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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.
Selling for Over Asking – Arlington Single Family Home Sales
Multiple Bids for Arlington MA Homes
It often takes buyers by surprise, particularly if they’re new to the Arlington real estate market, to find out that it’s not uncommon for Arlington MA single family homes to sell for over the asking price.
Arlington is very popular with real estate buyers and the market for single family homes can be very competitive. Open houses for newly listed houses are usually crowded. Often buyers have to be prepared to act quickly and to make a strong offer. Many times sellers will receive multiple offers.
Arlington Single Family Homes
Since we’ve reached the half-way mark in the year and come through the busy spring real estate market I thought it would be interesting to take a look at Arlington single family sales through June 30, 2009.
Between January 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009 in Arlington:
- 85 single family homes sold
- Average asking price was $538,667
- Average sales price was $525,626
- Average days on market was 62
Arlington Single Family Sales For Over Asking Price
Wondering how often Arlington single family homes get multiple offers or sell for more than the asking price? Here are the numbers for the first half of 2009:
21 of the 85 single families sold through June sold for more than list price or almost 1 in 4 houses.
The average asking price for these homes was $510,910. The average sales price was $525,347.
I was curious to see how these sales tracked by school district:
- Brackett – 7 of 21 over asking sales
- Dallin - 5
- Hardy – 2
- Peirce – 2
- Stratton – 2
- Thompson – 2
- Bishop – 1
But how much are Arlington real estate buyers paying over asking price?
Here are the Arlington homes that sold for over asking price in the first half of 2009 with days on market (DOM), asking price and sales price:
Arlington Single Family Homes that Sold for More than Asking Price in the First Half of 2009
For more information about real estate in Arlington MA check out Arlington Home Sales by School District
SEARCH THE MLS FOR ARLINGTON REAL ESTATE
Information about Arlington Single Family Homes that Sold for Over Asking Price from MLSpin
Cambridge Pothole Hotline
City of Cambridge Pothole Hotline I really love Cambridge city government. So often I’m impressed by what the City of Cambridge offers to its residents. And I’m doubly impressed when I see how low the property taxes are in Cambridge for a good portion of the city’s home owners.
One nifty service that Cambridge offers is a variety of hotlines. Simple – but really handy – who doesn’t want an official place to lodge complaints? You would think that the need for the Cambridge Pothole Hotline would have passed since potholes proliferate in spring. Not so however – there are still a lot of potholes out there, perhaps due in part to all the rain we’ve been getting.
If you spot a pothole in Cambridge call the DPW’s Pothole Hotline at 617-349-4854.
I also love youtube and have come to realize you can find just about anything there – like this video on how a pothole is formed (easily as it turns out – no wonder we have so many pot holes):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNyg0CttU8Y[/youtube]
Antique Auto Show in Lincoln Massachusetts
I spotted this antique auto while on a tour with a real estate buyer. Perhaps they'll take it for a spin to the car show in Lincoln this Sunday.
There’s just something about antique automobiles that transports me (ha! no pun intended) to an earlier time. My favorite antique auto show takes places this weekend in Lincoln Massachusetts. It’s often brutally hot at this time of year but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the mild weather continues.
The annual antique auto show is held at the Codman Estate in Lincoln. The car show is held rain or shine.
Over 200 antique cars, classic cars, trucks and motorcycles will be on display on the grounds. There’ll also be entertainment by the New Liberty Jazz Band, tours of the museum, food concessions and fun for the family.
Admission: Free for children under the age of 12 and for members of Historic New England (formerly SPNEA); $5.00 for nonmembers; $10 per antique auto including passengers
Location:The Codman Estate, 36 Codman Road, Lincoln MA 01773
Hours: 8 am to 2 pm on Sunday, July 19, 2009
The antique auto show in Lincoln MA is fun for the whole family – hope to see you there!
Somerville Real Estate Market Activity – June 2009
Welcome to the Somerville Real Estate Market Report
Before the month gets away from me let’s take a look back at the Somerville real estate market in June 2009.
