One of the most common questions I hear from both buyers and sellers lately is: “Should we wait for interest rates to come down?” It’s an understandable question. Many buyers are hoping for a significant drop in mortgage rates before jumping into the market, while many sellers are wondering whether lower rates could bring more buyers off the sidelines. Recently, however, several major housing and mortgage industry forecasts — including projections discussed by Yahoo Finance a

We’ve recently been involved in several transactions where the homeowner was under a court-appointed conservatorship. In simple terms, that means someone else has been appointed to handle the owner’s financial affairs. And one thing is clear: these deals play by a different set of rules. If you’re a buyer, seller, lender, or real estate agent, understanding those rules upfront can be the difference between a smooth closing and a stalled (or failed) deal. Here are six things t

For many Massachusetts homeowners, transferring their home into a trust has long been a simple and sensible step in the estate-planning process. A properly drafted trust can help avoid probate, simplify the management of assets if you become incapacitated, and provide a smoother transition of property to your heirs. For decades, the process of placing a home into a trust was refreshingly straightforward. Your attorney would prepare a new deed transferring the property from yo

If you’re preparing to sell your home in Massachusetts, you’ve likely started by interviewing real estate agents—and rightly so. Choosing the right agent is often the most consequential decision a seller will make. That said, recent changes in Massachusetts real estate and tax law mean that a truly successful home sale now depends on three critical prongs , not just one: Marketing Financial planning and taxes Legal readiness Focusing on all three before you list can help pro

In a perfect world, buying or selling a home in Massachusetts would be stressful only because someone forgot the pizza on moving day. Unfortunately, today’s real estate landscape carries a different kind of stress: fraud schemes that are becoming more sophisticated, more frequent, and more targeted. The good news? These schemes are beatable. In fact, most attempts fail — not because the criminals are lazy, but because informed buyers, sellers, lenders, and agents know what t

I’ve long had a fascination with FSBO (For Sale By Owner) sales. Maybe it’s the independence of the seller, maybe it’s the “can I really...

Massachusetts just made a big move to tackle its housing shortage—and it comes in the form of something small: Accessory Dwelling Units,...

Massachusetts just made a big move to tackle its housing shortage—and it comes in the form of something small: Accessory Dwelling Units,...

**Date postponed to October 15th** Starting June 15, 2025 , Massachusetts will implement a sweeping new home inspection law that will...

Proposed Tax Withholding Law for Sales of $1 million and up Effective June 1, 2025 (edit: date postponed to "later in 2025"), transfers...

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently reached a landmark settlement that is already reshaping the landscape of real estate...

In case you haven’t heard, the real estate industry has been under assault. After years of litigation over claims that the real estate...

According to most experts, if Hollywood made a movie based on the 2024 real estate market , the title would be: 2023: The Sequel . ...

Inheriting property, while often seen as a blessing, can feel like navigating a corn maze while blindfolded. The process is fraught with...

We all do it. As a real estate attorney, even I’m not above it. Especially in a market like today’s. “Wonder what I’d get if I sold my...

For most people, the term “lead poisoning” conjures an image of a small child eating paint chips in a home built in the 1920s. However, research has shown that the most common way lead enters the body is from inhaling or ingesting microscopic dust. Though lead paint has taken a back seat to other environmental hazards in recent years, it remains a significant threat. Listed below are 5 things you probably didn’t know about lead paint - but should. 1. Lead paint is all ar

5 Strategies to Get Your Offer with Contingencies Accepted As a local real estate attorney, I’ve witnessed the recent market shift from...

Experts Predict Spring Market Could Be Last Hurrah for Massachusetts Sellers Sell Now or Forever Hold Your Peace? As a local real estate...

A Cautionary FSBO Tale on the South Shore In our FSBO article last summer (remember summer?), I cited a nationwide study showing that...

Will You Owe Capital Gains When you Sell your Home? Homeowners who attend our real estate workshops want to hear about one topic above...

As a real estate attorney, I’ve been hired by a handful of sellers over the years who informed me they were selling their home without an...