy workloads so some prefer to be in on campus Boston College student housing . Class sizes vary by major and level. Some intro classes huge , but the upper level classes are smaller, often with a size of only 20. Students say most professors make an effort to provide one-on-one attention outside of class and bu... 08/01/2010

74 Beacon Street is also know as The Benjamin Mansion. It is magnificent, and restored in a way rarely seen, This single-family attached row house is elegant on all levels. It is located on the coveted flat of Beacon Hill, directly across from the magnificent Boston Public Garden, 74 Beacon Street is just a short stroll to the historic Charles River and the international flavor of Newbury Street. The back of the residence faces a quiet, private lane named Byron Street. The home's front faces south faces with commanding views of both the Public Garden and the Boston skyline. This residence has 8,450 square feet of elegant indoor living space, six bedrooms, six full baths, an au-air suite, wine cellar with cigar humidor, a state-of-the-art media center, an extraordinary wood paneled libra... 07/29/2010

Boston, MA ranked third on a national list of the 50 best cities for working mothers, behind only Minneapolis-St. Paul and Washington, D.C. The list was compiled by Forbes Woman, and to determine rankings, Forbes Woman looked at such things as job opportunities, earnings potential, school systems, crime rates, unemployment rates, cost of living, and easy access to trustworthy pediatricians. Boston wasn't tops in any category, but it scored strongly in such areas as income, availability of pediatricians, and spending per pupil. If you are a working mom, this is yet another reason Boston should be on your list of cities to find your next home.  Contact me to get started! Melissa A. Juarez, Owner Massachusetts Buyers Broker Agency, LLC www.massachusettsbuyersbrokeragency.com majesq82@yahoo... 07/28/2010

August is the month of cultural festivals in Boston, MA. Chinatown's August Moon Festival, held 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. August 15 celebrates the harvest.  Festival performances include martial arts, lion dances, children's folk dancing and traditional Chinese opera.  The main stage for events is the heart of Chinatown on Harrison Avenue. Also on August 15, from 4 - 8 p.m., India day at the Hatch Shell marks the 63rd anniversary of India's independence from Britain.  About 500 local dancers, singers and musicians will perform.  Experience henna tattoos, pursue the stalls featuring a variety of Indian crafts and feast on Indian food.   07/28/2010

Boston RainCamp Top Tips & Useful Tools You May Not Know - Part 2 Hello everyone!  Sorry for the little delay in posting part 2 of my Boston RainCamp series.  I was trying to pay more attention so I wasn't stumped when I was called on again and I also had the opportunity to speak on the agent panel.  The second part of the day was jam packed with tons more stuff that I couldn't wait to share with you all!  Here goes it: Google Alerts - I use Google alerts currently to keep track of every time my name or business name is published somewhere on the web.  A good example was when the Worcester Business Journal published a technology article featuring me, I was immediately alerted by Google and was able to click the link to find the article.  You can have alerts setup for any words, phrases... 07/27/2010

These are hard times in Massachusetts, and perhaps other states as well. Our brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews are losing their jobs, and many times losing their homes. We have many ways to help out, not the least obvious of which is to leave our investment property (two or three family or condominium unit) to a relative. Perhaps, we even give them a break on the rent until they get their lives back in order. While we are dispensing this family largess, we can also do ourselves a favor, at least in Boston, Brookline and Cambridge. We can make our leasing family member a one or two per cent owner of the property, by executing, and recording, a deed which makes them a tenant in common. In all of these cases, I would suggest a tenancy in common agreement, which gives you a right of fir... 07/27/2010

Boston RainCamp Top Tips & Useful Tools  You May Not Know - Part 1 The first half of RainCamp went over a lot of useful tips and tools to use to help increase your business online.  To my surprise, a lot of them have not heard about and haven't been using.  I wanted to share these with you and I will feature a part 2 after the second portion of the day to add even more.   Google Wonderwheel - For all of you people with ActiveRain accounts that think you can't blog because you don't know what to write about, think again!  Google Wonderwheel will show you what phrases have been searched locally to you and you can write your posts around these phrases.  This will get you some massive Google Juice.  Why not try it? Slydial.com - Very neat!!!  Will allow you to input your phone number and t... 07/26/2010

Those ActiveRain members who are coming to the RainCamp on July 26, 2010 may intend to visit Boston's historic North End for lunch or dinner. My experience as a person who has lived  in the Boston area for almost fifty years will encourage you to make this foray. There are historical sites like the North Church and Paul Revere's home. There are also some terrific Italian restaurants, literally next store to each other, which offer authentic Italian cuisine, from the very simple to the most elegant. There are also Italian bakeries, which are famous in, and of,  themselves. As you stroll down Hanover Street, you will see many, many tourists holding boxes filled with canolis, ricotta pie and other delicacies which have been purchased for later enjoyment. The two famous bakeries are Modern ... 07/22/2010

One of the most commonly touted reasons property management professionals provide for working in this industry is diversity. Not only is each and every day different from the one before but, also, property managers have the unique opportunity to put a wide range of different skills and talents into practice. With this in mind, there are several different avenues that may lead one to a property management career. Perhaps your background is in real estate, finance, law, or marketing. You may apply any of the professional skills learned in these areas to property management. Or you may simply find yourself wanting to utilize certain qualities or characteristics, such as dealing with people on a consistent basis, problem solving, or multi-tasking. In the property management field elements o... 07/19/2010

click anywhere below to get more information about this condo available for sale by Mike Mahoney of Keller Williams Real Estate ****************************************************************************** If you're thinking of selling your Boston-area home, please give us a call. We're here to help you and make the selling process simple and stress free. Call us today to request your complimentary market analysis to determine how your home compares to others in your area. Feel free to contact me by phone 617-648-3983 Email Mike Mahoney You can also visit our website for more information on Greater Boston and the surrounding areas. ****************************************************************************** 07/16/2010

