We Are Now Associated with EXP Realty

Jeffrey Chubb & the Chubb Realty Group announced today that they have joined EXP Realty, the Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage. Chubb focuses on providing superior service to home buyers and sellers in the Boston Metro Market.

As the largest residential real estate brokerage by geography in North America, EXP Realty provides 24/7 access to collaborative tools, training and socialization for real estate brokers and agents through its fully-immersive, virtual campus Realty.

Jeffrey Chubb & the Chubb Realty Group is one of RE/MAX’s top teams in Massachusetts and the New England Region. In 2017, they represented 89 sides valued at over $42 million in transaction volume. Jeffrey is also a National Real Estate Coach for Club Wealth, the #1 Coaching Company for Real Estate teams in the country.

“The Chubb Realty Group has always been focused on providing superior service to their clients with innovative marketing approaches like their Guaranteed Sold in 29 Days Seller Program or their Home Equity Guarantee for home buyers. By joining EXP Realty and leveraging their expansive North American network and cutting edge technology, it allows our team to expand its marketing and service reach beyond the Boston Metro Area.”

said Jeffrey Chubb, team leader of the Chubb Realty Group....

A Look Back: 100 Years of Housing Architecture & Design

  The oldest continuously inhabited homes in America are found in Taos, New Mexico, and they were constructed around the year 1600. The oldest surviving stone house in America is located in Guilford, Connecticut, and it was built in 1639. Just a year later, the Richard Sparrow House in Plymouth, Massachusetts, along with the Loomis Homestead in Guilford, Connecticut, were built. By the turn of the 20th century, many homes were being built in America with each decade seeing a new popular home style. Here is a look at some popular styles throughout the decades of the 20th century.  

1900- Colonial Revival

  While the Biltmore Estate, containing more than 178,926 square feet, was just five years old at the turn of the century, many people were buying Colonial Revival homes. While a very few one-story Colonial Revival homes were constructed, the majority have two stories. Originally, these homes were built with a symmetrical facade, but many had side porches added to one or both sides. Most have gabled roofs with extremely narrow eaves, but about 25 percent of them were constructed with hip roofs. One of the most common features of these large homes is a central front entrance that builders made even more prominent by accenting...

Driverless Cars affecting the Real Estate Industry

Are you ready for the driverless revolution? I am sure you have heard about how driverless car technology is being advanced at a fast pace with many believing we will see a flood of driverless vehicles on the road in less than five years. With this in mind, I bet you are surprised to hear that many believe that this transportation revolution will have profound effect on real estate.  

Yes, you could almost consider driverless vehicles a real estate technology as industry experts are predicting some major changes to the real estate market when we see start to see cars without drivers. It will radically affect how you buy a home, use Realtors and invest in the industry. How is this possible? You are in luck as we explore three main ways our real estate future is about to change.  

Where We Live and Play

Right now, location is high on your criteria list for a perfect home. Your real estate agent will not be surprised to see it at the top of the list. You want to be close to work to alleviate some of the commute time while being in an area that matches your own unique lifestyle.  

Gina Michelle at Forbes has a great article going over five ways ...

Buying a Home With Bad Credit

Having a bad credit score does not immediately disqualify you from buying a home. Although it is a little more difficult to qualify for a mortgage with a below average score, it is not impossible. Fortunately, you have several options to choose from if your credit is less than stellar or worse. However, keep in mind it will cost you more over the life of your loan than someone who has good credit. Here are some of the many options available that will help you buy a home.  

Federal Housing Administration

  Also known as the FHA, this government agency helps low-income individuals with bad credit buy a home. In many cases, the FHA will help you if your credit score is as low as 580. The agency is popular among first-time homebuyers since it allows down payments as low as 3.5 percent of the purchase price. If your credit score is lower than 580, the FHA lone requires a 10 percent down payment. Remember though that the lower your credit score, the higher your interest rate.  

Important Facts About the FHA

  Many people think the FHA provides the actual funds to purchase a home. The truth is, the FHA only insures the loan in the event you default on your mortgage. A bank or lending institution...

50 PLACES YOU CAN VISIT WITH YOUR CHILDREN THIS SUMMER IN BOSTON

Are you planning a permanent move to Boston?

