May 9, 2008
Long surveys suck. Especially when you know many of the results are going to end up on a corporate Powerpoint as useless filler. That’s why we’re getting down to the nitty gritty. We want to know who are readers are and why you read Redfin Sweet Digs. That’s it. Please take a minute to fill out our blog survey. It will help us improve Sweet Digs, Scout’s honor.
Click here to take the survey.
We’ll share the results with everyone in a couple weeks. Thanks.
-The Sweet Digs Team
Photo credit: glenOX on Flickr
May 9, 2008
Only a few more hours….
Woah! 15 Cherry Street needs a little love, but what a barn for $222,900!
I haven’t seen this property, and this is just a general kinda thought — but I worry about bank-owned property. If they’ve shut off the utilities, and you can’t check the plumbing and heat and what have you, it’s too scary for me. Keep an open mind and bring a home inspector.
6 Gallows Circle is a GIANT ranch for $369,900. And you get to live on Gallows circle! Be the envy of all your Goth friends! (But beware the ghost of mad John Fishmeal, still said to walk these parts — no, I’m making it up. You meddling kids!)
20 Loring Avenue #3 is only $183,900. This is a place that a family could use as a stepping stone — I really think there’s money to be made on this one. Again, bank owned.
Image links to source.
May 9, 2008
The Museum of Bad Art is expanding. [Metaboston]- Boston drivers are terrible; Boston cyclists are suicidal. [Bostonist]
- I can’t say it any better than John Keith: “Best neighborhood in America gets even better.” [Boston Real Estate Blog]
- The State wants to take a billion dollars from Harvard. I didn’t know Harvard even had that kind of cash. [Brighton Centered]
- This is nice… Some guy who won a home makeover from Extreme Home Makeover put the home on up for sale. The family couldn’t afford to care for the home after they blew through the donated expense fund. [The Real Estate Bloggers]
- I drive a mile out of my way (in traffic!) to avoid awkward eye contact with these panhandlers. [Boston Globe]
- The FCC fined a Dorchester pirate-radio operator $17K. Thank God the FCC is watching out for us. [Universal Hub]
- Garage Condos? They’re bigger than my apartment. [condoDomain]
- Let Daily Candy guide your weekend. [Daily Candy]
May 9, 2008
In Divorce Your Car! Ending the Love Affair with the Automobile, phenomenal, non-nonsense treatise on why and how every American should ditch their car, Katie Alvord points out that weekends are more likely to be rainy than weekdays. One suggested cause is cloud seeding from micro-particle pollution caused by—you guessed it—the weekday drive to work.
Unlike the past few weekends, however, we have a good chance at two mostly-rain-free days this time around. So why not, without using your car, take the time to check out a few open houses that will let you live a rich and exciting lifestyle, without using your car.
62 Comm Ave #PH - $1,249,000
2 beds, 2 baths, 1,376 sq. ft.
Now this is cool: a roof-deck that looks like a converted Vermont barn. Very snazzy, with the added benefit of being a five-minute walk from Copley Square and the Public Garden. And without a car, you won’t need to worry about making way for ducklings.
155 Beacon St, #3 - $724,900
2 beds, 1 bath, 887 sq. ft.
Another almost-rustic house. It’s the windows, really, and the warm, cozy interior that sets it off. Of course, the kitchen’s a step up from anything you might find back out at the ranch. And Newbury Street is the ultimate, overpriced general store.
20 Beacon St, #3 - 1,895,000
3 beds, 3 baths, 2,310 sq. ft.
I don’t know if you read CNN.com today, but being a “yawn” is totally in. That’s YAWN, as in “young and wealthy but normal.” And to me, nothing would epitomize a true state of yawn-liness better than living in a dense, walkable community, in a plush—but not ostentatious—pad, with a State House view, without owning a car.
May 9, 2008
Surely some fine bank or reputable mortgage company will let me buy in Beacon Hill with $14,950 down. One thousandth of a percent is all they require, isn’t it?
