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Patrick, MassHousing Monetize First-Time Homebuyer Credit

Patrick, MassHousing Monetize First-Time Homebuyer Credit

By Ian B. Murphy

Banker & Tradesman Staff Writer

Today


Gov. Deval Patrick has announced a loan program through MassHousing allowing first-time homebuyers to monetize and use an $8,000 federal tax credit as a funding source toward the closing costs of their new home.

The principal and interest payments for the loan will be deferred until June 1, 2010, to allow first-time homebuyers to pay back MassHousing with their federal tax credit. If loans aren’t paid by the June deadline, they will be amortized for 10 years at the rate of their original mortgage.

 

Gary Rogers, president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR), said not paying back the loan with money saved from the tax credit is still a decent option.”If that’s what the homebuyer opts to do, that’s still an excellent program; usually second mortgages have much higher rates,” Rogers told Banker & Tradesman.

 

The loans will be available only to homebuyers with MassHousing mortgages, through MassHousing-approved lenders. To be eligible, loan participants must use the home purchased through the program as their primary residence for at least three years, and must purchase a one, two, three or four-family home from a seller unrelated to the buyer by Nov. 30.

 

“These loans will both help prospective homebuyers achieve the comfort and stability of homeownership for their families, and also stimulate the commonwealth’s economy through increased home sales, while reviving neighborhoods impacted by foreclosure,” Patrick said in a statement.

This is the first program of its type in Massachusetts, according to Rogers, but there have been other variations of the same theme in other states. MAR worked with Patrick, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, and MassHousing to bring the program to fruition. “It’s a partnership; we’re right there with them, and we’ll be making sure that our Realtors inform the people who this is aimed for, and that they know about the program,” Rogers said.

 

“The Tax Credit Loan will be of great benefit to homebuyers, Realtors and MassHousing-approved lenders, and we applaud the Patrick-Murray administration for its leadership in promoting affordable homeownership opportunities in Massachusetts,” said MassHousing Executive Director Thomas R. Gleason.

July 15, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Wild end to May 2009!

Hi All:

We’ve all seen a relatively slow market downtown for Jan, Feb, Mar, with a bit of a pick-up for April. But May is a different story, here’s how and why:

The data we use is from MLSpin – our market source for the Merrimack Valley, Middlesex County and surrounding areas. We go back 3 months at a time analyzing the data. Each new month wipes out the first month in the series, example: Last month’s spread was Feb-Mar-Apr, this month’s is Mar-Apr-May, wiping out Feb, making the numbers change being more reflective of what’s truly happening. It could be pinpointed down even further by including locations of the sales, isolating the ‘hot’ buildings and the ‘not-so-much’, but what we have now is very interesting.

Currently there are 56 units on the market in downtown. The last three spreads say 48/49. Doesn’t seem like much of a difference, but at this time, there are 17 properties ‘under agreement’ . Add this to the current market and we get 73 units. So how could this number not relect in the months prior market availability?

The answer is simple:

14 of the 17 ‘under’agreement’ happened in the last 3 months, 6 in May alone. Anticipated ’sale dates’ are 13 in June, 1 in July, and growing!

This means some properties are going under agreement in less than 30 days, explaining the seemingly ‘flat’ number of units available. They’re ‘gone’ before you see them. This market has really picked up and so have interest rates: up to 5.23% from last month’s 4.81% (www.bankrate.com)

What’s the underlying cause of this activity increase? Here’s a very simple explanation:

1. The $8,000 First-time Buyer Tax Credit (over on Nov 30, 2009)

2. Low interest rates (not for long)

3. Spring market fever (savvy buyers have been watching downtown Lowell for a while and are realizing-Now Is The Time!)

The train is pulling away from the station folks! If you’re in the market to ‘buy’, procrastination will cost you dearly in respect to interest rates, and closing before Nov. 30. Market inventory is dropping, desirable ‘priced-right’ units go fast to the ready, willing, and able.

