Archive for July, 2008
July 16, 2008
If you lived here, you’d be at the beach by now. Check out this serious New England charm.
We’ll start with the steal of the season…this is one heck of a starter home.
12 County Way
Beverly, MA 01915
Beds: 3/Baths:1
SQ.FT.: 1444
$ 243,900
The next one is a condo and reads “Just reduced $30,000″ and “Priced to sell this weekend.” Does something about being a condo make a place more desirable than a house, or do condo owners need to come to terms with this market? Condos are a necessity in the big city, but I’d rather have a yard to mow up here. Still, Montserrat is a great place to live.
47 Sohier Road
Beverly, MA 01915
Beds: 2/Baths: 1
SQ.FT.:1050
$ 229,000
Okay…townhouse on Tuck’s point for $279,900? The restaurants of downtown Beverly, including Marika’s, Cassis, The Atomic Cafe, and Anmal within walking distance? Um…okay.
115 Water Street #14
Beverly, MA 01915
Beds: 3/Baths: 2
SQ.FT.: 1249
$ 279,900
Properties Under $250K in Salem
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 16, 2008
How long before some drunk pulls up this sunflower and leaves it on the roof of a nearby car? [Allston Brighton Community Blog]- Several scenes for Four Single Fathers was shot down the street from me. All I saw was a bunch of trucks hogging up all the parking spaces. [The Beantown Bloggery]
- Bruce Willis is in town shooting a different movie on South Street. [Loaded Gun]
- More Boston movie news: Mel Gibson’s drunken, antisemitic tirade offended someone he needed. [Universal Hub]
- And the average price per square foot for Back Bay housing is… [Boston Condos]
- Somerville finally passed their poorly-planned bill forcing retailers to recycle plastic bags. [Boston Daily]
- Is stainless, from granite-maple-and-stainless, on its way out? [Zillow Blog]
- MBTA driver of The Ride car 1709 thinks it’s appropriate to shout slurs out the window of his work vehicle. [Wicked Local]
- I’d love to take my dog into restaurants with me if it weren’t so tacky. [John A Keith]
- No swimming in Jamaica Pond: spontaneous fun might break out. [Boston Globe]
- Help celebrate the first Annual Cocktail Week. [Passionate Foodie]
Rose Kennedy Greenway: Quit Complaining About It
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 15, 2008
Since this time last year, the feds bailed out Bear Sterns, IndyMac collapsed, and it’s pretty much even-money on whether Lehman Brothers or Amy Winehouse will kick the bucket next. Don’t even get me started on Countrywide.
George Soros, who made a square billion predicting the collapse of the Pound Sterling in the early 1990s, said we’re looking at a catastrophic bear market. Even Martin Feldstein, the man behind the spend-now-earn-later-ethos of Reaganomics, predicted a fairly serious economic slide in the foreseeable future.
The government even stated it will bail out the two largest mortgage lenders in the history of the known universe, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, should the need arise. Oh, and to top it off, the Dow is down over 3,000 points since this time last year—that’s 23% for those of you playing at home.
So, how can it still cost $460 a month to park your car downtown? How is real estate in Back Bay still going for $750 a square foot? Is a somewhat debatable drop in high-end condo sales the worst this impending economic catastrophe has to offer the Hub?
Boston must have some sort of Simpsons Movie style-bubble protecting it from all this. That, or the inevitable credit-crunch shoe has yet to drop. Your call. Here are some Back Bay homes around that $750-per-square-foot mark:
239 Comm Ave #53
Back Bay, MA 02116
2 Beds, 2 Baths
1,215 sq. ft.
$865,000
$712/sq. ft.
231 Marlborough St
Back Bay, MA 02116
5 Beds, 4.5 Baths
5,552 sq. ft. (big!)
$4,400,000
$793/sq. ft.
166 Beacon St #4
Back Bay, MA 02116
2 Beds, 2.5 Baths
1,701 sq. ft.
$1,499,000
$881/sq. ft.
Open Houses: Make it a Roof Deck Sunday
Sweet Digs Boston Home
July 15, 2008
So I’ve had a bit of a rivalry with a friend who thinks Cambridge is the best thing since sliced bread. I, on the other hand, prefer Brookline. So imagine my glee this past weekend when I opened The Boston Globe to find a direct comparison between the two cities.
The gist of the story is this: home sales and home prices plummeted in Cambridge, while home sales in Brookline declined by only half as much, and home prices increased. In Cambridge, several single-family houses sold for less than the assessed value; in Brookline, a house would have to be ravaged by fire for that to happen.
