Friday, October 15, 2010
Century21 Annex Realty Agent's Summer Contest Ends in a Tie and a Dinner!
A friendly summer contest amongst the Century21 Annex Realty agents ended in a tie so all the agents were invited to an evening out at a local restaurant and the broker/owners picked up the tab ; )
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Rescheduled: Crane Library hosts Vintage Car Show and Songs of the Sixties - Quincy, MA - The Patriot Ledger
Due to the rainy day forecast for Saturday, the Quincy High Car Show, on the lawn of the Thomas Crane Library in Quincy, has been rescheduled to Sunday, October 17th. The show hours are 10am to 2pm. Crane Library hosts Vintage Car Show and Songs of the Sixties - Quincy, MA - The Patriot Ledger
Friday, September 24, 2010
Poll of Quincy Real Estate Agents
In a recent poll of Quincy Real Estate agents to determine their opinion of the local market, 68% said that the prices of existing single family home was still dropping, and the other 32 % said that prices a\have stabilized. When it came to estimating the sale activity, 88% responded that the market is still slow and only 12% answered that the market had finally stabilized.
The view of the multi-family was slightly more optimistic. 53% of those who answered the surveyed felt that sales were still dropping, 33 % and 14% saw a slight improvement in prices. This optimism was also reflected in viewing market activity, 13% seeing an improvement in sales, 27 percent saying that sales levels are relatively stable and 60% still seeing a decline in the market.
What's happening in your town?
The view of the multi-family was slightly more optimistic. 53% of those who answered the surveyed felt that sales were still dropping, 33 % and 14% saw a slight improvement in prices. This optimism was also reflected in viewing market activity, 13% seeing an improvement in sales, 27 percent saying that sales levels are relatively stable and 60% still seeing a decline in the market.
What's happening in your town?
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Don't Throw Away The Snow Boots and the Wool Hats
Who are we to believe? The old Almanac or the Weather bureau? Watch this video for their predictions.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Your Real Estate Listing and Rain on the Lawn
After many dry days, it rained here last night. "Weather dot com" data shows that the last significant rainfall of 0.49" was 11 days ago. Not a flood and not just a light sprinkle, but almost 3/4 hour of moderate to light rain. More rain is expected this week.
If the lawn on any of your listings looks like mine, it is mostly brown with patches of green. Last nights rain and today's possible thunder showers are to be followed by two dry partly sunny days, a rainy Thursday and sunny Friday.
This mixed bag of weather may awaken the lawn so that by the weekend and your next Open House, it will show new signs of life. This might be an opportunity to get some fresh out door pictures for your listings. And, if the lawn and shrubs respond vigorously, look to see if they neeed a trimming!
Good luck in changing your listing to 'Under Agreement'.
If the lawn on any of your listings looks like mine, it is mostly brown with patches of green. Last nights rain and today's possible thunder showers are to be followed by two dry partly sunny days, a rainy Thursday and sunny Friday.
This mixed bag of weather may awaken the lawn so that by the weekend and your next Open House, it will show new signs of life. This might be an opportunity to get some fresh out door pictures for your listings. And, if the lawn and shrubs respond vigorously, look to see if they neeed a trimming!
Good luck in changing your listing to 'Under Agreement'.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
What Does Your Lawn look Like? Welcome to Green Aches -
I'm beginning to like the color of my brown lawn! I have two neigbors with in-ground watering systems. Dutifully, at 6 am, their lawns get watered. Because one neighbor's lawn is three large pine trees, as well, neither the water or their lawn service have made much progress in improving the lawn.
Another neighbor's lawn , gets the afternoon sun, that doesn't seem as intense as the sun in the morning. It is also watered automatically and is routinely professionally serviced. That must cost big bucks! And then my third neighbor does his own watering and has a lawn service. That lawn is 50/50, green and brown.
