All Forum Posts by: Jonathan Bowen

Man... Seems like so much work. Not knocking it though. Nothing but respect... Congratulations!

A great comparable to 639 Warren Street, Dorchester is 3200 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain. Here's the link to a YouTube video wherein I discuss the two properties. Are you a builder or developer who is interested in building a new mixed-use property in Boston? Let's make a deal!

@Charlie MacPherson I'll eat my hat... I just read Article V, Section 5.0, Note 1 of MLS PIN's Rules and Regulations. I followed up with a call to Quality Assurance at MLS PIN and the woman who answered, I didn't get her name, told me that the setup was fine. I then called with Christine Taylor, an attorney with the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, and she reiterated that the setup was fine. I've been under the impression that absolute dollar amounts were taboo FOR YEARS. I don't think this thought came out of thin air. I think I remember learning it in some sort of licensing class or continuing education class. I'm wrong... Gah!

@Charlie MacPherson I'm sure you can see where that could get slippery... Offering absolute dollar amounts seems like it could easily lead to trouble. I would never offer an absolute dollar amount as a commission whether it be a bonus or not.

@Wayne Brooks A flat fee seems dubiously close to getting into net listing territory. That's, at least, how we were taught here in Massachusetts. I see you're in Florida... Maybe there's a difference? I read that California and Florida have different rules than most of the country.

One of the Realtors in my office is about to have an offer accepted, on behalf of her buyer, on a single family property in Brockton. The listing agent is offering a $500 bonus to the selling agent with stipulations. It's illegal in Massachusetts to deal in net listings so the $500 offer is, on its face, illegal. It's a too common practice though... We deal in percentage bases here in Massachusetts to avoid the practice of net listings. It's also illegal to offer bonuses directly to agents; all commissions flow to the brokerage. As a broker, do you think I should take my office's cut of the "agent bonus". If not, why?

From the property search to completed renovations in thirty minutes. Completely real...

You want some color? Stay away... Prices don't make any sense. Some of the smartest real estate investors have done well by doing nothing. Wait until the market crashes. Then strike...

@Steven Coppola The real question is: "Will homeownership ever die?" Mass homeownership is the newer concept of the two. The concept of feudalism meant that you "rented" your home from the "landlord"; he was literally the lord of the land. There's more of a threat to ownership of anything if communism or even socialism ever seriously take hold around the world. Threats to nationalize EVERYTHING, including land, are only a pen stroke away. And do we ever own anything? Your land and the buildings upon it will always be taxed so we're all really just renting our homes from the government anyway. Feudalism never really died, it's just been renamed. And, let's be honest, the concept of ownership is fleeting. None of us own anything. We're only renting it until we die... Cheerio!

@Jonathan Minerick Agreed. So many bad photos taken by real estate agents. It's enraging....