Both MA and NH have now launched programs to lend the $8,000 tax credit to first time buyers at closing, thereby eliminating the need for a down payment on a house up to $220,000.   The minimum requirements are $1,000 of the Buyer's own funds, a credit score of at least 620 and appropriate documented income.   But BEWARE!  This program expires on Dec. 1st!  If you haven't closed on a house by then you don't qualify.  From the time you start looking for a house to the time you close you really need to plan on three months, so if you aren't getting started now, you'll miss the boat.   I'll guide you through the process and help you find a home if you contact me.   John.wells@virtualhomes.com 978-462-9733 08/05/2009

What Motivates Your Realtor:  Listing   In the traditional real estate model, the more listings a realtor has, the more sales the realtor closes.  Unilke my business, where buyers find me through my internet marketing (see www.virtualhomes.com), most realtors can only find buyers because they ask about their listings. So for them, getting your listing is key.  If you insist on overpricing your house, it won't sell, but your listing agent will still meet buyers that they can show other houses too.   A good realtor should tell you that the price is too high; unfortunately, their business model may force them not only to accept an overpriced listing but even encourage you to believe in a higher than realistic value in order to obtain your listing. Some realtors have built large business th... 08/01/2009

What Motivates Your Realtor:  Buying   You hire a Buyer's Agent to find you the property that best suits your needs for the best price.  While the Agent does much more for you than this, there should be no other motivation for showing you a house. Realtors offer other realtors open house luncheons, extra commissions and other motivators to try and push their property.  Why any good realtor should be influenced by that is beyond me.   As a Buyer's Agent I sign a contract with my clients agreeing to a 2.5% commission; offering me more money is no reason for me to try and convince my clients to buy a particular house. Realtor open houses were very important before we could find out almost everything about a property on the internet, and luring realtors to it was important.   Not anymore.  ... 08/01/2009

Hello, CVS?  Anyone Home?   The decision to greatly expand the CVS at the expense of the surrounding businesses shows incredible insensitivity to community needs, aesthetics and common sense. White Hen Pantry, a privately owned franchise, has been serving the town well and importantly at the location for years.  CVS, too, is very useful to City residents at that location.   As it now is, not as a much larger market.  Who wants a CVS like the one in Salisbury Square on the Bartlett Mall in Newburyport?   That would look horrible, cheap and commercial - it's already a shame to have a strip mall in that location, let's at least keep it to scale. Comments by residents about CVS being "greedy" are absolutely valid.  The national corporation of CVS has clearly lost touch with the community it... 07/31/2009

Newburyport - City of Life   I love this city.  I lived in Europe for 18 years, and when I came back to live in New England, I briefly lived in my home town of Winchester before discovering Newburyport in 1999.   Newburyport has all of the great qualities of a small American seaport, combined with the walkability and atmosphere of some of the European cities I have lived in.  I have lived here ever since.   OK, I like good food, and Newburyport has plenty of it.  There are some great restaurants in town - I think Ten Center St. is handsdown the best.   It has a cozy, pub-like atmosphere in it's downstairs wine bar and an imaginative cuisine.  I hear complaints about the service but have never had a bad experience there myself.  The waterfront location of The Black Cow is its claim to fa... 07/11/2009

The Tax Credit to Stimulate the Real Estate Market    There is one, and it's working.  In February 2009 a Federal tax credit for first time home buyers of $8,000 was passed into law, and the effect has been noticeable in our part of the State. Basically, if you haven't owned a home for the last three years and your income is within the prescribed limits, if you buy a home before Dec. 1, 2009, you can claim an $8,000 credit against your 2009 income tax return.  That's a chunk of cash in your pocket to buy a home.  And because the FHA is giving mortgages with as little as 3.5% down to people with reasonable credit, the barriers to buying a home are low. So things have been happening.  The demand for lower priced properties - less than $300,000 - has increased substantially.  Condos are se... 06/20/2009