And then there is my lawn. All spring it's very, very green and very, very tall. I have read that the blades of grass don't obsess over their looks! Besides, that lets the roots go deep (?). Right now, it's mostly brown except for a few patches of hardy weeds and dandelions. In September, as the rains return, so will the green color and by the late fall, just as the leaves begin to fall ( ;-D it will have greened out again!
Now read about someone who is obsessed about his lawn: Welcome to Green Aches - The Boston Globe
Another neighbor's lawn , gets the afternoon sun, that doesn't seem as intense as the sun in the morning. It is also watered automatically and is routinely professionally serviced. That must cost big bucks! And then my third neighbor does his own watering and has a lawn service. That lawn is 50/50, green and brown.
And then there is my lawn. All spring it's very, very green and very, very tall. I have read that the blades of grass don't obsess over their looks! Besides, that lets the roots go deep (?). Right now, it's mostly brown except for a few patches of hardy weeds and dandelions. In September, as the rains return, so will the green color and by the late fall, just as the leaves begin to fall ( ;-D it will have greened out again!
Now read about someone who is obsessed about his lawn: Welcome to Green Aches - The Boston Globe
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Homeowner Oil Heating System Upgrade and Insurance Law - Extended
Do you have oil heat in your home? Then you should know that the date for compliance with the new Massachusetts Law "Homeowner Oil Heating System Upgrade and Insurance Law" has been extended until September 30, 2011. Insurance companies must have had the optional insurance available as of July 1, 2010. To learn more of the fine details, check out the site of the Mass DEP that has information about exemptions, approximate costs as well as a sketch of an upgraded system.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Sales Class Studies Income Approach to Real Estate Appraisal
Sales Class at Annex Real Estate School studies the Income Approach to Real Estate Appraisal
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Surprising Demographic
Last weekend, we had an accelerated Real Estate Salesperson Class at Annex Real Estate School This class is a pre- requisite to taking the Massachusetts state Real Estate Salesperson exam.
We discovered that the mean age for approximately 71% of the students was 24 1/2 years old! With essentially none of the students in the 30 's, the other 29 percent of the students were approximately 44 1/4 years old. So much for the theory that only old retired people are going into real estate now.
Realtor.org provided the following statistic:
Looks as these new salespersons should be able to relate to their potential customers and clients
We discovered that the mean age for approximately 71% of the students was 24 1/2 years old! With essentially none of the students in the 30 's, the other 29 percent of the students were approximately 44 1/4 years old. So much for the theory that only old retired people are going into real estate now.
Realtor.org provided the following statistic:
- Median age of first-time buyers: 30
- Median age of repeat buyers: 47
Looks as these new salespersons should be able to relate to their potential customers and clients
Surprising Age Demographic of Real Estate Salesperson Class
Last weekend, we had an accelerated Real Estate Salesperson Class at Annex Real Estate School This class is a pre- requisite to taking the Massachusetts state Real Estate Salesperson exam.
We discovered that the mean age for approximately 71% of the students was 24 1/2 years old! With essentially none of the students in the 30 's, the other 29 percent of the students were approximately 44 1/4 years old. So much for the theory that only old retired people are going into real estate now.
Realtor.org provided the following statistic:
We discovered that the mean age for approximately 71% of the students was 24 1/2 years old! With essentially none of the students in the 30 's, the other 29 percent of the students were approximately 44 1/4 years old. So much for the theory that only old retired people are going into real estate now.
Realtor.org provided the following statistic:
- Median age of first-time buyers: 30
- Median age of repeat buyers: 47
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Real Estate Class Enrollment Reaches Max!
Here it is, the first week of summer, and we have a Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Class scheduled for this weekend. This class will be held at Annex Real Estate School, in Quincy, MA. What is amazing as well as gratifying, is that we've had to cut off the enrollment!
Observing and talking to the students, I estimate that their average age is in the mid 30's. This is good match to the average age of the first time home buyer in the U.S.
We hope the weather will cooperate and will not max out the air conditioning!
Observing and talking to the students, I estimate that their average age is in the mid 30's. This is good match to the average age of the first time home buyer in the U.S.
