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April 27, 2008
I took up a friend’s offer take the kids to Codman Farm in Lincoln for the morning. Codman Farm is a family-friendly farm full of animals and gardens. They even have a little self-serve store on the grounds selling local meat. After some playtime on the farm, we visited our favorite park at Lincoln Elementary school.
Only ten miles from Somerville, Lincoln’s bucolic landscape and quaint New England charm make it seem much farther from the city.
Sometimes I yearn for the nature of Lincoln and the fishing villages of the North Shore. I love the open spaces and grassy fields. That beautiful day, I briefly thought it would be neat to live in a place like that. And the hippie-foodie in me thinks I would enjoy raising my own chickens, however…
An older couple we met at the park brought me back to reality. They abandoned the quiet of Lincoln for a life more convenient. “Four miles to EVERYTHING” she warned. “You need cough syrup, four miles there and four miles back. It gets old really quick.”
I agree. If I need milk or eggs, I walk three minutes to Star Market and the whole trip takes 15 minutes, even with a line. On my walk to work in Harvard Square, I can drop my kids at day-care. Life without driving four miles for basic necessities is unbeatable.
We don’t have Codman Farm in Somerville, but ten really cool playgrounds sit within walk distance. The journey to your destination is part of the kids’ fun. They get to look at blooming flowers, earth moving equipment, construction sites, fire trucks, trains, and all sorts of stuff.
Here are a few places around Somerville that involve more exploring and less car-seat:
57 Chandler Street
Somerville,02144
Beds: 4/Baths: 2
SQ.FT.: 3484
$818,000
It’s one of the most fabulous listings in the Somerville, right in Davis Square. I drooled over that kitchen.
16 Freemont
Somerville,02145
Beds: 3/Baths:2
SQ.FT.: 1612
$449,000
It’s a couple of blocks from Ball Square, home of the Somerville Breakfast Wars. This Mansard-topped Victorian (you know, the Dracula-style roof!) is a diamond in the rough, but the bones are there to create a spectacular home.
88 Ossipee Road
Somerville,02144
Beds: 4/Baths:2.5
SQ.FT.: 3484
$839,000
In West Somerville, not far from Tufts University, we have a fully renovated single-family house. The unassuming exterior hides a glorious interior with a new, light filled kitchen and beautiful woodwork. Try getting that in Lincoln for under $1.5 million!
More of Margaret on Somerville and Cambridge
Sweet Digs Boston Home
March 19, 2008
My son was just two when we moved to our house that abuts the commuter rail. I was initially a little concerned about living so close to the tracks. My back fence butts right up to Commuter Rail territory. But the trains are very low frequency, they don’t go by a lot and when they do, they’re not very loud on the first two floors of my house. They are moderately annoying when we’re watching TV on the third floor, but that’s why we have a TiVo with a pause button!
But living on the railroad tracks with a preschooler and a toddler is an unexpectedly magical experience. During the summer when they are doing maintenance on the tracks, freight trains and heavy equipment buzz past my house. Last summery they carted trucks full of rails by several times per day. And the effect the train has on my kids, well it’s just magic. I’ll be at my wits end trying to be a responsible parent. “No you can NOT have another cookie.” WAAAHH!! (repeat) (repeat) Then I hear the distant hydraulic whine and I yell “TRAIN!” And they rush to the back windows and hold their breath until the train comes. Nine times out of ten, they will have forgotten what we were arguing about after it passes. Friends come over with their kids and when we’re outside and hear the Park Street crossing start to ring, the kids will scramble up the climbing structure as fast as they can to watch it go by. Each one of them jumping and hollering. It puts them in a good mood.
You might not see it as an amenity at first, but trains have a certain romance to them. Even the MBTA. And you can also sit in your dining room and laugh at those suckers going back out to the ‘burbs while you’re already home for dinner. Not that I would do that. Maybe just a little. You might not see it in the listing, but these Somerville properties are close to the commuter rail –and that is AWESOME.
This house at 23 Vernon Street is in my old neighborhood. It’s a 3 bedroom 1.5 bath listed for $369,900 –A bargain by ANY standards. It’s a HOUSE, not even a condo for that. It’s a fun neighborhood. It’s about a 20 minute walk to Davis –about 10 minutes to the bike path, and another 10 to the T from there. There’s lots of great kid parks. It’s down the street from the Vernon Street lofts if you’re looking for a little “aht” and “culcha” (art and culture for those of you who aren’t from around here.
