Tips for closing on your Greater Boston Area home

Once you've found that ideal Greater Boston Area home, your work still isn't over! Closing can be a difficult and frustrating experience if not approached correctly. Congratulations on finding the home you want! Now follow these tips for a smooth closing experience on your Greater Boston Area home:

Enlist a pro

A professional has years of negotiating experience. Experience is very helpful here. Having a qualified professional with a good track record on your side is well worth it.

Don't low ball

If your initial offer is too low, the sellers might be offended. Worst case scenario? They refuse to negotiate with you further. Even if negotiations continue, the seller might remain suspicious or guarded, which is not how you want things to go. Of course you want your initial offer to be for an amount lower than you hope to pay, but be sure to consult a professional and get a feel for the current market so you don't go too low.

Get to know the seller

Ask questions and do research. Why are they selling the house? Have they already moved out? How long as the house been on the market? Have any other offers been made? Why didn't they go through? These questions will help you get a feel for how eager the sellers are to close. They will be ore likely to negotiate lower if they are motivated to sell quickly.

Let the seller get to know you

Write a letter to the sellers and include basic information about everyone moving into the house. Let them know a bit about your history, if you've owned before, and why you think this place would be a perfect fit. Sellers often allow their emotions into the sale. They want to know the place they've taken care of and loved for years and years will be in good hands. Making a good impression matters and can improve your chances of getting a lower price.

Get it in writing

All of your negotiating might have gone to waste if you do not get everything in writing. Are they going to leave the washer, dryer, refrigerator, and oven behind for you? Put it down on paper. Are they going to make some minor repairs? Get it written down. If it is not in your paperwork, they don't have to do it. There are many things that factor into negotiations. If the price is lowered (or not lowered) because of something they say they will do, be sure to make it official.

Hopefully these tips help as you close on your Greater Boston Area home. If you have any questions about buying or selling real estate, or would like to hire me as your professional, do not hesitate to contact me!

Michael Feldman
Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro

Check Out My Website
See Boston Homes for Sale or Rent
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Are you ready to buy a home in Boston, MA?

Maybe you've been renting for years now and you feel it's time to own a house in Boston, MA. How do you know for sure? Purchasing a home (in Boston, MA or anywhere) is major both financially and in terms of your personal future. Here are questions to ask yourself in order to determine whether or not you are ready to buy a home.

Do you have a lot of debt?
Having a lot of debt or bad credit (or both) isn't always a reason not to buy a home. There are many things you can do to fix up your credit and still get a decent loan. That said, if paying down debt takes up a good chunk of your monthly income, you might not be ready to purchase a home yet. Your high debt-to-credit ratio could preclude your getting good interest rates. Your high monthly bills make might things too tight with a mortgage piled on top. Make sure you sit down and really work out a budget before moving forward with home shopping if you have a lot of debt.

Do you have savings? Job security?
Most people looking to buy a home have some savings set aside for the down payment. But what about beyond that? If there is an emergency a few months into living in your new place, will you be able to manage? Is your job secure? You only want to buy a home if you can continue to pay the mortgage (and property taxes and repairs) into the foreseeable future. You should have enough saved that if you have an emergency or are without income for a month or two you can still pay your mortgage during that time. Just barely being able to buy a house is risky, and you could end up in foreclosure if something goes wrong.

Are you ready to stay in the same place for the foreseeable future?
Buying a house is a long-term commitment. Are you certain that you want to stay in this area for the next five or so years? Ask yourself that same question with different scenarios. If you lost your job, would you still want to live here? If your girlfriend broke it off, would you want to move away? If you don't see yourself staying in this area for quite a while, you might want to reconsider buying. A house is semi-permanent. You cannot always move out quickly, and you don't want to end up selling it too early and losing money instead of profiting.

Does owning make sense for your lifestyle?
Sometimes people want to buy a home because they feel they should own by a certain age, or all of their friends are buying homes. Those aren't good reasons! If owning a home doesn't mesh with your lifestyle, then don't do it. If you travel a lot, or really like having a landlord responsible for all of the maintenance and repairs, buying a home just might not be right for you at this time.

If you have any other questions about buying a home in Boston, MA, please contact me! I am here to help and would be more than happy to provide information or professional assistance with buying or selling your home.

Michael Feldman
Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro

Check Out My Website
See Boston Homes for Sale or Rent
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Choosing the best Greater Boston Area home for you

You've decided to purchase a Greater Boston Area home.  Fantastic!  Now is the best time to lay out, in detail, exactly what you are looking for in a home.  Going about your home search this way will make the home buying process operate more smoothly.  It also saves you a lot of time and effort by helping you know where to focus your search so you don't unnecessarily research or visit homes that don't fit your criteria.  Here are tips on how to guide your Greater Boston Area home search:

Determine your price range
This is important.  You don't want to buy a home that puts a big strain on your finances.  You want a home that you can pay for comfortably without sacrificing your ability to pay other bills and continue to save money.  Look at your budget and figure out how much you can afford to pay now and how much you can pay each month.  From there, subtract the average monthly cost of property taxes and home repairs.  Finally, use a mortgage calculator.  Input your down payment amount and

Choose the type of home that will fit you
Are you a young professional who doesn't spend much time at home and wants to live where the action is?  Then maybe a condo is a good choice for you.  If you want to plant a garden in your yard, however, a single family home will better suit you.