June 3, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | , , , | No Comments Yet

Downtown Lowell Sees A Huge Increase In Activity

Downtown Lowell Sees A Huge Increase In Activity

Buyers are taking advantage of the $8,000 First Time Buyers tax incentive. We’ve seen 12 properties go “under agreement” in April/May alone. (Keeping in mind there were 5 sales total for Jan, Feb, Mar ‘09)

This is huge for the downtown area, since at the time there were only 40-45 “active” units available.

  • New sellers are taking advantage of the buyer opportunities and getting sold quicker
  • Buyers are recognizing the deals when they see them, and desirable properties are going quickly
  • As of this mailing there are 48 “active” units available on the market in downtown Lowell

_________________________________________________________

Rates are creeping back up

30 year fixed Mortgage is at 4.86% (up from last week)

196 Days Left Unit the 2009 First Time Buyer Tax Incentive is Over!

The window of opportunity is closing! Each day counts! Visit LowellLofts.com website for all current Loft & Condo listings.

May 18, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Spring-Summer This Weekend!

With the warmest temperatures of the season so far right within reach this weekend, thoughts of the beach, salty margaritas, and lobster are in our heads. Also in our heads is the new awakening of our market in downtown Lowell. Buyers are taking advantage of low mortgage rates, tax incentives, and of course, Lowell’s affordable pricing.

Not only are local young professionals looking to find the perfect loft/condo, but they’re coming from afar as well.

The Boston Globe reported the following recently:

CLICK HERE for the full article, but the point is below………

Top Spots to Live

Top Buyers Looking To Make A Profit: Lowell

Loft deck offers views of the Lowell's converted mills.

Lowell is transforming itself, but bargains can still be found. Here, a loft deck offers views of the city’s converted mills.

Median single-family price: $194,900

Median condo price: $155,900

Population: 103,512

Residential tax rate: $11.68

In recent years, Lowell has been touted as undergoing a renaissance, with an influx of artists and others moving into its canal-front lofts. Since the economic downturn, though, a large number of houses and condos have come on the market for less than $100,000. “Unfortunately, there are many foreclosure properties available, but this presents opportunities for buyers who are willing to put some sweat equity into a property and sell later, when the market improves,” agent Jean McGillick of Coldwell Banker in Chelmsford explained in our survey.

HONORABLE MENTION: Brockton, Lynn, Quincy, Worcester

We’re seeing more outside agencies around showing Lowell off to their out-of-town clients, and it’s well kept secrets. Suburbanites working in or around Boston are coming to Lowell for the obvious reason, price and LOCATION. It won’t be too long before we’re in the midst of the Hamilton Canal Revitalization Project, and realize what we have here.

The writing on the wall has never been clearer.

April 24, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | , , , , , | No Comments Yet

2009 1st Time Buyer’s Tax Credit….Unplugged

If you’re in the market to buy a condo/loft/home, and you’re a 1st time home buyer.. now is the time to get out of the sidelines…seriously.

With so much buzz about the 2009 tax credit for 1st time home buyers, we’ve been gathering up as much information about it as possible. The opportunities for 1st time buyers are the best EVER, and likely will not be repeated in our lifetime. You can download the .pdf document here: 2009 Tax Credit unplugged

IN BRIEF: 10% of the purchase price or up to $8,000 is credited to the qualifying buyer in a tax refund. Period. This isn’t a ‘tax exemption’ and does not have to be repaid unless you sell the home within 3 years!

FREE MONEY… is basically what they’re saying.

Who Is A First-Time Home Buyer? Anyone who has not owned a ‘primary residence’ property in the 3 years prior to a purchase. If you own a vacation home and stay there less than 50% of the time, and rent an apartment as your ‘primary’ residence…you are a First Time Home Buyer! More examples are in the 2009 Tax Credit unplugged file download.

The combination of affordable low home prices and historic low mortgage rates makes this just about THE BEST TIME EVER for 1st Time Home Buyers….not to mention the TAX CREDIT!

The MAJOR component to remember about this Tax Credit is: The purchase must be CLOSED on or before November 30, 2009. This means the search for a home needs to start soon, and offers need to be placed in early October in order for the loan to be processed and closed in time. Basically – the quicker the better in this circumstance.

