North Attleboro &#38; Attleboro Real Estate

TIRE KICKING: Secret Tests To Check A Property’s Condition

Cheryl Walsh - C Walsh Realty — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:28:51 +0000

TIRE KICKING: Secret Tests To Check A Property’s Condition

If you’re considering buying a home that’s more than a few years old, there may be some hidden problems you can discover before you make a purchase offer. Although putting a professional inspection contingency in the contract will help protect you from surprises, doing your own inspection before making an offer could save you considerable time and money.

How can you tell if a property is worth buying? Here’s how to look at the big picture — for structural concerns, major repairs that are needed, appliances that have to be replaced.

Crawl The Walls

Start going to the right when you enter the home, and keep on following to the right. You will check each wall that way. Do the same on every floor. Look for settlement cracks, separating joints, defective plaster or other signs of stress or damage. Check wallpapered areas for crinkling or gathering, which may mean walls are settling or shifting.

Look For Leaks

Loose or wrinkled wallpaper could indicate a water leak somewhere. Look for water stains on the ceiling and walls. You may have to look closely — bring a flashlight — in case they have been painted over or repaired.

Spend time in the bathrooms and in every area with pipes, checking for leaks and drips. Also, run the shower and basin, then flush the toilet to check water pressure. Look for cracked or loose tiles and missing grout or mildew stains on the walls or floor, which could indicate a behind-the-wall leak.

Plug Into The Electrical System

Check every electric socket or outlet. Use a plug-in night light and turn every switch on and off. Look for extension cords and multiple plugs in sockets, which could mean insufficient or poorly placed sockets. Also check every appliance to be sure it works well.

Focus On Condition

Open and close every door and window. Look and listen for squeaking, sticking, or a tendency to close on their own. Check for evidence of shifting or settling around the front stoop, chimney and walks, and places where the driveway and the fence meet the house. Also check the deck for sturdiness and look for rotted wood. Go into the garage and check the walls, floors and doors — inside and out.

Pay Attention To Pests

Look for termites and ants. Especially look along the foundation, around doors and entry points of wiring and pipes. Check the grading of the yard to be sure water runs away from the house.

If everything looks good to you and you decide to purchase the home, be sure to require a home inspection by a professional inspector before settlement. You will want a professional who will crawl into the crawl space, climb onto the roof and poke around with a flashlight in the attic. Your professional should also carefully inspect the major systems — electrical, gas, plumbing and heating/air conditioning.

You can and should insist on a written report detailing what the problems are with the home, how important each one is. You may have to consult a contractor to estimate repair costs on any problems found.

Cheryl Walsh

C. Walsh Realty

126 Chestnut Street

North Attleboro, MA 02760

Norton MA Total Sold Market Statistics – March 2013

Cheryl Walsh - C Walsh Realty — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:00:17 +0000

Norton MA Total Sold Market Statistics

Report Run: 4/3/2013 12:19:45 PM
Property Type(s): SF
Status: SLD
Start Date: 3/3/2013
End Date: 4/3/2013
Towns: Norton
Price Range	# of	Avg. Days	Average	Average	SP:LP	Average	SP:OP
Price Range	Listings	on Market	Sale Price	List Price	Ratio	Orig Price	Ratio
$0 – $49,999	0	0	$0	$0	0	$0	0
$50,000 – $99,999	0	0	$0	$0	0	$0	0
$100,000 – $149,999	1	22	$148,500	$154,900	96	$154,900	96
$150,000 – $199,999	1	24	$189,000	$169,900	111	$169,900	111
$200,000 – $249,999	3	30	$243,559	$244,600	100	$254,600	96
$250,000 – $299,999	1	9	$286,000	$299,000	96	$299,000	96
$300,000 – $349,999	2	117	$324,000	$331,450	98	$334,000	97
$350,000 – $399,999	2	171	$390,000	$397,400	98	$434,900	90
$400,000 – $449,999	1	66	$405,000	$409,999	99	$459,999	88
$450,000 – $499,999	0	0	$0	$0	0	$0	0
$500,000 – $599,999	0	0	$0	$0	0	$0	0
$600,000 – $699,999	0	0	$0	$0	0	$0	0
Total Properties	11	Avg. 71	$289,743	$293,209	99	$307,764	96
Lowest Price: $148,500	Median Price: $286,000
Highest Price: $405,000	Average Price: $289,743
Total Market Volume: $3,187,177

Get the Complete March Real Estate Report forthe Attleboros here.

