Find a home in Plainville, MA North Attleboro, MA Mansfield, MA

Single-Family – North Attleboro, MA 02760 now has a new price!

Roberta Hergt — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:00:44 +0000

THIS IS A STRAIGHT SALE. Can close quickly. Great starter home. Freshly painted. Walking distance to town beach. Master on first level, loft and 2 rooms upstairs possible 3 bedroom. Basement partially finished with walk-out to back yard. Easy to show.

This is a Cape style home and features 7 total rooms, 1 full bath, 3 bedrooms, 0.16 Acres, and is currently available for $192,500.

For complete details click here.

Single-Family – Warwick, RI 02893 now has a new price!

Roberta Hergt — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:29 +0000

Hilltop Estates. Short Sale. Easy to show.

This is a Colonial style home and features 7 total rooms, 2 full baths, 1 half bath, 3 bedrooms, 0.30 Acres, and is currently available for $244,000.

For complete details click here.

Single-Family – Pawtucket, RI 02861 now has a new price!

Roberta Hergt — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:27 +0000

This is not a short sale. Quick closing is available. 3 bedrooms, new floors, total interior painted. Neat and Clean. Great yard for summer cookouts. Two car detached garage. Close to Highway access and the Trains.

This is a Bungalow style home and features 7 total rooms, 1 full bath, 3 bedrooms, 0.14 Acres, and is currently available for $137,500.

For complete details click here.

Single-Family – Brockton, MA 02301 now has a new price!

Roberta Hergt — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:25 +0000

This property is a short sale. Has potential but needs work.

This is a Colonial style home and features 8 total rooms, 1 full bath, 1 half bath, 3 bedrooms, 0.10 Acres, and is currently available for $74,500.

For complete details click here.

Mortgages Made Easy for the Self-Employed

Roberta Hergt — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:06:34 +0000

Getting a mortgage these days can be tough and it is even tougher for small-business owners. Potential self-employed borrowers usually have variability in their income streams. Today, banks are requiring more financial documentation from all buyers, and self-employed borrowers tend to face more scrutiny.

Small-business owners may have a smaller income because they are typically knowledgeable about tax deductions and credits. This often reduces the amount of taxable income they have. Reducing the amount of taxable income on your tax returns means to the lender there is less income to qualify for a loan.

There are ways self-employed borrowers can increase their chances of getting a home loan, however. Here are a few tips:

What is the lenders history?

Find out if the lender has a history of working with self-employed borrowers. Self-employed borrowers should focus more on finding a lender that will understand their situation rather than shop the loan rate. There are individual loan officers who will be able to think out of the box or come up with solutions. The lender you choose is key.

Consider portfolio lenders.

Portfolio lenders have more flexibility in originating loans because they don’t have to sell the loan to Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. Portfolio lenders hold their own loans. That makes a big difference in their ability to loan. Another option may to consider credit unions. Many credit unions also keep a good portion of loans on their books.

Boost your income.

Show you make as much money as possible on your tax return. You might need to amend your tax returns. Some lenders will look at a loan application again if they have sent in amended returns to the government. Sometimes by rethinking deductions and credits on income taxes, a borrower can increase his qualifying income. Of course, with this strategy, the borrower would also face a new tax bill.

Keep This in Mind When Buying Land

Roberta Hergt — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:05:45 +0000

There are many ways that you can invest in real estate. One way is by purchasing land. This option can be a very lucrative choice, as long as you keep the few important points in mind. The reason why purchasing land could be a viable option is because you get to pick your location, and build a home to your specs. This will allow you to find your own contractors to construct your building for you. By having full control over who you choose and what you pay, it becomes easier for you to save on costs.

Keep in mind that while you do have full control over who you choose to build on your property, it also means that there will be more responsibility hanging over your shoulders. For example, you would need to make sure that you have all the right permits to construct your building, and you also have to make sure that you choose the right contractors; otherwise the whole project can turn into a big catastrophe. Therefore, before deciding to purchase a piece of property that is completely void of any buildings, take some time to do some research, as this will save you a lot of headache in the long run.

Buying land in a down market can also be a great investment. Land is becoming harder to come by, which is creating a higher demand for land and in turn bringing the price up. Buying land now and holding onto to it could bring some great return. Think about it in 10 years from now there will be a lot less land and your lot could be worth a pot of gold. Invest now and reap the rewards down the road. Think of it like a savings account, you deposit money into a piece of land and watch your money grow!

Multi-Family – North Attleboro, MA 02760 is now new to the market!

