Earlier this year I wrote a blog on "A Day in the Life of Showing Junky Bank Owned Properties" and boy.. am I glad it has nearly come to a screeching halt. Seems that the foreclosed homes are non existent now. I love traditional real estate, but  I am also accepting of whatever challenges the market brings, I will work it. While nobody has a crystal ball, I am seeing glimmers of hope! I remember from June 2008- April 2009, I sold some multi-family homes in the Taunton MA area. At time, there were 91 multi family homes on the market in Taunton. Now there are less than 40! Single family inventory has come down quite a bit too. More and More, Lenders are working with their homeowner clients on loan modifications and short sales. This is why we aren't seeing the bank owned inventory. Though... 07/04/2009

While the media reports on a dismal economy.. they mis-lead us into believing the sky is falling. While unemployment is around 7% nationwide.. doesn't this mean that 93% are employed? While 1 in 10 homes are "under water" doesn't this mean that 90% of the other homeowners are NOT? When there is a chance of sun.. why don't we hear this report? Instead we hear about the chance of rain? So now, I am on a mission to de-program my brain to positive channels.. what about you?   So on with the report: Currently there are 164 single family homes in the market in Taunton ( In December there were 190!) Last month-13 sold Currently under agreement- 27!   Multi family homes- Currently on the market 57 Last month there were 82! Sold last month-11 Multi family homes under agreement- 14!   Trends- I n... 03/06/2009

Another cautionary tale.  I just had a closing postponed (and maybe won't ever close) due to the final walk though on a Fannie Mae owned property which revealed that all of the copper piping had been neatly and expertly removed from the house!!  The property had only been under agreement for 3-4 weeks.  It was a cash deal for the buyer and so no appraiser had visited.  The house itself is in need of extensive repair but the condition now is significantly worse.  If it were not for the buyer's broker insisting that the buyer do a final walk through on the morning of the closing, we would have closed and gone to record without knowing.  I can only imagine Fannie Mae's unwillingness to undue the deal after it had closed.  The buyer was not inclined to do the walk initially, as she knew rep... 02/21/2009

So I've seen and heard some craziness among a few individuals in our profession. Most of the unprofessionals left the business, but I still observe some these pet peeves of mine at times. I am not the perfect one, so if you ever catch me in any of the following, speak up! 1. Short Sales- my pet peeve is working with the other agent who represents the other side of the transaction and they just aren't educated on how short sales work. .. the good, the bad.. the ugly. My opinion.. if you don't know about short sales.. get educated BEFORE you start working with buyers and sellers, because they are trusting their Realtor to know and help them. You cannot be their fiduciaryagent if you aren't educated. 2. First Time Buyers and Bank Owned Property-many times buyers agents just don't educate t... 02/08/2009

Currently there are 317 homes in Taunton MA  on the market including condos, multifamilies and single family homes 61 Are Multifamily properties, 172 are single family homes,   32 Homes are pending/under agreement   26 homes were sold from December 1, 2008-December 31, 2008 Taunton home values continue to decline which presents buyers a rare opportunity to move into an affordable home Outlook for 2009: We will continue to see more bank owned properties and short sale property  come on the market as pay option arms reset. Bright Spots: Interest rates are hovering around 5%, Buyers are taking advantage of the bargains. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lori Lincoln Your Professional Realtor of Choice for the Taunton Area and... 01/19/2009

As of today, there are 183 single family homes on the market in Taunton.  For the homes that are on the market, the average price change has been a 6.67% decline.  The good news is that there are 25 homes under agreement and they were on the market an average of 99 days and in the last 30 days there have been 25 single family homes that have sold.  Current sellers need to realize that pricing is everything in this market.  Every seller is in a price war and a beauty pageant.  They have to offer the best home for the best price.  This past week I had a home sell in 1 day in Brockton where there are 420 single family homes on the market.  Pricing & great condition solve all problems in the market. 12/19/2008

Located in Bristol County, Taunton, MA was once known as the "Silver City" because it was the center of the Silver Industry in the 19th Century, producing fine silver products sold worldwide through several companies like Reed & Barton, which still exists today. Taunton has since the same downturn that most of Massachusetts has seen in these tough economic times. The first half of 2007 saw 158 Single Family House Sold Listings that had an average list price $298,921 and an average sale price of $289,512. The first half of 2008 where there were 137 Sold Listings with an List of $280,054 and an average sale of just $268,596.The third quarter of 2007 had 86 Sold Single Family Listings with an average list price of $295,828 and an average sale of $285,472. In stark contrast to the 79 Sold L... 10/11/2008