These condos at 23 park street #4 and and 21 Park Street #4 are listed for $445,000 and $444,900 respectively are adjacent to the tracks and they look out onto Conway Field. These lofts are hip and urban. And you can walk to Harvard, Porter, Union and Inman Square in 15 minutes from there.
There’s two beautiful brand new units for sale at 47 Tufts Street in East Somerville for 288,900 for a 2 bedroom 1 bath unit $293,150 for a 2 bedroom 2 bath unit. And it looks like you might just be able to see the train go by based on it’s location on the map.
Don’t fear the railroad!
March 7, 2008
I’ve lived in Somerville ten years now, and many of my friends have passed through here during that time. Some have left for the bucolic pastures of Arlington, Littleton and and Lexington (basically places that end in “ton”). A lot of them are still here.
But I was still surprised to look at the listings today and find three units for sale that in buildings that I’ve actually either lived in or hung out in. All these places are between 315 and 345k and would be great starter homes for first time home buyers.
First of all we have unit 7 Vinal Ave #3 (pictured on this page) a two bedroom 1 bath listed at 345k. This building was gut-rehabbed in 2003 and the construction was really solid. But it has 2 things that aren’t mentioned in the listing. First, it looks right over Nunziato Field, a huge green public park. The unit is bright and sunny, and the cross breezes flow in the summer. I’ve been in there on a 90 degree day and it was really comfortable with the windows open. And it has a really cool yard.
Next we have unit 4 at 91 Summer street, a two bedroom two bath unit listed at 319k. This is a great building, and I’ve been in this unit as well. It’s not huge, but it makes great use of the existing space. It doesn’t mention it in the listing, but I recall it had a working fireplace back in the ‘day (meaning the ’90’s). Looks like they’ve upgraded the kitchen too with granite and schmancy appliances.
And lastly, we have a building that I’ve been in, but not in this unit. The Grandview is a huge victorian that sits right next to Prospect Hill Park where the teeny tiny castle is. My friends had a fabulous view of Somerville and Boston from their basement apartment. So, I can only imagine what the view would be like from an upper level unit. Plus it abuts the park, so you’re seeing a lot of green right in the city. I’ve never been in this particular 2 bedroom one bath unit at 82 Monroe Street that’s listed for 325k but it looks completely charming– Gorgeous woodwork and exposed brick combined with modern conveniences. Even the common areas have the Victorian details that you won’t find in a newer building.
There’s some really good stuff out there this month. Really, I know what I’m talking about!
February 13, 2008
Yes, Somerville has a waterfront. There’s a neighborhood out by the Assembly Square Mall called “Ten Hills.” This is the part of Somerville that got cut off from the rest of it in the 1950’s when I93 went in and bisected the city. The neighborhood slopes down to the Mystic River where Sean Penn NEVER killed ANYONE. The neighborhood is also across the street from the under developed land known as “Assembly Square.” Right now, it’s only a bunch of big box stores, but thanks to a tenacious group of Somerville residents who fought tooth and nail for nearly ten years and it will not be a big strip mall on the river, it will become a real river front neighborhood. With a strip mall-esque component.
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On the left side of this photo, you can see the new proposed development. It will be mixed use housing and office space. The plans include an Orange line stop and an Ikea. On the bottom left hand side of the photo, in black and white… That’s part of Ten Hills. While this neighborhood is currently a bit cut off from the rest of Somerville, many future amenities are planed right across the street. You can see the detailed plans here.
There’s not usually a lot for sale in Ten Hills. When I originally moved to Somerville, I really liked it, but my choices were rather limited and the right property didn’t come along.
Here’s a few places that look like they’re reasonably priced. You get a lot of bang for your buck in this neighborhood. And like so much of Somerville, it’s a neighborhood on the brink of a major positive transition. The T is moving in, the river is slated for a major clean up and it’s really, really pretty over there. Just don’t look too far to the right at the highway.
Here’s what’s for sale in Ten Hills
First, we have 74 A Putnam Road, a two bedroom 1 bath totally renovated condo which is on the market for $339k. According to the listing it has river views, which is pretty cool, especially considering you’re about two miles from downtown Boston. But at$342 per square foot, it seems a little steep for the current market.
Next, we have 129 A Govenor Winthrop Road, a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath townhouse which is on the market for 359k. At $262 per square foot this seems like a better deal than the first one. According to the photo in the listing, this unit has 4 season river views. It’s really quite lovely.
The most “bang for the buck” goes to 82-2 Fellsway West. It’s a 3 bedroom 2 bath condo listed at 349,800 and it’s large enough to be only $169 per square foot, which is a good deal for anywhere in Somerville. There’s only a few other properties on the market for less, they don’t seem as fixed up.
