If you were concerned that you wouldn't make the June 30th deadline to close on your property...it has been extended. You still needed to have it under contract by April 30th.

The Senate has amended a bill to give homebuyers who were under contract on a home purchase by April 30 an additional three months to close the deal and claim the federal homebuyer tax credit.

Extending the deadline for closing from June 30 to Sept. 30 would allow lenders more time to clear a backlog of 180,000 homebuyers nationwide, said amendment sponsor Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

When: Saturday, June 12, 2010, 9am – 2pm
Where: The Umass Boston Campus on Morrissey Blvd in Dorchester

or

When: Saturday, June 26, 2010, 9am – 2pm
Where: The West Roxbury Public Works Yard at Millennium Park (315 Gardner St)

Put household poisons, insecticides, paint, tires, auto fluids, car batteries, wood preservatives, herbicides and pool supplies, propane tanks, motor oil, and products labeled corrosive, flammable or toxic in cardboard boxes for safe transport and bring them to the above location.

For Boston residents only. No commercial waste will be accepted. Proof of residency required. The City reserves the right to reject materials. For more information call 617-635-4959.

TVs & computer monitors are NOT accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days. Please call 617-635-7574 for home pickup of TVs and computer monitors.

Recently I’ve had a few buyers ask me about the deadline for the federal government’s Homebuyer Tax Credit that expires 4/30/2010. Specifically my buyers were interested in knowing whether it was enough to have an accepted offer on record by the the 30th, or whether they’d need to have a signed purchase and sale (P&S) by the end of the month.

1. Boston is geographically quite compact. Boston is New England's largest city, however you will find that compared to major metropolitan areas anywhere Boston has small footprint. This is feature of Boston living makes the Hub a very walkable city, but it does cause problems if you are seeking a big yard and ample convenient parking everywhere you drive.
2. Depending on where you are moving from, Boston can be comparatively expensive. If you are moving from Paris, London, Manhattan or San Francisco, housing costs associated with your move to Boston won't raise an eyebrow. However if you are moving from most parts of the U.S. then you'll have to adjust the budget for your "dream house" to reflect the reality of the local real estate market.
3. Boston area housing-stock is generally quite old meaning it was built many decades, if not a century ago. Boston's neighborhoods are filled with Victorian building after Victorian building and each district has a style that dominates. (For instance Back Bay has brownstones, the South End has row houses, Southie and Dorchester have triple-deckers, a uniquely Massachusetts multi-family housing style.) More and more new construction and full historic building rehabs are changing Boston's skyline, but if you're moving to Boston be ready to consider properties that aren't brand new. Obviously as one gets farther from the city's core generally more newer homes exist.

The Obama administration announced yesterday a plan to reduce the amount some troubled borrowers owe on their home loans. Here are details of the plan from documents provided by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. http://tinyurl.com/home-loan-plan-pdf

My feeling is that we need to recognize that a mortgage problem exists in this country and our choices for what to do about it are the proverbial rock and the hard place.