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Cambridge Real Estate Report – Oct 2009 Sales
Welcome to the Cambridge Real Estate Sales Report
Here’s the last of the monthly real estate market reports – the Cambridge Real Estate Report – October 2009 Sales.
Cambridge Real Estate On the Market - Oct. 31, 2009
On October 31, 2009 there were 316 homes for sale in Cambridge Mass. priced between $199,000 and $4,275,000. The median asking price was $542,450. Average days on market was 136.
Cambridge Real Estate Sold In October 2009
53 residential properties closed in Cambridge during October for sale prices between $172,500 and $4,850,000. Average days on market was 85.
13 single family houses sold last month for prices ranging from $260,000 to $4,850,000. These houses had been on the market for an average of 112 days and sold for an average of 96% of asking price. The median sales price was $695,000.
36 condos sold in Cambridge during October for prices from $172,500 to $1,531,300. The median condo sales price was $440,750. Condominiums sold for an average of 98% of the list price. Average days on market was 78.
4 multi-families sold last month priced between $585,000 and $895,000. These properties sold for an average of 94% of asking price and were on the market an average of 61 days.
The total value of residential real estate sold in Cambridge during October 2009 was $35,596,100.
Information from MLSpin.
Last month’s numbers:
September 2009 Cambridge Home Sales
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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
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National Historic Landmarks in Cambridge
In honor of Ken Burns’ magnificent series on our National Parks this week I thought I’d take a look at the National Parks Service’s 18 National Historic Landmarks in Cambridge MA. Who knew there so many? Not me.
Theodore W. Richard House - National Historic Landmark - Richards was the first American scientist to win the Nobel Prize for chemistry
What is a National Historic Landmark?
According to the NPS’ website an NHL is:
“National Historic Landmarks are buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that have been determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be nationally significant in American history and culture.”
In Cambridge 12 of the landmarks are houses, four are buildings at Harvard, one is a church, and another an office building. The NPS considers Mount Auburn Cemetery to be in Watertown but we can claim it as our 19th Cambridge landmark.
National Historic Landmarks in Cambridge
Many of the sites are private homes to this day. Others are now used for public purposes or are university owned. In many cases there’s no plaque announcing the property’s status so a number of these were really a surprise for me.
- Maria Baldwin House, 196 Prospect Street
- George D. Birkhoff House, 22 Craigie Street
- Percy W. Bridgman House, 10 Buckingham Place
- Reginald A. Daly House, 23 Hawthorn Street
- William M. Davis House, 17 Francis Street
- Elmwood, 33 Elmwood Avenue
- Margaret Fuller House, 71 Cherry Street
- Asa Gray House, 88 Garden Street – this one’s for sale
- Oliver Hastings House, 101 Brattle Street
- Longfellow House, 105 Brattle Street
- Theodore W. Richards House, 15 Follen Street
- Mary Fisk Stoughton House, 90 Brattle Street
- Christ Church, 0 Garden Street
- Arthur D. Little Inc Building, 30 Memorial Drive
- Massachusetts Hall, Memorial Hall, Sever Hall, and University Hall at Harvard University
The next time you take a walk around town take a second look at some of these local treasures.
New Cambridge Youth Center on Huron Ave
New Youth Center on Huron Avenue
New Cambridge Youth Center When my coworker and I drove by 680 Huron Ave – the VFW post across from Fresh Pond – we marveled at the dramatic renovation. Sure seemed like an expensive redo for the VFW.
Turns out it’s the new Mayor Sheila Doyle Russell Youth and Community Center. It was completed this June and programs began at the youth center in July. Features of the new facility include:
- Full size gym with an NCAA sized basketball court
- Fitness room
- Teaching kitchen
- 20 station computer learning and homework center
- Performance room with stage
- Arts and crafts room
- Community meeting room
- Open lounge areas
The center is named for Sheila Doyle Russell, former Cambridge mayor and advocate for youth.
Sure doesn’t resemble the youth center of my teens! That building, now condos actually, was old, dark and unrenovated. Its biggest claim to fame were the foosball tables. And the lack of lights.
There’s a Dedication Ceremony for the new West Cambridge youth center scheduled for Friday, September 25, 2009 from 6 to 8 pm. At the ceremony you’ll get a chance to view the permanent art installation by Michael Oatman, The Cantabridgians. Oatman created video portraits of 23 West Cambridge residents that can be viewed on three large monitors on the second floor. I remember seeing a flyer in Armando’s seeking subjects for the videos so it will be fun to see how it turned out.
The new West Cambridge Youth Center is located at 680 Huron Avenue, Cambridge MA 02138.
Cambridge Home Sales in August 2009
Cambridge Homes Sales Report
Phew – the last market report for August – here’s a look at Cambridge home sales in August 2009.
