Real Estate Search Blog

Aside from providing the latest details on Taylor Swift’s new album, Twitter and other forms of social media can be extremely useful when it comes to keeping tabs on the latest real estate news. Whether you’re hungry for foreclosures and short sales, information on recent tax credits, or tips on how to stage your home for a sale, these are the 10 best social media sources for real estate search.

Growth spurt... or Goliath?

1. Economix.Blogs.NYTimes.com

With contributors that include esteemed economics professors from MIT, Harvard University, and Princeton, the New York Times Economix blog helps readers understand the real impact of laws and market fluctuations that are relevant to the housing market. Recent blog posts discuss the impact (or lack thereof) of last year’s home buyer tax credit and the lasting effects of kindergarten education on a student’s life.

2. Twitter.com/Agentopolis

The best source for real estate lifestyle articles that aren’t focused on a specific region. Agentopolis combs through a variety of sources, posting about articles such as 10 Best Cities for Working Women with Kids and Hidden Costs of a First Home.

Porter Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts

3. The Cambridge Real Estate Blog

Harvard graduate and Cambridge real estate agent Charles Cherney tells readers what they can expect from the home buying process, how to find their dream home on Day 1, and when they can expect their home to sell in the Cambridge real estate market. Charles also regularly posts in-depth spotlights on Cambridge neighborhoods and properties.

4. Trulia.com/Voices

These message boards are great to browse through for real estate discussions. Post your own question, general or specific, for free advice from experienced real estate agents located in almost every region in the country.

5. YouTube.com

Another great source for real estate video tours. Check out this Cambridge real estate channel for video tours through the latest Cambridge MA listings.

A screenshot of WellcomeMat.com

6. WellcomeMat.com

A real estate video tour website featuring properties listed by 18,000 real estate agents across the US. Particularly useful for luxury properties in metropolitan areas. A good way to establish a connection with an experienced real estate agent.

7. Zillow.com/Advice

Similar concept to the Trulia message boards; another great source for free expert real estate advice.

8. LinkedIn.com

Any real estate agent that’s not on LinkedIn isn’t worth doing business with. Connect with a real estate agent you are interested in working with, read recommendations from clients or colleagues, find out if your agent has any certifications or designations that are important to you.

9. ConsumerBoomer.com

Even though it’s a blog that’s written for Baby Boomers, there’s a wealth of helpful financial information here that’s helpful for any generation. And though it’s not completely dedicated to real estate, articles include Affordable Vacation Homes and How to Get the Best Deal on Mortgages.

10. Twitter.com/EnergizedSeller

For home selling and staging tips, ask Dan Eason. Visit his website for more tips and tricks at EnergizedSeller.com

Did we miss something? Tell us your favorite social media source for real estate!

Check out the latest short sales and foreclosures in Fall River real estate. You can find details on all of these properties, and many more short sales and foreclosures, by visiting Fall River Real Estate on the web.

Fall River Short Sale

6 Hutton St, Fall River, MA – SHORT SALE

$239,000

3 bed, 1.5 baths

Built in 2006 and located in the Historical Highlands neighborhood.

Fall River Foreclosure

280 Joseph Drive, Fall River, MA – FORECLOSURE

$229,000

3 bed, 1.5 baths

Central air and an inground pool!

Fall River 3-Family Short Sale

1179 Dwelly St, Fall River, MA – SHORT SALE

$179,900

9 bedrooms, 3 baths

Three-family investment opportunity, a large yard, off street parking.

Find details on all of these properties by visiting Fall River Real Estate on the web.

The current housing market presents an excellent opportunity to collect secondary income from a dirt-cheap investment property, especially within Fall River real estate. Our recent article titled “Investment Properties of Fall River Real Estate” spotlights several multi-family homes in Fall River that are under $200,000. Ezine articles are a great resource for first-time real estate investors. On the Ezine articles website, we found some helpful tips on managing property in Fall River MA, written by someone who has managed property for over 20 years. We’ve paraphrased Carol Gibson’s words below:

• Know (and Keep Updated on) Local Ordinances and State Laws
• Be Ethical and Honest
• Have Good Communication Skills
• Have Good Computer Skills
• Be Patient and Have a Sense of Humor
• Be an Excellent Follow-Up Person

There are hundreds of resources for property management on the web. Another option is to hire someone to manage your property for you.

