As 2022 winds down, Nick discusses the changes we have seen this past year and his predictions for 2023. He talks about what sellers should be doing to optimize their homes for sale and what buyers can expect as we see the market cool down a bit.

What will we see in the Boston real estate market in 2023?

The first quarter of 2023 will be much like Q4 of 2022.  We are in the middle of a transition period where buyer and seller expectations are not quite lined up.  Every month that goes by should get those expectations closer to reality, which will result in more and more transactions happening. 

What can sellers be doing now to optimize their listings?

Sellers need to be aware of the changes in the market and understand that pricing it

If you’re thinking about selling your house in the Boston area, you’re likely hearing about the cooling housing market and wondering what that means for you. While it's not the peak intensity we saw during the pandemic, we’re still in a sellers’ market. That means you haven’t missed your window. Realtor.com explains:

“. . . while prospective home sellers may lament that they missed their prime window, in reality, this is still a terrific time to sell. In fact, according to a recent Realtor.com® home seller survey, 95% of sellers who sold their home in the past year got more than they paid for it.

Nonetheless, some of the more prominent pandemic trends have changed, so sellers might wish to adjust accordingly to get the best deal possible.”

Now that the end of 2022 is within sight, you may be wondering what’s going to happen in the housing market next year and what that may mean if you’re thinking about buying a home. Here’s a look at the latest expert insights on both mortgage rates and home prices so you can make your best move possible.

Mortgage Rates Will Continue To Respond to Inflation

There’s no doubt mortgage rates have skyrocketed this year as the market responded to high inflation. The increases we’ve seen were fast and dramatic, and the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate even surpassed 7% at the end of last month. In fact, it’s the first time they’ve risen this high in over 20 years (see graph below):

In their latest quarterly report, Freddie Mac explains just

As you look ahead to the winter season, you’re likely making plans and thinking about what you want to achieve before the year ends. One of those key decision points could be whether or not you want to move this year. If the location or size of your current home no longer meets your needs, finding a house that better suits your lifestyle may be a top priority for you. But with today’s cooling housing market, is it really a good time to sell your house, or should you wait?

If you’re ready to make your decision, here are three reasons you may want to consider selling before the holidays.

1. Get One Step Ahead of Other Sellers

Typically, in the residential real estate market, homeowners are less likely to list their houses toward the end of

While higher mortgage rates are creating affordability challenges for homebuyers this year, there is some good news for those people still looking to buy a home in the Boston area.

As the market has cooled this year, some of the intensity buyers faced during the peak frenzy of the pandemic has cooled too. Here are just a few trends that may benefit you when you go to buy a home today.

1. More Homes To Choose from

During the pandemic, the housing supply hit a record low at the same time buyer demand skyrocketed. This combination made it difficult to find a home because there just weren’t enough to meet buyer demand. According to Calculated Risk, the supply of homes for sale increased by 39.5% for the week ending October 28 compared to the

If you’re planning to buy a home in the Boston area this year, one of the first steps on your journey is getting pre-approved. Especially in today’s market when mortgage rates are higher than they were just a few months ago, getting a mortgage pre-approval can be a game changer. Here’s why.

What Is Pre-Approval?

To better understand why pre-approval is key, it’s important to know what pre-approval is. The Mortgage Reports explains it like this:

“When you’re ready to take the leap into homeownership, your first step is mortgage preapproval. . . . A mortgage preapproval is when a lender determines you’re qualified for a home loan. Your preapproval letter shows the maximum loan amount you’re approved for (your home buying budget), as

With our new Q3 market report just released, Nick takes a look at what he is seeing right now in the Boston real estate market. And, he gives his thoughts on what buyers and sellers can expect through the rest of the year.

What are some of the interesting trends you see in the recent market report?

The biggest trend I am seeing is that fewer transactions are happening in almost every neighborhood vs. 2021.  This is something that we were expecting with rising interest rates and economic uncertainty that we are experiencing.

How do you expect these trends to impact buyers and sellers over the next few months?

Fewer transactions mean that demand is softening which, with rising interest rates, is expected.  This means that sellers have to

Over the past two years, the substantial imbalance of low housing supply and high buyer demand in the Boston area pushed home sales and buyer competition to new heights. But this year, things are shifting as supply and demand reach an inflection point.

The graph below helps tell the story of just how different things are today.

This year, buyer demand has eased as higher mortgage rates and mounting economic uncertainty moderated the market. This slowdown in demand is clear when you look at the red bar on the graph. It uses the latest data from ShowingTime to illustrate how showings (an indicator of buyer demand) have softened by just over 12% compared to the same time last year.

Now for a look at how housing supply has changed, turn to

Rising interest rates have begun to slow an overheated housing market as monthly mortgage payments have risen dramatically since the beginning of the year. This is leaving some people who want to purchase a home priced out of the market and others wondering if now is the time to buy one. But this rise in borrowing cost shows no signs of letting up soon.

Economic uncertainty and the volatility of the financial markets are causing mortgage rates to rise. George Ratiu, Senior Economist and Manager of Economic Research at realtor.com, says this:

“While even two months ago rates above 7% may have seemed unthinkable, at the current pace, we can expect rates to surpass that level in the next three months.”

So, is now the right time to buy a

This month, Nick discusses home staging and what sellers should take into account when considering it. He gives tips for those considering staging their home and shares a success story from a recent sale.

What are some things a seller needs to consider when debating whether to have their home staged or not?

With the market shifting, sellers and their agents need to really focus on positioning their properties correctly to receive solid offers.  Part of this includes doing repairs and potentially decluttering and/or staging.  

The idea behind staging and/or decluttering is to eliminate potential distractions for buyers. It is hard for potential buyers to see themselves living in a property if all they remember is that hot pink bedroom or the