56 Chestnut Street
Beacon Hill, 02108
Beds: 5/Baths: 5.5
SQ.FT.: 6049
$11,500,000
51 Commonwealth Avenue
Back Bay, 02116
Beds: 7/Baths: 8.5
SQ.FT.: 8976
$11,500,000
85 Pinckney Street
Beacon Hill, 02114
Beds: 5/Baths: 7
SQ.FT.: 7453
$11,500,000
128 Commonwealth Avenue
Back Bay, 02116
Beds: 6/Baths: 4
SQ.FT.: 9000
$11,950,000
74 Beacon Street
Beacon Hill, 02108
Beds: 6/Baths: 6
SQ.FT.: 8450
$14,950,000
Image: Andy Warhol, Dollar Sign, 1981
May 9, 2008
1. STAGING. It either looks way better than my own stuff or it’s so sterile it’s a turnoff. Hold the scented candles and tell me the square footage. My preferred way of seeing a property: totally empty.
2. OWNERS THAT WON’T LEAVE. I visited an open house recently where the whole family lurked in each room. Even the dog was penned in the kitchen. So much for checking out those kitchen cabinets! I felt sorry for the poor agent who heroically tried to answer questions in this funhouse atmosphere.
3. OPEN HOUSES THAT LAST ONLY ONE HOUR. I always catch the agent as she’s throwing the signs in the trunk.
4. KITCHEN CABINETS FROM THE 80’s. If you know Boy George and Flock of Seagulls, you’ll recognize these cream laminate cabinets with the wooden trim. Please change out these dated things if you want to improve the chances of selling your home any time soon. One buyer described these cabinets to the New York Times as a “deal breaker.” By the way, stainless appliances and vessel sinks will be in this same category soon.
5. UN-MAINTAINED HOMES. I once visited a FSBO where door knobs were broken, light bulbs were burnt out, and door latches didn’t work. Needless to say, the seller was oblivious to the bad impression his overpriced property made. I don’t think he ever sold it, either.
6. NO PRINTED FLOOR PLANS. Floor plans are like the Bible to European home-buyers; they give printed floor plans much more credence than photos and even flesh-and-blood visits. I recently converted to this way of thinking. It’s annoying to view a property and have to measure each room, then later try to remember the layout.
Hopefully, you’ll encounter none of my pet peeves when you visit these open houses this weekend:
19 Eliot Cres #2, $489,9K, Brookline
BEDS:3/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:1,207
OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, May 10, 12- 2 PM
53 Gardner Rd #2, $589K, Brookline
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1,100
OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, May 10, 12- 1:30 PM
61 Greenough St, #1, $629K, Brookline
BEDS:3/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1,1414
Sunday, May 11, 2 -4:00 PM
2 Menlo St #1, $495K, Brighton
BEDS:2/BATHS:3
SQ.FT:2,262
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, May 11, 1-2:00 PM
1880 Commonwealth Ave #12, Brighton
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 740
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, May 11, 11:30-1:00 PM
More of Pam on Brighton and Brookline
Sweet Digs Boston Home
May 8, 2008
A number of my neighbors have “Vote No On Prop 2 1/2 Override” signs on their lawns and houses. A Simpson’s episode made fun of this once — what the heck is a Prop 2 1/2 override?
It’s…uh…complicated. At least the bunghole (that’s a nautical term) I see around town, who has “Go Back Barack” written on his rear window, is up front about his virulent racism. The Prop 2 1/2 thing isn’t as straightforward — or as offensive. (Seriously; I hate that jerk. Who writes racist slogans on the back of a Volvo? Time to turn off the talk radio and grow a soul….)
David Dahl’s blog on Boston.com offers a primer on Prop 2 1/2 — though Ms. Anderson seems a bit sassy in relating how a system that ensured that schools had all of the money they needed and teachers were well compensated was victimizing property owners. “School Committee Fiscal Autonomy,” eh? Sounds like a path to a more stable, thoughtful, and peaceful society. Wouldn’t want that….
(Seriously — wouldn’t that make it impossible to short-change our schools? Take the power to screw our entire society away from politicians? How do we bring this back?)
I hate paying taxes, but I refuse to be a tax whiner. Our mortgage broker — from New Hampshire — made some quip about taxes, “whatever we pay those for,” and my ladyfriend responded, “Oh, you know, schools, roads, hospitals….”
“Better to build schoolrooms for the boys than prisons and gallows for the men,” as Eliza Cook once wrote. The override allows communities to raise property taxes to meet the needs of their schools. Will I pay $250 more per year for a better school system? I’d pay twice that, because aside from wanting kids to have a future, PROPERTY VALUES ARE PARTIALLY DEPENDENT ON THE QUALITY OF SCHOOLS IN YOUR MARKET! Say that 5 times before bed every night, pay your share for the economic health of your community, and quiet down.
