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Whether you’re buying with cash, investing from abroad, transferring property to a family member, or just trying to close without a headache, you’ll want to know what can trigger federal scrutiny — and how to stay off the radar.
From flagged wire transfers and shell companies to gift-of-equity sales and land near military zones, this isn’t your average title-and-keys situation.
It’s real estate with a side of national security, tax enforcement, and financial crime prevention.
Is Big Brother Watching Your Home Sale?
What Buyers and Sellers Should Know About Federal Oversight
You’re Not Paranoid — They Might Actually Be Watching
What you didn’t know on how federal agencies keep tabs on select real estate transactions.
Your Closing Packet Could Be a Federal File
How Your Paper Trail Might Raise Red Flags — And What You Can Do About It
What the FBI, IRS, and Homeland Security
Could See in Your Closing Docs
We’re unpacking what agencies might spot inside your deal’s fine print.
Caught in the Crosshairs? What Triggers Federal Interest in Your Home Sale
The Top Red Flags That Could Invite a Closer Look from Washington
Cash, LLCs, or Land Near a Base? You Might Just Be a Target
The warning signs that put your deal on the government’s radar — and how to stay clear.
Follow the Money: How the IRS Tracks Financial Crimes Through Real Estate
From Unreported Income to Shell Game Schemes
— What IRS-CI Is Looking For
Your Closing Could Be an Audit Trigger — Here’s How the IRS Sees It
Explore the patterns, documents, and loopholes that turn ordinary deals into criminal cases.
Providing title, escrow, closing and settlement services to clients throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire
“As a realtor, the Rocheford team went above and beyond to make sure my client was not only protected from a legal standpoint but also operated in a timely manner to execute the sale of my client’s dream home.
Thank you for the great experience for myself and my client! Looking forward to our next deal together!”
Realtor®
“I don’t usually use attorneys that often. But if an attorney is needed, I couldn’t recommend this law office enough. I always pride myself on responding quickly to emails and calls, but I was in awe of how fast paralegal Robert Heckman would respond to us. We sold our house a couple months ago and then did a two-part land swap with neighbors and my folks, and both transactions were seamless, including coming in to sign paperwork.
In short, if you need a law office that is responsive and attentive to detail, definitely consider them!”
Leominster, MA
“Excellent, conscientious and professional.
The communication throughout our Real Estate transaction was better than expected. We thought the fee to be very reasonable considering the work accomplished on our behalf. The law office handled the entire closing without us having to be in attendance….as we requested. I have had experience with very competent lawyers and law firms as the result of my previous profession. I would place this law office right up there among the best in their real estate field of expertise and surprisingly at very reasonable and affordable rates/fees.”
Buzzards Bay, MA
Sep 7, 2018 | Around The Home, Home Decorating, Home Maintenance
Home renovations come in many different forms. For some homeowners, it’s about expanding the living space, while for others, it might mean working on a project that adds luxury features to the home. For homeowners that are planning to sell in the near future, the primary concern should be the expected return on investment.
There are several home renovation projects that can add value to the property and make the home more attractive to buyers. Here are a few home renovation projects that can add the most value at resale.
Enhance Your Home’s Curb Appeal
If you want to sell your home for the highest price possible, it needs to make a good first impression. Since the first impression is made when a prospective buyer pulls up out front, you want to make sure to invest both time and money when improving your home’s curb appeal.
Some simple steps include mowing the lawn regularly and keeping the bushes and trees well trimmed. You may need to use your electric chainsaw to cut down large branches if you haven’t been doing regular upkeep.
If you have an old front door, refinishing or replacing it can offer a great return on investment. Power washing your home’s front exterior is another inexpensive way to improve curb appeal and increase the potential resale value of the home.
Upgrade to Energy Efficient Windows
Energy efficient features are some of the most attractive selling points for modern homebuyers. Since windows can account for about 25-30% of a home’s heating and cooling costs, upgrading to newer, more efficient models can be a good way to increase the resale value of the home. It might not be the flashiest home upgrade out there, but smart homebuyers will recognize the potential savings that come with better windows.
Minor Kitchen Remodel
The kitchen is listed as one of the most important rooms among homebuyers. Sellers could go all out and do a complete remodel of the kitchen area, but smaller renovations tend to offer the best value in the kitchen. According to Hanley Wood, a homeowner can recoup upwards of 80% of their investment on a minor kitchen remodel.
When you do a minor kitchen remodel, you are not tearing the room down and starting anew. Instead, homeowners can focus on tasks like repainting fixtures or replacing the fronts of cabinets and drawers with a tool fitted with oscillating saw blades. Changing the kitchen hardware and possibly upgrading the countertops will also provide a strong ROI.
