ARMSTRONG FIELD REAL ESTATE BLOG

Buying Your First Home in Peabody, MA: A 2026/2027 Guide Peabody, MA · First-Time Buyer Guide · October 2026 Quick Answer Peabody homes are selling quickly and close to or above asking. Redfin reports a September 2026 median sale price of $693,770, with a median of 20 days on market. First-time buye

>> BEFORE PUBLISHING: replace every [PDF-LINK] with your PDF URL (2 places) >>> and replace [HEADSHOT-URL] with your Chime CDN headshot URL. ======================================================================= --> Buyer Guide · Massachusetts · Single-Family Homes The Massachusetts Home Buyer Due

North Shore Condo Guide · October 2026 The 2026 Condo Lending Changes: What North Shore Condo Owners and Buyers Need to Know Selling a condo in 2026? Your association's budget may matter as much as your kitchen. By Jim Armstrong, Broker · Armstrong Field Group at Aluxety Real Estate · Beverly, MA A

Buyer Guide · Relocation · Massachusetts Real Estate Offer to Purchase vs. Purchase and Sale: How Buying a Home Actually Works in Massachusetts If you're moving here from California, forget what you know about escrow. Massachusetts uses a two-step contract process, small up-front deposits, and attor

Seller & Buyer Guide · Massachusetts Law Do Massachusetts Sellers Have to Disclose Problems? Massachusetts doesn't require a seller disclosure form. That doesn't mean sellers can stay quiet. By Jim Armstrong · Armstrong Field Group · Aluxety Real Estate · Beverly, MA NoneState-mandated seller condit

Living in Salem, MA: A Local Guide to Neighborhoods, Commute and Homes Salem, MA · Town Guide · October 2026 Quick Answer Salem, MA is a coastal city of about 45,000 people roughly 16 miles north of Boston, about 30 minutes from North Station by commuter rail. Its housing runs from 18th- and 19th-ce

Market Insights · National Housing Data · By Jim Armstrong, Broker 50 Years of U.S. Home Sales and Mortgage Rates: Why Today's Slow Market Isn't a Crash Every year from 1976 to 2025, how mortgage rates shaped each cycle, and what the long view means for buyers and sellers on Boston's North Shore. If

Buying Your First Home in Peabody, MA: Costs, Programs & How to Win the Offer Peabody, MA · First-Time Buyer Guide · October 2026 Quick Answer Peabody's median sale price was $693,641 in August 2026, according to Redfin, and about two-thirds of homes sold above list price. With 30-year mortgage rate

North Shore Equestrian Properties · Buyer & Seller Guide Buying or Selling a Horse Property on Massachusetts' North Shore Zoning, Chapter 61A, barns, pasture, and pricing: what's different when the property comes with a paddock 5 acresMinimum for Chapter 61A agricultural tax classification 120 daysT

Salem, Massachusetts · 1626–2026 The History of Salem, MA: 400 Years on the North Shore From a fishing outpost at Naumkeag to the richest port in America, the story behind the city many of us are lucky to call home. Derby Wharf Light Station, at the end of the half-mile wharf that once served Salem'

Salem, MA · Buyer & Seller Guide · October 2026 Buying or Selling a Home in Salem During Haunted Happenings A million visitors, weekend road closures, and a Saturday Halloween. Here's how to keep a Salem real estate deal on track in October, and why this month isn't all bad news.   by Jim Armstrong

Buyer & Seller Guide · Massachusetts · North Shore Deeds and Title in Massachusetts: What You're Really Getting at Closing Quitclaim deeds, title searches, tax stamps, and title insurance, explained the way they actually work here on the North Shore. By Jim Armstrong · Armstrong Field Group at Aluxe

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

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

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 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.