In short, Brookline is on firmer real estate footing than her sister to the north. No doubt, Brookline is wealthier, and more suburban than Cambridge. And wealthier communities, the analysts say, withstand downturns better.
But there’s more. Brookline is just a nicer place to live:
- Brookline has better schools.
- Brookline has more parks and green spaces than Cambridge.
- Brookline is more accessible by T than Cambridge, where large swaths of town (Cambridgeport, Fresh Pond and Inman Square) are largely isolated from a fast and reliable way into downtown Boston.
- Brookline has the same progressive tendencies of Cambridge, but without all the attitude.
- Brookline is urban, like Cambridge, but it’s tempered by trees and broad sidewalks.
- Brookline has better housing.
Cambridge has cachet born of its proximity to two of the world’s top universities. It’s dense, quirky and on the move. But when it comes to quality of life, the grass is greener on the Brookline side of the river.
New on the Market in Brookline, Brighton
Sweet Digs Boston Home
July 14, 2008
Yesterday’s Globe whined about the Rose Kennedy Greenway lacking shade and greenery.
On sunny days, it’s pleasant for a while, but begins to feel hot quickly. That’s partly because the Greenway isn’t all that green.
Surprise!
Unlike Post Office Square, the Greenway lacks shade. Thousands of shrubs, saplings, and flowers have been planted, but most of the trees are years from reaching mature height.
You’ll probably never see that shade in your lifetime. Remember, the Greenway looks just like the Commonwealth Avenue Mall of 130-years ago.
Dine and Dash: Celebrating Bastille Day in Cambridge
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 14, 2008
New in Brookline and Brighton in the last few weeks…a new Finale kitchen open in Allston, a new bakery open in Coolidge Corner, and a new upscale grocer open in Washington Square. And speaking of delectable offerings, three new one-bedroom condos on the market that seem pretty tempting as well…
2039 Commonwealth Avenue,#2
Brighton, MA
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:660
$259K
25 South Street, #3
Brighton
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:$299k
1454 Beacon Street, #B42
Brookline
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:N/A
$318K
Appraising the Appraisal Websites
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 13, 2008
I can’t believe people use pics like these to sell homes. Here’s a suggestion: flush first! [Zillow Blog]- MBTA boss Dan Grabauskas drives an SUV to work. Apparently the T doesn’t suit his needs. [Bostonist]
- Please help 3D change people’s often-misguided perception of Roxbury. [The Third Decade]
- Why do buyers assume maple, granite, and stainless are good? [Boston Real Estate Now]
- A design tip that encourages conversation. [Home Staging Blog]
- Pics from the roofdeck at 285 Columbus Lofts are making me insanely jealous. [Boston Condos]
- Somerville scored a couple Smart Cars for official city use. [BostonDaily]
- If City Hall moves to the Waterfront, maybe they could rebuild the West End [Universal Hub]
Dine and Dash: Celebrating Bastille Day in Cambridge
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 11, 2008
Bastille Day: a great American holiday and a great excuse to celebrate something. Anything.
We’ll head over to Cambridge for the Holyoke Street Bastille Day celebration Sunday. The festivities start at 3:00, so we have plenty of time for open house viewing beforehand.
I don’t really know much about Cambridge neighborhoods, so I picked the two most expensive homes showing this weekend, and, despite the different addresses and zip codes, they appear to be in the same building. The third open house just happens to be around the corner from the first two.
After viewing these homes, we’ll honor the people of France with a street fair and a fixed-price meal at Sandrine’s.
4 Vincent Street
Cambridge, 02138
Beds: 4/Baths: 3.5
SQ.FT.: 2726
$1,795,000
Open House: Sunday, July 13, 12pm-1:30 pm
159 Upland Rd
Cambridge, 02140
Beds: 4/Baths: 3.5
SQ.FT.: 25.8
$1,595,000
Open House: Sunday, July 13, 12pm-1:30 pm
137 Raymond Street
Cambridge, 02140
Beds: 3/Baths: 2.5
SQ.FT.: 1600
$844,900
Open House: Sunday, July 13, 2pm-3pm
Then And Now: Chester Square
Boston Sweet Digs Home
July 11, 2008
Open House Date and Time:
Sunday, July 13th, 1-3pm
751 Washington St #2
Brookline, MA 02446
Seller’s Comments
Coffee shop of choice: Athan’s bakery is steps away in Washington Square. Athan’s is a European style bakery with an endless assortment of delectable desserts, sandwiches, and superb coffee. Their chocolate and almond croissants are unbelievable, as are the fruit tarts. Starbucks is a block away also, but Athan’s is the place to go!
