Massachusetts Home Buyer Guide

There have been many consequences discussed if the politicians in Washington don't come to an agreement on the so-called "fiscal cliff" budget and tax crisis by December 31, 2012. 

It is very likely that 2012 will be remembered as the year the real estate market turned around in Massachusetts. Not every community saw brisk home sales, but many Greater Boston Area and Eastern Massachusetts cities and towns saw good homes in good locations sell fast, many times within a few days. 

A recent article entitled, "10 Things Real Estate Listing Sites Won't Say" found on the MarketWatch.com Web site stated it was very difficult for home buyers to find reviews on real estate agents.

Maybe that is the case in general around the nation, but Massachusetts and New Hampshire consumers have a few good sources to find reviews and information about real estate buyer agents, as well as listing agents, when searching for help in buying a home or selling a home. 

The article used as an example the short-lived attempt by real estate company Redfin to roll out a feature called "Scouting Report" that provided information about agents' sales and other data. Redfin pulled the plug on Scouting Report about a week after it's September 2011 debut because of reported "inaccuracies in the data."

Will home warranty companies top the list of companies that receive the worst grades on Angie's List for a seventh straight year? Home warranty companies consistently perform poorly, according to Angie's List members.

Commonly referred to as the P&S, the Massachusetts purchase and sale agreement is the primary document that sets out the terms and conditions of the real estate agreement between the buyer and the seller.

The pre-printed Realtor document in Massachusetts is titled "Standard Form Purchase and Sale Agreement," but home buyers shouldn't be misled by the description. The P&S isn't standard at all. In fact, every real estate transaction is unique.