In one of my favorite Beatles tunes, they lamented that “the best things in life are free.” That’s rarely the case but every once in a while its actually true, and this in one of those cases. This week, I put together a free report about the Massachusetts Real Estate market that some might describe as revolutionary. It is not conjecture, but rather is based on my 27 years as one of the top real estate agents in Massachusetts, and tries to share some tips and tricks that I have come up with over the years. Hopefully, it will change your view of the industry and make 2014 a profitable one for you and your family.
The statistics for 2013 are in, and the results were great, at least in comparison to the somewhat dire market we were coming off of. Statewide, sales in December of 2013 were up 11.4% over 2012, however sales were down 26% over November, which was also down from October. While some seasonality is common, 26% is a huge drop to see. Likewise, condominium sales were down 32% from November to December, and this has caused more that a little concern in some segments of the market.
Here in the trenches of the Worcester County real estate market, many in the real estate industry are taking a wait and see approach. At a recent lunch I organized with some of the top agents in the region, people are wondering whether 2013 was merely a blip in the market, caused by years of Buyers holding off, and exacerbated by low inventory – or whether it represents a true healing and return to a normal balanced market. Only time will tell.
According to MAR President Peter Ruffini, the challenge still remains a critical lack of inventory. That’s why now, more than ever, we need those home sellers who really have wanted to move for a while to reach out, and provide the “supply” to go along with the “demand.” As I mentioned in last months column, each winter I open up 10 spots in January and 10 in February for my “Homeowners Blend Program.” Now in its 20th year, this has been a fantastic opportunity for Sellers to save up to 50% on the real estate fees when selling their home, WITHOUT having to give up a thing in return. I do have a few of those left for January, so if you’re reading this, and would like one of the slots, email me at steve@stevelevine.com and I will save you one.
Oh getting back to the Free Report, we come to one of my favorite topics, namely the Expired Listing Market. Last year alone, over 18,000 homes in Worcester and Middlesex County that were on the market, came off without selling, which represents almost 40% of the total listings taken by agents. In contrast, I think I had two such listings all year, and in both cases, it came down simply to Sellers that were just unrealistic on price. After seeing just how serious the issue was, and knowing that it wasn’t happening to me, I sat down for an entire day and put together a five page report that details the Top 10 Reasons A Home Doesn’t Sell. This isn’t some “canned report” purchased online, but really represents the core experience of having done this over 2000 times, and all that I learned through trial and error along the way. I even took the time to incorporate items specific to selling issues in a particular town or area, creating unique reports for those as needed.
Of course, this report won’t be of use only to those who had listings previously on the market – although they will no doubt have some eye-opening moments reading it. Rather it applies to ANOYONE thinking of moving at all. After all, what better way to ensure that you don’t make the same mistakes, than to read about what happened to others? If you’re interested in reading it, along with a separate page of helpful tips and the final 2013 statistics, just send an email to report@shrewsbury.net and include your name and the city you live in, and it will email you back automatically with a copy of the report for your individual community.
The post Top 10 Real Estate Secrets of the Year appeared first on Shrewsbury Massachusetts Lantern - Local News - Shrewsbury MA real estate - by Steve Levine Shrewsbury's Top Realtor.
