Permits Matter!

True story - my client is in the process of buying a home, no easy feat in this crazy spring market, and just as the attorneys were putting the finishing touches on the Purchase and Sale agreement (MA is an attorney state), the buyer called the town building department to make sure permits were on file for all of the nice improvements the seller had made to the house.

Guess what? The 2015 roof did not have one, and the signing of the documents had to be delayed. While it will be taken care of, who needs the extra stress of a delay?

Whether you're doing some renovating or adding an addition or deck, replacing appliances or systems, make sure the contractor pulls a permit and that the inspector from the town signs off after the work is done. It's very easy to find out if one is needed; towns have the information about permits on their web sites or you can call the building inspector.

Most people don't think about it. They assume that their contractor will take care of everything and especially because most include the cost of a permit in their quote.

Unfortunately, contractors often do not follow through with applying for the permit(s) and scheduling the inspection after. Whether it's a lack of time, or someone just forgets to do their job, the bottom line is that permits are important for your protection, protection of the town, and the protection of future owners.

When you sell your house, if a home inspector sees a problem and there is no permit on file, even though it's not your fault, it raises suspicion that will ultimately cost you; buyers will question what else is wrong or missing and start looking for reasons to reduce the price! This has happened to many of my clients who paid top dollar to reputable contractors who never followed through on the permit.

Advice to homeowners and sellers: ask the contractor when the inspector from the town will be coming by to sign off on the work done. If they can't answer, make sure you follow up with the contractor. Or, you can call the inspector yourself then you know it will be done. It will save you money and stress. Enjoy your new home improvements!

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About the author: Marilyn Messenger, CRS has been representing buyers and sellers west of Boston for 23 years. Having attended 100s of home inspections, she knows first-hand how important building permits are to the home buying and selling process. You can reach Marilyn at 508-596-3501 or visit www.MarilynMessenger.com for buyer and seller information, free home searches, and market conditions reports for Concord, Maynard, Wayland, Sudbury, and the towns west of Boston.

May Median Home Sale Prices - Wayland, Sudbury, Maynard, Concord & Stow MA

 

Contrary to national and Massachusetts housing reports of surging prices in May 2013, median prices for closed sales of single-family homes in Sudbury, and Stow MA were actually lower than they were in May 2012. However, the number of homes sold was higher in Wayland and Stow; in Sudbury there was only one less closed sale.

Concord and Maynard reported substantially higher median prices than in May 2012. The median sale price in Concord was $816,500 up from $649,900 in May 2012. The median sale price in Maynard for May 2013 was $292,500, up from $212,250 which was the lowest in several years.

As in most places, the number of single-family homes for sale in Wayland, Sudbury, Maynard, Stow, and Concord is lower than it was last year and houses that are price correctly are selling very quickly, sometimes within a day or 2 with multiple offers for higher than asking price; while others are selling for asking price, and there are still some that are selling for less than asking.

Buyers need to be prepared to step up and move quickly and having the right* buyer agent/broker on your side can make a big difference for you. (*not all agents who call themselves a buyer agent are trained to represent your interests in the current market. Encouraging buyers to pay over asking and waiving contingencies may not be the best advice in every situation. Work with a broker who knows the ins and outs of the market you are in.)

Even with the hot market, price is still important and we are still seeing price adjustments and homes with expired listing contracts.

See the full market reports for Wayland, Sudbury, Concord, Maynard, and Stow at www.marilynmessenger.com or contact Marilyn 508-596-3501 for answers to your home buying and selling questions.

Connect with Marilyn Messenger on Google+

Buying or Selling a Home – What’s Your Recipe?



Recipe for success!

The other day I was at Brett’s Luggage and Gifts in Sudbury and a woman came in and asked if they sell recipe boxes. They did not but the manager suggested that she try The Paper Store or Duck Soup. I thought for a minute that it was kind of quaint that someone is still using a recipe box and then went about my business. But for some reason, later on that day I started thinking about recipes and real estate, and how people go about buying and selling a home.

What's the connection? Well, recipes aren’t just for food! The word recipe is defined as a list of ingredients and instructions for making something; a “method” of doing something or a combination of circumstances likely to bring something about. We’ve all heard that “hard work is the recipe for success” or “sounds like a recipe for disaster” A recipe is a process, a set of instructions, a way, formula, steps, procedure, or technique.

In sports they call it a “game plan”; in business it’s a “business plan”; home sellers want to know about my “marketing plan”… there are recipes or plans for everything! If you were going to have a dinner party, would you just start cooking or would you ask: who’s coming/who will be helping; what do the guests like/do they have special dietary needs; where will the party be, when/what time do you want people to show up; why are you having the party/is it a special occasion or just a casual get-together; and finally, but most important: how will it be paid for?

The recipe for buying or selling a home starts with asking these same questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Buying or selling a home is a process and it’s all about you; answering these questions is the first step in your recipe for success!