Dan Mac Alpine’s editorial from the 6th suggests moving past the property tax system and getting the state to step up. I’m unconvinced.
This is my two cents: the $1 million plus housing market isn’t suffering the way we plebes and Morlocks are. I’m all for the override, but I’d like to see some honest assessing in the wealthier parts of town — the parts of this town that get their own 4th of July fireworks display, separate from the rabble. Zillow puts my house’s market value right at the tax assessment; I wonder what Updike’s neighbors pay relative to the actual worth of their gated manses?
May 8, 2008
The toughest part about buying a house is sifting through lists of homes with astronomical asking prices. For example, the average listing price in Brookline is a discouraging $683K. That’s way out of my price range!
But buyers take heart; the average listing price differs from the average sale price. In the past three months in Brookline, the average sale price is $447,500– significantly lower than the asking price. In Brighton, the average listing price over the last three months is about $329K, but the average sale prices is significantly less — $270K. (Stats courtesy of Redfin.)
What does this mean? Maybe lower-priced homes are selling, while the million-dollar luxury homes aren’t. Or maybe it means sellers are accepting lower offers. If it’s the latter scenario, it’s good news for buyers who, like me, are confused by the disconnect between what’s on the market and all the newspaper headlines about declining housing prices.
Here’s some more good news for buyers waiting for housing prices to come down:
2021 Commonwealth Avenue, #1, Brighton
Reduced from $649K to $624K
BEDS:2/BATHS:2.5
SQ.FT: 1667
374 Chestnut Hill Ave, #54, Brighton
Reduced from $279K to $277K.
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 852
99 Pond Avenue, #320, Brookline
Reduced from $559,9K to $549,9K.
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT: 1300
May 7, 2008
We ventured South this weekend and found a great Irish brunch in Salem, at O’Neill’s pub. The place was nearly empty (except for a particularly beautiful Irish lass and a big family getting ready to go to a First Communion), the Bloody Marys spicy, and the Irish Breakfast one of the best I’ve ever had. And by that I mean better than The Druid of olde Inman Square, before they painted the venerable whiskey-stained planks pink.
(I wonder how many of the folks who’ve bitterly lamented the end of rent control and Cambridge’s yuppi-fication would grow nostalgic in Salem?)
Then, check out the gorgeous historical condo at 11 Williams St. #1, open from 12:30-2 on Sunday the 11th. 1100 Square feet for less than $280k. Eye candy for antiquey types.
7 Daniels St. # 1 and #2 are open from 12-3 on Sunday. Very convenient neighborhood, very reasonably priced compared to the same type places for $600k + plus down Boston way.
From 1-3 visit 165 Federal Street #2. Great architectural details inside this restored 1766 beauty!
Image links to source.
May 7, 2008
Sure, we all laughed when Hugo Chavez said it. After all, this guy once claimed a podium smelled like brimstone because G. W. Bush had previously used it. What a ludicrous suggestion; we all know the Commander-in-Chief’s fragrance is Polo Sport.
But now that Goldman Sachs has said it, and now that oil markets have responded with another all-time high, you’re terrified aren’t you? You did something ridiculous with your stimulus check, and now you realize you can’t afford the gasoline that gets you through your day.
What’s that? You’ll take the T and accomplish all your tasks on a single ticket? Is that the same T that runs its commuter rail system on diesel- diesel that costs even more gas? The same T that drove itself several billion dollars in debt? The same T that rewrites its schedules to make itself appear on time? Nice plan.
Here are some houses that require no T, no car, and no hassles. And they’re all newly listed.
261 Beacon St #2 - $699,000
2 beds, 2 baths, 1,275 sq. ft.
Walk to Copley. That’s a library, CVS, several hotels, church, massive public library, green space, shopping mall, and the tallest building in Boston at $0/gallon. And less than a stimulus check per square foot.
3 Fairfield St, # 6/7 - $599,000
2 beds, 1 bath, 773 sq. ft.
Stunning brickwork and a hop, skip, and a jump to Newbury St. And the nearby Charles River Esplanade is yours to stroll, free of charge.
434 Comm Ave. #32 - $494,000
Thing #718 I’m looking forward to never reading again once gas hits $7: “in the heart of”. Because no one will get away with pawning off houses as being located in places they’re not. In the South End, you might have to worry about you home migrating back into *gasp* Roxbury. Not an issue with this place.
More from Cosmo on Back Bay and Beacon Hill
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