Distressed, bank-owned, and short sale properties are lengthy, complicated transactions and we’d suggest either avoiding them, or making offers on them NOW, in order to be sure you don’t miss the Nov.30th deadline.

Please download the 2009 Tax Credit unplugged and learn what this rare opportunity could mean for you. As always, feel free to contact us to discuss this or any other real estate need you have @ LowellLofts.com

March 26, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Federal Reserve Surprises Financial Markets

Penny Hamel is a colleague of LowellLofts and we’d like to share this with our readers:

Here we go again, with the talking heads on financial news misinterpreting the impact of the Fed’s actions on home loan rates.

Here’s the scoop. What the Fed just announced is huge – they have committed to buy another $750B in Mortgage Backed Securities, and $300B in Treasuries.

But what does this mean and why do you care?

Their actions provide a demand for Mortgage Backed Securities, which should help keep a ceiling on home loan rates moving much higher in the foreseeable future. That’s good news, for homebuyers who are seeing the bargains out there and understanding that now is the time to act. Good news for those who are ready to refinance too.

But an important distinction – this does not mean rates may move significantly lower. Depending on exactly which coupons the Fed purchases when they go shopping for Mortgage Backed Securities, their actions may keep a lid on rates, but not push them very much lower. And based on what they’ve been buying since the beginning of this year when they started their purchasing program – that is exactly how it has played out.

Present home loan rates are within inches of historic lows. What is keeping you on the sidelines from acting now to refinance and get some dollars back into your own pocket, where they belong – or moving forward to buy the home of your dreams, while it is still on sale?

If you have questions – call me. You know there’s no pressure, but let’s discuss options and see if there is something we should be looking at to improve your situation.

Penny Hamel | Senior Loan Officer
Salem Five Mortgage
(978)618-7440
penny.hamel@salemfive.com



March 20, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | , , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Just the Numbers

How many zeros in a billion?


This is too true to be funny.

The next time you hear a politician use the
word ‘billion’ in a casual manner, think about
whether you want the ‘politicians’ spending
YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
but one advertising agency did a good job of

putting that figure into some perspective in
one of it’s releases.

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.

D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E. A billion dollars ago was only
8 hours and
20 minutes,
at the rate our government
is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain…
let’s take a look at New Orleans …
It’s amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator,
Mary Landrieu (D)
is presently asking Congress for

250 BILLION DOLLARS
to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number…
what does it mean?

A. Well… if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans
(every man, woman, and child)
you
each get $516,528.

B. Or… if you have one of the 188,251 homes in
New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C. Or… if you are a family of four….
your family
gets $2,066,012.

Washington, D. C

HELLO!
Are all your calculators broken??

Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax (Fed)
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

(And to think, we left British Rule to avoid so many taxes)

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago…
and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt….
We had the largest middle class in the world…
and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened?
Can you spell ‘politicians!’

And I still have to
press ‘1′
for English.

We hope this goes around the
U S A at least 100 times

What the heck happened?????

March 16, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When the Experts ask the Experts

As we all know, knowledge is power and it’s usually not free. In order to gain knowledge and grow, we need to learn. It’s the natural law. Everyday we learn new things. Sometimes simply by becoming aware of them through some source of information whether it be a newspaper, a colleague, or the internet. Sometimes through a class we sign up for to polish up an old skill, or perhaps learn a new one. No matter how you look at it, its an on-going process that requires spending either ‘time’ or ‘money’.

A colleague in another field of the real estate industry called this morning asking for ‘free’ information which really equaled to a consultation on extensive appraisal and market analysis. Of course we helped him with his problem (for free) as he came to us for our expertise with a question which pertained exclusively to our market.

When an expert in his field reaches out to an expert in their field, its a mutual understanding that all will benefit from the result of ‘networking’. Especially the consumer.

Lowell Lofts prides itself on having the most up to date data on our wonderful downtown Lowell market. Not everyone understands how our ‘market’ works. But we do. Just ask the other experts in our industry.

