Time for a Change?
Are you ready to move out of your rental and into a home of your own? Are you tired of maintaining a large residence and ready to trade down into something smaller? Do you want to take advantage of today's interest rates?
If so, there are three things you need to know about the condo at 91 Hammond Place, Woburn MA which has just been re-priced as the best value in all of the Hammond Place Condominiums at $285,800!
1.Location
Hammond Place is conveniently located near terrific shopping: Roche Brothers grocery market and the Burlington and Wayside Malls. Its easily accessible to Rt 128, Rt3, and Rt93. Unit 91 is an end unit with windows on three sides. The private setting is a delightful surprise. It has a new deck overlooking a wooded landscape.
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2.Condition
All the Hammond Place units were renovated in 2009 with new siding, roofs, Harvey windows and doors. In 2010 the interior was repainted, the stairs and second floor were recarpeted, and a Prego floor was installed in the living room. The owner replaced the hot water heater and the refrigerator too!
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3.Carefree living
This townhouse offers a lifestyle of convenience; no yardwork, no shoveling, no exterior maintainence. Condominium ownership gives you time and freedom to enjoy other life acivities.
and of course, Freedom!
Contact Us Avenue 3 Real Estate if your thinking of buying a condo or for more information or an appointment to see this fine property or to view other currently listed condos in the area.
Download Free Home Buying Kit
Find tips on buying a home by downloading our very informative Better Buyer Kit.
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OCTOBER 25, 2011
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194 pending sales this week in the Boston Metro West area up 39 from the previous week! In Arlington MA, Boston MA and Waltham MA sales were up significantly. A relatively steady fall market so far!
Why follow pending sales info? Click on the link below for a brief expalnation of why this info is can be helpful to you as a future buyer or seller:
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Source: MLSPIN
Thinking of buying or selling in 2012?
Start here by looking at all the current listings: Avenue 3 Property Search.
Be prepared: Download our Better Buyer Kit or Smarter Seller Kit |
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Avenue 3 Real Estate posts pending sales in the Boston and Metro West area each week from information complied from the Multiple Listing Service. Click on the button below if you would like to recieve this info weekly:
Fall is here and winter is around the corner. If you haven’t started taking action about making your home more energy efficient this winter, don’t wait any longer. One of the best ways to start is with a free energy assessment from MassSave.
An energy specialist will evaluate your current energy usage and will provide you with energy saving recommendations. The appointment typically takes 2-3 hrs and is a good investment of time. If you are a homeowner who will be selling soon, consider a pre-sale audit. If you are preparing your home for sale, you may find there are a few things you can do to enhance your home’s appeal to the “green” minded consumer.
Even if you don’t elect to take advantage of the energy assessment, but you know there are upgrades that you need to make, be sure you know what products are available for rebates or tax credits. You can still get credits for windows, doors, hot water heaters and many other products. There are a couple of resourceful websites which provide the list of products eligible under Federal programs. Energystar.gov and Energysavers.gov are both detailed sites. You will also find instructions on how to file for your tax credits. Masssave can help you identify local rebate offers and product discounts.
If you are thinking of selling your home in the near future take a look at the tips for a smart sale here:
One question we hear all the time is : "What do I need to know about buying property"...big question!!! Real estate inventory changes, mortgage rates go up and down but here are 5 practical starting points:
- Before you begin to house shop, you need to have an idea of what town/neighborhood you want to live in and the style of house/condo you want. Some buyers narrow their search to only one community, but others have the flexibility to look in a few communities. Know which category you fall into. Are you a Cambridge condo buyer? Arlington single family buyer? Or both?
- It is okay to have a wish list, but you have to understand that no house/condo is going to be perfect. Rate and share your wish list with your agent. Keep in mind that the majority of Boston and Metro West communities have older inventory.
- See past the current owner’s furniture and “junk” and try to see the potential in every property.
- Condo buyers: you cannot negotiate condo/maintenance fees, and those fees tend to go up periodically.
- Look for the “value-add” for your real estate choice.
There is much more to cover on this subject and we are available by email, phone to answer all your real estate questions. You can also meet us:
Every Monday: Avenue 3 agents, Rob Russell and John Reilly will be in Cambridge at Bertucci’s Alewife Station from 5:30 - 7 pm … stop by for pizza and bring those real estate questions with you.
Also, every Wednesday afternoon from 4-5 pm, Rob Russell will also be at Bean Towne Coffee House, Kendall Square, Cambridge MA. Stop by for coffee (decaf is available!!!)…
Just beginning your search? Start here: Avenue 3 Property Search. Not sure about the buying steps or what real estate forms look like? Download your Better Buyer Kit and Buyer Real Estate Forms Kit today!
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OCTOBER 19, 2011
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Vibrant colored leaves scattered around the Boston and Metro West area make every avenue and street look great! So if you're in the Fall mood too why not decorate just one area of your home for Halloween this year.... here are a few stylish ideas from HGTV to get you started, Halloween Decor
PENDING SALES
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Source: MLSPIN
Just beginning your property search? Thinking of selling in 2012? Following the Avenue 3 Week in Review is a great place to start!
