Old School Mentality Meets New School Banking

A news story about ING Direct was shown on ABC's Nightline last night. They interview the CEO of ING Direct, Arkadi Kuhlmann, who is known for his straight forward way of doing business and keeping things simple. To read the story or view the video clip, CLICK HERE. If you don't have time to read it, here are some amazing statistics about ING Direct.

1) Roughly 100,000 new members sign up with them each month.
2) 93% of their employees enjoy working there.
3) They have sold about 70,000 mortgages and only 6 have foreclosed!

If you think you can easily convince ING Direct to provide you with a mortgage, you will have your work cut out for you. This is the main reason why they have such an incredible foreclosure percentage. They simply do not deal with risky borrowers. Times have most definitely changed in the past year and it seems that more and more banks will begin to follow this simple and effective strategy.

I do not find it surprising that the CEO of an internet savings bank is telling people they should save more money, but it will be interesting to see how people's mentality over credit will change in the future.

Labels: foreclosure, ING Direct, mortgage crisis, Nightline

posted by ronnierealestate @ 5:27 AM 1 comments

Home Search with Street Address Display

We're excited to announce the addition of the new property address feature to the FARSRealtyGroup.com MLS search. This has been in the making for a while and we're proud to announce it is now fully functional!

To further empower our customers and make home searches easier, our registered users are now able to view the exact street address of properties while searching for homes for sale in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Just look for the Map & Address button on the listings pages.

The street addresses are displayed on the detailed listing pages and the property map. The address displays will work for all available MLS listings including :

» NH Homes, Condos, Multi-families, Land for sale (currently on MLS)

» MA Homes, Condos, Multi-families, Land for sale (currently on MLS)

In addition, our MLS map platform allows users to scroll around on our integrated New Hampshire and Massachusetts Google maps to geographically view properties. The Google maps feature lets users zoom in or out, view satellite images, or a hybrid map that blends aerial images with a digital overlay of streets. Users can also click on properties to view detailed information and photos.

The custom map and IDX coding was carried out by Real Estate Webmasters.

Labels: google maps, massachusetts real estate, new hampshire real estate

posted by B. Samii @ 9:59 AM 2 comments

Tom Brady's Boston Condos For Sale

Tom Brady is putting two of his Beacon Street condos up for sale. According to the Boston Globe, he purchased the brownstone building in 2006 for $6.2M which has gone through extensive renovation and includes private decks, doorman, and garage parking.

Brady's Boston Condo #1 : 2 Bedrooms/2.5 Baths, 2340 Square Feet, $3.99M

Brady's Boston Condo #2: 3 Bedrooms/3.5 Baths, 2987 Square Feet, $4.59M




















The properties are listed by Campion and Company Fine Homes Real Estate.

Labels: boston condos, tom brady

posted by B. Samii @ 5:07 PM 1 comments

Super Luxury in Hopkinton, MA

This home is listed by RE/MAX First Realty, Inc.

Labels: hopkinton ma, luxury home, metrowest, whitehall state park

posted by ronnierealestate @ 2:24 AM 1 comments

New Hampshire Ranked #1 Most Livable State

New Hampshire named Most Livable State two years in a row (2006 & 2007) according to the Morgan Quitno Press. The report is based on 44 factors used to rank each state.

The rankings in alphabetical order:

