New England Preferred Properties -Newton MA Real Estate, Waltham MA Real Estate, Watertown MA Real Estate

Your Credit Score

New England Preferred Properties — Sun, 20 May 2012 11:01:02 +0000

When you are looking to buy a home or refinance it is important that your credit is in tip-top shape. It is often a credit score that gets in the way of a home buyer and their dream home. Credit today means everything as far as your purchasing power. So if you want to be ready when opportunity knocks read on for some for smart ideas on how to keep your credit score going up.

1. Use your credit cards.

This may sound funny but it is important to have credit over having no credit. Paying in cash and over using credit cards isn’t always a good move for your credit score. Cards that are seldom used are often shut down or closed by the credit card companies. Because 30 percent of your credit score is based on your debt-to-credit-limit ratio you will want to have a high your total available credit. Having one account closed increases that ratio of available credit to debt and thus lowers your credit score.

2. Pay off your credit cards.

It may seem to make sense to pay off the highest-interest card first and save the most money in the end. But your credit score will get a bigger boost from knocking off the lowest-balance card. Instead of spreading your monthly payments equally among credit cards, pay down the lowest-balance card first and pay minimum balances on the rest. As you pay off each card, apply the money you would have paid on it to the next-lowest-balance card.

3. Don’t close cards once they are paid off.

The length of time you’ve had credit determines fifteen percent of your score. By closing your oldest account, you can shorten the length of your credit history causing a big hit to your score.

4. Keep the balance low

Much of your credit score is determined by your debt-to-credit-limit ratio on individual accounts. Maxing out one card raises your debt-to-credit-limit ratio and your credit score. So be sure to keep balances as low as possible. Try to target no more than 30 percent of your credit limit.

5. Stay away from retail-card accounts.

These are a big no-no. Retail store cards often have lower limits and higher interest rates. So running up balances on low-limit store cards affects your credit score more negatively than does using one or two bank cards. So in the long run the fifteen percent you were going to save on the one purchase will probably cost you more in the end.

Open house at 5 Colonial Village Dr Arlington, MA 02474

New England Preferred Properties — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:33:56 +0000

View Photos
Starts: 5/20/2012 12:30:00 PM
Ends: 5/20/2012 2:00:00 PM
For Directions: click on the map image or feel free to contact me.
For more information: click here for the full details

This is a beautifully and tastefully remodeled 2 bedroom unit in Colonial Village. This unit offers a spacious wood and ceramic kitchen, a large living area and 2 bedrooms. The bathroom has been completely done in 2009. The association swimming pool and outdoor area are a terrific feature of this condo and it is on a walking trail for all your outside needs.

Rental – 81C Maple St Waltham, MA 02453 now has a new price!

New England Preferred Properties — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:00:06 +0000

TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT ON 2 FLOORS*LARGE EAT IN KITCHEN*SPACIOUS LIVING ROOM*MASTER BEDROOM WITH HUGE CLOSET*NEWLY PAINTED *2 OFF STREET PARKING SPOTS*STEPS TO THRIVING MOODY STREET AREA*RESTAURANTS GALORE AT YOUR DISPOSAL*MINUTES TO ALL MAJOR ROUTES*GREAT PRICE HURRY WON’T LAST….NO PETS ALLOWED!!!!!!

This property features 4 total rooms, 1 full bath, 2 bedrooms, and is currently available for $1,050.

For complete details click here.

What to Do Before You List Your Home

New England Preferred Properties — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:01:10 +0000

You are about to make a big decision; putting your home up for sale but there are some very important things you need to do before the sign goes in the yard and you open your doors to potential buyers.

Getting these things checked off the list will help get you to a quicker and more profitable sale. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Sit down with your real estate professional. Come up with a game plan and set a realistic asking price. Make decisions about marketing and showing availability. Pre-scheduling meetings or times to catch up with your agent will help keep the lines of communication open.

2. Get your paperwork in order. Prepare a list of repairs, upgrades that have been done to your home. Assemble all maintenance records, warranty information and user guides for appliances in the home. If you do not have them many are available on the internet. It will show potential home buyers you care about your home.

3. Clean your home top to bottom. Wash the walls, shampoo the rugs, touch up the paint and get every cobweb from the corners. Remember your home will be looked at very closely and the last thing you want is a buyer to be turned off by a little dirt.

4. Organize and declutter everywhere. You have probably acquired quite a bit of stuff. Go through every closet, cabinet, and start clearing out. You may want to have a yard sale or donate unwanted items to charity. For the things that you must keep consider a storage unit.

5. Get a home inspection. Have a pre-sale inspection of your home. This will prevent any surprises and help you identify any problem areas in your home. Repairs can affect the ultimate sale price of your home. For problem areas, make repairs or get estimates. This will help you determine what the ultimate sale price or items you may need to be prepared to negotiate on.

6. Stage the home to sell. Hire a professional stager to dress your home for sale. You will want to stage the home inside and out. Research shows that staged homes typically sell for more money.