On the Market in Cambridge on 8/31/09
On August 31, 2009 there were 290 homes for sale in Cambridge MA, down from 356 one month before. Inventory tends to dip in August because sellers - and agents – think it’s better to wait to put properties on the market until vacations are over and the fall market begins. After Labor Day new listings come on the market at a fairly brisk pace – witness our office’s tour of 25 new listings this week (believe me – I love touring houses but 25 is pushing it even for me – I could barely walk by time we were done).
Asking prices ranged from $212,000 to $4,850,000. Homes had been on the market an average of 140 days.
Homes Sold In Cambridge In August 2009
111 home sales closed in Cambridge during August for prices between $200,000 and $2,400,000. The average sales price was $509,963. The median sales price was $430,000. Average days on market was 69.
12 single family homes sold in August for sale prices ranging from $395,000 to $2,400,000. These houses had been on the market for an average of 55 days and sold for an average of 98% of list price.
93 Cambridge condos sold in August. Sales prices ranged from $200,000 to $1,200,000. The median condo sales price was $410,000. Condominiums sold for an average of 98% of the asking price. Average days on market was 72.
6 multi-unit houses sold last month for sale prices from $550,000 to $1,095,000. The median sales price was $700,000. Average days on market was 56.
The total value of homes sold in Cambridge in August 2009 was $56,605,850.
Information from MLSpin.
Last month’s numbers:
July 2009 Cambridge Real Estate Market Report
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New Book About Harvard Square
NECN had a segment the other morning on a new book about Harvard Square – Harvard Square: An Illustrated History Since 1950. As soon as the segment ended I called Porter Square Books and reserved two copies, one for myself and one for my parents.
New Book About Harvard Square, Cambridge Massachusetts
My dad grew up in Cambridge and one story that’s regularly retold in my family is how he and his high school friends in the late 1940s would jump in their cars, drive to the Square, pull up and park, and go in for a bite to eat at the cafeteria, Albiani’s, on Mass Ave. The reason the story tickled our funny bones was how far fetched we would all find it – how could they have found three or four empty parking spots all in a row? Different time for sure.
My mother became a fan of the Square in the 70s when we would take the train in from the burbs to shop and take in the sights. The book, with its coverage through the decades, had something for all of us.
Harvard Square: An Illustrated History Since 1950 by Mo Lotman
Measuring 12″ by 10″ and 240 pages long this is a *big* and beautiful book jam packed with photographs. When I heard about it I thought it would simply be a collection of photographs – and if it were only that it would be fascinating. Lotman has dug deep for the photos in the book – in archives and in amateur photographers’ personal collections. It’s an amazing look at Harvard Square through the decades.
But the book isn’t just a photography book – it’s much more. It’s all about what makes this such a special place – the people, the politics, the shops, the restaurants, the buildings – it’s a rich tapestry and a wonderful record of the last 60 years Cambridge-style. Streetscapes, interior views, ephemera, news photos – you name it – it’s all here in chock-a-block full, endlessly fascinating pages.
Inside Harvard Square: An Illustrated History Since 1950
The book is organized by decades and pictures are both dated and annotated to direct you to other views or info about the same scene. Thankfully there’s an index – you’ll be tempted to take a quick look to see if the places you remember are included here. I checked to see if one of my favorite teenage haunts – Dazzle - was in the book – yes – and was delighted to find four references to one of my regular stops, Reading International. And for my Dad, Albiani’s is in one of the full page photographs that open the book. There’s so much here that will bring back your favorite Harvard Square memories.
Harvard Square: An Illustrated History Since 1950 is the ideal coffee table book since everyone who spots it will be tempted to pore through its pages. It’s the perfect gift for anyone who’s ever lived in or spent time in Cambridge.
Author Mo Lotman will be at the Harvard Coop on September 12, 2009 to discuss the book and sign copies as part of the “Bookish Ball”. The book’s official launch will be held at Club Passim, 47 Palmer Street in Cambridge on September 15, 2009 from 7 pm to midnight.
Irving Street Cambridge – Real Estate, Architecture and History
105 Irving Street Cambridge MA
Irving Street Cambridge – Real Estate, Architecture and History. Irving Street is close to Harvard Square in Cambridge in what real estate agents often refer to as the Divinity School neighborhood. Much of the street is part of what once was the Shady Hill estate. Lined with large, handsome houses and rich in history, Irving Street is one of my favorite streets in Cambridge.
Irving Street History
Irving Street was named for author Washington Irving, best known today for his stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle”. While parts of the street were laid out earlier in the 1800s, the street was part of the subdivision designed by landscape architect Charles Eliot in 1886 when the 34 acre Shady Hill estate was subdivided.
