Yesterday marked the first day of the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.  With more than 26,000 reported to have attended, this conference is brought to Boston by the nonprofit US Green Building Council and featured ways for businesses and builders to keep the environment first in their minds.  It was also reported that there were more than 800 companies present and representing themselves at the show; this high attendance revealed that Massachusetts Businesses are looking to find ways to participate in green techniques that will benefit the area and the services that they offer. The conference relayed a message for everyone to join in the movement to go green, no matter what your income, with products being presented that respect green ideas including solar-tube lighting systems and other ecofriendly devices to exchange for our less environmentally friendly devices already in use.  

For more information on Metro Boston real estate including homes, condos, foreclosures, and short sales, contact your neighborhood realtor John McCann.  You can also search the Metro Boston MLS for the current offerings in this great area.

Mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are now under federal control, were urged this month to freeze foreclosures on loans in their current portfolios for a minimum of 90 days.  With members of the Senate Banking Committee on mortgage companies’ tails to provide immediate relief to many homeowners, there seems to be little else they can do.  Along with freezing foreclosures on loans for at least 90 days to provide relief to the many homeowners in this situation, senators are also asking that companies ease their policies on modifying mortgages as well.  Federal Reserve chairman Ben S. Bernanke and other lawmakers have been encouraging mortgage companies to assist in keeping borrowers in their homes and from foreclosures by reducing balances and changing the terms of the loans.

Fannie and Freddie mortgage companies can foreclose on loans that they guarantee or own; though they can direct servicers to hold up on foreclosure proceedings, other stakeholders (e.g. private mortgage insurers) will still be able to have their say in the procedure.

If you have a specific real estate request, feel free to contact John McCann, your local Metro Boston MA realtor.

During the home buying process many buyers request a home inspection.  This is important in order to foresee any problems the house or property might be facing down the road. 

It is always important to be present with the seller during the home inspection, and even though it costs extra, do request a written copy of the home inspection report. 

This written form can be very helpful when the buyer of the house decides to sell.  At that point you can provide sellers with written documentation about any old issues with the home, and whether they have changed or not. 

Just like the inspection made the difference of buying or passing by the house when you were looking into the market, this can be true for when you are selling the home to new buyers as well. 

For more home buying or selling tips in the Malden, Everett, or Medford area, please contact John McCann at RE/MAX.

The greater Boston area reported a slight rise of 1.2% in the markets for June. This gain was just behind Denver as being the best-performing market in the nation according to the Case-Shiller Home Price Index. 

This is considered the third month in a row of positive gains in the greater Boston area.  Some analysts are saying that this could be a signal that the worst of the price drops may be over in some markets.

This info, combined with the fact that the median single-family home price fell 12.3% in July, speaks to buyer’s pocketbooks. 

If you are interested in the greater Boston area real estate such as the markets in Malden, Everett, or Medford, please contact John McCann of RE/MAX to set up an informational appointment.

Homeowners in Malden, MA will finally be receiving some relief from the MWRA Advisory Board this year.  After reworking their budgets, the inclusion of $20 million in debt service assistance will provide sewer and water assistance for the residents of Malden and other MWRA communities.   This money will help keep Malden’s homeowners water and sewer bills to a minimum with their cut of the budget, which works out to about $406,376.  This money will significantly help to lessen the bill burden many homeowners in Malden, MA face and will be an incentive for future home buyers.  For more information on this and other Malden real estate questions, please contact John McCann at RE/MAX.

Most real estate agents in the metro Boston area will agree that today’s economy represents a buyer’s market.  However which of these ‘buyers’ should actually be buying real estate in the Boston area of Everett, Malden, or Medford. 

An article on who should be buying real estate states that "Duel-income customers" and "people with assets in reserve and a credit score of at least 680", should be buying real estate at the lower prices offered now. 

The article goes on to suggest that "retired couples that are thinking of downgrading their housing situation", should hold onto their house for the present time as well as anyone planning on a major life change such as job transfers, marriage, or struggling financially. 

For more information on the metro Boston real estate market, specifically the real estate markets of Everett, Malden, and Medford, please contact John McCann at RE/MAX Real Estate.

Although the Boston metro area isn’t as high in the nation in foreclosures as other cities, delinquent house payments still happen - even to the best of us. 

During the foreclosure ordeal, one very important thing to keep in mind is persistence.  Many lenders want one less foreclosure process on their desk, and one way to remind the lender that you are interested in working out payments is to call him.  A lot.  And preferably before you are late on a payment.  Y

ou will be in the strongest position if you call or leave a message for your lender at least once a week to let him know that you are interested in refinancing or working out some other means of repayment. 

To constantly call your lender shows a high level of responsibility and persistence, even if it is to the point of annoyance. 

For other real estate tips or information on Boston metro area real estate, please contact John McCann at RE/MAX Real Estate.

Due to the buyer’s market in the greater Boston area and much of the nation, sellers have started using a new pricing method to encourage sales. 

It is called the value-range marketing or range pricing method.  Instead of offering your house at a single price, provide a price range.  The higher price should be what you have been asking and the lower price is about 10-12% less. 

This shows potential buyers that you are serious about selling your house.  Realtors that have used this range pricing tactic say that it encourages buyers to make their offers match your range, and also widens your house’s appeal to more buyers. 

After you begin using the method, if you start getting offers on the lower price of your range, then you know that you were asking too much for the market conditions.  At the very least, this method gets buyers and sellers talking, which is the beginning stages of getting your house sold. 

For more information on selling real estate in the Malden, Everett, or Medford area, please contact John McCann at RE/MAX Real Estate.

Foreclosure on a home is a tough situation, and should be avoided at all costs.  In basic terms, foreclosure is when a lender tries to recoup their collateral because the owner has fallen behind on their loan payments. 

Many times reading the fine print of your mortgage agreement can help homeowners know the limits of their payment schedule. 

Also actively contacting your lender for a meeting to discuss a situation. Depending on your lender, this pro-active response can dictate how they will respond to your financial issues and their ability to work with you on your issues. 

For more information on Massachusetts foreclosure procedures, specifically in the Metro Boston Area, please contact John McCann at RE/MAX Reality.

Good news condo seekers in the Boston metro area town of Everett.

A 74-unit condominium building on Chelsea Street called Parkway Heights has been converted from condos to apartments. 

This may not seem out of the ordinary except that 47 of the units are considered affordable housing.  "The developer, Winn Residential, received almost almost $3 million in tax credits from the state, and a $5.9 million loan from the Mass Housing Partnership". 

As for Everett condo owners, more good news.  January-March Everett condo sales are up 19% from 2007 and the median Everett condo price has increased 3.1% for the same time period. For both buyers and sellers in the Everett real estate market, there are still great deals to be had. 

For more information on Everett real estate, please contact John McCann at RE/MAX Results.