We hope the weather will cooperate and will not max out the air conditioning!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Loan modification scams - Boston, MA - AmericanTowns.com
The Massachusetts AG has posted a very informative article on avoiding loan modification scams on her blog.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
With just 2 weeks to go, reservations for the intensive WE Real Estate Saleperson Class at http://ping.fm/kI3ld are filling up!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Real Estate Prelicense Class at Annex Real Estate School
The Weekend Class reviews the Massachusetts Laws and Regulations about Real Estate Licensing and Practice.
Monday, May 03, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Cape Wind announcement expected at noon - Local News Updates - MetroDesk - The Boston Globe
Cape Wind announcement expected at noon - Local News Updates - MetroDesk - The Boston Globe
Posted using ShareThis
Posted using ShareThis
Ted Kennedy was strongly opposed to this project. So, why don't those who supported health care reform to honor Ted also respect his wishes and turn this down?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Weekend Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Class
Watching the Applications come in for the next weekend Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson pre-licensing class. This class meets the state requirements as a pre-requisite to the Massachusetts state Real Estate Salesperson examination.
Annex Real Estate School is conveniently located in the Wollaston section of Quincy, near the T stop on the Red Line.
The class will start on Friday evening, April 16th, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The class continues on Saturday and Sunday, April 17th and 18th, 8am to 6pm. The cost is still only $200 which includes 2 text books and all class handouts.
Class availabilty depends upon enrollment. Class size is limited to assure class quality. You can download an Application on the school website. Don't be disappointed, as this class is filling up!
Annex Real Estate School is conveniently located in the Wollaston section of Quincy, near the T stop on the Red Line.
The class will start on Friday evening, April 16th, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The class continues on Saturday and Sunday, April 17th and 18th, 8am to 6pm. The cost is still only $200 which includes 2 text books and all class handouts.
Class availabilty depends upon enrollment. Class size is limited to assure class quality. You can download an Application on the school website. Don't be disappointed, as this class is filling up!
Weekend Massachusetts Real Estate Class
Watching the Applications come in for the next weekend Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson pre-licensing class. This class meets the state requirements as a pre-requisite to the Massachusetts state Real Estate Salesperson examination.
Annex Real Estate School is conveniently located in the Wollaston section of Quincy, near the T stop on the Red Line.
The class will start on Friday evening, April 16th, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The class continues on Saturday and Sunday, April 17th and 18th, 8am to 6pm. The cost is still only $200 which includes 2 text books and all class handouts.
Class availabilty depends upon enrollment. Class size is limited to assure class quality. You can download an Application on the school website. Don't be disappointed, as this class is filling up!
Annex Real Estate School is conveniently located in the Wollaston section of Quincy, near the T stop on the Red Line.
The class will start on Friday evening, April 16th, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The class continues on Saturday and Sunday, April 17th and 18th, 8am to 6pm. The cost is still only $200 which includes 2 text books and all class handouts.
Class availabilty depends upon enrollment. Class size is limited to assure class quality. You can download an Application on the school website. Don't be disappointed, as this class is filling up!
Friday, April 02, 2010
POLITICO Arena: Karen Kerrigan's response to 'Does the March unemployment rate of 9.7% - unchanged from the previous month - help President Obama politically?'
POLITICO Arena: Karen Kerrigan's response to 'Does the March unemployment rate of 9.7% - unchanged from the previous month - help President Obama politically?'
1/3 of the March figure of added jobs are temporary census workers. These jobs are not permanent and they are not in the private sector.
1/3 of the March figure of added jobs are temporary census workers. These jobs are not permanent and they are not in the private sector.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Frank pushing for administration's plans on Fannie and Freddie - Political Intelligence - A national political and campaign blog from The Boston Globe - Boston.com
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Thursday, March 04, 2010
U.S. Economy: Pending Sales of Existing Homes Unexpectedly Drop
March 4 (Bloomberg) -- Fewer Americans than expected signed contracts to purchase previously owned homes in January, indicating the extension of a tax credit is doing little to lure buyers.
