Most people are planning a day at the beach, a picnic with friends or a family gathering....but you're mapping out your tour of Open Houses. The timing for you to buy is now, but you're not happy about it. Well believe it or not, it's actually a better time to attend an Open House than you might think and here are five reasons why we feel certain about this: 
1. Homes that are being opened in what some may consider not the best marketing season are owned by motivated sellers. These homes are priced competitively and are priced to sell.
2. More than likely there will be fewer attendees at open houses than in other seasons. This will enable you to see the property more clearly without the distraction of others' chatter. You can imagine your furniture placed in the living room, envision a different wall color in a bedroom and poke around more freely in the basement without tripping over anyone.
3. This is an opportunity to meet a Realtor, face to face (rather than a voice on the other end of a phone) and make your own assessment if this person is someone you could be comfortable working with. With fewer people asking questions and distracting the realtor you're in a great position to decide if this is a person you would like to work with and keep you up-to-date with listings in your price range.
4. If you're a summer person....it is perfect. When looking at property in colder seasons the windows are closed and usually the streets are pretty quiet. If you're dreaming of reading the Sunday paper on the balcony you looked out at in February and find in August the spot is noisy or way too hot in the afternoon sun, you may be very disappointed. Whether rooms are nice and bright in the afternoon or cool and dark based on the shade of the surrounding trees is important to know -- especially if you plan to enjoy the summer months in your home.
5. There are more than likely less properties to visit, so you can still have an opportunity to enjoy some part of the day!
For a complete Open House Search: Avenue 3 Open House Search
Usually this holiday weekend is a"quiet" one for new real estate listings, however, this year there are a number of "new" properties that came on in Arlington neighborhoods just in the last few days. This shows the strength of the Arlington MA real estate market ... buyers and sellers alike are not slowing this Memorial Day weekend!
3 Interesting "New" Arlington homes hosting open houses:
40 Highland Avenue: 7 rooms, 4 bedrooms, Colonial $469,000
2 Langley Road: 10 rooms, 5 bedrooms, Antique $850,000
107 Webster St. , Unit 2: 8 rooms, 2 bedrooms, Condo $439,000
And here's a list of all the open houses in Arlington this weekend:Arlington MA Open Houses
If you do take a break from your Arlington real estate search here are a few fun options for this weekend... Enjoy!
Parade: Arlington’s Memorial Day Parade is scheduled for Monday May 30, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Marchers will begin on Massachusetts Avenue at Adams Street and continue on to Monument Park in Arlington Center.
Saturday: is also International Jazz Day, so take some time to listen to the soothing sounds of jazz during your barbecues this weekend. AllAboutJazz.com has free jazz downloads as well as jazz reviews, interviews, forums, videos, photos, articles and more.
Avenue 3 wishes all a safe and happy weekend!!!
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May 24, 2011
Good News! All the tracked "WIR" communities had strong pending sale numbers last week. Arlington, a town that continues to be sought after by folks looking for an interesting mix of a city and suburb lifestyle, has shown strong pending numbers for the past few weeks.
A few interesting Jan - April, 2011 vs Jan - April, 2010 sold numbers for Arlington single family homes:
Jan-April 2010: 62 single family homes sold , average sale price: $550,047
Jan-April 2011: 46 single family homes sold, average sale price: $555,943
Again, units down but sale prices are up!
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total number of offers accepted for all property categories 05.15.11 - 05.22.11
For community resources, trending topics or to search for homes click on the town name ...
First # under agreement for this week, second # "WIR" last week....
What do the above numbers mean? If you are a regular viewer of "Week in Review" the Boston and Metro West under agreement numbers remain relatively consistent week to week...Boston jumps up/down by 10% - 25% week to week. One or two towns in Metro West will jump up/down by 3 - 10 properties week to week. This is all good news for the above towns and cities.
Do you have a specific town or towns you would like to receive real estate related data on or would you like to receive the "pending sales" report weekly? Sign-up here for the Week in Review".
Out and about in the Boston neighborhoods this weekend? There are over 174 new Boston properties on the market with a variety of styles, prices and neighborhood ambiance.
We have selected a few of interest; an artistic single family in Jamaica Plain, a stylish condo in the South End or the classic 2 family in Brighton. All 3 are open this Sunday, May 22nd, click on the address for more information and open house times.
271 Wachusett Street, $499,000 neighborhood: Jamaica Plain
249 W. Newton Street, $525,000 neighborhood: South End
215-217 Faneuil Street, $535,000 neighborhood: Brighton
And to view all current Boston listings and open houses click here: Avenue 3 Boston Property Search
Thoughts? Questions? Inquires? Contact Us We're here to help and be your guide!