This area may not be as trendy as Davis Square, but if you’re looking for a nice place to live with a lot of future potential, this riverside neighborhood could be a good fit for you.
February 11, 2008
The fights usually took place over e-mail because we were never in the same place at the same time. It was over whether or not dogs could pee on the common lawn. It was over repairs that nobody wanted to organize or pay for. It was over snow that didn’t get shoveled. It was over a roof that leaked that no amount of random patching could address. But usually, it was about time. Most of us would write the checks when we were asked. But nobody wanted to spend the time to manage the building.
During the four years I rented out my studio condo, four out of the other five owners were either also renting them out, or were out of the state or country for their jobs more than half of the year. There was only one guy left and he didn’t have the time or energy to manage the place. But because he was the only one who lived there full time a lot of the responsibility fell to him.
In a five unit building, it’s not cost effective to hire a management company. They cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars per month, plus you pay an hourly fee whenever they send somebody to actually do something like cut the grass or shovel snow. When each owner pays less than $200 per month in condo fees, that’s a steep increase. Since most of the owners weren’t there when it snowed, nothing got shoveled. The hallways went years without being vacuumed and when agreed we needed a new roof, nobody even wanted to make the calls to make it happen. So, when an absentee owner sent a desperate e-mail that said, “My ceiling is falling in. I’m off to Australia for a month. Help!” I took pity on him and made the calls. It takes many hours to get a roofing contractor lined up. You have to call about ten of them, five will return your calls, three will bid the job and you usually have to go to the site with each of them to discuss the job. Even after I did all that, nobody else wanted to take the time to check references. So, we just went with the guy with the middle bid.
We groused at each other over e-mail and said things that we probably wouldn’t have said if we had ever managed to have a real condo meeting. The association became dysfunctional.
I learned that when associations don’t agree, any legal remedy is very expensive and almost impossible. It never came to that, but I actually had to start calling lawyers when I was ready to sell and the guy who was doing the bills refused to provide me with a budget, or any of the documents my buyer’s bank required. I eventually went through a years worth of e-mails and kludged it together. I may have said some things over e-mail about his dog that I regretted when I had to slink to him to get him to sign my 6D certificate. A 6D certificate is a document stating that the person selling does not owe any money to the condo association and the person who signs it must get it notarized.
If you find yourself in this situation, keep your cool. In retrospect, it didn’t matter whether or not I was right. It mattered that we needed to stay civil to solve problems constructively. No matter what you say, you still have to live with these people and if you decide you want to sell, you are almost completely dependent on them to get the proper paperwork that a buyer’s bank will require.
February 8, 2008
If we had the money, I’d buy a multi family in Union Square this winter while prices are dropping and mortgage rates are low. I’d keep it as a rental for the next 15 years. Then when the T goes in, I’d gut it and sell it as fancy schmancy condos and make a mint right about when my kids start college. Or, maybe I’d sell it then and let somebody else to the hard work with my investment. In any case, Union Square is getting more interesting all the time. It’s full of good restaurants, independent stores and now, they’ve even got a new Diesel Cafe. Here’s some cool multi-families that I’ve got my eye on.
I’d start this Sunday’s tour between 12-1:30 with this two family at 27 Tyler Street for a very reasonable $439,900. The apartments seemed like they are livable. Rents in that neighborhood, for a 2 bedroom range from $1100-$1400 per month. If I had the down payment, this might be a great investment in a very up and coming neighborhood.
This three family at 116 Glenwood road looks like what we in the Nohth East call a Bahgain at $479,000. It’s open from 12-2. It’s on top of Winter Hill, a few short blocks to the proposed Gilman Square Greenline stop that will hopefully be a reality in the next ten years. Sure, it has wood paneling in some of the apartments but if the place is clean and in good shape, tenants are usually willing to overlook such historical faux-pas of carpentry. I used to live a few blocks away from this hilltop neighborhood with easy buses to the red, orange and green lines. My husband biked to his job downtown and later had an easy Northern commute via 93 when he changed jobs. I took the bus to Lechmere and was door to door to my downtown job in 30 minutes most days. For the parental units out there, there are lots of parks and it is very close to the Healy School, home to Somerville’s popular Choice Program. One of the units is even deleaded.
