Where Do You Get Home Listing Information?

A Study by the National Association of Realtors in 2007 found the following:
84% of buyers begin their search for a home online.
73% drove by the house as a result of seeing the house online.
57% actually scheduled an appointment to view the property they saw online.

Information Sources rated as "Very Useful" by buyers:
Internet - 78%
Realtor - 70%
Yard Sign - 29%
Print Ad - 17%

From the research done at T&C, we find that the vast majority of inquiries come from people who have seen a property online.
Yes, we still get some print-ad calls, but they are VERY Few and far between.

Anyone care to let me know what their favorite place to find homes for sale is? (Internet or Print).

North Leominster Home For Sale - $350,000

Loans Increasingly More Difficult to Obtain

Yes, lots of mortgage money is available. However, for many, the requirements to access this available money is still getting more stringent. FannieMae (FNMA) announced earlier this week that they were Increasing the 'Declining Market Delivery Fee' to .5% as of October 1st (which will of course be passed onto the consumer in the form of Higher closing costs or Increased interest rate).

Also, another trend is 'Credit-Scoring' the interest rate. Although this has been the case for quite some time, the Secondary Market is now looking at slicing the rate into far more credit score tiers.

I don't disagree with the rational of all of this, however, for anyone lookig to buy in the near future (that does not have a very high credit score) should not try to time the bottom of the market because it could really end up costing you more in the end.

You Don't Need A Realtor!

OK, I know this one that you have been thinking about. Why Do you need a Realtor?
I mean really, why do you?

First of all, there are 2 sides of a real state transaction: the Buying side and the Listing side. Lets start with the buying side...

You can get listings just about anywhere. There is all kinds of data online. You can just call the listing agent to see the house (oh, whos job by the way is to take all of your money and give it to the seller - their client). You can navigate the current changes in the mortgage market. And all other kinds of fun. And if you are moving from another part of the state or the country, it is even more fun.

And if you are a seller...
You can research comps online (if you can find them they are probably outdated). You can check Zillow (to see what your house probably Isn't worth - up or down).
You can check Trulia and get incomplete data (at least as of this post).
You can put an FSBO sign on your lawn and post on the FSBO sites (ensuring that you'll see most of the 'bottom feeders' looking to steal your house).

Hmm, maybe you do need us?

Could This Be The Best Time To 'Trade Up' in Real Estate?

Ok, anyone who does not live in a cave on a remote island somewhere (and probably them too) know that the real estate market has been beaten up over the past couple of years. Most of us know how and why we got here and where things went 'wrong'.

Fine, we were 'there' and now we are 'here', but has anyone cared to take a look at where 'here' is?
House prices have fallen pretty much across the board in Leominster, MA and the rest of North Central Massachusetts (some areas more than others). One of the interesting facts is that the Fixed Rate 30 year mortgage has been ranging in the 6%'s for quite some time now - with the rare occasional dip into the very high 5%'s. So, prices have softened but rates have remained relatively stable (and still historically very low).

So what does this mean? In my opinion, this is one of the BEST times to trade up to a more expensive home. Why?
Many people are trying to 'downsize' which is resulting in a lot of inventory on the upper end of the market - therefore supply/demand is in your favor.

In addition, the market is very compressed in many of the towns in central MA. Meaning, that a 'little more money' will buy you a LOT more house. Just compare what you can get in Leominster, MA for $250,000 to something at $350,000 and you'll clearly see what I mean.

Also, you are buying into the down market. When prices appreciate (and they will at some point), the percentage gain on a larger value will result in a larger return (e.g. 20% of $500K is greater than 20% of $275K).
And remember, mortgage rates can't stay this low forever.

So there is opportunity for those with a long-term view of residential real estate. How does it play into your current situation? I don't know - but contact me; I'd love to help you figure it out.

Alphabet Soup: What do all those letters mean after a REALTOR's Name?

Did you ever wonder what all of the letters after a REALTOR's name actually mean. For most consumer it looks like alphabet soup, but there is a real value to most, if not all, of these 'Designations' as they are known in the field.

I aim to clarify what most of the popular Residential Real Estate Sales Designations are. I say Real Estate in this instance (and not REALTOR) because not ALL designations are sponsored and/or recognized by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

First are the NAR Designations:
ABR: Accredited Buyer Representative
ABRM: Accredited Buyer Representative Manager
ALC: Accredited Land Consultant
CIPS: Certified International Property Specialist
CRB: Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager
CRS: Certified Residential Specialist
CRE: Counselor of Real Estate
GRI: Graduate REALTOR Institute
SRES: Seniors Real Estate Specialist

And NAR Certifications:
AHWD: At Home With Diversity
ePRO: Online Professionalism
RSPS: Resorts & Second-Home Property Specialists
TRC: Transnational Referral Certification

There are also MANY Non-NAR designations. Not to take anything away from these, but they are not sponsored by NAR. Some of which include:
ASR: Accredited Seller Representative
CRP: Certified Relocation Professional
CSP: Certified New Home Sales Professional
EBA: Exclusive Buyer Agent
RECS: Real Estate Cyber Specialist
SRS: Seller Representative Specialist
And there are surely more...

Some Designations (or Certifications) are much more difficult to obtain than others. I can tell you first hand that a few of my designations were not easily obtained and required many weeks worth of classes along with a documented track record to obtain- while others required little more than a valid credit card. But, any agent that is willing to further educate his or herself will undoubtedly be a person that is focused on best serving their clients. I have always felt that we all need to be constantly educating ourselves. We all need to Never Stop Learning.

92 Revolution Dr., Leominster, MA 01453

Can It Get Any Worse?

Residential sales are off of last years pace in units And the average (and median) sale prices are falling as well (not as much as units, thankfully). And we all know that mortgage financing has become harder to obtain as of late.

So... Just when it was looking pretty bad out there, Fannie and Freddie may now need to be bailed out by good old Uncle Sam (read: You and I who Pay Taxes). Does anyone remember what the Mortgage Market looked like BEFORE 'The Secondary Market' (Fannie & Freddie)? Let me refresh your memory: 20% down, 16% to even 21% mortgage rates, and a lack of available mortgage money Even If you had 20% down And was WILLING to pay 18% +/-. Not to mention that borrowers actually needed to have money, a stable job, some savings, reasonable debt (all novel concepts, no)?

Why am I telling you this? Because if you have the desire to own a house anytime in the near future, NOW may very well be The Best Time to Buy. Oh, and if you are looking to sell, PLEASE price it right - or wish that you did.

Gerry Realtyman Bourgeois attended the MAR Tech Conference

Although it is proven that I am one of the more technologically advanced Realtors in the Central Massachusetts marketplace, I spent the entire day at the Massachusetts Association of Realtors Technology Conference in Andover, MA on June 12th. (Any chance this continued learning is Why I'm sometimes referred to as the 'Tech Realtor')?
Matthew Ferrara did an excellent job moderating the event and Michael Russer was an fantastic keynote speaker. I am already beginning to implement many of the ideas that picked up there.

Gerry 'RealtyMan' Bourgeois meets with Roost.com

Gerry met with Matthew Cullen and Paul Irving of www.Roost.com which is a real estate search site! They have some very exciting things under way. I've been glad to have had the opportunity to Test for them over the past several months. I look forward to continuing the relationship. (Also, it was a beautiful day on Newbury Street in Boston - gotta love Stephanie's).