Maybe its just me, maybe not.. After visiting several websites and television news stations, I am struggling to figure out the basics of this bailout. What I know so far is that the government will not be  aimlessly giving  700 billion dollars to bail out troubled financial institutions and buy out their assets. The plan as I see it so far..   The government will not allow US citizens to be taxed as a direct result of the bail out The financial institutions will be accountable The government will aide in financial and mortgage backed securities insurance. They will buy out troubled assets from banks.. I wonder if this means cars too?. mm..   I am sure we will all have our questions answered soon. Here are a few questions I have: Will pre-foreclosure loans be affected by the bail-out. I ... 09/28/2008

  Written by Lori Lincoln, Real Estate Professional in Taunton August 31, 2008 9:00 PM in Home Buying  |  Taunton Shew, This weekend has been busy, busy, busy.  From Friday evening on, non-stop buyer calls on listings and several scheduled showings. Open Houses, Offers etc.Which reminds me of a quick story I wanted to share with you:I  worked  an open house today. One of the potential buyers found a small garden snake in the back yard.. he picked it up and of course, I shreak.  I would not let him back in for a second look at the house until he put the snake back... he finally obliged. The only living creature on God's green earth that I loathe is the snake.. Am I the only one? Even this buyers wife laughed at me for being foolishly scared of the little guy...I digress..Lots of activity... 09/01/2008

I have had a tooth ache for about 3 months. It finally was time to see a dentist.. severe pain.! I am okay now.. but wanted to share a couple of thoughts: I've been thinking about  this today. My Endontist ( well-known and referred) charged me $1200 yesterday for this procedure. He worked 1 hour today. He will work another 1.5 hours in 2 weeks. and the follow up will take 1/2 hr.  So he makes $400.00 per hour. Now, he makes you wait for his expertise, all he does is root canals.. Even when I balked at the price and tried to negotiate, I was shot down. I stayed in because I knew he could do the job and do it right the first time. ( plus I was in pain.. did I have a choice??) I was thinking.. how Real Estate Professionals are experts too.  Yes,  We Are The Experts and we should make sure ... 08/14/2008

Hello Readers, I normally don't make my blog about me or my family, but in this case.. I just gotta share with you the joy of my daughter Melissa's wedding. Melissa married Andrew Durango... yes another Andrew!  Here are a few pictures, we are still waiting for the professional photographer to finish up.. Mom, Dad, Melissa, Andrew and Andrew's parents Hey!! Ariana, my grandaughter who belongs to my other daughter, Katey.. she was the flower girl. I promise to share more pictures when they come in. Lori Lincoln Keller Williams Realty 508-878-0917 07/31/2008

Well intentioned folks seem to approach me with a "feel bad" for me for being in real estate.  In response to well intentioned comments like " Oh.. I feel bad for you.. doing real estate sales in this market and all." This happens quite frequently. My response and overall attitude about the market is that this is an "Opportunity Market". I have wonderful opportunities to create long term relationships with buyers and sellers alike. I love helping sellers get their home sold. I enjoy this challenge.. (okay.. I'm sick, I hear this too). I love helping my buyers and see them buy their first or next home. There are some great deals out there. Complaining about the market is not something I choose to do, there isn't anything wrong with the market, it is the perception. It isn't a bad market,... 07/31/2008

Have you ever thought of buying an investment property such as a mulit-family, commercial property or single family home. It has been proven that Real Estate over time has been one of the highest yield investments. When you own a multi-family, you can write off all of your expenses such as home maintenence, mortgage interest, real estate taxes and depreciation. A good tax accountant can help you with this. When searching for rental income property, do your homework: 1. First, learn about becoming a landlord and commit to being a good one. Study this in great detail. There are many online sources on the web such as http://www.landlordandtenant.com. You can also google "becoming a landlord" and many sources will appear. Know all of your legal responsibilties.When you are committed to bein... 07/31/2008

