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.
NaBloPoMo
NaBloPoMo 2011
What the heck is “NaBloPoMo” you might be asking.
It’s a new one on me though not a big leap from “NaNoWriMo” which I *did* know about after spending way too many late night hours on writers boards since I started working on Kindle cookbooks. NaNoWriMo is the acronym for “National Novel Writing Month”. It’s a challenge to write 50,000 words of a new novel during the month of November. It began, as a project among friends, in 1999 and last year more than 200,000 people signed up.
I thought about joining NaNoWriMo as a “rebel” (something I’ve been called more than once) and work on non-fiction but I didn’t get around to it.
Turns out I’m in my own challenge right here on Centers and Squares. I’m an unoffical member of NaBloPoMo and I didn’t even know it. The Real Estate Tomato, designers and hosters of this blog, are running a Post Every Day challenge in November again this year and I’ve signed up.
Little did I know that lots of bloggers are hitting the keyboard in November. National Blog Posting Month (aka NaBloPoMo) was inspired by NaNoWriMo and debuted in 2006. Bloggers are encouraged to post every day in November. Starting this year it’s hosted by BlogHer, the online community / platform for women bloggers.
Inquiring minds want to know – is NaBloPoMo now for women only? I’m not sure.
More than 2000 bloggers signed up before registration closed on November 5th. The NaBloPoMo blogroll is an invitation to lose yourself online with links to blogs with enticing names like It’s a Party Not a Picnic, Sweary Poppins, The Bipolar Badger, Reticent Bitch, Habitually Uncool, Single Woman Double Life, The Floating Lush, Procrastination Princess and 2208 more (admittedly the blogs I plucked from the list probably say a bit too much about what piques my interest!). Check them out!
Belmont MA Real Estate Market – January-October 2011
Welcome to the Belmont Real Estate Market Report
How is real estate doing in Belmont MA this year? While we pause for a bit for the holidays it’s a good time to look back to get a sense of the real estate market activity in Belmont this year with a look at the numbers for January through October 2011.
The numbers for the same period in 2010 are in parentheses for comparison.
On October 31, 2011, 79 properties were listed for sale in Belmont. That’s a drop of more than 11% from the same time last year when 89 properties were on the market.
The Belmont real estate market is healthier this year than last. Perhaps lower inventory has something to do with it but on average properties are selling more quickly – 67 average days on market this year vs. 109 last year, and the median price is up too: $634,500 vs. $626,500. Numbers of properties sold has increased by 10% over sales in the same period in 2010.
Residential Real Estate Sold in Belmont – Jan-Oct 2011 (2010)
- 234 properties sold (213)
- Average days on market = 67 (109)
- Properties sold for an average of 98% of asking price (97%)
- Median price of $634,500 ($626,500)
Belmont Single Family Sales – Jan-Oct 2011 (2010)
- Total sold: 125 (118 )
- Sale prices ranged from $400,000 – $2,675,000 ($320,000 – $2,731,377)
- Median price: $700,00 ($707,500)
- Average days on market: 51 (77)
- On average, houses sold for 98% of asking price (97% )
Belmont Condo Sales – Jan-Oct 2011 (2010)
- Total sold: 81 (72)
- Sale prices ranged from $145,000 – $1,337,500 ($166,000 – $1,100,000)
- Median price: $383,000 ($372,500)
- Average days on market: 95 (173)
- On average, condos sold for 98% of asking price (98%)
Belmont Multi-Family Sales – Jan-Oct 2011 (2010)
- Total sold: 28 (23)
- Sale prices ranged from $395,000 – $760,000 ($425,000 – $760,000)
- Median price: $562,500 ($587,000)
- Average days on market: 53 (73)
- On average, multi-unit houses sold for 98% of asking price (98% )
Info about the Belmont MA real estate market in 2011 (2010) from MLSpin
221 Beacon St Somerville MA
221 Beacon St Somerville MA 02143
Real estate buyers looking for a modern townhouse close to Harvard Square will want to consider 221 Beacon Street in Somerville MA.
The eight townhouses at 221 Beacon Street were built in 2009. The building is Energy Star certified. 221 Beacon is on the Cambridge – Somerville line, across the street from the Academy of Arts and Sciences. You can cut through the Divinity neighborhood to get to Harvard Square.
221 Beacon St Somerville MA Features
- 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths
- 8 townhouse condos, approx. 1500 – 1750 sq.ft.
- Courtyard and common garden
- Patio
- Fireplace
- Hardwood floors
- Vaulted ceilings
- Central air conditioning
- In-unit washer/dryer
- Cherry cabinets, granite counters, stainless steel appliances
- 2 garage parking spaces
- Guest parking and bike storage
221 Beacon Street Real Estate Sales
The townhouses originally sold for $565,000 to $695,000. One unit resold in 2011 – it was purchased for $565,000 in 2010 and sold for $590,000 in 2011.
If a townhouse is for sale at 221 Beacon St Somerville MA 02143 it will appear below. Click on the small photo for more information and additional photographs.
