Ready Fire Aim Hiring a best real estate agent for today's market. This is not the best way to hire the most qualified agent for your needs. National Association of Realtors (NAR) statistics show that most people only talk to one agent.  This is really not the way to get the best qualified agent either.  No two agents are created equal and so you should always be talking to more than one agent.  You should google your agent to see what they are doing on the internet.The internet now drives the real estate industry. There is so much information out there and much of it is conflicting or inaccurate.375 Westfield Dedham MA 02026The large companies like Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com are trying to cut out the agent, but it is the qualifed agent, not the internet that can get what you want f... 04/13/2016

Hot or Not in Boston Back Bay Luxury Real Estate?Ranked at number 16 in "The 20 Hottest Markets this Spring" by Realtor Magazine Boston continues to be a very Hot market for Real Estate.  As the following graph, courtesy of Trulia.com,  shows sale prices for Boston Back Bay homes are up significantly over last year at this time. Among millennials, roughly those people between 18 and 26, which account for 31% of home buyers Boston is ranked number 4 in the United States and Boston's Back Bay area is in my experience a favorite location for millennials. What millennial would not like the Bay restaurants and night life along with great access to public transportation?   Top 10 Markets to Watchin 2016Realtor.com's chief economist, Jonathan Smoke, has this  to say about Boston's Real Estate ... 04/13/2016

Boston Area Move In Homes Luxury Housing Report April 2016. Brought to you by the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing (ILHM) which tracks and reports on the luxury real estate market throughout the world providing us an insight into this segment of our real estate market.  Luxury is defined as the top ten percent of the overall market at the time.   The way it is defined in the Boston area is by taking all the homes on the market in the MLSPIN system and determining what the top 10% is.  Because of the diversity of our housing markets from town to town what is luxury in Braintree is not the same type and style of home as it would be in Weston.ILHM-April-InventoryWith luxury one very expensive house sold will make the system spike as it did in early April.  The 90 day cycle is showing so... 04/06/2016

A public hearing is scheduled on Monday April 11, 2016 at 3:00pm by the Massachusetts Division of Banks regarding proposed changes to 209 CMR 4.00, 43.00, 46.00 and 54.00. Proposed Amendments to 209 CMR 46.00: Community Reinvestment Proposed Amendments to 209 CMR 54.00: Mortgage Lender Community Investment Proposed Repeal of 209 CMR 4.00: Compliance with Federal Law and Regulation Proposed Amendments to 209·CMR 43.00: Audit Requirements for Credit Unions Written comments may be submitted to the Massachusetts Division of Banks, 1000 WashingtonSt., lOth Floor, Boston, MA 02118-6400 or at dob.comments@state.ma.us until 5:00 p.m. on Thursday,April 14, 2016.Visit The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website to read an official copy of the public hearing notice.Copies of the cur... 03/27/2016

Boston Area Luxury Home Market Report Jan 25 2016. I am a Million Dollar Guild member of the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialists group.  The top 1% of agents in the country.  The International Luxury Home Marketing specialists organization provides me with a weekly report that covers the world luxury market and drills down into the specific luxury areas of the world.  I live in the Boston area and that is where I work. Here is this week's report. As we leave the holiday season, we are looking down the barrel of the new spring season. While prices of luxury homes has always remained reasonably stable it appears we are in for anearlier uptick in prices. The super high end luxury condos on the waterfront in Boston are reselling right now at a $500,000 profit as reported in today's ... 01/26/2016

Hope you all safe, living in a beautiful and enjoyable City like Boston has it's benefits but on a SNOW EMERGENCY  it is important that you have the information for your specific neighborhood for the parking restrictions and potential areas to park your vehicles.The City of Boston has prepared a list of information for specific City of Boston Neighborhoods for parking requirements during this snow emergency. Please search for your specific neighborhood on:                                                  http://www.cityofboston.gov/snow/parkingmap/ This is a very specific site with maps and more to assist the City of Boston, Massachusetts residents deal with emergency parking situations during a Snow Emergency in the City.                                    Please stay safe, your person... 01/23/2016

