Archive for July, 2008
July 31, 2008
Hello, Boston!
I’m coming to you live from my favorite roof deck in Beacon Hill, enjoying the hospitality of Goutam Jois, a local attorney and member of the mayor’s 1 in 3 Advisory Council.
As a fashionable man-about-town, he’s decided to give me some of his own thoughts on a few local properties that have been on the market for over 80 days. Perhaps his insights will be a bit sharper than mine.
80 Mt. Vernon St. #8
Beacon Hill, MA 02108
2 Bed, 1 Bath
704 sq. ft.
$849,000
Goutam: “Plus: it’s near La La Rokh. IDK, though. Nice roofdeck, but I don’t know what the view would be. Pro, good space, but second bedroom is an office; for the kid’s crib, at best.”
8 Lindall Pl #1
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
1 Bed, 1 Bath
704 sq. ft.
$349,900
Goutam: “Pro: good price for square foot, pro: good size for a one bed. Con: it’s in the 02114 Beacon Hill, not the 02108 Beacon Hill. That and it’s right under the T tracks.”
36 W Cedar St
Beacon Hill, MA 02108
3 Beds, 3.5 Baths
3,317 sq. ft.
$3,249,000
Goutam: “Pro: if you want flowers for your window box, it’s near the florist without going to Charles or Cambridge Street. Con: If you like your third child [chair in the corner would be for punishment -ed.], or don’t like crappy dining rooms, you might want a different place”
July 31, 2008
Here are some condos that just hit the market; the first one is as cheap as real estate gets in these parts!
15 Lynde Street, #31
Salem, MA 01970
Beds: 1/Baths:1
SQ.FT.: 518
$69,900
This one is empty — it seems to have been part of someone’s estate, and the listing says the estate is settled and the property is ready to go.
9 Majestic Way, #9
Salem, MA 01970
Beds: 1/Baths: 1.5
SQ.FT.: 1460
$239,000
I love this last one; I’m a sucker for hardwood floors….
35 Ocean Avenue, #9
Salem, MA 01970
Beds: 2/Baths:1
SQ.FT.: 1014
$229,900
3 New Listings Show The Diverse Character of Beverly
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 30, 2008
In 2004, the people thought he was wooden. Aloof. Out of touch with the common man.
No one wanted to have a beer with him because it’d probably be a foreign and unpronounceable brew, made with boysenberries and the blood of Flemish peasants or something.
But when you’re running for President, you really don’t get the opportunity to show the best sides of you. The side that likes to rock out at boat parties, for example. As many experienced boat partiers already know, those red cups are significant; the red cups hold more awesome.
Beacon Hill is much the same way. It’s quiet, and has a large contingent of very, very rich people (like John Kerry) who like to work 12-16 hour days and then come home to total silence in the heart of the city.
But hiding in Beacon Hill’s narrow, cobbled streets is a small army of Suffolk Undergraduates, and the patrons of a few rowdy roof decks. From the chalk-scrawled bricks of the Beacon Hill Pub, to the classic and highly ironic “Curley for Mayor” poster at 21st Amendment, Beacon Hill is a neighborhood that knows a good time.
The best part is that living there gives you a ready-made excuse, should anyone catch you enjoying a little too much good cheer. Where John Kerry can fall back on his status as a Senator, merely posing for photos with constituents, you can fall back on your address as evidence of your upstanding moral character.
Don’t worry, it’ll be our little secret.
Open Houses for the Monocle-and-Spats Set
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 30, 2008
Beverly is a real melange, from the blue-blood of “The Farms” to working-class Rialside. These 3 listings are an eclectic mix. The first is one of the least expensive nearly-4,000-square-foot waterfront houses you’re likely to see anywhere around here, the second is a high-rise condo, and the third is a masterpiece of understatement.
30 Roderick Avenue
Beverly, MA 01915
Beds: 4/Baths: 2.5
SQ.FT.: 3988
$539,900
60 Rantoul Street Address, #209N
Beverly, MA 01915
Beds: 2/Baths:2
SQ.FT.: 946
$219,900
114 Colon Street
Beverly, MA 01915
Beds: 3/Baths: 1
SQ.FT.:1128
$275,000
Sad News on the Wicked Local Blog, and San Diego Plays Hardball With Irresponsible Lenders
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 30, 2008
A lot of us are taking to the road on two wheels these days. With rising gas prices and crowded trains on the Green Line, whisking off to work by bike not only saves money, but a lot of time. Plus you get your exercise in for the day without having to go to a gym.
The increase in bike traffic has been especially notable in Brookline and Brighton, since we’re just a quick peddle away from downtown. Fortunately, in Brookline, a new bike path down Beacon Street was put in last year. The lanes aren’t perfect — they appear and disappear, and are a bit too close to deadly car doors — but they’re better than the alternative, that is, fighting with cars for road space. Now that the city is also thinking of starting a bike rental system, similar to Zipcar, we’re likely to see even more bikes in this neck of the woods.
Now here’s my proposal. It’s radical, so sit down: Let’s put all branches of the Green Line — B, C and D — underneath the ground and turn the resulting street-level space on Commonwealth Avenue, Beacon Street and inner Brookline into a network of bike paths, safely protected from cars. It would cost a whole lot of money, but it would immeasurably improve the quality of life for citizens on this side of the city. Housing values would go way up, as travel by the T would become faster and safer, making this part of the city even more desirable. And more of us would be encouraged to use bikes, knowing that we’re not risking our necks to pick up a quart of milk. If you ask me, makes more sense than the Big Dig ever did.
