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Boston, MA Real Estate News

By James Lowenstern, Castles Unlimited. Newton MA Real Estate
(Castles Unlimited®)
Robin's Academy Award Winning Dialogue Robin Williams is dead, and while millions grieve I want to offer up my remembrance of the great comic, actor and humanitarian with the movie clip above.  It's a simple enough scene.  Robin with Matt Damon from the movie "Good Will Hunting".  It was filmed in the famous "Public Gardens' Pond" in Boston's Back Bay where people come to "sail" on the swan boats, walk through the rows of beautiful flowers, watch the ducks and the swans and often sit and talk on the park benches that ring the pond.  People come to sit on those benches, and for the time that they are there the world's problems can seem to melt away.  Those park benches will never look quite the same to me from this day on.  Robin left his heart there on one of those benches and the world...
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For this update, I am going to be concentrating on the Boston real estate market for 2Q 2014.  All information was obtained from the Multiple Listing Service Property Information Network (MLSPIN) The Boston real estate market is broken down into many different neighborhoods and it is impossible to give one “average” price for a Boston home.  Some areas (i.e.: Back Bay, Beacon Hill, South End) have some of the most expensive real estate in the United States.  Because Boston has a very expansive footprint coupled with very diverse housing stock there is usually “something for everyone” when it comes to finding a new home.  Key drivers for prices and appreciation tend to be location to Downtown; access to public transportation, amenities (in condo buildings) and lot size. This update will...
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By Larry Lawfer, "I listen for a living." It's all about you.
(YourStories Realty Group)
Living in the City, Transportation and Take Out.  There are many advantages to living in the city. One of them is that you can live Auto free.  If you live and work in the city, especially Boston you can get from here to there in most cases faster with the available public transportation (during regular hours) than you can with a car, and certainly way cheaper if you are considering parking.  Yes, there are disadvantages to not having the freedom of a car, but the cost benefit ratio is one to consider if you are renting and hoping to own a home in the city. West Roxbury T Station The key to the purchase of a home is down payment and credit. If you are paying rent and are on time make sure your landlord provides you a letter saying so.  One of the other key advantages the city has over t...
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By Larry Lawfer, "I listen for a living." It's all about you.
(YourStories Realty Group)
Boston Area Move In Homes Luxury Market Report July 10 2014  The Luxury Market has been moving up, the inventory is down a bit, but growing faster than normal. The Days on Market is lower and our prices are better than the averages across the country. All of this is good and somewhat expected what we are hearing both in the media and seeing on the yellow brick road. The Institute of Luxury Home Marketing indicates it is a Warm Seller's Market meaning that the Seller is seeing more buyers than they need.  This is also showing up for the future as well with more houses absorbed than came on the market which will result in a lower number of homes on the market.  This can drive prices up further and Days on Market down, we will see how it plays out through the summer.  Quite often the luxur...
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By Larry Lawfer, "I listen for a living." It's all about you.
(YourStories Realty Group)
The Luxury of Liberty brings forth great emotion. I can only recall the saying of a wise Frenchman that `liberty is the luxury of self-discipline.’ Historically, those peoples that did not discipline themselves had discipline thrust on them from the outside. That is why the normal cycle in the life and death of great nations has been first a powerful tyranny broken by revolt, the enjoyment of liberty, the abuse of liberty — and back to tyranny again. As I see it, in this country — a land of the most persistent idealism and the blandest cynicism — the race is on between its decadence and its vitality. This quote is from Liberty is the Luxury of Self-Discipline by Alistair Cooke in the Imaginative Conservative It is impossible to think of Liberty without thinking of the price of Liberty d...
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By Jay McHugh, YOUR SendOutCard Mentor
(SendOutCards-Appreciation Marketing Expert)
  How will you celebrate the July 4th holiday? LAER and Jay McHugh have compiled a list of all the Massachusetts fireworks displays. If we’ve missed any, please share in the comments below. Acton July 4 (rain date: July 5) Dusk NARA Park Amesbury July 4 Dusk Woodsom Farm Andover July 3 Dusk Andover High School Attleboro July 5 (rain date: July 6) 9:20 p.m. Hayward Field Auburn July 3 (rain date: July 6) 9:30 p.m. Pappas Recreation Complex Ayer July 5 9:30 p.m. Pirone Park Barnstable July 4 Dusk Lewis Bay Bellingham July 4 9 p.m. Blackstone Street Complex Beverly July 4 (rain date: July 5) 9 p.m. West Beach Boston July 4 9:30 p.m. Esplanade Braintree June 28 (rain date: June 29) 10 p.m. Braintree High School Bridgewater July 4 9:30 p.m. Legion Field Brockton July 4 (fireworks on June 28...
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By Larry Lawfer, "I listen for a living." It's all about you.
