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Latest Boston Real Estate News & Blog
The Herald is reporting that the record-breaking pending sales numbers reported for May – showing an 83.6 percent spike – may have been inflated by use of new MLS stats.
It then goes on to quote others who suspect the Massachusetts Association of Realtors may have been a little too bit eager to show a booming home market.
Then again, why did the MAR release a statement on June 13, the day after it initially put out the May report, warning about the mistake and apologizing for it? That statement came out five days ago. The statement is now prominently placed above the original press release on the front page of its web site.
It’s not like the MAR is trying to hide the error.
Maybe we’re being too trusting. The error is embarrassing and proves the need for accurate stats. But …
File under: Roswell
Read other posts about: Massachusetts real estate
Posted by Ford Realty on 06/18/13 | | Leave a comment »

Interest rates are still historically low. But they’ve been starting to head back up recently, perhaps never again reaching the lows we saw earlier this year.
You’ve been warned.
Ah, percentages, percentages, percentages.
File under: Hello 4 and 5 percent rates?
Read other posts about: General real estate stories
Posted by Ford Realty on 06/17/13 | | Leave a comment »
This story is depressing, with a lead sentence that says it all: “Many of the 11,000 or so Massachusetts consumers who are getting $1,480 checks this week from a well-publicized foreclosure settlement weren’t victims of illegal foreclosures at all.”
You might logically be thinking: How is this possible?
It’s possible because it was slapped together as more of a PR stunt than as an actual attempt to right possible wrongs. As one lawyer involved put it: “This is more political, look-what-I-did-for-you grandstanding.”
Read other posts about: Massachusetts real estate
Posted by Ford Realty on 06/15/13 | | Leave a comment »

The Druker Company wants to build a new 11-story office building, with ground floor retail and a restaurant, at the corner of Washington and East Berkeley streets, where there’s now a parking lot and auto-repair shop in the South End (see photo).
It’s just around the corner from where the new Ink Block development (i.e. the old Herald Building) and a separate residential project will be built by Normandy Real Estate on an old Teradyne parking lot.
The Ink Block and Normandy projects combined will have 850 residential units, so maybe it’s not that necessary for the Druker project to have apartments.
That whole area of the South End is transforming right before our eyes. It’s pretty amazing.
Meanwhile, in Jamaica Plain, the BRA has approved a new 195-unit apartment complex at 105 South Huntington, at the site of a former Native American center.
Ah, Boston. Another day, another development.
File under: More, please
Read other posts about: South End Real Estate
Posted by Ford Realty on 06/15/13 | | Leave a comment »

The IRS was expecting, or hoping, to get $250,000 in the auctioning off of two tandem parking spaces at 298 Commonwealth Avenue in the Back Bay.
After a bidding war between neighbors, the two spaces went for $560,000, which is considerably higher than the median cost of a home in Massachusetts.
Well, at least the previous owner of the spaces just paid off a large chunk of his $900,000-plus overdue tax bill.
File under: Have you any Grey Poupon?
(Click on Grey Poupon link to watch the commercial’s hilarious “lost footage.”)
Photo via Compfight.com, Flickr
Read other posts about: Back Bay Real Estate
Posted by John Ford on 06/14/13 | | Leave a comment »
The Massachusetts Association of Realtors is reporting that pending homes sales went through the roof last month compared to a year ago, hitting levels not seen since 2004.
Bottom line: We’re in a uber-seller’s market, folks.
From the MAR release:
“May was a tipping point as increasing prices and interest rates pushed qualified buyers to make offers that sellers accepted in great numbers,” said 2013 MAR President Kimberly Allard-Moccia, broker-owner of Century 21 Professionals in Braintree. “However, we still need more homes on the market and hopefully this activity will spark potential sellers to list their homes to help meet the demand.”
The number of single-family homes put under agreement in May was up 83.6 percent compared to the same time last year (9,075 homes in 2013 from 4,944 homes in 2012). This was the most homes that have gone under agreement in any month that the Association has available data (starting in January 2004). This was also the first time that pending home sales went over the 9,000 home mark and the biggest monthly year-over-year increase ever recorded. On a month-to-month basis, single-family homes put under agreement were up 58 percent compared to 5,738 homes put under agreement in April 2013.
So it looks like people were snapping up homes no matter how few were out there — and putting down the money.
File under: Seller’s market, extraordinaire
Read other posts about: Massachusetts real estate
Posted by Ford Realty on 06/13/13 | | Leave a comment »
The owners of the proposed “Eva’s” gourmet sandwich shop at 120 Charles Street on Beacon Hill cleared a major zoning hurdle this week.
“Eva’s,” which would be a primarily a take-out eatery, would go into the Charles Street space previously occupied by Dakota Puffin Doug Boutique.
File under: Welcome, “Eva’s”
Read other posts about: Beacon Hill Real Estate
Posted by Ford Realty on 06/12/13 | | Leave a comment »

