Looking Back... Comparison of 2000 versus 2008 Economies
Here is a visual that puts things into perspective...
and another one...
Labels: economy
Thursday, October 09, 2008
and another one...
Thursday, October 02, 2008
New Way to Search for Condo Developments
Looking for a condo development? Then you might want to check out the recently-launched CondoGala.com.CondoGala is a portal site that focuses on international property developments and has a few unique points, including integration of user-based comments and reviews. In other words, not only can you obtain the usual objective property information, but you can also discover what people are saying about these properties and provide your input.
Another positive point is the user interface. Unlike most other real estate portal sites that are notoriously messy and disorganized, one of CondoGala's core strengths is it's clean UI and easy access to information.
Labels: condo developments, real estate 2.0
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The Top 10 U.S. Cities to Invest in Real Estate
With the current situation of the U.S. economy, a lot of international investors are looking for investment opportunities to take advantage of the weak dollar and decreasing house values, within the housing market. According to Forbes, the following are the most attractive housing markets for investment:1. NY
2. Washington D.C.
3. L.A.
4. San Francisco
5. Seattle
6. Boston
7. Chicago
8. Las Vegas
9. Phoenix
10. Orlando
The full article can be read here.
Labels: housing market, investment
Saturday, November 10, 2007
FARS Realty Group Wins 2007 MITX Award for Real Estate Category
We're proud to announce that FARSRealtyGroup.com was named the 2007 MITX Award Winner for the real estate category.
The MITX Awards is the largest and most prestigious awards competition in the country for interactive and web innovations and celebrates the best creative and technological accomplishments emerging from New England.
Congratulations to Lightfin Studios who led the redesign of the site.
Labels: fars realty group, mitx, real estate news
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Glory Days - Red Sox Do It Again
Congratulations to the 2007 World Series Champions - The BOSTON RED SOX!Scenes from the parade yesterday....
Labels: boston red sox, world series 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
THE Buyers Market...
How many times in the past 12 months have you heard the real estate market referred to as a "Buyers Market"? About a zillion. And while it is true that we certainly are in a Buyers Market, it isn't clear to many prospective buyers what that really means. There are a number of obvious reasons why the current market is advantageous to buyers, but there are also a number of advantages that are not apparent. Here are the top five reasons why now is "the time to buy".1. Sale Price - Not only are the prices of homes dropping, but it is not unusual for buyers in this market to offer 10-15% below the asking price for a home, and to get it! Sellers are much more willing to negotiate now than they have been in years, putting buyers in a position to buy homes that they simply could not have afforded in the market conditions that existed a few years ago.
2. Time - Since there are fewer buyers in the market today, there is less competition to make an offer quickly on a property that is of interest. Properties are staying on the market much longer, allowing buyers more time to look at a number of properties without feeling pressure to make a quick decision.
3. Financing - RATES ARE LOW. Great rates are available, and mortgage professionals are more service oriented than ever. Most mortgage professionals are available 24/7 to their clients to answer questions, give advice, and research the best alternatives to achieve the lowest rate possible. 100% financing is still available to qualified buyers who don't have a down payment. In addition, there are more and more programs available to assist first time homebuyers.
4. Inspection Concessions - Once they have a buyer, a seller does not want to lose them. After the home inspection, buyers in today's market are able to bring any and all concerns that they have to the sellers attention, and in most cases – the sellers will fix the problems, cutting the costs (and the headaches) for the buyers when they move into their new home.
5. Closing Costs - It is not uncommon in this market for buyers to ask sellers to pay for their closing costs. In many cases, buyers are able to get $5,000 worth of their closing costs paid for by the seller, enabling them to use that money to increase their down payment, purchase appliances, or make improvements to their new home.
If you are considering buying a home, now is the time.
Labels: buyers market, first time home buyer, housing market
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Heating by Oil Isn't So Dirty Afterall
I recently attended a seminar held by the MOC (Massachusetts Oilheat Council) and it allowed me to learn a lot about the benefits of oil heat. Obviously there was a bias towards oil heat and it seemed slightly like a sales pitch, but it did provide clarity on many things that I always simply assumed to be a certain way. Below are some interesting facts.Assumption #1 - Oil Heat is a "dirty" heat
Answer - Come to find out, oil used in home heating is biodegradable and can burn with close to zero emissions in today's newer systems. Of course you don't want to have major oil spills and need to perform regular maintenance on your system, but a good running system can burn just as "clean" as other fuels. Also, the strong odor could be considered to be a natural warning device. If your begin to smell a strong oil smell from your system, something is wrong! It's one of the first warning signs that you need to call in a specialist.
Assumption #2 - There is only one type of oil used in home heating
Answer - False! There have been major advances in recent years to incorporate reusable fuels ("BioHeat"), such as soy bean oil (biofuel). Many home heating oil providers sell fuels with 3-5% biofuel concentrations and a few have higher concentrations. Oils with biofuel can actually burn even more efficiently and cleaner than regular fuel. The only concern is that older systems should have their seals updated to handle the new substance to eliminate and chance of leaks. Newer systems should be compatible with the biofuel.
Assumption #3 - Most leaks from systems are in the tank or burner.
Answer - False! Most leaks occur in the line connecting the tank to the burner. Make sure your lines are checked yearly along with the tank and furnace.
Fuel tanks are changing too. Currently, newer below ground tanks have a double layer system that includes an inner plastic tank surrounded by a galvanized steel tank. This technology should be more readily available for in home above ground tanks in the near future.
To find out more about oil heat or to learn about potential ways to save money if you currently have an oil system, go to http://www.massoilheat.org/
Labels: Massachusetts Oilheat Council, MOC, Oil Heat