Top Influences in Selecting a Home

So what is important to buyers when they are looking for a home?  Location, convenience to job, affordability and many other worthy neighborhood factors.

A house could be the perfect fit for a buyer but the neighborhood is just as important.  According to the National Association of Realtors buyer and seller survey taken 64% of individuals cited neighborhood as one of the most important factors.  Additional attributes that were deemed important were:

• Convenience to jobs:  50%  of these buyers ~ 78% said that the cost of transportation was very important
• Overall affordability of homes : 43%  your real estate agent can inform you of price appreciation trends in order to give you an idea of how solid your investment is or will be.,  
• Convenience to family and Friends: 37% ~ with time and money being limited people prefer to live near the places they frequent as well as have access to public transportation.
• Quality of the school district 26% ~ local school districts that are recognized for their excellence add value to the surrounding neighborhoods and are an important selling point for homes on the market.

For additional information on to determine value of your home please call me at         781-389-7252 or email Cidalia@kw.com.

Cidalia Mendonce Matukas
Keller Williams Realty
781-389-7252
www.homesbycidalia.com

Single Family Sold Home Statistics

Hello! The numbers are in.  The following information defines how many homes sold and at what prices they sold at in the City of Brockton. As can be seen, the majority of homes sold in the price range of 100K-149K.  These homes were on the market for an average of 24 days and sold at an average of 101% of asking price. Overall, 64 homes sold in the past month in the City. The good news, homes are selling much quicker than they did last year this time and the market appears to be steadier. For additional information or statistics on other towns please call or email me  at 781-389-7252 or  Cidalia@kw.com Are you thinking of selling?  Now may be the perfect time.  Call today for a free market analysis.

# of Listings Avg. Days on Market Average Sale Price Average List Price SP:LP Ratio Average Orig Price SP:OP Ratio $0 - $49,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $50,000 - $99,999 3 50 $67,833 $81,800 83 $86,133 79 $100,000 - $149,999 19 24 $120,127 $120,556 102 $122,735 101 $150,000 - $199,999 16 42 $170,200 $174,644 98 $177,956 96 $200,000 - $249,999 18 92 $220,156 $224,200 98 $236,533 94 $250,000 - $299,999 6 94 $265,317 $276,333 96 $289,667 92 $300,000 - $349,999 2 196 $340,950 $348,400 98 $350,900 97 $350,000 - $399,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $400,000 - $449,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $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 $700,000 - $799,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $800,000 - $899,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $900,000 - $999,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $1,000,000 - $1,499,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $1,500,000 - $1,999,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $2,000,000 - $2,499,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $2,500,000 - $2,999,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $3,000,000 - $3,999,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $4,000,000 - $4,999,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $5,000,000 - $9,999,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 $10,000,000 - $99,999,999 0 0 $0 $0 0 $0 0 Total Properties 64 Avg. 61 $178,839 $183,135 98 $189,610 96 Lowest Price: $63,500 Median Price: $176,500 Highest Price: $341,900 Average Price: $178,839 Total Market Volume: $11,445,719

Cidalia Mendonca Matukas
Cidalia@kw.com
781-389-7252
www.homesbycidalia.com

Do you have an oil burner in your home?

Do you currently heat your home by oil?  Then this law will impact you.


If you or someone you know heats their home with oil, please read the following.



By July 1, 2010, you must upgrade your home heating system equipment to prevent leaks from tanks and pipes that connect to your furnace. By making a relatively small expenditure now, you can prevent a much greater expense in the future

Who is exempt?

Homeowners are exempt from taking these leak prevention steps if:

• the oil burner is located above the oil storage tank and the entire oil supply line is connected to and above the top of the tank OR
• an oil safety valve or oil supply line with protective sleeve was installed on or after January 1, 1990, AND

• those changes are in compliance with the oil burning equipment regulations; a copy of the oil burner permit from the local fire department may be used to demonstrate compliance.

For more information on complince of this new law, visit :


http://www.mass.gov/dep/cleanup/laws/hhsl.htm


Realtor Tip : If you are thinking about purchasing a home with oil, this new compliance might be a point of negotiation with the seller.

Any question please feel free to call me.

Cidalia Mendonca Matukas
Cidalia@kw.com
http://www.homesbycidalia.com/
781-389-7252
Keller Williams Realty

Do you have your will and estate planned?

Will's are not generally fun topic of conversation.  However, they are so important.  I have come across such sad situations that could have been avoided had the appropriate legal measures been taken. I know that many of you may say, “I don’t have the money right now” .  So, I have discussed this with my real estate attorney, Attorney Lew Victor, and have negotiated an unbelievable rate..