Sign the Charter Petition, Please   Spurred on by City Councilor Ed Cameron and a bunch of other smart people seriously concerned about the future of Newburyport, someone is likely to come knocking on your door to ask for your support in establishing a formal review of the City Charter of Newburyport.  Kudos to the folks who are doing this; this is a long and laborious project that few among us would have the stamina to embark on. I'm not going to bore you with the details here.  Basically, the City Charter determines the form of government, and we've been operating under the same one for thousands of years, or since the invention of the automobile, or at least since the last time the Republican Party showed a glimmer of intelligence.  A long time, no matter how you look at it. Down to ... 05/22/2009

Recent customer is both surprised and relieved when she learns that there is nothing wrong with her clothes dryer; it's the dryer duct and vent assembly   Newburyport, MA - Webb Dickson, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard was recently acknowledged by a happy customer who called him to fix her clothes dryer.  She was unaware that she had called a dryer vent cleaning company; not an appliance repair service.  As it turned out, dryer vent cleaning was exactly what she needed to have done; there was nothing wrong with the clothes dryer.   At a recent interview, Webb said, "My customer thought she needed a new dryer because hers was taking longer to dry clothes and it seemed to be running much hotter.  There was no doubt in my mind that the dryer ducts were obstructed and the dryer was not venting p... 05/10/2009

Are you considering purchasing a new clothes dryer just because the one you have seems to be working less efficiently?  Did you recently notice that it takes more than one cycle to dry a load?  Do clothes feel hot when you remove them or do they have a moldy smell?                                                           All these are signs that point to an air-flow and venting problem, not the clothes dryer.  There isn't a lot that can go wrong with a dryer as long as it has a proper dryer duct and vent system, free from lint build-up.  Venting and air-flow are the most essential items needed for a dryer to perform efficiently.   Proper venting prevents overheating as the heat escapes to the vent outdoors.  Dryer lint is the culprit when air-flow is restricted.  When the dryer ducts b... 05/10/2009

Newburyport, Massachusetts Foreclosure Listings - MA Bank-Owned Homes Virtual Homes real estate professionals can assist you in finding the best deals for property that has been foreclosed by a lender. These properties are referred to bank owned or foreclosures. "Short Sales" are properties being offered for sale by the current owner and require bank approval to sell. The major advantage of considering foreclosures and bank owned property is that the seller is very motivated to sell the property quickly and may offer an exceptional value. As a buyer, you are able to preview and inspect the property prior to purchase. FREE SERVICE! Sign up at Newburyport MA foreclosed homes to receive a list of foreclosures and to receive bank owned listings as they come on the market. For other towns in... 03/23/2009

Newburyport, Massachusetts Real Estate Newburyport, Massachusetts has a population of more than 16,000, which continues to grow each year as people are attracted to this historic seaside town. A short drive from both the New Hampshire border and the state capital of Boston, it is among the most beautiful towns in Massachusetts, with a bounty of ocean views and scenic architecture dating from as early as the 17th century. Originally settled as part of "Newberry Plantation" in 1635, the community was incorporated separately under its present name in 1764. Situated at the mouth of the Merrimack River, the community prospered as a shipbuilding, manufacturing and maritime trade center, gaining city status in 1851. While the thriving downtown was in danger of being razed to make way for new r... 03/19/2009

"Don't Let Your Dryer Start a Fire, Keep Your Home Safe & Sound" are part of Dryer Vent Wizard's ongoing campaign promoting dryer vent safety & fire protection    Dryer fires cause over 15,000 dryer fires annually.  Webb Dickson, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard of Massachusetts was recently interviewed.  "Failure to clean dryer vents is a major contributor to clothes dryer fires," said Dickson.  "Lint clogged dryer vent systems not only cause fires; they make the dryer to work harder, use more energy, and cost more to operate."   Dryer Vent Wizard provides advice to consumers to minimize the risk of dryer fires.  They advise consumers to be sure the dryer vent systems are up to code with the city, state and manufacturer by replacing any plastic or foil vent systems with semi-rigid or solid m... 01/17/2009

