Friday, March 16, 2012

Advice to Buyers for 2012


Get pre-qualified and if credit is an issue – clean it up!  Don’t wait for time to solve an issue that you should take control of today.  There are professionals who can guide you through the steps to raise your credit score.  This is a major element of prequalification and while banks are offering low mortgage rates, they have tightened up their lending criteria.  Most offers on real estate won’t be considered without a pre-approval.   And make sure its from a reputable lending institution.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Massachusetts Home Sales Up for Seventh Straight Month

This article appeared in March 1, 2012 Martha's Vineyard Times:

Home sale prices fell again in January as sales rose for the seventh straight month, according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.  Sales in January were up 3.7% over January 2011.

The median selling price for a single-family home in Massachusetts last month was $265,000, a drop of 5% from January 2011.  The association also reported that detached single-family homes stayed on the market an average of 128 days in January 2012 compared to an average of 120 days in January 2011.

"With each month of improved economic news, buyer confidence continues to build," association president Trisha McCarthy, said in a statement Tuesday to the State House News Service.  "It is this confidence combined with the ongoing low interest rates and home affordability that will lead to a real estate market recovery."