The slab, as I now know it is called, has been a curiosity to me for years.  Why would a piece of prime real estate on Newbury St in Boston's Back Bay be vacant year after year.During warm months the site is used by artists and street musicians as a venue for peddling their wares and songs. It is a gathering spot for riders of the T (Metropolitan Boston Transit Authority) and a convient spot to let your dog raom a little on his or her lease.  Beyond that it appears to have little praticle use and one wonders if it ever did.It is not uncommon for commercial properties on Newbury Street to sell upwards of $6,000,000.00 so why is this property vacant year after year with no apparent attempts to use it as anything but a backrop for murals painted by the city?  Yet there it is near the inter... 01/11/2016

Boston Area Luxury Home Market Report Jan 5 2016.  The Luxury market in the Boston area is still very strong.  The movements in the market this winter mirror the slowdown of other years but still remains strong overall.  While overall prices have dropped here in the late fall early winter they are still robust.Boston Area Luxury Marketing ReportThe overall inventory is down as it always is at this time of year but it is on it's way back up. The Spring Market is not too far away right now. The 7 day inventory always drops off the charts right around the holidays.  Towns like Newton MA have 66 Active listings in the luxury category.  47 Dudley Road, Newton MA 02459 is one such home.  It has a great yard which is unusual for Newton and being in Newton Center and close to the schools and do... 01/05/2016

The Kensington"Smart Apartment Living"Video Tour 12/05/2015

Boston Area Luxury Housing Market Nov 16 2015 comes to you from the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing.  This report follows the luxury housing market across the world and then drills down into each specific high end area, like the Boston real estate.  Luxury is defined as the 10 10% of the reporting market, which in most cases in the US is the MLS.  Over the last 90 days and mirroring the last 7 days the average price point for a luxury home has been dipping and is hovering around a 1.86 million dollar mark.47-Dudley-Newton-Livingroom47 Dudley Road, Newton MA 02459 is a home that fits comfortably inside anyone's definition of luxury.  This 3 home private cul de sac sits off the winding Dudley Road in Newton Center.  Open Houses on Sunday's from 11AM to 12:30PM.  Once you leave Dudley ... 11/18/2015

Sure I will connect if you don't bury me with pitches.  It seems inevitable some virtual assistant, some web developer, some lead generating yahoo finds me here, or in Linkedin, or Facebook and lets me know we should connect.  I have a habit of connecting with anyone who asks who has a face.  What I mean by that is that I will connect with those who seem transaparent and real.  I will not connect to you if you haven't filled out your profile or added a photo.Then it happens,  "Hi Larry, I see we are in the same business and I notice your websites, your lead generation, your workload....pick your pitch...is not as strong as it could be..."  Notice the generic sound of this pitch. They never mention the website---I have several. The never mentions specific's just that they can help me.  I... 09/09/2015

Oldtimers at Fenway Park, Boston, MA. the year was 2012 and it was the last home game of the season September 26th and go figure Diane & I were there. The season was comprable to this year. That year it was a weak manager. This year it was weak management. The season's statistics very simmilar. I wonder how those "old timers" must be feeling? What is the french word "Deja Vu"??       If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at me at 310.486.1002 (m) or homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at http://www.endrebarath.com.  I am... 08/27/2015

Active Rain Meetup-Opportunity for Growth.  I have been an active blogger for many years. I have had the privlige to serve this Active Rain community as one of it's Ambassador's for many years as well.  I am often asked by non members about blogging and Active Rain. What are the benefits, how much time does it take, do you really get referrals are just some of the questions?  In blogging as in all aspects of real estate you will never know how successful a strategy is for you until you take the first steps.  It is just like farming an area, it is just like door knocking only you are doing it in the privacy of your own office or home.  Blogging is story telling. I have yet to meet an agent who doesn't have some stories to tell.  I am shocked that more agents don't know their own skills.I... 04/22/2015

Boston Area Move In Homes Luxury Housing Market Report. Statistics brought to you by the International Luxury Home Marketing Service (ILHM).  I am a Million Dollar Guild member which is it's highest designation.  The Spring market is upon us and the properties coming on the market, and in many cases coming back on the market are taking note of the prices and are coming on the market priced to sell.Boston Luxury Housing ReportInventory remains low across many of the price points in real estate this Spring, but in many areas there are as many as 9 months of inventory which is 3 months beyond a normal market. There is always an uptick on new inventory in the Spring and there will be a number of quick sales to be expected over the next 30 days. Boston Luxury Housing Report The Days on Marke... 04/14/2015

