Centers And Squares
Welcome to Centers and Squares
As a Cambridge real estate agent, the city squares of Cambridge, Somerville and Medford and the town centers of Arlington, Watertown and Belmont, Massachusetts are my home turf. And as a lifelong New Englander who’s lived within twenty miles of Boston most of my life, I can introduce you to other nearby towns as we search for your new home. If you’re planning to sell your home in Cambridge, MA or nearby you’ll find plenty of info about the home selling process here too. Questions? Send me an email or call me at 617-504-1737.
Garden at the Fletcher-Maynard Academy
This healthy crop of corn and sunflowers put a smile on my face when I spotted it while on our tour of new listings last week. These are outside the Fletcher Maynard Academy, part of the Cambridge Public Schools, on the corner of Harvard and Windsor Streets. I think it’s probably part of the Citysprouts garden at the school.
Check out the corn at Fletcher-Maynard!
Look how high the sunflowers grew!
CitySprouts is a group that brings gardens to Cambridge’s schools. Here’s a wonderful video about the program – the students are just great in it – and you can see some more of the garden at the Fletcher Maynard Academy:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOeX_vSjn6o[/youtube]
This is the condo we were previewing on tour – it’s very stylish – we loved it.
Arlington MA Homes Sold In Sept. 2009
Welcome to the Arlington Home Sales Report
OK – another month done – here’s the last of the market reports for 9/09 – Arlington MA Homes Sold in September 2009.
Homes on the Market in Arlington
112 homes were listed for sale in Arlington MA on September 30, 2009 priced between $179,000 and $1,499,000 and on the market for an average of 86 days.
Arlington MA Homes Sold In September 2009
48 homes sold in Arlington last month. The median sales price was $376,250. Homes sold for an average of 97% of the asking price.
23 Arlington single family houses sold in September for prices between $319,000 and $685,000. The median sales price was $430,000. Homes were on the market an average of 46 days and sold for an average of 98% of list price.
21 Arlington condos sold in September for prices from $102,000 to $641,000. The median price was $320,000. Condominiums sold for an average of 97% of the asking price. Average days on market was 97.
4 multi-family houses sold last month for prices between $366,250 and $585,000. Average days on market was 114 and the houses sold for an average of 95% of asking price.
Total sales volume in September was $19,103,183.
SEARCH FOR ARLINGTON MA REAL ESTATE
ARLINGTON HOME SALES IN AUGUST 2009
Information about Arlington MA Homes Sold from MLSpin
North Cambridge Condos – Condo Buildings on Mass Ave
In recent years more and more condo buildings have been built on Mass Ave in North Cambridge. Condos line the street from Porter Square to the Arlington line.
This stretch of the Avenue runs close to the Red Line subway with three nearby T stops – Porter at one end, the Alewife station not far from the other end, and Davis Square in the middle. Additionally, it’s intersected by the bike path at Cameron Ave and the 77 bus runs down the street from Arlington to Harvard Square.
From Porter Square to Route 16, here’s a look at the condominiums along Massachusetts Avenue:
One Russell
One Russell Street – the address may be on Russell, but this condo building is on the corner of Mass Ave so I’m including it here. Formerly a nursing home, it was dramatically transformed into 24 luxury condos in 2004. It’s an elevator building with garage or outdoor parking. Sale prices ranged from $418,500 to $933,000.
Cornerstone Park
2130 Mass Ave – Cornerstone Park – This eight-story building was built in the early 1980s on the corner of Cogswell Ave. Today there are 30+ one to three-bedroom units, many with a wood burning fireplace. The building has an unusually large backyard. A two-bedroom two-bath sold for $459,000 in 2009.
Russell Place
2143-2157 Mass Ave – Russell Place – OK, I’m fudging it a bit with this complex too since these eight attached townhouses are actually in fee simple, not condominium, ownership. But if you’re looking for a spacious townhouse you’ll certainly want to take a look at these if one comes on the market. Built in in 1984 these multi-level townhouses have 2- 3 bedrooms, decks, direct access from a garage on the first level, central air conditioning and multiple baths.
2192 Mass Ave
2192 Mass Avenue – Brick building on the corner of Rindge Ave. Built in 1962 as a 15-unit apartment building it was converted to condos in 1973. Almost all of the units are two-bedrooms, one bath, 693 sq.ft. Heat and hot water are included in the condo fee. There is a parking lot out back though not all condos have parking. The last sale was several years ago for $280,000.