Wednesday's storm in Newburyport, Ma has taken a large toll on the coastline because of erosion. The strong winds, rain and crashing waves took a toll on a sea cost home on Plum Island. After residents of the home had heard load cracking, a town inspector came to evaluate and he determined that the home needed to become evacuated. This landmark home which appeared in many post cards over the years to attract tourism, was to be demolished because of fear of falling into the sea. This was a home that was in the family for over forty years. Residents living close to this property wonder is their home is next, and are demanding that something be done by the town before it is too late. Here is the video of the home crashing down late Wednesday afternoon. 11/29/2008

  Selling Homes in Newburyport Massachusetts     After maintaining a steady market here in Newburyport and Plum Island over the past two years it now appears to have dramatically slowed over the past couple of months.  Prices have held up fairly well in relation to some of the other communities and there has been some pressure from bank appraisers when property is under agreement. Tighter underwriting guidelines have also caused many deals to fall apart at the last moment. The towns of Newbury and West Newbury have not held up as well because of the lack of diversity in their housing stock. But overall, real estate prices in the Greater Newburyport area have held up somewhat better than the Greater Haverhill and Salem Markets. Although Sales overall have slowed, desire for home ownershi... 11/09/2008

Webb Dickson provides "dryer vent cleaning" and "dryer vent repair" services while educating his customers on fire safety and "dryer vent maintenance"                                                               Concord, MA -. Webb Dickson traded in his career for a logo-ed uniform to own and operate a Dryer Vent Wizard, Safe Homes, Dry Clothes (DVW) franchise servicing New Hampshire and Middlesex and Essex Counties in Massachusetts.   DVW services prevent dryer fires, keep dryers functioning properly and provide energy savings through dryer and dryer vent cleaning, maintenance, repair, replacement and alterations.   When Dickson decided he didn't want to remain in his present career and he was not ready to retire, he looked into franchising. He researched several concepts and found Dr... 09/09/2008

Plum Island is a small barrier island just off the extreme northeast coast of Massachusetts and is part of Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, and Ipswich. The residential part is mainly Newbury and Newburyport; you can tell which part is which by the color of the street signs; green for Newbury and blue for Newburyport. The island is named for the hundreds of beach-plum bushes growing everywhere. (The harvest is unpredictable from year to year, but the small plums make great jam or jelly when you can get enough of them to bother with.) The clickable plum at the bottom of the page is from a bush on Old Point Road. It's about 2/3 actual size (depending on your monitor).The island is separated - barely - from the mainland by the Parker River; the northern tip is at the mouth of the Merrimac Riv... 05/22/2007

Newburyport is situated along the Merrimack river and has been the home of many influential American leaders.  today the city remains economically healthy due to a picturesque downtown area featuring museums, restaurants, theater and specialty shops.Newburyport's High Street is a true showplace of magnificent vintage homes contructed by wealthy shipbuilding magnates and sea captains.The population of Newburyport is about 17,000 and the distance to Boston is 37 miles.  Newburyport has commuter rail service to Boston.Regards,Jay Burnham, VPColdwell Banker Residential BrokerageNorth Shore, Massachusetts      05/06/2007

The City of Newburyport, MA is approximately a 45-minute drive to downtown Boston and less than a 20-minute drive to the New Hampshire Seacoast. Interstate 95 intersects the city, as well as Route 1. Located in Northeastern Massachusetts, Essex County, Newburyport is bordered by Newbury on the south, West Newbury on west, Amesbury and Salisbury on the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The city is located at the mouth of the Merrimack River, 14 miles east of Haverhill, MA, 70 miles south of Portland, ME and 255 miles from New York City. Newburyport has a charming downtown, with a beautiful waterfront park and boardwalk. Residents and tourists both enjoy the shops and restaurants the downtown area has to offer. The city's excellent public library is just a few blocks from the down... 03/20/2007