Margo Otey...Real Estate Blog... Metrowest of Boston

Very important to consult a tax professional when claiming the $8,000 credit - will your contract qualify under the IRS definition? thanks to Len for reminding us to get further clarification!WHAT IS A "BINDING" CONTRACT OF SALE FOR IRS TAX CREDIT PURPOSES?? Depends on whether you are a HOME BUYE...

What I love about the real estate business...no 2 days are ever alike!  This blog is about the difficulties my buyer-client encountered and how I helped solve them. The buyer chose to purchase an investor-owned condominium.  The investor bought the property out of foreclosure, did a carpet chang...

Links My Website Photo Gallery Living Room Dining Room Dry Bar Dinette Kitchen Description Tired of cookie-cutter homes? Looking for Privacy! Charm! Character!? Located inside a neighborhood and down a private drive, this cottage is nestled on 2 acres studded with mature evergreens and crossed b...

The data published by NAR regarding home buying trends is very interesting as a guide to how realtors should tailor marketing programs to position various types of property: From the National Association of Realtors… HOME BUYING TRENDS THEN AND NOW! % of US homebuyers who:                        ...

Flood Plain = Flood Pain! After watching my local DPW trucks haul sandbags around town to hold back the floods caused by recent rains, I have the flood plain on my brain! I took a listing recently that was in a flood plain but nobody knew it. The house was built in 1959. The owner was a church, ...

Home Improvement Loans for Fixxer-Uppers! Our market is being driven by first time buyers taking advantage of lower prices to get into the housing market. Many of the best buying opportunities are foreclosure homes. The down-side is often the poor condition of these empty properties. A low-downpa...

COLOR ME BEAUTIFUL! Color in your home can change how you feel! Taking some steps to select the right color can make an instant difference in the way a buyer perceives your home. Suggestions for selecting color: 1. White – makes the room invisible. Does not help the buyer to imagine themselves li...

WHEN DO THINGS BECOME OBSOLETE? Everything has a shelf life, but when should you replace the substantial items in your home? Here is a suggested schedule to keep your home well-maintained & up to date: 5-10 years : time for new carpets, kitchen appliances, smoke detectors(note: new MA standards a...

SPRING CLEANING - KEEP OR SWEEP? My grandmother was a keeper - by that I mean she kept EVERYTHING! Perhaps because of all that clutter my dad was a sweeper - he swept everything in his path to the dump! It didn't matter if it was purchased yesterday - out the door it went! Whether you are prepari...

Selling your own home has pitfalls.  This blog makes an excellent point of the fact that when sellers speak directly to buyers they can unwittingly give away their negotiating power.  Worth re-blogging!First let me say, I am not a Realtor. However, as a Plano Home Staging Professional, my busines...