Resources
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More ways to find that dream house
In the beginning, buyers hired real estate agents because they needed information. How else to know which homes were for sale? Or what price was fair? Or the proper reaction to a form that said your children might be poisoned by lead? (By Binyamin Appelbaum) Fine print on foreclosure sales
Buying from a lender adds complications, but diligence and patience can land you the home you want. (By Dave Copeland, Boston Globe) More
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How much can you afford to spend?
The first step to ownership is to determine your budget and how much you can spend.
Know your credit
It’s important to know what the state of your credit is before you apply for a mortgage since the report and score plays an important role in how much money you’ll be able to borrow.
Getting a mortgage
Monthly gross income, credit, credit history, and the down payment amount are all factors in how much you will qualify for from a lender.
More resources
Links to help you figure out your price range.
Compare rates
Check out local mortgage rates.
Mortgage calculator
Calculate your monthly payments.
MyFico.com
Check out your credit score.
Researching communities
First you want to rank your priorities and what you're looking for in a town. Then see what town fits your needs and price range.
Picking a real estate agent
Choosing the right agent can save you time, effort and aggravation in finding the perfect home at a price you can afford.
Starting the search
You have some ideas about where you want to look, now is the time to see what is on the market.
More resources
More links to help you choose where to buy.
Rating homes (pdf)
Print this checklist and rate the homes you see.
- Also Rating towns (pdf)
2007 MCAS results
See how schools stack up in Bay State towns.
Town websites
Links to community information and town websites.
Making the offer
Whether it's a buyers or sellers market, it's sometimes difficult to know just how much a house is worth and how much to offer on a home.
Getting the home inspected
A home inspector evaluates the structure of the house, and gives feedback on other systems such as the roof, electrical system, and plumbing.
Closing the deal
Negotiating the right price may be the hard part, but the deal is not entirely done even when the sellers sign on the dotted line.
More resources
Additional useful links for a homebuyer.
Government center
More research links and town info.
Property assessments
Links to assessor databases for Massachusetts towns.
The sales contract
A look at what the document includes
Understanding taxes
Tax considerations for first-time home buyers.
Homeowners insurance
Insurance provides coverage in the event of damage to the property, as well as liability for injuries and damage that might have been caused to other people. Research communities
Want to learn more about where you're moving? Check out our communities page. |
Your complete moving guide
It's time to pack up your things and move. Here are all the things you'll need to remember during the moving process.
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Newton, Waltham and Brookline make the top 100
I’ve been having some fun with the CNN Best Places to Live Poll. I hope you will, too. CNN is saying three towns in our...
More stories on selling
- Home sellers sing 'buyer's market blues'
- Choosing the right agent
- Should you use a real estate agent?
- Video Open House Crashers
Real Estate chats
- April 15, 2008Home-selling chat transcriptLinda O'Connor, a Realtor since 1983 and theowner of REALPRO Associates in Beverly, answered your questions on selling in today's market.
- April 14, 2007Mortgage chat transcriptJohn O'Hara, who manages operations in the residential lending market at Sherwood Mortgage Group, chatted about navigating the mortgage maze.
- April 11, 2008Home-buying chat transcriptWilliam Mullen III, general counsel for the Greater Boston Association of Realtors, took questions on the home-buying process.
- Jan. 24, 2008Holden Lewis chat transcriptBankrate.com's Holden Lewis chatted about the current mortgage market, and whether now is a good time to refinance.
- March 17, 2008Buying on the Cape chat transcriptEdward McKenna and Maria Lamb, agents with Buyer Brokers of Cape Cod-Berard Associates in Barnstable, chatted about finding the best deals on Cape Cod.
- Sept. 19, 2007Real estate chat transcriptKimberly Blanton, residential real estate reporter for The Boston Globe, took questions on the Massachusetts real estate market.
- Sept. 17. 2007Mortgage chat transcriptPeter Milewski, director of mortgage insurance for MassHousing, was took your mortgage questions.