Boston, MA - Are You Financially Attractive?

When you are searching for your perfect Boston home you will need to make yourself as financially attractive as possible to your potential mortgage lender. There are three key steps to be an attractive mortgage candidate. And don't worry, if you need some help with one or all of these categories – with a little work, you can fix those first-time Boston homebuyer blemishes.

#1 Have a Stable Job

Evidence of a dependable income can help you get a better mortgage rate and make you more attractive to lenders. Banks understand a certain degree of turnover, but, the longer you are with one company, the better it looks to a lender. Stay in your present position for a while, at least until you have secured the loan. Make sure you know your debt-to-income ratio and don't try to buy a Boston home outside of your means.

#2 Manage your Credit

The better your credit score the better looking you will be to the lender. If you have made credit mistakes you can work to clean up your score by removing any non-factual items from your credit report, pay off any bills or credit cards to lower your debt-to-income ratio, and don't take on any new debts at this time.

#3 Have a Down Payment

Ideally you would want to have at least 20% of a down payment in your savings. Do you need help saving for your Boston home down payment? There are several things you can do such as downsizing where you are now while you save, strict budgets, and low risk savings plans.

When you are ready to purchase your Boston home, look to an experienced Boston real estate agent. I'm committed to providing you with the highest quality buyer service. When making the type of investment that buying a home requires, you deserve to have all the latest market information and the very best advice, both of which I can provide you with. I am always here should you have a question on a Boston, MA neighborhood such as South End, Fenway, Beacon Hill, or any other. I thoroughly enjoy getting prospective residents familiar with new neighborhoods and exposing them to the best of everything Boston has to offer. I hope to speak with you soon!

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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5 Steps to Start your Boston Home Search

The process of buying your Boston home starts long before you start searching the internet for the perfect home. In today’s real estate market, with low inventory dominating the conversation in many areas of the country, it can often be frustrating to be a first-time homebuyer if you aren’t prepared. Here are some steps that first-time homebuyers can take to help carry their excitement of buying a home throughout the whole process.

1. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Before You Start Your Search

One way to show you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved before starting your search. The Boston real estate market is quite competitive and understanding your budget will give you the confidence of knowing whether your dream home is within your reach.

2. Know the Difference Between Your ‘Must-Haves’ and ‘Would-Like-To-Haves’

Before you start your search, list all the features of a home you would like and then qualify them as ‘must-haves’, ‘should-haves’, or ‘absolute-wish list’ items. This will help keep you focused on what’s most important.

3. Research and Choose a Neighborhood You Want to Live In

Every Boston neighborhood has its own charm. Before you commit to a home based solely on the house itself, test-drive the area. Make sure that the area meets your needs.

4. Pick a House Style You Love and Stick to It

Evaluate your family’s needs and settle on a style of home that would best serve those needs. Just because you’ve narrowed your search to a zip code, doesn’t mean that you need to tour every listing in that zip code.

5. Document Your Home Visits

Once you start touring homes, the features of each individual home will start to blur together. The article suggests keeping your camera handy and documenting what you love and don’t love about each property you visit. They even go as far as to suggest snapping a photo of the ‘for sale’ sign on the way into the property to help keep the listings divided in your photo gallery.

Making notes on the listing sheet as you tour the property will also help you remember what the photos mean, or what you were feeling while touring the home.

Being a homeowner is a big decision with plenty of pay off in the long run. If you are starting your search for that perfect Boston, MA condo, let a local expert help you out. Buying a home is an exciting and complex adventure. I take pride in being a local expert and would love to help you get acquainted with our city. Contact a Boston, MA real estate agent when you are ready!

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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Pick Your Own Pumpkin in Boston

Fall is officially here in Boston, MA and Halloween is just around the corner. I hope you and your family enjoyed some of the Ghoulish Fun in Boston that I posted last week. With October 31^st, just around the corner it’s time to start looking for that perfect pumpkin. Whether you will turn it into a jack-o-lantern or create an artful display for your home, pumpkins are an essential component to any fall decoration in your Boston, MA home. To make things easy for you, here is a list of some of the top farms in Massachusetts for your pumpkin hunt!

Smolak Farms. Every weekend in October enjoy the fall activities at Smolak Farms. In addition to the pumpkin patch there is an Alice and Wonderland themed corn maze, carnival games, hayrides, and apple cider donuts! Make sure to order a pie for Thanksgiving too. Located at 315 South Bradford St, North Andover, MA.

Connor's Farm. With a 7-acre corn maze, barnyard animals, corn hole, face painting, hayrides, jumping pillows, and more, Connor's Farm has activities for all ages. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights in October (adult) horror fans can go to Hysteria Haunted Farm and of course, there are plenty of pumpkins for the picking. 30 Valley Road, Danvers, MA.

Long Hill Orchard and Farm. Located on 150 acres, Long Hill Orchard and Farm is just an hour away from Boston, MA. Spend the day hiking the trails or pack a picnic, the farm is dog friendly too. Check them out and make sure to try out the new corn maze. 520 Main Street, West Newbury, MA.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful autumn season and you can get out and support some of these local farms. Please contact a Boston, MA real estate agent if you have any Boston, MA real estate needs. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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