How can a real estate agent support his family of 18 kids in this tough market???

…Some of the “stars” of reality TV are real estate agents!!!

I wonder how Joe Duggar is adapting to the current challenges of the real estate market?   He is a commercial property real estate sales agent.

He recently had to get a second job in reality TV to help support his family of 18.  It also appears he and his wife like to write books on marriage and child rearing (breeding).

http://www.duggarfamily.com/aboutus.html

Gretchen Rossi, from the current season of the “Real Housewives of Orange County”  decided to try prospecting for gold once the real estate market slowed down in sunny Cally!  So far this career change has been recession free for her! She has sunk her hooks into a rich dying man, old enough to be her granddad!

http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county/bio/gretchen-rossi

Does this mean the Octomom will soon start a career in real estate??

Parking limits in Lynn are hurting everyone!

PARKING TICKETS AND METER MAIDS:  GO AWAY!!!

I used to have my real estate offices in Central Square, Cambridge.

I have since moved my offices to another Central Square….in downtown Lynn.   I am happy to be part of an up-and-coming area.  The downtown Lynn area faces many challenges and hurdles, yet Central Square has an active resident base. They are making Lynn a better place.

Check out: www.lynnhappens .com. It is a one-stop shop for all you need to know about Lynn!

But — the parking.  The parking situation in Downtown Lynn remains a mystery to me.

There is ample parking.  Everywhere I look, there are spots.  All the spots are labeled one or two hour.  Yet most people coming out to shop and or dine in Lynn are going to be a bit more than two hours!

I see a struggling city on the verge of failure spending time and money on shunning possible residents, guests and patrons through these foolish parking requirements.

Doesn’t the city want to attract people and businesses?  Don’t they want people to live in its many lofts and spend money in its center?

New anchor businesses such as the Gulu Gulu Café, Urban Elements, The Oxford Street Grill, and The Downtown Bistro have come and gone in the past few years.

They took a chance on Lynn.  There is a new round of businesses opening up in the exact spots where these prior thriving businesses started.

It is counterproductive, especially in  dire economic times,  for the city to spend money employing meter maids.  A meter maid has to write a lot of tickets to justify their salary and benefits.  Add in the additional cost of  processing the parking tickets and chasing down people when fines are not paid.  It costs more time and hours.

The fees collected for exceeding two hour parking is $15.00! It is going to take a lot of tickets to make a profit after all labor and processing is done.

I encourage the City of Lynn to reevaluate its current parking enforcement rules.  By removing only a portion current of the 1 or 2 hour parking signs, some of the new local businesses could thrive!  Let’s let the meter maids and parking enforcement deal with valuable City issues such as handicapped spaces and unsafe parking — not chasing the few and valuable folks who want to come to downtown!

The current parking state negatively effects commercial and residential real estate in the downtown area.  Please, Mr. Mayor, think about it!

Mace and the real estate agent???

Check out the show, “I Survived”.

It’s a program in which people share true survival stories.

http://www.biography.com/video.do?name=isurvived&paidlink=1&vid=BIO_SEM_Search&keywords=i%2Bsurvived%2Btv%2Bshow&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=i%20survived&utm_term=i%20survived%20tv%20show

One recent story hit home for me.  It was the story of how a real estate agent fell victim to a crime.  She was attacked and robbed by a “client.”

This is neither the first nor the last time we will hear about a real estate agent or landlord being attacked or robbed while showing client properties.

Agents make pretty easy victims. It is the one profession that will expect you to meet clients at empty properties.

I am a trusting person and have on many occasions put myself in possible harm’s way.  After watching the show “I Survived,”  I have beefed up my security measures a bit.

I always let someone know when and where I am going out on a showing.

I leave behind the client’s contact information at my office.

I never show property late at night.

I avoid having clients ride in my car until I get to know them.  I ask them to follow me.

I always allow my clients to walk in first.  I leave the front door open to the property I am showing.   I always make sure I have easy access to avoid getting cornered into a room.

I keep my cell phone handy.

