Setting a price for your Boston Home

A couple of weeks ago I blogged tips about what price to offer when buying a Boston home.  This week the topic is figuring out how much to charge when selling your Boston home.  Negotiating a price can be stressful and confusing from the perspectives of both buyer and seller.  Enlisting professional help from a real estate agent and reading up on all the tips you can find should help you feel more confident in knowing that you are getting as much as you possibly can for your Boston home.

Don't over-inflate the price


If the listing price is over-inflated, many buyers will not even bother coming to an open house or making an offer.  Buyers have the same resources you do--professionals, comparable listings and sales prices of nearby houses, and even websites that calculate the market value of a home.  Over-pricing the house can backfire and actually cause you to lose money as your house sits on the market for a longer period of time.  If it sits unsold for too long, some buyers might become suspicious that there is something wrong with it.

Use data to find out the market value


Enlisting a real estate agent is one of the quickest ways to get a good read on how much homes like yours have sold for in the past few months.  Full-time agents familiar with your city and neighborhood will know what you can realistically get for your home.  If you choose not to go with an agent, there are still options.  Professional appraisers are available for hire to come to your house and give you a realistic price range.  There are also many forms available online that take various factors into consideration--including prices of other local homes--and spit out a price.  (These, however, might not be as accurate as a professional.)

Don't go too low


While you want to be realistic, you don't want to go so low that you end up under-pricing yourself.  Most buyers expect to do negotiating and pay less than the listing price.  The number you set as your listing price should not also be the lowest amount you are willing to accept.  Negotiation is part of the process and you want to keep that in mind from the start.

Hopefully these tips help you while pricing your Boston home.  If you have any other questions about selling, or about Boston real estate in general, do not hesitate to contact me.

 Michael Feldman

Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro
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Making an offer on Boston Real Estate

You’ve found the perfect piece of Boston real estate.  Now it’s time to make an offer.  Making an offer on a home can be intimidating, but if you are sure of yourself and take the appropriate steps in preparation, the process should go smoothly.  Here are tips to help you get your ideal home for as little as possible:

Don’t make too low of an offer

You know you want the house for as cheap as possible.  They know you want the house for as cheap as possible.  Still, leading with too low of an offer could backfire.  The seller might be offended and refuse to negotiate with you.  Make sure the offer is low, but within a range of what the house will feasibly see for in order to avoid insulting the seller.  Low balling can color the entire negotiation process and make it much more difficult.

Learn the house and neighborhood

Learn as much as you possibly can about the house and neighborhood.  How old is the roof?  How good is the local school district?  Are there any loud neighbors?  Has the home ever had a termite infestation?  Has the neighborhood experienced criminal activity recently?  These are all factors you can bring up when negotiating.  Also, knowing the house and neighborhood allows you to find similar houses nearby for comparison.  

Figure out your seller

Has the house been on the market for months, or was it just listed last week?  The longer it has been on the market, the more eager your seller will be to sell.  Does the seller live in the house, or is it sitting empty?  Has the seller moved far away because of a job transfer?  Then he might accept a lower offer.  Find out as much as you can and factor the information in when formulating your offers.  Be aware, however, that the seller is probably doing the same thing with you!

Hopefully these tips help you get the right price for that perfect piece of Boston Real Estate.  If you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me.

  Michael Feldman

Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro
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"Staging" your Boston home to sell

As your Boston Real Estate agent, I want to make sure you get as much money as possible for the house you're selling.  There are many homes for sale in the Greater Boston area and you definitely don't want a buyer to choose a comparable home over yours because of some petty detail.  You might be wondering, "Does that actually happen?"  Yes!  Even if a house fits a buyer's criteria, she (or he) generally won't buy it unless it "feels" right.  How can you make your Boston home "feel" right to prospective buyers?  Stage it!

"Staging" refers to taking care of the basic looks of a place, but not doing any major renovating.  It is an inexpensive way to make your house appealing to potential buyers, thereby raising the value of it.  Here are a few "must dos" when it comes to staging:

1.  Clean up the front yard.

Drag the trash cans in front the curb and make sure the kids' bikes are in the garage (with the door shut).  What is no big deal to you is clutter to someone viewing the place for the first time.  Cut the grass short and plant some flowers.  The exterior is where the first impression is made.  If potential buyers don't like what they see, they might not even come inside for the open house!

2.  Get rid of stuff.

Take a walk through the house and move out as many things out as you can.  Give what you don't need to charity and put the rest in storage.  It's difficult for a buyer to imagine their stuff in a space if all they can see is someone else's stuff!  Also, rooms with less furniture look larger, and buyers like larger rooms.

3.  Make it smell nice.

Baking cookies right before an open house is an old realtor's secret.  If you (or your realtor) do not have time for this, light a mildly scented candle.

4.  Make it pretty.

If the walls look dingy, repaint them with a light color.  Give every room a deep clean.  If you cannot make it as clean as a hotel room, hire maids.  Finally, put some flowers on the coffee table or dining room table, or both!  It draws in the eyes and brightens up a room.

The cleaner and clearer your house is, the more quickly someone will want to snap it up.  Please check my website for even more tips on selling your Boston home.  Also, feel free to contact me if you'd like my personal help.  Happy selling!

Michael Feldman
Keller Williams Realty-Boston MetroCheck Out My Website
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Welcome to the Buy Sell Boston Real Estate Blog!

As a Boston real estate agent, I am always thinking of ways to take on new clients. I genuinely enjoy the process of helping others buy, sell, or rent their Boston home or condo. I sincerely believe that the key to successful Boston real estate transactions is quality customer service. In order to give my clients the service and care that they require for their real estate needs, I need to do one thing: ensure that the lines of communication are always open.

In order for us to successfully buy, sell or rent your home or condo on the Boston real estate market, we need to be open with one another from the beginning about what you can expect from your transaction. You need to be in-the-know about each phase of the buyer, seller or rental process and ask your Boston real estate agent to clue you in on all pertinent information. I know that we’ll have a smooth and quick transaction if we communicate openly from the beginning. While I make it a priority to make my clients’ needs and requests come to fruition, I also provide the insight, experience and advice that my clients need to help them move through each phase of the transaction seamlessly. That is where I believe this Boston real estate blog will come in to play.

Each week, I’ll be providing you with important information about the Boston real estate market, helpful and insightful buyer, seller and rental tips and community events and information that you will definitely want to know. This well-rounded approach to my blog is designed to prepare and guide you for your real estate transaction as well as give you an idea of what is going on locally. My goal is to provide you with the information that you want to know. I want to be considered your “go-to” resource for Boston real estate, and this blog is one way in which I hope to obtain that role.

Whether you’re relocating to the Greater Boston area, have just moved here or need to buy or sell your home, this blog will prove to be a wealth of information just for you. My years of experience living and working in Boston real estate will prove to be beneficial to you as you begin each transaction. My goal is to be your trusted Boston real estate resource and someone who you will feel comfortable approaching with any questions about living in the Greater Boston area.

I am excited to be providing you with these weekly updates, and I sincerely hope that you’ll check back often and see what is happening in the Greater Boston real estate market. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at any time. I hope to hear from you soon!



Michael Feldman
Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro
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See Boston Homes for Sale or Rent
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