Cheryl Walsh

C. Walsh Realty

126 Chestnut Street

North Attleboro, MA 02760

How To Attract More Buyers With Seller Financing

Cheryl Walsh - C Walsh Realty — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:07:55 +0000

How To Attract More Buyers With Seller Financing

Like honey draws bees, creative financing can draw buyers to your doorstep. Many home seekers are motivated to buy but need help meeting mortgage-qualification rules. You can help a prospective buyer finance the purchase of your house (and speed your sale) in several creative ways.

Seller takes back first trust.
You can lend the buyer the money, pocket the interest payments, and hold the mortgage on the property, as long as there is no current mortgage. The tax benefits are you may be able to pay income tax only on a percentage of the principal and interest that you get each year. You probably will want a 20% down payment (to discourage default on the loan), and you’ll need an attorney to draw up a deed of trust and promissory note.

Seller takes back second trust.
You can help fill the gap between other sources of financing and the sales price of the house. The second trust is usually for a smaller amount than a first trust but is riskier since it could be wiped out by defaulting on the first trust. Be sure to have your interests legally protected by your attorney.

Assumption.
On older mortgages, the buyer can sometimes take over the obligations of the existing mortgage at the stated interest rate for little or no additional cost. Often the seller takes back a second trust for the difference between the sales price and the balance of the old mortgage. If the sale is “subject to,” the seller remains liable for the old mortgage if the buyer defaults.

Wraparound financing.
In this loan, which is a type of second trust, the seller retains the existing mortgage and makes regular payments on it. But the seller lends the buyer the total sales price less the down payment, often at an interest rate a little higher than the first mortgage rate, so the seller makes some profit. An additional risk for this second trust is if the loan is unassumable, the existing mortgage can be called by the lender.

While creative financing may not be as simple as traditional financing, in difficult market conditions a little sweetener can go a long way to attract the right buyer.

Cheryl Walsh

C. Walsh Realty

126 Chestnut Street

North Attleboro, MA 02760

SELL OR REMODEL: How To Get The Most For Your Money

Cheryl Walsh - C Walsh Realty — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:26 +0000

SELL OR REMODEL: How To Get The Most For Your Money

Do the walls seem to be closing in on you? Are your cupboards and closets overflowing with stuff? Can you see more toys than flooring at your feet? If so, you need more space. And your choices are remodel your home, move to a larger one, or move to a home that you want to remodel. How can you decide which approach is best for you? Start by considering your priorities. If you are basically happy with your current location, the relative cost of your options is likely to make the decision for you.

Wish List: Take an inventory of your current house to determine whether remodeling will work for you. Look at each room. Do all of them need help? If so, remodeling may be too expensive and a move might be your only practical choice. If just one area of the house needs work that can be accomplished by bumping out a wall or adding on, then remodeling may be the correct move for you. Consider what you would have to do to the basic structure of your house to arrive at your dream home. Cost How much money can you afford to spend? Would you need a construction loan to remodel, or would you take money out of your home’s equity? If you must borrow money to remodel, will the cost of the loan, combined with your existing mortgage payment, be more than the monthly payments for a new home with the space and amenities you want? Moving may be easier and less expensive. Calculate how much it would cost you to replace your current home with one that meets your needs. What improvements could you make to your current home for the same investment? Will a new addition of, say, a master bedroom suite, be enough to satisfy your desire for a new look and more space? Or do you need more living space all over the house?

Is your desire for newer amenities the driving force for a new home? If you’re looking to modernize wiring and plumbing or increase hi-tech capabilities, it might be better to move into a house that already has these features.

