Archive for the ‘Brighton, Brookline’ Category
June 16, 2008
Would you want to live in a white box? Apparently lots of people don’t mind, according to New York Times. A Times article discussed brokers counseling renovation-happy sellers to steer away from “specific renovations” — for example, building a tiki bar in a bathroom or painting ceilings black like a nightclub. I’ve seen both…
Generally, brokers consider these renovations overly personal. They usually advise clients to pick hardwood over stone, choose wood or white cabinets, and stick with shades of white for the bathrooms. According to The Times:
Brokers say unfortunate resale consequences can also stem from closing up windows, removing a bathtub, dropping ceilings (especially below nine and a half feet) in order to install lighting or ductwork, rounding off square or rectangular rooms — and putting in the wrong floors.
On the other hand, they recommend loading up on fashionable appliances: Bosch, Miele and Subzero.
All this makes me sad. Isn’t one of the joys of ownership the ability to customize? What if I want a red-tile back splash or terra cotta in the entry? And who says the owner shouldn’t remove an unused bathtub? I have a friend who replaced her tub with a bidet. Those who prevent themselves from personalizing their space because of resale value eliminate the best reason to own.
I suppose agents will hate this advice, but I say, go ahead, customize your home the way you want to, and if that means black ceilings and a tiki bar, so be it.
Your First Child and Brookline Housing
Sweet Digs Boston Home
June 13, 2008
I’m abandoning my beloved South End for a Sunday drive to Allston for the 11th Annual Taste of Allston. I don’t really need an excuse to spend an afternoon eating—I’m going eat at some point anyway—I just feel a little better when someone else benefits from my gluttony. This time, proceeds benefit Allston Village Main Streets. Through their volunteer program, they want to make Allston a better place to work, live, and play. According to the AVMS website, their goals are:
• To help make Allston Village a thriving, safe, friendly business district which provides diverse cultural offerings and a variety of businesses which both serve and employ residents.
• To promote Allston Village, so that people will want to live in Allston and shoppers will come from other areas to enjoy its vibrant arts, retail and entertainment offerings.
• To make Allston Village cleaner, greener, more pedestrian-oriented, and free of trash and graffiti.
• To improve the storefronts of Allston Village with better signage and fewer roll-down grates.
• To help foster cooperation among residents, businesses and landlords to build a healthy, economically vital Allston Village.
• To work together through Allston Village Main Streets, helping the community make Allston a great place to live, work and socialize, embodying the slogan “It’s all in Allston.”
I even never considered a home in Allston or Brighton until Pam’s post Wednesday, then I realized I can get four times the space for my money. Conversely, I could save a ton of cash or dump a ton of debt by moving. And, unlike the South End, Allston is United Nations of food and dining, most of which is inexpensive.
This week, we need to get creative with timing because Taste of Allston coincides with the most popular open house times.
244 Brighton Avenue, #206
Allston, MA 02134
Beds: 2/Baths: 1
SQ.FT.: 1015
$412,500
Open House:Sunday, June 15, 11:00am – 2:00pm
38 Waverly Street, #1
Brighton, Ma 02135
Beds: 4/Baths: 2.5
SQ.FT.: 2059
$529,000
Open House: Sunday, June 15 1:00pm – 3:00pm
28 Quint Avenue, #34
Allston, Ma 02134
Beds: 0/Baths: 1
SQ.FT.: 455
$145,000
Open House: Sunday, June 15, 12:00 to 3:30
Hitting the Links- June 12
Sweet Digs Boston Home
June 13, 2008
Have you ever been dumbfounded by all those multi-million dollar listings in Brookline, and wondered exactly what’s considered “average” in this high-price town? I sure have. (What do these sellers want — my first born?) But now, thanks to Greg Kiely of The Brookline Connection, we’ve got some specific numbers to shed a little more light on the matter.
