Consider before you ignore a very low purchase offer for your home. A counteroffer and negotiation could turn that low purchase offer into a sale. When you receive a low offer on your house, the best response is to counter with a price you’re willing to accept.

Property Details
Sold on Jul 29, 2011 $482,500 (Listed for $499,900, Originally Listed for $529,900)554 Tremont Street, Boston (South End), MA 02118Brownstone – Condominium1 Beds | 1 Baths | 701 Sq Ft | MLS# 71193521

Recently renovated 1 BR in prime South End location. Open floor plan offers efficient use of living space with 10ft high ceilings,custom lighting & crown molding. 6ft bow front windows enhance city views.Eat in kitchen features: custom cabinetry with granite counters & SS appliances. Master B/R features walk-in Closet/Storage.Genuine wide plank cherry hardwoods throughout. Unit includes: W/D, Central A/C 16 SEER (most efficient), professionally managed & pet friendly. CALL TODAY

554 Tremont Street – Unit 5 Boston, MA 02118 Condo MLS #: 71193521 Status: New List Price: $529,900 List Date: 3/1/2011 Area: South End Off Market Date: Days on Market (Total): 3 Days on Market (Office): 3 Property Features Rooms: 5 Style: Brownstone Bedrooms: 1 Type: Condo Full Bath: 1 Apprx Acres: Half Bath: 0 Apprx Lot Size: sq.ft. Master Bath: Apprx Living Area: 701 sq.ft. ($755.92/sq.ft.) Fireplaces: 0 Garage: 0 — Year Built: 1900 Parking: 0 On Street Permit No. Units: 9 Unit Level 3 Placement: Middle, Front Association: Yes Fee: $173 Fee Includes: Master Insurance

Room Descriptions		Features & Other Information
Room Level Size Features Living Room: 1 Hard Wood Floor, Bay / Bow / Box Window(s) Dining Room: 1 Hard Wood Floor, Bay / Bow / Box Window(s) Family Room: 1 – Kitchen: 1 Hard Wood Floor Master Bedroom: 1 Walk-in Closet, Hard Wood Floor Bath 1: 1 Stone / Ceramic Tile Floor		Appliances: Range, Dishwasher, Disposal, Refrigerator, Washer, Dryer Basement: No Cooling: Central Air Disclosures: See Attached Escrow Agent Notification Exclusions: Exterior: Brick Exterior Features: City View(s) Heating: Electric Interior Features: Intercom Lead Paint: Unknown Living Area Disclosures: recorded @ 693sq.ft but architect measured @ 701 sq.ft Pets Allowed: Yes Sewer and Water: City/Town Water, City/Town Sewer Waterfront: No –

Remarks		Tax Information
Recently renovated 1 BR in prime South End location. Open floor plan offers efficient use of living space with 10ft high ceilings,custom lighting & crown molding. 6ft bow front windows enhance city views.Eat in kitchen features: custom cabinetry with granite counters & SS appliances. Master B/R features walk-in Closet/Storage.Genuine wide plank cherry hardwoods throughout. Unit includes: W/D, Central A/C 16 SEER (most efficient), professionally managed & pet friendly. CALL TODAY 617-233-0071		Pin #: Assessment: $346,000 Taxes: $4418 Tax Year: 2011 Book: 25299 Page: 255 Cert: Zoning Code: res/com Map: Block: Lot:



February 17, 2011 – Nationwide housing affordability during the fourth quarter of 2010 rose to its highest
level in the 20 years since it has been measured, according to National Association of Home Builders/Wells
Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) data released today.
The HOI indicated that 73.9 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the fourth quarter of 2010 were
affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,400. The record-setting index for the fourth
quarter surpassed the previous high of 72.5 percent set during the first quarter of 2009 and marked the eighth
consecutive quarter that the index has been above 70 percent. Until 2009, the HOI rarely topped 65 percent
and never reached 70 percent.
“Today’s report shows that housing affordability at the end of 2010 was at its highest level since we started
computing the HOI,” said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a
home builder from Reno, Nev. “However, while this is good news for consumers, both home buyers and
builders continue to confront extremely tight credit conditions, and this remains a significant obstacle to many
potential home sales.”
Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind., was the most affordable major housing market in the country for the second
consecutive quarter, after relinquishing for a quarter the top spot it has held for five years. In Indianapolis,
93.5 percent of all homes sold were affordable to households earning the area’s median family income of
$68,700.
Also ranking near the top of the most affordable major metro housing markets were Youngstown-Warren-
Boardman, Ohio-Pa.; Syracuse, N.Y; Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich.; and Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn,
Mich.
Among smaller housing markets, the most affordable was Elkhart-Goshen, Ind., where 97.0 percent of homes
sold during the fourth quarter of 2010 were affordable to families earning a median income of $58,600. Other
smaller housing markets near the top of the index included Lansing-East Lansing, Mich.; Kokomo, Ind.;
Mansfield, Ohio; and Bay City, Mich.,.
New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J., again led the nation as the least affordable major housing market
during the fourth quarter of 2010. In New York, more than a fourth — 25.5 percent — of all homes sold during
the quarter were affordable to those earning the area’s median income of $65,600. This was the 11th
consecutive quarter that the New York metropolitan division has held this position.

