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Mmmmm….Donuts….

Do you know what goes really well with chocolate chip waffles and Fruit Loops? Donuts!

Not really, but there are many grandparents who believe “what happens at Nana’s, stays at Nana’s.”  We  know one set of grandparents who have something called “BG Day,” where breakfast with grandparents consists of desserts first, followed by an actual breakfast if the kids have room in their bellies.

Grandparents have certain rights. They get to load them them up on empty calories and sugar then send them home to crash. They get to buy them gifts for the rarely recognized holiday of “Saturday.”  Most importantly, they get to visit with their grandchildren.

It’s not uncommon that grandparents get caught in the cross hairs of divorce. In the most extreme circumstances, grandparents are denied visitation by their “outlaw;” however, unless there is a justifiable reason to deny a grandparent visitation, it is usually presumed that it is in the best interest of the child(ren) to foster that relationship.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions about this or any other matter.

Warm regards,
John and Faye

For more information, please see:
https://www.mass.gov/guides/massachusetts-law-about-grandparents-visitation-rights

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Said Nobody Ever.

“Title insurance is the most exciting topic EVER!”

– Said nobody in the history of the world

It IS really important though. If you’re thinking of buying (or if you have clients who are), check out this information from Old Republic Title:

 

 

http://www.oldrepublictitle.com/blog/what-every-realtor-should-know-about-owners-title-insurance.asp

 

As always, please let us know if you have any questions about this or any other matter.

Regards,

John & Faye

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Will You Accept This Deposit?

 

What is Earnest Money? Buyers typically give a deposit when they make an offer on a house. The money is provided to demonstrate that you are “earnest” or serious about buying their home. The amount of earnest money given usually depends on local custom, but a serious buyer might opt to give more to show commitment.

In most cases, the earnest money goes towards the eventual purchase of the house; however, there are two primary scenarios where you Buyers might have earnest money returned:
1. Rejected offer. If you make an offer to buy a house and the seller turns it down, they are required to give you the earnest money back; OR
2.  Contingencies. When you make an offer to buy a house, the offer is usually contingent upon certain things, like a home inspection. If the inspection uncovers a serious flaw which is unacceptable, can’t be fixed, or the seller is unwilling to fix, you will also get your money returned.

To the contrary, if you back out of the Offer or Purchase and Sales for no good reason (ex. you decide you just don’t like the house or location), you might forfeit your earnest money. Like so many things in the law, we look at the return of earnest money on a case by case basis to determine what is right or just.

As always, please feel free to contact us with questions that you may have about this or any other legal issues.

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Resolutions

What is your New Year’s resolution? Are you going to commit to working out more often? Spend more quality time with your family? Start saving money for retirement? Read one book per week?

If your 2018 goals include buying your first home, re-sizing, or refinancing, these should be your resolutions:

1. Find out your credit score and history;
2. Establish and maintain good credit practices (ie. pay your bills on time, monitor your credit report for fraud, close unused lines of credit);
3. Save a reasonable down payment for the house that you want to buy;
4. Find the right home buying team for you. Identify a realtor, lender, and attorney that work together often.* If the team know one another and work well together, the process will be so much easier and less stressful for you;
5. Get organized: gather pay stubs, federal and state tax documents, current photo identification, bank statements, as well as any divorce, bankruptcy, and investment property documents, if applicable;
6. Obtain a mortgage pre-approval; and
7. Be smart: do not make any large purchases or big changes to your finances.

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2018!

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What do Charlie Sheen & Ninja Turtle Kush Have in Common?

What Do Charlie Sheen and Ninja Turtle Kush Have in Common?

What do you think of when you read the following phrases?
Charlie Sheen.
Goofy Boots.
Ninja Turtle Kush.
Green Crack.

Are you confused or laughing right now? If you are confused, you probably know these terms:
Weed.
Cannabis.
Marijuana.
Pot.

As we approach the one year anniversary of marijuana legalization in Massachusetts, here are a couple of quick updates to laws within the Commonwealth:
Chapter 55 of the Acts of 2017 created the Cannabis Advisory Board and Cannabis Control Commission. The board is making recommendations regarding regulations and taxation of marijuana. Cities and towns may establish zoning by-laws and ordinances which allow commercial growing and cultivation. Cities and town may also impose a local sales tax of up to 3% upon the sale of marijuana and marijuana products (in addition to the 17% percent state sales tax);
Chapter 94I has specified that a person cannot be arrested or prosecuted for being in the presence of medical use and that insurance companies are not obligated to reimburse patients for the use of medical marijuana.
As always, please let us know if you have questions regarding this or anything else.

Faye & John

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