Narrow down your top locations
Do you drive to work or take public transportation?  Do you need to live within a specific radius of a certain train line or highway?  If so, determine the acceptable boundaries based on your commute needs and do not look at listings outside of those boundaries.  Do you have or plan on having children?  Do you know where you want them to go to school?  This can also help you narrow town which neighborhood or town in which you're willing to live.

Lay out some details--but not too many
Settle how many bedrooms you need and other important details.  If you're very into cooking a baking--a tiny kitchen isn't going to cut it.  That said, do not go overboard.  Keep in mind that many things can be changed.  If you dream of a house with a large, fenced-in yard, don't turn down the perfect place just because it's missing a fence!

Hopefully these tips help get you started on your Greater Boston Area home search.  If you have any further questions about home buying, or want to enlist my professional help, do not hesitate to contact me.

Michael Feldman
Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro

Check Out My Website
See Boston Homes for Sale or Rent
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Saving money on your move to the Greater Boston Area

I already shared tips on moving into your Greater Boston Area home.  Now I will share tips on how to save money while doing so.  Most home buyers are looking to cut costs after making such a big ticket purchase.  It turns out there are many ways to save cash while moving.  Follow these tips to save several hundred over even a few thousand dollars depending on your moving circumstances.

Move at a weird time
This tip can save you a lot.  Most people move in the few days just before and after the first of the month.  If you move during the middle of the month, you can enjoy lower rates on movers or moving vans.  Most people also move during summer months--from May to September.  If you're able to move during the off-season, you can save quite a bit.  Do not be afraid to negotiate for a lower price when moving during off-peak times.  It often works!

Move less stuff
This one is as obvious as it sounds.  Move less stuff.  A lot of the time people move everything without bothering to sort through it first and weed out what they don't really need or want any more.  Sort through everything before packing and save yourself the cost of boxes, movers, etc. dedicated to things you don't need to move anyway.  Sell items you can and donate the rest to charity.

Don't pay for boxes
There are cardboard boxes available for free all over the place.  As long as you start asking around a few weeks ahead of time, you will be able to obtain hundreds of dollars worth of boxes for free.  Ask friends and neighbors if they have boxes saved from any large purchases.  Stop into local retail and grocery stores and ask if they will set aside boxes for you instead of crushing them--most places will say yes.

Don't pay for packing peanuts or paper
Why buy butcher paper for wrapping up dishes when you can use newspaper?  If you don't have a subscription, ask a neighbor to save their papers for you for a week or two.  Instead of packing peanuts, use think creatively about how to wrap fragile items in other items you own.  For example, a beach towel could protect your crystal punch bowl and your t-shirts will cushion stemware.

Hopefully some of these tips help as you move to the Greater Boston Area.  Welcome, and I hope you enjoy it here!  Please subscribe to my blog in order to stay updated on community events and information.  If you have any questions about buying or selling real estate, do not hesitate to contact me!

Michael Feldman
Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro
Check Out My Website
See Boston Homes for Sale or Rent
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Connect with me on LinkedIn

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
Check Out My Website
See Boston Homes for Sale or Rent
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Tips for moving into your Greater Boston area home

Once you've found your ideal Greater Boston area home, checked out the neighborhood, had the house inspected, been approved for a mortgage, negotiated a price, and filled out the paperwork, you probably feel joy and relief.  Then you remember there is a move ahead of you!  As your Greater Boston area real estate agent, I'd like to welcome you to the area (if you weren't living here already) and share some tips on what to do a couple of months ahead of time in order to make your move go over as smoothly as possible.

Sell, donate, & throw away as much as possible


Now is a good time to go through everything you own one-by-one and take an honest stock of whether or not you want to keep it.  Holding on to things you don't use or like just creates more work because you will have to pack and unpack those items, as well as move or pay someone to move them.  Hold a garage sale and donate anything that is left over at the end to charity.  Items that are broken, missing pieces, or very dirty should be thrown away.

Get estimates for all costs


If you are hiring movers, discuss all details related to the move with the company ahead of time.  Do they charge by weight of items, number of boxes, or how many hours it takes to move?  Do they help wrap and pack items, or is that up to you?  Make sure the movers have insurance and that the quote they give you is guaranteed.  If you are not hiring movers, get estimates on your moving truck in advance, asking for details regarding mileage, insurance, gasoline, etc.  Moving is stressful enough--you don't want to have to face expensive surprises at the last minute.

Plan how you will pack


The more organized you are, the easier the move will be.  Generally it is easiest to pack by room, clearly labeling the boxes "Kitchen," "Living Room," etc.  For families, each individual should consider packing a box of "important" items (such as toiletries and undergarments) that they will need within the first couple of days of moving before all of the other boxes have been opened.  Start packing little things that you do not use as early on so there is less to pack in the final days before the move.  To save money, ask friends and grocery stores for cardboard boxes instead of buying them.

I hope these tips help!  If you have any questions about relocating to the Greater Boston area, or know anyone who needs help with buying or selling a home, feel free to contact me.  Have a good move!


Michael Feldman
Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro
Check Out My Website
See Boston Homes for Sale or Rent
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Connect with me on LinkedIn