Is everybody tired of hearing about the  real estate market doom and gloom reports?.  I feel it is necessary to inform the public and consumers of the realties we face in the market. However, I also feel that all this bad news can "grind" our spirit down. I was pondering this blog today, that I'm not seeing too many good news real estate and economic reports, but "good news" is indeed available to us daily. At the risk of sounding cliche, real estate is one of the best long term investments available, especially now. A home can give you tax breaks, a place to live, something you can call your own and over time increase in value Today I want to speak about interest rates: In 1981,  home loan interest rates averaged 16%!  On a $50,000 mortgage the payment was $800.00 (not including taxes ... 07/24/2008

Today: woman in the area of which I work took her life about 2 hours prior to the home auction. I am deeply saddened. Blog is short, I don't want AR points- go to boston.com then pray for them and others in foreclosure 07/23/2008

Sold Listings Price Range # ofListings Avg. Dayson Market AverageSale Price   AverageList Price SP:LPRatio AverageOrig Price SP:OPRatio $0 - $49,999 0 0 $0   $0 0 $0 0 $50,000 - $99,999 1 198 $88,500   $108,500 82 $149,900 59 $100,000 - $149,999 2 13 $137,500   $145,700 94 $145,700 94 $150,000 - $199,999 5 164 $172,200   $176,450 98 $188,360 92 $200,000 - $249,999 10 114 $232,740   $241,030 97 $259,520 90 $250,000 - $299,999 10 117 $266,700   $274,730 97 $286,820 93 $300,000 - $349,999 6 137 $327,167   $331,033 99 $349,517 94 $350,000 - $399,999 3 255 $373,333   $386,600 97 $412,933 91 $400,000 - $449,999 0 0 $0   $0 0 $0 0 $450,000 - $499,999 0 0 $0   $0 0 $0 0 $500,000 - $599,999 0 0 $0   $0 0 $0 0 $600,000 - $699,999 0 0 $0   $0 0 $0 0 $700,000 - $799,999 0 0 $0   $0 0 $0 0 $800,000 ... 07/16/2008

Clean Classic 4 square Country Charm is what you'll find in this 4 bedroom 1.5 bath spacious Colonial in the suburban section of Taunton.  If you love Hardwood Floors, you will find them under carpet in the living room and throughout the entire home.  Sip Lemonade on the Trex Front Porch and chat with your neighbors. Yard is fenced in for pets and/or children to play. Come and see. This home is a charmer! Back Yard has 2 fenced areas   Front of House     Dining Room with built in Hutch   For more photos, go to http://www.LoriLincolnTeam.com You will also find homes and real estate listings for all of Massachusetts.  Lori Lincoln is a Keller Williams agent and sells homes in Greater Taunton Massachusestts and surrounding areas. Thank you for viewing my blog. Lori Lincoln/Realtor-Partner ... 06/01/2008

This market is overwhelmed with agents who haven't any experience in short sale properties. It can be a daunting experience for the sellers and the buyers. My most recent short sale involved sellers who placed their home on the market with 2 different agents in 2 years prior to listing the home with me. The first agent grossly overpriced the home, listing it as a regular listing. In the meantime, the sellers had such high hopes of selling for a price that never would be. Hence, the listing expired, and in walks agent number 2 who also overprices the home giving the sellers high hopes of selling the home at a profit. When the listing expired again, the seller called me. The first conversation with the sellers didn't go as well as they would have liked. Market statistics don't lie. If a h... 05/31/2008

Your MLS remarks could be the single most important way to get your listing sold. Here are some strategies to use in your ad writing: 1. Stop advertising the mechanicals in the home ( new furnace, new hot water heater etc.., buyers assume that they work!). 2. Get them through the door by selling the sizzle, not the steak. Remember WIIFM ( What's in it for me), think like a buyer when you write your remarks. i.e. " Your friends will be jealous! Imagine you and your loved ones on the patio having barbeque outside on a hot summer day. Now imagine all of you enjoying the day even more in your inground pool surrounded by peaceful gardens... etc."...( you get the idea). 3.  New Septic?  The buyer cares that the system works, save this one for the disclosure or additional items. 4. Use lots of... 05/31/2008

Today is an awesome day to buy real estate.  First time Buyers have a tremendous opportunity with the combination of low interest rates and a overflow of active listings available.  Remember, You snooze, You lose!  So give me a call I'll be happy to see what opportunity is out there for you! Move up Buyers are also in a GREAT position, in the current marketplace. Investors are have great long term patience, and can win in this market!   Call John Treacy 508-922-6170   You'll be glad you did!   05/09/2008