Boston Real Estate Observer, Author at Boston

Prices Announced at 285 Columbus Lofts

December 1, 2007 By Boston Real Estate Observer

Several price points have been identified at the new 285 Columbus Lofts condo development at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Clarendon Street along the border of the Back Bay and the South End.

$575,000 – one-bedroom, one-bathroom, 873 square feet ($659 per square foot) on the 4th floor
$775,500 – two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,121 square feet ($691 per square foot) on the 3rd floor
$1,060,500 – two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,339 square feet ($792 per square foot) on the 4th floor
$1,545,500 – two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,578 square feet ($979 per square foot) on the 8th (top) floor

Price per square foot at 285 Columbus Lofts is quite affordable on the lower floors (considering the anticipated quality of finishes and amenities, including concierge), but takes a significant jump when you get to the penthouse level – putting this in context, the recently finished D4 condos (a Philippe Starck design) are priced lower on a price per square foot basis.

Anticipated completion is currently scheduled for June 2008. A model unit is now open, to setup a showing, feel free to contact us.

676 Tremont Street

November 29, 2007 By Boston Real Estate Observer

You’ve more than likely seen the ads, or perhaps the giant banner that hangs on the corner of Tremont Street and West Newton Street, 676 Tremont Street is anchoring a block of brownstones along Tremont that are poised for upscale renovations.

676 Tremont Street is a 5-unit gut rehab of an 1889 brownstone. It houses a 2+ bedroom 2 bath duplex along the ground floor priced at $989,000, and four other units through the remainder of the building priced in the $600s. The building is capped off with the penthouse unit, a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom condo with a private roofdeck priced at $659,000.

Unit 4, which was listed at $639,000 went Under Agreement on November 6th, leaving the duplex, and 3 two-bedroom units remaining.

Units feature very high-end finishes, with Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, Viking and Bosch kitchens, energy efficient windows, central AC, and gioa marble bathrooms. The duplex comes with one deeded parking space, and the remainder of parking is available for purchase on a first come first served basis for $50,000 per spot.

We covered 676 Tremont Street as our Featured Open House several weeks ago (see South End Brownstone Restoration Open House), and Amy Jacobs, Ben Haywood, and the marketing team will host another open house for the development this Sunday, December 2, 2007 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM. For more information feel free to Contact Us using the link at the top of this page.

Filed Under: South End Condos Tagged With: 02118 Boston Condos, 676 Tremont Street, Tremont Street Condos

Leather District Lofts with Multiple Exposures

November 28, 2007 By Boston Real Estate Observer

One of the things that we hear from clients most often is a request for “multiple exposures” (i.e. a corner unit that has windows, and thus views and light, available on multiple walls). This is actually a tough request in the city given that there are so many brownstone floor throughs, larger buildings are oftentimes built on top of one another, and free standing buildings or those on the corner of two streets have a limited number of corner units.

That said, when a corner unit with multiple exposures does come onto the market, it’s somewhat of a rare and special thing. Interestingly enough, on Monday, a second two-bedroom, two-bathroom 1,000+ square foot multiple exposures loft-style condo at the popular Lincoln Plaza condominiums came onto the market.

There are currently two corner units available at Lincoln Plaza. Priced similarly between $669K and $690K (right around $600 per square foot), these two units offer a lot to be desired.

Lincoln Plaza is an 84-unit development in Boston’s Leather District that was completed in 2005. For more information on both of the multiple exposures Lincoln Plaza lofts, see the detailed PDF file. To setup a showing, use the Contact Us link at the top of this page.

Filed Under: Leather District Condos Tagged With: Boston Lincoln Plaza Lofts, Boston Lofts

Custom Built Luxury New Hampshire Estate

November 27, 2007 By Boston Real Estate Observer

If you’ve been searching for a spacious and custom-built New England luxury estate, with all the perks and amenities, and want to enjoy a tax free (both income and sales) lifestyle, look no further than this 5,500+ square foot estate in Rye, New Hampshire (located just outside Portsmouth along the water).

This estate offers multiple exposure views of both the water and the Wentworth By The Sea Country Club. It boasts 4 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms, and exquisite craftsmanship throughout the 1999 custom design and build. The grand Colonial-style home sits on over an acre of lush green land that can be appreciated from multiple patios.

Membership is available at the Country Club, and the home boasts all of the toys and amenities that one could want (billiards room, hot tub, huge custom closets, gas fireplace in the master suite, chef’s kitchen, open floor plan for entertaining, etc.), and is located just over an hour’s drive outside downtown Boston along the Atlantic coast.

For more information, please visit the official listing page for this luxury New Hampshire estate.

Filed Under: USA Real Estate

What is a Subprime Mortgage?

