Can't Afford to Buy a House? Now What?!

A client-friend of mine, Stephanie, was distraught because she got tried to get a pre-approval and because of a nasty divorce situation her credit was shot. She was incredibly depressed about her situation. I sent her the following email. Hope it inspires you with your Plan B!

It's all about building a life to get to where you want to be.
You seem to be the type of person who knows with her whole heart
that we are spirits living in these borrowed bodies.

What you need is a plan. You are at Point A and want to get to Point B.
Does not mean you can get there overnight but if you don't plan you
will never get to Point B (and will miss tons of fun!)

To develop your plan B you need to write down all your HAVES, things you
already have. Start here:

-My credit score is__________, to buy a house it needs to be at least__________________.
-For me to raise my credit score I need to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
-I have $______________ to put for a down payment, to buy a house it needs to be at least _______________.
-For me to save that money I need to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
-What areas/towns am I willing to live in?
-Am I willing to be a landlord?
-Am I willing to live in a condo?
-Am I willing to have roommates?
-What kind of place am I looking for if money were no obstacle? (lots of detail here)

Have fun with this initial list and see how your soul flies with it!

Big hugs,
Mariaaaaaaaaaaaa
:)

A Challenge Out There...Moms Grab Your Hammers!

Hello Moms!

Thanks for coming back and getting another dose of fun and informative realty reality. Most real estate agents cover only a specific area so they get stuck in just the info for that area. I like to shake things up a bit so I did a seach today for ALL single family homes in Massaschusetts that are FOR SALE and found some interesting information:

-There are 28,521 for sale.
-429 were listed in the last 3 days.

Ooops! Just to show you how crazy the market is, this morning I started writing this blog, went to a long meeting and went back to check the stats a few hours later and now the numbers are:

30,361 for sale!!! WOW! THAT IS NUTS! This is only in Massachusetts which again proves that it is a FABULOUS time for buyers!

Ok, so with these new results can you guess what the lowest priced home in Massachusetts is this week? (drum roll)


166 Brombach St, Pittsfield, MA
6 room, 2 bed, 1 bath Ranch
$35,000 (isn't that the price of a car???)
Approx. Living Area: 1294 sq. ft.
Approx. Acres: 0.19 (8276 sq. ft.)
Heat Zones: Forced Air, Gas
Parking Spaces: 2 Off-Street
Needs a lot of TLC.

For explore more fun properties like this go to http://www.brickhouserealty.com/ and sign up to view properties. Don't worry we won't sell or give your info to anyone not even to our own moms!

Have a fantastic week!
Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
:)

A Very Cool Buyer Program...

I came across a program that I am thrilled about because it's going to help a lot of people...maybe even you and your family!!! YAY!

Yes, it's true! The economy's shifting is creating fantastic oportunities for those who are lucky enough to find this information! This wonderful program gives discounts to people who buy homes in Worcester. What kind of discounts? Well, they offer discounts on most aspects of home buying including mortgage programs from local lending and financial institutions, in some cases, at rates between ½ and ¼ point below market rates with no or low down payments, lower or no mortgage insurance payments, employer mortgage assistance, and rewards from local retailers on the purchase of homeowner essentials.

OK, now, before you pooh-pooh Worcester, do yourself a favor. Go online and actually check out a few areas in Worcester. You know how cool college towns can be. If you have not visited Worcester in a while you should. It is a very magical place!

Did you know that Worcester is NEW ENGLAND's second largest city? It is a FIVE-TIME recipient of the All-American City Award. It combines the warmth of a small town with the conveniences of a thriving metropolis. You get affordable housing, quality public education, accessible transportation, trendy restaurants, cool shops, and exciting nightlife (for those who have time for that sort of thing ;).

But wait, there's more...."A manufacturing and innovation giant for more than 200 years, Worcester’s landscape blends impressive mills and diverse architecture with community-oriented neighborhoods, inviting green spaces, renowned colleges and unique cultural institutions. The City boasts one of the finest urban school systems in NewEngland and is rated one of the safest communities inthe country (with population of 100,000 or more). An admirable mix of old and new, Worcester is defined by eclectic neighborhoods with a range of housing stock - from historic, turn of the century homes to modern urban lofts.
Worcester’s Neighborhoods!

Lucky buyers can learn more about all of these by visiting www.buyworcesternow.com. It is rare to find such good incentive programs so at least checking it out would really be a good idea. Who knows maybe you will find exactly what you want and thought you could not have! ENJOY THE JOURNEY!

PUT "FUN" BACK INTO HOME BUYING...Here Are The Simple Steps

For many, the home buying process can be so confusing that even running the Boston Marathon -and winning - would seem like a simpler task! In reality buying a home (yes, even in this market) is a simply a serious of steps that get you to where you want to be. Whether someone is new or has bought before, it is always a good idea to get a good outline of the process. For years I looked for something I could share with my clients to no avail so in my "spare time" I decide to create something fun for the world, something that breaks down the steps of home buying into fun, bite-size pieces. I even added cartoon-like figures and (hopefully) some humor.

Let me know what you think of it. I'm always open to suggestions. I present to you the funny way to buy your next home...http://www.brickhouserealty.com/html/gameboard.html! ENJOY!

Big hugs,
Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
:)