An experienced Realtor® learns from her client

I’ve been selling real estate in Greater Boston and Metrowest for…well, a long time.  That, combined with earlier professional training and practice, has, clearly, kept me attuned to the market and the people in it.  The state licensing board requires that agents and brokers continue their educations in order to stay licensed.  But, working with a relocating client has given me new insight into all the parts and pieces that go into make a real estate decision and finding a home. And it’s reminded me that if you think you know everything, have seen everything in this field or others..well, think again!

What I know…

I know about home values.  I know the inventory in a various communities.  I now about the schools, the proximity to town amenities and public transportation.  I know how to market a home and how to buy one.  And many of my colleagues know all this as well.   I especially pride myself on keen intuitive skills and an understanding of the ways consumers approach the very personal and often expensive process of buying or selling a home.  But, I don’t know everything.  And to deliver a meaningful service, I need to acknowledge that.

Back in the Boston area

IS THIS HOME?

My new buyers are relocating from abroad with a young family.  Although they are originally from the Boston area, they return here in an entirely new life situation. They ‘re not just looking for 3 bedrooms, a playroom and a backyard.  They ‘re looking for the intangibles too.  And only they can identify those. Is this house or that one really in a neighborhood? Do they trade off proximity to public transportation in order to get a real neighborhood “feel” or a bigger house?  Are they comfortable becoming a two-car family?  Indeed, are they comfortable with a suburban lifestyle where driving is just the way it is?  Our search has so far taken us through five communties, all very different, all with different kinds of appeal. It will take a while to sort through the variables and find the right home.  As experienced as I am, I need to go where my buyers are and view the process through their eyes.

OR THIS?

A good agent keeps on learning

It’s no surprise that 60% of new agents quit real estate in the first year.  90% leave within 5 years.  They want the magic.  The quick return.  And, trust me, it’s not like that.  You need to go through your paces and keep learning. You need to provide the experience and resources that buyers need. You need to respect their intellligence and allow their unique process to move along.  It’s what we do.  Contact us.

No basement?  Just dig one out!

Believe it or not, they are doing just this in London.  Real estate prices in London are among the highest in the world.  Much of the inventory is old or very old, built at a time when there were no basements.  The housing stock is built smack onto the ground–which explains why it’s so hard to heat those homes; the damp and cold just comes up from the floor. Many homeowners are apparently adding basements to solve their needs for more space by digging into the ground under existing construction.  The addition of these basement areas in attached houses is even more amazing.  And I saw this happening on a recent trip to London.

This construction involves careful excavation under the home, reinforcing the brick pillars at each end (this clearly impacts the adjacent houses and the contractor better know what he/she is doing), and removing rock and dirt with conveyor belts. The additonal space is added under the entire length of the house.  Very ambitious and increasingly common.  The project requires the approval of the local Council.  In a recent case, residents from adjacent streets worried that with an underground river and new railway tunnel, “digging out” a basement would cause flooding to surrounding homes.  The Council found no issue and gave the go-ahead.

MOVING DIRT

If you remodel….

When you remodel your bathroom or kitchen, you usually don’t have to worry about the neighbor’s house falling down!  But you will, of course, need proper permitting and approvals and you may need a contractor certified to renovate property built before 1978 (new EPA regulations for homes built before 1978).  You’ll have to assess your needs for more space or updated space, current market conditions and the impact any renovation will have on your home’s value.  Remodel or buy?  Not necessarily an easy question to answer. Our combined expertise in residential real estate and renovation/design makes RG-Homes uniquely positioned to help you work through some of these issues. Contact us.

The Way We Were

Truth is, I started this blog when there was not a snowflake to be seen.  And I, for one, was feeling a bit nostalgic for a winter landscape. Last year, Massachusetts had a snow bonanza! Virtually flake-less this season, some of us were looking back at previous winters with more than a little nostalgia. A light blanket of snow to cover the gray-brown surfaces and barren trees would resonate with our usual winter expecations. And for those of us accustomed to the four seasons, the December warmth (January’s too), the snowless landscape was, well, kind of wierd.  Well, it’s happened.  Just enough and I’m cured!

Those of us still looking back to the high-flying days in real estate when many towns and cities in our state saw nothing but double-digit appreciation with no end in sight, when you listed your property and “they came”, when your home was better than your stock portfolio and you could use it to fund your retirement–well, as we all know, those days are over. It’s going to snow hard again. It has already started. But those good ole days in real estate are probably never to return. And we need to be cured of expectations that don’t lead to profitable decision-making.