I trust my instincts.  If it feels odds it most likely is.

I also just renewed my mace license.

Better to be safe than sorry….

Stainless steel appliances + granite countertops = the world is your oyster.

Granite countertops?  I can take them or leave them.  But people love them!

(Wasn’t there some story about granite causing cancer?)

Stainless steel appliances?  I love them.  People love them!

Add these two ingredients to any home, apartment, or condo, and you will see immediate, positive results.  The units will rent and/or sell.

I have seen people go gaga over countertops and stainless steel appliances in condos where you get shot at if you walk out the front door. It does not matter if you cannot leave your home — at night as long as it is pimped out with the granite and the stainless!

If you want to look at some homes, condos, or apartments with or without the granite and stainless, check us out at: www.baystatere.com

THE FACEBOOK 411

Like many people in the world, I am addicted to Facebook.com.

I started out by peering in from the sidelines, not quite understanding the concept of Facebook.  Then, one day I jumped in and created a profile page.  I would suggest that if you live in the free world you take the 10 minutes and create a profile.  It will change your life!

I find it very “neat” that I can connect with cousins overseas and childhood friends, all in one click.  I can see how they are doing numerous times a day.  I love bantering back and forth, joking around, and catching up.

I find that I “facebook” my friends to make plans nowadays.  I also find myself using it as a networking site.  I can connect with other real estate professionals as well as past and present clients.

I also find, at times, that I am entering uncharted waters on Facebook.  I am not up to speed on what is proper and improper, for instance.  I wish there were a “Facebook for Dummies” guide that explained everything. Until then, I am winging it.  Sorry if I offend anyone….

So what is the 411??

www.baystatere.com

Dead Santas and decapitated reindeer??

This Saturday is Valentines Day.

Why do people still have their Christmas decorations up?

As I ride and walk around the North Shore, I see them everywhere.  Broken wreaths on doors…dead Christmas balls…tattered Christmas-themed flags.  Ah yes, broken Santas and decapitated reindeer adorn a good majority of homes.

The plague of people not bringing in their holiday decorations is not new. It exists all over America, in all types of neighborhoods. NO HOME IS EXEMPT!

If not addressed, a home with old, tattered holiday decorations can be as much of an eyesore as a home without paint or an overgrown lawn.

Would it not be nice if there was a city ordinance against keeping themed decorations out past the holidays?  All of the money collected could go toward balancing the budget.

I do, however, have an obsession with lawn gnomes — so they would be exempt!

Stacey@baystatere.com  www.baystatere.com 617.674.2977

Livin’ la vida loca at the mall…for just $1.5 million or so!!

Living large at the mall.

Living under the same roof as my favorites stores Zara, Lush, and Betsey Johnson could have lots of perks:

• No fighting to find a parking space.
• No excessive traffic.

But…do I really want to live at the mall?

Some people do!!

Specifically, they want to live at The Natick Collection in Natick, MA!

www.natickcollection.com

For years, I have been getting weekly emails from the sales office that is offering the condos for sale.

In the past, they would even give me a $100.00 gift card if I came in for a tour with a client.  Now, the emails no longer offer the gift card. A sign of the current times???

The prices for these condos have been dropping.  I predict that they will continue to drop.

The highest price unit is listed for:  $1.5 million plus.  The condo fee is $1655.00. Taxes are: $15,912.  It is 2,110 square feet.

If I had $1.5 million to spend….I’d opt for a nice,  older, oceanfront mansion in Swampscott. Or a brownstone in Boston.  (I could still walk to Zara and Lush from there!  HOWEVER, I would certainly be missing out on the fine dining and culture that the greater Natick/Framingham area offers.)

One of the perks these Natick condos offer are:

“Residents enjoy wonderful amenities like Club Nouvelle, Parc Nouvelle, Bosse Nouvelle, and Sterling Services.”

Hmmmmm…what exactly are these features??  Will they call ahead for a reservation at the Bugaboo Steakhouse, or pick up my dry cleaning at Zoots???  

