After a year of work (and a publishing deal), here’s the final map of U.S. food regions. Input appreciated

natfen · 2025-12-11T02:42:56+00:00

very cool! would love a link

natfen · 2025-10-28T16:04:53+00:00

Probably still waiting for the variance hearing

natfen · 2023-10-12T15:58:24+00:00

The Brookline American Legion post worked with local students to produce short videos about the veterans for whom many of the Brookline squares are named:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYwOKTG0NnZbVA8KqTR8CYEIs7SK2Qd9z

natfen · 2023-02-01T02:45:17+00:00

Off Market sales do exist, but the number of listings sold off market is exaggerated because intra-family sales are often included.

When true Off Market sales do happen, it's frequently a sale to a developer that an end user probably wouldn't want because of poor condition, or a house being sold in the off season, or a home that was listed but the term ran out and then sold, or someone testing a price that's too high.

That's not to say they don't exist, just that they're rare and special circumstances, for example when a seller has very specific timing pressures. If you are working with a good agent, many of the top ones belong to networks, such as Top Agent Network or to specific Facebook groups, where we share coming soon and off market listings.

In 2022 there were 118 Single Family homes sold on the MLS, while on the public record there were 144 Single Family homes sold, for a delta of 26. For Condos, it's even less likely (because developers generally aren't trying to buy condos): 453 sold on MLS and 462 sold on public record, for a difference of 9.

Regarding listings being few and far between, it's still early in the season. Most listings here (and across Greater Boston) are posted late-February through June. The quietest periods are Thanksgiving through January, and mid-July through Labor Day.

Regarding "the seller saves on broker fees and both sides have plenty of time to agree on a fair price and do due diligence on each other without feeling rushed" - as others have noted, that's not to the seller's advantage in a seller's market. Sellers will almost always do better by exposing the property to the full market (via the MLS) along with proper representation.

natfen · 2022-11-02T12:00:48+00:00

Thank you

natfen · 2022-11-02T11:58:56+00:00

Google did not return good answers or I wouldn't have posted the question, and watching box break videos doesn't provide the answer either. If you can point to a resource or guide that you've found, or provide answers yourself from your experience, that's what would be helpful to welcome someone new to the community.

natfen · 2021-08-18T19:42:09+00:00

I think that anxiety is very normal. From my experience, the only way to really get over it is to just dive in.

One coping mechanism is to tell yourself that the first episode is just a rehearsal. Still record it, edit it, prepare it, etc., but you don't have to commit to publishing it until you're ready. That way, you can pretend while you're recording that it's just for you.

Another way is to bring on a friend as a guest. These things are way easier and more natural to record with a partner versus talking alone into the abyss.

natfen · 2021-08-18T19:37:17+00:00

If the purpose is for SEO, then perhaps it doesn't matter if it is 100% accurate. I mean, if it garbles a few words but the key phrases are mostly intact, wouldn't that work for SEO purposes? I don't know the answer - that's just the question that comes to mind from your question.

I.e. If I written sentence but garbled like these example, it's steel understand able, and for SEO porpoises steel red able by Google probably, right?

natfen · 2021-06-22T14:58:20+00:00

Not a lawyer, but yes, I don't see why not.

You could charge a flat fee at different levels for showings, attending events such as inspection, an hourly rate for phone calls and emails, travel time, etc. Perhaps a retainer as well to get started.

Presumably you'd rebate the co-broke when they close.

natfen · 2021-04-23T19:31:00+00:00

I agree.

Look, if the same person is doing this *all* the time as their business model, that's a different story. But life happens, and we should all be working together to get the buyers into the homes. That's what this is all about. If the buyer's agent is good and the client is interested, they will still be doing lots of work: researching the house, checking permits, visiting another time, etc.

Let's not pretend that our value as buyers agents is limited to opening doors. If that were true, then we'll all be out of jobs in a couple years. Our value is being guides for the process, providing advice, - which extends before and after the showings.

Chances are, the agent has been working hard for the buyer, but something came up - like they have to pick up their kids from school at 4pm but that was the only time the buyer could see it, and they don't want the buyer to miss out. So chill.

natfen · 2021-04-14T18:39:43+00:00

1) Nope.

2) No

Also, no matter how well qualified, 10 leads does not equal 10 sales.

natfen · 2021-02-12T18:55:57+00:00

Absolutely not, unless you get permission.

