Real Estate Search Blog

If you’re reading this blog, you obviously know the value of the Internet when it comes to real estate search. Home buyers today enjoy the ability to search the newest real estate listings, participate in online forums, and find valuable city data. At the beginning of the real estate search, a home buyer might spend the bulk of his or her time digging through thousands of web sites, MLS listings, and countless real estate agents. It’s inevitable that information overload will take its toll, leaving the home buyer even more lost than they were at the start of their real estate search.

This is where the need for a trusted, tech-savvy real estate agent comes in. A few notable real estate agents in the Boston area have attained the e-PRO Designation, a certification which recognizes the ability of a REALTOR® to use the Internet and advanced technology to assist home buyers. The certification is endorsed by the National Association of REALTORS® and entails classes and a final exam. Wellesley real estate agent Christine Norcross, Cambridge MA real estate agent Charles Cherney, and Cape Ann real estate agent Rosemary Quarato are three Boston area or Massachusetts real estate agents who have earned the e-PRO Designation.

Here are some benefits to working with an e-PRO (credited to the e-PRO NAR website):

• Online home tours — Check out Cambridge real estate on YouTube!
• Instant access to comprehensive neighborhood data – Look at recent Wellesley real estate and Boston area market reports!
• Extensive property listings – Get instant access to Cape Ann real estate listings!
• Immediate email notification of just-listed homes meeting your criteria
• Referral networks and online forums
• Newsletters on current real estate conditions in your area
• Electronic faxes sent to you by email
• Advanced software, PDAs, and laptops to find you answers on the spot

Whether you’re the type of person who always has the latest gadget, or you’re the type of person who’d rather write a letter than type an email — the benefits to working with an e-PRO designated REALTOR® in today’s technologically charged world are substantial.

Boston real estate is hoppin’! There comes a time in life when an abrupt change can turn life completely around, in a good way. When looking to settle down and purchase real estate, most people do not stay within the limits of the town they grew up. Relocating to a different city can be an exciting, life-changing move.

The city of Boston has been opening its arms to newcomers since the first immigrant arrived at the Port of Boston long ago. Things have changed a great deal since then (though Boston has retained its soft spot for cobble-stoned streets and brownstones).

Here are a few highlights of exciting things that happened in Boston over the past year:

Boston residents and others were invited to skate on the ice at Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. First Skate at Fenway Park was arranged in preparation for the NHL’s Winter Classic Game on January 1st.

The 2nd annual Boston Greenfest took over Boston last summer with music, art, seminars, workshops, and activities.

What would a major city be without a Restaurant Week? Boston area residents enjoyed the delicious cookery of over 200 restaurants.

Though not quite up there with Paris or New York, Boston Fashion Week has grown over the years to become a press-magnet and party-fest. All the better for its guests!

Renee Zelwegger and James Franco won the annual Harvard Hasty Pudding Award.

(Not a killer bee attack) Surrogates Filmed in Boston, along with many more movies:

• The Women, starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening and Eva Mendes: September 12.
• My Best Friend’s Girl, starring Dane Cook and Kate Hudson: September 19.
• Bride Wars, starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway: January 9, 2009.
• Paul Blart: Mall Cop, starring Kevin James: January 16, 2009.
• The Pink Panther 2, starring Steve Martin and Andy Garcia: February 6, 2009.
• The Box, starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden: March 20, 2009.
• Real Men Cry, starring Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke: June 2009.
• Ashecliffe, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Martin Scorsese: October 2, 2009.
• The Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis: November 20, 2009.
• The Company Men, starring Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones.

According to a January 2010 Market Watch survey, home buyers look for these 10 features when shopping for their dream home.

• Large kitchens with an island.
• Energy-efficient features. Energy-efficient appliances, high-efficiency insulation, and energy-saving windows.
• Home office or study. The trend is away from dining rooms and toward spare concept rooms.
• Main-floor master suite.
• Outdoor spaces. Visit HGTV.com for ideas on how to transform your back yard to an “outdoor living room.”
• Ceiling fans
• Master suite soaker tubs and oversized showers.
• Stone and brick exteriors.
• Community parks with walkways and playgrounds. Use Google Maps to note the public recreation areas in your neighborhood, then use this to your advantage when selling your home with an experienced real estate agent.
• Two-car garages.

***

If you are in need of an experienced real estate agent, RealEstateSearchBlog.net would like to personally recommend the following real estate agents in Massachusetts:

Charles Cherney of Hammond Real Estate:  Cambridge Real Estate

Michael D. Lyons of Prudential Lyons Group Real Estate: Boston Real Estate

Marguerite Cashman of Arrow Realty Group: Fall River Real Estate

Christine Norcross & Partners of William Raveis Real Estate: Newton Real Estate

Rosemary Quarato of RE/MAX: Cape Ann Real Estate

And for the home hunters seeking real estate in Connecticut:

Jerry and Maureen Sherman of William Raveis Real Estate: CT Shoreline Real Estate / CT Waterfront Real Estate

If you’re preparing to or already in the process of selling a home, here’s a way to squeeze more cash out of your property. Massachusetts has alloted over $6 million dollars to help you get money back for your old appliances. The Massachusetts Appliance Rebates program is scheduled to begin in March 2010.

