Talking About Your Home

RENTALS: Boston rents are soaring

2012-01-30T05:58:00-08:00

Rents in the Boston area hit record highs in the last quarter of 2011, pushed up by increased demand and declining inventory, maintaining the region’s reputation as one of the country’s most expensive places to live.Average monthly rents in the metropolitan Boston area, loosely defined as within Interstate 495, jumped to $1,686 between October and December, compared with $1,649 during the same

REMODELING: Hot Trends for Bathroom Remodeling in 2012

2012-01-29T05:58:00-08:00

From toilets that double as sound systems to water-conserving spa experiences, here’s what’s trendy for bathroom improvements for 2012. Trend #1: Conservation rules All around the country, water reserves are stressed. In response, regional governments are implementing conservation measures. As a result, there are likely to be new regulations that’ll affect your construction or remodeling

HOME IMPROVEMENTS: Should you be your own general contractor?

2012-01-28T05:58:00-08:00

Most general contractors, called GCs, don't pound nails or wire outlets. Carpenters, electricians, plumbers and other subcontractors take care of that. The GC takes care of everything else— and reaps a healthy share of the profits. That's the part that tempts DIYers to manage remodeling jobs themselves. Why it might workNew construction might be challenging— taking empty space from excavation to

MARKET TRENDS: Home-Ownership Rate Climbs: Blip or Early Trend?

2012-01-27T05:58:00-08:00

The nation’s homeownership rate ticked up in the third quarter compared with the second quarter, suggesting that the three-year decline in home ownership may be starting to bottom out.The rental vacancy rate also rose, a possible sign that rising rents could be reducing demand, according to a report released from the Census Bureau Wednesday.The nation’s seasonally adjusted home-ownership rate

MARKETING YOUR HOME: Sell Your Home With The Right Images

2012-01-26T05:58:00-08:00

Listing your home for sale is the start of a journey that can go smoothly, if you take some necessary steps to make your home appealing to the right audience. Of course, it can also be a lesson in frustration. These days much of the shopping for homes, like many items, is done online. That means that images (both photos and video) are rapidly becoming popular marketing tools to entice potential

BUYING & SELLING: How Does My Home Compare to Others on the Market?

2012-01-25T05:58:00-08:00

Real estate agents use comparable sales or "comps" (properties recently sold in the area) to see what the market bears for a listing price or value range marketing. Ideally, using a comp from a home that is the same model in the same subdivision is key. Even better is if a sold comp closed escrow very recently. Taking comps from many weeks or months before can weaken the comp.But what makes a

BUYING & SELLING: Relying On An Agent

2012-01-24T05:58:00-08:00

The latest NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers showed a growing trend among recent buyers. Why do today's buyers buyers choose to work with an agent? Let's look at just a few of the many reasons an agent can be your biggest ally.The latest figures show that 89 percent of buyers purchased their home with the help of a real estate or broker. This is a sharp increase from a decade ago in 2001,

REAL ESTATE NEWS: O.J. Simpson faces foreclosure on Florida home

2012-01-23T05:58:00-08:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- As if being in prison wasn't bad enough. O.J. Simpson's life has taken another sour turn: He's now facing foreclosure on his Kendall, Fla. home. Simpson's mortgage lender, JP Morgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500), initially filed its intention to foreclose on the former football star's four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot home in September, according to court records from the

RENTALS: Know Your Heating Rights When The Temperature Drops

2012-01-22T05:58:00-08:00

On this frigid January day, we can’t help but think about our fellow New Yorkers who might be without heat, like one unlucky mom on UrbanBaby.com who says she has been without heat for a week while trying, fruitlessly, to get the attention of her management company. As commenters there correctly observe, heat complaints are a top priority for the city — meaning you don't have to fight this

FINANCE: True ways to shrink credit card balance

2012-01-21T11:28:00-08:00

How much money could be saved with a lower interest rate or increased monthly payments. The amount you save by transferring your balance to a lower-rate card depends on your old and new interest rates and how much you pay each month. Lowering your interest rate and boosting your monthly payments could shave thousands of dollars off your bills and eliminate months, even decades, of repayments.

WINTER GARDEN: Feeding Birds in Winter: To Stop or Not to Stop?

