When you go to Vegas, it’s all about rolling the dice. You’re supposed to give it a shot, maybe you get lucky and come up with snake eyes. Maybe you don’t but that’s the name of the game and you go in with the mindset of taking a chance.

But unlike Vegas, in real estate ‘the house’ doesn’t always win.

The good news is, you can increase your odds of success if you don’t leave it to chance. If you’ve been thinking of selling your home, you have options. You could:

1. Stay put and renovate
2. FSBO (For Sale By Owner)
3. Use your friend’s cousin’s Realtor from out of town
4. Do nothing
5. None of the above

The thing is, there’s nothing wrong with any of these answers.

1. Staying put and renovating might be the best option for you if you love your neighborhood and your kids are in school.
2. For Sale By Owner might work for you if you have a deep knowledge of the real estate process.
3. Your friend’s cousin’s Realtor might be an excellent resource in their area.
4. And not doing anything is fine if the timing is just not right.

But the question is, how do you really know? How do weigh the cost/benefits to know which option is the best for you?

1. Maybe staying put and renovating is going to cost you more than moving, cause more headaches, and you still don’t have everything on your wish list?
2. For Sale By Owner seems like a great way to save on a real estate commission, until you realize you overpriced your home, missed some key contract negotiations and all of a sudden it’s costing more than that 5% commission.
3. Your friend’s cousin’s Realtor is very successful in their town, but may not understand the housing stock, school systems and subtle nuances of the town you want to live in.
4. Doing nothing is fine unless you’re not happy where you are and the situation isn’t going to get better any time soon.

That’s why e) might be the best option of all.

Choosing Steve McKenna & The Home Advantage Team means taking the guesswork out of the home selling process. If selling your home doesn’t seem like a good idea, we’ll let you know. If renovating is your best option, we have professional contacts to get that kitchen you’ve always wanted. And if you’re just not ready, we’ll be here when you are.

Successfully selling homes in Arlington and the surrounding towns for more than 30 years has nothing to do with luck. Put your home in our hands and don’t leave selling your home to chance. 

We all know that clearing out the clutter and staging your home is an important step in the home selling process. But it can also be one of the most daunting tasks, and what holds a lot of people back.

In this Before & After series, we want to highlight the fact that getting your home ready to sell doesn’t always require a major overhaul. Sometimes you just need a good photographer.

Steve McKenna & The Home Advantage Team use a professional photographer to help your house shine. If you’ll notice, the ‘Before’ pictures are not all that different from the ‘After’ shots. No big renovations, furniture changes, or even paint changes.

But the lighting and angles of the photos are what make them stand out. Because most people will see your home in an online search first, it’s really important to make a solid first impression.

We have a team of professionals to help you every step of the way – cleaning out, storing, staging, photos, marketing – all the reasons why you want the best team of professionals by your side.

So don’t be daunted by the idea of preparing your home for sale, we’ll work with you to be sure your home looks it’s best, but doesn’t run you through the wringer in the meantime. 

Homebuyers take note! Mortgage rates have taken the biggest weekly drop in nearly a decade!

The average rate on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 4.06 percent with an average 0.5 point for the week ending March 28, 2019, down from last week when it averaged 4.28 percent, according to Freddie Mac. - CNBC.com

Knowledge is power, and lower mortgage rates means more buying power for your pocketbook.

The spring market is in full swing and we are seeing an uptick in inventory in the Greater Boston area. Contact Steve McKenna & The Home Advantage Team and we will educate and guide you through the home buying process, give you specific strategies for today’s market, and ensure that you are covered, from initial search through signed P&S (and beyond!).

Not sure what your finances can get you? Contact Allyson Kreycik from Guaranteed Rate for superior service and expert advice on mortgage and lending strategies.

Our team can make your homeownership dream come true!

It’s amazing what a little sunshine and some flowers can do. It’s the first day of Spring and we are enjoying the effects of more daylight and more listings coming on the market!

A slight uptick in inventory also comes with an uptick in competition, so you want to be sure you have a seasoned team of professionals to help you navigate through the spring market.