(YourStories Realty Group)
Appraising versus Selling Real Estate are two different processes with different objectives.  An appraisal is to determine and detail valuation for the purposes of a loan, while a Realtor® must highlight the features and benefits to enhance the value of the property.  The appraisers work must be capable of being defended with current statistical proof of value.  Appraisers and Realtors® may have differing goals, but they are seeing the same house.  The value of any house is the house in comparison to other houses in the area.  Market value is that value that the house is likely to be purchased for at that time--the last 3 months is best. There are 17 or more ways to compare value.  Most home buyers will compare rooms. For instance, is this kitchen in better condition to the other kitche...
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By Larry Lawfer, "I listen for a living." It's all about you.
(YourStories Realty Group)
Boston Area Single Family Market Report for the last three months shows an active market. With interest rates staying stable and still a low inventory in many areas we are heading into summer with some interesting facts.  In the Boston Area over the last three months there have been 10,896 houses Sold. That is a lot of homes.  There are 18,077 houses that are actively on the market with 2,155 of them changing their price, extending the listing, reactivating the listing or coming back on the market.  That is almost 20,000 single family housing units in only three months. There were 7,104 houses that went under agreement (UAG) during that time in the Boston area.  Lastly there were 4,636 houses that went expired, or canceled during that same time in the Boston Area real estate market.  Wh...
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A million dollars—what could you buy if you had it? With the rising trends in Boston properties, three different neighborhoods were evaluated to provide a comprehensive sampling of one’s buying power.   Starting in the North End, 234 Causeway Street, Unit 1203 is a spacious four-room condominium with over 1,300 square feet. Built in 2003, this near-new residence is located in the luxury loft building Strada 234 in historic Keany Square at the entrance to the Charlestown Bridge. This top floor, mid-rise penthouse pad faces to the northwest and includes two full baths, central cooling and forced hot air, underground garage parking, and is pet friendly. The price? $1,095,000, plus the condo fee of $1,316, which covers water/sewer/insurance and other amenities such as elevator service, land...
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By James Lowenstern, Castles Unlimited. Newton MA Real Estate
(Castles Unlimited®)
One of the sadder facts of life is that the more you can spend on a house, the more options you will have. Many factors go into making that leap – affordability, convenience, size, proximity to transportation. This begs the question: What’s truly affordable these days? The middle class unfortuantely suffers the most during the home-buying process. The median income in Boston is a mere $67,540, but Trulia insists that a family pulling in said income can manage to purchase up to a $332,000 home, about five times their annual income. Given the number of post-graduation students and young parents that populate the Boston area, a $67,000 paycheck will only allow for so much savings, once expenses like loan payments and childcare are taken out. When it comes to housing, middle-income families...
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Real Estate Market Report Beacon Hill Boston, MA 02108 May 2014 Beacon Hill Boston, MA (02108) Real Estate is still in a seller's market.  This will continue for remainder of 2014 due to lack of available housing and low interest rates.  Like all the real estate market in Boston area suburbs.  If you find the ideal home for you, be prepared to write an offer quickly or accept the possibility you will lose the home to another buyer. Buyers and investors who have are serious about the Real Estate Market in Beacon Hill  Boston, MA  in May 2014  should now have enough facts to get them started on their real estate journey in this community. Price Trends - Sold vs. Listed Understanding the difference between "listing prices" (what sellers are asking for) and "sold prices" (what buyers are w...
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Real Estate Market Report North End Boston, MA 02109 May 2014 North End Boston, MA (02109) Real Estate is still in a seller's market.  This will continue for remainder of 2014 due to lack of available housing and low interest rates.  Like all the real estate market in Boston area suburbs.  If you find the ideal home for you, be prepared to write an offer quickly or accept the possibility you will lose the home to another buyer. Buyers and investors who have are serious about the Real Estate Market in North End  Boston, MA  in May 2014  should now have enough facts to get them started on their real estate journey in this community. Price Trends - Sold vs. Listed Understanding the difference between "listing prices" (what sellers are asking for) and "sold prices" (what buyers are willing...
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Real Estate Market Report South End Boston, MA 02118 May 2014 South End Boston, MA (02118) Real Estate is still in a seller's market.  This will continue for remainder of 2014 due to lack of available housing and low interest rates.  Like all the real estate market in Boston area suburbs.  If you find the ideal home for you, be prepared to write an offer quickly or accept the possibility you will lose the home to another buyer. Buyers and investors who have are serious about the Real Estate Market in South End Boston, MA  in May 2014  should now have enough facts to get them started on their real estate journey in this community. Price Trends - Sold vs. Listed Understanding the difference between "listing prices" (what sellers are asking for) and "sold prices" (what buyers are willing ...