Contact us anytime for a market update, consultation, or simply for our input on historic downtown Lowell.

March 13, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Greed?

Welcome to LowellLofts.com’s 1st BLOG! Thanks for showing up!

What other topic can we talk about besides today’s headlines about our economy and housing market? It’s a long, complicated, series of events that led us to where we are today. But let’s try and make it simple and understandable. It seems the real estate world/market (whichever you prefer) is rocked! There are uncountable reasons why this is, none of them we feel is more apparent than the unmentioned one: “greed”. Yes, there, we said it!

Many would disagree with us, saying simple counter-point things like “well, real estate is an investment” or “its their own fault for buying something ‘they’ can’t afford“.

Who are they? Answer: Everyday people like us who were told by professional financial institutions that ‘they’ could afford that home. People who no longer wanted to pay high rents and wanted to own their own home (sound like someone you might know?). People who threw caution to the wind while listening to the masses whose home values suddenly sky-rocketed, took out 2nd mortgages or equity loans, and bought Audi convertibles with the cash. A dream come true. All based on the widespread and very much believed assumption that real estate values can only go up from here and things will simply pay for themselves. Hmmmm, didn’t we all kinda have that funny feeling? How high can things go? How much higher can the ‘market’ bear?

Would it seem fair to say the housing market is what it is? Simply a ‘place’ where buyers and sellers of a particular commodity (in this case real estate) buy and sell? Buyers set the price in any given market, and higher prices were paid due to unfair lending. This isn’t to say that there weren’t some buyers who knew that they couldn’t afford these loans. This trend created low inventory, a building frenzy, higher demand and prices. That ‘was’ the market. Buyers were willing to pay, and they did.

We have a friend who bought a home in FL for $77,000 in 1997, and sold it in 2004 for $229,000! With all the hoopla and glory of 2004-2006 windfall profits for some, others were gearing up for their ARMs (adjustable rate mortgages) to increase. But no problem, values were going up! Right? WRONG!!

Welcome back to today. BaM@! Why? Why did all this happen, and so quickly and unforeseen, too! It’s simple to us. Greed! On the part of our lending institutions, coming back to bite them in the @$$! The drive for ‘more’ by the very rich (Banking execs, stock market pros, and yes, real estate investors!) is quite a force. It is this ‘drive’ that tells us all we must improve. Whether it be simple everyday things like eating habits and exercise, or more complicated goals like financial improvement.

Corporations like GM, WalMart, and Proctor & Gamble always have goals and quotas of ‘more’ than the quarter before based on some economic percentage. If they don’t make it, then it’s a loss and everyone worries! The question we have is simply this: How much more is there? How much longer can there be that much more? Or, where is all this ‘more’ coming from? We want some MORE too!

It seems we’re getting back to reality here with prices coming down due to all the foreclosures flooding the market with inventory, and building is grinding to a halt. Banks aren’t getting their returns on all their risky lending because, let’s face it: they lent to unqualified buyers that they qualified! DOH! So all that ‘future’ profit vanished into thin air. Well, not all of it! CEO’s and other chairpersons got their bonuses on a job well done! All based on the future. We want that crystal ball!

So here comes Uncle Sam with the briefcase full of cash to bail out the banks. Phew! That was a close one! After all, we can’t let the banks fail. Think of the outcome: no money available to lend to small businesses (small businesses ‘drive’ our economy). People have to sacrifice their first-born for a car loan. Others don’t need loans, but are instead watching their retirement investments shrink due to the related ’stock market’ crisis.

And what do we think about this ‘bail-out’ and the stock market crisis? What effects might they have? What about Lowell’s real estate market?

This blog was too long for the first one! Find out what we think next time!

October 23, 2008 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | | 2 Comments

NEW!

Welcome! Blog #2

A new president has been elected, a new year is coming, and a new page is being written….on LowellLofts.com’s blog. While it appears that alot of new things are coming our way, new opportunities present themselves everyday in Lowell’s downtown real estate market. More and more of you are grabbing these opportunities. Some of you missed some opportunities, but new ones will be coming along if you look out for them. We send out emails alarming you of these new opportunities, keep an eye out (not literally) for those, too!