Massachusetts Real Estate–The Good News Is…

Some categories of real estate have adjusted enough so that profits can be made.  For developers, multi-families in an increasing number of cases are low enough now that the cost of acquiring them, fixing them up and selling the renovated spaces does, in fact, yield a profit. Good news. Many sellers are factoring in market realities and pricing their properties so that the time on market is reduced and multi-bid scenarios are encouraged.  More good news.  And what can you say about mortgage rates! Unprecedented.  Fixed rates around 4%. How long do you really think that’s going to last? One year?  Two?  Five?  I bought a house in Brookline in 1985 and the mortgage rate was 12%.  And that was good, considering they had been in the 17%-18% range only a few years earlier.  So these are incredibly awesome times for financing a home.

 Still Looking for a Deal?

Here’s a deal for buyers.  Real estate companies thrive on referrals.  Referrals are, simply put, the heart of the business. I’m pleased to offer $500 to anyone who refers a buyer or seller to RG-Homes–when the deal closes. And this is a deal with no expiration date.

And for sellers… did you know that all real estate commissions are not the same?  It’s against the law for members of any industry to agree on a set fee.  And this applies to the real estate industry as well. So when interviewing prospective companies for selling your property make sure you understand that commissions are negotiable.  Our fees at RG-Homes are not set by any corporate entity. Talk to us. We offer innovative, sound marketing strategies for selling your home.  Talk to us about our commission fees, our plan for your sale.

Home and Hearth

In his book, Inquiry by Design, John Zeisel discusses our hard-wired needs–for hearth, nature, sociability, safety, food and light.  No surprise there, right? We all just finished decking our halls in a collective display that affirms the importance of each of these needs. We’re pretty fortunate in this country and the West in general, that we can seek out and successfully acquire many, if not all, of these elements.

What Homeowners and Home Buyers Want

I have spent much of my professional life working to enhance the experience of home and hearth. It’s my passion. And it resulted in the natural integration of both real estate sales and design into one business model. I approach the real estate component of  RG-Homes with an eye toward making your home search, not just sensible and productive, but a meaningful merger of your finances and yours and your family’s spatial needs.

In the renovation and design business we are specifically charged with transforming our clients’ space in ways that meet the very needs highlighted above. The whole evolution of home buyer wishlists to include the kitchen as a gathering place–so different from the turn of the century when the kitchen was often a dark and cavernous space–is a reflection of the push to meet those hard-wired needs in contemporary ways.  Everyone wants the  ”open plan” and designers are asked to create spaces that enhance sociability, allow natural light, and evoke the hearth. And it’s work I love.

Missing a Home

Against this backdrop of fine-tuning our needs for home and hearth, is the astonishing reality of people for whom meeting those needs has been impossible.  I cannot imagine what it would be like to lack the minimal protection of four walls. Never mind the provision of ergonomically pleasing space or access to nature and light. When I think of the time I have spent trying to create spaces with “soft geometries”, color palettes that cool or comfort, environments that welcome the interaction of the generations–all important and rewarding work–when some among us are without the whole package. It is simply stunning.

Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance

So here is group that not only advocates for those without homes, but has the research to show how permanent homes make a difference to people and communities in powerful ways. Not the least of which is savings, actual money saved when we focus on ending homelessness and not just managing it.  I am so looking forward to adding my support to this work.  Talk about rewarding!  This is part and parcel of everything that moves me.

SNOW HAPPENS!

Check out the Massachusetts Housing Alliance at  www.mhsa.net and learn more about them at www.rg-homes.com

We all want to come in out of the cold.

Image via CrunchBase

It just boils down to product over profit.

Let’s be real–Apple made a profit.  An enormous profit.  But, from everything we know about Steve Jobs (from Walter Isaacson’s biography of him anyway), this man was exquisitely, painfully detail-oriented. While he may not have been Thomas Edison in terms of creating something completely new out of whole cloth (and I’ll bet this is debatable), his ability to take existing technology and innovate and invent–well he is every bit a giant.

Attention to detail in real estate and design

In my company and in my conduct details count.  A review of my blogs highlights how a small real estate company and a committed Realtor® focus on offering expert, custom attention. Everything that comes out of my office–my site design, my stationery, my business cards–has been done with care and deliberation.

Every real estate transaction or design project receives a level of attention-to-detail that’s not typically found in either industry. I can’t work any other way.  Simultaneously, this works for my clientele too.

Small details sell houses

It's in the Details

We all know how important staging is in any marketing plan. But small details sell homes.  (Pictures).  These are the kinds of details that should be included in MLS listings and all other media used for advertising. We don’t need to see a picture of a toilet–unless it was designed by Steve Jobs! And, believe it or not, many, many images of toilets appear in MLS listings.

Someone said it was good to use a lot of photos, but, honestly, it doesn’t mean a photo of everything! On the other hand, important architectural or construction vignettes speak to the unique properties of a home or renovation. And they are persuasive to buyers.

