Don’t Forget These 5 Items When You Close

Here are the top five things you want with you when closing on a home.

 

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Buying a Massachusetts home? Click here for full MLS access

Today we want to talk about five things you want to bring with you to the closing table. There’s a lot more involved in the closing process, but these are the things you want with you in the car as you’re on your way to close:

1. Keys. This is especially important if you are a seller. The last thing you want is to close on a sale only to have your buyer locked out of their new home.

2. Identification. We’ve seen a few times where people show up with an expired driver's license. This can clog up the whole process, and gives your buyer or seller more time to get cold feet. If you don’t have a driver’s license, make sure you bring another form of acceptable identification, such as a passport.

3. Certified check. The closing attorney won’t accept your personal check, so make sure you bring a certified check to closing.

 

The last thing you want to do is hold up the closing.

4. Blank personal check. This isn’t absolutely necessary, but it’s nice to have just in case. If you need to pay someone $100 for whatever fee you forgot about, you won’t hold up the closing.

5. Utilities. This is especially important for buyers. You don’t want to move into a home and have a great housewarming party only to have the lights turned off. Make sure you call your utility company before you close.

If you have any questions about today’s topic, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 978-256-3306 or visit our website at www.homesareus.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

May 2020 Real Estate Market Update

Do you know anyone who needs to sell? We want to speak with them!

Selling your Massachusetts home? Get a home value report

Buying a Massachusetts home? Click here for full MLS access

I’m helping people make moves locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, and everyone’s been asking how the real estate market is doing. The market is moving and very busy. Many buyers are waiting for homes to come onto the market; inventory is very low. So we’re wondering: Who do you know who may want to sell their house? If you know someone who needs help selling or wants a free consultation, please reach out to us via phone or email. To learn more about our current market, watch the short video above.

Should You Get the Police Department Involved with Your Real Estate Transaction?

Getting the local police involved with a real estate issue is sometimes necessary. Today I have a list of some of the common circumstances when you should call for backup.

Selling your Massachusetts home? Get a home value report

Buying a Massachusetts home? Click here for full MLS access

Today I want to talk to you about how police departments can help facilitate complicated real estate transactions when something illegal may be happening.

Today I am going to go through some circumstances when it may be helpful to utilize the support of a police department.

It is wise to take advantage of the resources that you have with your local police or Sheriff's Department and have them facilitate when something illegal is happening.

• A resident tenant is poaching on a property after a multi-family home has been sold and the tenant refuses to vacate even though the sale has been completed.

• A trailing spouse who is in a contentious divorce refuses to move out of the home even though the home has been sold or is nearing the completion of the sale.

• A court order to vacate has been ignored.

• A seller remains illegally in the home because a spouse has sold the home and the person wanted to stay.

• Legal access to a home by a buyer, appraiser, or inspector is being denied by the current owner inappropriately.

For any of those circumstances, it is wise to take advantage of the resources that you have with your local police or Sheriff's Department. They can work as a mediator or interpleader to help negotiate with the offending party. Or, sometimes, they are able to look up the identity and the name of that party by using their resources.

If you have any questions regarding who might be able to facilitate a challenging transaction involving real estate or have any other real estate related inquiries, please feel free to reach out to me by phone or online. I would be happy to assist in any way that I can.

Juergen Keller’s Secrets to Success After 45 Years in Real Estate: Part II

Today we're back with the second part of my interview with my friend and colleague, Juergen Keller. 

Selling your Massachusetts home? Get a home value report

Buying a Massachusetts home? Click here for full MLS access

Today we're back with the second part of a great interview I had the privilege of conducting with my dear friend and colleague, Juergen Keller. If you missed the first portion of our interview, you can see it here.

To see the second portion, check out the video above.

Juergen stresses the importance of being honest and keeping negative thoughts out of his life. He even has a sign in his office that says, "You do not have the luxury of negative thinking."

Juergen stresses the importance of honesty and avoiding negative thoughts.

He also talked a bit about working as an opera singer during his days back in Germany, as well as some other work background. It's fascinating stuff!

I hope you enjoyed my interview with Juergen as much as I did. If you have any questions for me, you can always give me a call or send me an email. I'm happy to help!

Juergen Keller’s Secrets to Success After 45 Years in Real Estate

I recently got to interview my dear friend and colleague Juergen Keller, who has 45 years of experience in the world of real estate.

Selling your Massachusetts home? Get a home value report

Buying a Massachusetts home? Click here for full MLS access

I recently had a wonderful interview with my dear friend and colleague Juergen Keller, who is 90 years young and has been in the real estate business for 45 years. I've had the distinct privilege of working alongside Juergen for 33 years and today, I wanted to share the first of two parts of this great interview.