Cambridge Pothole Hotline
Cambridge Pothole Hotline
I’m not sure why it took half a dozen jaw-clacking trips over – through – into the pothole on Sherman Street before I remembered the Cambridge Pothole Hotline.
Cambridge makes it super simple to report a pothole. You can fill out the form online like I just did or call the Cambridge Pothole Hotline at 617-349-4854. When you fill out the online form you’re given the option of providing your email address and / or phone number in order to be updated on the pothole’s status.
I’ll be delighted to get that call – that Sherman Street pothole is a doozy!
Watertown Election Results
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.
Medford Election Results
Medford did have an election yesterday but you wouldn’t know it if you went to the city website. No results have been posted. November 2011 Medford election results were available on the Medford Transcript website however:
Mayor McGlynn won a 13th term. Given that his opponent Anthony D’Antonio didn’t seem to be a proponent of the Green Line extension I’m relieved that McGlynn won.
Medford will have one new face on the City Council – Richard Caraviello was elected to the council. Councilor Mark Arena failed to win reelection, falling short by just 37 votes. Incumbents Breanna Lungo-Koehn, Robert Maiocco, Paul Camuso, Frederick Dello Russo, Michael Marks and Robert Penta were all reelected.
Turns out you can get a better sense of the Medford City Council on Youtube than you can on the city website. Search “Medford City Council” on Youtube and you’ll pull up quite the collection of videos, some hilarious, with titles like “Medford City Council – What Year is This?”, “Joe Viglione tells Medford City Council Off” or “Medford City Council Calls for a Battle”. Watch ’em and weep – or laugh.
By far the most popular Medford City Council video is this one of City Councilor Paul Camuso, titled “Perfect Boston Accent“. It’s been viewed over 650,000 times. Now I have to say – Councilor Camuso’s accent doesn’t really leap out at me. I hear worse (better?!) all the time. See what you think.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbK4cL3QSc0[/youtube]
Somerville Election Results
Nov 8, 2011 Election results in Somerville
There were a lot of sign waving supporters on Somerville street corners on election day. Wondering who won the Board of Alderman and school committee races? Here are the preliminary Somerville election results for the municipal election on November 8, 2011.
Somerville Election Results
Somerville publishes the unofficial election results. Races aren’t final until the absentee, overseas and other provisional ballots are counted. The posted unofficial results are based on the 9,071 votes cast and counted at the polls.
Since most seats were not contested, however, there’s not a heck of a lot to report. Mayor Curtatone and all seven members of the School Committee ran unopposed and were reelected.
Somerville Board of Alderman Election Results
The Board of Alderman races resulted in just one new face among the eleven members.
All four of the Board of Aldermen members with at-large seats won re-election: John Connelly, Dennis Sullivan, William White and Bruce Desmond. William Roche (Ward 1), Maryann Heuston (Ward 2), Sean O’Donovan (Ward 5) andRebekah Gerwitz (Ward 6) ran unopposed and were re-elected.
Thomas Taylor was re-elected to represent Ward 3, beating Stephen Delani.
In a bit of a squeaker in Ward 7, Robert Trane was re-elected, beating challenger Katjana Ballantyne by 40 votes, 1068 to 1028, according to the unofficial tally.
In Ward 3, Alderman Walter Pero did not run for re-election. The unofficial tally shows Tony Lafuente beating Christine Barber in that race by 857 t o 623.
Cambridge Election Results
Nov 8, 2011 Election results in Cambridge
This morning, whether it’s reading the Boston Globe or watching Morning Joe, you’d be tempted to think we didn’t have an election yesterday.
But we did.
Wondering who won in the Cambridge school committee and city council voting?
From the City of Cambridge here are preliminary results for the city council election and the school committee election of Nov 8, 2011:
Cambridge City Council Election Results
Cambridge votes by proportional representation. You can vote for multiple candidates but you rank your choices – only one candidate can get your important #1 vote and you vote in order of preference for other candidates.
15,393 votes were cast and counted last night. Candidates who received 1540 #1 votes were elected on the first count. Tim Toomey, David Maher and Leland Cheung each received enough votes to win re-election on the first round. Frankly after that I get a bit lost in how votes are apportioned but we do know who won. We think. Cambridge calls all election results “preliminary”. The results aren’t deemed final until November 18th after write-ins, absentee ballots, etc are counted.
That being said, per the preliminary results, in addition to Toomey, Maher and Cheung; Henrietta Davis, Denise Simmons, Marjorie Decker, Craig Kelley and Ken Reeves were reelected.
Sam Seidel did not win reelection. That meant we had one seat change – Minka vanBeuzekom won and is the newest member of the Cambridge City Council.
Cambridge School Committee Election Results
Preliminary school committee election results show that Alfred Fantini, Patricia Nolan, Alice Turkel, Mervan Osborne, Richard Harding and Marc McGovern won. Nancy Tauber did not win reelection. Mervan Osborne is the newly elected member of the Cambridge School Committee
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