Roberta Hergt — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:08:45 +0000

Perfect for a Owner Occupied with a business that needs storage, garage spaces or work areas. Great for Landscapers, Mechanics, Antique Dealers, etc. Attached Two Story Barn, plus approx. 14 x 49 Garage with additional work area and separate heating. First Floor Unit has 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms. Second Floor has two Units with one bedrooms and access to walk up attic. Full basement with walk out. Newer wiring, curcuit breakers. 10 yr old gas heating system. Great Location, nice side & back yard

This property features 12 total rooms, 3 full baths, 5 bedrooms, 0.39 Acres, and is currently available for $319,500.

For complete details click here.

Single-Family – North Attleboro, MA 02760 is now new to the market!

Roberta Hergt — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:01:12 +0000

VALUE RANGE PRICING – Seller will entertain offers between $179,900 – $209,800. NOT A SHORT SALE. Can close quickly. Great starter home. Freshly painted. Walking distance to town beach. Master on first level, loft and 2 rooms upstairs possible 3 bedroom. Basement partially finished with walk-out to back yard. Easy to show.

This is a Cape style home and features 7 total rooms, 1 full bath, 3 bedrooms, 0.16 Acres, and is currently available for $179,900.

For complete details click here.

What You Didn’t Know About Credit Scores

Roberta Hergt — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:04:32 +0000

Maintaining a good credit score is essential for buying a house, a car and even for landing a new job. There are lots of of things that can cause your credit score to plummet, from maxing out a credit card to having a home foreclosed on or declaring bankruptcy. Surprisingly, there are many financial situations that have no bearing on your credit score.

According to an article from Time Moneyland and Barry Paperno, consumer affairs manager for MyFICO.com there are five common misconceptions about what harms your score.

1. How much money you make. Paperno says many people are surprised when they find out their salary doesn’t directly impact their score. They’ll get a job and expect to see their credit score rise. When it doesn’t, they’re disappointed. Of course, the advantage here is that if your income drops, the scoring formula doesn’t penalize you.

2. Whether or not you have a job. Being laid off doesn’t mean your credit score will go down. Many people who lose their jobs do take a hit to their credit, but this comes from falling behind on payments, not the job loss itself. Even if you’re receiving unemployment benefits, as long as you manage to get your bills paid on time, your score is safe.

3. Whether or not you revolve a balance. Some people think you’re at an advantage if you revolve a balance from month to month, while others believe you can charge all the way to your limit as long as you pay it off. Neither is correct. When it comes to your score, 30% consists of the amounts you owe in relation to your available credit — an equation called your utilization ratio. The lower that figure, the better. A credit score is just a snapshot of what your credit looks like on the day a lender pulls it. If you’ve maxed out a card, even if you intend to pay it off by the due date, that will reflect poorly on your score. Conversely, if you revolve a small balance in relation to your credit limit, you’re not doing yourself any favors by forking over interest to the credit card company, but your score won’t suffer.

4. Whether or not your home is underwater. Making a monthly payment on a house that’s no longer worth as much as the amount of your mortgage definitely stings, but a drop — even a significant one — in the value of your home doesn’t mean that your score will drop, too. Paperno says the FICO scoring formula doesn’t look at the current market value of your home.

5. How much money you have in the bank. Some people think that a big balance in a checking or savings account will make them more attractive to lenders, but in reality, Paperno says your credit score doesn’t take your savings into account. If you do have a big balance in a savings account, use some to pay down other debts, since that will help your credit score.

What is Old Can be New

Roberta Hergt — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 11:04:36 +0000

Is clutter taking over your life? There is a way to take your life back from the piles of junk collecting in your home and it doesn’t involve all of your things ending up in the landfill.

Here are just a few smart and frugal ideas for repurposing old stuff…

For Decorating

Use old hardware from dresser drawers to hang curtains.

Use junk CDs and DVDs as drink coasters.

For Organizing

Use oatmeal containers and coffee tins to store flour, sugar and mixes.

Use old doorknobs to make a coat rack.

For Outside

Use egg cartons, old jars, tins and yogurt cartons to make functional seed starters.

Use old wooden ladders as part of your landscaping, allowing ivy and other vine plants to climb them.

Use CDs to scare birds away from your berry garden. Hang CDs from a tree near your berry bushes. The shiny, moving objects will frighten birds, keeping them away from your sun-ripened berries.

Use Cooking Spray as an ice repellent. Spray both sides of a plastic or metal shovel with cooking spray and the ice will slide right off.

Repurposing items is easy if you start by changing the way you look at things. Next time you think something is trash, stop and think “how can I repurpose this?”