Interior Paint
Painting is one of the most affordable home improvements, and it has the potential to return more than you invest. If you have some rooms where the walls look old and scuffed up, a fresh coat of paint will make them look good as new.
While you could certainly just repaint the interior with your standard whites and off-white shades, there is value to be earned by putting more thought into the project. Research has shown that there are colors that can have a bigger impact on the resale value when they are used in certain rooms.
Bathroom Remodel
Second only to the kitchen, the bathroom is seen as one of the most important rooms for selling a home. With a simple bathroom remodel, you can increase the value of the home and make it more attractive to buyers.
Just like with the minor kitchen remodel, this project doesn’t require you to remake the space. Simple renovation work like regrouting tiles and replacing the caulk around the tub and toilet will offer good value. Additionally, if fixtures, like your toilet, tub, or sink, are old, you may want to consider having them replaced.
Many options exist for homeowners when it comes to renovations that will add value to the home, and most are affordable DIY projects. With the right tools and a little bit of time, you can significantly increase the value of your home without having to break the bank.
Feb 23, 2018 | Home Decorating
Have you ever walked into your kitchen and instantly felt hungry?
Rarely do people think about the colors that they choose to paint their kitchens. They are often too busy worrying about whether the kitchen will match the rest of the home, or whether the colors will be satisfactory to the rest of the household.
However, as much as you might want to have a special color in your kitchen, your brain is very likely wired in a way to react in ways that you may not have intended! When painting and decorating your kitchen, you may want to think about the process in a way many people do not — how the colors you choose will affect the way in which you eat.
Colors affect a lot of our subconscious thinking. As behavioral psychologists have documented, the presence of specific colors your the kitchen can change your eating habits and your cravings for food.
Here are some examples :
Red: The color red increases your appetite. This is why so many restaurants paint their walls red. Although associated with romance and passion, red is also a color which promotes hunger. Furthermore, it has been noted that the color red in your kitchen can influence high blood pressure.
Orange: The color orange is a “stimulating” color; increasing oxygen supply to the brain and providing a mental boost. An orange-themed kitchen may stimulate your appetite, therefore, and make over-eating more likely.
Gray: Gray can be an ideal appetite-suppressing color for your kitchen. This is because, psychologically, gray is calming and relaxing, and it neutralizes anxiety. Gray can arrest binge eating and impulsive snacking. It’s also a color which home stagers recommend for its neutrality.
Blue: The color blue is calming, which can slow your eating speed, and prevent you from over-eating. When decorating your kitchen and dining room, therefore, using blue wallpaper or blue paint; and blue placemats, for example, can result in “slower” eating and fewer feelings of fullness.
And there’s more about blue! There are very few foods that are naturally blue outside of blueberries and some varieties of potatoes. So over time your subconscious mind has trained itself to be wary of any food that is blue. Some weight loss programs suggest eating on a blue plate and even putting a blue light in your refrigerator!
So if you’re concerned about the amount you or your family is eating, painting your kitchen blue may very well help curb the appetite.
Whether you’re a home buyer, a home seller, or just getting ready to remodel, consider the influence of colors in your home. They do more than just “match the next room” — they affect your food and drink cravings as well.
Jun 27, 2014 | Home Decorating
Don’t despair if you are short on cash. You can still have a beautifully decorated home. Sometimes a little elbow grease is a decent replacement for extra cash, and other times you can get great deals by shopping around. You may even find the expensive item that you wanted for a great bargain.
Indoors
Simple things can mean a lot. You can change the entire look and feel of a room by just changing the window treatments. New drapes or blinds add warmth and appeal and will instantly give your home a fresh new look.
If that’s not enough, a fresh coat of paint transforms any room. Paint is one of the least expensive home decorating tools, and you can save even more money by doing it yourself instead of hiring a painter. It doesn’t require a lot of skill it just takes some time and good planning.
If your furniture looks tired, adding new throw pillows in vibrant colors that either match or contrast your room’s colors can make a world of difference, and help your old furniture regain its appeal.
The bathroom is the second most commonly remodeled room in the house (after the kitchen), but it can cost a lot of money to replace cabinets, fixtures, or tile. Simple things can help give your bathroom a face-lift: add candles for a lovely glow and inviting fragrance. Get new towels to hang and repaint walls. Re-grout any tiled areas for a fresh new feel.
Outdoors
Coming home from a long day of work to a worn-out looking home can be a downer. Add some hanging baskets of flowers or vines by the door and trim your path with a flower bed or decorative stone. Apply a little labor and repaint the trim on windows and doors to give your home a quick lift.
It doesn’t take a lot of money to make your home a haven.
