In the last 4 years, we’ve seen an undeniable shift in the workplace from the strict requirement to make it into the office on time every day to the more relaxed, hybrid and remote work conditions now offered by 66% of companies. As millions of people begin to embrace the flexibility of working from home, their priorities are shifting, and so is their idea of their “perfect home.” Here are five ways the shift to remote work is influencing home buying decisions, shaping everything from location preferences to design aesthetics. Emphasis on Space and Comfort: With the shift from corporate ..read more

Dear Home Buyers, Big changes are coming to the world of home buying, and they're about to impact you directly. Let's talk about what these changes mean for you and how they'll affect your journey to owning a home. What is changing in the real estate industry First off, let's address the elephant in the room: commissions. Did you know that in the U.S., the majority of home sellers pay hefty commissions, often totaling thousands of dollars, regardless of the level of service provided? It's true. In fact, on a $750,000 sale, sellers can expect to fork over around $38,000 (5%) in commissions alo ..read more

As the center of Boston becomes increasingly expensive and dense, we are seeing a lot more buyers active in the neighborhoods just outside the city. Because of this population shift, these neighborhoods are undergoing dynamic transformations. For potential homebuyers seeking proximity to the city without the hefty price tag, these evolving areas offer promising opportunities. Our team conducted research on the most areas just outside the city center that are experiencing the most growth, and it came down to these five neighborhoods on the rise, each with its own blend of urban development and ..read more

By all calculations, 2023 was a year of deadlock. Largely due to rapidly increasing interest rates, most were not buying or selling a property. In fact, in 2023 ,,,home sales were the lowest in almost 30 years. Let that sink in! To couple this, as we get into the 2024 spring market, ,,,housing supply vs. demand continues to be a struggle.  Our team got together and decided to make some predictions about how the rest of the year might look for home buyers. Here are some thoughts: On market home listings in Norfolk, Middlesex, and Suffolk Counties Condos will provide buyers the most option ..read more

The team sat down and considered various angles to assist Boston home buyers in saving money on their journey home. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but we believe it is a good starting point and might be a Part 1 on more ways to save as a home buyer. Applying some of these tactics may help you save thousands on your home purchase. So, let's get started. 1. Look for homes with more than 20 days on market Especially with such little home inventory for sale, if a home hasn’t accepted an offer within 20 days or less there is likely a mismatch between what the seller and prospective buyers want. Wh ..read more

There are many tools to consider when making an offer and winning on a home that many others are also bidding for. Each tool, of course, comes with risks, pros, and cons and may work differently for each buyer. Here is a top list of tools our buyers have been successful with: 1) Not all cash is created equal! With all the cash that's been added to our economy in the last few years, the number of home buyers or investors with cash has grown. In fact, 1 out of 4 (and growing) offers in the Greater Boston area are cash offers. So, how do you compete with this if you don’t have an all-cash offer ..read more

Time is everything. It’s abundant yet scarce, linear yet incurved, and we should spend it wisely-especially when touring homes. But before scheduling a tour with your real estate agent, there are a few things to look out for that will save you time and money while keeping you from being overtly disappointed that you ever went through the process of going on a tour. It’s essential that you’re conscious of these “showstoppers” and understand how to spot them. Review the listing online Whether you are on Zillow, Redfin or see a home on Nuhom, you should take the time to review the listing in ..read more

Dear Home Buyer, The day has come. You’ve found the home you can’t live without and realize it’s the one for you! What you don’t immediately think about is if someone else is feeling the same about this very home. During the journey of home buying, many folks encounter competitive bidding situations. An escalation clause is a key tool to consider that can help you outbid others without paying way too much (or much more than the second place bidder). Pretty nice balance, right? Here is a video podcast we made about this! https://youtu.be/6SjbXnUMnPMSo, what is an escalation clause? An escalati ..read more

If you are thinking about buying a home today, you're most likely doing a lot of the searching. Not because your real estate agent isn't helping you but because of online search tools like Zillow that make it really easy to find your home. It is said that 9 out of 10 home buyers start their search online, and nearly 8 out of 10 home buyers find the home they ultimately buy through their own search efforts. So between sifting online and open houses, you spend a lot of time honing your house hunting skills to find your perfect home and neighborhood. This begs the question, what is your real est ..read more

Much of your ability to buy a home boils down to your ability to fund it. For many people, this is known as getting a mortgage. For most, having a pre-approval is your ticket to make an offer on a home that you love as the majority of us can not afford to buy a home in cash. Listen to our recent Home Brew episode on pre-approvals and why it's your ticket to buying a home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNYFdjXZFBo&t=606s&ab_channel=NuhomWhat is a pre-approval? A pre-approval is a document created by a lender or bank that states that they have reviewed your financial standing and empl ..read more