Attorney Victor is offering all my friends, family and people that I refer a special rate for estate planning.  This includes, will, living will, healthcare proxy and power of attorney all for $350.00 this is an awesome deal.  I know it is not something that we like to think about but it is very important to have prepared. Call or email me if you or anyone you know is interested and I will be happy to share his information with you.

Attorney Victor has been in business for twenty years and has conducted many of my clients closing along with my personal estate planning.  He is highly recommended.

Cidalia Mendonca Matukas

Cidalia@kw.com 

Keller Williams Realty

781-389-7252

www.homesbycidalia.com

Foreclosure vs. Short Sale

Often I am asked what the difference between forclosure and short sale is. How will it impact the homeowner? Why should a homeowner take the time to short sale?




Today I wanted to see if I can shed some light on these topics. Below are the impacts of both short sale and foreclosure.



Future Fannie Mae Loan - Primary Residence

• A homeowner who loses a home to foreclosure is Ineligible for a Fannie Mae –backed mortgage for a period of 5 Years

• A homeowner who successfully closes on a short sale will be eligible for a Fannie Mae mortgage after only 2 years.



Future Loan with any Mortgage Company

• Homeowner will need to answer yes to question C “have you had a property foreclosed upon or given title or deed in lieu in the past 7 years? This will impact your future rate.”

• There is no similar question regarding short sales.



Credit Score Score

• May be lowered anywhere from 250 to more than 300 points. Typically will affect a credit score for over 3 years. Only late payments will show, and after sale, mortgage is normally reported as “paid as agree” or “paid as negotiated” or “settled”.

• This can lower the score as little as 50 points if all other payments are being made. Short sale effect can be as brief as 12-18 months.



Credit History Foreclosure

• Will remain on public record permanently, and on a person’s credit history for 10 years or more. A short sale is not reported on a credit history.

• There is no specific reporting item for “short sale”. The loan is typically reported “paid in full, settled”



Current Employment Employers

• Have the right to check on employee’s credits that are in sensitive positions. In many cases, a foreclosure immediate reassignment or termination.

• A short sale is not reported on a credit report and is therefore not a challenge to employment.



Future Employment

• Many employers are requiring credit checks on all job applicants. A foreclosure is one of the most detrimental credit items an applicant can have and in most cases will challenge employment.

• A short sale is not reported on a credit report and is therefore not a challenge to future employment.



Deficiency Judgments

• In 100% of foreclosures (except in those states where there is no deficiency), the bank has the right to pursue a deficiency judgment.

• In some successful short sales, it is possible to convince the lender to give up the right to pursue a deficiency judgment against the homeowner.



In the end, both short sale and foreclosures impact a person both on a financial and emotional level. Reducing that impact is important for the future. If you have any additional questions or know someone who may be experiencing difficulty paying their current mortgage please call or email me and I would be happy to be of help.



Cidalia Mendonca Maukas

Cidalia@kw.com

781-389-7252

http://www.homesbycidalia.com/

Keller Williams Realty

Volunteers tackle projects at the Louison Home in Brockton for Red Day

Brockton - more than  30 agents dawned their red shirts Thursday to tackle many projects at the three buildings of the David John Louison home in Brockton.

It's part of RED Day – for Renew, Energize, Donate – a national service initiative sponsored by Keller Williams Realty. All Keller Williams associates are asked to close their offices and donate a day to help the community I had the great opportunity to join in on this event.

This year we choose the Louison Home in Brockton.   The  Center's mission is to assist families through the crisis of homelessness, while providing services that promote a successful transition towards self-sufficiency.

The first Red day event took place last year where we helped elderly copmplexes in Easton, fed the elderly in Bridgewater, painted at Catholic Charities in Brockton and helped at the assisted living center in Raynham.

It's donating your time, your effort, your money to charity or whatever cause you want to do.  It is the best feeling when you see people so happy about the work that you have done to make their lives easier.

"No words can express how truly grateful we are for all of the hard work!!! WE HAD A BLAST!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! We so appreciate all of the fun loving positive energy that came with all of your employees! It was great to see the children's faces as they came home from school!" said Erin Spaulding.

This Month in Real Estate (US) : May 2010

This is a great video that gives people an idea of what the market is doing nationally. Are you thinking of selling? Markets are very specific and you should always consider a Realtor who knows the area and can guide you with solid factual data.

Call me if you have any questions.

Cidalia Mendonca Matukas
Cidalia@kw.com
www.homesbycidalia.com
781-389-7252

Can homes sell in 4 days in this market for over asking price?

Yes they can!

This home was listed on Thursday and I had 4 offers by Saturday. One of which we accepted and was well over asking price. Are you looking for this type of result or know someone who id? Please feel free to call me at 781-389-7252 or email me at Cidalia@kw.com.

Can homes sell in 4 days in this market for over asking price?