125 B Street Luxury Seaport District Lofts

August 14, 2007 By

We’ve had the pleasure of spending a fair amount of time lately at a renovated schoolhouse in Boston’s Seaport District, now known as the 125 B Street Lofts. The 150-year-old schoolhouse, steps away from the Red Line’s Broadway T-Stop, is a 16-unit luxury loft conversion that opened to residents in December of 2006.

There are currently 5 units remaining, all in the 1,100 square foot range, priced from $499,000 to $589,000 ($472 – $520 per square foot), all with a deeded parking space included in the adjacent parking lot. The units vary in price for reasons such as placement in the building, views, and inclusion of outdoor balcony space.

The developer definitely went all out with these units with high-end finishes, and the ceilings simply soar over your head, making the space feel even more expansive than it already is. A nice touch at 125 B Street was the units that have an office nook (with multiple windows) constructed in what was once the school’s elevator shaft – very cool.

Make a note that the units are listed as two-bedrooms, however, the walls are not built out for the second bedroom in most units – something that the developer could easily accommodate at the buyer’s discretion. All 5 remaining units come with two bathrooms. Units are wired for satellite TV, and Verizon phone and DSL (Fios is not yet available, and Comcast is not in the building).

Would we recommend this development over some of the other trendy Seaport District / South Boston condo developments clustered around the Broadway T-Stop (Macallen, Court Square Press, Allele, Lofts at 36 A, etc.), more than likely, yes. You’re slightly removed from the hustle and noise of Broadway and A Street in a superbly insulated building, and the space and craftsmanship are definitely top notch. It’s a standout winner for short to medium-term positive equity in what is quickly becoming the next South End of Boston.

Below is an exclusive Boston Condo Guy outdoor shot of the 125 B Street Lofts (you’ll be hard pressed to find another outdoor facade photo on the Internet at the moment), and a stock interior shot of the model unit. Please contact us for a showing, or to place an offer on any of the remaining units.

125 B Street Lofts

125 B Street Lofts

Filed Under: Seaport District Condos Tagged With: ,

Boston Mandarin Oriental Construction Photos

August 12, 2007 By

We’ve updated a previous post on the Boston Mandarin Oriental with exclusive new photos for your visual enjoyment.

Filed Under: Back Bay Condos Tagged With: , ,

Tax-Free Shopping Weekend in Boston

August 11, 2007 By

If you don’t keep up with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue website, let this be your indication that it is tax-free weekend in Massachusetts!

On the weekend of August 12-13, 2007, Massachusetts will hold a “tax free holiday weekend,” where customers can avoid the 5 percent Massachusetts sales tax while shopping for some goods. Here are some general guidelines:

  • The Massachusetts 5 percent sales tax will be waived for most goods that cost $2,500 or less.
  • The sales tax is exempt for tangible personal property bought for personal use only.
  • Motor vehicles, Meals, gas, and tobacco products remain taxable.
  • Airline tickets and sporting events are considered services, and thus remain taxable.
  • Bundled goods — such as computer packages that include computer, monitor, and printer — only qualify for the tax exemption if the price of the entire bundle is less than $2,500.
  • Prior sales and layaway items do not qualify.
  • If an article of clothing exceeds $2,500, you receive a $175 deduction on the sales tax. For example, if you buy a dress for $3,000, you pay sales tax on $2,825.
  • For coupon items, the sales tax applies only if the post-deduction amount is more than $2,500. For coupons applied to total purchases, the discount is pro-rated for each item sold.
  • Internet orders paid for Aug. 12-13 are exempt.

You gotta love tax-free weekend in Boston. Boston Real Estate is always tax-free – this weekend, and every weekend, you can purchase a Boston Condo tax-free 🙂 Contact us for more details.

Filed Under: Boston

East Boston Single Family Victorian Colonial

August 11, 2007 By

55 Monmouth Street in East Boston, a beautifully renovated 1871 home, is now priced at $449,000 (down from the original asking price of $489,000). With over 2,000 square feet of living space, this well-appointed Eagle Hill neighborhood home is one of a kind.

An open house will take place on Sunday, August 12, 2007 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, tell the showing agent that Boston Condo Guy sent you.

55 Monmouth Street East Boston

55 Monmouth Street East Boston

Filed Under: East Boston Condos

Requesting Credit Report Hurts Credit Score?

August 9, 2007 By

The Wall Street Journal recently published a short, but rather pertinent, piece on requesting credit reports and their impact on credit scores.

Question: If I request a copy of my credit report will that hurt my credit rating if I want to apply for a mortgage? One bank said I should not ask for multiple credit reports during the year because that would show up as multiple hits against my credit report and could lower my credit rating.

Answer: Requesting a copy of your own credit report is generally considered a “soft” inquiry, which shouldn’t hurt your credit score. Other types of soft inquiries include ones that are initiated by lenders who want to make you a preapproved offer, or by prospective employers or insurers who want to check your credit report.  “Hard” inquiries, where lenders pull your credit report in response to your application for credit, may contribute to a lower credit score depending on what else is in your credit report.  Fair Isaac, the maker of the FICO score, notes that its scores ignore all mortgage and auto-loan inquiries made in a rolling 30-day period prior to scoring and typically counts mortgage and car-loan inquires older than 30 days as one inquiry when they are made within a 45-day period.