Somerville Real Estate Market – Homes for Sale
282 residential properties were on the market in Somerville on June 30, 2009 ranging in price from $1 to $1,600,000. The average days on market was 107.
And yes – that low price is $1. It appears to be a marketing technique – a condo that was on the market for about six weeks, originally priced at $329,000 and reduced in incremental drops to $307,000 was repriced at $1 a couple of weeks ago. The listing suggests that buyers can “put a true value” on the condo but also notes that if you “come in with a strong offer this condo could be yours”. Clearly despite the teaser price the seller is still looking for a reasonable price however he or she defines that. And incidentally, the lowest “real” asking price for a home in Somerville is $115,000.
Somerville Real Estate Sales in June 2009
64 Somerville houses sold during the month of June. This was an increase of over 50% from May when 40 residential properties sold. The average sales price was $408,145. The median sales price was $381,500. The average days on market was 79.
7 single family homes sold in June. The least expensive house sold for $132,500 and the most expensive home sold for $802,000. The median sales price was $340,000. In June Somerville single family homes sold for an average of 96% of list price. Average days on market was 117.
42 Somerville condos sold in June. The least expensive condominium sold for $177,000. The most expensive condo sale price in June was $657,000. The median condo sales price was $381,500. The average days on market was 78. Somerville condos sold in June for an average of 98% of list price.
15 multi-family properties sold in June for prices ranging from $215,000 to $859,000. The median sales price in June was $417,500. Multi-unit houses sold for an average of 95% of asking price. Average days on market was 64.
Total Somerville closed residential sales volume in June was $26,121,300.
See Also:
May 2009 Somerville Real Estate Activity
Information about Somerville real estate market activity from MLSPIN
Julia Child Lived Here – 103 Irving Street Cambridge
As I watched yet another ad for the new movie Julie and Julia I figured it was time to write a quick post about Julia Child, or more specifically about Julia Child’s house at 103 Irving Street in Cambridge.
Julia Child and her husband Paul moved into this large Cambridge Victorian in 1961. Irving Street is lined with substantial turn-of-the-century houses and is just blocks from Harvard Square. It is a neighborhood long popular with Harvard professors among them Child’s friend and neighbor, economist John Kenneth Galbraith, who lived one block over on Francis Avenue, Cambridge’s “Professor’s Row”.
Julia Child's House in Cambridge Massachusetts
If people knew anything about Julia Child’s house it was the kitchen that was most familiar. That well used kitchen, known to so many from the cooking shows that were taped there, was described by Julia as “the most loved and most used room in the house.” Child retired to California for the last few years of her life and the house was sold. First however, the kitchen in its entirety was removed from the house and sent to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2001.
The Childs’ home was like many wonderful old houses we see in Cambridge – little changed in decades. And like so many others it was purchased by a developer and transformed. A sleek and stylish kitchen was designed, six new bathrooms installed, central air conditioning, central vac – all the bells and whistles that are popular with buyers today in the price range. The newly renovated house was sold in 2004 for $3,755,000. It has since changed hands again for $3,700,000.
But as a woman commented, riding by on her bike as I snapped a photo of 103 Irving Street, “It will always be Julia Child’s house”.
For more about Julia’s neighborhood, take a virtual walk down the street with a slide show and info about the history, architecture and real estate on Irving Street in Cambridge.
The Arlington Real Estate Market in June 2009
Welcome to the Arlington Real Estate Market Review
Now that the real estate sales figures are in let’s take a quick look at how the Arlington MA real estate market fared in June 2009.
Properties Currently on the Market in Arlington Massachusetts
129 residential properties were on the market in Arlington on June 30, 2009. Homes were priced between $174,900 and $1,095,000. Average days on market was 73.
Arlington Real Estate Sales in June
June real estate sales in Arlington reflect properties where sellers accepted offers some six to eight weeks before the closing.
56 homes sold in Arlington during June with an average sales price of $449,966 and a median sales price of $434,500. The average days on market was 61.
27 Arlington single family homes sold in June for sale prices from $365,000 to $822,000. The median price for a single family house sold in June was $510,000. Average days on market was 49. Houses sold for an average of 99% of list price.