In January through June 2008, according to Kiely, the average prices of condos and homes looked something like this:
- 750-1000 sq. ft., $390,606. (The price was $391,376 in the same period of 2007).
- 1001-1250 sq. ft., $468,963 (Down from $515,912 in 2007).
- 1251-1500 sq. ft., $567,854 (Down from $584,784 in 2007).
And just so you can see what those prices get you, here are a few examples of properties coming close to these averages:
12 James Street, #1
Brookline
Beds:1/Baths:1
Sq. Ft.: 917
$389K
9 Park Vale, #8
Brookline
Beds:3/Baths:1
Sq.Ft: 1,170
$459,900
50 Lancaster Terrace, #4
Brookline
Beds:3/Baths:1.5
Sq. Ft.: 1470
$573K
June 11, 2008
For years I was obsessed with buying a loft. Aside from blogging, I paint, and I wanted a space where I could set up a functional in-home studio.
My husband and I began looking for lofts anywhere we thought we might find one, including the South End, Fort Point and Somerville. I won’t go into all the ugly details, but after two years of looking, it became apparent that we were sadly deluded in our ability to afford a loft in central Boston. It seemed all we could afford was a parking space.
We began looking beyond the “artsy” neighborhoods to regular old apartments with good light, high ceilings and a nice layout. It was 2006. We started looking in Brookline. Before long, we realized Brookline was out of reach, too.
As we were about to give up, we stumbled on an alternative – in Brighton. While the place wasn’t a loft, it had potential —good light, high ceilings, the requisite airyness, and room enough for a studio. Eureka! (See the results of our search above and below).
Though I’m content with what we’ve found, I’m still fascinated with lofts. Are there any in Brighton? You bet. While they’re not common in this part of town, they exist, and often bigger than what’s available closer to town.
Here are two lofts on the market in Brighton and one loft-alternative.
165 Chestnut Hill Avenue, #12
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT: 2,226
$617K
With 22-foot ceilings and garage parking for two, this place is quite a loft, but not in a terribly interesting or convenient location.
244 Brighton Avenue, #206
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 1015
$412,500
This loft is in a better location — close to restaurants and public transportation. It lacks the airyness of other places, but it has views.
733 Cambridge Street
BEDS:3/BATHS:2.5
SQ.FT: 2210
$700K
It’s a carriage house, not a loft, but it has the soaring ceilings and wide open spaces and it’s quite posh.
Is the Sparhawk House Worth Saving?
Sweet Digs Boston Home
June 9, 2008
Despite popular opinion, a few buildings in Brighton are worth protecting form the bulldozer. But is the Sparhawk house one of them?
Built in 1802, this Federal period farmhouse at 45 Murdock Street was originally built for cattleman and Brighton selectman Edward Sparhawk. It is the fourth-oldest building in Brighton, notable because the Sparhawks were a prominent family of early Boston settlers.
In 1875, the farmhouse was relocated, and turned into a two-family home. Over the years, owners substantially altered the building changing the windows and adding aluminum siding. Today, the house appears sadly ordinary, though it is surrounded by several interesting Victorians.
The Boston Landmarks Commission recently recommended the preservation of the house but declined to designate it a landmark since it doesn’t have enough historical importance or architectural distinction. The current owner wants to demolish the decrepit building and replace it with housing for six families. Meanwhile, many observers agree with the Brighton Tab, which says “a community like Allston-Brighton that is rapidly losing its history needs to do what it can to preserve as much of that history as it can.”
So should the Sparhawk house be saved? There’s a City Hall meeting tomorrow to decide this question. While I’m all for preserving history when we can, I’m not sure that holding onto a poorly-maintained, heavily-altered house does Brighton any good. Maybe it would be better to rebuild well-planned, energy-efficient family housing in keeping with the style and size of neighboring residences.
The Landmarks Commission came up with an alternative to complete demolition. It suggested using state and federal tax credits to turn the existing house into three separate units and construct another three-unit building on the property. The proposal is meant to satisfy both the preservationists and developer.
