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During this economy, it’s imperative that you know what to do as a homebuyer.
The tips below can help you to save money and time, as well as give you a piece of mind!
1. Make sure you get pre-approved for a mortgage before making an offer. Showing up with a pre-approval letter gives you a firm standing that you’re a serious buyer and have the backing to purchase the property.
2. Know when to quit. Keep your head. Reacting with emotion can damage your chances of getting the home you desire. Don’t get caught up in a bidding war for the sake of being the winning bidder or have yourself set living in a home in a certain area before you get a signed offer.
3. Put aside enough money to cover closing costs Find out a Good Faith Estimate of the loan-related fees are from your lender. Don’t go into the closing blind to what other costs you may have to pay for or else you may end up foregoing a new carpet for a month’s mortgage!
4. Try to have coordinating move in/move out dates Try avoiding moving all your things into storage while you live with relatives for two weeks. No one likes to move twice!
5. Home inspection? Definitely! No home inspection could mean finding a leak months later that could have been fixed before you moved in!
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Buying a home is an important investment however your primary focus should be to solve a housing need. The process can be very complicated if you do not work with industry professionals that can provide accurate information and advise you. The professionals include mortgage lenders, Realtors, attorneys, home inspectors and accountants. If you are a first-time home buyer, you may qualify for a tax credit ($8000 in 2009) and could be eligible for special financing programs.
For a map based search of all properties listed in the MA MLS go to

Let Burlington MA real estate assist you in finding the right property to meet your needs from local area homes for sale, foreclosure listings (bank-owned), country properties, land, condominiums and equine facilities -- all through the MA Multiple Listing Service (MLS). request relocation, school and demographic information.
The Massachusetts home search is easy with "quick search" options to search for MA real estate. Let us assist you in finding the property that meets your needs. The Virtual Homes MLS Map Search provides all MLS listings plotted in each town on a map. RE/MAX Innovations real estate agents can assist you in your search for the perfect home (877) 266-9747.
Massachusetts Multiple Listing Service- Search the MLS for all NH property listings. Go to MA MLS.
Massachusetts Foreclosures and Bank Owned Homes - Register to receive New Hampshire foreclosure (bank-owned) listings and short sale opportunities. Go To MA Bank Owned
Home Search Service- Home search is a web-based real estate software tool (MLSpulse) that keeps you continually informed of your local real estate market. Virtual Homes real estate provides access to real estate, relocation and town information in New England states. Massachusetts Home Buyers Guide is a great resource for all consumers interested in purchasing MA real estate.
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Ironically I recently discovered I was not the only soul in Boston, that felt like being stranded on a deserted island. A close friend moved to Boston from NYC yes Manhattan. And asked "What do you do besides work? I replied the usual shopping, running errands and venturing to the occasional yoga class when time allowed. Well, after 10 days of each others companionship while her furniture was being delivered and the finishing touches applied to her condo. Oh, did I forget to mention she was a house guest during this time. She casually mentioned " You know so many people, how come you don't hang out with them? I thought about the question before offering a reply. Then I responded with " Like you I'm not a native of Boston although for the past 10 years since I returned from Canada, I've lived in 3 communities Salem, Swampscott and Burlington MA most of the people in my circle are either Realtors, Home Appraisers, Home Inspectors, Real Estate Attorneys and past clients. I shamefully had to admit I don't know anyone that shares my outside interests.
She was silent for a moment and then said " I lived in Manhattan for the past 15 years and within that time I have hundreds of friends there. She continued to add that although Manhattan is busy and to an outsider it seems cold and unfriendly. The truth is that people in NYC love to socialize. It's very common to dine out 7 days a week and spend hours if not days shopping the many stores and boutiques scattered over the island. So why is it so difficult to do the same in Boston?