No worries if this isn’t in your budget.  There are more affordable units offered at $369,000.  $418.00 a month is the condo fee, and the unit is about 973 square feet.

With over 200 units in the building, the sales offices are going to be in for some work trying to sell them in this market!

It is currently rumored that the mall itself is in financial trouble, as is the builder??

I will say…the units are gorgeous and the amenities are 5-star, but — who really wants to live at the mall???  There are so many other options in this market.  (At least in my view…)

And this is not to bash the  Natick and Framingham area….it is a great place to live.

My spouse spent a good chunk of his formative years there.  His family members are NYC transplants and loved the communities when they moved there.

I am just having a tough time grasping the “living at the mall” concept.  The area is congested. I cannot see how it can appeal to anyone but a small niche group.  Perhaps I will be proven wrong and this condo development will pave the way for the future of mall living.

I bet people laughed at Disney when they broached the idea of Celebration, Florida.  It is now a success.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebration,_Florida

…On a side note…the North Shore mall now has a Zara AND a Lush!!!

www.zara.com

www.lush.com

Proper real estate parking etiquette (a.k.a. Heed these warnings!)

Parking etiquette:   

Over the years, these are among the most common complaints I’ve gotten from tenants, landlords, and neighbors…….

1. Do not park on the grass.

This is golden.  My pet peeve is when people park on the grass in front of my house.  Don’t mess with my lawn.

2. Do not block the sidewalk.

People like to walk.  Cars blocking them force them to walk in the street.  DUH!

3. Do not park on the street in front of your neighbor’s house.

This is unofficially their property.  Legally?  No, but in the land of the Wild Parking West it is. You can park, but do so with caution.  The fate of your car may not be favorable if you do not venture very carefully.

4. Do not park in the driveway of people you are visiting unless invited or told to do so ahead of time. (One never knows if the driveway is shared, etc…)

5. NEVER, EVER park where someone has shoveled out a spot on the street. Feel free to ask some former residents of Southie about this!

“You made your grave…now lie in it…”

Americans are going to be in for a change, like it or lump it.

“It’s a wonderful time to buy!  Home prices are low as are interest rates!”

“BUY, BUY, BUY…the market will come back…..you’ll get a bargain…”

This is what I have been reading and hearing from just about every real estate blog and agent I encounter.  “Yeah, sure…” is what I am really thinking.

In case they have been living in a cave, the news is….

Americans are afraid. The United States is in a horrid state of economic times. Most Americans are wondering if they will have money for food and basic shelter. Buying a home is the last of their worries!

I foresee that Americans will reevaluate and be forced to make some tough decisions in the next few years.  The current market downfall could have easily been predicted. It was led by greed. Greed of mortgage brokers, lenders, real estate agents, home buyers, and sellers. In fact, just about everyone involved in the real estate industry.

But there is a brighter future ahead….

• We will soon see people saving for their first home. The first home will be a starter home. It will not be a 4,000 square foot home filled with expensive furniture. It will be a home that you need to put some sweat equity in. A home you will raise your kids in. Then, as you grow older, save money, and advance in life with hard work, you will sell your home and move onto a bigger one. Or, perhaps, hand this home down to your children….

• Home loans will be earned and not given out like candy. Lenders and consumers both will be held accountable for loans.

• Hopefully, a sense of entitlement will become nonexistent. Taking personal responsibility is a wonderful thing!

The old saying that my grandfather often shared rings true: “You made your grave, now lie in it.”  All Americans are currently doing this in one form or another.

It’s cold in the Diamond District, but warm in Louisiana

Not a pretty house..but I still love it…

New Orleans home

A street of “shotgun” homes in New Orleans

A lovely home in New Orleans…

Ocean Street after a storm

The cold weather has me recalling warmer days….and vacationing in warmer climates.  This past fall, I took a trip to Louisana and Mississippi.

Here is a shack we encountered in a bayou:

Below it are some pictures I took of homes in New Orleans, and then some of the Diamond District in Lynn (right after a snow storm)…

As you can see, there is so much history life, and character in these neighborhoods…