Centers And Squares » Watertown

Watertown MA Real Estate Market – January-October 2011

Elizabeth Bolton — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 04:59:04 +0000

Watertown MA Real Estate Market Review

Here’s a look at how the Watertown MA real estate market is faring in 2011.

The numbers for the same period in 2010 are in parentheses for comparison.

On October 31, 2011, 114 residential properties were listed for sale in Watertown. That’s a large decrease, more than 26%, from the same time last year when 155 properties were on the market.

For the market as a whole the median price was up by 6%. That wasn’t true of single family houses with a median sale price this year through October of $420,375 compared to $482,500 last year. That may in part be due to a different mix in what was offered for sale. In the first 10 months of last year 27 homes sold for more than $500,000 vs. just 20 this year during the same period.

The mix of properties sold this year in Watertown was quite a bit different than last: fewer condos sold this year while single family house sales were up and considerably more multi-unit houses have sold this year.

Residential Real Estate Sold in Watertown – Jan-Oct 2011 (2010)

260 properties sold (247)
Average days on market = 95 (91)
Properties sold for an average of 96% of asking price (97%)
Median price of $380,000 ($357,500)

Watertown Single Family Sales – Jan-Oct 2011 (2010)

Total sold: 70 (57 )
Sale prices ranged from $240,000 – $1,250,000 ($135,000 – $879,000)
Median price: $420,375 ($482,500)
Average days on market: 73 (66)
On average, houses sold for 97% of asking price (96% )

Watertown Condo Sales – Jan-Oct 2011 (2010)

Total sold: 129 (155)
Sale prices ranged from $163,100 – $1,435,000 ($150,000 - $1,105,000)
Median price: $325,000 ($320,000)
Average days on market: 108 (112)
On average, condos sold for 96% of asking price (96%)

Watertown Multi-Family Sales – Jan-Oct 2011 (2010)

Total sold: 61 (35)
Sale prices ranged from $296,000 – $667,500 ($155,000 – $665,000)
Median price: $497,000 ($490,000)
Average days on market: 91 (37)
On average, multi-unit houses sold for 96% of asking price (98% )

Info about the Watertown MA real estate market in 2011 (2010) from MLSpin

Eastern Coyote Lecture in Watertown

Elizabeth Bolton — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 01:10:52 +0000

Eastern Coyote Lecture in Watertown

Is that a dog? No? It could be a coyote that you’ve spotted. The Eastern Coyote can even be found in Cambridge. I haven’t seen one (though I have had some rather odd animal encounters – a deer on Orchard Street, a stuck possum on Somerville Ave) but I know people who have over by Mount Auburn cemetery or Fresh Pond.

I do remember the eerie howls of coyotes you could hear at night from my parents’ porch when they lived in NH. We’re the ones incroaching on their turf.

On Thursday, November 17th, there will be an Eastern Coyote lecture in Watertown.

The Belmont Animal Control Officer, John Maguranis, will present a lecture, Living with the Eastern Coyote, at the Watertown Town Hall.

Coyote Lecture:

Where: Watertown Town Hall, 2nd floor, 149 Main Street, Watertown

When: Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Free and open to the public

I wrote this post several days ago and scheduled it for today. Coincidentally the Boston Globe published an editorial today calling for education so that people can coexist with the coyotes that have been spotted more frequently in suburban towns like Belmont and Newton. Watertown’s Eastern Coyote lecture is just the ticket.

Watertown Election Results

Elizabeth Bolton — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:59:05 +0000

Watertown Election Results

Watertown has posted the results of the town election of November 8, 2011. 16.65% of the 21,061 registered voters in Watertown cast ballots in yesterday’s municipal election.

Watertown Town Council Election Results

Incumbent councilors from Districts A, B and C ran unopposed and all were reelected. Angeline Kounelis, Cecilia Lenk and V.J. Piccirilli will be returning to the council. They will be joined by Kenneth Woodland who ran, without opposition, to fill the seat representing District D, currently held by John Lawn.

Incumbents also won the four council-at-large seats. However, write-in candidate Michael Mandel, who ran an anti-Walmart campaign (this is the first I’ve heard about the possibility of Walmart coming to Arsenal Street – if I lived in Watertown Mandel would have had my vote), came in just 91 votes behind the next highest vote getter, Stephen Corbett. According to the Watertown Tab, Michael Mandel is considering filing for a recount. You would think his strong showing – given that he entered the race just a couple of weeks before the election – is a reflection of many residents’ sentiment about Walmart. Here’s what the town council members and candidates have to say about Walmart.

Watertown School Committee Election Results

Three seats were up for grabs on the Watertown School Committee. Eileen Hsu-Balzer won reelection. She will be joined by two new school committee members: Michael Shepard and Julie McMahon. Christopher Beach did not win reelection.