You can see the full excerpt in the video above.

Juergen's secret to longevity is to never think about your age.

What is Juergen's secret to longevity? To never think about your age and in general, have a healthy life. His philosophy for good business is honesty on all fronts, he said. He also has a great personal example of why trustworthiness is so important in business.  

Stay tuned for some more insight from Juergen in our next video. In the meantime, feel free to give us a call or send us an email with any questions you have about buying or selling a home here in the Merrimack Valley. We're here to help.

What’s Preventing You From Selling Your Home?

Looking to buy or sell a home in Merrimack Valley? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (978) 852-3001 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

If you’ve wanted to sell your home in the past but haven’t been able to, what’s stopping you now? Today we are going to talk about the most common reasons sellers decided against listing their home. Let’s take a look at them now: 

1. Your home isn’t prepared
If this is the case for you, all you really need to do is sit down with an agent or a home stager that can direct you on where to spend money to get the best return and how to best prepare your home for sell.

2. Rates are not favorable
Although you may think that rates are too high, if you look at the big picture, they really aren’t. They are historically low right now, and if they go up just a little bit, it will greatly affect your payments over a 30 or 15-year mortgage period.

3. Haven’t found the right property
The best solution for this is to know exactly how much you are going to qualify for, and identify the homes that meet your criteria. If there aren’t any to your liking, you may need to tweak your criteria a little bit. 

4. Unanswered questions
It may just be that you are afraid to ask a question or don’t know what question to ask. If there is anything we can do to help ease your doubts, or if you have any questions for us, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to talking to you soon!

The final problem that people have is they haven’t found the right real estate professional to help them yet. If you need answers to any of the questions above, or if there is anything we can do to help silence your doubts, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to speak with you!

6 Things You Need to Know About Home Inspections

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Buying a home is a process with many steps. One of those steps is a home inspection. Frequently I get asked by both buyers and sellers about what a home inspection is.

A home inspection gives the buyer a chance to make sure all issues with the home are taken care of prior to purchasing. There are five common questions about a home inspection that I wanted to answer here.

1. What is the purpose of a home inspection?

The purpose is to make sure you are buying a safe home with no adverse effects that could deplete the value of the home.

2. How do you handle issues that may arise?

This is a great question and it's important to look at the situation with perspective. Everyone wants to know who will pay for the repairs. If you are a buyer and are getting the home for lower than the market value, it may be more beneficial to pay for the repairs than risk losing the home while still saving money.

3. When should you walk away?

If you and the seller can't come to an agreement or if there are damages to the home that can't be fixed such as as mold it may be best to walk away.

4. How can a buyer's agent assist you?

As your agent, it's my job to present the pros and cons of the situation. We can help you negotiate the situation so you are getting the best deal.

5. Should you ever waive a home inspection?

This depends on the situation. In some scenarios such as an auction or buying straight from the bank, you won't have the option of a home inspection. If you get the chance, though, always get a home inspection. It's important to know what condition the home is in before making a financial commitment.

If you have any questions about home inspections, give me a call today. Thanks for watching!

10 Ways I Serve You

Thanks for joining me today! When it comes to buying and selling, you want a real estate agent who is passionate, knowledgeable and honest. That's why I wanted to share with you The Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer. I love this book because its philosophy reflects so much of how I look to approach my business.

1. Have a contagious, positive attitude - Having a positive outlook and optimistic attitude spreads to your clients. Give them confidence in their purchase or sale. This is an exciting time for families! 
2. Be excited about helping others - I have based my entire career on the concept of helping people. I want to do everything I can to make sure all your expectations are met.
3. Be self-assured, not arrogant - I have helped more than 1,200 families buy and sell. I have experienced so many different situations and because of that I am confident. Arrogance is often the trait of an unskillful or inexperienced agent.
4. I like people; they like me - I tell people all the time, I am not in the housing business, I'm in the people business. When I got into real estate it wasn't because I wanted to just work with properties and homes, it was because I loved helping and working with people.
5. Don't be just book smart - I have been in the Mike Ferry coaching for a number of years. I can't begin to tell you how fortunate I am. I have had the opportunity to work with countless professionals, the best of the best.
6. If you're not having fun, what's the point?  I enjoy my career and am passionate about helping you!
7. Do everything full force - A real estate transaction has a lot of steps and it's important that your agent has support. I have two staff members who help me make sure that nothing falls through the cracks.
8. Be outspoken, have integrity and be visibly honest - Your home is one of your biggest assets. I promise to always give 100% to get you what you want and to be honest and respectful every step of the way.
9. Concentrate on the details - As I said before I have staff members to help me with everything. With their help we can work efficiently to get you in your home quicker.
10. Be happy on the inside - You can always tell when someone isn't happy doing what they do. Would you have confidence in someone that is miserable?