Favorite places to go: There is so much in the area within walking distance. We love to walk to movies at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, dine in any of the area’s hundred restaurants, walk up the Summit Avenue hill to get a view of Cambridge, and walk or jog around the beautiful Chestnut Hill Reservoir.
Favorite restaurants in the area: Around the corner is The Public House, serving several hundred Belgian beers and excellent food; the Washington Square Tavern is the classy local pub; Super Fusion Sushi is fantastic; Emack & Bolios serves creative ice cream. Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village are just a few minutes’ walk away, featuring the entire spectrum of ethnic cuisines. My favorite place in the area is Baja Betty’s which serves hands down the best Burrito in Boston.
Best features of the home: Windows on all 4 sides give plenty of light and air. On the third floor, surrounded by mature trees, you really feel like you’re in the treetops. Skylights reveal the clouds and stars. All the rooms are large, and the floor plan excellent featuring a big eat in kitchen and a good bathroom. We have a redwood sauna. On a practical note, there are 5 closets and 3 walk in storage rooms (including a pantry), the entire attic (think expansion), and FOUR parking spaces that we rent out to Zipcar to help pay our mortgage and provide us with 4 cars!
Please visit 751washington.com for photos and more info.
Favorite room: We love nearly every room, but the enormous living room with so much light is our favorite. One wall is filled with built in mahogany bookcases and a desk, which is a wonderful feature.
Any remodeling since last purchase?: We have made many improvements in the past 1-3 years. The entire unit has been repainted. The original hardwood floors are newly refinished, and look great. We put in top quality new windows and skylights. The shared systems are also all new: The entire roof is completely new, including all new flashing, gutters, and repointed chimneys. Also, we put in a new gas furnace and indirect hot water heater. Our wonderful downstairs neighbors just relandscaped the entire exterior, including a bluestone patio and mahogany stairs that serve as the entry for unit #2.
Most romantic spot: Just steps away is The Fireplace, a classy restaurant / bar that features live Jazz two nights a week (and a fireplace). The food is very good. We often catch the music with an evening drink or dessert.
It’s a very romantic spot.
What’s in the neighborhood: Apart from the endless restaurants mentioned above, the immediate neighborhood (Washington Square) features many useful shops such as a hardware store, Movieworks DVD rentals, Marathon Sports running shop, a 7/11 with a Citibank ATM, dry cleaners, show repair, eye glasses shop, Brookline Bank, Bank of America ATM, and more. If you walk
10-15 minutes in either direction on Beacon St., you reach all the shops in Coolidge Corner and Cleveland Circle.
What I will miss the most: We’ll miss the feeling of being up in the sunlight and treetops.
We’ll really miss being able to walk everywhere.
July 11, 2008
Open House Date and Time:
Sunday, July 13th, 1-4PM
26 Rolling Ln
Wayland, MA 01778
Seller’s Comments
Coffee shop of choice: Our favorite coffee shop is Mel’s. A great place to grab Sunday morning breakfast and enjoy reading your AM paper. Friendly service and 2 minutes from the house.
Favorite places to go: Finale – when that dessert craving strikes. The Natick Collection is only 5 minutes away; and while you’re there, you can get all of your shopping done as well!
Favorite restaurants in the area: Our house is in a great location because it is close to several great restaurants. We love to eat out, so we have a few favorites: The Aegean Restaruant (Framingham – delicious authentic Greek food), Fugakyu Cafe (Sudbury – great sushi), Coach Grille (Wayland – traditional Boston steakhouse without the drive to Boston.)
Best features of the home: One of the best features of out home is the open kitchen/family room floor plan. Great for entertaining guests or just spending time with your family. After all that entertaining what could be better than relaxing in the whirlpool tub in the huge master suite?
Favorite room: As wannabe chefs, our favorite room is the kitchen – the gorgeous maple and granite finishes, double ovens, sub-zero fridge and cook-top almost shame you into cooking for family and friends. The open floor plan allows you to keep up on what’s new with everyone while you work away in the kitchen.
Any remodeling since last purchase?: A new wood-burning fireplace insert and chimney liner. New paint and lighting fixtures were added throughout the home.
Most romantic spot: Relaxing on the back deck, enjoying the backyard and it’s beautiful hydrangeas and lilacs.
What’s in the neighborhood: The house is on a cul de sac which is very quiet. It’s also quite close to both the local elementary, middle and high schools. There’s a quaint shopping plaza within walking distance.
What I will miss the most: We will miss the extravagant feasts prepared in our gourmet kitchen, sipping hot chocolate by the fireplace on a snowy evening and summer barbecues with family and friends on our back deck. Oh, and we can’t forget the huge walk-in closets!
