Register's Blog

The April 2012 recording numbers at the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds show continued gradual improvement in the Plymouth County housing market. Positive trends, particularly in the areas of property sales and mortgage refinancing over the first four months of 2012 have continued.

For the first four months of 2012, deeds recordings are up 15%,  with 608 deeds recorded in April, 2012 as compared to 551 deeds recorded in April, 2011. The number of mortgages recorded in the first four months of 2012 were also up 23%.  2012 began with what many local Realtors were calling an ”early spring market” and that trend has continued.

Foreclosures remain a drag on the positive movement in the market.  We have seen a 31% increase in foreclosure deeds filed and a 10% increase in the filing of foreclosure notices.

See our full report for April, 2012, and previous monthly reports under the Register’s Report section of our home page of our website.  Each monthly report also gives a community by community report of foreclosure deeds and foreclosure notices for each of Plymouth Counties twenty seven communities.

Last week, we were happy to be part of a Plymouth and South Shore Association of Realtors (PASS) membership meeting at their headquarters in Pembroke, on the topic of “How to Navigate the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds”. Our presentation included an Introduction to Registry Resources and a presentation by Information Systems Department Head, Christine Richards, on conducting on-line research.

Of particular interest to attendees were the many options provided through the website’s  “Advanced Search” option. By using specific examples, Mrs. Richards was able to demonstrate functions many of the realtors described as valuable in researching issues that arise in their practices on a daily basis.

Another segment of the program, called “Title Traps for the Unwary” was presented by Attorneys Bill Patsos and Bill Wagner of Old Republic Title Insurance, and was well received by those in attendance.  Attorneys Patsos and Wagner covered the many benefits of Title Insurance and discussed a number of frequently encountered documents, legal terms and issues relevant to residential real estate transactions.

Thank you to Mary Ellen Wilson, Chairperson of the PASS Education Committee and Susan Marques, Director of Programs for their assistance in arranging and promoting the program. The approximately 150 members who attended received 2 hours of CE credit.

We at the Registry of Deeds value our relationship with the many real estate professionals we encounter on a daily basis and appreciate their role in maintaining a quality land records system here in Plymouth County.

Over the past weekend, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on the grounds of Brockton High School for a statue commemorating Rocky Marciano. The World Boxing Council has commissioned the statue, to be located near the Forest Avenue entrance to Brockton High School, across from the Little Red Schoolhouse.

Several hundred people joined the statue committee,  members of the boxing community, and many members of the Marciano family to see the project get underway. The statue, recognizing boxing’s only undefeated world heavyweight champion, will be part of the Rocky Marciano Stadium complex. It is expected to be completed in September, 2012, at which time a series of events will be scheduled to honor Brockton’s most notable athlete and favorite son.

Rocky Marciano’s boyhood home on Dover Street in Brockton is featured in the “Plymouth County Registry of Deeds Notable Land Records Collection”, available on this site.

Our report on real estate activity in Plymouth County for February is available. What many realtors have been calling the emergence of an early “Spring Market” has certainly been demonstrated by our recording activity over the month of February. There were 531 deeds recorded in February, 2012 compared to 401 deeds recorded in February, 2011, a 32% increase. There were also an increase in the number of mortages filed showing that people are taking advantage of our historically low interest rates.  In February, 2012 there were 1953 mortgages recorde as compared to the 1523 mortgages in February, 2011.

Foreclosure recordings also increased in February, however, showing there is still a distressed marketplace. Foreclosure deeds were up 54% from February a year ago, while foreclosure notices were up 74% from  February, 2011. Please see our full Register’s Report on this website for further information.

January and February are traditionally our slowest months in terms of documents recorded at the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds. Both the number of deeds and mortgages recorded drop off every year from the end of the calendar year boost of recordings in December.

It is a more legitimate comparison to compare month to month to the previous January. The slight increase in sales: 431 deeds in January, 2011 compared to 454 deeds in January, 2012 is the type of incremental improvement we are hoping for in the new year.

