ARMSTRONG FIELD REAL ESTATE BLOG

Mortgage & Credit VantageScore 4.0 Is Reshaping Mortgage Credit Scores — What North Shore Buyers and Sellers Should Know A federal regulator just opened the door for lenders to score your mortgage application differently. Here's what actually changed, who it helps, and what it means if you're buying

Essex County market report · Armstrong Field Group The Five Most Expensive Homes Sold on the North Shore This Past Year Three oceanfront estates, a 1929 Colonial with a restored tennis court, and a shingled property in Manchester with its own greenhouse. Here's what actually changed hands at the top

North Shore Buyer Strategy Higher Mortgage Rates Aren't All Bad News for Buyers When rates climb, competition cools. That shift quietly hands buyers on the North Shore something they haven't had much of in years: room to negotiate. By Jim Armstrong, REALTOR® · Armstrong Field Group at Aluxety Real E

  The First-Time Home Buyer Timeline: What Actually Happens, and When  Most first-time buyers think the process starts when they call an agent. It starts about a year earlier — and knowing which stage you're in is what turns "someday" into a closing date.  Jim Armstrong · Armstrong Field Group · Nor

North Shore Seller Guide · 2026 What It Really Costs to Sell a Home on the North Shore in 2026 Commissions after the rule changes, the Massachusetts costs nobody warns you about, and an honest look at what actually lands in your pocket. $4.56 MA deed excise tax, per $1,000 of sale price $50 Smoke &

September Is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Prostate Cancer Screening: The PSA Test That May Have Saved My Life This is not a real estate story. It is a personal story—and one I hope encourages more men to have an important conversation with their doctors. I Had My PSA Checked Every Year I was diag

What a 55+ Community Actually Is (and What It Isn't) Buying · Downsizing · North Shore, MA · Jim Armstrong Two assumptions come up almost every time a client asks me about 55+ communities. The first is that it's a step toward assisted living. The second is that it's just a condo with an age limit on

North Shore Massachusetts Buyer Update Is September 27–October 3 Really the Best Week to Buy a Home in 2026? A new Realtor.com analysis points to one especially buyer-friendly week—but North Shore buyers should understand what the national headline does and does not mean locally. By Jim Armstrong, R

North Shore Buyer Guide · Mortgage Rates · September 2026 Mortgage Rates Are Back Near 7%: Should You Buy Now or Keep Waiting? Buy now, buy now and refinance later, or wait for rates to fall? I ran the actual numbers for a North Shore purchase so you can see what each path really costs — including t

North Shore Massachusetts Real Estate · 2026 The $1 Million Home Isn’t a Mansion Anymore What buyers actually get for seven figures in Beverly, Salem, Danvers, Marblehead, Gloucester, and other North Shore communities—and why the answer can change within a few miles. By Jim Armstrong, REALTOR® · Arm

Massachusetts Estate & Probate Real Estate Guide Selling an Inherited House in Massachusetts: What Heirs Need to Know Probate, taxes, mortgages, siblings, cleanouts and as-is sales—explained in plain English so your family can make informed decisions. By Jim Armstrong, REALTOR® • Armstrong Field Gro

Artificial Intelligence · Technology & Society Is AI Really Planning to Take Over the World? There's a lot of talk about artificial intelligence becoming too powerful, escaping human control, or even deciding that people are no longer necessary. How much of that is science fiction, and how much shou

Massachusetts Home Buyers · North Shore, MA How to Make a Competitive Offer on a Massachusetts Home Without Waiving Your Home Inspection Massachusetts changed the rules surrounding home inspection waivers in 2025. Buyers can still write strong, competitive offers, but the strategy has changed. Oct.

North Shore Market Update · Fall 2026 North Shore Fall Housing Market 2026: More Balanced, but Not the Same in Every Town A town-by-town look at Beverly, Salem, Danvers, Peabody, and Gloucester — with single-family homes and condominiums kept where they belong: in separate columns. By Jim Armstrong,

A LOCAL GUIDE FOR HOME BUYERS Moving to Beverly, Massachusetts An honest look at Beverly's neighborhoods, commute, schools, and housing market — from a North Shore REALTOR® who has called this city home for years.Beverly, MA  ·  Essex County  ·  Updated September 2026 Beverly sits right where the No

A LOCAL GUIDE FOR HOME BUYERS Moving to Salem, Massachusetts An honest look at Salem's neighborhoods, commute, schools, and housing market — from a North Shore REALTOR® who knows the city block by block.Salem, MA  ·  Essex County  ·  Updated 2026 Salem is one of those North Shore communities that ma

First-Time Buyer Guide 10 Questions to Define Your First Home Priorities A little self-reflection before your first showing saves you months of second-guessing later. Here's how I help North Shore buyers figure out what actually matters. 10 Questions to Answer 3 Priority Categories 1 Clearer Home Se

North Shore Seller Resources How to Prepare Your Home for Sale: A Step-by-Step Checklist for North Shore Sellers A practical, room-by-room guide to getting your Massachusetts home ready for the market — without the guesswork. Every home I walk into before it's listed has its own story — a kitchen so

  North Shore Real Estate Explained How Do Real Estate Commissions Work Now? The rules around who pays commissions changed in 2024 — but not in the way most headlines make it sound. Here's what actually happens now, for buyers and sellers on the North Shore. Aug. 17, 2024 When the New Rules Took Eff

North Shore Living Guide Living in Gloucester, Massachusetts: What to Know Before You Move to Cape Ann A working harbor, a 400-year fishing history, and a stretch of coastline unlike anywhere else on the North Shore. 1623 Founded Cape Ann Location MBTA Rail Direct to Boston Gloucester doesn't try to