Stacy Howe

27 Larch St, Brockton

This home has a special place in my heart. A few years back, the owner reached out to me and was going to be moving and wanted to rent out this single family home. He knew the market wasn’t there yet for him to sell and recoup his value, so renting out made the most sense.

Over time I was able to find him some great tenants, and I always loved showing the home- it’s in a cul de sac neighborhood, very close to the Kennedy school, and also near a walking path to the high school.

It was bittersweet when he said he was ready to sell and take advantage of the market. He refinished the hardwood floors throughout, replace the countertops in the kitchen, added a mini split system for heat and central air- removing the oil heat, he replaced the water tank and repainted the interior. He made all of the best choices for updating for curb appeal.

The open houses were both very busy, and there were several private showings scheduled. My seller had many offers to choose from- with lots of different contingencies to consider.

In the end, he went with an offer that was $59k OVER what we were listed at, with no home inspection and a fairly quick close. The quick close was most important to my client, but the offer price was also more than attractive to him.

This 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, split level, single family home on a corner lot now has new owners and I’m hoping I can find my client his next investment property!

Listed at $425,000

Sold: $484,000

5 Things To Look for at a Showing

by Stacy Howe

Many times when I’m working with a first time buyer, they enter the home looking only at the size of the rooms, or the layout of the home and envisioning their things in place- they may get caught up in the smaller details and miss the bigger items that are more important.

I always like to attend showings or open houses if I can with my buyers to show them what I’m walking in looking for- and I’ll share these tips with you for when you’re ready to start shopping!

Start outside. I love starting outside and walking around the home. I look at the roof, the siding, and make sure everything looks in tact and in good condition. I’ll take note of dangerously overhanging trees, any roof/chimney/siding concerns that a home inspector would mention, and I also take a look at the property lines and see if there’s anything on the property that my buyer would want removed/repaired/remain prior to closing.
Sinks- I ALWAYS peek under the sinks of the home for any leaks or signs of water damage- and while I’m at it, I’ll check the toilets to make sure they aren’t loose.
My third tip is to check the age of the water tank. Water tanks typically last about 10 years- on average. If the tank is older, you’ll want to either budget for that, or take that into consideration with your offer.
While you’re in the basement, open up the electric box and look at the panel- do you have room to grow if you want to add that hot tub or central air?
Another thing I look at is the furnace- it’s important to know how old it is, and how recently it’s been serviced. I usually recommend asking a seller for that information prior to submitting an offer- no one likes surprises at/after home inspections.

Bonus tip- while you’re down in the basement, in addition to checking the mechanics, take a peek around for any evidence of pests- do they have the black boxes or sticky boxes out?

This is a VERY short list of what I’m actually looking for and pointing out to my buyers at showings- If you want to know what else I’m looking at, let’s set up an appointment to talk and start your house hunting adventures!

#FindYourSpaceWithStace

Stacy Mafera

617-379-1463