Our January 2012 report on real estate activity in Plymouth County also has some significant information on both foreclosure deeds and foreclosure notices. In addition, while we know that there are a significant number people unable to take advantage of our historically low interest rates, 1940 mortgages were recorded in January, 2012.

On the north side of the Bridgewater Town Common is a historical home which caught the attention of Lorna Green-Baker, one of our employees. The “Tory House” as it is commonly identified has an interesting multi-century history. Built in 1698, it was the home of a Tory sympathizer who was forced to leave town during the Revolutionary War Period.

In the mid-1800’s, it became a stop on the Underground Railroad assisting runaway slaves. In particular, William and Ellen Crafts stopped here on their way to Boston. The Crafts later published a story of their bold escape which became very popular with the public at that time.

The Tory House later became a rooming house for boarders from the nearby, Bridgewater Academy, now closed. There is a historical marker on the side of the now privately owned home.

Our December numbers were strong with 669 deeds recorded in December, 2011 as compared to 624 deeds recorded in December, 2010. December also brought the second highest number of mortgages recorded (2373) in 2011. These results contributed to our recent Register’s Report explaining that we had a stronger second half of 2011 in terms of sales than the first half of the year.

Overall, 2011 recording results at the Plymouth County Registry of deeds were a mixed bag. The number of sales declined 5% as compared to 2010, but since June, 2011 we saw sales increase. Despite historically low interest rates, the number of mortgages recorded were down 11% compared to 2010.

Our continuing distressed marketplace remains, caused in great part by our national and local economic problems. As a result of those issues, many people are having difficulty keeping up with their mortgages. However, for a variety of reasons, including a slow down in processing by national banks, foreclosure deeds and foreclosure notices were significantly lower than last year. In 2011, foreclosure deeds were down 28%. Foreclosure notices, the first documents we see at the registry in a foreclosure, were down 30%.

Although January and February are traditionally our two slowest months, we hope the trend in sales towards the end of 2011 continues in 2012. We wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!

Paragon Park, an amusement park located on Hull’s Nantasket Beach, is a new addition to the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds “Notable Land Records Collection”.  Opened in 1905, Paragon Park provided  family entertainment for generations.  The park was home to the world’s tallest roller coaster, the Congo Cruise, the Wild Mouse, and many other thrilling rides.

Paragon Park was closed in 1984 and turned into condominiums.  Hull retains the flavor and memories of its days of entertaining rides.  While not as heart-stopping as the 96-foot high “Giant Coaster”, as anyone who dared to ride it will remember, the Paragon Carousel remains.  It has been recognized as “the last vestige of Paragon Park”.  The Carousel is operated by the “Friends of the Carousel” and in their words is a reminder of the “Golden Age” of Hull.  It is also a great place to visit for young and old.

Thank you to former Registry employee and former Hull Selectman Jim Tobin for bringing this notable land record forward.

The Plymouth County Registry of Deeds was recently recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an Energy Star partner.  The EPA, in recognizing us, partners with us to expand our Green Building Committee’s efforts to promote energy efficient operations.

As previously reported, our Green Building Committee’s projects have reduced our electricity usage and created a paper recycling program among many other accomplishments.  Green Building Committee members are John Zigouras, Chair, Beth Sheibley-Goldrosen, Barbara Bardon, Greg White, Sue Wood, Chris Grasso and Gina Clark.

We congratulate them and our employees on their efforts to reduce energy costs and for their leadership in protecting the environment for future generations.

Join Congressman Bill Keating in the WHITE RIBBON EVENT of Men Against Domestic Violence, on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, at the Plymouth Registry of Deeds, 50 Obery Street, Plymouth.

“Domestic violence is not just a woman’s issue.  We all have a role to play to promote peace in our communities.  That’s why I am asking men (and women) to join me in pledging to work to end domestic violence”.  Congressman Bill Keating