There are over 200 Open Houses in Beverly,Salem,Danvers and Peabody alone this weekend!! Don't waste time chasing signs or researching online.  Fill out your property profile  and have a customized schedule for these towns e-mailed to you.  It's easy and it's FREE!  04/09/2010

  Kudos to those of you Brokers, who offer agents the ability to do Property Management as part of their business.  Especially in this economy!  Unfortunately, many traditional corporate real estate companies do not promote or allow their agents to prospect that area/aspect of business and why many agents quit or leave the business before giving it a chance to florish.  The simply reason the majority of people who come into real estate fail is because they can't endure and live through the valley while waiting for that peak. Property Management, is a keen business decision for generating a continuous stream of income from clients/management contracts in a timely manner because EVERYONE needs housing! So that aspect of the business is a wonderful money buffer and not leave one totaling r... 04/03/2010

There are three primary rolls that need to be in place before presenting an offer to the bank.         1.   A Realtor that has had short sale success. One that understands the process and knows what Banks/Investors are looking for in an offer.        2.      A motivated seller that is willing to do what it takes to get the needed paperwork together and work with the Realtor to get an acceptable offer        3.     An experienced short sale negotiator to keep the line of communication open with the bank during the seemingly endless time period between accepted offer and lender approval.   These are the only things you can control and if each one does their job, your chances of saving your credit and selling the property increase dramatically. What paperwork will I need to provide?  Every... 04/03/2010

LinksMassRealEstateHunter.comFREE Neighborhood Market WatchSearch MLS PropertiesBecome a Mass Real Estate Hunter Facebook FanPhoto GalleryBuilt in 1995Updated KitchenEating SpaceFireplace in Family RoomDining RoomFormal Living RoomEntertain on the Back DeckNice Level YardDescriptionWelcome to Maplewood Village! Make this fifteen year young Colonial your home. Very spacious with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths and over 2200 sq.ft. of living space. Large level yard w/sprinkler system, back deck and fully fenced in. Two car garage, central a/c, updated windows (2007), fresh exterior paint and over sized master suite with walk in closet and Master Bath add to the value.FeaturesBedrooms: 4Bathrooms: 2.5Parking Spaces: 2 off streetYear Built: 1995Subdivision: Maplewood VillageLot Size: .35 AcresGara... 04/01/2010

My New Program for those who doubt the market data. I take great pride in my ability to establish a listing price that will attract offers. Unfortunately, not everyone likes to hear what the market is saying.  I understand that some NEED to get a certain price in order to accomplish their overall goal, but that isn't how it works. While most Realtors understand the need to price listings properly, there are stll too many willing to take a listing at what ever price, just to get the sign in the yard.  I'm not talking $10k-20k over, I have seen listings go on $50k- $100k over.  I play a weekly game of "WHAT WILL IT SELL FOR" on my Facebook Fan Page and you can clearly see that these Seller's either weren't told or wouldn't listen until they had to. In an effort to assure my Seller's that ... 03/04/2010

The answer is .... All Of The Above!!! First and foremost, in order to get the best deal, the property itself must meet the majority of your needs and have the fewest drawbacks. If you can find a private sale that meets your needs, but costs more than an REO that would take a ton of money to bring back to life, then the private sale is the better deal. It may make more sense to wait the 3-6 months to get a short sale property that meets all of your needs, rather than closing quickly on something that doesn't.   The bottom line is to set your property profile as tightly as you can, and keep your search open to all categories. This will allow you to find your specific market. If there is nothing of interest at this point, you can slowly start expanding your market by removing/changing the... 03/03/2010

Beverly Massachusetts Real Estate Homes Activity Report The Beverly MA Real Estate homes sold report indicates that 212 homes have sold YTD in 2009 with an average sales price of $436,259.  The average days on market (DOM) was 99 and the sales price to list ratio was 97%. The selling range was between $120,000 and a high of $5,000,000. As of November 30, there were 63 homes on the market with an average list price of $910,611 and a range of $249,900-$5,750,000 and an average DOM of 159. There are only 6 home under contract with an asking price of $491,133 with a range of $249,900 to $895,000. Additional resources for Beverly MA real estate : Beverly MA Real Estate - Community, relocation and school information with town demographics. Beverly  MA Foreclosures - Obtain a list of foreclose... 01/03/2010