These are 10 points I keep in mind every day to become a better agent for you. If you are ready to buy or sell, please give me a call today. I'd love to help you buy, sell or even just answer any of your questions.

A Warm Holiday Greeting and Happy New Year

It’s hardly believable that we are at the cusp of yet another year – and it’s almost 2014! With a fantastic year behind us, we look ahead toward a great future in the coming months. I can’t tell you how much of a pleasure it has been serving our community members with the expert advice, one-on-one care and guidance with real estate endeavors in our communities.

Here’s a warm, resounding “Thank you!” to all our current and past clients. We believe you are more than just clients; you’re our friends and neighbors. We cherish that special relationship we have with each and every one of you.

Whether you have engaged in the purchase of a new home, sold a property or just needed advice and counsel on your real estate transactions – we have enjoyed being a part of the journey with you.

Once again, thank you for trusting us with one of the most important aspects of your life and we wish you a warm, wonderful holiday season – with many happy times to come in the New Year and beyond!

9 Reasons To Sell During the Holidays

Welcome back. The holiday season is here and every year I get asked whether it is a good time to list. The answer is yes! In fact I have reasons you should sell now.

1. Buyers are more serious - If a buyer is taking the time out of their busy holiday celebration schedule, you know they are ready to commit.
2. There is less competition - There are fewer homes on the market, which makes your home more valuable. 
3. Homes show better during the holidays - Who doesn’t love seeing a home decorated in lights and wreaths? 
4. Buyers are more emotional - The holidays always add some emotion to a buyer’s decision. This means buyers are more likely to offer your list price.
5. Buyers have more time off to look at homes.
6. Some buyers need to purchase before the end of the year for tax benefits.
7. Most people who are relocating start their jobs in January - That means they are looking for homes now!
8. You can restrict your showings - You might be worried that buyers will want to come see your home when you have holiday plans or company coming over. Don’t worry; we can restrict showings and make your home unavailable on the days that don’t work for you. 
9. By selling now, you will be a non-contingent buyer in the spring - You can sell high and buy low.

There are a ton of reasons why you should put your home on the market now. If you have any questions, please give me a call.

Thanks for watching and have a great Thanksgiving!

How to Find a Home After Selling Your Own Home

Welcome back! When you sell your home quickly, it’s exciting! What if you don’t have a new home bought yet, though?

I get asked about this all the time. Don’t worry; we have a way to set your mind at ease. When you put your home on the market, price it to sell. You want to get multiple offers on your property. When this happens you can negotiate with a buyer who will let you stay in your home until you purchase another.

This way your home doesn’t sit on the market for a long period of time and you aren’t rushed to find a new home.

If you have any other real estate questions, please call me at 978.256.330. I’d love to help!

Why Isn’t Your Home Selling?

It can be very frustrating when your home doesn’t sell. Why is it just sitting on the market?

I have a list of four common mistakes people make when tying to sell their home.

1. Overpricing - Pricing correctly is crucial when it comes to selling your home. If you overprice, buyers will completely disregard your home. The longer it sits on the market, the more buyers think there is something wrong with it.
2. Accessibility - Don’t make it hard for your buyer to come view your property. If they have to keep rearranging the appointment, they will give up on and move on to a different home.
3. Privacy - Buyers don’t want the seller to be present while they are looking at the property. They don’t feel fully comfortable.
4. Staging and ‘declutter’ - Did you know that 90 percent of buyers start their search online? That’s why you need good photographs of a clean, spacious home to entice buyers to come view your home.

These are you just a few of the common mistakes people make when trying to sell their home. If you have any questions about your home specifically, give me a call! I’d love to help!

Thanks for watching!

Challenges the Elderly Face Transitioning in the Greater Lowell Area

When an elderly relative moves into a smaller home, it can be a very emotional process. Throughout the years memories and possessions have been collected. At RE/MAX we have a specific division dedicated to helping at times like this.

Together an individual from the team and the family can go through what can be donated, sold and moved to the next home.

If you have any questions, please give me call. We understand the importance of situation. We’d love to help!

Staging Your Home in Greater Lowell

Thanks for watching my video blog!

I want to address an issue that comes up all the time with my clients. People always ask what they should do to improve their home before putting it on the market.  That’s a great question.