Or, if my budget were a little bigger, I’d set my sights on this huge two family in Porter Square at 21 Linden Ave. It’s open from 1-2. At $589,900 it’s priced very well for the neighborhood. It’s got two 2 bedroom units, but at nearly 3000 square feet, I wonder if there are opportunities for adding a third unit. This place is literally a five minute walk to the Porter Square T, and all the cool restaurants and shops in that area. Plus it has parking and the units look very livable. This would be a great property to live in or to rent. Proximity to the T is a key selling point to a lot of Somerville renters. Even though this place is similar in amenities to the other two, it’s proximity to Porter Square makes it the most pricey.
February 5, 2008
Though Somerville is mostly known for it’s multi-family houses and condos, there are quite a few singles in the mix. They’re not quite like the Leave it to Beaver house pictured here, but they have their own brand of charm and potential.
Here’s three that caught my eye.
For the price of a two bedroom condo in Cambridge, you could own this almost 2000 square foot single family. They just dropped the price from 550k to 530k. The exterior is a bit dated, but it’s in good shape and most of the work has already been done here. Fancy bathrooms? Check! Fancy kitchen? Check! Hardwood floors? Check! The photos of the house don’t look particularly staged, so make sure you look past the clutter. This is a great opportunity to live near the Porter Square T and two of Somerville’s most popular grammar schools, the Brown and the Kennedy.
Then we’ll go a bit South to this lovely single over on Dane Street. It’s listed as a single, but with five Bedrooms and four baths, I’m wondering if it has been a multi family at some point. Somerville is not known for those more-bathrooms-than-occupant McMansions frequently found in the ‘burbs. It’s listed at 575k and it’s been on the market for over three months, so they may be willing to make a deal. Dane Street is a meandering street that runs from Washington Street next to the newly renovated Perry Park and ends up by the Market Basket side driveway on Somerville Ave. It’s part of that neighborhood that is an easy walk to Harvard, Union and Inman Squares.
And lastly for 549k there is this house at 205 Beacon Street, right across the street from the Academy of Arts and Sciences. According to the listing, the house is in “need of complete renovations.” But if you’re in the market for a fix-er-upper right outside of Harvard Square, this could be the house. You’ve probably noticed it if you’ve driven down Beacon Street in the last few years. They have full sized Greek Statues, festooned with garlands in the yard. And you’re never quite sure if they are being ironic or not. But the yard is HUGE, an estate by Somerville standards. You could literally build another house there if you wanted to. There is a real driveway on Ivaloo Street with a garage. I’ve seen a couple open houses in the last three or four months it’s been on the market. They seem to be doing a very low key marketing campaign with no for sale sign.
January 30, 2008
A lot of people choose condos over multi families because they don’t want to be landlords. These days, multi families in nice neighborhoods are generally purchased by developers. Then they are gutted, and fitted with granite kitchens and stainless appliances and resold as condos within a year. Owner occupied multi-family houses are almost never built any more. The only exception seems to be McMansions with an “Au Pair” or “In Law” Suite.
When I was growing up in a Cambridge triple decker that my parents bought in 1976, I learned useful landlording skills such has, how to jam a screwdriver into the bottom of a window frame to make a temporary drain to keep the bathroom from flooding during a Nor’Easter. I learned that it’s better to get a quality plumber that shows up and does good work, than to hire the guy with the best price. And I learned that if you are not trying to milk every dime out of your rentals that the quality and temperament of your tenants increases greatly.
In 1999 we bought a 2 bedroom condo in Somerville and we managed to hold on to my studio condo and we decided to rent it. Prices were going up and it seemed like the wrong time to sell. So, I put an ad in boston.com (these were the days before I knew about craigslist) and within a few weeks, a very nice couple wrote me a check for first and last month’s rent and like my mother before me… I became a landlord.
I rented that place out for four years until I sold it to my final tenant and it worked out great. Here’s why: I knew the value in the place was mostly in the equity and the tax advantages to owning a rental. So, my goal was to break even on my expenses. I charged a slightly lower rent than I could have gotten, so I was able to get tenants with great references. And if they called with a problem, I got it fixed as soon as humanly possible (see above, you need to have a great plumber. Ninety percent of common tenant problems can be solved by a plumber). The hardest part in that situation was bickering with the condo association over maintenance. But I’ll write more about that on another day.
Being a landlord in a multi family you own isn’t that difficult, especially when you compare it to condo living. If your house is owner occupied, you would have a lot more control over who lives in your rentals, versus having NO control over who buys and sells in your building. A lot of multi-families on the market in Cambridge and Somerville don’t have the latest and greatest upgrades, but in the long run they can be a great investment. Your tenants help pay down your mortgage and you can write off everything you do to their unit, and a percentage of maintenance on the common spaces. And your tenants can let your kids in when they forget their keys every day for the entire year that they are in third grade. Not that I ever forgot my keys for an entire school year or anything. Well, maybe a little.