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Real Estate Market Report Back Bay Boston, MA 02116 May 2014 Back Bay Boston, MA (02116) Real Estate is still in a seller's market.  This will continue for remainder of 2014 due to lack of available housing and low interest rates.  Like all the real estate market in Boston area suburbs.  If you find the ideal home for you, be prepared to write an offer quickly or accept the possibility you will lose the home to another buyer. Buyers and investors who have are serious about the Real Estate Market in Back Bay Boston, MA  in May 2014  should now have enough facts to get them started on their real estate journey in this community. Price Trends - Sold vs. Listed Understanding the difference between "listing prices" (what sellers are asking for) and "sold prices" (what buyers are willing to ...
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By Jeff Dowler, CRS, The Southern California Relocation Dude
(eXp Realty of California, Inc.)
I was in Boston a couple of weeks ago on a whirlwind business trip (Maine and Connecticut) for the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS). I lived on the Boston area for about 22 years and left in 2005, so it was great fun to spend a little time touring around before I flew back home since my last visit was in 2007. There are a numnber of icons in Boston - Fenway Park, for sure, the Prudential Tower and Boston Commons, to name a few. And of course the famous, if not a bit touristy, Duck Boats. Taking a Boston Duck Boat Tour seems to be a pretty cool way to get around. Hard to believe in all my years there we never took one. Now that I can play tourist it may be time.  
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By Larry Lawfer, "I listen for a living." It's all about you.
(YourStories Realty Group)
The Top 20 reasons to blog; what really matters? This story starts and ends with answering a few questions, 20, in fact. It is about the story, but to tell a story you first have to listen.  I listen for a living.  it is really about the listening.  If you are quiet you can hear parable, narrative, poetic and practical questions and oh, so much more.  In no special order. What do I want to talk about what is relevant what is funny what is intuitive or predictive what is needed what is routine what is instructive what is important what is relevnt what is today what is history what is helpful what is smart what is brand what is of value what is google what is linking what is engagement who are your subscribers what really matters. Wellesley Town Hall If you can answer these questions then...
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By Larry Lawfer, "I listen for a living." It's all about you.
(YourStories Realty Group)
Tale of Woe, a Real Estate story begins, as always, with smiles and good wishes.I call the listing agent because I have buyers who like her listed property.  Best practices dictate that good agents always call and inquire about a property their buyer is considering seriously.  Good buyers agents  need to know the current activity of the property. We need to know if there are any pending written offers, if other offers are expected. This lets the Buyer make an informed offer.  In a Seller’s market, that we are in right now, that first offer is far more important than in a Buyer’s market.  I would be happy to share why this is so.. So, after my 13 minute conversation (rather long by standards) the property had a buyer who offered above asking according to the Listing Agent. I was told the...
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By Ruth Lerner
(William Raveis Real Estate)
Farmers Market Season in Boston, Massachusetts Farmers Market season is commencing.  Kale, corn, weird tomatoes, and home made jellys.... Honestly, I love farmers market, and significantly reduce my produce shopping in the supermarket.  The Newton market on Tuesdays and the Roslindale one on Saturdays are my favorite.  This year the Roslindale market will be held at the commuter rail's parking lot, rather than the square. You'll find a farmers market in every corner of the City of Boston, and in most of the suburbs.  You can shop for dandelion greens daily!  Take a look at the list below to find your market, and add your favorite if it is not on the list.  The Best Farmer's Market in and Around Boston View more lists from Ruth Lerner
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By Jay McHugh, YOUR SendOutCard Mentor
(SendOutCards-Appreciation Marketing Expert)
    As simple as it is Why do Folks not see what I see?   Here it is ..... when you appreciate you clearly see those that don't.   When that happens your clients leave you and you struggle to replace that client/customer.....which costs 16x more than it is to retain your clients... Glad to report that an additional $212,000 I have received from praciting Appreciation Marketing....   YOU can too...   Check out: https://www.sendoutcards.com/jaymchugh and test drive the system on me... Please if you are not interested fine...I am not interested in hearing how you love writing your own cards....etc...I will follow up with that weak objection shortly....   Cordially,     Jay McHugh Jay@JayMcHugh.com 617 699 7442        
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Real Estate Market in Beacon Hill Boston, MA Buyers and investors who have are serious about the Real Estate Market in Beacon Hill Boston MA in April 2014  should now have enough facts to get them started on their real estate journey in this community. The data provided in this report is from Market Insider (MI) published by Market Leader.  MI consolidates data from multiple sources and includes current listings, recent sales and more.  Whether you are a buyer or seller, the knowledge you gain will help put you in control of your real estate transactions.  Price Trends - Sold vs. Listed Beacon Hill Boston, MA Understanding the difference between "listing prices" (what sellers are asking for) and "sold prices" (what buyers are willing to pay).  By comparing these price trends, you will ...
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