Filed Under: Mortgage Information

US Housing Market Poised to Improve

August 6, 2007 By

The housing market is likely to stabilize in the months ahead, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS™ (NAR) forward-looking indicator on pending home sales says Realtor Magazine Online. Note that we have stayed positive about Boston Real Estate (specifically downtown condos) throughout the ups and downs of the entire market.

The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), based on contracts signed in June, was 5 percent higher from the downwardly revised May index of 97.5, but is still 8.6 percent below June 2006 when it stood at 112. Nevertheless, this 5 percent monthly gain is the largest in more than three years, since a 6.1 percent increase was recorded in March 2004.

Lawrence Yun, NAR senior economist, says it’s encouraging that the increase occurred in all four major regions of the United States. However, it is too early to say if home sales have already passed bottom,Âť he says. Still, major declines in home sales are likely to have occurred already and further declines, if any, are likely to be modest given the accumulating pent-up demand.

The index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed.

Regionally, here’s a breakdown of what the PHSI showed across the country:

  • West: the PHSI increased 8.6 percent in June to 103.6, but was 5.5 percent below a year ago.
  • Northeast: the index rose 3.1 percent from May to 96, which is 2.4 percent lower than June 2006.
  • South: the index increased 4.7 percent in June to 111.6, but was 12.7 percent below a year ago.
  • Midwest: the PHSI rose 3.5 percent in June to 92.5, which is 8.2 percent lower than June 2006.
Filed Under: Boston Condos Tagged With:

Boston Condos for Sale on Ring Road

August 6, 2007 By

You may have noticed the off and on closure of Ring Road in Boston’s Back Bay over the past nine months, as well as the stealthy looking structure covered in black mesh that has rather quickly changed the skyline at the southwest corner of Ring Road and Boylston Street (close to Shaws and Starbucks).

Boston Mandarin Oriental

If you don’t already know what that structure is, impress your friends by letting them know that the building will be the new Boston Mandarin Oriental. Both a luxury hotel, and a 50-unit ultra-luxury condo development (minimum price tag of $3 million for a unit), the Mandarin will be a nice addition to the corner of Ring and Boylston, but will perhaps block the sun for patrons of Starbucks, Atlantic Fish Co., and others. The official address for the Mandarin will be 750 Boylston Street.

Condos at the Mandarin Oriental never made it into the MLS, and have sold out, simply through word of mouth and little to no significant marketing presence. For more information about the Mandarin, or other Back Bay condo developments, please contact us.

Boston Mandarin Oriental

Boston Mandarin Oriental

Boston Mandarin Oriental

Filed Under: Back Bay Condos Tagged With: ,

SoWa Boston Condos

August 5, 2007 By

So you’ve been considering a condo in the one of the areas of town known for its gentrification, SoWa, which stands for South of Washington Street in Boston’s South End.

Currently, there are a large handful of choices available in the SoWa district:

  1. Worcester Square
  2. Penmark Condos
  3. ArtBlock Harrison
  4. 700 Harrison
  5. SoHa Loft (renamed to the 1850)
  6. Laconia Lofts
  7. Gateway Terrace

And we thought we needed to include two additional condo developments that are on Washington Avenue, but technically, lie on the north side of the street.

  1. Wilkes Passage
  2. Penny Savings Bank

Except for 700 Harrison and SoHa Lofts, units are available in the remaining condo developments are ready for occupancy. For more information on these SoWa Condo Developments, please contact us.

Filed Under: South End Condos Tagged With:

Allele Condos South Boston

August 4, 2007 By

We stopped by the Allele Condos at 150 Dorchester Avenue in South Boston to grab some exclusive new photos of current construction status. Allele is a 48-unit new condo development, currently under construction, located just across the street from the newly opened Macallen Condos and the Court Square Press condos, and adjacent to the Lofts at 36 A.

The Allele condo development is slated for a 2008 completion, and units are currently available (to be reserved). Units start at $429,000 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom with 979 square feet and a $332 HOA fee – each unit will feature private outdoor space. For more information about Allele Boston, and any other new development in South Boston and beyond, contact us.

Allele Condos South Boston

Allele Condos South Boston

Allele Condos South Boston

Filed Under: South Boston Condos Tagged With: , , ,

FP3 Boston Pushes Out Occupancy Date (Again)

August 3, 2007 By

The FP3 Boston condo development, one of the anchor properties of the up and coming Seaport District, has pushed out its scheduled occupancy date for the second time. Originally slated for a December 2007 completion, FP3 had pushed out their target date to April 2008, and more recently, announced that June 2008 is looking more realistic.

Roughly 15 units in the 97-unit FP3 Boston development have been reserved. There are many great buys currently available for occupancy, mainly $550 per square foot and under, in the Seaport District and South Boston (in the Broadway T-stop area). Contact us for more information.

Filed Under: Seaport District Condos Tagged With: , , ,
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