Are you thinking of buying a home in Boston or in the cities around Boston?

Looking to experience Boston neighborhoods?

Do you already live in a city or have a home nearby?

Do you have family, children or grandchildren that will be by for a visit?

If so, it’s a good idea to know where the best places in town are to have a little fun, grab a snack, or take in a show.

MUSEUMS

Museum of Fine Arts

465 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
617-267-9300

The MOFA offers art classes and self-guided tours with over 500,000 pieces of artwork on display. Members get in for free. Regular admission is $25 for adults and children under six can get into the Museum for free. Kids between the ages of seven to seventeen can get into the building...

Boston Continues to Attract Millennials

Niche ranks cities using a complex grading criteria when looking at crime, public transportation, nightlife, recreational facilities, quality of life, and other aspects that make a neighborhood a fun and exciting community. Boston is number eight on this list for cities in the country that are attracting millennials says Biz Journals.  If you have been on the Boston home search, you will recognize the extremely high demand for properties in and around Boston.  Here are some of the reasons for Boson's popularity with Millenials.   

The Attraction to Boston MA

The Boston real estate market is strong for 2018.  Boston MA gives residents the chance to live in a variety of diverse areas all known for as top entertainment and cultural zones. There are fine dining establishments, museums, historical sites, shops, and sporting facilities to tour or visit when living in and around the city center. All of these areas get an A+ rating from Niche making Boston MA an extremely attractive place for couples, families, and individuals to live. The extremely high ...

You live in Boston and have a budget of $1 million to $1.2 million for your new home. There are many different Neighborhoods of Boston that are available to your healthy budget, however each area has a very different level of buying power.

Here is what your budget bought in the last 6 months.

The Back Bay – 10 condos and/or Brownstones sold with an average square footage of 1,083 square feet. 8 units had 2 bedrooms with the other 2 units being 1 bedroom. 2 units came with deeded parking spaces. Average Sales Price: $1,119,000 - Average Listing Price: $1,119,800 – 99.93% List to Sale Price Ratio.

The Waterfront – 12 condos sold with an average square footage of 1,183 square feet. Bedrooms were split with 6 units having 2 bedrooms and another 6 units having 1 bedroom. 3 units came with deeded parking spaces. Average Sales Price: $1,093,833 – Average Listing Price: $1,134,908 – 96.38% List to Sale Price Ratio.

The South End – 20 condos sold with an average square footage of 1,148 square feet. 2 units were 1 bedroom condos with 17 units being 2 bedroom units and 1 unit being a 3 bedroom unit. 5 units came with deeded parking spaces. Average Sales Price: $1,093,152 – Average Listing Price: $1,086,745 – 100.59% List to Sale Price Ratio.

South Boston – 29 condos sold with an average square footage of 1,538 square feet. 19 units were 2 bedroom condos with 10 units being 3 bedroom units. 7 units came with 1 parking...

3 Tips For Buying a Home

Boston is a diverse and beautiful coastal city with wonderful job opportunities and access to high quality health care. The city also has a strong focus on education and shopping, so it isn’t surprising that over 50% of the homes in Boston are owned, rather than rented.

If you are thinking about moving to the area, you have made a great decision – but it is likely that you are feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of buying a new home. After all, buying a home is a long process, but if you are aware of a few things, such as homeowner’s insurance, then the process will be much easier.

Here are three smart tips to help you buy a new house.

Learn About Relevant Key Terms

The first thing that you should do is learn all of the key terms that could...

Caste Island - in South Boston

Castle Island is located on the most Eastern tip of South Boston in the City Point Neighborhood. Over the years it has become a great place to spend an afternoon by yourself, with friends or your family!

This amazing asset to our community can be reached via public transportation as well as by private car as there is an abundance of parking. It's a nearby destination to escape the bustle of the city, and to obtain great views of Boston Harbor and Logan Airport.

Sullivan's take-out only restaurant (seasonal) is housed at the base of the old fort, and is very popular with the local residents. Over the years they have amassed a following with a crowd always forming for their first opening of the year. At Sullivan’s they have a menu that is sure to satisfy every diner as they have everything from Fried Clams to hot dogs and Ice Cream.