The index of purchase agreements, or pending home sales, dropped 7.6 percent after a revised 0.8 percent increase in December, the National Association of Realtors announced in Washington. Other reports today showed factory orders increased and first-time jobless claims declined.
The drop in contract signings adds to evidence the housing market at the center of the worst recession since the 1930s is struggling to rebound after reports last week showed unexpected declines in purchases of new and existing homes. The market may get another blow this month when the Federal Reserve ends planned purchases of mortgage-backed securities.
"When you take away all the support from the housing market, the underlying demand for housing is a lot weaker than we thought," said Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. "We clearly pushed some demand forward, and there wasn't that much demand to pull forward anyway. The housing recovery is going to be very, very slow."
Builder shares fell after the report, with the Standard & Poor's Supercomposite Homebuilding Index declining 0.7 percent at 11:52 a.m. in New York. The broader S&P 500 climbed 0.1 percent to 1,119.74.
Factory orders rose 1.7 percent in January, boosted by a surge in commercial aircraft bookings, according to Commerce Department data that also showed less demand for computers and machinery.
Jobless Claims
Reports from the Labor Department today showed initial jobless claims fell from a three-month high, while productivity rose in the fourth quarter. Claims dropped 29,000 last week to 469,000.
Productivity, a measure of employee output per hour, rose at a 6.9 percent annual rate in the final three months of last year. Labor costs dropped 5.9 percent, more than anticipated.
Economists forecast a 1 percent gain in January pending home sales after a previously reported 1 percent rise a month earlier, according to the median of 40 projections in a Bloomberg News survey. Estimates ranged from a drop of 4.2 percent to an increase of 4 percent.
In November, the number of signed contracts dropped a record 14 percent. The Realtors group said February figures may be depressed as well following snowstorms in the Northeast and South.
February Sales
"The abnormally severe and prolonged winter weather, which affected large regions of the U.S., hampered shopping activity in February," Lawrence Yun, the group's chief economist, said in a statement. "We will see weak near-term sales followed by a likely surge of existing-home sales in April, May and June."
The Realtors' report showed declines in January pending sales in all four regions, led by a 13 percent slump in the West. Contract signings fell 8.9 percent in the Midwest, 8.7 percent in the Northeast and 2.1 percent in the South.
Pending home sales are considered a leading indicator because they track contract signings. The Realtors' existing- home sales report tallies closings, which typically occur a month or two later. The pending sales data go back to January 2001, and the group began publishing the index in March 2005.
Reports last week showed the housing market may be faltering. Sales of previously owned homes unexpectedly dropped 7.2 percent in January after a record decline a month earlier, according to Realtors group's report Feb. 26. New-home sales slumped to an all-time low, the Commerce Department said Feb. 24.
Credit Extended
President Barack Obama and Congress extended the first-time buyer credit in early November to cover deals signed by April 30 and closed by June 30, and expanded it to include some current homeowners.
Among other concerns for the housing outlook, the Fed said it plans to end a program later this month to purchase mortgage- backed securities, which helped contain borrowing costs.
The rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to 4.71 percent in early December, the lowest level since Freddie Mac started keeping weekly records in 1972. The rate has hovered around 5 percent since then.
Foreclosures pose another threat. Foreclosure filings rose 15 percent in January compared with a year earlier and exceeded 300,000 for the 11th straight month, RealtyTrac Inc. said Feb. 11.
The housing market will "follow a similar pattern" to recovery as it did in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which both took "several years," Toll Brothers Inc. Chief Executive Officer Robert Toll said in a statement Feb. 24.
The company, the largest U.S. luxury-home builder, said its orders almost doubled in the first quarter compared with a year earlier. It projected it will sell between 2,100 and 2,750 homes in fiscal 2010 at an average price of $540,000 to $560,000 each.