The time to get started is now!    Do you have any idea how many homes are going to be going on the market in January and February?  Seeing what is going on and speaking to other agents on a regular basis, I can tell you that it will be more than you think.   Most agents that have clients waiting to go on after the Holidays already have a plan in motion. My clients that are looking to buy right now are getting bored with the lack of new inventory and are chomping at the bit to have new homes to look at. Here are a couple of things to think about that may help you plan your market strategy. With the newly expanded Tax Credit it will be in the first time home buyer's best interest as well as some qualifying Sellers to get under contract by April 30th and close before June 30th.  Pricing y... 12/09/2009

Get ready for a crazy Spring!     The Pipeline is full of clients ready to sell, buy or both once the Holidays are over.  I meet with 4 other Agents in my office on a weekly basis to brainstorm and they all said the same thing.  It looks like we are going to have an early "Spring Market".  Getting a head start on things could prove to be beneficial to you. Here are a few tips that may help put you a step ahead of the competition. Selling: Get the Handyman in now!--  getting all of those little projects done so  your home stands out once the inventory starts rising will help attract offers. Take Exterior Pictures Now! --  We've been lucky but the snow will fly.  Having snow free pictures will not only stand out but it is psychologically appealing to buyers. Get a tune up on the Heating S... 12/04/2009

Think Twice before taking your home off for the Holidays! Believe it or not, this can be a great time to sell your home and maximize your bottom line. I have already seen the number of new listings shrinking every day and expiring contracts ready to give up until the "spring market".  Last year in my home town of Beverly, 46 residential homes went under agreement between Dec. 1st and Jan. 31st.  That's pretty good and the market has picked up since that point in time. With the extension and expansion of the tax credit, there is no reason to believe that these numbers won't go up this year. The tire kickers take the Holiday's off too!  This means that although there are fewer buyers out there looking, they are serious and in some cases need to be in a home sooner rather than later. Motiv... 11/28/2009

Stay in control and overcome the fear!I have heard this question too many times in the past 12 months. "We want to upgrade, but we owe more than we can get for our home. What are our options?" The truth of the matter is that you will need to absorb the difference between what you owe and what you can realistically get for your home and have at least a 3 1/2% down payment on the new home.  You can make any offers contingent upon the seller paying you closing costs and escrows to avoid those upfront costs. If you have lived in your current home for at least 5 years you can count on the expanded tax credit of up to $6500. How do you stay in control? By overcoming the Fears and taking the right steps!You need to consult with a Realtor that is active in your community to have a market analys... 11/28/2009

Mass Real Estate HunterPromote Your Page Too I just started this Real Estate Page on Facebook! Check it out and please join in or start a discussion. Your contributions are always welcome. 10/30/2009

How is the Beverly Market doing?  This is a question that I hear often.  Here are the numbers over the last 3 months.  http://pdf.mlspin.com/results/2009100313052268285850.pdf   This information is directly from the MLS and is the most current.  If you have specific questions about the data, please contact me and I will help in any way that I can.   If you would like to know what is selling and not selling in your immediate neighborhood you can get a market snapshot  with this link.  I hope you find this information to be helpful!      10/03/2009

Everyone that needs to sell in order to buy wants to have their next house picked out before they put theirs on the market.  Unfortunately, even in this market it is nearly impossible to get a seller to take an offer with a sale contingency. While it may give you a comfort level to have your next dream home chosen, the odds of being disappointed are high.  The best way to approach this is to meet with a few local Realtors and choose one that you have confidence in.  Set up a meeting at their office initially to go over the entire process. Have all questions ready and bring anyone along that is going to have influence in the decision making (spouse, mom, dad, rich uncle louie!) This will insure that everyone is on the same page before the process starts. Have the Realtor set up a time to... 09/22/2009