In the meantime, here are a few favorite flowers from our recent listings to give you some house-hunting spring-spiration!

Now that we planted that seed and got you thinking - give us a call and you could be in your new home by summer!

We all know how frustrating it can be when you’re just not getting the response you’re hoping for. Unreturned phone calls, ignored emails, dropped balls, misinformation – it’s enough to make you want to cry sometimes.

This is also true in real estate, a service industry where the barrier to entry is quite low and turnover is particularly high. Pass an exam and (poof!) you are a real estate agent. But becoming a true real estate professional takes time, experience and a lot of hard work. And as anyone in the business knows, you will learn so much more on the job than you ever will on the test.  

So it’s no surprise that poor service is a by-product of so many unskilled, part-time, not-in-it-for-the-long-haul, not-from-around-here, agents.

This is why Steve McKenna & The Home Advantage Team pride themselves on high-quality service. We have a team of dedicated professionals to ensure that your calls are answered, emails are returned, questions are addressed, and that you receive the time and attention you deserve whether buying or selling a home.

Recently, Steve, Erika & The Home Advantage Team received Quality Service Certification’s Platinum status. Based on survey results compiled and validated by Leading Research Corporation for the year 2018, their scores reflect 100% client satisfaction with the overall service provided.

Awards are great, but the true testament to our service comes in the form of our client testimonials, customer referrals and the fact that we have been the #1 team in Arlington for 30 years.

There are plenty of agents desperate for deals that are willing to offer discounted fees for their services. But as the tried-and-true saying goes, you get what you pay for. When you’re about to navigate the complex and multi-phased process of buying or selling a home, why wouldn’t you opt for experience, know-how, local expertise and superior service?

Go with anything less and you’re going to need that box of tissues to wipe away the tears. Quality service and real estate success go hand-in-hand – put your home in our hands and see how we can serve you. 

We had a packed event back on February 25^th despite a wacky, windy weather day. Arlington residents braved the elements and came out to hear speakers on a variety of real estate-related topics, but more importantly, they were able to ask questions and get detailed answers to their specific questions. Everything from capital gains taxes, buying and selling at the same time and the importance of staging.  

The venue is local, the speakers are experts in their fields, and the attendance is limited, making for an interactive dialogue among participants.

Join us for the second in the series, a FREE Sellers Workshop for Arlington Residents:

Date: Tuesday, March 19^th, 2019

Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Location: Robbins Library, Arlington (700 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington)

RSVP: Please email: Christina@timvanderveenlaw.com or call 781-829-2003. Space is limited and registration is mandatory. We hope to see you there! REGISTRATION DEADLINE: March 15^th

The event will cover recent changes in the law and other trends affecting local real estate transactions in the past year. A panel of industry experts including, Andrew Bunnell of The Law Office of Timothy J. Van Der Veen, Steve McKenna & The Home Advantage Team of BOWES Real Estate, Thea Simolari of Mortgage Network, and Kim Hackett of KLH Home Staging will cover topics such as:

• Will you owe capital gains tax if you sell?
• Selling or transferring a property held in trust or if an owner is deceased
• How to get the most return on your home sale through staging
• Formula to calculate your net sale proceeds to within $1,000
• Importance of conducting a preliminary title review
• State sales tax and other forgotten closing costs
• Strategies for simultaneously selling and buying in a low inventory market
• Pros and cons of For Sale By Owner
• Pre-sale repair & improvement strategies (update or leave alone?)
• Can you buy before you sell? Bridge loans and other financing option in carrying 2 properties

This is NOT a solicitation for legal services pursuant to Rule 7.3 of the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct

Last year we had some professional video taken to showcase our real estate expertise in the community. It was an interesting process and we learned a lot along the way. For example, it's waaaayy harder than it looks. But of course, being who we are, we had a lot of fun, a lot of takes, and confirmed that we are real estate professionals - not actors!

Here are some outtakes and bloopers from the shoot, guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

 

Everyone loves a good makeover – whether it’s a wardrobe redo, an afternoon at the beauty counter, or a design on a dime. It’s amazing what a little refresh can do, especially this time of year.

