4 Reasons to Buy a Home in Boston, MA in 2016

The real estate market comes and goes each year, but, 2016 is looking to be a banner year for buying real estate in Boston, MA. Even though mortgage rates are set to go up soon, you still haven’t missed your chance on a deal of a house. Per the experts at CNN Money, several factors are coming together to make 2016 a great year to buy a home in Boston, MA.

Prices slowing down. Real estate values have been on the rise but they will slow down in 2016 leaving you the perfect time to jump into the real estate market.

More options. The slowdown in home prices is predicted to prompt more owners to list their homes in 2016, giving you more options to buy a home in Boston, MA.

Mortgage rate changes. The time of the super cheap mortgage is on it’s way out. Rates are expected to go up gradually but you should be able to take advantage of the best rates you will see, possibly in your lifetime, through most of 2016.

Rent prices still going up. The new year will bring with it a continuation of climbing rent prices. Why deal with the stress of raising rent while you pay your landlord’s mortgage? Start building your own equity in your own home. In many cases, buying is the smartest choice in Boston, MA.

If you are looking to enter the Boston, MA real estate market in 2016, please be sure to contact a Boston, MA real estate agent. I am happy to help you find the perfect home for you!

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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Sell Your Boston Home During the Holidays

‘Tis the season for pulling out the holiday gear and decking out your Boston home in your best and brightest holiday décor. But, what if your Boston home is on the real estate market? Should you decorate? I previously talked about how to freshen your Boston home for a holiday sale, but, what else can you do during this holiday season? Luckily, experts agree that you do not have to completely avoid holiday décor. Curb appeal and first impressions are important for a house sale, any time of the year. If you keep the decorations tasteful, your home could actually show better during the holidays. Here are some ways to enhance your home this holiday season.

Lights. Christmas lights are okay as long as you keep it minimal and many agree that white shows best. Also, ensure your entryway is well-lit and inviting for potential homebuyers. Adding seasonal globes or LED candles can create a warm, welcoming glow.

Less is More. Similar to when you are selling outside of the holiday season, less is more. Make sure to keep the decorations to a minimum and keep it classy. This year would be the year to skip the Santa inflatable or others strewn about the lawn. You don’t want to distract the buyer from the features of your Boston home. The same goes for inside, keep the decorations inside to a minimum.

Create a vignette. Create eye-pleasing holiday vignettes throughout your home. You can also create an attractive scene outside your front door to spruce up your curb appeal.
When you are ready to put your Boston home on the real estate market please contact a Boston real estate agent. I’d be happy to talk you through the selling process and can help you get your home sold, even during the holiday season.

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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Boston, MA – Free Holiday Fun

When December rolls around, all of Boston, MA is transformed by the season. Holiday lights, tree-lighting ceremonies, and all around holiday fun are to be found all around. Looking for something fun to do with friends and family in the upcoming weeks to celebrate the season? Even better, looking for something FREE to do to celebrate the season? Here is a sampling of some local free favorites to help keep your days merry and bright.

Blink! Faneuil Hall Marketplace will be lit up by more than 350,000 Christmas lights. Every seven minutes the lights will blink to the tune of the Boston Pops music. Daily at 4:30, now through the holidays, Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

Boston Common Tree Lighting Ceremony. Enjoy the 74^th annual lighting of Boston, MA's official tree. The tree has been donated by the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will be there to hand it off to Mayor Walsh. There will also be a free skating spectacular ice show at the Frog Pond. Boston Common, Boston, 5-8pm on December 3^rd.

Christmas Craft Fair at Old South Church. This craft fair will feature knits, candles, jewelry and more. Get plenty of shopping done at the Christmas Craft Fair, this Saturday, December 5^th, 9am-3pm. 645 Boylston Street, Boston.

Santa Speedo Run. This is a great event for those with a sense of humor. The race is only a mile so very little athleticism is needed. What you must be willing to do is run in public wearing only a Speedo and a Santa hat. It does fill up quickly so register soon! Whiskey's, 885 Boylston Street, Boston. December 12^th, 10am-1:30pm.

I hope you enjoy this Boston,MA holiday season with your friends and family. 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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Boston, MA – Tips for your Retirement

Are you retired or soon to be retired and wondering if your retirement savings is going to last? Even if you are lucky enough to have a comfortable retirement nest egg you may worry it might not last you the next 30 or so years of retirement. It only takes one financial disaster or medical crisis to devastate your life savings. Don't worry though, Ive researched several tips to help keep your Boston, MA retirement and home protected and hopefully help it to grow along the way.

Rainy Day Fund. Some retirement planners say retirees should have from six months to a year of living expenses outside of your regular retirement account. This will give you a safety net and keep you from drawing from longer-term investment savings. Having this rainy day fund completely insulated from the stock market will help ensure it's longevity, no matter what the market may bring. Make sure your rainy day fund is not completely in cash though as there is no return after taxes and inflation on cash.

Plan for Healthcare. Even if you are relatively healthy you need to plan for possibilities of catastrophic illness. If you are still working and planning to retire soon, make sure to take advantage of any health savings account. It's completely tax free – it goes in tax free, grows that way, AND is tax free when you withdraw.