Details make a difference and they would find a place in my marketing plan.  We can’t all be visionaries, but we can work seriously with craft and commitment to our client’s needs and in their best interests.

Understanding the Metrowest Boston Real Estate Market

I really don’t want to talk about  content that is readily available in the news and in commonly used real estate sites.  That’s why I haven’t shared sales statistics –quarterly or otherwise.  You can get it elsewhere.  And how do people use that information anyway?  For many buyers in many places, it certainly hasn’t supplied that critical incentive to buy, even with historically low mortgage interest rates. Real estate market trends that are identified are often undone by the next quarter’s data.  And the sum total of national indices are just plain bleak.  A good deal of the time.  The fact is Boston area home values are holding up better than national statistics.

You Still Can’t Beat Location

Not a day goes by when I’m not asked  when the home seller’s market will return.  Or when I’m told by a home buyer that they are going to make a lowball offer because it’s a buyer’s market. Or when people empathize with me as a Realtor® because they automatically assume I must be depressed by market conditions. Hmm.  If you listen to the grim drum beat coming out of the worst hit states (Nevada, California, Florida) or the latest projections from this or that homebuilder group, you are likely to conclude that this is a home buyer’s market. Well, it depends on which communities you’re talking about. You can’t generalize because, to use a cliche, in real estate it’s still all about “location, location, location”.

Newton, Brookline and Cambridge MA Real Estate

I was recently at a group showing in Newton MA. A single-family home in a lovely neighborhood that needed complete renovation.  There were cars parked on both sides of the street and more cruising, looking for a place to park.  There must have been 100+ people–agents and their clients–at this showing. Multiple offers were submitted.  I just put a two-family in Cambridge MA under agreement; there were 6 offers on this property.  The bid that was accepted was over the asking price. And my listings for two, newly renovated condominiums in Brookline’s Washington Square neighborhood sold in less than 24 hours–one at asking, one above.  If you are working in these markets, you are likely to conclude that things are pretty good. And the way you go about home buying or home selling is contingent on what communities you’re operating in.  It’s not a one-size fits-all proposition. The media clamor about curent real estate market conditions is not helpful. Figure this out with a skilled and experienced real estate professional.  Contact Roz at RG-Homes.  

Buying Real Estate for the Long-Term

It’s pretty much understood that we won’t see the kinds of appreciation in property values that we’ve seen in the last decade. Not any time soon. So using the equity in your home to buy up–take the profits and move to “bigger and better”– is a thing of the past for many homeowners. New homes are trending smaller as homeowners and buyers scale down their wants/needs in challenging economic times. So maybe it’s time for many buyers to think about buying for the longer term. (Of course, I’m not talking about first-time buyers here who may not be at a life or employment or financial moment to think like this).

Home Design Focused on Aging In Place

Any home can be viewed in terms of it’s utility for people across the life cycle. Buying a home that has features that make it attractive and useful for “aging in place” or renovating an existing space to accommodate the needs of individuals, couples and families over time–this is a trend that has legs.

Universal Home Design

Universal design is not about grab bars and wheelchair accessibility.  Not at all.  Not any more.  Home design is about considering all of the kinds of lifestyle options that any individual or family will potentially address over the course of their home ownership. Alterations need no longer resemble a hospital room.  On the contrary. Here’s a bathroom design that has everything these owners will require to “age in place”, yet it has a design aesthetic that is truly timeless.  The key is to create normal-looking spaces–as comfortable for a parent carrying a child on his/her hip as for an older person requiring safe surfaces, level entryways and functional work spaces.  In this kitchen, all family members can be accommodated in a warm and welcoming space.

Creative Approaches for Buying, Selling or Designing your Home

When you combine this kind of thinking with green principles and sustainable design–you have a property that will be appealing to a wider pool of home buyers and that will create value in the bargain. It’s a good strategy when you’re looking for a home or when you begin to consider renovation. In these times a creative approach to home ownership is vital. Contact us for an introduction to our innovative services as you buy, sell,  or design your next home.

Two more T stops and you’re at Fenway Park!

Brookine prices stay strong

Property prices are high, relative to other towns and cities.  But the current economic downturn has impacted Brookline less than other places and as in previous down markets, Brookline recovers faster than other places.  The national real estate statistics do not apply here. Indeed, the gloomy statistics for other counties in Massachusetts do not apply here.

Brookline MA Living

The Town’s proximity to Boston, a school system with a strong reputation, good Town services, wonderful restaurants, vibrant commercial “squares” throughout the Town, an active citizenry represented at a Town meeting form of government, (see an example of  the community’s policy interests), an eclectic array of Brookline properties and the T–all of these elements help make Brookline a very desirable place to live. It’s no surprise then, that Brookline is listed as one of the top communities in Massachusetts.

