5 comments for “The Cahill Report for 2/27/15 – a weekly update on the Milton real estate market”

1. 

   Jim Cotter

   February 28, 2015 at 1:29 pm

   Outstanding. Accurate and helpful in a convenient format. Well done, Cahill Team.
2. 

   Paul Yovino

   March 1, 2015 at 10:34 am

   There is only one problem with the Cahill Report. It does not reflect or report “sales by owner” when they occur. Without that the “Report” is not completely accurate.
3. 

   Frank Schroth

   March 2, 2015 at 1:13 pm

   That is not true Paul. While the report may be incomplete, it is not inaccurate. Those two characteristics are not mutually exclusive. A report can be accurate as far as it goes. That said, can you provide an example of a home sold by owner that is not listed? If they are in fact not listed there may be a reason why.
4. 

   Paul Yovino

   March 2, 2015 at 4:38 pm

   Frank, I am writing from my own experience.

   As you may know, I sold my home in November on my own without a realtor.
   It was recorded in the Registry of Deeds and later listed in the recent real estate transactions in both the Boston Globe South real estate section and the Patriot Ledger Friday Real Estate supplement.

   It is fine with me that the sale was not reported and although it is a public document it is to some degree an invasion of privacy to both the seller and the buyer.

   Milton is fortunate and I hope it continues to be a town in which real estate properties sell themselves. Realtors provide an outstanding service but at a very high commission structure. I was fortunate but I do not think I was an exception that my home sold within a month of being on the market. I used some very simple marketing skills and networked my neighbors from whom I received several dozen prospective buyers. The eventual buyer came from that networking. I only had one very minor problem with a relative of a prospective buyer who thought he could lower the price of my home with a series of negative comments about the house. I simply responded that I guess this wasn’t the right house for his relative. If you take those comments seriously and don’t have a very good sense and basis for what your home is worth perhaps the filter a realtor provides would be appropriate. Realtors provide an excellent filter and do shield the seller from some of the very negative potential buyers who in many cases are not serious buyers.

   One word of caution. If you do try to sell your house on your own you must have a very competent real estate attorney representing you. I did and he was able to help me avoid any potential pot holes as the process concluded to the closing.

   I am sure this might come as a knock against realtors. It is not. Still, selling my house on my own accrued to my benefit. I saved in the ” Five” figures selling my house on my own in money I would have paid in commission to a realtor. Realtors work hard generally to make that commission as they should but most of the credit goes to the excellent reputation Milton has to prospective buyers of single homes. For those of us who wished to downsize as I did the real estate market is far from hospitable. When that changes – if it does – I will then need the help of a realtor. At the moment “downsizing in Milton ” means spending more for less. Probably, not telling you something you do not already know.

   Again, I am writing from my own experience. I do know others in Milton who have also sold their homes without a realtor but they will have to speak for themselves. Still, after reading the Cahill Report for many weeks I am left with the impression – correct or not – that they do not wish to publicize those homes in Milton that were sold without the aid of a realtor.
5. 

   Frank Schroth

   March 3, 2015 at 7:18 am

   Your home sale was listed in the 12/12/14 edition.