Buying and selling in Massachusetts, answered

I build a comparative market analysis from recent MLS PIN closings, pending sales and active competition in your neighborhood, adjusted for size, condition, lot and location. It is more precise than an automated online estimate because it accounts for condition and features those tools can't see.

Every sale needs a smoke and carbon monoxide certificate from the local fire department before closing. Homes on septic need a Title V inspection, homes built before 1978 need the lead paint notification, and condos need a 6(d) certificate. My seller checklist covers each one.

Well-priced homes in towns like Natick and Framingham often go under agreement within a few weeks. After an accepted offer, the Purchase and Sale Agreement is usually signed within about two weeks, and closing typically follows 30 to 60 days later.

Usually not major renovations. Buyers pay for condition, but rarely enough to cover a big project done right before a sale. I recommend a short list of high-impact fixes, such as paint, lighting, minor repairs and cleanup, based on what comparable homes in your neighborhood offered when they sold.

The main costs are the brokerage commission, which is negotiable and not set by law, the state deed excise tax (generally $4.56 per $1,000 of the sale price), your attorney's fee, any mortgage payoff, and smaller items like the smoke and CO inspection fee and Title V if you're on septic. I give every seller an estimated net sheet before listing.

It depends on the loan. Some conventional loans allow as little as 3% down and FHA loans 3.5%, and Massachusetts has first-time buyer programs through MassHousing. A larger down payment can make your offer stronger in competitive towns. A lender can show you the options for your situation.

Yes. Since August 2024, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent before touring homes. It explains the agent's services and how they are paid. The terms are negotiable, and I walk through it with every buyer before we start.

Generally yes. Massachusetts courts have treated accepted offers as binding contracts, even though a Purchase and Sale Agreement follows. Make sure your offer includes the contingencies you need, and talk to an attorney if you have questions about a specific offer.

A general home inspection, plus radon testing, a pest inspection and, for homes built before 1978, a lead inspection. Homes on septic will have a Title V report from the seller. Older homes may also warrant an oil tank or chimney inspection.

Often, yes. Options include a home-sale contingency, bridge financing, or timing the two closings on the same day. Contingent offers are less competitive in a tight market, so I help clients plan the sequence before they start touring.

Often, yes. The estate does not have to be fully settled. The personal representative needs to be appointed and have the authority to sell, which may involve a license to sell from the court or the heirs' written assent. We can prepare the home and the plan while that happens.

No. Many estate homes sell as-is, but light preparation often raises the net to the estate. I show the family both options with expected numbers before anyone spends money.

Disagreements are common and are worked out through the personal representative and the estate's attorney. I can provide market information that helps everyone see the same numbers, but legal decisions stay with the attorney and the court.

A home held in a trust usually doesn't go through probate. The trustee can typically sell it under the trust's terms, which is often faster. The trustee's attorney confirms the paperwork.

My probate and estate sales page walks through the full Massachusetts process, step by step.

Massachusetts closings are run by attorneys. The buyer's lender usually has its own closing attorney, and buyers and sellers often hire their own attorneys to review the Purchase and Sale Agreement.

It is the detailed contract signed about two weeks after an accepted offer. It sets the closing date, the mortgage commitment date, the deposit terms and what happens if either side can't perform. A second deposit is usually paid at signing.

Title V is the state's septic system regulation. Homes with septic systems need an inspection by a state-approved inspector, generally within two years before the sale. Homes on town sewer don't need one.

At the county registry of deeds. Natick and Framingham deeds are recorded at the Middlesex South District Registry of Deeds; Wellesley deeds go to the Norfolk County Registry.

I work in more than 40 communities across Greater Boston, in Middlesex, Suffolk and Norfolk counties. My focus towns are Boston, Newton, Natick, Framingham, Brookline, Wayland and Ashland, and each has its own page with a monthly market report.

Professional photography, virtual staging where it helps, MLS PIN and the major portals, and direct outreach to agents whose buyers already match your home. You get a written marketing plan before we list.

Use the search on this site to save a search. New listings that match are sent to you as soon as they hit MLS PIN, and I see what you're interested in, so I can flag details and set up showings quickly.

Yes. Coordinating a sale and a purchase is common in Greater Boston, especially for move-up buyers and downsizers. We plan the timing, financing and contingencies together before either side goes live.