law-news:

Short sales, where owners sell their houses for less than they owe, can offer underwater borrowers an alternative to foreclosure. Equally important, they can give financially troubled homeowners a fresh start.

Critics say that selling a home for less that it is worth can come with a steep…

Social Media & Real Estate… a nearly “meant to be” marriage.

This will get a laugh out of my friends in Real Estate… funny movie trailer about trying to sell a haunted house.  For the record, in Massachusetts anyway, your Real Estate Agent does not have to tell the buyers the house is haunted!

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93, section 114:

The fact or suspicion that real property may be or is psychologically impacted shall not be deemed to be a material fact required to be disclosed in a real estate transaction. “Psychologically impacted” shall mean an impact being the result of facts or suspicions including, but not limited to, the following:

(a) that an occupant of real property is now or has been suspected to be infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or any other disease which reasonable medical evidence suggests to be highly unlikely to be transmitted through the occupying of a dwelling;

(b) that the real property was the site of a felony, suicide or homicide; and

(c) that the real property has been the site of an alleged parapsychological or supernatural phenomenon.

No cause of action shall arise or be maintained against a seller or lessor of real property or a real estate broker or salesman, by statute or at common law, for failure to disclose to a buyer or tenant that the real property is or was psychologically impacted.

laughingsquid:

The Selling, A Real Estate Agent Tries To Sell A Haunted House

According to the BBA, when the new Homestead Legislation goes into effect in 90 days, on March 16th, 2011, here are some of the things that it will do:  

- Provide automatic protection to any primary residence up to $125,000 in equity in the home
- Clear up ambiguities and make rules for filing a homestead declaration more logical - Protect beneficiaries of trusts

- Clarify that a refinancing mortgage will not be able to terminate previously filed homesteads (this is a big one for those of us in practicing real estate law in Mass)

- Protect proceeds from the sale of a home or insurance  

- Protect spouses and co-owners who transfer property amongst themselves

- Extends homestead protection to manufactured homes

I’m sure we’ll have a post up on the Mass. Real Estate Law Blog soon, and there is already a post on the then prospective changes.   

My Blog post on the Mass Real Estate Law Blog is now on boston.com’s real estate blog!  Check it out.