November 27, 2007 By Boston Real Estate Observer

You read about it every day, literally. You hear about subprime mortgages, a credit crisis, and tightening of the credit and financial industry. What do these things actually mean? Do you really know, or have your eyes glazed over after reading headline after headline (after headline…) about subprime mortgages? Let’s take a look.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Mortgage Information

Hamersley's Bistro and Atelier 505 Two of a Kind

November 26, 2007 By Boston Real Estate Observer

It’s no surprise that a stone’s throw from one of the South End’s most upscale condo developments, Atelier 505, sits one of the South End’s most coveted French restaurants, Hamersley’s Bistro. The two are similar on many counts, along with several distinctions.

Condos at Atelier 505 mimic the availability of tables at Hamersley’s. There are currently two units for sale at Atelier 505 (see PDF for more details), priced from $940,000 to $1,495,000. A table at Hamersley’s Bistro seems just as rare with coveted weekend time slots filling up weeks in advance, and larger parties without reservations being turned away at the door. Price per square foot at Atelier, and menu prices at Hamersley’s, are high for the overall area, but commensurate with your expectations. Ambiance, quality, and experience are stellar at both establishments. You’ll be greeted at the doors with a warm welcome, however, the wait staff at Hamersley’s is perhaps a touch on the pretentious side.

Atelier, being a French word, is pronounced differently than it looks. There’s an emphasis on the first letter (sounding like the doctor placing a small wooden stick on your tongue and asking you to say “ahhh”), and the last letter, “r”, is not pronounced, as the word finishes with the sound of you pronouncing the letter “a”. Atelier means craftsman’s workshop or studio.

Both the condo development, and the Bistro, are worth a look. We can’t get you a reservation at Hamersley’s, but we can get you an appointment to see the available units at Atelier 505. Use the Contact Us link at the top of this page for more information.

Filed Under: Boston Restaurants Tagged With: Atelier 505

Court Square Press South Boston Condo Open House

November 25, 2007 By Boston Real Estate Observer

Our Featured Open House of the week has found one of the best units at the Court Square Press building in South Boston.

The pickings for open houses, given the Holiday weekend, are rather slim, but if you have not already seen this unit at the 130-unit luxury development in South Boston, it’s worth a look.

Unit 416, priced currently at $539,000 after 2 price reductions, is 936 square feet and is on the 4th floor, with excellent views and light, has the capability of being converted from a one-bedroom into a two-bedroom loft (optional floor plan included). High-end finishes through the kitchen, and two bathrooms. The exposed brick and beam give this unit character, and the amenities of the Court Square Press development (as well as the neighboring Macallen Building to which owners have access) boast a full fitness center, lap pool, outdoor grills, private screen room with kitchen and bath, 24-hour concierge, and deeded garage parking valued in the neighborhood of $50,000.

The open house will take place on Sunday, November 25, 2007 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For buyer representation, or more information, use the Contact Us link at the top of this page.

Filed Under: Boston Open Houses Tagged With: 02127 Boston Condos, Boston Lofts, Broadway Street Condos, Court Square Press

The Carruth Condo Development

November 24, 2007 By Boston Real Estate Observer

We had the pleasure of sitting down with both the developer and marketing team of the Carruth earlier this week. Following our meeting, we received a full tour of the hard hat job site, which is quickly approaching completion. The Carruth is a new mixed-use, for-sale condo and rental development in Dorchester. The $40 million Carruth development overlooks the Ashmont transit station, which is also getting a $50 million makeover.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Dorchester Condos Tagged With: 02124 Boston Condos, The Carruth Condos

Is Now the Time to Buy at Macallen

November 22, 2007 By Boston Real Estate Observer

It’s approaching six months since the ultra-modern, green, Macallen Building opened to residents. The building has been well-received by all walks of life, yet, there are still 29 units that currently remain for sale at the 140-unit northern South Boston development.

We’ve discussed the Macallen, at 141 Dorchester Avenue, numerous times (click the ‘Macallen Building‘ tag just under the title of this post for more blog posts on the Macallen), the development is clever, and the absorption rate, as we predicted, would take time given that the Macallen is the first LEED certified condominium building in Boston real estate, and prices are consequently higher then neighboring developments. But are the prices staying locked?

As we begin to enter the winter stretch of home buying, sources state that there is room to maneuver at the Macallen related to pricing, with $50,000 price negotiations not uncommon among the moderately priced units. If you are at all tempted by the new baseline for green living in northern South Boston offered at the Macallen Building, contact us using the link at the top of this page for more details on the units currently ranging in price between $475,000 and $1,680,000 at this Massachusetts LEED condo development.

Filed Under: South Boston Condos Tagged With: 02127 Boston Condos, Macallen Building

BPL Says Take That Audible.com

November 21, 2007 By Boston Real Estate Observer

The Boston Public Library (BPL) recently announced their Digital Audio Books program. Library patrons can now download audio books to PCs or ~~iPods~~ some digital media players. The new site looks much like Amazon.com, and boasts downloads at anytime.

Access to the site is limited to library patrons with a library card only. If you do not already have a physical library card, learn more about instantly obtaining a BPL eCard.

Filed Under: Boston