Eligible products include

• Refrigerators
• Freezers
• Clothes washers
• Dishwashers

For more information, contact the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

Prudential Prime Properties is a Boston real estate firm that has years of real estate market experience to fine-tune its home-selling strategies. If you are hoping to sell real estate in Boston, list your property with Prudential Prime Properties.

There is an extremely helpful Boston Globe article offering loan-securing tips for new and seasoned home buyers. Buying Boston real estate and Massachusetts real estate in general is not as hard as many think it is.

• First-time buyers have plenty of options when it comes to securing a loan. The homebuyer tax credit is a good example that even extends to repeat buyers. Conventional loans for relatively smaller mortgages, which can be secured for as low as 3% down, are another example.
• Veterans, surviving spouses, and active duty members can secure a loan for 0% down.
• Massresources.org offers 30 and 40 year mortgages for 3% down. There are income requirements but they are not nearly as strict as Section 8 housing restrictions.
• Bostonhomecenter.com is a great resource for people looking for similar programs catered to Boston real estate.
• Contact your town or city offices to find out if there are additional programs available for your use.

For more great resources on Boston real estate, visit Prudential Prime Properties on the web.

In 2009, 54% of people that bought real estate in Massachusetts said that they believed their new home was a better financial investment than stocks. The statistic comes from a study published on February 9th, 2010 by the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®. An additional 29% of buyers said that their new home was as good as an investment as stocks. For sellers of property, the feelings were positive as well. Sellers in Massachusetts typically sold their properties at 94% of their asking price.

Why buy property in Boston? Massachusetts property, particularly in-demand Boston real estate, is an excellent opportunity to invest. Right now there are hundreds of condos in Boston, single-family homes in Boston, and multi-family homes in Boston that are on the market — and offered at a great value. Rental property in Boston will always be in demand due to the large number of students and working professionals entering the market at any given time. Buying real estate in Boston is a great opportunity to earn extra income, and hold onto a valuable asset for your future or for the future of your children and loved ones.

Thinking about relocating to Boston? Why not? The Travel Channel thinks Boston is one of the country’s most exciting places to visit — and we think Boston is one of the most exciting places to live. Here’s a list of Travel Channel highlights:

Man vs. Food: Adam visited Eagle’s Deli and challenges a customer to a giant hamburger-eating duel.

Samantha Brown: Sam competed in a sausage-eating contest in East Boston.

Family Travels: The show took viewers on a historical walking tour led by costumed colonials.

The first step in the relocation process is visiting the city you’d like to live in. Visit Boston for a week and try out its restaurants (see the previous entry on Restaurant Week), museums, and shopping areas. Unsure of which neighborhood you’d like to buy in? Do you love one particular neighborhood, but are you interested in researching comparable areas? Visit Prudential Prime Properties on the web to learn all about Boston real estate and look at the homes for sale in Boston.

Boston’s Restaurant Week is the perfect time to visit and take a look at what Boston real estate has to offer. Restaurant Week in Boston takes place this year from March 14th to 19th and March 21st-26th. This is your chance to sample all of the great restaurants that the City of Boston has to offer without emptying your kids’ college fund! At over 200 participating restaurants, a three course lunch menu is only $20.10, a three-course dinner menu is only $33.10, and a new two-course lunch menu is only $15.09 (an entree and either a dessert or an appetizer).

The list of restaurants isn’t available anywhere on the Web just yet, but here’s six of the 200 restaurants who fed Bostonians in last year’s Restaurant Week:

Via Matta (Italian, Back Bay) *

The Capital Grille (American, Back Bay)

Mamma Maria (Italian, North End)

Oak Room at The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel (Steak, Back Bay)

Oishii Boston (Sushi, South End)

Top of the Hub (American, Back Bay)

*This blogger highly recommends Via Matta. Mmm.

Visit Prudential Prime Properties on the web to scope out the many options for real estate in Boston.

Buyers, and tentative buyers, of foreclosed properties in several Boston neighborhoods may be eligible for low-interest loans or grants up to $50,000 for purchase or renovation costs. See this Boston Herald article on the $13.6 million dollar grant recently awarded to Boston by the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

For in-depth information about real estate in Boston and its surrounding neighborhoods, visit Prudential Prime Properties on the web. Once there, you can search Back Bay Boston Homes for Sale, Beacon Hill Realty, North End Boston Condos for Sale & Boston Rentals.

The above penthouse studio condo is located at 1091 Boylston Street in Boston’s Back Bay. Living here would put you steps away from some of the swankiest shops in Boston on Newbury Street. A thriving neighborhood, Newbury Street and the Back Bay are stocked with the city’s most cutting edge restaurants and bars. This condo is ideal for a college student (it’s located directly across from Berklee College of Music), or as an investment property.

For more details on this listing, visit Prudential Prime Properties online. While you’re there, browse the MLS listings of other properties in Boston real estate. For expert guidance on real estate in Boston and all that relocating to Boston has to offer, Prudential Prime Properties will be able to answer all of your questions.