2277 Mass Ave
2277 Mass Ave – It’s hard to imagine since this building is as modern as can be – inside and out – that this is actually a total renovation of an older building. Converted to condos in 2006, it houses eight one and two-bedrooms, approx. 700-1000 sq.ft, with central air, balcony, fireplace, and parking. Two bedroom condos have sold in the $300,000s.
Northview
2353 Mass Ave – Northview – At nine stories this is the tallest building in the neighborhood. As you’d expect, many of the units have great views. Located close to Cameron Ave by the bike path and the end of the trackless trolley line, the 1973 building has 60+ one and two-bedroom condos. Recently one-bedroom condos have sold for $270,00 to $275,000 There hasn’t been a two-bedroom sold since 2007 when units fetched $297,000 to $310,000.
Trolley Square
2427 Mass Ave – Trolley Square – Seven-unit building built in 1999. Two-bedroom condos on one or two levels. Units have central air, a deck, and a garage parking space. There hasn’t been a sale in the complex for a few years – the most recent sale was for a two-level unit that sold for $463,750 in 2006.
Cambridge Point Condos
2440 Mass Avenue – Cambridge Point – 42 unit building constructed in 2006 just where the bike path to Davis Square crosses Mass Ave. I was sad to see the former building on the site go – it was a very distinctive 1950s era package store. This luxury building has a heated garage, elevator, and concierge. Most units are 1-2 bedrooms but there are larger units, some close to 2000 sq.ft.
2456 Mass Ave
2456 Massachusetts Avenue – 1990 apartment building converted to condos in 2006. 24 units, with central air, garage parking, in-unit laundry, and a common courtyard. The most recent sales included a one-bedroom for $265,000 and a two-bedroom for $383,500.
The Parkway
2595 Mass Avenue – The Parkway – This building sits by the Arlington – Cambridge line at Route 16. The Alewife T Red Line stop is an easy walk and the bus stops right out front. Built in 1979, there are 18 studio and one-bedroom condos with parking.
SEE WHAT’S AVAILABLE ON MASS AVE IN CAMBRIDGE
‘
Homes Sold in Cambridge MA – Sept. 2009
Welcome To The Homes Sold in Cambridge Report
Time for another look back – here’s the scoop on homes sold in Cambridge MA during September 2009.
Homes On the Market in Cambridge on Sept. 30, 2009
On September 30, 2009 there were 331 homes for sale in Cambridge MA priced between $199,000 and $6,600,000. Average days on market was 131.
Residential Real Estate Sold In Cambridge In September 2009
79 home sales closed in Cambridge during September for prices between $245,000 and $3,910,000. The average sales price was $584,720. The median sales price was $445,000. Average days on market was 73.
There were 8 single family homes sold last month for prices ranging from $375,000 to $3,910,000. Houses had been on the market for an average of 86 days and sold for an average of 98% of asking price. The median sales price was $883,000.
69 condos sold in Cambridge in September. Sales prices ranged from $245,000 to $1,639,000. The median condo sales price was $440,000. Condominiums sold for an average of 97% of the asking price. Average days on market was 73.
There were 2 multi-family houses sold last month – one for $525,0oo and one for $780,500. Both sold for over asking price within days of coming on the market.
The total value of residential real estate sold in Cambridge during September 2009 was $46,192,850.
Information from MLSpin.
Last month’s numbers:
August 2009 Cambridge Home Sales
SEARCH FOR CONDOS FOR SALE IN CAMBRIDGE
SEARCH FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES FOR SALE IN CAMBRIDGE
Ribbon Driveways – Old Fashioned and Green
It's a ribbon driveway!
I’ve always loved this driveway style but never knew it had a name – it’s a ribbon driveway and it’s today’s installment in the House Parts We Love series.
Popular in the 1920s to 1940s this is the obvious evolutionary first step in driveway paving – before driveways were paved you’d have packed down ruts in the dirt. Ribbon driveways paved those ruts with concrete, leaving the grass in the center.
You don’t see many of these old fashioned driveways around the city. But I’m always happy when I come across one. This one is in North Cambridge near Davis Square. I always called these grass strip driveways. Sometimes you’ll find them paved with cobblestones rather than cement.
