Tips for Holiday Decorating on a Budget

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The holidays are approaching. Today, we thought we'd do something a little different and share this festive video on holiday decorating tips from HGTV. Designer Angelo Surmelis shares several great ideas to spread holiday cheer throughout the home. Here are some of our favorites.

1. Pay attention to the mantle. If you don't have some already, buy some kind of garland to drape over the mantle. Next, use leftover ornaments and candles to add light and texture. When choosing ornaments and candles, ensure they are in the same color-palette. This helps make your mantle a great focal point!
2. Use smaller Christmas trees. Every house has their main Christmas tree. In addition, you can also purchase smaller, inexpensive, eco-friendly trees to place throughout the home. Decorate these trees with strips of fabric from a T-shirt in holiday colors to save money for the main tree.
3. Use what you have. Be resourceful. Adding a plate charger and place mat to your everyday dining set adds some jazz to your table. Fresh-cut flowers and candles will help finish the look. You don't need grand, expensive candles -- a little candlelight goes a long way!

As you can see, it doesn't take much to make your home feel more festive. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

How to Upgrade Your Boston Home to Sell for Top Dollar

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A lot of people think that if they put $20,000 into remodeling their kitchen, their home will instantly be worth an extra $30,000. Unfortunately, this isn't true, but kitchens are important when remodeling.

However, if you're repairing your home to add some extra value, you'll want to start in the front. A buyer makes a decision about a property in an average of seven seconds. Put out fresh mulch, plant seasonal plants and flowers, and even repaint your front door or purchase a new one. Buyers love seeing nice front doors. It's October, so pumpkins at the doorstep may entice some buyers.

Now let's focus on the entryway of your home, as it is where the buyers will be heading next. It's important to remember that you need to declutter your property at this point. Getting things off of your counters will make a big difference. Buyers like to see neat, clean, and organized homes. Remember to remove personal photos and thin out your bookshelves to showcase them. Don't forget to clear out your closet to show how large it is.

Another easy way to add value is to repaint your home. Painting always adds value, so go for a neutral earth tone. Not everyone likes a pink bedroom. When repainting in your home, strive for uniformity and consistency.

Cleaning your home is also a surefire way to add value to your home. I would suggest hiring a maid for a day and just relaxing. I cannot stress this enough. Clean, clean, clean! Clean homes always sell for more money.

Lighting is important too. When a buyer walks in your home they need to be able to see it. Turn on all your lights and open up all your windows. Nobody likes a dark home.

Staging is another crucial thing to do if you want to sell for a little extra money. We can actually come in and take a look at your home and suggest ways that you can make it more appealing to buyers. I even have some home staging companies that I can refer you to.

If you're looking to sell your home in Boston, please don't hesitate to contact me! I would love to help you out!

Our Top Questions for a Successful House Hunt

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Today, I'll go over some key questions for our house hunters to ask in order to find the perfect house.

The first thing you should ask about is the neighborhood. If you really like a house, go for a walk in the neighborhood. You'll bump into other neighbors, and they will tell you all about the neighborhood. It's also a good idea to stop by the neighborhood at 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to see the traffic pattern around the house you are interested in.

Ask about schools. There are several websites you can go to. I use GreatSchools.org, which tells you about school sizes, teacher to student ratios, and more. You can also go to the district in that town. They are always happy to answer questions.

Also, ask about utility bills. This is a fair question to ask, especially considering the last winter we had. It's good to know what utility bills are running at so you can prepare your budget.

Finally, ask about any big ticket items. You don't want any surprises when you buy a house. How old is the roof? A new roof can run $10,000 to $50,000 depending on the size of the house. Also, ask about the water heater and HVAC systems. Older outdoor AC units may need new compressors, which is a big cost. Your home inspector will be able to point out any issues with the house, but make sure you ask about these specific items.

If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. My team and I would be happy to help you!

What's the Secret to Pricing Your Boston Home for the Best Results?

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Should you hire a real estate agent to sell your home? More and more people head to the internet to find their home value, but that's not always the wisest decision.

It's a pretty smart investment to work with an agent to find out how much your home is worth. Online home evaluations don't take into account all the improvements you've done to your house and don't accurately account for recent home sales in your area. All in all, the home value you find online is a broad estimate, whereas an agent can come closer to pinpointing the true market value of your home.

A full-time real estate agent is looking at inventory every single day and will be your best source for finding your market value. They know exactly what houses are selling for, the price per square foot, and what the improvements you've made will bring for you in the market.

Give us a call or shoot us an email if you want tips and guidance on the home sale process. We have the resources to help you sell quickly and for top dollar! We hope to hear from you soon!

How Is the Boston Market Performing?