Downsize Your Home. Reduce your living expenses and possibly gain enough from your current home sale to add to your savings by selling your Boston, MA home and buying a smaller, more manageable home.

As a Boston, MA real estate agent, my services extend well beyond helping buyers and sellers through their transactions, I can also help connect you with a investment professional who can help you implement some of these above tips for your retirement. Please contact a Boston, MA real estate agent if you are planning to downsize your Boston, MA home. I look forward to hearing from you!

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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Boston, MA – Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving 2015 is Thursday, November 26^th and it is just right around the corner. Boston, MA's many neighborhoods are not short on restaurants with menus ranging from traditional to innovative. Seeing as many families have a long standing tradition of eating out on this holiday, be sure you make your Thanksgiving reservations early, should you plan to dine out. Typically most Thanksgiving menus are prix-fixe, but, some do offer lavish Thanksgiving buffets. BostonChefs.com has a round up of Boston, MA restaurants that are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, here is a list of some of the favorites:

BHHB. Join BHHB for a feast on Charles Street at the Beacon Hill Bistro. The multi-course menu will balance holiday traditions with their French bistro-leanings. 25 Charles Street, Boston, MA.

Clio. Head over to Clio on Commonwealth Ave for the prix fixe menu featuring free range turkey and pumpkin pavolva. 370-A Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA.

Davio's. The Davio's Chestnut Hill team is offering a Thanksgiving dinner with an Italian steakhouse twist. Join them for the regular menu plus some classic holiday dishes. 55 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA.

If you are visiting us in hopes of buying a home in Boston, MA, please contact a Boston, MA real estate agent after your holiday. My services extend beyond helping buyers and sellers through their transactions. I thoroughly enjoy getting prospective residents familiar with their surroundings and exposing them to the best this area 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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Prep Your Boston Home to Sell

Are you in the market to sell your Boston home? One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a seller is listing your Boston home on the real estate market without preparing it first. One way to see what your home needs is to walk through it as a potential buyer. Make note of what stands out to you and repair or replace those items. Here is a list of several things you should think of before you put that “For Sale” sign out front.
Clean. And clean some more. Make sure you clean everything. Don’t forget over looked areas such as fan blades, windows, and polishing the appliances. If you aren’t the best at housekeeping hire a service to do a deep clean for you.

Repaint. As much as you may love the custom colors you picked out for your rooms, your buyers likely will not. Repaint your rooms in neutral tones such as grays, tans, and whites. This will allow the buyers to focus on the space and not the color on the walls. It doesn’t hurt to touch up the trim with fresh white too.

Declutter and depersonalize. Clear out all clutter so that the buyers can focus on your space and not the messes. Remove anything that detracts from your home’s positive features. Make sure to remove any personal items such as the copious family photos or kids’ artwork.

Nature. Bring some of the outside in with some potted plants or flowers in a vase. It’s a great way to add some décor that is neutral to everyone’s tastes. 
 
Organize. Tackle each closet in your home and remove 1/3 or more of the items in it and organize the rest. You can store the unused items until you are ready to move. Your closets will look larger and more attractive to your Boston home buyers. 
 
Honey-do list. Now is the time to fix all those little things you’ve been meaning to do but never got around to. Buyers will notice any minor flaws and it will detract from the value of your home.

Call a real estate agent. Once you’ve tackled all the prep work for listing your Boston home for sale, contact a Boston, MA real estate agent. I can be your second set of eyes to walk through your home as a buyer and as a professional and will recommend anything else that you may need to do to your home to boost your sale. I hope to hear from you soon!

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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Freshen Your Boston Home for a Holiday Sale

We have officially rounded the corner into the holiday season with the passing of Halloween. Selling your Boston home during the holidays can be tougher than other times but it is certainly doable and shouldn’t turn you off from having your Boston home on the real estate market. We all know of the old trick of baking cookies before a showing or an open house, but, what else can you do to freshen your home and complement the holiday season? Why not skip the chemical laden sprays and plug ins and go for something more natural.

DIY Air Freshener. You can eliminate unwanted home odors with spray air freshener and it is simple to make your own. Easy to come by ingredients such as citrus, water, baking soda, and a spray bottle are part of many of the DIY air freshener recipes on Pinterest.

Simmer Pots. Bypass baking cookies and instead put a simmer pot on the stove full of nutmeg, cinnamon, and other seasonal herbs and spices. A few minutes of simmering will have your home smelling just like the holidays!

Tea Bags. Tea bags can be used similarly to baking soda to absorb unwanted smells. A few leaves in the cat litter box or some tea bags hung in a musty closet can do wonders to freshen up your space.

Deodorize the Disposal. Drop in a few ice cubes and a cut up lemon into the disposal and give it a whirl. The lemon will sanitize and the ice cubes help to remove any old food particles.

When you are ready to put your Boston home on the market please contact a Boston real estate agent. I’d be happy to talk you through the selling process and can help you get your home sold, even during the holiday season. I hope to hear from you soon!

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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