Above is a chart showing New England home-price trends. There’s still a way to go before full recovery (and that doesn’t necessarily mean back to pre-bubble prices, though in some towns and neighborhoods that’s indeed happened), but we’re getting there.
Chart via the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Click on link to see larger version.
Speaking of the Federal Reserve, here’s its most recent Beige Book conclusion about the New England housing market:
Contacts anticipate that single-family home and condo prices will continue to rise over the next several months, with inventory levels a significant factor determining the degree to which sales can grow. Overall, contacts say they feel optimistic about the trajectory of the housing market and believe the market will continue to recover as general economic conditions improve.
Read other posts about: Massachusetts real estate
Posted by John Ford on 06/11/13 | | Leave a comment »

At first glance, this photo gallery of home décor from ‘Gatsby to Mad Men’ seemingly had a lot of fun potential.
But it was ultimately a lazy effort. Though they included some true blasts-from-the-past items (such as tin ceilings and those ugly glass blockwalls), do A-frame homes and outdoor carports really fall into the category of ‘home décor’? C’mon. Might as well include outhouses and bungalows if you’re going down that road.
Still, it got us to thinking of that craziest decade of all crazy decades – the 1960s – and its often hilarious attempts at being cool and hip, especially after Madison Avenue tried to glom onto the hippie culture and the ad men of Mad Men ad men strove to come across as groovy as their kids.
We found one excellent site on Pinterest highlighting ‘60s home décor. We especially liked the shots of the mod-looking fireplaces.
But there’s still so much more: Shag rugs, waterbeds, electric-coil stove ranges, rounded plastic chairs, yellow kitchen cabinets, Beatles floor beds, Formica countertops, bong tables (or was that the ‘70s?).
If you remember other ‘60s home-décor items of note, please pass ‘em along. And, please, no cheating by taking notes while re-watching Austin Powers.
Read other posts about: Luxury Homes
Posted by John Ford on 06/10/13 | | Leave a comment »