Emergency Preparedness for Your Pets and Your Family

Elizabeth Bolton — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:31:33 +0000

Make sure your pets and family are safe in an emergency

I picked up a flyer at the Watertown Mall for a lecture on Emergency Preparedness for Your Pets and Your Family. (Note to self – avoid the Registry of Motor Vehicles anytime around September 1st – the line just to sign in snaked through the mall, filled with students and others who had just moved to town.)

In this season of earthquakes, floods, tropical storms and more this seems like a timely topic.

The lecture will be presented by Watertown Public Health Nurse, Patricia Moran, and Animal Control Officer, Karen O’Reilly.

The lecture, Emergency Preparedness: Your Family and Your Pet, is scheduled for Friday, September 9, 2011 at 10 a.m. at the Old Country Buffet at the Watertown Mall at 550 Arsenal Street, Watertown. It’s an-all ages event – kids are invited to bring their teddy bear for a Teddy Bear Clinic and free blood pressure screenings will be available from 11 to noon.

Watertown MA Real Estate Review – 2010

Elizabeth Bolton — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 04:08:23 +0000

It’s always interesting at the end of the year to take stock and see how the real estate market did this year compared to previous years. Here’s the Watertown MA real estate review for 2010 followed by the real estate sales numbers in Watertown for December 2010.

Numbers of properties sold in Watertown dipped yet again this year by about 10%. Median prices however did not fall. Condo prices essentially stayed flat while the median price of houses rose by 13.5% and by 10% for multi-families. It was a slower market for condos – on average condos took four months to sell. Multi-unit houses, on the other hand, sold briskly and were on the market just 40 days on average.

Total residential properties sold in Watertown:

Welcome to the Watertown Real Estate Market Review

Numbers in parentheses show the change from the year before

In 2010: 290 (-9.6%)
In 2009: 321 (-12.3%)
In 2008: 366

Average days on market:

2010: 96
2009: 82
2008: 89

Total value of real estate sales:

2010: $113,451,149 (-7.16%)
2009: $122,196,592 (-17.34%)
2008: $147,822,196

Properties sold for:

2010: 96% of asking price on average. The median price was $355,000 (-3.54%)
2009: 96% of asking price on average. The median price was $368,000 (-1.61%)
2008: 96% of asking price on average. The median price was $374,000

Watertown Single Family Sales

2010: 71 (-10.13%)
2009: 79 (+5.34%)
2008: 75

Price range for single family homes:

2010: $135,000 to $879,000
2009: $260,000 to $967,500
2008: $280,000 to $1,577,000

Median price of single family houses sold:

2010: $471,000 (+13.50%)
2009: $415,000 (-1.00%)
2008: $419,000

Watertown single families:

In 2010: average days on market was 66. Houses sold for 96% of the asking price.
In 2009: average days on market was 61. Houses sold for 95% of the asking price.
In 2008: average days on market was 82. Houses sold for 96% of the asking price.

Watertown Condo Sales

2010: 179 (-10.06%)
2009: 199 (-13.86%)
2008: 231

Price range for condos:

2010: $147,800 to $1,105,000
2009: $150,000 to $781,000
2008: $182,000 to $1,060,600

Median price of condos sold:

2010: $321,000 (-00.32%)
2009: $322,000 (-6.67%)
2008: $345,000

On average, Watertown condominiums:

In 2010: average days on market was 121. Condos sold for 96% of list price.
In 2009: average days on market was 91. Condos sold for 97% of list price
In 2008: average days on market was 84, Condos sold for 97% of list price

Watertown Multi-Family Sales

2010: 40 (-6.98%)
2009: 43 (-28%)
2008: 60

Price range for multi-family properties:

2010: $155,000 to $665,000
2009: $310,000 to $723,000
2008: $335,000 to $2,400,000

Median price of multi-family houses sold:

2010: $487,500 (+9.56%)
2009: $445,000 (-6.8%)
2008: $477,500

On average, Watertown multi-families:

In 2010: were on the market 40 days and sold for 98% of list price.
In 2009: were on the market 75 days and sold for 96% of list price
In 2008: were on the market 120 days and sold for 93% of list price

And here are the final monthly stats for Watertown in 2010 with the December sales info.

Watertown MA Real Estate On the Market

90 residential properties in Watertown were listed for sale in the MLS on December 31, 2010 priced between $169,900 and $965,000.

That’s a huge drop in inventory from just one month before when 161 homes were listed for sale. Relatively few properties are listed between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. Inventory doesn’t grow but is instead reduced by sales and by sellers withdrawing their homes from the market.

