Just posted on Yelp:

My husband and I had been casually perusing open houses all over Boston for about a year, when we decided it was time to get serious and contact Will Brokhof and the Boston Home Team. We had read several glowing reviews online, and were also drawn in by Will’s user-friendly website. From our first meeting with Will to our closing four months later, we had no question that he was our man. We appreciated his combination of professionalism and relaxed humor, and sensed immediately that we were not dealing with a typical salesman, but rather a guy that really truly cared about helping us find the right home for us.

I love my clients.

We hit the pavement with Will nearly every weekend for a few months, as he helped us navigate our indecisiveness and desire to leave no stone unturned as first-time home buyers. Will stuck with us as we waffled between wanting so many different things from our first home – A condo or a single-family? A spot in Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury, South Boston, or the South End? Something move-in ready or a fixer-upper? Will showed us so many intriguing properties, with very little direction from us. Like many first-time home buyers, we were initially drawn to all things new and shiny.

It was critical to have Will on our side to point out that behind some of the superficial wow-factors we encountered, there often lurked serious issues with the foundation, or the roof, or the plumbing, etc. Will’s first stop in any home we entered was the basement, and he really helped us to understand the true cost of each property we encountered, by looking beyond cosmetics (things we could change) and really assessing the bones of a place (things we’d be stuck with).

Ultimately, Will’s instincts about what would work for us were right on, and we could not be more happy with where we’ve ended up. It’s worth mentioning, too, that during the course of our search with Will, we changed our budget several times, and ended up wanting to spend significantly less than we had first indicated. We never got the sense that this bothered Will, and in fact, were impressed that the price of a home seemed to have no bearing whatsoever on how much he encouraged us to consider it. In fact, we ended up purchasing the least expensive home we viewed, with absolutely no pressure to do otherwise. We wholeheartedly recommend Will to anyone looking for an honest, fun (we spent alot of time together!), and extremely hard-working ally during what can be a very stressful process.

I am working with a client who has a challenging search. This blended family has children of all ages, some living at home, some just visiting between collegiate adventures. I am trying to rustle up a 4+BD/3+BTH with a minimum of 3000 square feet of living space and a fairly large side or rear yard sufficient for a small swimming pool. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you know the house I’m looking for.

Help me find the right house!

guest blog by: Lillian Swift

A promising fourth quarter of 2011 was a great surprise for the Boston real estate market. Demand is strong in the greater Boston area, thanks in large part to the city’s relatively low unemployment rate of 5.7 percent. There are a number of forecasters in the housing market, who despite total year numbers that weren’t as promising as short term results, believe the Boston real estate market is primed for a stronger year than it has seen in quite a while.

Boston is one of five cities that real estate giant Trulia expects to be hotspots in 2012. The others include New York and Houston, just to name a few. Modest price increases are expected during the year as well as an uptick in new construction. Boston universities and research centers are expected to be a major driver of the rebound in both prices and demand. Educational and employment opportunities are both drawing people to the Boston area. Foreclosures are also expected to decrease a little in 2012 as banks finally get through the backlog of delinquencies.

Boston real estate market is getting stronger.

From November 2010 to November 2011, the vacancy rate for apartments in Boston fell from nearly five percent to 2.7 percent. The increased demand will lead inexorably to higher rents and rents are expected to rise by 10 to 15 percent this year. These increases will be especially noticeable in popular neighborhoods, such as Somerville, Beacon Hill and the Fenway. The higher demand for rental units could drive some in the market towards a home purchase in 2012.

While prices decreased by 2.6 percent year-over-over in the fourth quarter of 2011, they also increased by 9.9 percent compared to third quarter prices. The median sales prices for homes in the Boston metro area for the fourth quarter of 2011 was $560,260. The largest price increases during this quarter were seen in four-bedroom homes, which increased in price by an astounding 92.2 percent year-over-year. The average price for a two-bedroom home also increased and by a more-than-healthy 24.7 percent. One-bedroom homes lagged behind; prices “only” increased by 5.7 percent. Three-bedroom units were the one holdover; prices on these homes fell by 9.9 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter.

Prices are continuing their increase in the New Year. Thus far, prices have risen by 1.1 percent since the last week in December. They have also increased by 2.0 percent when compared to the same week in 2011. All of these signs point to a steadily strengthening real estate market in the Boston area during the winter of 2012. Given some positive trends towards the end of 2011, hopefully the Boston real estate market is primed for a full year of good trends in 2012.

Should Realtors ride bikes to work?

For years I have been daydreaming of how much I would enjoy riding my bike to appointments, showings, etc. My friends and family always say, “yeah why don’t you do that – it would be good for you”. I’m always thwarted when I consider my clients. After all, it’s really about what they think.  So rather than guess, vote. I’d love to read any comments you might have as well. Let’s put this question to bed for once and all! Click on the link below to take the poll please:

http://www.facebook.com/questions/10150580247987904/

And while you’re there, “Like” The Boston Home Team page. Thanks!