May 18, 2011
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Boston had strong pending sale numbers last week. 166 total - and somewhat evenly divided throughout the Boston Neighborhoods. In terms of condo sales: Back Bay is the front runner with 14 pending properties, Jamaica Plain is a close second with 12 and Charlestown pulling up 3rd with 6!
Overall April 2011 vs April 2010 sold numbers for Boston condos looks like this:
April 2010: 344 condos sold, average sale price: $506,648
April 2011: 289 condos sold, average sale price: $524,228
Number of units down but sale prices up!
Click on the photo of the Boston skyline to view all Boston listings...
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total number of offers accepted for all property categories 05.08.11 - 05.15.11
For community resources, trending topics or to search for homes click on the town name ...
First # under agreement for this week, second # "WIR" last week....
What do the above numbers mean? If you are a regular viewer of "Week in Review" the Boston and Metro West under agreement numbers remain relatively consistent week to week...Boston jumps up/down by 10% - 25% week to week. One or two towns in Metro West will jump up/down by 3 - 10 properties week to week. This is all good news for the above towns and cities.
Do you have a specific town or towns you would like to receive real estate related data on or would you like to receive the "pending sales" report weekly? Sign-up here for the Week in Review".
If you're planning on venturing out to look at some properties opened today we think these 3 Avenue 3 properties should be on your list! Click on the property photos for the details.
In Arlington, a new listing in Jason Heights with views of the Boston Skyline from the deck which overlooks a beautiful landscaped yard is open from 11:30 to 1PM today.
Drive over to Charlestown's Flagship Wharf and take a look out the windows of this luxury Condo for views of the Boston Harbor and beyond! Open from 12 to 1:30PM.
And from 12 to 2PM you can view this Hammond Place townhouse in a private wooden setting!
For info on all the Open Houses in the area today, click here Avenue 3 Open House Search and insert your own parameters. And if you have any real real related questions Contact Us and we'll get right back to you!
Have a great day in spite of the rain!
Buying a property or selling a property, you'll find our "Kits" have valuable info.
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This week's "Week in Review" highlighted Arlington MA, Somerville MA and Waltham MA due to their increased pending sale numbers for the first week of May. Not to worry, there is still plenty of property to purchase in these communities with new listings being added daily. The current count of available property for sale in these towns is Arlington: 173, Somerville: 273 and Waltham: 243 and this week alone 70 new properties were added to these current amounts.
So, if you are out and about this weekend looking at some open houses in these areas you may find these 3 new properties of interest:
If your thinking about living in an Arlington condo:
take a look at: 7 Moulton Road, Unit 1, $369,900
What about a Somerville multi-family?: 114 West Adams Street, $549,000
And here's a Waltham single family: 71 Oakley Lane, $459,900
Of course there are many more to choose from and for a custom property search in these towns or any other i the Boston/Metro West area click here: Avenue 3 Property Search
If you'd like to receive your customized Friday email alerts with the open house days/times for only the communities or price range you have selected Contact Us and we will help you get things rolling!
Download Free Home Buying Kit
Find tips on buying a home by downloading our very informative Better Buyer Kit.
Timing the market to your advantage. It is what buyers and sellers dream about. It was what buyers and sellers once bragged about at cocktail parties and barbeques – the stuff of legends and get rich quick schemes. Well, we all know how that story ended. So, why have the conversation at all?
Well, timing the market to your advantage is still a possibility. At this point, we are all looking for the bottom of the market and the turn upward – it may have arrived.
Reading through Diana Olick’s Reality Check on CNBC.com, I am starting to see positive signs pushing through the bad news like the returning perennials in my garden. An article of April 28th referenced increases in pending home sales. A second late April article talked about The National Association of Home Builders referencing a report that the remodeling index “rose to the highest level since 2006”. And, an early May article talks about an increase in mortgage applications reported by the Mortgage Bankers Association. The increase is credited to the drop in mortgage rates.
Couple that intel with the news that in the last month, 107 properties have sold in Cambridge MA, 68 properties have sold in Arlington MA, 42 properties have sold in Medford MA, and another 57 properties have sold in Somerville MA, need I go on?
I am not a soothsayer, no crystal ball here, but if I were a betting woman, I would bet that the market has turned and the time to time the market might just be now.
Download Free Home Buying Kit
Find tips on buying a home by downloading our very informative Better Buyer
Somerville MA continues to be a most desirable place to call home. From April 1 to present, Somerville pending sales total 74 (7 single family, 47 condos and 20 multi-families)—pretty impressive numbers. These numbers, however, are not surprising to those folks who reside in the city that received the 2009 All American City Award!