Payback Most homeowners start remodeling with the kitchen or a bathroom, both of which can cost a fair amount of money to upgrade but also show better-than average payback at sale time. Will it be a worthwhile investment? The answer depends on the type of payoff you’re looking for. If you decide to remodel, don’t expect to recoup the funds spent on home improvements when you eventually sell the property. Some remodeling projects are likely to be far more financially rewarding than others, yet few yield a 100% return. If you can keep costs down, however, perhaps by doing some of the work yourself, your project might pay you back in full at sale time, maybe even show a profit. Remember, though, the primary reason for remodeling is to meet your living needs, not to make your house worth more.

The point of some projects is simply to bring a house up-to-date. Remodeling a 1960s-era kitchen would make your home more competitive (at sale time) with 21st Century homes. A new kitchen would almost certainly increase your home’s value compared with neighborhood homes that haven’t been upgraded.

Recognizing Limits Don’t make the expensive mistake of remodeling your house just to sell it faster or at a higher price. You’ll waste your money, frustrating your ability to move into a home that better meets your own needs. Put your current home on the market in clean, well-cared-for condition, but save your money to redesign or decorate your next, more-spacious house. Also, be careful when remodeling or expanding your home that you don’t over-improve. Remember, your home’s value reflects (and is limited by) the value of homes in your immediate neighborhood.

House Or Community? For some homeowners, the community or lifestyle they enjoy in their current home is a great reason to stay put. You can’t buy a sense of community — it’s something you develop over the years. If you are unwilling to trade familiarity, friends and neighborhood for a larger home in another area, then remodeling could be the best solution. As you consider remodeling, however, be sure your current neighborhood can carry the evolved house. If yours is the only house in the community that has been bumped out or up, it may be difficult to sell eventually, and you’re not likely to recoup much of your remodeling investment.

Don’t forget to check local zoning laws and homeowner association limitations if you intend to add on to the dwelling. If your house already takes up a large portion of the lot, local zoning may limit how much more house you can build.

As you consider improvements to your home, keep in mind that landscaping and exterior appearance will attract buyers to your home. Once they get inside, they’ll be looking for functionality, durability and convenience.

Before taking on remodeling projects or major additions to your home, give us a call to see if we can help you find an existing home that meet your needs.

Cheryl Walsh

C. Walsh Realty

126 Chestnut Street

North Attleboro, MA 02760

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633 East Washington St – North Attleboro, MA 02760

Cheryl Walsh - C Walsh Realty — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:41:18 +0000

633 East Washington St – Unit 9 North Attleboro, MA 02760 United States.

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DETAILS

Listing # 71512000

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 1

Est. Square Feet: 720

FOR RENT:
First level 3 bed 1 bath apartment immediate availability. All rooms are
good size. Gas heat. No onsite parking available, street parking only. No
smoking, no pets. Coin op laundry located in basement of 41 Hamlet. 1 yr.
lease.

Call Cheryl Walsh at 508-695-3500 for Additional Information.

Request More Information:

Download our Complete Real Estate Report today.

Please contact Cheryl Walsh at 508-695-3500 for additional details or for your private showing.

Cheryl Walsh

C. Walsh Realty

126 Chestnut Street

North Attleboro, MA 02760

Alternate Technology Offers Better Insulation

Cheryl Walsh - C Walsh Realty — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:00:20 +0000

Alternate Technology Offers Better Insulation

Among a number of specialty products increasingly being used in home construction are structural insulated panels–SIPs. Used in wall construction, SIPs are fabricated from heavy, exterior-grade plywood laminated together with a foamy substance called extruded polystyrene.
From outside, houses using SIPs look no different than their traditional “stick construction” counterparts. But this new technology provides:

Better thermal insulation than most fiberglass batting.
An airtight seal with fewer seams than house wrap.
A structure twice as sturdy as conventional 2-by-4 lumber frame construction.
Resistance to fire and insects.
Better insulation from noise pollution than traditional construction.

In addition, SIPs are made of recycled wood, so they are environmentally friendly. If you’re wondering whether they really provide better insulation, consider that SIPs are the main building material at the South Pole, according to the Structural Insulated Panel Association. The industry claims 60,000 structures are built using SIPs annually. Perhaps this new technology will find a place in a home addition you may be planning.

Cheryl Walsh

C. Walsh Realty

126 Chestnut Street

North Attleboro, MA 02760