Features

One of the best features of Castle Island is the crescent-shaped path that stretches out into Boston Harbor and creates an artificial pond known as Pleasure Bay. Many joggers and pedestrians enjoy walking the entire length of the byway, all the way around back to Day Boulevard and the parking lot (about 1 mile). An interesting part of the walk...

Boston Real Estate Market is Setting Records in 2018 Despite Low Inventory Levels

Single-family properties and condos in Cohasset, Medford, and Boston homes for sale are going like hotcakes due to the lack of inventory in the local real estate market. 2018 is something like a carbon copy of last year with single homes selling for a median of over $900,000 says the Boston Globe.

This figure is a record for this home type in the area. Condos and Brownstones saw increases in median sales too, but these numbers are likely a direct result of fewer properties for sale. Several new developments in downtown Boston and Cambridge will help ease the strain on buyers, but for now, the market is a seller's paradise with multiple offers and higher asking prices becoming the trend. The city is growing and expanding with more people settling in neighborhoods around the city like Winthrop and Brookline to work at the new Amazon headquarters.

Boston Real Estate Market

A vital statistic in the overall health of a real estate market is how much inventory is currently on the market. Keeping track of inventory levels and comparing...

Dining in Medford

About five years ago when my wife and I moved to the city of Medford MA, we were not yet familiar with what Medford had to offer in the way of dining.

Medford MA

After looking for homes for sale, we settled on Medford.  Conveniently located just 5 miles away from downtown Boston with easy access to the city via the Orange Line and Commuter Rail, we tended to head into the Back Bay and South End when we had and urge to dine-out.

REAL ESTATE IN MEDFORD

Medord MA has had solid real estate growth over the years.  With an easy commute to Boston, Medford is expected to have addtional growth if Amazon chooses Boston as its new home.  We anticipate the already low inventory in Boston proper to have a positive effect on the surrounding areas. 

Fish Out of Water

Then came the dreaded winter of 2015. Both my wife and I had spent our adult lives as city condo
owners. Needless to say our first foray into homeownership (no snow removal in the HOA fees) had us looking like fish out of water.

My wife was pregnant at the time and unable to assist with the relentless...

The Beaches of Cohasset MA

Living in a town nestled on the ocean has it perks. It wasn’t too long ago that my wife and I were planning to meet after work at the Beach. The problem is we didn’t clarify which beach to meet at. These are some of the issues you must deal with when you live in Cohasset. You must be specific which beach you are headed to.

Although there are many things to do in Cohasset, enjoying the beaches is on the top of the list for most residents. In town we have two beaches that are open to Cohasset Residents to use. Sandy Beach and Black Rock "Rocky” Beach are our little slices of heaven, but while both are beaches… They both have very different personalities!

Our Beaches

While we don’t get points for creativity for the beach names, they are both beautiful and amazing in their own right. Black Rock Beach is located at the intersection of Forest Avenue and Jerusalem Road. While Rocky, Black Rock Beach is a fun beach to sit back and relax on as well as explore. With the roll in and out of tides, the landscape is constantly changing offering opportunities for tide pools to play in and sand glass to discover. Other favorite activities are fishing from the rocks and swimming. The makeup of the beach is constantly changing with each storm that passes through, so there is always something to discover at this Cohasset gem!

Parking for Black Rock Beach can be a little challenging during the peak season. In order to park, you must have a ...

Living in the Boston area means that your home is highly desirable when it comes time to sell, but this region tends to stay a buyer's market longer because all the homes are in demand year round. In order to attract qualified buyers and get your full selling price, it is important to stage the house correctly.

These are some tips from local Boston real estate agents that will help when you are selling your home:

Increasing the Curb Appeal

With so much in the way of inventory available for those buying a home, curb appeal is the key to getting them to consider your home. Your realtor can put you in touch with a landscaping crew that can plant flowers, trim hedges, mulch around trees, maintain the lawn, and ensure your property has maximum appeal.

Be sure to call a professional power washing crew that can give new life to the exterior of the home, the fence, the patio and deck, the sidewalks, and the driveway, easily removing tree sap, bird droppings, and other debris.