Watertown MA Real Estate Sold in December 2010

23 Watertown MA homes sold during December 2010 The median sales price in Dec. 2010 was $345,000. Average days on market for these properties was 166. Good to see some homeowners end the year with a sale after many weeks on the market.

7 single family houses sold in December for prices between $199,900 and $643,000. Average days on the market for these houses was 77. In December, Watertown houses sold for an average of 95% of the list price.

13 Watertown condos sold in December 2010 for sale prices from $147,800 to $800,000. The median sales price was $335,000. Condos sold on average for 95% of the asking price. These condos were on the market an average of 246 days – wow! - again – congratulations to the long suffering sellers – it’s not easy having your home listed for that long.

3 Watertown two-family houses sold in December priced between $420,00 and $510,000.

Total value of properties sold in the Watertown MA real estate market in December 2010 was $8,643,100

Watertown MA Real Estate Market – Nov 2010

Elizabeth Bolton — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:29:17 +0000

Welcome to the Watertown Real Estate Market Review

The calendar pages are turning fast so here’s a quick look back at the Watertwon MA real estate market in November 2010.

Watertown MA Real Estate On the Market

161 homes in Watertown were listed for sale in the MLS on November 30, 2010 priced between $149,900 and $1,250,000. Just a couple of days later, as I write, that number is down to 142 as it appears many properties were taken off the market for the holidays.

Watertown MA Real Estate Sold in November 2010

19 Watertown MA residential properties sold during November 2010 – down from 31 in November 2009 – ouch! The median sales price in November 2010 was $370,000. Average days on market for these properties was 91.

6 single family houses sold in November, twice as many as sold in October, for prices between $320,000 and $832,500. Average days on the market for these houses was 64. In November, Watertown “singles” sold for an average of 94% of the list price.

11 Watertown condos sold in November 2010 for sale prices from $243,000 to $492,000. The median sales price was $322,000. Condos sold on average for 96% of list price and average days on market was 100.

2 Watertown two-family houses sold in November for $485,00 and $550,000.

Total value of properties sold in the Watertown MA real estate market in November 2010 was $7,784,795

Watertown MA Home Sales – October 2010

Elizabeth Bolton — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:38:12 +0000

Welcome to the Watertown Real Estate Report

Here’s the first of the monthly real estate reports - a recap of Watertown properties sold in October 2010. Sales are still off from last year’s numbers.

Watertown Homes On the Market

163 homes in Watertown were listed for sale in the MLS on October 31, 2010 priced between $152,900 and $1,375,000. That’s significantly more homes – by just over a third – than were on the market one year ago in Watertown when 120 residential properties were listed for sale in the MLS.

Watertown MA Home Sales In October 2010

15 Watertown MA homes sold in October 2010. The median sales price in October 2010 was $351,000. Average days on market for these properties was 135. Sales were down by more than a third from last October when 24 properties sold in Watertown.

Just 3 single family houses sold in October for prices between $351,000 and $594,000. Average days on the market for these houses was 75. Last month, Watertown single family homes sold for an average of 96% of asking price.

10 Watertown condos sold in October 2010 for prices from $152,000 to $459,000. The median sales price was $341,500. Condos sold on average for 97% of the asking price and were on the market an average of 156 days.

Two Watertown two-family houses sold last month for $290,00 and $550,000.

Total value of Watertown MA home sales in October 2010 was $$5,709,500

Watertown Public Library – Memorial Bricks

Elizabeth Bolton — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 03:01:10 +0000

Engraved Bricks Outside the Watertown Public Library

Watertown Public Library – Memorial Bricks Recently I was in Watertown Square and popped into the Watertown Public Library.

It was my first time in the library since the renovation and addition. Time flies I guess because the library project was finished in 2006.

There’s a new twist at libraries – perhaps influenced by the popularity of bookstore cafes – local libraries have opened cafes where library patrons can eat and drink – in the library! The Watertown Public Library has a cafe just inside the door lined with bookcases offering used books for sale.

Memorial Bricks at the Watertown Public Library

Outside the library the walkway paved with engraved bricks caught my eye. The bricks were part of the fundraising for the library renovation. For donations of $100 or more people could purchase a brick engraved with a message of their choice. The bricks memorialize loved ones, pay tribute to teachers and library staff, commemorate book lovers – I think even a few pets are remembered here.

Here are a few of my favorite messages I came across on the bricks:

Reading Today Paves The Way. J Peschiers

Books Were My Life. I.V. Cvijanovic

John Hayward – WHS Exceptional History Teacher

For My Dear Mom Who Always Carried A Book

The Watertown Public Library is part of the Minuteman Library Network so if your town is too you can borrow books in Watertown. Or just buy one – or a few – in the library cafe.

The Watertown Public Library is located at 123 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472