2007 RANK	STATE	LIVABILITY RATING	2006 RANK	CHANGE		2007 RANK	STATE	LIVABILITY RATING	2006 RANK	CHANGE
42	Alabama	20.86	39	-3		1	New Hampshire	34.66	1	0
24	Alaska	25.75	23	-1		2	Minnesota	33.32	2	0
32	Arizona	24.16	29	-3		3	Wyoming	32.86	6	3
48	Arkansas	18.59	48	0		4	Utah	32.05	11	7
30	California	24.61	34	4		5	New Jersey	31.16	5	0
18	Colorado	27.36	20	2		6	Iowa	30.84	3	-3
10	Connecticut	29.86	10	0		7	Vermont	30.41	4	-3
21	Delaware	25.98	18	-3		8	Massachusetts	30.30	7	-1
27	Florida	25.27	31	4		9	South Dakota	29.95	13	4
41	Georgia	21.09	38	-3		10	Connecticut	29.86	10	0
19	Hawaii	26.73	22	3		11	Nebraska	29.84	9	-2
14	Idaho	28.89	18	4		12	Virginia	29.68	8	-4
26	Illinois	25.36	28	2		13	North Dakota	29.32	12	-1
35	Indiana	22.91	36	1		14	Idaho	28.89	18	4
6	Iowa	30.84	3	-3		15	Maryland	28.82	16	1
17	Kansas	28.00	15	-2		16	Maine	28.27	17	1
47	Kentucky	18.66	47	0		17	Kansas	28.00	15	-2
49	Louisiana	18.39	50	1		18	Colorado	27.36	20	2
16	Maine	28.27	17	1		19	Hawaii	26.73	22	3
15	Maryland	28.82	16	1		20	Wisconsin	26.09	14	-6
8	Massachusetts	30.30	7	-1		21	Delaware	25.98	18	-3
38	Michigan	22.00	35	-3		22	Montana	25.82	21	-1
2	Minnesota	33.32	2	0		23	Oregon	25.77	33	10
50	Mississippi	15.86	49	-1		24	Alaska	25.75	23	-1
34	Missouri	23.18	27	-7		25	Nevada	25.70	24	-1
22	Montana	25.82	21	-1		26	Illinois	25.36	28	2
11	Nebraska	29.84	9	-2		27	Florida	25.27	31	4
25	Nevada	25.70	24	-1		28	Rhode Island	25.05	26	-2
1	New Hampshire	34.66	1	0		29	New York	25.02	32	3
5	New Jersey	31.16	5	0		30	California	24.61	34	4
37	New Mexico	22.02	41	4		31	Washington	24.34	25	-6
29	New York	25.02	32	3		32	Arizona	24.16	29	-3
42	North Carolina	20.86	40	-2		33	Pennsylvania	23.70	30	-3
13	North Dakota	29.32	12	-1		34	Missouri	23.18	27	-7
36	Ohio	22.30	37	1		35	Indiana	22.91	36	1
40	Oklahoma	21.30	43	3		36	Ohio	22.30	37	1
23	Oregon	25.77	33	10		37	New Mexico	22.02	41	4
33	Pennsylvania	23.70	30	-3		38	Michigan	22.00	35	-3
28	Rhode Island	25.05	26	-2		39	Texas	21.55	41	2
46	South Carolina	18.84	46	0		40	Oklahoma	21.30	43	3
9	South Dakota	29.95	13	4		41	Georgia	21.09	38	-3
44	Tennessee	20.11	45	1		42	Alabama	20.86	39	-3
39	Texas	21.55	41	2		42	North Carolina	20.86	40	-2
4	Utah	32.05	11	7		44	Tennessee	20.11	45	1
7	Vermont	30.41	4	-3		45	West Virginia	18.93	44	-1
12	Virginia	29.68	8	-4		46	South Carolina	18.84	46	0
31	Washington	24.34	25	-6		47	Kentucky	18.66	47	0
45	West Virginia	18.93	44	-1		48	Arkansas	18.59	48	0
20	Wisconsin	26.09	14	-6		49	Louisiana	18.39	50	1
3	Wyoming	32.86	6	3		50	Mississippi	15.86	49	-1

View all 50 state rankings on a Google map.

Labels: new hampshire, nh real estate

posted by B. Samii @ 4:10 AM 1 comments

Short Sales

The Long and Short of "Short Sales"

Over the past 6 months, there has been a substantial increase in the number of "short sale" properties on the market. As an increasing number of homeowners in Massachusetts have become unable to pay their mortgages, "short sales" have provided a desirable alternative to foreclosure. In a short sale transaction, a lender agrees to accept less for a property than the current remaining balance on the mortgage, allowing a seller to accept a lower offer for their home than they would otherwise be able to. In a tight market where home prices continue to drop and properties are sitting on the market for months, having the flexibility to accept a lower price can be crucial in expediting the sale of a property. Though lenders do take a loss on short sale transactions, it is a better alternative than the foreclosure process, which can often take up to a year and cost a bank an average of $50,000.

Short Sales are advantageous to all parties in involved:

1. Sellers are able to avoid foreclosure and preserve their credit.
2. Lenders are able to reduce their losses and avoid the foreclosure process.
3. Buyers are able to take advantage of reduced pricing and get a great deal on a property.

However, the short sale transaction generally does not run as smoothly as the traditional real estate transaction and requires patience from all parties involved, particularly the buyer. Generally, short sale transactions take an additional 30-60 days to close, leaving the buyer in limbo for a couple of months after their anticipated closing date. For some buyers, this requires finding temporary housing, storing belongings, and pushing off new home purchases and improvements indefinitely. Short sales are a great way for buyers to get into properties that they otherwise could not afford. However, short sales are not for everyone. They can take a long time to close and be very frustrating - but in the end, if the deal is that good, it's worth the wait.

Short Sales in MA.

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