Day 8 of 90 Best Practices Real Estate 2018

April 2, 2018 by Larry Lawfer

Day 8 of 90 Best Practices Real Estate 2018 Monday’s are not inherently bad or worse than any other day, not at all.They are another day to pursue your dreams, your job, your family, your lifestyle. That being said, it is also true that not all days are “up” days. Some days you have to grind a bit to get done what is necessary. The great week last week, the holiday and this aftermath Monday are more of a challenge.

Exploring all the reasons why I choose to not do all I can do to be who I want and who I am on the inside is perhaps the wrong thinking. Perhaps the better thought is to pick up some books, finish my meditation, listen to a fantastic webinar to rekindle the juices needed to be productive. My reading is always in the realm of real estate best practices, human best practices, thought leaders and people who have already achieved enough success and are willing to share their knowledge and insight.

Who do you look to when looking for inspiration? What books have aided you in overcoming lethargy. Currently I am reading an older book, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle published first in 1997. It states, there is no future, there is no past, there is only now which in turn becomes your future and your past. When you bring your past into your now you will perpetuate your future. This concept frees me from both past and future and focuses me on the now, this moment. This act of continuing a blog when I really want to do nothing is part of what makes the Now so important. Making promises I don’t keep has never been my modus operendi. I will grind today and perhaps this day, Day 8 of 90 Best Practices Real Estate 2018 will surprise me by the time it is history. See you tomorrow.

Your Opportunity to Achieve the American Dream Keeps Getting Better!

July 4, 2017 by Larry Lawfer

This is not your Father’s economy, nor is it that generations opportunities and challenges. It is today when interest rates are still historically low while housing prices are historically high. What is going to happen is on the minds of this generations new first time home buyers. While the numbers do not relate in any other way to yesterday, or for that matter tomorrow, the numbers are staggering.

Forbes.com recently released the latest results of their American Dream Index, in which they measure “the prosperity of the middle class, and…examine which states best support the American Dream.”

The monthly index measures several different economic factors, including goods-producing employment, personal and commercial bankruptcies, building permits, startup activity, unemployment insurance claims, labor force participation, and layoffs.

The national index score was rounded out to 100.0 in January as a baseline for comparison and it rose the fourth straight month in a row to 101.8.

Alaska, coming in at 89.4, represented the lowest score on the index due in part to the recent collapse in oil prices. In contrast, Wyoming came in with the highest score at 115.1. The full results can be seen in the map below.

Forbes Senior Editor Kurt Badenhausen explained why many states saw a boost in the index last month:

“The American Dream Index rose for the fourth straight month to 101.8 propelled by gains in goods-producing jobs and building permits, as well as declines in unemployment claims and mass layoffs.

Goods-producing jobs (manufacturing, mining, construction and agriculture) were up for the ninth straight month in May…Building permits rose for the fourth straight month compared to the prior year.”

Bottom Line

The American Dream, for many, includes being able to own a home of one’s own. With the economy improving in many areas of the country, that dream can finally become a reality.

Loft in Boston zoned residential and commercial for sale

November 26, 2016 by Larry Lawfer

Loft in Boston zoned residential and commercial for sale. Enter your own artist loft and walk across the new bamboo wood floors to the upgraded kitchen area. Lofts have no walls, everything is left to your artistic and design for your life desires. The sense of openness is invigorating and inviting. This loft space has an area for it’s design work and projects. It is back-lit filled and separated from the living area with TV by some design storage.

1391-hyde-park-ave-boston-ma-02136-loft-kitchen

The bathroom was completely redone with Turkish tile. The deep Jacuzzi bath, the toilet alcove for privacy and the walls are all covered in a warm tone Turkish tile. It is the only small room in this loft of more than 1700 square feet. By the laundry area in the loft is a circular staircase that leads to your private roof top area. Another 1700 square feet of private roof top deck is deeded with this loft. Such incredible private city entertainment possibility.

1391hydeparkavegbostonma02136-loft-kitchen

The rest of this building at 1391 Hyde Park Avenue Unit G, Hyde Park, MA 02036 is also zoned commercial and residential. It was originally established and remains the Hyde Park Artists Association as a Condo Association. There are 8 units in this former lumber and hardware building right along the Mother Brook. Condos with a water view is also a unique aspect to this location. Loft living is not for everyone. Condo’s have walls and rooms with names like bedroom, kitchen, dining room and living room; lofts have living room. Unit G has been completely re-habbed in 2015 and is in fantastic, move in condition right now. It comes with a deeded parking spot across the street and there is always room for guests along the fence. Open House on Sunday 12-2, or check the MLS #72056975. Loft in Boston zoned residential and commercial for sale

Boston Area Luxury Housing Market Nov 16 2015

November 17, 2015 by Larry Lawfer

Boston Area Luxury Housing Market Nov 16 2015 comes to you from the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. This report follows the luxury housing market across the world and then drills down into each specific high end area, like the Boston real estate. Luxury is defined as the 10 10% of the reporting market, which in most cases in the US is the MLS. Over the last 90 days and mirroring the last 7 days the average price point for a luxury home has been dipping and is hovering around a 1.86 million dollar mark.