So if you think this is the place you want to drop anchor, I suggest the following:
1. Familiarize yourself with the city, its neighborhoods and its resources. Somerville has a number of squares including Ball Square, Teele Square, Union Square and Davis Square, that are bustling business and entertainment centers as well as a number neighborhoods.
2. Attend Sunday Open Houses around the city taking note of the asking prices of the properties you're visiting in relation to style, condition and neighborhood.
3. Speak to a mortgage professional and apply for a pre-approval for a mortgage and have that document in hand when you're submitting an offer on a property.
4. Find a knowledgeable real estate professional that can offer sound guidance from the beginning of your search process all the way to the closing table.
5. Know the Somerville real estate market past and present by receiving daily property updates from Avenue 3. Each day you'll be updated with the newly listed properties that fit your personal criteria, as well as, the recently sold properties with their asking price and sale price.
The only real navigating tool you need is knowledge and with the support of an Avenue 3 Buyer Agent you’ll be walking to the “T” in Porter Square or strolling around Davis Square in record time.
For a complete list of Somerville real estate listings click here: Avenue 3 Somerville.
Download Free Home Buying Kit
Find tips on buying a home by downloading our very informative Better Buyer
Arlington, Somerville and Waltham all had strong pending sale numbers this past week, however, based on the wide range of sales, the "A3 Activity Tracker" spotlights Somerville, MA. Somerville is a vibrant city boasting about 9 community squares with Davis Square being the most popular! Living in bustling Davis Square Somerville puts you right in the middle of some of the best restaurants, the "T " and shopping at your fingertips!
All in all, there are 270 properties currently on the market in Somerville MA with listing prices ranging from $155,000 - $1,500,000 representing a wide variety of inventory, so this could be a good place to start your home search!
Click on the photo of Davis Square to view all Somerville listings...
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total number of offers accepted for all property categories 05.01.11 - 05.08.11
For community resources, trending topics or to search for homes click on the town name ...
First # under agreement for this week, second # "WIR" last week....
What do the above numbers mean? If you are a regular viewer of "Week in Review" the Boston and Metro West under agreement numbers remain relatively consistent week to week...Boston jumps up/down by 10% - 25% week to week. One or two towns in Metro West will jump up/down by 3 - 10 properties week to week. This is all good news for the above towns and cities.
Do you have a specific town or towns you would like to receive real estate related data on or would you like to receive the "pending sales" report weekly? Sign-up here for the Week in Review".
Let’s say that you have been searching for a new home and eureka, you found one, right here in Winchester, MA Do you have any idea how long it takes to get from this point, to moving in all your cherished belongings and calling it home sweet home? While every transaction is different, this will give you an idea of a “standard” timeline from buyer to owner.
Home Inspection - Once the offer is accepted, the next step is most often the home inspection. This is most typically performed within 5 – 10 days after the offer is accepted.
Purchase and Sale - Next in the chain of events is the Purchase and Sale. Since this is often negotiated by the attorneys for the buyer and seller respectively, it may stretch in “legal time” which often has no correlation to “actual time”. But, assuming all goes well, the Purchase and Sale is hopefully completed within 5 - 7 days after the home inspection.
Mortgage - Typically buyers will apply for a mortgage within 2-5 days after the signing of the Purchase and Sale Agreement, if not before. The mortgage process, much more laborious than in years past, should take 4 weeks to reach commitment.
Closing – After commitment is issued to the buyer, the bank typically needs a week to two weeks to prepare for closing.
All in all, the process, moving smoothly, should take about 7 - 8 weeks from start to finish and you should find yourself moved in to one of the Winchester MA homes for sale. That being said, I have seen it done in 30 days and seen it take, well, forever….
If you have any questions about the process, procedures, or contracts involved in purchasing a home, please contact us or download our better buyer kit for more info. We would be happy to help you accelerate your chance to find yourself happily living in Winchester, MA.
And use the Avenue 3 Property Search to view all the current Winchester MA listings.
Download Free Home Buying Kit
Find tips on buying a home by downloading our very informative Better Buyer
If you're thinking about buying a home in Cambridge, Lexington or Medford and spending this weekend looking at open houses in one or all of these communities then we have selected 3 new properties for you "not to miss" seeing!
A renovated condo, a spacious single family on a 15,000sf plus lot and a two-family in a great location! 3 great properties in 3 communities that had a strong showing of pending sales last week.
Click on the property address of these "must see" properties for full listing information:
184 Elm Street, Cambridge MA $549,900/ Condo
28 Sullivan Street, Lexington MA $859,900/ Single Family
391 Salem Street, Medford MA $474,900/ Multi-Family
These "must see" properties are just a sampling of the inventory that is currently available in these communities. For a complete list of all the available listings click on the following towns: Cambridge MA Real Estate, Lexington MA Real Estate and Medford MA Real Estate
Have any real estate questions regarding these or any other properties in the Boston/ Metro West area? Contact Us
Download Free Home Buying Kit
Find tips on buying a home by downloading our very informative Better Buyer Kit.