LinksFree Listing Update ServiceYour Neighborhood ActivityPhoto GalleryDescriptionEnjoy the warmth of an established neighborhood in Beverly's Montserrat area. Well maintained with tons of curb appeal. Finished Basement with half bath adds to value. Seller has hired a professional short sale negotiator to work with the bank. Call Mike with any questions or to make an appointment to view this property 978-882-4659FeaturesBedrooms: 4Bathrooms: 2.5Parking Spaces: 4Year Built: 1949Lot Size: 8068Square Footage: 1980Agent Name: Michael GilesBroker: Keller Williams RealtyMLS #: 70970983Location11 Thompson Rd. Beverly MA 01915Powered by vFlyer.comvFlyer Id: 2807881 09/20/2009

LinksFree Listing Update ServiceYour Neighborhood ActivityPhoto GalleryDescriptionEnjoy the warmth of an established neighborhood in Beverly's Montserrat area. Well maintained with tons of curb appeal. Showings start at the open house on Sunday September 13th 11-1 . Seller has hired a professional short sale negotiator to work with the bank. Call Mike with any questions 978-882-4659FeaturesBedrooms: 4Bathrooms: 2.5Parking Spaces: 4Year Built: 1949Lot Size: 8068Square Footage: 1980Agent Name: Michael GilesBroker: Keller Williams RealtyMLS #: 70970983Location11 Thompson Rd. Beverly MA 01915Powered by vFlyer.comvFlyer Id: 2807881 09/10/2009

Despite the stigma, your doing the right thing. Most people that don't understand the business, think that short sales are for those who bought over their heads in the first place and deserve to lose the property. While this is true for SOME,  the majority of the short sale clients I am meeting with are hard working people that have fallen victim to this economy. If you have lost your job, modifying your loan is no longer an option.  For those of you that have never had to make the call to your lender to look for options only to hear "well can't you borrow the money from someone?" or "why don't you sell your car?" (I didn't make these up.), you wouldn't understand the frustration of trying to do the right thing. Short Sales are not new and not a result of the current economy. They are a... 09/05/2009

HAVE AMBER ALERTS SENT TO YOUR CELL PHONE!   Anyone who has ever had a child walk off in a crowded place knows the feeling of instant fear and helplessness.  Amber Alerts were put in place to get citizens involved when a child has been abducted.  Obviously the more people that are aware of the alert, the better the chance of finding the child.   WirelessAmberAlerts.org   is a government sponsored site where you can sign up to receive Amber Alerts from your area.  Simply type in your cell # and choose up to 5 zip codes.  Once there is an alert in one of the Cities/Towns that you have chosen, you will be alerted with a text message.  What a great way to possibly make a difference in a child's life!   09/04/2009

With the rates very low and the Federal Government waving the $8000 tax credit in their faces, the first time home buyers are out in force. This is a good thing for everyone concerned with the Real Estate market.  There are certain unwritten rules that most home buyers in general like to use as a guideline while searching. I find that these rules really have no merit and sometimes stop a buyer from making an offer on a property that they like.  I hope that reading this will help you with your search and keep you from missing out on a great deal. Here are the three common rules of thumb that I often hear and have to disagree with.   You can't make an offer on the first home that you see.-- WHY?  In most cases the first few houses that you look at are the ones that best fit your original ... 09/02/2009

I am all for the advancement of communication and fully understand the benefits that sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn offer. I just see some people taking it to a level that borders addiction. While most of my Friends, contacts and followers seem to use the systems as needed, there are others that must be on the computer all day long sending 5-6 posts an hour. I also don't think that most people understand how easy it is to access your profiles and probably don't want EVERYONE to view some of the things that they post on their pages. It is a fact that Company Owners and Human Resource personnel are scanning these sites to gain information on current and potential employees. I have friends on facebook that I know have jobs and must just keep facebook open all day while they"work... 08/29/2009