When you work with the best you are always leveraging two minds on a common goal and this is always to your benefit.  The process of selling a home is complicated with so many moving parts.  The marketing of a home has it's own process as well. With an average agent they put the property into MLS after taking some pictures and writing up a short description. They depend on the IDX of their local MLS to distribute the MLS content to all the consumer sites like Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com and all the rest of the agencies that are signed up to receive the IDX feed from the MLS. These average agents proudly state that they will promote your property on 400 sites or so, when they really have just put the listing into the MLS which is their job.  Jeez, talk about puffery. Newton-Lawmarissa-He... 09/09/2014

Discretion and Connection are Best Practices in Real Estate. As a Realtor® our National Code provides our clients with, "The obligation of REALTORS® to preserve confidential information (as defined by state law)..."Standard of Practice 1-9, but Best Practices go well beyond just securing confidential information. A good Realtor® knows how to gather information beneficial to their clients objectives. A good Realtor® is polite, returns their phone calls and emails and realizes that treating people fairly is beneficial to all parties. The average agent does not do this. They rarely pick up the phone when you call. Average agents take time to get back to you, if they get back to you at all. When they do get back to you an average agent will always tell you how busy they are. A good Realtor®... 09/09/2014

Newton, Boston Area Move In Homes, Luxury homes include large homes with large families.  Four bedrooms to eight bedrooms are not out of the question with the homes in Newton. That is why so many families from outside the United States, first settle in Newton.  You are close to everything. You have some of the world's best schools, hospitals and sports teams on the planet. We are known for that right now.  Truth be told 114 Shornecliffe Road in Newton, MA was built in 1911.  I know I reported 1910 in an earlier post, but I was reporting information gathered from public records.  (Rule One, not everything you read on the internet is accurate--you need to verify)  In this case is was an article about when the house was started, it was finished/built in 1911. 114 Shornecliffe Rd has had on... 08/31/2014

114 Shornecliff Road, Newton MA 02458 video does not show you this whole magnificent house because we are still staging it.  We will be on the MLS market in early September.  Having just replanted all the exterior landscaping to include the beautiful fall colors here in New England.  Going into the Fall season with the kids returning to school we know that in Newton there are a lot of excited children.  Newton has two high schools and both of them are highly regarded and highly regarded rivals for the affection of the town.  US News and Report did rank one of these schools as being in the top percentile of all public schools in the country. Boston College is in Newton, MA.  Newton is very close to the Boston border, but it is not Boston.  Public transportation around all the Boston Area... 08/26/2014

Dear Buyer, Please Don't Settle.  I know we have been looking every single day, we have been obsessed with it actually.  Well, that is more you than me.  I know that each day there will be new houses on the market. Each day there will be deals that close and those that won't. I know there are other ways to find properties for us to purchase. Please don't settle because we have seen 20 houses together and you have seen 70 more and you think that should be enough. It isn't, you haven't found the right house yet, you have found ok houses.  Houses that you could live in, like some long term rental. That is not what you want.  You want to buy your first house and make it your home.  If your plan is to sell it in 5 years you and going to keep it up and make it better along the way.  Now is no... 08/26/2014

Famous Newton MA Actors, Actresses from Wikipedia.   If they didn't have active careers elsewhere they could afford one of the many luxury homes that are currently on the market in their hometown of Newton, MA. Matt Damon, actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter (with Ben Affleck) for Good Will Hunting Bette Davis, twice Oscar-winning actress Anne Dudek, actress, played Dr. Amber Volakis in TV series House Kathryn Erbe, actress, star of Law & Order: Criminal Intent Josephine Hull, actress Alex Karpovsky, actor, best known for playing Ray Ploshansky on HBO's Girls Jonathan Katz, actor, best known for his starring role on the animated sitcom Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist 114 Shornecliffe Rd, Newton MA 02458 John Krasinski, actor, best known for playing Jim Halpert on NBC's The Office Ben ... 08/26/2014