For those of you who don’t know, we practice real estate only in downtown, focusing on a select area of lofts and condos in historic (old rehabbed) buildings. From the corner of Merrimack St. and Bridge St (Fairburn Building) to Warren St. (Bagshaw Mills) to Thorndike St. (Keith Academy) and over to Riverwalk Dr. (Renaissance on the River), and of course everything in between. That’s it. Very focused and specialized. No new houses in the burbs or the next town over. We can walk to most of the units we show, and we usually do.

Here’s some new data we hope you’ll find interesting. Just a simple break down of the past 12 months of sales in downtown Lowell:

  • Total sales = 81 units
  • LowellLofts sales = 24 units – of these sales-13 our listings, 18 our buyers, 7 our listing and buyer.
  • Average list price: $194,316 Average sale price: $186,030
  • Average days on the market: 157

LowellLofts.com claims over 25% market share in downtown Lowell. That’s the highest of any agency. Why are we telling you this? Because this is new information to you, and we’re trying to stick with the topic of ‘new’. (And we’re patting ourselves on the back a bit for being this fortunate is such an unstable market!)

There’s not a lot of new properties in downtown Lowell right now, 51units! We had an inventory of 108 units back in March. If you are thinking about selling, yours could be the new opportunity for a new buyer.

So while on the new topic of new (enough with the bold already); this blog is new to us and we’re open to your suggestions of future new topics, questions, whatever. And we’ll be adding new things to this page, graphics, videos, our reviews of downtown events and more.

In summation, we feel new things represent change in some form or another, and change is scary to most of us. If we get past the fear and intimidation, we can look at the change and the positive or negative effects it may have on our lives. Buying a new home should always be a positive thing, a step in one’s life towards a greater sense of security and ownership. So, take advantage of the new opportunities before you, there’s always a new person behind you ready to make it your missed opportunity!

Until then, keep it new.

November 7, 2008 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | | 1 Comment

Holiday Season is upon us!

Welcome! Blog #3

We decided going “holiday” for this post so you’ll have time to plan. We’ll get back to ‘business’ in the next post.

The holiday season is fast approaching and many of us are wondering “what can we do this year?” With the news everywhere we don’t need to tell you about, we’re all trying to find ways to ‘trim’ our holiday festivities by doing something different that doesn’t have to CO$T a lot. Meet your family, friends, whomever, for an evening out in historic Lowell. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how economical Lowell can be!

There’s always something going on in Lowell for the holidays! Events, theater, restaurants offering specials. All should fit right into your Holiday budget – check a few out below! Go to LowellLofts.com’s website, bottom of the Toolbox/Resource page, for a list of all Lowell websites.

Project Helping Hands-In the Spirit of Thanksgiving, Project Helping Hands has been providing those families that are less fortunate with a full Thanksgiving Dinner for the past 15 years. Last year, they were able to feed 780 needy families with your welcomed donation or contribution of non-perishable food items. Contact manolisff@comcast.net for info on how you can help or call Dracut House of Pizza at 978.328.7372.

City of Lights Parade & Holiday Stroll – Saturday, November 29 12noon to 8pm Pick up a brochure/schedule at most downtown businesses, the Chamber of Commerce on Merrimack Street, or the Visitor Center on Market Street. Press here for more details.

Lowell Winterfest - Saturday February 8 & Sunday February 9  Featuring Soup Bowl Competitions, Human Dogsled Racing, Clown Face Painting, Kid’s Activities, & Live Entertainment! Press here for more details.

Centro Restaurant & Bar - Offering nightly special including Sunday/Prime Rib, Wednesdays/3 Course Dinner, Thursday/1/2 off bar menu 4-6pm and more! Press here for more details. While you’re at it, get on their Emailing list!