Perhaps, you noticed what we started to notice over the proceeding days. Bostonians tend to do the same thing day in and day out. Especially if your single, between 25 - 40 yrs old. You develop a routine. When you need cloths you go to the mall, when you need food you go to the local grocery mega store and when you need to socialize you find yourself at the mercy of friends from the office and pray they have time to join you for one. Before rushing home to their families. Oh and my all time favorite. They set you up with a "Friend"
This is not a cure but a bandage on a broken leg. Now, don't get me wrong it's great if you like to live in a cocoon. Yes, I said cocoon! Think about it... we do it everyday. We screen our calls with caller ID, we screen our mail, we screen our email and direct any unknown email to spam. We like in gated communities or have garages so people even our neighbors don't know if we're home or not. If we go to bars we give fake names and phone numbers to people we're not interested in that waste hours of our time trying to woo us. Then we complain we don't have any friends.
As you can see this is a double edge sword, so how do we cure this? Meetup.com Yes, here is the answer. If you have an interest in Horses, Dogs, Spiritual Growth, Knitting, Scuba Diving, Shopping, Dance, Business Networking, Gardening or what ever...this is the place. It's not like "My Space" or "Face book" that are only on-line to help you connect with people you already know it's a site that you can actually join for Free and based on your interest attend a local meeting. Even if you just like to do Sunday brunch but don't like to do it alone. They have a group of folks that do it and you can also attend and learn about Local Restaurants that you may have never visited otherwise.
Please understand this is simply my opinion of a resource I found extremely useful in making lasting friendships and perhaps it's not for you. But if of my clients said they were tired of spending too much time alone and they wanted to expand their horizions I would absolutely recommend this site. But if your not that adventurous there are some great local magazines "the Improper Bostonian" and the "Boston Magazine"
If you know of another way for new comers to Boston to grow their social network, please add to this post.
Best wishes,
Lisa
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Burlington 07 vs 08 Values |
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2007 |
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2008 |
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Avg Home Sale Price |
$492,102 |
Avg Home Sale Price |
$390,807 |
-20.58% |
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Median Sale Price |
$434,555 |
Median Sale Price |
$367,500 |
-15.43% |
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# of Homes Sold |
171 |
# of Homes Sold |
136 |
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Avg Days on Market |
143 |
Avg Days on Market |
113 |
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Fox Hill Elementary School |
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2007 |
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2008 |
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Avg Home Sale Price |
$467,142 |
Avg Home Sale Price |
$423,417 |
-9.36% |
|
Median Sale Price |
$451,950 |
Median Sale Price |
$414,000 |
-8.40% |
|
# of Homes Sold |
30 |
# of Homes Sold |
33 |
|
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Avg Days on Market |
119 |
Avg Days on Market |
117 |
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Memorial Elementary School |
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2007 |
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2008 |
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Avg Home Sale Price |
$454,127 |
Avg Home Sale Price |
$382,056 |
-15.87% |
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Median Sale Price |
$448,750 |
Median Sale Price |
$365,000 |
-18.66% |
|
# of Homes Sold |
16 |
# of Homes Sold |
9 |
|
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Avg Days on Market |
129 |
Avg Days on Market |
126 |
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Pine Glen ElementarySchool |
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2007 |
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2008 |
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Avg Home Sale Price |
$420,606 |
Avg Home Sale Price |
$389,880 |
-7.31% |
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Median Sale Price |
$405,000 |
Median Sale Price |
$380,000 |
-6.17% |
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# of Homes Sold |
25 |
# of Homes Sold |
25 |
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Avg Days on Market |
138 |
Avg Days on Market |
65 |
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Francis Wyman Elementary School |
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2007 |
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2008 |
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Avg Home Sale Price |
$456,497 |
Avg Home Sale Price |
$397,971 |
-12.82% |
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Median Sale Price |
$422,250 |
Median Sale Price |
$360,000 |
-14.74% |
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# of Homes Sold |
36 |
# of Homes Sold |
17 |
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Avg Days on Market |
131 |
Avg Days on Market |
158 |
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Please note that these numbers are based on MLS. Not all listings in MLS are required to provide an elementary/grade school in the listing sheet.
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Has anyone noticed that activity is starting to gain momentum lately?, I am in the Middlesex county region in Mass....
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