Winston Ho's Blog


    How?s the Real Estate Market?
    It all depends on whether you are a seller or a buyer!The chart below gives you an idea of how the market has changed over time since 2003 in Franklin and surrounding areas. The trending is starting to show signs of leveling, but it may still be a bit early call. The average days on [...]

    Are you 1 of the 180,000 that will miss the home buyer tax credit deadline?
    It is estimated that approx 180,000 home buyers eligible for the home buyer tax credit, and met the requirement of having a binding contract to purchase a home by April 30th, may lose out on the credit due to delays in getting to closing by end of June. The excuse is that the lenders are not able [...]

    SCAM Alert!!
    I received an email this morning from a Zillow user with the following message: ” Dear Sir/Madam I am Mr. Cheng Liu I am currently the Chief Financial Officer (CFO CMEC) www.cmec.com I am retiring soon and I will be relocating for Good, after searching the Internet for a reliable real estate agent I found your [...]

    Top 10 Signs That It?s Time To Own Your Own Home
    You’re ready to stop paying your landlord’s mortgage payment, and start building wealth of your own. You could use the property tax and mortgage interest deductions. You want a vested interest in your community. It’s mid-August and you can no longer tolerate waiting for your landlord to send someone to fix your air conditioner. You are working at a [...]

    Do you need Flood Insurance?
    The recent storms in the northeast caused havoc in many areas. Reports of flooded basements where they hadn’t had a drop of water before. The unfortunate thing is that many insurance policies do not cover damage due to flood if they are not in a flood zone and does not have the optional coverage. This [...]

    Spring is in the air
    We finally got a good taste of spring here in the northeast! A sunny 75 degree day here in the Boston area yesterday (Mar 20th). A big change from the ton of rain last week. The rain wreaked havoc last week. Lots of flooded basements! I have heard a lot of homeowners had water in [...]

    Does Your Home Comply With The New MA Smoke Detector Requirement?
    The MA Board of Fire Prevention Regulations 527 CMR 32.00: Approved Smoke Detector, will become effective on April 5th, 2010. The regulation affects all homes up with up to 4 dwelling units, built prior to Jan 1st, 1975. The new regulations change the types of technologies which must be employed by smoke detectors in the affected [...]

    Tick, Tock ?.. Still Time to Take Advantage of the Home Buyer Tax Credit!
    The First Time Home-Buyer Tax Credit, which was extended in Nov 2009, is getting close to the end date. There is still time to take advantage of this credit. Here are key points the IRS wants you to know about the expanded credit and the qualifications you must meet in order to qualify for it [...]