Lowell Auditorium – see below for Holiday Events

Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra

Date:   Saturday, December 20, 2008
Time:   2:00 PM
On Sale:   Now!
Ticket Prices:   $60.00 to $126.00

More Info

Buy Tickets Now

The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller by Chip Davis

Date:   Sunday, December 07, 2008
Time:   7:30 PM
On Sale:   Now!
Ticket Prices:   $47.00 to $97.00

More Info

Buy Tickets Now

November 21, 2008 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | , , , , | No Comments Yet

Boott Cotton Mills Condo Auction

Welcome Blog #4

When people see “auction”, many things can come to mind for example: What’s the catch? What’s the starting bid? Is this a ‘real’ auction or a marketing ploy? We wonder the same thing. So we investigate it and get to the bottom.

This time we didn’t have to look too far since the auctioneer called LowellLofts. They informed us this is a ‘real’ auction and we’d be pleasantly surprised at what the bank involved (TDBanknorth) is willing to accept to sell these units! 10 residential units (finished) and 200,000+ sq. ft. of commercial space are being auctioned on December 18 at 6pm and 4pm respectively.

The auctioneer called us at LowellLofts stating he did so because we are the busiest agency in downtown Lowell with the highest sales production (he did his homework, too) and was hoping we could bring in some buyers. This is a compliment for LowellLofts coming from another aspect of the real estate world which we welcomed, and acted upon as well.

Naturally, we sent out numerous email campaigns to our mailing list of hopeful buyers, hoping to bring a few live participants to the surface. The response has been quite good and some people will end up getting a great deal on these units.

If you’re not on our mailing list and didn’t receive any information about the auction you can click here to sign up and request the info. This will be a great opportunity to buy in Boott Mills at a signifigant discount!

December 11, 2008 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | | No Comments Yet

RENTING? Check out LOFT27!

If you’re thinking about renting in Downtown Lowell…..Loft27 is offering a great special right now:

Up to $200 off per month with 1 year free parking in LotB plus ONE MONTH FREE*

*offer is for select apartments, quick lease required for some apartments

For more information contact LowellLofts.com at 978.458.0031 or

info@lowelllofts.com

Space is limited!

BOOTT COTTON MILLS will be coming back on the market! Any of you who were interested in their recent ‘AUCTION’ but thought you missed out will be pleased to find out they’re in the process of placing them back on the market. We’ll have more info about these spectacular units as we get it!

January 14, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | | No Comments Yet

Mortgage Modification

Let LowellLofts help you SAVE YOUR HOME!

You can stop a foreclosure and modify your current loan, cut your mortgage payments, get help from professional attorneys that are on YOUR side and save your home in the process!  More Americans are finding themselves in a situation which seems hopeless and feel the pressure to need to sell their home.

  • No Refinancing
  • No Credit Check
  • No Appraisal
  • Lower Your Monthly Payment
  • Full Money Back Guarantee
  • Start Improving Your Credit

Many clients come to LowellLofts to list their properties for sale for these reasons when they really want to ‘keep’ their home! If you’re one of these people contact LowellLofts today for a consultation.

We are the most trusted Real Estate agency in downtown Lowell and we can help you. There’s NO risk.

Call 978.458.0031 and speak with John or Steve about how we can save your home today.

February 11, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | | 1 Comment

Lowell Market Update

Here’s some interesting Real Estate information


Downtown Lowell’s Current Listing/Sales Status says the following:

On the Market: 45 +/- Units
Average Days on Market: 164
Average List Price (per sq/ft): $208 sq/ft
Average Sale Price (per sq/ft): $157 sq/ft

At the rate of sales for downtown, there is 11 months of inventory available.
Some examples of units ‘priced to sell’ :
MLS 70875201 (listed at $165 sq/ft)
MLS 70857408 (listed at $153 sq/ft)

For those of you who were interested in the Boott Mill condos, we’re hoping to see them back on the market early March!
_________________________________________________________

Lowell has alot to offer buyers and investors despite the current financial crisis. The plans for Lowell to ‘move forward’ have not been affected, and ground will break in May:

Hamilton Canal / Appleton Mills Revitalization plan breaks ground in May. Posted: 01/23/2009 06:41:46 AM EST

LOWELL — The rehabilitation of the Appleton Mills into 135 artist live/work spaces will break ground in May, kicking off the first phase of the 10-year, $800 million rebirth of the blighted Hamilton Canal District. The state has approved a $10 million Transportation Bond Bill to fund design of all infrastructure for the first phase of improvements. Read full article……..