How did we miss this? Gisele Bundchen and some loser guy she’s married to have officially closed on their purchase of land from Pine Manor College in Brookline for a new home, the BBJ has reported.
We vow this to our readers: Never again will we be so late to jump on a story that allows us the opportunity to shamelessly run photos of Gisele on this site. Photo via Wikipedia Creative Commons.
Read other posts about: Boston real estate condos news
Posted by John Ford on 06/09/13 | | Read 1 Comment »
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BOSTON REAL ESTATE AGENTS:
Boston real estate agents needed for our two Boston locations.
Inquiries contact John Ford @ realtyford@yahoo.com
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Boston condo sales for June 2012 - 643.
Number of Boston condos sold: 643
Average sales price for a Boston condo: $585,113
Median sales price of a Boston condo: $445,000
Average square foor price: $510.00
Average days on the market: 67
Boston Real Estate / Boston Condos
Click on the links below for Boston condo neighborhood sales listings
Boston Back Bay Condos
Beacon Hill Condos
Boston Charlestown Condos
Fenway Boston Condos
Boston South End Condos
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Back Bay Condos Sales Stats 2012
Boston Back Bay Condos 1st and 2nd Quarters 2012
Back Bay condo sales in the 1st Quarter of 2012 - 80
Back Bay condo sales in the 1st Quarter of 2011 - 82
Back Bay average condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2012 - $1,261,255
Back Bay average condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2011 - $1,306,435
Back Bay median condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2012 - $789,750
Back Bay median condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2011 - $828,895
Back Bay condo 1st Q 2012 sales price per square foot - $804
Back Bay condo 1st Q 2011 sales price per square foot - $809
Back Bay condos days on market 1st Q 2012 - 142
Back Bay condos days on market 1st Q 2011 - 133
Back Bay condo sales in the 2nd Quarter of 2012 - 170
Back Bay condo sales in the 2nd Quarter of 2011 - 118
Back Bay average condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2012 - $1,100,149
Back Bay average condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2011 - $1,329,678
Back Bay median condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2012 - $761,000
Back Bay median condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2011 - $840,000
Back Bay condo 2nd Q 2012 sales price per square foot - $787
Back Bay condo 2nd Q 2011 sales price per square foot - $823
Back Bay condos days on market 2nd Q 2012 - 80
Back Bay condos days on market 2nd Q 2011 - 133
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Beacon Hill Condos Sales Stats 2012
Boston Beacon Hill Condos 1st and 2nd Quarters 2012
Beacon Hill condo sales in the 1st Quarter of 2012 - 35
Beacon Hill condo sales in the 1st Quarter of 2011 - 25
Beacon Hill average condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2012 - $808,840
Beacon Hill average condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2011 - $852,720
Beacon Hill median condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2012 - $549,000
Beacon Hill median condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2011 - $542,250
Beacon Hill condo 1st Q 2012 sales price per square foot - $747
Beacon Hill condo 1st Q 2011 sales price per square foot - $675
Beacon Hill condos days on market 1st Q 2012 - 108
Beacon Hill condos days on market 1st Q 2011 - 198
Beacon Hill condo sales in the 2nd Quarter of 2012 - 65
Beacon Hill condo sales in the 2nd Quarter of 2011 - 69
Beacon Hill average condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2012 - $677,684
Beacon Hill average condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2011 - $661,045
Beacon Hill median condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2012 - $516,250
Beacon Hill median condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2011 - $511,750
Beacon Hill condo 2nd Q 2012 sales price per square foot - $743
Beacon Hill condo 2nd Q 2011 sales price per square foot - $686
Beacon Hill condos days on market 2nd Q 2012 - 67
Beacon Hill condos days on market 2nd Q 2011 - 80
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Brighton Condos Sales Stats 2012
Brighton Condos 1st and 2nd Quarters 2012
Brighton condo sales in the 1st Quarter of 2012 - 41
Brighton condo sales in the 1st Quarter of 2011 - 47
Brighton average condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2012 - $254,685
Brighton average condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2011 - $254,324
Brighton median condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2012 - $237,000
Brighton median condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2011 - $250,000
Brighton condo 1st Q 2012 sales price per square foot - $316
Brighton condo 1st Q 2011 sales price per square foot - $297
Brighton condos days on market 1st Q 2012 - 28
Brighton condos days on market 1st Q 2011 - 84
Brighton condo sales in the 2nd Quarter of 2012 - 91
Brighton condo sales in the 2nd Quarter of 2011 - 73
Brighton average condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2012 - $268,434
Brighton average condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2011 - $255,140
Brighton median condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2012 - $255,500
Brighton median condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2011 - $254,000
Brighton condo 2nd Q 2012 sales price per square foot - $337
Brighton condo 2nd Q 2011 sales price per square foot - $311
Brighton condos days on market 2nd Q 2012 - 59
Brighton condos days on market 2nd Q 2011 - 99
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Charlestown Condos Sales Stats 2012
Charlestown Condos 1st and 2nd Quarters 2012
Charlestown condo sales in the 1st Quarter of 2012 - 43
Charlestown condo sales in the 1st Quarter of 2011 - 47
Charlestown average condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2012 - $491,085
Charlestown average condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2011 - $485,918
Charlestown median condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2012 - $435,000
Charlestown median condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2011 - $467,500
Charlestown condo 1st Q 2012 sales price per square foot - $432
Charlestown condo 1st Q 2011 sales price per square foot - $444
Charlestown condos days on market 1st Q 2012 - 112
Charlestown condos days on market 1st Q 2011 - 125
Charlestown condo sales in the 2nd Quarter of 2012 - 115
Charlestown condo sales in the 2nd Quarter of 2011 - 72
Charlestown average condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2012 - $474,847
Charlestown average condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2011 - $423,006
Charlestown median condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2012 - $452,000
Charlestown median condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2011 - $408,500
Charlestown condo 2nd Q 2012 sales price per square foot - $438
Charlestown condo 2nd Q 2011 sales price per square foot - $437
Charlestown condos days on market 2nd Q 2012 - 81
Charlestown condos days on market 2nd Q 2011 - 60
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Fenway Condos Sales Stats 2012
Fenway Condos 1st and 2nd Quarters 2012
Fenway condo sales in the 1st Quarter of 2012 - 19
Fenway condo sales in the 1st Quarter of 2011 - 20
Fenway average condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2012 - $404,579
Fenway average condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2011 - $320,828
Fenway median condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2012 - $375,000
Fenway median condo sales price in the 1st Q of 2011 - $291,500
Fenway condo 1st Q 2012 sales price per square foot - $513
Fenway condo 1st Q 2011 sales price per square foot - $436
Fenway condos days on market 1st Q 2012 - 42
Fenway condos days on market 1st Q 2011 - 180
Fenway condo sales in the 2nd Quarter of 2012 - 79
Fenway condo sales in the 2nd Quarter of 2011 - 58
Fenway average condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2012 - $358,981
Fenway average condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2011 - $321,013
Fenway median condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2012 - $360,000
Fenway median condo sales price in the 2nd Q of 2011 - $292,000
Fenway condo 2nd Q 2012 sales price per square foot - $519
Fenway condo 2nd Q 2011 sales price per square foot - $491
Fenway condos days on market 2nd Q 2012 - 86
Fenway condos days on market 2nd Q 2011 - 51
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