Congratulations you are well on your way to a successful sale.

Rental – 26 Willow St Newton, MA 02459 is now new to the market!

New England Preferred Properties — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:02:38 +0000

Parking spot located on Willow St in heart of Newton Centre. Park then walk to T or to local work. Parking does not include snow removal.

This property features and is currently available for $100.

For complete details click here.

Cutting the Cable Bill

New England Preferred Properties — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:00:59 +0000

Has that monthly cable bill got you down? That bill can really add up so if you are looking to cut down on the monthly expenses follow these ideas from Money Magazine.

Cable TV’s $50-plus monthly cost may be unavoidable for sports fans and news junkies — but if you just want a good selection of TV and movies, try a combo of these online services.

Netflix

Who it’s for: The movie buff

Typical fare: “True Grit,” “The African Queen,” “Downton Abbey”
Thumbs up: Get instant access to newish movies, sturdy classics, and past seasons of TV series.

Thumbs down: New movies may not be available as quickly as on DVD. Many titles in Netflix’s DVD library, which costs extra to use, aren’t offered at all. $8/month (streaming video only); netflix.com

Hulu Plus

Who it’s for: The TV junkie

Typical fare: “The Daily Show,” 37 years of “Saturday Night Live,” “Smiles of a Summer Night”

Thumbs up: Catch the full current season of popular network and cable shows, along with archives of past episodes and a smattering of art-house flicks.
Thumbs down: Just as with free TV, periodic advertisements may interrupt your show. $8/month; hulu.com

Amazon

Who it’s for: The impatient grazer

Typical fare: “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Glee” (Season 2), “Moneyball” ($4)

Thumbs up: Enjoy a little-known perk for paying $80 a year for Amazon Prime two-day shipping: Have instant access to shows and movies at no extra cost. Separately, get new films on pay-per-view.

Thumbs down: Selection is smaller than Netflix’s. $80/year (Prime), $2-$4 (PPV); amazon.com

The Hardware Made Easy

The simplest way to enjoy these services, once you’ve signed up, is to sit at your computer and stare. But you can do better.

To watch on a tablet: Just download the relevant app and sign up. Netflix and Hulu Plus work on iPads and Android tablets, while Amazon is built into a Kindle Fire.

To watch on your TV: Connect your PC by wire to your set. Buy a Roku settop box (starts at $50), which lets you send video wirelessly over a home network to your set. Or use a networked Blu-ray or videogame player, which probably has the necessary software built in.

Smart Shopping

Connect on the cheap: When you’re making a PC-to-TV connection, don’t get roped into spending more than you need to.

Ask The Help Desk

To get a video signal from most new computers (and other video gadgets) to most new TVs, you’ll need what’s known as an HDMI cable. You can spend anywhere from $25 to $100 for a brand-name beauty — or get the same quality link from a generic HDMI that costs $5 on Amazon.com.

Rental – 26 Willow Street Newton, MA 02459 is now new to the market!

New England Preferred Properties — Sat, 05 May 2012 13:00:29 +0000

Rarely available newly remodeled 2 bedroom town house style apartment rent includes heat, hot water, electric, parking!! Steps to Newton Centre “T”-Tenant pays fee-laundry in building-Unit is available July 1

This property features 4 total rooms, 1 full bath, 2 bedrooms, and is currently available for $1,700.

For complete details click here.

Rental – 2 CRAGMORE ROAD Newton, MA 02464 now has a new price!

New England Preferred Properties — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:00:19 +0000

WELCOME TO NEWTON’S 1ST GREEN ECO-FRIENDLY ENERGY STAR LUXURY HOMES. Enjoy the BEAUTY & Efficiency of Eco-Luxury Living in this Premium Location-Borders Waban/Highlands/Upperfalls-ANGIER SCHOOL! Walk to Green line @Eliot “T”. HEAT & ELECTRIC BILLS UP TO 40% LESS! Granite/SS Cherry Stained Kitchen-Alarm-Attached Heated Garage w/Central Vac-Fireplaced Living Rm-Open Floor Plan-Master Suite w/walk-in closet,whirlpool bath.Central Air.A tiny dog may be considered

This property features 6 total rooms, 3 full baths, 1 half bath, 3 bedrooms, and is currently available for $3,800.

For complete details click here.

Condo – 2 CRAGMORE ROAD Newton, MA 02464 now has a new price!

New England Preferred Properties — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:00:17 +0000

This is a Townhouse style home and features 6 total rooms, 3 full baths, 1 half bath, 3 bedrooms, 0.98 Acres, and is currently available for $679,900.

For complete details click here.

Single-Family – 2 CRAGMORE ROAD Newton, MA 02464 now has a new price!

New England Preferred Properties — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:00:14 +0000

This is a Colonial style home and features 6 total rooms, 3 full baths, 1 half bath, 3 bedrooms, 0.98 Acres, and is currently available for $679,900.

For complete details click here.