For the Sparhawk house, another renovation will be another departure from its original incarnation as a single-family farmhouse. So what’s the point? With all the changes, the house will have even less historical significance. Why not build something that better meets the needs of today’s families?
If the Price is Right: Price Reductions in Brookline, Brighton
Sweet Digs Boston Home
June 6, 2008
Sellers use a whole lot of tricks when it comes to pricing a house. You’ve probably heard of the precise number strategy: pricing a house at $276,421.35 rather than $275,000. According to researchers at Cornell University, people perceive precise prices as lower than round prices. Or how about range pricing? In this strategy, a house might be priced in the $399,900 to $450,000 range so the home shows up in two price searches: $450K and under, and $400K and under. Another trick is pricing a house just shy of an even number, for example, $399,900 rather than $400,000, because the odd number seems cheaper and buyers tend to delimit their housing search around such round numbers.
Do any of these pricing strategies actually work?
When I see weird prices, I draw one of three conclusions:
- The seller is difficult and spent way too much time plotting how to wring every dime out of me.
- The seller thinks I’m so stupid I will think $276,421.50 is less than $275,000.
- It will be an absolute nightmare trying to come to an agreement with this seller.
Why not just forget about the complicated pricing strategy and opt for pricing a house at the RIGHT price?
And speaking of prices, here are a few price reductions in Brookline and Brighton:
41 Park Street, #205
Brookline, 02446
Beds: 2/ Baths: 2
SQ.FT.: 1162
Original Price: $479,900
Today’s Price: $469,900
And they planned an open house Sunday, June 8, 2008 12:00pm-1:30pm
53 Gardner Road, #2
Brookline, 02446
Beds: 2/ Baths: 2
SQ.FT.: 1100
Original Price: $589,000
Today’s Price: $570,000
1662 Commonwealth Avenue, #41
Brighton, 02135
Beds: 2/ Baths: 1
SQ.FT.: 819
Original Price: $279,000
Today’s Price: $269,900
A Tight Leash in Brookline
Sweet Digs Boston Home
June 4, 2008
The City of Brookline is planning something really annoying: it wants to require dog owners to buy a $52-a-year permit to allow their dogs to roam off-leash in parks during off-leash hours. Currently, the Green Dog Program allows owners to walk their un-leashed dogs in a few parks from dawn until 9 a.m. without a permit.
The city argues the new fee will persuade wayward dog owners to pick up after their dogs. I disagree. As a dog owner who always picks up, I argue the permit will have the opposite effect: owners will feel like they paid for the right to let Fido crap all over.
I get as annoyed as everyone else after stepping in dog poo, but a punitive law won’t resolve this problem and it won’t improve Brookline’s image. Families move to Brookline for great schools and the chance to live an urban existence amidst greenery. With parks around every corner, they can finally get a dog. So why hit a nice family with another tax? That’s not very charitable.
Here’s a better idea: raise the laughable $15 fines for not picking up after a dog (hey, why not $150?) and have an animal control officer enforce the law. This way, law-abiding dog owners aren’t punished for a crime they never committed.
In and Around St. Mary’s Street
Sweet Digs Boston Home
June 2, 2008
One of my favorite parts of Brookline is the corner of town wedged right up against Boston. Go north and you’re practically on the Boston University campus. Go south and you’re dodging ambulances in the Longwood Medical Area. Go east and you’re dodging crowds at Kenmore Square’s Fenway Park.
This part of Brookline is’t like any other; it’s real CITY. On Beacon Street at St. Mary’s, you find students buying cheap futons at Economy Hardware, street bums hanging out at the Dunkin’ Donuts and urban sophisticates knoshing tapas at Taberna de Haro. Dining choices run the gamut: Japanese (Ginza for late-night Sushi), Chinese (Chef Chang’s for a guaranteed table for large parties), Mexican (Sol Azteca), French Cambodian (Elephant Walk), and of course a good old-fashioned Irish pub (O’Leary’s for live music and Sox-watching).