And here is a place to look at all the current listings in MA: Avenue 3 Property Search
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The term “pending sales” refers to real estate that has had an offer accepted but has not yet made it to closing. The property is technically off the market, (no longer available to another buyer) but is in a state of limbo as the seller waits for the buyer to get their mortgage and finalize the transaction for closing. During this time, the actual sale price of the property is not divulged but is kept confidential until the closing takes place. So, if we don’t know the actual price, why are pending sales important?
For Buyers, following pending sales offers two valuable bits of information. First, the number of pending sales in any community is a great indicator of which communities are having success with home sales – right up to the minute. Too often, housing figures that are quoted in the media are outdated – last year, last quarter, etc. Pending sales have just happened. They are a great up to the minute revelation of the number of real estate sales taking place. Secondly, while the exact sales price of the pending properties is not known, you can see what the asking price was at the time an offer was accepted. This helps to give you a general sense of values in a particular community.
For Sellers, pending sales serve similar purposes. Considering the prices of pending properties will help a seller determine a marketing price for their own home. While sold properties in your area may have closed 6 months ago, weighing these values with the up to the minute pending sales prices will help achieve a more accurate pricing picture. In addition, pending sales are the indicator for what is called the “absorption rate” of homes similar to the one you are selling. The absorption rate is arrived at by comparing the number of homes like yours that were available for sale at any point in time, and determining how many sold in that time frame and how long it took them to sell. If there are twenty homes on the market like yours and only 2 have sold in the past year, your absorption rate is low and your property pricing should reflect this fact. Conversely, if there are 2 homes like yours on the market and 20 have sold in the past six months, your absorption rate is high and you may have an easier sale ahead.
Don’t short change the Pending Sales category! Receive weekly pending sales info on towns in Boston Metro West with Avenue 3’s Week in Review. Sign up today, there is a lot to be learned from this market indicator!
Download Free Home Buying Kit
Find tips on buying a home by downloading our very informative Better Buyer Kit.
Do you have Columbus Day off or are you returning Monday night from a long weekend? Why not stop by Bertucci's / Alewife Station, Cambridge for pizza and some conversation.
If you're thinking about taking the first buying step this year or in the future we are here to answer any and all of your real estate questions.
Download our better buyer kit and bring a copy with you on Monday!
Join Real Estate Agent Rob Russell at Bertucci's Alewife Station, drop in anytime, October 10th, between 5:30 - 7:00 pm.....just like an open house.
Look forward to meeting you there!
And for daily tips on buying, selling and maintaining property:
It is a definite love hate relationship. We all know they could save our lives, but at 3:00 am (why is it always 3:00am?) when that low battery warning starts to chirp, smoke detectors, as important as they are, are not our friends.
Massachusetts General Law and the Department of Fire Services have adopted changes to the installation of smoke detectors in residential buildings. These changes are aimed at preventing so many pesky false alarms from steamy showers and burnt pork chops, but at first glance they read like a page from the DaVinci Code. We will attempt to clarify...
There are two basic types of smoke detectors - photoelectric and ionization. You are required to install a smoke detector on each level of your residence. According to the City of Cambridge, "The regulations require photoelectric (not ionization) detectors within 20 feet of a kitchen or a bath with a shower. Areas located beyond 20 feet will be required to contain dual detection (photoelectric and ionization) by either a single unit or two separate units." These units most often must be placed, on the ceiling, at the foot of each stairwell and within 6 feet of any bedroom - this may mean more than one detector on a living level.
In addition to smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors must be installed on each level of the home and within ten feet of all bedroom doors. They do not need to be installed on the ceiling, and can even be plugged into outlets on the wall.
While the Department of Fire Service has published a guide, it seems that the regulations vary just a bit from town to town. It may be best to check for your town information by searching "smoke detector laws (insert your town name here), mass". You will find your local version of the law and a phone number for your fire prevention office.
Hope this helps solve the mystery. Lets hope you never need them, but if you do, it helps to have those pesky smoke detectors in just the right places.
PS When selling a home it is a requirement that an inspection of your smoke detectors take place by your local fire department.
So why do we think is it important to chat about the buying process with no immediate property in play?
Simple. Unfettered honesty about the real estate market which includes comparing the Cambridge / Somerville condo market with the Arlington single family market. Another example: if you had a $500,000 budget, what community near Cambridge may prove to be the best place to invest your money?
Again, you have questions...we have answers.
Join us every Monday evening (5:30 - 7:00pm) at Bertucci's Alewife Station for pizza and real estate talk!! Just drop in.
Look over our better buyer kit and bring your questions.
Join Rob Russell and John Reilly at Bertucci's Alewife Station, Cambridge 5:30 - 7 pm.
See you there!