Monthly Archives: October 2011
Featured Property: 556 E 6th St, Unit 2 in South Boston
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“Why Hire a Lawyer” Guest Blog By Glenn Frank
Recently, I asked my friend Glenn Frank to write a guest blog about legal topics regarding real estate. Since this is my first legal contributor, I thought it would be a good to start from the beginning…..”Why get a lawyer?”
By Glenn Frank 
DO I NEED A LAWYER?
How hard can this be? People buy and sell property every day. Right? What can go wrong?
The answer is: Everything can go wrong and if it does it can cost you a ton of money. To avoid the pitfalls and the potential for catastrophic loss, hire a lawyer. . . a good lawyer who has experience in the field.
Your lawyer’s job will be to answer the questions: Who? What? Why? When? and Where?
Who? So you have identified a house or condominium you want to buy and are about to sign an agreement to pay the largest sum you have ever spent on anything. How do you know the person selling is the person or entity that owns what you are buying? Ask your lawyer. Your lawyer can check the public records. Your lawyer can make sure the person signing has authority to sell. Your lawyer will certify to you that your seller is legitimate. This is not like going to a car dealer and picking a car off the lot? You should know who you’re buying from and that they have the right to sell it to you.
What? Your dream house is beautiful, spacious, and airy and exactly what you want to live in for the next ten years. But lo and behold there are things you can’t see or touch that will destroy your dreams. Unpaid mortgages, tax liens, attachments and other encumbrances aren’t posted on the door when you walk in. Your lawyer knows how to find them and make sure they are removed before you buy. Unless you are interested in paying off the Seller’s debts, hire a lawyer.
Why? Three days after you move in to your dream-house, a representative of the Iroquois Indians shows up and lets you know that pursuant to a treaty executed with the administration of Abraham Lincoln, your property is actually theirs. Casino, here we come. You call your lawyer. Oops, didn’t have one. Too bad, because you could have obtained title insurance when you bought your property (for a very small premium) and if you had the title insurer would be paying you the value of your home when the Casino construction begins. Your lawyer could have explained that to you.
When? You sign an agreement to buy the house you always wanted. Your current lease is up in 30 days. No problem, right. You’ll own the property by then and can move right in? Uh oh, the Seller’s lawyer put eight contingencies in the agreement to delay the closing until the Seller: a.) buys something else to live in; or b.) can resolve the longstanding dispute with his mother-in-law as to who owns the furniture; or c.) feels the time is right, whichever is later. Yikes!!! Where do you live in the interim while the Seller procrastinates? The answer? Good luck finding a cheap hotel. A lawyer would have been less expensive.
Where? Closing? What is a closing? If you had a lawyer they would have told you that you have to meet to sign the papers necessary to transfer ownership from the Seller to you, and that those papers need then to be filed at the Registry of Deeds to be effective. Unfortunately, you’re in the tanning salon when you are supposed to be executing documents at the Seller’s office. Don’t worry though, all that means is the Seller has the right to take your deposit of 20% of the purchase price and is under no further obligation to transfer the property to you. You didn’t need those thousands of dollars anyway right?
CALL A LAWYER? YOU DON’T NEED THE HEADACHES
Glenn is a Partner at Lawson & Weitzen, LLP and please feel free to contact him with any legal questions.
On an unsolicited non-legal side note…. Glenn wrote an fantastic book Abe Gilman’s Ending and I think you you definitely check that out as well!
Most Expensive Condo In Beacon Hill (October 2011)
We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # 71287231 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.
Most Recent Single Family Home for Sale in the South End (Oct. 2011)
We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # 71299508 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.
Leather District Condo for Sale (About $450 per sf.)
I’ve listed a few units before in this building and I have come to like it. This is a converted Fur Storage building and has some interesting features that are left over from its former use. Exposed beams, vaulted ceilings in some and old vault doors. Its a true loft building.
We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # 71295343 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.
Time to Update your Appliances
One of the biggest issues that I see in the Sales market and the Rental market is the owners hesitation to update their property and not investing money into the sale/rental of their home. It’s time to step it up and heres why. In today’s market, people are gravitating to updated condo’s and renovated Rentals. It’s really amazing to see how poorly old appliances can affect the showing and marketability of your listing, and if your listing is not moving, you need to be creative. Today’s market is really competitive and it takes a little initiative and action to make your property stand out over the next one. I understand that sellers and landlords dont like to dump a ton of money into a rental or a property they are about to sell, but there are a few options that wont break the bank. The other day, Steve Sheinkopf of Yale Appliance wrote a blog about keeping the prices down in this economy and you really don’t need to break the bank to do some much needed updates. In most cases, you can also get more rental money for a new appliances so there is a good chance you can gain your money back at the end of the year. Remember landlords, warranties come with new appliances and will reduce your headaches if/when your older appliances conk out on you.
Here is a package that you can get at Yale appliance for under $1700. view the actual package here
If you are selling a place, it may be a little different. It really depends on what price your home is listed at and how old the entire kitchen is. If you are selling a 1.5 million dollar home, I don’t suggest putting in a $1700 kitchen package. Your buyers will be looking for high end appliances like Viking, Thermadore and Sub Zero. Its like putting a new Honda engine in a classic Porsche, although there is nothing wrong with Honda, you just need to match the product correctly in order to sell, because that is what the buyer is looking for.
Lastly, if your kitchen is laminate this, pink and blue that, I’d also consider replacing the cabinets and countertops because you don’t want to have contrasting decades Make it match, put in the effort and hopefully you can reap the benefits by doing the work and pricing your property right!
Least Expensive Condo in Back Bay (As of October 18th 2011)
We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # 71291423 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.
Penthouse at the Collonade for Rent $15,000 (Available October or November 2011)
Rare Penthouse for rent at the Collonade Residences
21st Floor, 3 Beds, Garage Parking,3.5 Baths, 2,890sf
Call me at 617 243 9200 if you have any interest (Tenant does not pay Broker Fee on this unit)
Space Saving Furniture Ideas. Zoom-Room
Recently, I posted a blog about some space saving furniture that was pretty amazing. A reader commented on it and tipped me off to a company called Zoom-Room. Check them out as well. They have a modern approach on a “murphy bed” style of living and their products have a bed that retracts like a garage door, and its pretty amazing. I don’t believe this company has a showroom in Boston either, but they ship all over the country.
Check out the video of their product.
Zoom-Room
