Richard Vetstein's the Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog Top in Class

Richard Vetstein’s the Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog Top of the Class

The Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog has quickly become the highest ranking legal blog focused solely on Massachusetts substantive law according to Avvo.com and Alexa.com rankings. As reported in BizJournals, the blog has proven very popular to home buyers, sellers, consumers, realtors and lenders due to its easy to read articles on timely topics affecting Massachusetts and national real estate law.

Much thanks to all of our readers!

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Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog

Supplemental and Friend-Of-The-Court Briefs Filed In Eaton v. Federal National Mortgage Ass’n (Fannie Mae) January 31, 2012

For interested legal observers of the foreclosure crisis, it really doesn’t get any better than this. Supplemental and amicus curie legal briefs have been filed in much awaited case of Eaton v. Federal National Mortgage Ass’n, and they make for great reading. The briefs were filed in response to the SJC’s concern, mid-appeal, over whether […]

Buyer Loses $31,000 Deposit After Refusing To List Current Residence For Sale As Financing Condition January 30, 2012

Standard Mortgage Contingency Language At Issue I recently came across a very interesting and scary case from the Appeals Court, Survillo v. McDonough No. 11–P–290. Dec. 2, 2011. (It’s technically an “unpublished” opinion but it’s available to the public). The case underscores how carefully attorneys must craft the mortgage contingency to protect the buyer’s […]

New Trends Emerging In Massachusetts Short Sale Legal Practice January 24, 2012

The Offer to Purchase Has Become Much More Important With a glut of distressed property still on the market and lenders realizing foreclosures aren’t very cost-effective, analysts are predicting a healthy spike in short sales for 2012. Short sales are quite unique in terms of deal dynamics, and should be handled differently than the typical […]

2012 Massachusetts Real Estate Market Survey January 23, 2012

January in the real estate industry is typically the time for the new year market outlook. For this coming year many of us have seen the template on the macro-economic data which most impacts the real estate industry: 8.5 % unemployment in the latest report, 30 year mortgage rates at record lows at or below […]

Federal Judges Read Law Blogs (Including This One!) January 18, 2012

I just wanted to pass along a neat story from a colleague evidencing the growing trend of judges turning to law blogs in their research of opinions. Federal Judge William Young spoke yesterday at a real estate bar association meeting about his recent and somewhat controversial opinion in Culhane v. Aurora Loan Servicers which considered […]

Mandatory Upgrade Required For Home Oil Heating Systems Under New Massachusetts Law January 14, 2012

Under a new Massachusetts oil heating law which went into effect on September 30, 2011, every homeowner with an oil heating system is required to install an oil safety valve or an oil supply line with protective sleeve in their system. The cost is approximately $150 to $350 depending on the system. The required upgrade […]

From Asbestos to Radon: The Massachusetts Home Inspection Process, A Legal Perspective January 13, 2012

The home inspection is one of the most critical aspects of every Massachusetts real estate transaction. Virtually every buyer in a standard purchase transaction (meaning not a short sale, foreclosure, or bank-owned property) will opt to perform a home inspection, and for good reason. You need to know whether there are any serious structural, mechanical […]

Boston.com

Heat still rises February 3, 2012

The discussion about the heating system in one of my client’s condos brought an email about a different configuration. Here’s a configuration in a newly rehabbed condo that caused problems for the people living there: The furnace is in eaves... […]

Does Cape mansion really deserve the wrecking ball? February 3, 2012

Bet the owners of that $10 million Truro mansion are having some big regrets now as town officials ready the demolition crews. If you haven't already, check out this Globe story on that spanking new Truro mansion that now faces... […]

Pagans, Buddhists, and real estate therapy February 2, 2012

Groundhog’s Day corresponds to the Pagan holiday of Imbloc. I enjoy thinking winter is half over. Have you noticed that there is daylight again at 5 PM? Happy Groundhog’s Day! This time of year is high season for “cabin fever.”... […]

How small is too small? February 2, 2012

Extra space comes at as premium here in Greater Boston, a market dominated by older, smaller homes. The vast majority of homes inside the I-495 beltway were built before the 1970s, when families were bigger and home sizes were typically... […]

Prevailing rates, terms and conditions February 1, 2012

Attorney Richard D. Vetstein writes today about a case regarding mortgage commitment and getting your deposits back. Here is a case where the buyer could not get a loan, but also did not get all deposits returned. I recently... […]

When it comes to prices, is this as good as it gets? February 1, 2012

Sorry, but the great home price collapse is looking about as likely right now as a visit from the Great Pumpkin. It's hard not to come to that conclusion even with the latest Case-Shiller report. The picture nationally is rockier... […]

(Not) For cash buyers only January 31, 2012

Today, I would like to introduce Bill Kuhlman, CRS, who is the broker/owner of Kuhlman Residential Real Estate, in the Greater Boston area. He is the founder of TheCashBuyerNetwork.com. Bill writes: Though I might cover any question posed by a... […]

As prices stabilize, will buyers reappear? January 31, 2012

For a real estate rebound to take hold, prices don't have to soar. They simply have to get off what has been a relentlessly downward track. There are signs that this is already happening in Greater Boston, with some towns... […]

Short sales in 2011 January 30, 2012

Sam Schneiderman, Broker-owner of Greater Boston Home Team, discusses short sales. I recently ran numbers (using MLS) to determine the impact of short sales on the Greater Boston market in 2011. They appear to impact just over 5 percent of... […]

A sign of changing times: Priced out of Natick January 30, 2012

Brendan and his wife, Emily, thought finding a four bedroom home in the suburbs would be a cinch. After all, we are in the midst of a seemingly never ending real estate downturn, right? Well yes and no. Home sales... […]

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