Title
Archive for the 'Living Here' Category
Cambridge Comes Out On Top
Today’s Sunday Boston Globe was chock-a-block full of real estate related articles. If you didn’t get your copy there’s still time to hit the corner store. There’s loads to read for the real estate obsessed.
The Boston Globe Magazine was all about real estate with the cover article titled “Top Spots To Live: The Best Communities in 15 Categories”. The Globe polled realtors for their votes. I’m a realtor but I don’t remember voting. But even without my admittedly biased vote, I’m happy to report that Cambridge placed more times than any other Massachusetts city or town.
And the winners are….
Cambridge was anointed “Top for Singles-Friendly Activities and Night Life”
Cambridge also won Honorable Mentions for:
- Fitness Minded Folks
- Foodies
- Arts Lovers
- Hipsters
- Public Transit Fans
Somerville was the winner in the “Top for Hipsters” category and won Honorable Mention in the Singles-Friendly Activities and Night Life category. I remember years ago when Utne Reader magazine called Somerville one of the hippest places in the US. At the time I thought it was a stretch but Somerville has been trending in that direction ever since. With a vibrant arts community, rejuvenated Davis Square (not to mention Ball Square and Union Square), and a forward-thinking local government, Somerville deserves the kudos.
Arlington received Honorable Mention in the Foodies category. Arlington has become a hot bed of restaurants since the blue laws regulating the serving of alcohol were relaxed.
Melrose received Honorable Mentions in both the Car Commuters and Public-Transit Fans categories due to its easy access to commuter routes and to the three train stations in town.
Brookline won in the category “Top for Great Schools and Kid-Friendly Activities” and received Honorable Mentions in the Retirement Lifestyle and Public-Transit Fans categories
I’d say we did alright – no wonder we love living here!
And if you’d like to live here too and want some help with your search – I’m just a phone call or email away!
Cut Your Property Taxes in Cambridge, Somerville and Watertown – the Residential Exemption
I’m dismayed every time I find out that a homeowner – who’s usually a home seller at that point - hasn’t received the residential exemption that he or she was qualified to receive. If you’ve failed to apply for the exemption by the deadline you are not able to get that money back – no matter how many years you missed out. It’s a lot of money to let slip away.
What’s the Value of the Residential Exemption?
For Cambridge homeowners who qualify for the 2010 residential exemption, $198,423 is deducted from the property assessment. This amounts to a reduction in the 2010 tax bill of $1,531.83.
Here’s more information about the residential exemption in Cambridge.
For Watertown residents, for the 2009 tax year, the 2009 residential exemption reduces the assessed value of the homeowner’s property by $88,733, which translates to a savings of $1,086 for qualifying Watertown homeowners. The value of the exemption in 2008 was $1,063.
The Somerville residential exemption for 2010 reduces the assessed value of a qualifying homeowner’s residence by $138,011 resulting in a tax savings of $1,697.54. The application form for the exemption is online and questions should be directed to the Assessor’s office at 617-625-6600 ext. 3100.
Get Your Keys In Cambridge
If you recently bought a new house or condo chances are you’re going to be getting some new keys made. It’s always a good idea to change the locks when you buy a house. You just don’t know who has keys to your new home – many copies may have been passed about over the years.
If you bought your new home in Cambridge or Somerville the place to go is Commonwealth Lock Co. on Mass Ave. in Porter Square, Cambridge. As a Cambridge real estate agent, I get a *lot* of keys made and can attest to the quality of Commonwealth Lock’s keys. Nothing’s more frustrating than repeated trips to the key counter but Commonwealth almost always gets it right the first time. These guys are experienced and they are good.
Commonwealth Lock Co., or “CoLoCo”, has been making keys in Porter Square since 1936. Originally a hardware store, the lock and key operation eventually became a bigger part of the business and has been the sole focus since the 1980s. The store caters to locksmiths who stream in and out of the store all day.
In addition to making plenty of keys at a constantly busy counter, Commonwealth Lock sells all sorts of locks, keys, and related merchandise including:
- Bike locks
- Window locks
- Lockboxes – great for storing a spare set of house keys
- Padlocks
- Safes
- House numbers
- Key rings
- Dog and cat tags
- and assorted nifty plastic doohickies to add to your keys to make your house key stand out in the bunch
Commonwealth Lock Company is located at 1853 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusettts and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Community Gardens In Cambridge
Winter’s coming to an end and soon it will be time to think about gardening. Perhaps you’ve been dreaming about the vegetables you could grow. Or maybe you hope to fill your home with flowers that don’t come from the store.
Where Can I Find a Community Garden?
If you live in Cambridge, MA and don’t have a garden plot to call your own – don’ t despair. Cambridge has thirteen community gardens spread across the city and preference is given to those who don’t have access to land for gardening. There does seem to be more demand than available plots, however, and a lottery system is used to assign plots to prospective gardeners.
Community Gardens in Cambridge, Massachusetts
North Cambridge Community Gardens
Whittemore Avenue Garden – Whittemore Ave. & Magoun Street
McMath Park Community Garden – Pemberton Street
Corcoran Park Community Garden – Walden Street
West Cambridge Community Gardens
William G. Maher Park Community Garden – 650 Concord Ave. at Neville Manor
Fresh Pond Reservation / Parkway Garden – Fresh Pond Parkway
Community Garden in the Agassiz Neighborhood
Sacramento Street Community Garden – Sacramento Street
Riverside Community Gardens
Field of Dreams Garden – Elmer and Banks Streets
Green Street Neighborhood Garden – Green and Bay Streets
Cambridgeport Community Gardens
Peggy Hayes Memorial Garden – Watson Street
Emily Garden – Brookline and Emily Streets
Area 4 Community Gardens
Squirrel Brand Community Garden – Broadway and Boardman Street
Moore Street Community Garden – Moore Street
Community Garden in East Cambridge
Costa Lopez Taylor Park Community Garden – Lopez Ave. and Charles Street
Residential Property Tax Rates – 2008 – 2010
Wondering what are the property tax rates in Cambridge and nearby towns?