Need groceries? You’ve got Johnnie’s Fresh Market. Need dough? There are a couple of banks right there. You’ve got a dry cleaners, an old-fashioned diner, a Japanese bakery, a new chic torte shop, a wine shop, a used book store, a nearby movie theatre and the usual major stores at the Landmark Center.
Hop the T at St. Mary’s stop and you’re in the Back Bay in a matter of minutes. But then again, why not just walk? It’s a densely-packed urban dream that makes me giddy with happiness.
In keeping with the urban flavor, brick and brownstone condos dominate in this part of town, but there are a few million dollar manses too over in Cottage Farm. Prices are a lot lower than the Back Bay, but higher than in other parts of Brookline. Think of St. Mary’s as a miniature Back Bay — but on valium.
On the market now:
17 Monmouth Court, #4, $389,900
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 950
16 Chilton Street, $2,995,000
BEDS:6/BATHS:5.5
SQ.FT: 4822
1080 Beacon Street, #5C, $485,000
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 958
St. Mary’s Street, #5, #369,900 (technically Boston)
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 651
58 Euston Street, $6,500,000
BEDS:5/BATHS:5
SQ.FT: 6500
May 30, 2008
Lucky Brookline. While prices of single-family homes have dropped 12 percent in Massachusetts, Brookline’s home prices have only managed to rise. Twenty percent no less! (That’s according to the professionals, as a layman observer I have my doubts about that.)
How can that be, you may ask? Well, according to the Wall Street Journal, homes in or near downtown areas have held their value as housing prices in distant suburbs tank. The WSJ even mentions Brookline by name. Nobody feels like shelling out gas money for a long commute. Others offer the good schools argument. Housing prices just don’t fall in neighborhoods where schools are strong. And of course, because Brookline is an affluent place, it has not been hit by a surge in foreclosures the way other towns have. In short, when you venture out to these Brookline open houses this weekend, you can worry about whether a property has parking, new windows or an energy-efficient boiler, but you don’t have to worry about whether you’ll lose your shirt buying in a down market.
150 Salisbury Road, #2, $299K
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 593
O.H. Sunday, June 1, 2008 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
3 Englewood Avenue, #1, $299,900
BEDS:1/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 572
O.H. Sunday, June 1, 2008 11:30 PM – 1:00 PM
45 Mason Terrace, #2, $412K
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 800
O.H. Sunday, June 1, 2008 11:00 PM – 1:00 PM
41 Park Street, #205, $478,999
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT: 1,162
O.H. Sunday, June 1, 2008 12:15 PM – 2:00 PM
May 28, 2008
What’s more frustrating than finding a special home priced just out of your reach? Finding that special one priced within your reach — but without a printed floor plan. Visit that special house again, and you may be shocked to discover it’s not what you remembered.
It’s a real downer.
Printed floor plans are standard in European real estate. Many home buyers look at the layout and immediately know whether the house will work. In America, builders provide printed floor plans, but many agents haven’t caught on yet. What a mistake. If buyers could look at floor plans as well as pictures online, most could quickly eliminate houses they might otherwise waste their time visiting.
According to the New York Times, floor plans can tell you quite a bit:
A floor plan shows the entire unit, not just part of it. In other words, floor plans reveal what photographs often do not: the proportions of rooms, the number of rooms and the traffic flows among them. A buyer can instantly see, for instance, if the kitchen is conveniently situated near the dining room, whether bedrooms open directly onto the living room or whether a trip to the bathroom will involve a walk through a bedroom.
Recently, Rona Fischman wrote about buyers viewing multiple properties and how they often lose track of the details. She concluded that buyers should limit the number of properties they see, take copious notes, and forget about the bad places. I will add that if sellers provided floor plans, none of the other stuff would be necessary.
Living Next to a Dorm
Sweet Digs Boston Home