Anytime you’re selling your home, you want to make sure it’s clean and you have it staged. Your home is going to be competing with lots of other properties; you really want to enhance your home by giving the best presentation possible.

We get asked what can be done to increase the value of a home. Painting is an inexpensive way to get a return on your dollar.

It’s also important to know your financial situation. If you’re equity is just about even and very low on cash, at the very minimum you want the home to be very clean.

If you do have equity and want to elevate your position in the market, you can take it to the next level: you can get a home inspection. You always want to make sure the most important elements of your home are taken care of. If you can afford to upgrade those elements that are damaged and outdated, you can really save yourself from having a buyer try to negotiate down.

If you have any further questions regarding what you need to do to get your home ready to sell, please give me a call. I’d love to help! Thanks for watching!

Lower Inventory Levels Prompt Many Sellers In Waiting to Get Off the Fence

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As we move closer toward the summer months, more and more sellers are beginning to see how quickly some homes in their neighborhoods are moving off the market. In fact, buyers today are eager to lock in the still very low and near historic interest rates that are bound to rise within the next year. Here are just a few of the advantages sellers in a low-inventory market.

Multiple Offers
It goes back to the basic law of supply and demand; the fewer inventory there is, the more homes are in demand. With fewer homes on the market today, particularly well priced homes in good condition and in good locations, buyers are on the prowl and they know not to waste too much time. Many sellers these days are receiving multiple offers, giving them a choice in the matter – whether to choose a buyer that has a stronger financing outlook or fewer contingencies or better timing.

Fewer Contingencies
Buyers know that in order to get their bid accepted, they have to be flexible. One of the ways they do that is to offer fewer contingencies on their purchase agreement. Whether this means a buyer willing to take less time for inspections or waive some contingencies altogether, for the seller this translates to more assurance the transaction will go through smoothly.

Fast Turn-Around
Days On Market is a statistic closely studied by real estate agents as a measure to gauge market interest in a property. With more buyers on the lookout for good homes, fewer homes available for sale quickly reduced the total number of days on market before going under contract. A seller’s market gives you the benefit of knowing you will likely sell your home relatively quickly.

More Money
It goes without saying that sellers want top dollar for their home. Once again, with buyers out there vying for the same few good homes that are on the market, naturally they want to get the home of their dreams so they are willing to offer at or above asking price. Get more than one buyer on the table and price wars start to ensue.

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Right now, for the first time in years sellers have the upper hand. Why wait until the market starts to shift again and you no longer have an edge? It’s a great time to sell right now. Call us today and we’ll gladly provide you with a home value report that will tell you what you can expect to get for your home in today’s marketplace.

Be Un-Emotional When Buying a Home In Order to Get the Best Value!

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Want to break your heart and your bank account at the same time? Then buy a new home based on the fact that you've fallen in love with it!

Needless to say, you should never do this!

In some cases, when you fall in love with the "pretty face" of a house, you fail to look underneath and find problems like bad wiring, leaky roofs, bad foundations, etc. This is an extremely expensive way to buy a home!

A funny and sad example of this is shown in the 1986 film, The Money Pit, starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. They make the mistake of falling in love with a home and think they're getting a $1,000,000 property for only $200,000.

Once they get into the home, they find out it'll cost a million to repair it! It's got wood rot, a bad roof, bad plumbing, bad electricity, even bad raccoons!

Well, that's Hollywood exaggeration, of course. After all, The Money Pit was a comedy. But, when things like that happen to you, it's no joke. Repairs can cost you a lot of money and heartache, not to mention dangerously rising blood pressure!

So, again, never ever fall in love with a house at first sight! Easier said than done, you say? How do you avoid this tendency? Below, I offer some solutions to the problem!
 
Solutions 1: Get Cold Hard Facts about the Home!

When I talk about "cold, hard facts," I'm talking about getting the house evaluated by a certified home inspector.

It's well worth the money to have this job done because the inspector will cast the objective eye you lack on the property. He or she will evaluate every aspect of a house - roof, plumbing, wiring, foundation, etc.

And then, that inspector will provide you with a written report that may range anywhere from 20 to 50 pages. It will give you a point-by-point summary of what needs to be corrected.

The cost of a home inspection varies with the region of the country. Nationally, they range from $200 to $400. But, for the investment of, say, $200, you prevent yourself from losing thousands of dollars in repairs in two ways.One, you can simply walk away from the deal. Or, two, you can require that seller fix all items before you sign a contract!

Bonus: Often, you can ask that the seller pay for the home inspection!
 