The 2010 residential property taxes have been announced by most towns. I’ve decided to add them to last year’s post so you can see the rates from 2008 and 2009 as well.
Tax rates are expressed in dollars per $1,000 of assessed value. In other words, if your Cambridge property, for example, was assessed at $500,000 you would multiply the tax rate of $7.72 by 500 to calculate your property taxes.
2010 Residential Property Tax Rates
Cambridge Residential Property Tax Rate:
- For 2010: $7.72
- In 2009: $7.56
- In 2008: $7.36
Arlington Residential Property Tax Rate:
- For 2010: $12.11
- In 2009: $11.92
- In 2008: $11.45
Belmont Residential Property Tax Rate:
- For 2010: $12.16
- In 2009: $11.89
- In 2008: $11.27
Medford Residential Property Tax Rate:
- For 2009: $10.08
- In 2008: $9.12
Somerville Residential Property Tax Rate:
- For 2010: $12.30
- In 2009: $11.71
- In 2008: $10.95
Watertown Residential Property Tax Rate:
- For 2009: $12.24
- In 2008: $11.39
Wondering if a town has a residential exemption? Of the towns listed above three do – Cambridge, Somerville and Watertown. Read more about the residential exemption in Cambridge, Somerville and Watertown.
Do You Have A License For That Cat?
If you live in Belmont or Watertown you had better! Belmont and Watertown are two of the handful of Massachusetts towns that requires licensing for cats. Who knew?!
Dog licenses go back decades – vintage dog licenses have become quite collectible – but the licensing of cats is unusual at least in our area.
Cat Licenses In Belmont
In Belmont, the license fee for a spayed or neutered cat is $12 per cat, $9 if the owner is 60 or older. Proof of spaying or neutering must be presented at time of application. A license for a cat who has not been spayed or neutered will be $37 or $34 if the owner is 60 or older. In every case proof of vaccination for rabies must be presented to obtain a cat license.
The license is good for the calendar year. The deadline for getting your 2009 cat licenses is March 15th. Owners who fail to license their cats will be subject to a $25 fine per cat. Belmont will start issuing tickets for unlicensed cats on March 16th.
Licensing Your Watertown Cat
Watertown cats cost $10 to license ($5.00 if you’re 60 or older) with an additional fee of $25 if the cat is not spayed or neutered. Proof of rabies vaccination and of spaying or neutering if applicable is required. Failure to license will subject you to a $25 fine. The Town Clerk’s Office at the Watertown Town Hall deals with cat and dog licensing.
Belmont Recycling Restrictions
It seems that many towns and cities are tightening recycling restrictions in response to recycling facilities cracking down on contaminated loads. Belmont, Massachusetts has posted the new regulations on the Town of Belmont website.
Recycling regulations for Belmont:
Comingled Containers
“Comingling” means that metal, plastic and glass containers can be mixed in your recycling bin. Containers must be clean and rinsed.
Acceptable Containers
- Plastic containers marked 1-7
- Tin cans
- Aluminum cans
- Glass bottles and jars - clear or colored
- Aluminum foil, trays and pie plates
Examples Of Unnacceptable Materials
- Plastic chairs
- Children’s toys and play equipment
- Laundry baskets
- Swimming pools
- Window glass
- Mirrors
- Pyrex
- Ceramics
- Etc.
Paper and Corrugated Cardboard
Acceptable Paper
Paper should be placed in brown bags next to your recycling bin
- Office paper including colored paper, computer paper, fax paper and post-its
- File folders
- Catalogues
- Envelopes with or without windows
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Telephone books
- Paperboard
- Junk mail
- Chipboard (ex: cereal boxes, shoe boxes)
- Kraft paper bags
Rules For Corrugated Cardboard
- Must be free of moisture barrier and wax content
- Cardboard must be flattened and cut into pieces no larger than 2 ft. by 2 ft.
- Cardboard can be included with other paper recyclables in brown paper bags or tied with string in bundles
Materials Not Accepted For Recycling
- Hardcover books
- Contaminated paper
- Carbon paper
- Mylar
- Wax paper
- Waxed corrugated cardboard
- Tyvek envelopes
- Photograph paper
- Paper towels
- Hanging folders
- Pizza boxes
- Foam packaging
- Plastic bags
- Garbage and rubbish
Get Your Belmont Garden Plot – Rock Meadow Community Garden
As winter drags on it’s exciting to consider the prospect of spring and summer gardening. Time’s a fleeting if you’re interested in reserving a community garden plot at Rock Meadow in Belmont, Massachusetts. The $25 fee for the season and completed registration form are due by March 15th.
The 70 acre Rock Meadow Conservation Area is located in Belmont about one mile outside of Waverley Square, adjacent to Beaver Brook North Reservation. The community garden plots at Rock Meadow were established in 1969 and plots now number 130. Belmont originally had victory garden plots that dated from World War II on land now occupied by the high school on Concord Avenue. Those plots were moved to Rock Meadow in 1969 after the town purchased the land from McLean Hospital.
Garden plots are not limited to Belmont residents though it is possible that residents will be given preference if demand exceeds availability.
This is a wonderful opportunity to grow your own food – or flowers – especially if you don’t have a suitable garden space at home.
Copyright © 2008 Centers And Squares Log in Design by Real Estate Tomato Powered by Tomato Blogs