To contact the reporter on this story: Courtney Schlisserman in Washington at cschlisserma@bloomberg.net
The index of purchase agreements, or pending home sales, dropped 7.6 percent after a revised 0.8 percent increase in December, the National Association of Realtors announced in Washington. Other reports today showed factory orders increased and first-time jobless claims declined.
The drop in contract signings adds to evidence the housing market at the center of the worst recession since the 1930s is struggling to rebound after reports last week showed unexpected declines in purchases of new and existing homes. The market may get another blow this month when the Federal Reserve ends planned purchases of mortgage-backed securities.
"When you take away all the support from the housing market, the underlying demand for housing is a lot weaker than we thought," said Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. "We clearly pushed some demand forward, and there wasn't that much demand to pull forward anyway. The housing recovery is going to be very, very slow."
Builder shares fell after the report, with the Standard & Poor's Supercomposite Homebuilding Index declining 0.7 percent at 11:52 a.m. in New York. The broader S&P 500 climbed 0.1 percent to 1,119.74.
Factory orders rose 1.7 percent in January, boosted by a surge in commercial aircraft bookings, according to Commerce Department data that also showed less demand for computers and machinery.
Jobless Claims
Reports from the Labor Department today showed initial jobless claims fell from a three-month high, while productivity rose in the fourth quarter. Claims dropped 29,000 last week to 469,000.
Productivity, a measure of employee output per hour, rose at a 6.9 percent annual rate in the final three months of last year. Labor costs dropped 5.9 percent, more than anticipated.
Economists forecast a 1 percent gain in January pending home sales after a previously reported 1 percent rise a month earlier, according to the median of 40 projections in a Bloomberg News survey. Estimates ranged from a drop of 4.2 percent to an increase of 4 percent.
In November, the number of signed contracts dropped a record 14 percent. The Realtors group said February figures may be depressed as well following snowstorms in the Northeast and South.
February Sales
"The abnormally severe and prolonged winter weather, which affected large regions of the U.S., hampered shopping activity in February," Lawrence Yun, the group's chief economist, said in a statement. "We will see weak near-term sales followed by a likely surge of existing-home sales in April, May and June."
The Realtors' report showed declines in January pending sales in all four regions, led by a 13 percent slump in the West. Contract signings fell 8.9 percent in the Midwest, 8.7 percent in the Northeast and 2.1 percent in the South.
Pending home sales are considered a leading indicator because they track contract signings. The Realtors' existing- home sales report tallies closings, which typically occur a month or two later. The pending sales data go back to January 2001, and the group began publishing the index in March 2005.
Reports last week showed the housing market may be faltering. Sales of previously owned homes unexpectedly dropped 7.2 percent in January after a record decline a month earlier, according to Realtors group's report Feb. 26. New-home sales slumped to an all-time low, the Commerce Department said Feb. 24.
Credit Extended
President Barack Obama and Congress extended the first-time buyer credit in early November to cover deals signed by April 30 and closed by June 30, and expanded it to include some current homeowners.
Among other concerns for the housing outlook, the Fed said it plans to end a program later this month to purchase mortgage- backed securities, which helped contain borrowing costs.
The rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to 4.71 percent in early December, the lowest level since Freddie Mac started keeping weekly records in 1972. The rate has hovered around 5 percent since then.
Foreclosures pose another threat. Foreclosure filings rose 15 percent in January compared with a year earlier and exceeded 300,000 for the 11th straight month, RealtyTrac Inc. said Feb. 11.
The housing market will "follow a similar pattern" to recovery as it did in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which both took "several years," Toll Brothers Inc. Chief Executive Officer Robert Toll said in a statement Feb. 24.
The company, the largest U.S. luxury-home builder, said its orders almost doubled in the first quarter compared with a year earlier. It projected it will sell between 2,100 and 2,750 homes in fiscal 2010 at an average price of $540,000 to $560,000 each.
To contact the reporter on this story: Courtney Schlisserman in Washington at cschlisserma@bloomberg.net
===
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Mitch Rudnick
Century21 Annex Realty
617-921-6521
Mitchell.Rudnick@Century21.com
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
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