24 condos sold in June. The least expensive condominium sold for $142,500. The most expensive Arlington condo sold in June for $645,000. The median price paid for a condo was $345,050. Arlington condos sold for an average of 98% of the asking price. Condos were on the market for an average of 81 days.
5 multi-family properties sold during June. Sale prices for multi-families ranged from $410,000 to $674,000. Multi-families sold for an average of 99% of asking price and were on the market an average of 29 days.
Total Arlington residential real estate sales volume closed in June was $25,198,100.
SEARCH FOR ARLINGTON MA REAL ESTATE
155 Brookline Street Cambridge – Lofts and Townhouses in Cambridgeport
155 Brookline Street, Cambridge MA 02139
The condos at 155 Brookline Street in Cambridge MA offer a variety of loft-like floor plans and multi-level townhouses. The Edna St. Vincent Millay condominiums were converted from a former manufacturing facility built in 1914. In this popular Cambridgeport neighborhood Central Square is down the street in one direction, the BU Bridge and Boston in the other.
The building originally housed a machine shop and was home to the George H. Dyer Co. The twenty condominiums take full advantage of the huge windows and open spaces of this converted building with ceilings 14 ft. in height or more. Some of the condos are on one level, others are larger townhouse style units with as many as four levels. Condos range in size from 1137 s.f. to 2240 s.f.
Features of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Condos
Some of these two and three-bedroom condos have private roof decks with views of the Boston skyline, and there is a landscaped courtyard at the center of the complex. Condominium features include:
- Central air conditioning
- High ceilings
- Parking
- Gas fireplace
- In-unit laundry hookups
- Hardwood floors
In case you’re wondering (I know I am) I don’t know the story behind the somewhat unusual name of the condo association and don’t know if there’s any relationship between the poet and this location. If you have the scoop let us know!
155 Brookline St Cambridge MA Real Estate Sales
Three condos at 155 Brookline Street have sold in the last three years:
- A 1986 sq.ft. two bedroom condo with 2.5 baths sold in 2007 for $645,000
- A 1988 sq. ft. two bedroom condo with 2.5 baths sold in 2009 for $623,000
- A 1515 sq.ft. one bedroom condo with 1.5 baths sold in 2009 for $475,000
CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR CAMBRIDGE CONDOS
Soaring spaces, sleek styling, a super location - there’s a lot to like about the lofts and townhouses at 155 Brookline Street in Cambridge MA.
The Monthly Numbers – Cambridge Real Estate Market – June 2009
June is one of the busiest months for Cambridge real estate closings. Here’s a look at Cambridge real estate sales in June 2009:
Cambridge Real Estate Inventory
On June 30, 2009 there were 410 residential properties on the market in Cambridge MA.
The least expensive property had an asking price of $199,500, the highest priced home was listed for sale at $4,850,000. Average days on market was 110.
It’s interesting to note that as I write, only eight days later, there are only 375 properties listed for sale in Cambridge. Many properties have been going under agreement in the last couple of weeks – and few came on last week due to the holiday. We may see an uptick in inventory this weekend – our weekly tour of new Coldwell Banker listings had at least eighteen properties on it this morning.
Cambridge Real Estate Sales during June 2009
95 residential property sales closed in Cambridge during June – an increase of more than 25% over May’s closings. The average sales price was $522,081. The median sales price was $418,000. Average days on market was 75.
13 single family homes sold in June priced from $365,000 to $2,287,500. Homes that sold had been on the market for an average of 70 days. Houses sold for an average of 99% of asking price.
76 condos sold in June in Cambridge. The least expensive condo sold for $191,500. The most expensive condo sales price was $1,420,000. The median condo sales price in June was $390,000. Condominiums sold for an average of 97% of the asking price. Average days on market was 77.
6 Cambridge multi-family houses sold in June 2009 for sale prices from $465,000 to $1,061,250. The median sales price was $897,500. Average days on market was 51.
Total closed residential real estate sales volume in Cambridge in June was $49,597,650.
Information from MLSpin.
For a look at last month’s numbers:
Click here for the May 2009 Cambridge Real Estate Market Report
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