The city tends to have way too much pavement so a ribbon driveway with its minimal paved footprint makes a lot of sense. I hate to see the runoff in the rain when all the asphalt means the water ends up in the sewer system. “Green driveways” with a plastic grid underlayment are the newest thing but the good old grass strip version works for me.
One municipality in California, Fullerton, even recommends the installation of historically appropriate ribbon driveways in their remarkably thorough preservation guidelines for a bungalow neighborhood. How cool is that?
More House Parts We Love:
Porch Railings with Curved Spindles
Home Sales in Somerville MA – September 2009
Somerville Massachusetts Home Sales
It’s that time of the month again – time for the wrap up of the month’s real estate activity – here’s a look at home sales in Somerville MA in September 2009.
Homes for Sale in Somerville
At the end of the month, 249 Somerville residential properties were listed for sale in the MLS priced between $144,900 and $1,600,000. Properties had been on the market an average of 120 days.
Homes Sold in Somerville in September 2009
43 residential properties sold in Somerville during September 2009, significantly fewer than closed the month before when 90 sales closed. September sales reflect properties that received accepted offers during the summer, traditionally a slower time of the year when fewer properties are listed for sale.
Just 2 single family homes sold in September – one for $486,600 and another for $615,000. These homes had been on the market an average of only 18 days.
28 condos sold in Somerville condos in September for prices from $145,000 and $893,000. Condominiums were on the market an average of 87 days and sold for an average price of $382,643. The median sales price was $365,500. On average condos sold for 97% of the asking price.
13 multi-families sold during September for prices from $328,800 to $870,000. The median sales price in September was $443,000. On average, multi-unit houses sold for 97% of list price and were on the market 77 days.
Total Somerville closed residential sales volume in September was $18,024,900.
See Also:
August 2009 Somerville Real Estate Activity
The Shingle Style – Architectural Styles in Cambridge
The Shingle Style, a quintessential American architectural style in the Victorian period, was popular from 1880 to 1920. Its roots were in the coastal resort towns of the Northeast where large Shingle Style cottages, designed by leading architects of the period, were built on the coast of Maine, Cape Cod and Long Island.
Shingle Style House on Avon Hill in Cambridge MA
Cambridge has a number of examples of the Shingle Style on Avon Hill and in the Brattle Street neighborhood. My favorite is the beautifully preserved, Hartwell and Richardson designed, Yerxa-Field house at 37 Lancaster Street on Avon Hill, pictured here. It has an extraordinary carriage house as well.
The emphasis in this style is the surface of the house – the shingles cover the house in a continuous wrap – almost a skin of sorts.
Other Features of the Shingle Style:
- Houses are typically rectangular in shape and asymmetrical in design
- Houses were large and rambling and rustic and informal in feel
- Roofs were gabled, hipped, or gambrel
- Shingles wrap around corners, there are no cornerboards
- Details were often Colonial Revival or Queen Anne in style
- Windows typically have multi-panes above a single pane sash
- Shingles curved into recessed windows
- Large, prominent chimneys
- Towers and projecting bays are common
Other House Styles Found Around Cambridge:
Belmont MA Home Sales – Sept. 2009
Welcome to the Belmont MA Home Sale Report
Here’s a look back at Belmont MA home sales during September 2009.
Homes On The Market In Belmont:
100 homes were listed for sale in Belmont on Sept. 30, 2009 for asking prices between $179,900 and $2,300,000. Average days on market was 141 days.
Belmont MA Home Sales in September 2009:
17 homes sold in Belmont in September. September home sales reflect properties that had accepted offers during the summer, traditionally a slower time of the year for real estate. These house had been on the market an average of 71 days and sold for an average of 94% of the asking price.
9 single family houses sold in September for sale priced between $550,000 to $2,200,000. The median sales price was $655,000. Average days on market was 100 and houses sold for an average of 94% of asking price.
3 Belmont condos sold in September 2009 for $390,000, $431,100, and $646,000. Condominiums sold for an average of 97% of asking price.
5 multi-family properties sold last month for prices between $456,000 and $657,000. These properties had been on the market an average of just 15 days and sold for an average of 98% of list price.
Total residential sales volume for September was $11,593,100.
Also see:
BELMONT MA HOMES SOLD IN AUGUST 2009
Data about Belmont MA home sales from MLSpin.
Copyright © 2008 - 2009 Centers And Squares Agent Login Design by Real Estate Tomato Powered by Tomato Real Estate Blogs