When it comes to getting ready to sell your home, that ‘refresh’ can quickly become a daunting task. Whether you’ve been in a home for 30 years or 3, we all accumulate more than we think we do.

Trust us, we know. Not just because we help home buyers and sellers every day, but because about half the team went through a move within the last year or so. We get it.

We also get that no matter how much or how little you have to sort through, it is invaluable to clean out and prepare your home for sale. That’s why providing a professional stager is just one of the many services we provide to our sellers.

We lay out a plan of what needs to happen, when, and who can help you along the way to get it done – where to donate furniture (and who will move it for you), local charities that accept donations, shredding services, a local handyman to pull up that carpet, painters to freshen up the living space – you name it.

Preparing your home for sale goes under the umbrella of, a little bit goes a long way. By staging your home you are showcasing it in the best possible light, and setting yourself up for a faster sale at a better price.

Take a look at one of our recent listings below. This was a lovely, well-maintained home that was able to shine after just a few updates. It was on the market for less than 6 days, had multiple offers after the first weekend of very busy open houses, and sold for over asking.

Thinking of putting your home on the market this spring? Don’t let the idea of ‘the stuff’ hold you back.

Let your home selling experience begin with us.

Contact us today and see what we can do for you.

KITCHEN

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

DEN

The idea of owning your own home is a dream shared by many, but the thought of starting the process might make you feel very alone. Where do you even begin?? How do you really know you’ve found a home that checks all the boxes, but is also in line with your checkbook?

As the #1 real estate team in Arlington for more than 30 years, we’ve helped more home buyers and sellers than any other team around. We get you started on the path to homeownership and we stick with you from initial search to final signing.

We personalize the buying process for you, and customize a strategy that fits your style, your budget, your timing and everything in between.

Don’t be afraid to dream big when it comes to finding just the right home, but make sure you’ve got a skilled, local team to help you every step of the way!

 

Punxsutawney Phil says six more weeks until spring, but the spring real estate market is heating up early! We have this fantastic move-in ready townhome at 11 Bow Street in Arlington to prove our point. But don't take our word for it, see what the seller has to say about this home:

Top 10 Reasons I love 11 Bow St

1. Great location!  Walking distance to bike path, restaurants, Ed Burns Arena/Skating Rink, Peirce Elementary, Middle school and High school to name a few!

2. Quiet living community with friendly neighbors.  There is a social event to get to know everyone in Village Heights each year!

3. Watching nighttime baseball games across the street under the lights in the summer.

4. Sitting on my patio reading a book and drinking my coffee.

5. Tons of natural sunlight to brighten up my day!

6. Responsive property management to assist when issues arise.

7. Low heating and electricity bills.

8. Snow is shoveled and removed up to the front door!

9. Walking my dog across the street so he can run around the field with all of his 4-legged friends. 

10. Beautiful flowers and trees surrounding the property that bloom in the springtime and summer months.

What's not to love?! Join us at the open house, Friday, 2/8, Saturday 2/9, and Sunday 2/10 from 11:30am - 1:00pm. For more information on this listing visit:

11 Bow Street, Arlington 

Tired of looking at 'fixer-upper'-type homes? Then you will love this move-in ready townhome in Arlington's Village Heights. You can settle right into this 2-level, 2+-bed, 1-bath oversized corner unit and skip the hassle of major updates! The kitchen is fully updated with S/S appliances, granite, beautiful maple cabinets w/ built-in wine storage, and opens to a bright & sunny dining area and spacious living room. Open the French doors and enjoy your morning coffee on your lovely private patio! Upstairs are 2 good-sized bedrooms, full bath and a third room that can be an additional bed, office, or playroom. There are hardwood floors throughout, newer roof, heating system, updated windows, and 2 deeded parking spots. Situated near the Minuteman Bikeway and Mass. Ave. public transportation, you are less than a mile to Arlington Heights, Peirce, Ottoson and the High School! This is a fantastic opportunity to live in the heart of Arlington and enjoy all the community has to offer!