The other major metro areas near the bottom of the affordability index included San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, Calif.; Honolulu; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif.; and Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, Calif., respectively.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif. was the least affordable of the smaller metro housing markets in the country
during the fourth quarter. In Santa Cruz, 45.0 percent of the homes were affordable to families earning the
median income of $84,200. Other small metro areas ranking near the bottom included Ocean City, N.J; San
Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif.; Laredo, Texas; and Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, Calif.
Please visit www.nahb.org/hoi for tables, historic data and details.

A Very Successful Contrarian

Chris Mayer, one of my favorite stock advisors, wrote recently about a man who must be judged an astonishing Contrarian. He was quoting John Paulson in The Daily Reckoning. John, as you may recall, is the famed investor who made more than a billion dollars by betting heavily against real estate as the boom was about to become a bust.

So what is Paulson saying today? “If you don’t own a home, buy one. If you own one home, buy another one, and if you own two homes, buy a third and lend your relatives the money to buy a home.” These sound like words of a man who doesn’t lower himself gently into the pool. He dives right in.

Now, many—or most—people may respond to these words with concerns about Paulson’s sanity. Or questions about what he’s smoking at the end of his work day.

However distant it may be, though, he has an increasingly worthy point. Pent-up demand for real estate is very high. How could it not be so…after the credit crunch and ongoing economic uncertainty decimated the likelihood that people would buy the home they’ve been wanting to buy?

Second (and this becomes a familiar list), interest rates remain extremely attractive, even though lending remains tight. And prices have fallen by roughly 25%—in many cases more, in many less—but the level of affordability has rarely been this high. And sales don’t come easily, so sellers are willing to negotiate.

The question this familiar list of reasons why people should be buying generally ends with? “So why aren’t people buying?” (more…)

Foreclosure pause as records checked

Bank of America Corp. said yesterday that it will temporarily stop foreclosure sales in all states, including Massachusetts, amid mounting concerns that the nation’s largest bank and other mortgage lenders have seized homes without proper documentation.

The move was made a week after state Attorney General Martha Coakley called on Bank of America and other major lenders to halt foreclosures in Massachusetts because of reports that executives routinely signed vast numbers of documents without verifying information, a process known as “robo-signing.’’

Bank of America, which is the first bank to freeze foreclosures in the state, was unable to say how many of its Massachusetts customers at risk of losing their homes will be affected.

The bank and two other major national lenders, GMAC Mort gage and JPMorgan Chase, had already halted foreclosures in 23 states that require a judge to sign off on them. Judicial review is not required in Massachusetts.

Yesterday, Rick Simon, Bank of America spokesman, said the lender will press ahead with foreclosure proceedings, but would stop short of actually taking back properties until the company reviews all paperwork. He estimated that could take several weeks.

“We will continue the foreclosure process on delinquent accounts, but we will not proceed to judgment,’’ said Simon, who added that the bank has no reason to believe it wrongly foreclosed on mortgage holders. (more…)

The Nautica. 2 bed, 2 bath luxury condo just steps from the Navy Yard. Hardwood floors, Jacuzzi tub in 2nd bath, marble shower in master bath, deeded 1-car garage parking, comes with a storage unit. Special assessments paid, taxes reflect residential exemption. Buyers subject to BRA approval. Income restricted: Max income for household of 2 is $115,400 1 person household max 101k. Personal assets can’t exceed 100k.

For more details click on this link.

This is a Fantastic 2+ bedroom in a great Quincy location totally renovated in 06! The way the rooms layout make great use of the square footage,both bedrooms are of good size with the master having its own closet changing area.The kitchen is open to the living room and has a great granite island for cooking and entertaining with all SS appliances,the office is also big enough to be used as a guest bedroom. The bathroom is spacious,washer/dryer in unit,central AC,parking,deck for grilling.

For pictures and more details visit the following link