Below are the YTD Boston Foreclosure Statistics for 2010 VS the past 3 years. Boston Ratio of Foreclosure Petitions to Sales – YTD Year Period 1-Fam Condo All 2010 Jan – May 0 0.0829 0.0974 2009 Jan – May 0.1667 0.069 0.1127 2008 Jan – May 0 0.0413 0.0876 2007 Jan – May 0.2 0.0278 0.0377           Boston, MA – Number of Foreclosure Deeds – YTD Year Period 1-Fam Condo All 2010 Jan – May 0 9 10 2009 Jan – May 1 6 8 2008 Jan – May 0 4 4 2007 Jan – May 0 5 6           Boston, MA – Number of Auctions – Year to Date Year Period 1-Fam Condo All 2010 Jan – May 2 51 105 2009 Jan – May 0 13 58 2008 Jan – May 0 15 46 2007 Jan – May 1 20 28           Boston, MA – Number of Petitions to Foreclose – YTD Year Period 1-Fam Condo All 2010 Jan – May 0 46 59 2009 Jan – May 1 30 54 2008 Jan – May 0 30 70 2... 07/15/2010

Real Estate investment company, Rigid Capital Investors launches short sale purchase program. Rigid Capital Investors is a Boston Based real estate investment company. In addition to renovation projects and real estate development, they are now looking to purchase short sales as well. As a significant number of home owners are facing foreclosure, many do not know their options and do not understand the process of a short sale. For those of you that don't know, a short sale is the process of selling real estate for less than what is owed on the mortgage(s). Rigid Capital will negotiate the purchase price directly with the bank and work to get the seller's debt forgiven. They also petition the bank to provide a relocation allowance to the seller. Once a short sale is purchased it is added... 07/04/2010

Boston, MA ~ Pops Fireworks Spectacular  July 3, 2010 to July 4, 2010 Celebrate America's birthday with the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, featuring Conductor Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, along with special guests, at the historic DCR's Hatch Shell. The skies light up on July 4th (there are no fireworks on July 3) with dazzling pyrotechnics that climb up to 1,500 feet. Location: 10 Storrow Drive. Time: 8:30 p.m. Cost: free. Information: visit www.july4th.org.   06/28/2010

Boston, MA's annual scooper bowl to benefit the Jimmy Fund will take place June 8 - 10 at City Hall Plaza.   The event features all-you-can-eat Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Brigham's, Ciao Bella Gelato, Edy's, Häagen-Dazs. This is the scooper bowl's 28th year. 06/07/2010

Contact us for a special $1,000 cash back bonus at The Brewery Loft Auction. The American Brewery Lofts are going to auction on June 26th. 21 of the 79 units left will be auctioned off at the Colonnade hotel in Boston.   Prices start at $195,000    Here are some details about the units features and amenities: Original brewery space featuring arched granite entry, and exposed brick Distinctive Loft floor plans with ceiling heights between 9’ – 23’ Stainless Steel Appliances Countertops are a combination of Formica and butcher block Modern bathrooms with sleek finishes W/D hookups in every unit Individual climate control Units are pre-wired for cable and internet Additional private storage area Fitness Room Professional management Secured Garage parking 5,000 sq ft private, landscaped Co... 06/04/2010

How to Buy a Boston, Massachusetts Short Sale As a home buyer looking for value in the purchase of real estate you may consider a "short sale" as a viable option.  The process of finding and buying a Boston, MA short sale  is not a typical real estate transaction.  To have success, you must work with qualified professionals and understand the process. Utilize the services of Realtors, attorneys, accountants, mortgage lenders and home inspectors as they all provide expert advice.      What is a Short Sale? Homeowners that have financial hardships may pursue a short sale prior to foreclosure.  This process may be a preferable option to preserve their credit and limit their debt exposure.  In Massachusetts, the laws governing foreclosures provide incentives for lenders to work with homeown... 05/24/2010

Looking for something fun and different to do? On Wednesday, May 26, the Beehive restaurant presents "Belly Dancing at the Beehive," celebrating cuisine, libations, and entertainment highlighting Middle Eastern culture. Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m.  There is a live band 8 p.m. to midnight.  The regular menu will be available, along with three Middle East-inspired dishes:a platter of hummus, salads, whipped feta, olives, and pickles; Moroccan cigars (lamb-filled phyllo spring rolls); and a newly added Moroccan couscous (your choice of chicken and lamb or vegetarian). The Beehive is located at 541 Tremont Street, Boston, MA.  www.beehiveboston.com   05/23/2010

Today I am closing a property in West Roxbury located at 5170 Washington Street. As I was driving over, I was thinking about the final walk through. If you are purchasing, or maybe even closing on a property, you may want to listen to what my thoughts were about the final walk through. Have a GREAT DAY! MIke Mahoneyhttp://www.Northcompass.ocm 617-648-3983 Listen to my Thoughts on a Real Estate Final Walk Through   05/20/2010

My Sweetie mentioned that she ought to take me somewhere to celebrate her wedding anniversary. Well, that made sense to me. See, I have a significant survival instinct. She mentioned Charleston, SC, Myrtle Beach, SC, Savannah, GA. I came back with Wilmington, NC and went down in flames instantly. So, I "thought about it." Which usually means "I forgot about it." Not this time. See, a couple of years ago, Sweetie had mentioned we should go to Boston one day. And somewhere in the dusty recesses of my mind, one romantic little gray matter cell sparked to life, and I said, "Hey, how about we go to Boston?" Didn't need any closing techniques for that pitch. She said, "Where do I sign up?" And we jetted off to Boston, MA. JetBlue, that is. I had never been to Boston. I had been to Wellesley, ... 05/19/2010