  Who Do You Know (Part 2)  Yesterday I talked about the grand daddy of all referral questions, “Who do you know?”  We talked about how 66% of all business generated by 95% of the successful agents come from 4 sources: friends, family, acquaintances, or a co-worker.  That is 2/3rds of all business!  We then talked about some tips to improve your ability to increase the consistency of these referrals. Hopefully, you see the value of relationship marketing and making prospecting and customer service your top priority.  The following, is an excerpt from an article by Julia Escobar for Broker Agent News that gives some AWESOME tips on questions to ask yourself to grow your referrals.  Now you can start asking not just your customers, but yourself, “Who do you know who…?”    “Who do you know... 03/26/2015

Boston Area Move In Homes Luxury Housing Report March.  Each week I receive the Luxury Market Housing report from ILHM, the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. The ILHM tracks the housing market world wide and provides our regional statistics.  It is these statistics along with the GBAR MLSPIN that provide us with the market based on the actual recorded sales.  Luxury is defined as the top ten percent of the MLS market. We are now into the Spring market here in the Boston Area. After 7 weekends of snow storms we seem to be passed that now and the streets are busy with buyers. One critical issue that exists right now is the amount of inventory on the market.  In some categories there is a lot, but in most there is barely enough for the demand.  This will cause bidding wars with correctl... 03/19/2015

Exploring Boston Massachusetts: Quick Tips on How to Save Money from Miss Feng Shui  Have you ever been to Boston Massachusetts? If not, I strongly recommend you put this on your "bucket list." If you are a history lover, this is a city you must check out in America. I decided to take a mini break and explore another city along the East coast. I only had a day and a half but tried to fit in as much as I could with the time allowed.   Feng Shui Life Tip: Always remember to treat yourself and allow your time to rejuvenate by doing activities you LOVE.     Traveling from Long Island NY, the trip was about 4 hours and 20 minutes (with lite traffic). Once there, we checked into the bed and breakfast and wasted not time exploring. We bought the Charlie pass which is a day pass that allows unl... 03/17/2015

Exploring The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Massachusetts For the St. Patty's Day celebration we decided to explore Boston and go to source. The weather seemed unsure so before arriving in Boston I made arrangements with the bed and breakfast hotel to receive discounted passes for the Fine Arts Museum through a library program.   It was a wise research decision. Instead of paying $27.00 for admission, we only paid $10.00. I have to say, this museum rivals the MET in New York city. They have many of the first pieces of artwork to ever touch upon American soil, fascinating. They also have 37 Monet paintings, wow!    In general, they have an excellent well rounded collection and the atmosphere of the museum is light and open and allows each piece of artowrk to be honored individually and c... 03/17/2015

Boston Area Move in Luxury Home Report, Feb 11, 2015.  The International Luxury Housing Market Report for the Boston area shows the prices still headed up at this point.  This is the average price per listing going on the market.  Newton's luxury market begins at $2,100,000 and fits the definition of being the top 10% of the home sales in the area. ILHM Luxury Market Report Boston Area Move in Luxury Home Report, Feb 11, 2015 The number of homes on the market right now has been going down in this area. The newer listings, the 7 days listings are coming in at a lower price than those that have been on the market a bit longer. As always with this market if you price your property lower you get more activity. There are some price ranges that get less activity anyway. For instance the $2,50... 02/13/2015

Either Way, You're Paying a Mortgage It Just Depends on for Whom Yesterday, I got great inspiration from Steve Harney of Keeping Current Matters on why it is so important to purchase and not rent.   There is a great quote from The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard in Steve's post.   I have been meeting with a lot of folks about the importance of purchasing instead of renting an apartment in Boston.  In the article, Steve and the gang basically say you are pay a mortgage one way or another. It's simply a matter of to whom. Will it be your landlord or yourself? In most cases, people in Boston are going to be renting apartments for $1500/ month or higher.  I have been meeeting with a ton of people who just don't realize that for about the same price, you can essentially purchase ... 02/13/2015