Boston condos are in a real-time correction, appraisals are getting crushed over square footage, and a fence almost killed a Winthrop closing.

In this episode:

• Mortgage rates back down from 7.57 and why the commercial, HELOC and car rates are the real squeeze
• The top 5 objections from 200 real buyer and seller calls, analyzed by Claude
• Condo listings sitting, rents down 20 percent, and new construction vs used condos
• East Boston math: 70 condos for sale, 3 sold in eight weeks
• The new standardized appraisal form and why square footage now matters more than bedrooms
• A condo insurance fix that saved a deal with no mortgage contingency
• Main event: plot plans, lot lines, town land and a deal that nearly blew up days before closing
• Live triage on a deck encroachment and a temporary easement
• Overrated/Underrated: apple picking, Salem in October, fall festivals, gutter guards and waiting for spring to list
• Next time: should Massachusetts kill adverse possession?

Chapters:

00:00 Cold open 02:48 Rates back down from 7.57 04:39 The top 5 objections from 200 sales calls 10:00 What "bad timing" really means 12:41 Is the market actually going down? 14:48 Condo listings sitting and rents down 20 percent 18:22 New construction vs used condos 23:18 Nick's Vocab Word of the Day: panacea 24:14 Moving during a nor'easter 29:13 A turbulent fall market and deal fallout 30:02 Rate lock gaps and a condo insurance fix 33:00 The new standardized appraisal form 41:05 East Boston: 70 for sale, 3 sold 42:23 The "Pick Two" buyer incentive 44:13 Main event: plot plans and lot lines 46:13 The Winthrop lot line dispute 51:58 Live triage: a deck encroachment 1:01:16 Reddit: the dead cow and poop emoji billboard 1:02:31 Fence over the line 1:04:39 Overrated/Underrated 1:11:04 Debate teaser: adverse possession

Hosted by Seth Williams (Reference Real Estate, sellinboston.com) and Nick Nardone (real estate and condo attorney).

Bad Deals Only is for entertainment only. Nothing in this episode is legal, financial or real estate advice. Talk to your own attorney, lender or agent about your situation.

Boston rents are falling, the Fed just hiked, and Seth and Nick still found time to blind-rank Boston's top 10 steakhouses.

In this episode:

• Why the Fed rate hike does not set mortgage rates, and why a multi-year temporary buydown beats a price cut
• 45 active listings, condo rents down 10 to 20 percent, and 2021-2022 buyers now short selling
• Seth's $20K buyer savings guarantee idea for renters in Boston's luxury buildings
• Nick's bad deal: a pool heater, a 2,500-brick chimney and a buyer who walked
• The 8 a.m. showing, a lowball offer, and how buyer agency agreements and commissions really work in Massachusetts
• Blind-ranking Boston steakhouses, Hawksmoor Seaport, and Underrated vs. Overrated: pumpkin spice, lobster rolls, apple picking, NFL overseas

Chapters:

00:00 Cold open: sleep hacks and the Blue Line 10:13 Hawksmoor Seaport and the reserved bar seat problem 19:50 Blind-ranking Boston's top 10 steakhouses 38:04 The Fed rate hike and mortgage rates 40:53 Temporary buydowns vs. price cuts 43:59 45 listings, falling rents and short sales 48:16 Existing home sales hit a new low 51:00 70,000 Massachusetts sales a year and part-time agents 54:26 The $20K buyer savings guarantee 1:01:44 Bad deal: pool heater and 2,500 bricks 1:05:20 The 8 a.m. showing and a lowball offer 1:09:54 Buyer agency agreements and commissions, explained 1:16:04 An off-market sale and "just because it was fast" 1:17:57 Underrated vs. Overrated

Hosted by Seth Williams (Reference Real Estate, sellinboston.com) and Nick Nardone (real estate and condo attorney).

Bad Deals Only is for entertainment only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Explicit language.

A post-closing mess, a commission check that bounced out of an attorney's IOLTA account, and how easy it is to fake a notary stamp.

In this episode:

• Why buyer agents should send every seller 20 to 40 questions, even if they never answer
• Mid-September to mid-November: the best listing window left in the Boston market
• How a California notary clause can break a Massachusetts closing
• COVID-era remote closings and how easy notary fraud really is
• A commission check bounced from an IOLTA account, and what the BBO does next
• A fried Florida Airbnb AC, the $10K paint protection film upsell, and the 2025 Storrowing count

Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:23 A post-closing bad deal we have to clean up 02:05 Why buyer agents should send sellers 20 to 40 questions 06:07 The bait-and-switch broker and why referrals depend on you 10:40 Florida Airbnb guest check-in and a fried AC 13:55 Why we skipped open houses Labor Day weekend 15:13 Boston fall market forecast 19:57 Luxury SUV repair saga and dealership concierge service 23:36 Dealer finance spread and the $10K paint protection film upsell 29:30 California notary clause vs. Massachusetts title standards 30:24 COVID-era remote closings in Massachusetts 32:40 How easy notary fraud is 35:54 A commission check bounced from an IOLTA account 40:50 Storrow Drive bridge strikes: the 2025 count 44:40 A 60-unit Cambridge development sellout 51:10 Listener shoutout and high school soccer

Hosted by Seth Williams (Reference Real Estate, sellinboston.com) and Nick Nardone, real estate and condo attorney.

This show is for entertainment purposes only and is not legal, tax or financial advice.