Well known residents of Irving Street included:
- Julia and Paul Child at 103 Irving Street
- Poet e.e. cummings grew up across the street at no. 104
- Psychologist and philospher William James, brother of Henry James, built no. 95 in 1889 and lived there until his death in 1910
On a lighter note, I found at least one reference to a house on Irving appearing in the movie Love Story as the house where the couple played by Ryan O’Neil and Ali McGraw lived. Anybody know which house this is?
Irving Street Architecture
Twenty year deed restrictions were put in place when the Shady Hill estate was divided. Only single family houses could be built and there were minimum cost requirements. There is a uniformity to the streetscape as a result – all of the houses are large and are separated from their neighbors on generous lots.
The street is almost entirely residential with the exceptions of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at one end and the Irving House Bed and Breakfast at the other. There is also Harvard housing at no. 28, Haskins Hall, a 1926 brick apartment building.
Most of the houses on the street are Colonial Revivals or late examples of the Queen Anne style. No. 114 is a Craftsman style house. There is a large Mansard at no. 23 and a more recent addition of a group of Bell and Fandetti townhouses at no. 36.
Here’s a tour of the houses on Irving Street, starting at the end of the street near Francis Avenue and walking back, cross Kirkland Street to the opposite end at Cambridge Street. By clicking on the photos you can get a larger view.
Irving Street Cambridge Real Estate
Recent sales on the street have included:
- An unrenovated two-family sold for $1,075,000 in 2009
- Julia Child’s former home sold for $3,700,000 earlier this year
- One of the Bell and Fandetti 1970s townhouses sold for $601,050 in 2007
- A fully renovated two-family house sold in 2007 for $2,215,000
CHECK FOR REAL ESTATE FOR SALE ON IRVING STREET
Berkeley Street Cambridge – Real Estate, Architecture and History
Richard Henry Dana Jr.'s House on Berkeley Street in Cambridge MA
Just one block long, Berkeley Street is remarkably rich in history and architecture. Located just blocks from the heart of Harvard Square behind Brattle Street, the street is one of the most attractive – and interesting - in Cambridge. Berkeley Street is part of the Old Cambridge Historic District, regulated by the Cambridge Historical Commission. The street was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
History of Berkeley Street
Part of Berkeley Street was once land encompassed by the large Vassal-Craigie estate. Another portion was owned by the Hill family. It was laid out in two parts from 1851 to 1852 and named to honor philosopher Bishop George Berkeley.
The street has a rich history and was home to several Cambridge authors:
- Richard Henry Dana Jr, author of Two Years Before The Mast, lived at 4 Berkeley Street for 17 years. Dana’s house was behind the Brattle Street home of his friend, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was Dana who gave the street its name.
- Another of Dana’s friends, author and editor William Dean Howells, rented across the street at 3 Berkeley Street for two years
- Historian John Fiske lived at 22 Berkeley Street. Fiske was a leading proponent of Darwin’s theories. In an 1898 article about Fiske, the New York Times described 22 Berkeley Street as “a substantial square house of the mansard roofed type, so popular twenty years ago” and gives a detailed description of Fiske’s expansive library.
- No. 15 was home to a private school for girls, the Berkeley Street School, from 1863 to 1912 when it merged with the Cambridge School for Girls
- Frank Bolles, author, naturalist and Secretary of Harvard, lived at no. 6
Architecture on Berkeley Street
The Old Cambridge volume of the Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge by Bainbridge Bunting and Robert H. Nylander notes that Berkeley Street has “the best concentration of Bracketed and Mansard houses in the city, with textbook examples at 4, 5, 20, and 22.”
Douglas Shand-Tucci, in his book Built in Boston: City and Suburb, 1800-2000, describes 16 Berkeley Street, built in 1905, as having
“some of the same design elements one sees in the Prairie Style – the blocky, geometric form, the horizontal quality, strongly reinforced by low, lidlike, and wide projecting roofs…”
15 Berkeley Street is in the Italian Villa style. Several Queene Annes are on the street and the most recent house on the street, no. 24 is a brick ended Colonial Revival built in 1936.
Berkeley Street Cambridge Real Estate
Homes on the street are large, as are the lots, making real values quite high. In 2007 a portion of one of the large houses, deeded as a single family and about 1500 sq.ft. in size, sold for $875,000. A free standing single family home sold in 2006 for $4,000,000 and in 2007 another sold for $4,935,000.
You can search the MLS for Cambridge homes for sale by using the link below. You’ll have full access to the MLS and can adjust the price range, towns, style and more.
CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR CAMBRIDGE HOUSES FOR SALE
Here are photos of some of the houses on Berkeley Street. If you click on the image you can get a larger view with additional details about the houses:
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