History of the house, memories of the home Luxury in Newton MA 02458 in the Farlow Hill section of Newton. 114 Shornecliffe Road, Newton, is 6,810 square feet of livable luxury space. As with all luxury homes, the eyes of the beholder makes that decision and that decision is often based on what makes a great home. Today that means a living space connected to a family space connected to a kitchen space connnected to the outside space. That is the best open space plan your "new construction" type homes have as part of their design.  What is nice about this home is the windows.  Classic construction of lusury homes in the early 1900's was to be on top of the hill looking out and over the landscape.  This is true of 114 Shornecliffe.  This home will be back on the market as soon as staging ... 08/23/2014

114 Shornecliffe Road, Newton, MA 02458 was built in 1910 and first owned by Harry F Morse and his family. Since that time there have been a total of 4 families that have lived in this 6,810 square feet of living space.  Grand and gracious entryway lead the eyes to a beautiful and wide staircase ready for the bridal party photo.  To your right is the grand piano and a room with fireplace and wonderfully large windows. The kind of windows you can not find in any newly constructed homes. They just don't build them like that anymore.  Craftmanship and quality products are the hallmark of the homes built in this time. Throughout powerful and sturdy homes are the kinds of hand crafted details that make a difference.  Dental moulding, spacious rooms and hallways, three floors of living with i... 08/21/2014

Newton, MA Single Family Market Report Aug 2014. From July 1 through July 31 there were 260 homes that were on the MLS in an Active, Under Agreement, Sold, Expired or Canceled Listings Status.  When information is uploaded to the individual MLS portals it then through IDX and syndication distributes that information to sites like Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com and all the other thousands of consumer real estate sites. This information comes from MLSPIN, which covers the Metropolitan Boston area and MA.  Waverly Ave, Newton Single Family Active Listings: 136    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 4,473.76     Avg. List$: $1,860,518    Avg. List$/SqFt: $413     Avg. DOM: 92.83    Single Family Under Agreement Listings: 42    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 3,114.36     Avg. List$: $1,290,938    Avg. List$/SqFt: $407   ... 08/17/2014

There are A Students and C Students it is true, who do you want to work with? Seriously, they each have their own charm, don't they?  C Students rule the world it is said.  The late starter, late bloomer comes on later, it's true, but progress needs to be evident.  A Students usually do the homework and a real estate transaction is a whole lot of home work.  Financially, you have a lifetime transaction for most which involves Legal issues moving forward.  It is a big deal.  How about home design and build issues that need to be understood.  Neighborhood issues, what your agent knows about the neighborhood used to be so important, it is less so now.  All the information you need is on the internet which is both a wealth of information and a cess pool of information.  Life is full of choi... 08/16/2014

Luxury and history reside at 114 Shornecliff Road, Newton, MA 02458. This powerful Colonial home was built in 1910 on the  Farlow Hill section of Newton.  Newton MA 02458 is one of the premier Boston Area Move In Homes locations. Locations like 114 Shornecliff dot the landscape around Colonial Boston.  They are luxurious and still stand strong as reminders of the strength and power of Boston and this area.  Homes where great ideas were hatched, business started and families grew.  History resides in this grand 6810 square foot homes. With 8 bedrooms and and 4 and 1/2 bathrooms this stately manor has been home to some of the most prominent families of this area. One example is  Joseph Stanton, Clerk, Massachusetts Appeals Court,  who grew up in this home. Mr Stanton has written Using Tec... 07/28/2014

Real Estate Market Report Newton, MA 02458 May 2014 Newton, MA (02446) 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 Newton, 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 pay).  By comparing these p... 06/01/2014

Real Estate Market in  Chestnut Hill, MA Buyers and investors who have are serious about the Real Estate Market in Chestnut Hill, 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  Chestnut Hill, 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 have a good ... 05/03/2014

Real Estate Market in Newton,, MA Buyers and investors who have are serious about the Real Estate Market in Newton, 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 Newton,, 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 have a good idea of where the mar... 05/02/2014