2012-01-20T05:58:00-08:00

Heading out the door for a midwinter getaway, you congratulate yourself on your laudable stewardship of all the lives that depend on you--the dog is at the kennel, the goldfish is with a neighbor and a friend will come over to water your plants. But wait a minute! Your birdfeeders are already half empty, and you haven't even left the driveway. What will happen to those cute little chickadees when

2012-01-19T05:58:00-08:00

MADISON - The weight of an individual snowflake barely registers. But if you multiply that snowflake several trillion times, you have an amount of weight that can seriously overtax even a strong heart and back. And you've got to get it off your sidewalk and driveway. Wisconsin has already seen at least one major snowstorm this winter, and is likely to see several more before we're liberated

MARKET TRENDS: Pending Sales Rise

2012-01-18T05:58:00-08:00

According to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors Pending Homes Sales Index, pending home sales are at the highest level in 19 months. What has precipitated this rise? Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the gains may result partially from delayed transactions. "Housing affordability conditions are at a record high and there is a pent-up demand from buyers who’ve been

HOME HEALTH: Your home's age important for child lead exposure

2012-01-17T05:58:00-08:00

WASHINGTON – If you've been putting off repairing a peeling windowsill, or you're thinking of knocking out a wall, listen up: Check how old your house is. You may need to take steps to protect your kids from dangerous lead.Chitose Suzuki, APLuis Benitez, foreground, and Jose Diaz, background, clean up lead paint in a contaminated building. EnlargeChitose Suzuki, APLuis Benitez, foreground, and

FOR SALE: Fabulous Chestnut Hill Home

2012-01-16T09:34:00-08:00

HOME HEALTH: Humidifiers: Drying up?

2012-01-16T05:58:00-08:00

Humidifier season has arrived. Outdoor temperatures are dipping, furnaces are cycling on and that feeling of dryness is descending across the land: dry skin, dry lips, dry cough and static electricity. A humidifier can help. Portable room-size models are a popular choice for bedrooms or living rooms; larger consoles can humidify an entire house. More expensive central units, which usually cost

BUYING A HOME: 10 things to keep in mind when buying a home

2012-01-15T05:58:00-08:00

Buying a home is a trying and complicated process. It often strains relationships and puts an enormous amount of stress on buyers physically, mentally and financially. That's why the folks at the Boston Globe have put together this list of 10 things to keep in mind as you weather the home-buying storm. 1. Get your financing in order "The seller wants to know that if they do accept the offer,

REMODELING:

2012-01-14T05:58:00-08:00

If you're thinking of remodeling your bathroom anytime soon, you might not realize just how many bathtub options you have. In addition to an amazing palette of color choices, you also have options in materials, sizes, design, jets, controls and installation methods. Let's take a look at a few of those basic options to get you started on the right path. Some bubbly with that tub? A basic

2012-01-13T05:58:00-08:00

Apartment rents are expected to jump again this year as the U.S. economy creates more jobs and demand for rental housing grows.By Scott Olson, Getty ImagesA "For Rent" sign in Chicago. EnlargeBy Scott Olson, Getty ImagesA "For Rent" sign in Chicago.A 2012 increase would make the third straight year of rising rents. More annual increases are expected as apartment builders hustle to catch up with

NEIGHBORHOODS: The 10 wealthiest zip codes in Massachusetts (interactive map)

2012-01-12T05:58:00-08:00

In this week's List, the Boston Business Journal Research Department ranks the 25 wealthiest zip codes in Massachusetts.Weston, Mass. (02493) topped the list, and Needham, Mass. (02492) ranked number 25.The source for the underlying data was Esri , a Redlands, Calif. provider of geographic information systems (GIS) and data.While the wealthiest zip codes, towns, places, etc., are commonly

LUXURY HOMES: The most expensive Massachusetts homes sold in 2011

2012-01-11T05:58:00-08:00

Most expensive home sales in 2011$15.6 million. 75 Doublet Hill Rd.,Weston, Mass. Built in 1998, the 11,607-square-foot, 14-room brick Colonial has six bedrooms, 8.5 baths and 9 fireplaces. The property was purchased in March by Stephen V. Kenney.$10.6 million. 153 Brattle St., Cambridge, Mass. The 208-year-old Colonial near Harvard Square has 6,097 square feet of living space, with 12 rooms,

FOR SALE: New To Market; Expansive West Newton Home

2012-01-10T11:12:00-08:00

2012-01-10T05:33:00-08:00

The nation’s new lightbulb rules start taking effect Sunday. What exactly do they require, and what’s their likely impact, since Congress barred funds to enforce the efficiency standards? Here are some answers: Q: What’s included in the new standards? A: The standards require lightbulbs be at least 25% more efficient and carry labels on the front and back of packages to explain their brightness

FOR SALE: Lovely Pondside Condo New To Market

2012-01-09T10:09:00-08:00

HOME DESIGN: Holiday Decorations Must Come Down … But When?

2012-01-09T05:58:00-08:00

Now it’s time to take down your holiday decorations. Or is it? At what point in January do holiday lights go from being festive to tacky? While there are no local laws that tell people when to remove yard decorations, some say the matter is more one of etiquette, courtesy, and even good taste. Sharon Parker owns a Chesapeake-based business and nonprofit that offers etiquette lessons to adults