Report: US mortgage applications surge, rates drop. Business NEW YORK (Reuters) – Applications for U.S. home mortgages soared last week as fixed mortgage rates dropped below the key 5 percent level. Read full article…..

Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac announce raising loan fees.
This means buying NOW and closing before April 1st could save you Thou$and$! (Boston Sunday Herald)

Current Interest Rates (BankRate.com):
Fixed 30 yr 5.27 down from last week
Fixed15 yr 4.93 down from last week

 
 

Opportunity is knocking! Each day counts!

CONTACT LOWELL LOFTS.com 978.458.0031 for a complete consultation about financing & buying in Downtown Lowell!

Thank you,

 

John Callahan/Owner-Broker

Steve Hayes/Realtor


LowellLofts.com

February 19, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | | No Comments Yet

Outline of 2009 Home Buyer Tax Credit

2009 tax credit for 1st time home buyers

  • Effective for purchases on or after 1/1/09 and before 12/31/09
  • Max credit amount increased to $8000
  • All principle residences eligible
  • Purchasers will receive refund for unused amount when tax return is filed
  • Full amount of credit available for individuals with adjusted gross incomes of no more than $75,000 ($150,000 on a joint return)
  • Purchasers may not have owned a principal residence in 3 years previous to purchase
  • Credit allowed if home financed with state/local bond funding
  • No repayment for purchases on or after 1/1/09 and before 12/31/09
  • If home is sold within 3 years of purchase, entire amount of credit is recaptured on sale. Applies only to homes purchased in 2009
  • All revisions are effective as of 1/1/09
  • For More Info Go To: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/

March 9, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | | No Comments Yet

Market News

 

 
     

Analysis  of the

         

DOWNTOWN LOWELL, MA  MARKET

 
last 3 months ending on:  
October 31, 2009  
                   
ALL LOWELL
                 
          Aug-09 Sep-09 Oct-09    
  Units on Market     151 154 155    
  Avg Days on Market     163 187 188    
                   
  01854-10852     110 109 105    
  Avg Days on Market     173 175 177    
 
                 
DOWNTOWN  
          Aug-09 Sep-09 Oct-09    
                 
  Units on Market     49 51 42    
                   
  Avg $ per SqFt ON MARKET   199 206 208    
  Avg $ per SqFt SOLD     149 148 155    
                   
  Avg Days on Market     195 193 204    
 
                 
DOWNTOWN SALES  
Number of Units Sold    
      Aug-09 Sep-09 Oct-09        
  TOTAL   2 12 11        
  AVERAGE 3.6/mo 5.3/mo 8.3/mo        
                   
DOWNTOWN INVENTORY
                 
Inventory equals current units on market divided by average units sold per month  
      Aug-09 Sep-09 Oct-09        
      12.5 mos 9.6 mos 4.9 mos        
                   
                   
 
                 
                   
                   
                 
                   
                 
                 
                   
                 
                 
                   
                 
                 
                   
                   

November 4, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | | No Comments Yet

There’s Still Time!

There’s Still Time To Close On A Property Before November 30, 2009!

Yes, you can. You can still own your own loft and receive $8,000 from Uncle Sam!

If you’re a 1st time buyer, and still thinking about taking the plunge, there’s still time. But not much, you must act quickly. LowellLofts’ can help you get it done. Stop paying rent and throwing $$ away each month.

Speak to our mortgage specialist below about your possibilities today.

Mortgage Network

Tom DeBenedictis

Cell: 978.758.3512

400 Amherst Street Nashua, NH 03063

800.491.0964

No time is more critical than the present time. LowellLofts and our Mortgage Professionals can help you TODAY!

October 26, 2009 Posted by lowellrealtor | Uncategorized | | No Comments Yet