Own your present. Empower your future.

Massachusetts has some of the oldest housing stock in the country, and although the federal government banned the use of lead-based paint in homes more than forty years ago, lead poisoning is still a significant issue in Massachusetts real estate. A recent Massachusetts settlement in a lead poisoning case highlights the importance of compliance with the lead laws. In this case, the child lived in a rental property that was owned by two separate landlords during the term of the rental. The child suffered from lead poisoning after the property was sold to the second landlord. Prior to going to trial, the parties agreed to settle for $375,000. The original landlord paid $175,000 of the settlement, with the remaining $200,000 paid by the second landlord. As this case demonstrates, failure to comply with the requirements of the lead law…

If you see a new license plate around Medway that says, ‘Welcome Home’ you will see that the proud owner of that car is President of Patriot Real Estate, Paul Yorkis. What you won’t see are the blood sweat and tears it took to bring that vanity plate to life. The Idea It was at the National Association of REALTORS® midyear meeting several years ago when Yorkis saw a license plate with the REALTOR® ‘R’ on it. He then asked around to find out that the plate was a fundraiser. His next step was to dig up information on the process of charity plates in Massachusetts. Yorkis collaborated with people like the broker/owner of The North Shore Realty Group, Frank Bertolino. Bertolino became a member of the Charitable Foundation around 2015 and immediately began working with Yorkis visiting associations,…

For those of you who haven’t met me yet, my name is Theresa Hatton I am the CEO/EVP here at the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®.  I began my role as MAR’s 7th full-time association executive on June 3, 2019. I will be taking over this column as a bi-monthly ‘Message From The CEO’ to shed light on important issues going on within the industry as well as share some inspiring tidbits along the way. I want each and every member of this association to know that their voice matters. If we all work towards a collective goal, we will accomplish great things we can be proud of. It is my goal to help strengthen MAR and build on its reputation for success. All of us were impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. In a lot of ways, society as we know…

Social media is a revolutionary, life-changing tool with so many benefits. In just a few years it has completely changed the way that we communicate, interact, keep in touch with old friends and connect with new ones. Social media is great in business and in real estate. It provides easy exposure, increases your reach and audience, offers a source of referrals and it is free! But social media can be risky. Technology is outpacing the law and the rules are shades of gray rather than black and white. Risks to be Aware of We have all heard the stories. The smart, well-respected business professional that should have known better but made a bonehead mistake on Facebook, costing them their job and self-dignity. It all seems like common sense, but people keep doing it. The thing about social media is that…

MAR is continuously looking at ways to help its members. We all know an important part of a real estate transaction is the open house process. But what happens when limitations are put into place and people can’t hold traditional open houses? While MAR strongly encourages members NOT to host open houses in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we are happy to share that there are some alternatives to conducting an open house we want you all to be aware of. There are some great alternative methods to in-person open houses such as using three-dimensional interactive property scans via Matterport, Cupix, EyeSpy360. You can also do things like hosting a virtual tour via Skype or Facebook live. A third option is using virtual staging to showcase a property. If you’re new to a lot of this,…

Michelle Krieger – Dr. Krieger is a small animal veterinarian and certified acupuncturist with over 23 years of experience. She is a current associate of the At Home Veterinary group which is a mobile practice serving Greater Boston and Metrowest. 1. How can someone make their new home more animal friendly? To make a new home more animal-friendly, first and foremost cat/dog-proof your new home as you would for a baby. Make sure there is no exposure to chemicals, such as cleaning products, rat/ant baits, lead paint, toxic plants, human foods, certain essential oils, exposed wires, nails, etc. I would actually bring an old toy, blanket, bed, or old piece of clothing to the new home, so the pet feels more secure. 2. What is a safety feature you think all animals-owners should have in their homes? There are a…

If you were to ask my parents who their first child was, they wouldn’t say my name, their actual biological first-born. They would answer with the names of their golden retrievers Fetchit and Sunny. This was in the early 70s and they were “fur parents” before there was even a term for it. Regardless of the time period, growing up with pets is a great experience. My animals were the best companions. When I didn’t have a friend to play with, I always had one of my pets. Growing up on a dead-end street in the suburbs, having a pet seemed rather easy. When they needed to go to the bathroom, they’d scratch on the door and I’d let them out. They’d go do their business, then scratch to come back in. I know that’s not how we’d do…

Experts agree that having and spending time in green space (i.e. being an “outsider”) has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, improve memory, boost heart health, and offer a host of other benefits for our minds and bodies. But now a new trend is getting people desiring more green space – pet ownership. Pet ownership – and treating the pet like a favored member of the family – is a megatrend that does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, as this data proves: 56% of the U.S. population has a dog, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. A third of the millennial generation say having a dog is their primary motivation for buying a home, according to this SunTrust Mortgage study. Three-fourths of home buyers would pass up on their…

Many real estate agents have heard about the Arizona broker who received a $1,200 cleaning bill because an emotional support animal twice peed on the carpet at an open house.  Real estate brokers are frequently called upon to deal with emotional support or other service animals not just in connection with open houses, but also when properties for sale or rent prohibit pets. The widespread confusion that prevails on the subject of these assistance animals is understandable. The Department of Justice has defined very narrowly the types of “service animals” that must be accommodated under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).  Under the ADA, only certain dogs and miniature horses trained to perform tasks for the disabled, such as seeing-eye dogs, have to be accommodated. However, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) has taken a much broader view…

Many of you will remember that famous Army jingle playing on your radio or television. That highly memorable and catchy slogan ran for 21 years from 1980 through 2001. It personally resonated with me as a young man, and also led many other young adults to seek our higher selves through service to the country. It was a promise that if you joined something that was bigger than yourself, destiny would lead you to become your best self. 2020 is going to be a fantastic year, and I want to call upon you to “be all that you can be.” Specifically, I want you to be the best REALTOR® you can be! I strongly believe that when you truly feel the charge of being a REALTOR®, you live your professional life in service to your clients, your fellow REALTORS®, and…