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.

Before the recession, the phrase “house poor” was adopted into the average home buyer’s vocabulary, as buyers hesitated to spend every last penny of their life savings on a down payment for a dream home. To go beyond the “house poor” consideration is to prevent oneself from also becoming “Maintenance poor.”

Marketwatch.com recently published an interesting article for home hunters on how to financially prepare to buy a house in these shaky economic times. To become “Maintenance poor” is to purchase a home unaware of its necessary future repairs with the fatal error of not having enough in the bank to cover these costs.

The article advises house hunters to save at least 1 to 3 percent of a property’s purchase price for major maintenance costs and unexpected expenses. As for mortgage payments, these days buyers should have 6 months of payments saved in the bank because of the wavering job market. For basic repairs like painting and caulking, anyone buying a typical starter home budget $500 to $1,000 a year.

If you’re a home buyer looking at homes in Newton, Natick, Needham, Wellesley, Brookline, and Weston, the top real estate agents of the area are Christine Norcross and Partners. Browse the Homes by Norcross website for Newton listings, and feel free to contact Christine Norcross and Partners if you have any question about Newton real estate or about a particular property.

When shopping for homes you should keep in mind the future value of your home, whether you plan on one day selling it for your retirement or leaving it to your loved ones. Whether your plan is to purchase a home as an investment or to make it your family’s first home, there are several things to research before you buy. You can find the answers to the questions below on the Internet and by visiting the neighborhood and dropping in on its local businesses.

What is the state of the neighborhood?

• Basic needs for future buyers include a low crime rate, parks and recreation facilities, transportation routes (bus stops or train stations), and nearby shopping areas.
• Neighboring homes should be well-maintained.

Visit the schools!

• You can look at public schools on the Internet, but you’ll never know the actual school environment until you visit the school itself.

Are people moving in or moving out?

• Do a Google search for the street you’d like to buy on to see if any of the nearby homes are for sale.

How’s business?

• Aside from checking out the local businesses, you can also visit the town hall or city hall to find out future developments in or around your neighborhood. Developments can increase or decrease surrounding property value and taxes.

Before doing any of the research above, make sure you like what you see in your future neighborhood. Will you enjoy spending time in the area, taking walks with your kids, visiting the local restaurants or cafes? Or area you simply focusing on the best bang for your buck, and not taking the local area into consideration?

For help on browsing Boston real estate, consider the real estate agents at Prudential Prime Properties. Prudential Prime Properties has years of experience helping people find homes in Boston. The firm has years of experience helping residential, commercial, and rental clients find properties. For additional insight on buying real estate in Boston, refer to the Categories list on the right column of this blog.

If your investment instincts are tickled by Boston MA real estate’s falling prices, there are some things you should do before you even begin talking to a real estate agent. Knowledge is power. To be well-informed about investing in Boston real estate is to be prepared for any surprises that might occur along the way. The following tips are provided by The National Real Estate Investors Association.

1. Buy your own home first. This is the best practice in the real estate investment process. You could eventually use your first home as an investment and rental unit for when you purchase an “upgrade” property later on down the line.
2. Read up. The original tip here is “go back to school,” but there are plenty of free resources out there that offer more flexibility. Browse the latest books, build an RSS feed of real estate blogs, take an online course, join a local investment group. Sometimes, the best way to learn is by talking to other people, so joining a group may be the most helpful option. You can learn from others’ stories of success (and failure.)
3. Learn your investment market. Again, joining local groups may be your best bet here. Even if you have lived in the Boston area your entire life, you may be unaware of the habits of renters and students. By talking to others with more experience, you’ll learn what to expect when investing in real estate in Boston.