Fixing Any Minor Repairs

The time to make all repairs in the house is long before the first potential buyers come walking through. The key to staging is to leave that positive lasting impression on the potential buyer, so that once they leave, they start imagining themselves living in that space. If they notice the sink is leaking, the window was broken, a door is off the hinges, they will focus on that issue and it might be just enough to convince them to...

Tech Companies are Coming

The sweepstakes for Amazon’s second headquarters has included cities from Denver, CO to Columbus, OH. Whichever city is chosen will also be winning a massive bump in the real estate market in the entire metro area. Amazon, like most technology companies, is looking for three main things. A young, educated workforce, great city life, and tax breaks. Even with heavy competition, Boston is looking like a front-runner right now. The latest example is Amazon’s acquisition last week of Sqrrl, which is a Cambridge based technology company.

By making this purchase, Amazon is showing us how much interest they have in setting up shop in the area. This startup, which is now a part of Amazon Web Services, could be Amazon’s way of testing the city as a place for their employees to live and work. One thing that will definitely be put to the test is the real estate market, which is already loaded with high-quality potential buyers that work for major companies like General Electric and New Balance, which have regional headquarters here. 

What This Means for the Housing Market

In short – it’s hot and getting hotter. Prices are already at an all time-high for the market, with the Greater Boston Association of Realtors reporting inventory and days on the market both being down from last year. To better...

Will Boston be Amazon's New Home?

What Would The Effects Be On The Real Estate Market?

Amazon is the world's largest online retailer with the main corporate office in Seattle, WA. The company has announced that they have outgrown their Seattle office and have plans and money invested in expanding their offices in many American cities but despite the expansion, they are looking for a second headquarters on the east coast. Many cities have been rumored to be in the mix including Chicago and Atlanta, but based on the company's recent real estate inquiry in Boston, MA  might be evidence that they are looking to put their new headquarters in Bean Town.

The piece of Boston real estate in question is a 500,000 square foot office building in the newly developed Seaport Square area. It is said that there is also an option for a second, equally sized office building in the same area. Their expansion plan also included details on a planned expansion of up to 8 million square feet within the next 15 years. What does this mean for the city and the state of Massachusetts?

Positive Impacts if Amazon Comes to Boston

Having a multi-billion dollar corporation make their second home in a city can be incredibly beneficial. With a new business in town the size of Amazon, thousands of new high-paying jobs are created. An investment by a city this large can certainly add to the economy. Having large corporations base themselves in large cities can lure other big businesses to the city, exponentially increasing the job market.

Boston Housing

With new business comes new employees that have moved into the city to continue their jobs....

Cohasset MA Home Buyers and Sellers Should Know this Law

...

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS

Buying a first home, a second one or even a retirement home is an exciting opportunity. It can, however, get complicated if you don't choose carefully.

At any one time there are millions of homes for sale available in the market and it is important to think about what you want so that you can avoid making costly mistakes. Many people, especially if they are buying for the first time, will get so excited that they buy the first home that they come across only to find out later that they don't like it so much. Only then it is too late and they have sunk thousands of dollars in it while owing hundreds of thousands more.

First time buyers should ask the following questions before they commit:  

Do I have enough money saved up?

Your lender will require you to put down a down payment before he can give you the money for the full purchase of the home.  Depending on the type of loan, different down payments are required.  Traditionally, to purchase a home you needed 20% or more for a down payment. 

Today, there are many options.  If you are a veteran, the Veterans Administration offers...

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE FOR MOVING TO QUINCY MA

Quincy is the largest city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. It is considered a suburb of South Boston and is part of the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area. As the 8th-largest city in Massachusetts, Quincy is a historic town and is known as the "City of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of two of our American presidents - John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams. It is also the birthplace of John Hancock who was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. If you are thinking about moving to Quincy, her is some information that should be of true value:

Buying a Home in Quincy

There are many options when buying a home in Quincy. In fact, the area is blanketed by several historic neighborhoods with traditional brownstones and one to two-story homes. Quincy is known for its tree-lined streets, schools, and fine commercial establishments and restaurants. Quincy real estate also features several apartment buildings and complexes, as well as co-op units, sub-lets and much more.

According to recent real-estate figures and stats, the median home value in Quincy ranges from $420,000 to $490,000. In fact, home values in the area have gone up 3.7% within the past year. They are also slated to increase...