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We are in the midst of one of our hottest months of the year, so we thought it would be a great time to bring you a quick update on the market.

Over the last few months, home prices have remained relatively stable, depending on the price point you are in. Overall, we have seen an increase in home prices since the beginning of the year.

We are definitely still in a seller’s market right now. There are plenty of buyers still out there looking for properties, and a lack of inventory for them to choose from.

Typically, the fall market is a buyer’s market because there are fewer motivated buyers and more motivated sellers. It will be interesting to see what happens this fall, as we are still not sure how long the market is going to continue to be hot.

Inventory is down to 92 active listings right now, but we should see that picking up again come Labor Day.

In the next few months, home prices should go up, especially given what’s going on in China. We also think interest rates will stay down and the Fed won’t be raising them so our prices will remain stable.

If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

The Top 10 Renovations that Are Sure to Save You Money

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Today I'd like to share an interesting video I found on HGTV. It documents the ten best renovations that you can make on your home that won't cause you to go broke! Renovations can get expensive, but here are some ideas to help you get more bang for your buck.

10. Using subway tiles is an inexpensive way to redo your kitchen and add a retro feel to it.

9. Speaking of a retro feel, using vintage furniture and fixtures can look and feel great on your wallet. 

8. You can create an 'art wall' by collecting used wood. This hand-crafted, old-school look is sure to impress your guests.

7. Instead of ripping out your hardwood floors entirely, just replace the ones that cannot be used anymore. Lacing new boards in with old ones has an eye-catching look.

6. Changing the knobs on your cabinets and doors can create a whole different feel in a kitchen.

5. Instead of updating your entire bathroom, just refinish your tub. It makes everything else look new again.

4. Painting your home by yourself can be a huge money-saver.

3. Hiring a good Realtor can save you money as well. They know how to negotiate deals and get you the best price on a home that you're buying or selling. Talk to me about this!

2. Waterproofing your roof can save you tons and tons of money down the road. Being proactive about major structural issues in your home is always a good idea.

1. The last couple saved nearly $20,000 renovating their home because they knew a good mill-worker. While I can't promise that you'll save that much, I do know good contractors that can offer you discounts on their services!

So, there you have it. Ten easy ways to save money while renovating your home. While these are all great ideas, I'd prefer if you spoke with me before you went about ripping up your house.

Not all renovations are necessary if you're trying to get top dollar before a sale. Often times the most expensive renovations will not make you the most money back - if you get any money back at all.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions about this video, or if you have any Wellesley real estate needs!

What's the Secret to Winning Multiple Offer Situations?

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Thanks for joining us again. Today we are going to talk about dealing with multiple offers on a home, from a buyer's and seller's perspective.

We are definitely seeing a lot of multiple offers here in Wellesley. In fact, just yesterday we saw a property sell for $100,000 over asking price after having 11 offers on it. 

The most important thing to remember when making an offer is not necessarily the price. You want to look at all the terms and conditions of an offer to see if it's the best fit. Sometimes waiving inspections or mortgage contingencies matter more to a buyer than just the price. 

Cash is king, but not always. An offer is about terms. Sometimes the close date may be more important than the price. Sellers understand that most people can get a mortgage so I don't think they are too concerned about buyers not getting one. 

I think a personal letter is always a good thing because it appeals to the seller's humanity and allows them to envision someone else in their home. It is a nice personal touch that can help you stand out from the crowd. 

Before you start writing offers or even start looking at homes for that matter, a pre-approval is a must. Nobody will accept your offer without one, and if you don't have one, you may be looking at homes you will not be able to afford. 

If you receive multiple offers, you are going to get the most money in the first few days while demand is high. Take the money and run!

If you have any questions for us, or are thinking about buying or selling in Wellesley in 2015, give us a call or send us an email. Talk to you soon!

Who is Benefitting from Wellesley Market Conditions?

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Hey everyone, I'm here today to give you a quick market update on Wellesley real estate. Lately, we have been seeing a lot of activity, with a lot of buyers out there looking for homes. Sellers have been seeing a lot of multiple offers lately, as every home that comes onto the market has a new crop of buyers looking at it. We have seen many buyers offer above asking price in Wellesley.

It is a great time to sell here in Wellesley. This seller's market will run from now until around June 1, where it will then level out for the summer. One interesting thing that happened this week has to do with interest rates. They increased this last week, which will affect the number of sellers out there and the kind of prices they are paying. Even though rates have gone up, home prices are going down as a trade-off. 

Before we go, we also thought we would share a few graphics with you to highlight some current conditions. The first shows our active inventory, which made a huge jump in March. The second graphic is the number of unit sales in Wellesley over time.

There you have it, the latest conditions here in Wellesley. If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to speaking soon!

Existing Home Sales Skyrocket!