47 Dudley Road, Newton MA 02459 is a home that fits comfortably inside anyone’s definition of luxury. This 3 home private cul de sac sits off the winding Dudley Road in Newton Center. Open Houses on Sunday’s from 11AM to 12:30PM. Once you leave Dudley to drive down this beautiful private way you are taken away from the sounds of the city and you land on a large plot of land with a wonderful house that is currently on the market for $1,849,000. MLS #: 71897990

Price, Days on Market and Inventory round out this report and in general it is reporting a Seller’s market in many of the towns with a few Buyer’s markets in some price points in some towns. Call me if you would like to know what is going on in your neighborhood. Inventory drives the price and as you can see the inventory is dropping right now. A normal market is defined as 6 months of inventory. So with 420 houses on the market, the market would need to sell 70 houses a month.

Price goes down when inventory goes up and it is the condition and the marketing that will dictate your finding and securing a buyer for your home. A property that is receiving 20 showings and one offer in the first month is being marketed well. Price, Condition and Market determine value to the Buyers. The Buyer is the one who determines what they feel is a good price for them That is fair market value.

When your property stays on the market for an extended period of time the value in the eyes of the buying public goes down. The question in their mind is what is wrong with the house when what is wrong is they price was too high to start with and the Seller was determined to get a price that the Buying public wasn’t offering. Real Estate is a process and it pays to have someone with you who knows the way. This has been the Boston Area Luxury Housing Market Nov 16 2015

Price, Condition and Marketing for Boston Area Real Estate

October 16, 2015 by Larry Lawfer

Price, Condition and Marketing for Boston Area Real Estate. Your average agent looks to price as the way to sell your house, the great agent knows that the buyer is motivated by price, condition and marketing. Real estate is a different business and it continues to evolve on a daily basis. The internet is where both buyers and sellers go to for information. While information abounds on the internet, insight into that information does not. You have journalists who have never sold a house talking about the market without really knowing. You have agents who left the meeting after hearing about price being one of the three characteristics for a strong sale without hearing about the way to get the most money for the house through marketing and condition.

Condition is in relation to all the others houses in that area at the same size and price. Comparing one available house to another is exactly what a consumer would and should do. A great agent will know to preview all the competing houses to make sure the house you have listed compares favorably to the others on the market. Staging makes a huge difference. Stages know what the current buyers are looking for in terms of style, colors and amenities. The cost of staging is always less than your first price break because your house does not compare favorably.

Marketing is the holy grail and so few agents have any clue about what they are doing. Most put their listing on the MLS and know that the IDX will feed their property to many sites. This is not internet marketing in it’s best practice. A great agent will know the type of buyer who is looking for this kind of home and they will blog, create videos and social media posts to attract that specific buyer to your listing. Great agents know that sitting back and hoping someone sees your listing is not the way to gather all the buyers you can.

It is not always about price, but sometimes it is. Sometimes you have to look at your house in it condition and the way it is being marketed and say the only way to get more people interested is to put the price point in a spot that will make people understand the bargain. This is true in all price ranges. It is especially true in the luxury markets. Should you have any questions feel free to reach out for more information on Price, Condition and Marketing for Boston Area Real Estate

Boston Real Estate luxury market report

September 30, 2015 by Larry Lawfer

Boston Real Estate luxury market report statistics are provided by the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. The luxury home market acts and reacts very differently than the regular housing market. There is more inventory, the houses stay on the market longer than lesser priced home because the pool of people who can buy these homes is smaller. Dedham real estate is showing only 15 listings in this category. It is true that your money goes further in Dedham than it will in a town like Newton.

Newton real estate has far more houses that would be considered luxury in the greater Boston real estate market. There are 121 houses actively for sale in Newton right now that would fall into this category. 47 Dudley Road, Newton MA 02458 is a listing that fits perfectly into this statistic. On the market for

$1,849,000 there is a Broker’s Open Cocktail Party on Oct 1 from 6-8 PM. Stop by and enjoy a wonderful glass of wine and some great snacks. Because there are fewer luxury houses in any market a single house at a very high price can sway the statistics. These charts show averages.

375 Westfield Street, Dedham, MA 02026 is a house with very compelling design. It is different than most colonials with contemporary flair. It is a house that is built for entertaining. It is also built in a way that each bedroom is apart and away from the others. A 1400 square foot master suite sits atop everything. The graphic on the left is showing that the inventory has been rounding down in the last week. This is to be expected through the rest of the year as people will not list properties as often in the winter, holiday months.

Newton real estate and Dedham real estate are wonderful towns with lots of history. They are different but they are loved by the people who live there. Your buying dollars will always go further in Dedham, while the diversity of housing stock will always be greater in Newton. The point here is that the Boston area move in homes are available and the market is looking very good for the buyers out there right now. This has been the Boston Real Estate luxury market report