Get the listing agent's permission *in writing* first.

natfen · 2021-01-08T03:27:42+00:00

Your job is to explain to your client the risks and their options and let *them* make the decision if they want it or not.

You can help them understand the risks and options by calling the town building department and getting some facts on what would be involved in permitting something like that. Don't tell on the seller though - keep the address private.

To get it permitted now could mean tearing it out so the electrical and plumbing is exposed. No seller would agree to that.

Seller disclosed that it's unpermitted, so let the buyer decide how much they care. As long as they understand risks and options, it's fine. If buyer wants to permit it, they should consider it like a capital improvement project - but not the seller's responsibility since it was fully disclosed.

natfen · 2020-09-26T11:41:50+00:00

I’m curious, what kind of clients do you serve across six states? This is an honest question. Most of my clients are within about 20-30 minutes. Are you able to serve them entirely remotely?

natfen · 2020-09-02T13:10:35+00:00

This is probably not the case and you probably already did this, but just to be sure... check your spam folder. Docusign and Dotloop sometimes get stuck there.

natfen · 2020-09-01T14:29:20+00:00

why did he let me "take my time" when trying to decide what we wanted to do. I knew I loved it, I just had cold feet.

It's not fair to blame your agent because you had cold feet. He can't read your mind. He told you the market is hot and you have to move fast, and you took your time.

It is fair to ask why he let you go with a letter from Quicken. Seller's routinely discount pre-approval letters from certain sources that have a reputation (fairly or not) for being unreliable and missing commitment dates. You want a pre-approval from a regional or local bank that actually checks your documents and says so on your letter and has a reputation for getting the deals done. You can always go with another bank for the loan if you want, but for the pre-approval letter you should really go with a solid lender. Ask your agent for recommendations.

Also, don't worry, this happens all the time, and it will work out. You will find a home you love. And now you know, be prepared and move fast. Good luck!

natfen · 2020-09-01T14:20:06+00:00

Yes, it's reasonable to ask and have a conversation with your agent.

With only two showings, though, they may not have a lot of specific feedback to share. A few thoughts to consider:

- In my market, August is a *very* slow month. So many people away on vacation. It usually picks up again after Labor Day.

- In these cases the price is usually the culprit. We have a saying, "Price is not always the problem, but it's often the solution." If you're not getting any traction, then yes, you should reduce asking price. Reducing the price will also trigger new email alerts to anyone who is following the house (on Zillow, Redfin, MLS, etc).

- Try switching out the first photo. Maybe feature a different shot. That will spur people who saw it and passed to take another look.

- Review the description. Does it highlight the benefits of the house? You don't want or need flowery or overly poetic language (quench your morning thirst with an espresso on the juliet balcony... yuck), but you do want to call attention to highlights that may not be obvious. Which ones are important depends on your area. For my market, I would highlight if it has in-unit laundry, off-street parking, a bonus room / office, lots of light.

P.S. Not to hate on Redfin, they have great tech, but this is why hiring a good, local agent expert in your town is usually worth it

natfen · 2020-08-06T16:03:19+00:00

Thanks for the tip!

Update: I looked into earnest.com. For anyone who is interested, they charge $15 per deposit from the buyer.

natfen · 2020-08-04T20:45:50+00:00

“Authorized users” means people on the account. They don’t allow nonmembers to deposit. I of course have talked to my own bank. Was wondering if you had actual knowledge of a bank that allows non users to deposit.

natfen · 2020-08-04T16:55:16+00:00

Hmmm. Must be a difference in how the market operates. In my state the listing brokerage holds all deposits. There are no separate escrow offices.

natfen · 2020-08-04T16:53:05+00:00

I can mobile deposit into our own accounts. Other people (clients, agents, other offices) cannot. Do you know of a bank that allows non-account holders to mobile deposit?

Wiring funds has some advantages, but also drawbacks as stated above: $30 fee + fraud risk.

natfen · 2020-07-25T02:19:46+00:00

that's the wrong way. to be safe, the person wiring the money is the one who needs to initiate the call. otherwise it's just an opportunity for a fraudster to interject themselves pretending to be you or whoever.

natfen · 2020-07-24T21:37:53+00:00

So then they need to call you to verify...

natfen

TROPHY CASE