We’ve all been advised that it’s always a good idea to be the least expensive house on the street because the more expensive properties positively impact your own home valuation and there’s tyically plenty of room to improve your property without pricing yourself out of the neighborhood market.  Expanding on that, it’s a very good idea to own propety in a town that can weather what has arguably been one of the most serious housing crises in recent memory–a town in which depreciation remains low and where recovery is quick.  Under present economic conditions, Brookline can really be like money in the bank. In fact a recent survey showed that people believe home ownership in general is like money in your 401K.  Nowhere is this truer than in Brookline.

Check out Affordable Brookline condos at RG-Homes.com.  For many, this is the way to get a toe-hold in this extraordinary Town.  Begin to enjoy the  features that attract so many people to this wonderful comunity. And we can can help you nail down the just the right home.

How did TLC get to mean everything from “could use a coat of paint” to “probably a tear-down”

This is not a fixer-upper!  This is a ruin!

How to Attract the Wrong Buyers!

I’m a Realtor® with over 20 years of experience in all kinds of markets and it never ceases to amaze me that some agents think it’s helpful to exaggerate or understate or otherwise mislead potential clients. Who does this help?  It’s not creative marketing. It’s either a way to persuade the seller that you are skilled in writing real estate copy so as to disguise the flaws in the house. Or it’s a way to attract a set of  buyers who will invariably be disappointed when they view the real house.

How to Attract Serious Buyers!

A lot of real estate agents fail to mention important elements, take photos that obscure real issues or use wide-angle lenses that wildly distort the actual space.  I recently saw an MLS  listing that strategically photographed the “kitchen”. There really was no functioning kitchen.  Two major appliances were not working and to this agent’s credit she did disclose that.  But by selectively shooting the scene, buyers came in unaware that an entire kitchen rehab was necessary. This is not helpful to the seller because the buyers who view the home are not necessarily interested in or able to undertake a whole new kitchen.  It is clearly better that the photos, the text and, let’s be real, the price reflect the actual condition. That way buyers, real buyers, come to the property. What works for the seller is an honest, reality-based and effective marketing plan that brings in buyers who know what to expect from the outset.

To be sure, it’s sometimes hard to come up with language that honestly reflects a home.  I almost dismiss (and you probably do too) any home that is described as “lovely”or “charming”. Essentially cliches, the words are meaningless. I need more. And grandiose language–e.g. “gorgeous”, “fantastic”–always makes me suspicious.  Let’s just tell it like it is. And in difficult economic times with competitive real estate markets, isn’t it better to position your home with accurate content.  Accurate doesn’t mean dull.  Accurate doesn’t mean devoid of words that have impact.  It means giving a true accounting of the property.

Check out  this house to see how property descriptions don’t necessarily tell the whole story. You may not agree with the conclusions; your taste might differ. But, as suggested, avoiding that deadly combination of questionable description and price, is the way to sell your house.  We welcome your questions. Contact us at www.rg-homes.com. We’re going to give you the real deal!

Practical, profitable home improvements

You may want a sauna in your basement and, if you have money to burn, go for it.  But it’s not the type home improvement that often appears on home buyers’ wishlists.  Again, you may have a dream kitchen you’re dying to install, but if you are not sure, really sure, that you will be in your home for a long time, restraint might be in order. Better stick to the kinds of home renovation projects that really make money sense.

Check a recent article that highlights sensible remodeling projects.  This pretty much reflects which kinds of alterations will give you the most bang for your buck. Not mentioned in the article, but also a very good project–adding central air conditioning will also deliver a reasonable return on your investment–in addition to improving your quality of life in the meantime. Which brings me to another point….

Remodel and enjoy your home now!

Too many people wait until they’re ready to sell before they do the kitchen or the bathroom or the deck.  We’ve all seen the homeowners on HGTV’s real estate/design programs who fix up the house to make it more sale-able, only to discover that they regret not having done the work sooner…when they could have enjoyed it.

These are difficult times to be sure, and all the trade journals tell us that homeowners are scaling down their projects to reflect the leaner, more uncertain economic environment.  But, carefullly planned and budgeted home renovations can give you much needed extra space, much needed present time enjoyment as well as the future returns that every home improvement should factor in.  The basement shown at does just that.  It offers practical, real-time, new living space.  And it will deliver a nice return when the homeowner sells.

The interface between real estate and and renovation/design is our special expertise.  You can see the ways in which our portfolio of services can work for you at http://www.rg-homes.com/design-and-renovation-portfolio/.