Newton MA Real Estate Market Update: April 2014 Newton MA's market for single family houses has been very hot.  Everywhere you go you'll hear somone's story of rejected offers, multiple offers, too little inventory, or selling their house in a flash. These conditions are not the same in all the price brackets, though.  The presentation below will show you the significant price shifts of Newton MA houses in recent years, the driving forces behind those changes, which houses are selling in a flash, and which are taking a lot longer.     Newton MA Real Estate Update: April 2014 from Ruth Lerner 04/28/2014

Construction has begun on Newton’s newest retail project: The Needham Street Village Shops. A 19,200 square-foot retail development, The Village Shops is marketed as an “important step toward updating the traffic-clogged road into a more pedestrian-friendly shopping district.” According to its website, it will be ready for occupancy in the summer of 2014. The project, located near the intersection with Winchester Street on the former location of International Bicycle Centers and Skipjack’s Restaurant, is hoping to attract a different mix of retail shops than those currently on the street. Newton, “City of the Thirteen Villages”, is renowned to have bustling commercial activities in these distinctive neighborhood areas. And with two significant commercial corridors (Route 9/Boylston Str... 03/24/2014

Today, March 22, from 8 am to 4 pm the Massachusetts DownSyndrome Congress (MDSC) will hold its 30th annual conference at the DCU Center in Worcester to celebrate the true champions of the Down syndrome movement here in Massachusetts. Each spring, over 600 people with Down syndrome, their family members, health care professionals, and educators from across New England attend the conference to hear the latest research findings and information. They share stories, celebrate victories, advocate for acceptance, and reunite with other MDSC families. The Burlington-based non-profit organization, hopes to demonstrate the resilience of the community and show how we all pull together to ensure the people with Down syndrome everywhere have opportunities to live fulfilling lives. This year the the... 03/22/2014

Newton's public school system is one of the best in the state. In Boston Magazine, Newton was ranked #20 in the 2013 "Massachusetts 50 best public school" article. They compiled numbers frm 147 municipalities in Greater Boston, and ranked the schools based on many factors, including student-to-teacher ratio, per-pupil expenditure, graduation rate, MCAS scores, and the percent of students going to college. According to the Newton Public School website, as of October 2013 there are 12,441 students enrolled in the fifteen elementary schoools, four middle schools, and two comprehensive high schools, and one alternative high school. Here's what you need to know specifically about the Newton schools in your area: Primary Schools School Total Enrollment Total Teachers Student/Teacher Ratio 201... 03/21/2014

I am pleased to announce that I have been ranked in January as one of the top 5 real estate agents in the Boston suburbs. Below is what Arielle, my blog admin, wrote about me: Working as the CEO of Castles Unlimited, Inc for over 28 years,  Jim specializes in luxury property in Boston and the surrounding areas.  To sell beautiful Newton real estate,  Jim is constantly looking to find, list, and sell houses in the most creative, and quickest ways possible. According to client George Bradford, “Jim listed and sold my house in a very difficult market. His creative marketing approach and negotiating skills once we attracted the broker were top notch. I would highly recommend him as a broker to anyone.” Another client, Zhanna V., said, “I know James as a highly professional real estate agent... 03/05/2014

Newton House for Sale 72 Beacon Newton Ma Single Family housing report for 2013 shows a vibrant and alive housing market.  There were 650 homes Sold in this community during the year, 650–that is a lot of homes.  Only 130 of them were below a price point of $650,000, leaving 450 above that level.  I had a home in Newton on the market for 9 days with multiple offers and the house going $11,000 over asking price. Newton, like so many cities in the Boston area are often ranked at the top level in the country for desirable places to live.  Milton, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood and Newton are all in the top 100 places to live on many reviews.  Newton has a wonderful school system and is served by 3 types of public transportation making it easy to hassle free commute into Boston for work, shop... 01/09/2014