MAY 5, 2011
Cambridge, Lexington and Medford all had very strong pending sale numbers last week, with the current number of available properties in Lexington MA: single family homes is 148, condos 35 and multi-family homes 2 and Medford MA:single family 85, condos 57, multi-family 26.
The Avenue 3 "Activity Tracker" spotlights Cambridge, MA. With an amazing inventory variety of over 400 properties and listing prices ranging from $169,000 - $4,250,000! Cambridge MA could be a good place to start your the beginning of your
home search!
Click on the photo of the Harvard Boathouse to view all Cambridge listings...
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total number of offers accepted for all property categories 04.24.11 - 05.01.11
For community resources, trending topics or to search for homes click on the town name ...
First # under agreement for this week, second # "WIR" last week....
What do the above numbers mean? If you are a regular viewer of "Week in Review" the Boston and Metro West under agreement numbers remain relatively consistent week to week...Boston jumps up/down by 10% - 25% week to week. One or two towns in Metro West will jump up/down by 3 - 10 properties week to week. This is all good news for the above towns and cities.
Total Number of Accepted Offers For All Property Categories Source: MLSPIN
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| Looking for more info on the pending properties or thinkng you'd like to make an appointment to view some of beautiful homes in Cambridge, Medford or Lexington? Contact Us at Avenue 3, we'd like to hear from you!
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Download Free Home Buying Kit
Find tips on buying a home by downloading our very informative Better Buyer Kit.
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Not so long ago, housing options outside Boston for people without a car were limited.Fortunately, things have changed over the years, making it easier for folks choosing to go car-less to do so in towns surrounding Boston, including Arlington. The town boasts increased public transportation, town bike ways and improved access to needed daily services, making a car more a convenience than a necessity.
Although Arlington residents voted against extending the Red Line to the town center back in the 1970s, "the T" remains an option, especially for East Arlington residents within walking distance. The 67 and 79 bus routes connect more distant residents to Alewife and the Red Line, providing quick access to Cambridge and Boston. The 77 bus follows the Red Line route above ground for access to shops, etc. en route. And cyclists, remember the Minuteman Bicycle Trail runs right through Arlington to Alewife.
Zipcar, the popular car sharing service, offers three locations in Arlington for those times when a car is a necessity.
If you do have a car, the town's overnight parking restrictions make a driveway and/or garage a must. BUT - this means that an Arlington MA condo, single family home or multi-family home with limited (or no) offstreet parking is often priced more favorably. For example, a condominium in East Arlington offering only one parking space and/or possible tandem parking will generally be offered for less than a comparable one with with parking. In short, prospective homebuyers open to the possibility of going car-less (or moving to a one-car household) can find their dollars go further in Arlington!
So that's something to think about when you're looking through real estate listings from now on. Limited parking might be the opportunity you've been waiting for, not a deal breaker!
And here's a complete list of current listings in Arlington:
Avenue 3 Property Search
Let’s say that you have been searching for a new home and eureka, you found one, right here in Somerville, MA. Do you have any idea how long it takes to get from this point, to moving in all your cherished belongings and calling it home sweet home? While every transaction is different, this will give you an idea of a “standard” timeline from buyer to owner.
Home Inspection - Once the offer is accepted, the next step is most often the home inspection. This is most typically performed within 5 – 10 days after the offer is accepted.
Purchase and Sale - Next in the chain of events is the Purchase and Sale. Since this is often negotiated by the attorneys for the buyer and seller respectively, it may stretch in “legal time” which often has no correlation to “actual time”. But, assuming all goes well, the Purchase and Sale is hopefully completed within 5 - 7 days after the home inspection.
Mortgage - Typically buyers will apply for a mortgage within 2-5 days after the signing of the Purchase and Sale Agreement, if not before. The mortgage process, much more laborious than in years past, should take 4 weeks to reach commitment.
Closing – After commitment is issued to the buyer, the bank typically needs a week to two weeks to prepare for closing.
All in all, the process, moving smoothly, should take about 7 - 8 weeks from start to finish. That being said, I have seen it done in 30 days and seen it take, well, forever….
If you have any questions about the process, procedures, or contracts involved in purchasing a home, please contact us or download our better buyer kit for more info. We would be happy to help you accelerate your chance to find yourself happily living in Somerville, MA.
Download Free Home Buying Kit
Find tips on buying a home by downloading our very informative Better Buyer