Solution 2: Cool Off and Take Your Time!

Infatuation with a home is fun and exciting, and you can have the overwhelming temptation to buy an attractive home practically "on the spot."

My advice - walk away and come back several hours later, especially after you've viewed other properties! By then, it's likely you'll have a more objective eye.
 
Solution 3: Keep It Simple!

By this I mean that you should stick within your price range. You want the best hom e at the best price within your means! So, if you see an outwardly gorgeous home at, say, $10,000 above your price limit, say, "I love you, but you're way too pricey for me!" and walk away from the temptation!


Solution 4: Rely on Your Realtor!

At heart, I and other professional realtors like me, want you to have a home that meets your needs in the best way possible. That means preventing you from buying a home that's in substandard shape and/or beyond your means.

To be perfectly blunt about it, I rely on great word of mouth from satisfied customers to make the most of my real estate career. So, you have my promise that I'll do my absolute best to get you into the house of your affordable dreams!

Need that objective eye to help you make a smart home-buying decision? Contact us today.

Shop Around Until Interest Rates Drop when Buying a Home

 
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When you're in the market for a home, I'm here to help you find the best mortgage terms around. But I also want you to be a fully-informed consumer! 

As you already know, buying a home may be the largest purchase of your life so you should go into it with eyes wide open! In this article, I'd like to provide you some proven and common-sense guidelines that can save you time, money and hassle during the mortgage-hunting process. 

Guideline 1: Look Beneath the Surface of the Interest Rate! 

If you're like most prospective home buyers, you call lenders or use the Internet to shop for the best interest rates. That's a good first step, no doubt about it! But, the mistake many buyers make is that they stop there and don't consider the fees that may be added on to the loan later by the cheapest lender. 

In other words, it's the lenders' game, and they may want you to play by the rules you're not even aware of. The answer, of course, is to know those rules ahead of time so you know exactly what you're getting when you buy that mortgage. More on this subject later! 


Guideline 2: Chose the Type of Lender That Works Best for You! 

There are several different sources of lenders - banks, credit unions, mortgage brokers, etc. They all have their advantages and disadvantages in terms of the rates and services they can offer you. For example, credit unions often provide the best value and service, but, of course, you have to belong to one in order to receive their services. 

Regular banks and "big lenders" (Bank of America, Citigroup, etc.) also provide competitive rates and services. Of course, they only offer products their companies provide. You can also use a mortgage broker. This person is a "wholesaler" who uses several lenders to give service to their customers. The advantage of a broker is that he or she offers a greater selection of rates and products. However, they also tend to be more expensive than regular banks and big lenders. 

Brokers make money in two ways. One is origination fees ("yield spread" or "rebate"). Essentially, the origination fee is a commission paid by the bank to the brokers to encourage them to use their firm. The second way is by selling a higher interest rate to you. This means there's room for you to negotiate that interest rate down! 

When a broker quotes you an interest rate, ask him or her to tell you what the origination fee, rebate or yield spread on that rate is. For a broker, a reasonable amount would be a total of 1% of the loan amount from yield spread, origination or combination of the two. Most brokers usually want to make at least 2%. 

Tip: Don't pay an origination fee unless the broker informs you that he or she isn't getting anything on the back end of the deal. 

The bottom line: you can (and should) shop among all these lenders to find the lowest rate. It can save you thousands of dollars over the life of the mortgage. 


Guideline 3: Review the Good Faith Estimate with an Eagle Eye! 

By law, lenders are required to provide you with a Good Faith Estimate or GFE. In essence, the GFE gives you a general summary of all the costs and expenses you'll incur at the time you close on your new home. The document should cover closing costs and the amount of cash you need to close on the agreement. It should also spell out which if any prepaid expenses must be handled and the average monthly payment you'll have to make in order to keep up with the loan. 

Most lenders provide complete and straight-forward information on these forms; however, there's no reason for you to accept the GFE at face value. Comb through the information and if you don't understand a particular item or fee, ask for an explanation. If you still don't understand them, you may want a lawyer to review them for you so you have complete understanding. 

Remember: A GFE is only an estimate. Changes may occur through no fault of the lender. A reputable lender will let you know if fees are going up substantially. In general, however, if those fees go up by more than approximately 16%, then a red flag should go up in your mind. 

Guideline 4: Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate! 

When confronted with the expertise and "prestige" of banks, we all have a tendency to think they know best, and we should, therefore, agree to their terms. Never think this way! Banks are like any business; you can and should negotiate with them! 

Want more information on banks and other lenders? Contact me today!