And here for your consideration are three properties that would benefit from a suppressed Green Line train and a new network of Green Line bike paths:
300 Allston Street, #402
Brighton
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1266
$485,000
110-112 Cypress Street, PH#1
Brookline
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1262
#675,000
39 Kent Street, #5
Brookline
BEDS:3/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:1,180
$459,000
In and Around Brookline’s Pill Hill
Sweet Digs Boston Home
July 29, 2008
According to Chris Biondi’s post from the 23rd, a Taunton woman killed herself as her home was approaching auction, saying she wanted her son and husband to use her life insurance to keep the house. I know I sound like a bleeding heart — but this is the reason we have things like bankruptcy laws.
It would be nice if the less-government crowd were right — if banks would take a breath, self-regulate, realize that foreclosure is bad for all of us, and come up with plans for refinancing, interest reduction, and outright debt forgiveness for homeowners who are in trouble. But according to the July 19 issue of The Economist, banks spent millions to lobby to have themselves deregulated; that’s how we got here.
It’s also true that bankers — the people, not the institution — hate bankruptcy. I used to work in a bank, and the dominant attitude — one you were expected to mirror if you worked there — was that people who overspend and then can’t pay should be ruined. Bankruptcy is legal stealing. People who can’t pay are deadbeats. Looking down on them had the air of a moral obligation. The intimidation of the bill collector is what holds the banking system together, after all — only, right now, it’s particularly bad for business.
It’s true that homeowners got greedy; but the “Twin Twisters” of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac aren’t the fault of imprudent buyers.
Essentially, The Economist says that taxpayers are paying for the bailouts of these two mammoth companies. But the taxpayers didn’t reap the rewards of any of the profits made by these leviathans — they aren’t actually socialized. The article seems to say that no one ever believed that the feds would let mortgage mega-banks perish, and that we’ve been had — bailing out these institutions means irresponsible businesspeople are being rewarded for intentionally seeking deregulation, marketing the heck out of a really, really bad idea, keeping their jobs and houses, and sticking us with the bill.
What’s worse is that we’re spending money to bail out the banks and doing very little for homeowners faced with foreclosure. There’s some hope on this front, however. According to a Reuters article, “San Diego’s city attorney said on Wednesday he filed a lawsuit against Bank of America Corp … and its Countrywide unit to prevent the mortgage lenders from foreclosing on homes in the city, which he aims to make a ‘foreclosure sanctuary.’” We need to see more than this — we need to see lenders propose a workable plan to get this market back on the rails. And we need our legislators to get tough on the industry until that happens. High-five San Diego.
The smartest thing for banks to do is to rehabilitate customers. They lose a pile of money on almost every foreclosure, and they’re removing families from the pool of potential buyers just when the real estate market needs them most.
Image links to source.
July 29, 2008
Southend.org sells these ingenious t-shirts through their website. I couldn’t have done a better job dissecting a row house if I had to.
And don’t let any New Yorkers tell you they’re the only ones with a God-given right to use the term brownstone to describe a row house. This Globe article is several years old, but it perfectly explains the difference between a town house, row house, and a brownstone. Each term has a specific meaning; however, most Bostonians don’t care. A brownstone in Boston could be brown sandstone, but it could also be brick, granite, or, God-forbid, formstone.
Dine and Dash: Dorchester and Ashmont Grill
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 28, 2008
It’s sort of “the other Brookline” — that is, the one south of Boylston street. What’s cool about Pill Hill is that one moment, you’re right in the middle of urban Brookline — with firetrucks screaming out of the Boylston street fire station, Green Line trolleys rumbling down the tracks, and cars whizzing by on Route 9 — then presto! You’re in Mayberry.
Pill Hill is a quiet, leafy district of remarkably diverse houses. It earned its name back in the 19th century when many of the city’s doctors moved to the area. Today, lots of doctors still live in this area; they’re the only ones that can afford the stately Victorians in the Pill Hill historic district.
On the other hand, there are plenty of converted two and three-family clapboard homes that offer simpler living at a slightly-reduced cost. Among the single-family homes, duplexes, and triple-deckers overlooking Brookline Village are the Boston Free Hospital for Women, built in 1895 but converted into ornate condos in 1997, and The Brook House, a 1970’s hi-rise condo.
Here’s what’s on the market in Pill Hill:
8 Upland Road, #1
Brookline, 02246
BEDS:3/BATHS:3
SQ.FT: 1538
$669K
85 Glen Road, #NC15
Brookline, 02245
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1230
$569K
94 Walnut Place
Brookline, 02445
BEDS:5/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:3088
$2,100,000
Hitting the Links
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 25, 2008
You know what the nice thing about open houses is? They don’t come with credit checks. No one denies you entry if you can’t produce a 20% down payment. Interest is a reasonable 0%, and that’s fixed rate, payable over whatever amount of time you feel like looking at the house for.
That means that even if you don’t work for Fidelity, or have all the plush income apparently associated with hanging signs on the Mass Pike, you can still work your way into some of the most expensive properties in Boston, provided you don’t arrive reeking of Thunderbird and looking like you spent the previous night over a T grate on the Common.
So straighten out that collar, dust off those spats, and polish up your best monocle—this weekend, you’re heading out to the swankiest open houses in the swankiest parts of town: Back Bay and Beacon Hill.
347 Commonwealth Ave. #2
Back Bay, MA 02115
2 Bed, 2.5 Bath
2,200 sq. ft.
$2,750,000
Open House, Sunday, July 27, 2008 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
33 Pinckney St.
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
5 Bed, 3.5 Bath
2,503 sq. ft.
$2,225,000
Open House, July 27, 2008 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
58 Pinckney St. #A
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
3 Bed, 3.5 Bath
1,712 sq. ft.
$1,899,000
Open House, Sunday, July 27, 2008 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
If You don’t Like the Weather in Boston…
Boston Sweet Digs Home
Business is good at Haymarket. [