January 25, 2008
I never got to house hunt in a buyers market. I jumped into the real estate game in 1997 when things were moving so quickly. Everything decent I looked at had multiple offers within minutes of going on the market. So, even though I’m happily ensconced in my ‘forever’ house, part of me is jealous of buyers now. You’ve got time to think things over. Mortgage rates just plummeted. You’re in a good place right now.
The streets are bleak and cold with gray frozen snow. But here’s three condos that looked warm and cozy in the literary sense, not the Realtor synonym for ’small’ cozy. These look like good places to hunker down and wait for Spring.
So, here’s your condo tour for Sunday. These are three of many good ones. First we have 254 Highland Ave, which is open from 12:30-1:30. It’s listed for $479,900 and I checked the map. It really is within easy (under 15 minutes) walking distance to Porter and Davis. It’s about a 5 minute walk to the beginning of the Minuteman Bikeway on Cedar Street. It’s 1280 square feet with three bedrooms and two full baths and it has two parking spaces. So whether you T to work or drive, this place could be very cool.
Next we swing over to the Somerville side of Inman Square to 429 Norfolk Street a huge 1663 SF 3 bedroom 2.5 bath condo listed for $489,000. It’s in a larger development, designed by the worlds most popular Boston developer, David Aphosian. If you live around here you may have noticed his buildings. They are usually cedar shingles that look varnished rather than painted and they nearly almost sport dark green trim. This one is open this Sunday 1/27 from 1:00 PM – 2:30. Inman Square is a nifty little neighborhoods full of independent (ie NOT chain) restaurants and boutiques. You can get inexpensive, exotic spices or the worlds best ice cream at Christina’s. You can buy a shirt for your two year old niece with a skull and crossbones at Bird By Bird or take your mom to dinner at the S&S Restaurant all in the same block.
And, I saved the best for last. Between 3-4 you can visit Somerville’s most wonderful neighborhood (mine) and visit a unit in what us locals refer to as “The Fancy Condos Down the Street.” A unit is for sale at 17 Ivaloo Street. It’s a 2093 square foot 3 bedroom 2.5 bath multi level condo listed for $599,900 (about 20k below assessment!). I visited some open houses here back in 2003 or so when they were first built and was very impressed with the quality of the construction. They had some of the most beautiful maple (I think it was maple) floors I have ever seen. They had huge windows and were really bright and comfortable. And for you hearty New Englanders who secretly wish you lived in the west coast every time you’re out there shivering chipping ice off your car– it has underground, HEATED parking. Two spots. Just think, no scrambling for parking during street cleaning and snow emergencies. The neighborhood is GREAT. I’ve been here for 2 years and I never want to leave. It’s an easy walk to Harvard, Porter, Inman and Union. The people on the street know each other by site and often by name. So cool.
So, get your muffler on and get out there this Sunday. There’s some good stuff and some really nervous sellers that need to sell.
January 22, 2008
I saw it last Fall during those endless afternoons when my kids and I were hanging out at the “Yellow Park” on Hanson Street in Somerville.
The park we were playing at is more officially known as Palmacci Park sits on the corner of Skehan and Hanson is one of the many neat things about this almost hidden, wonderful neighborhood. It’s just North of Beacon Street and runs between Park and Dane Streets. It’s like a little village. Unlike a lot of neighborhoods in Somerville, where there are ten different versions of the same house, all the houses are really different from one another. It’s full of teensey tiny streets barely wide enough for one car to squeeze through and houses that almost touch the sidewalks. Some of the houses are truly historic and others are brand new, but the neighborhood has a cohesive feel to it. The newer developments are easy to spot with their clean lines and landscaped lots, but they are they are in scale with the other houses around them.
Adjacent to the park at 44 Skehan Street was a triple decker, with a for sale sign badly in need of some TLC. It had shaggy asphalt shingles and there was grass growing up from the cracks in the driveway. But even from that distance, you could tell this house had decent bones. It was a traditional bow front Victorian with two bedroom apartments on each of its three floors. Then in November, the for sale sign went away. On a warm January day, I was at the park across the street again and the asphalt shingles were a memory. I did a little research and found out that the house had sold for $542,500 over $100,000 over it’s modest $424,000 asking price. Admittedly, it’s in one of the coolest neighborhoods in Somerville. But it needed a lot of work and I thought this was supposed to be a buyer’s market!
Was the low asking price a real estate agent’s strategy, or did the seller just get lucky?
