Boston Condos – Web Technology Galore

November 29, 2006 By

The Web Innovators Group of Boston held a meeting on Wednesday, November 29, 2006 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, MA. The evening was kicked off with informal conversation and “side dishes” of innovative start up companies in the Boston Area.

From a real estate perspective, the interesting online service Citysquares.com was pitched, which is a local Boston company that brings together local businesses and their consumers – and we’re talking really local here, as in what’s down the block.

Filed Under: Boston Condos

Boston Audio Walking Tours

November 8, 2006 By

How can you get to know the city of Boston? Well, one innovative new way is to hook up an iPod / MP3 audio walking tour of Boston. Audissey Guides has developed high-quality audio walking tours of various cities across the country, including Boston, and have partnered with notable locals and recording artists to make the experience a notable one. Boston walking tours are made fun and hip with Audissey Guides efforts to deliver something unique and interesting to the market.

Filed Under: Boston Tagged With:

The Bryant – Boston Condos Making Noise

October 11, 2006 By

The buzz is out on the streets, those being Columbus Avenue and Dartmouth – the site of one of Boston’s newest condo developments in the South End, The Bryant on Columbus. Local residents to the 50-unit mixed-use complex, which will see unusually large living areas, are perhaps doing more complaining than talking about the new complex.

Demolition and excavation has rendered structural damage for neighbors to The Bryant Condos. Imagine coming home only to find a nice crack in your ceramic tile floor…welcome to the neighborhood! Neighbors to the condo complex construction are also on a regimented sleep schedule, with a construction wake-up call beginning at 6:30 am – is breakfast being provided?

Residents in the area may chip in on the weekends to see this complex brought to fruition before its established Spring June August 2008 completion date. Stay tuned for more breaking news.

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

Boston Broadluxe Condo Development

September 29, 2006 By

At the corner of Franklin and Broad Streets in Boston’s Financial District, the Boston Broadluxe Condominium Development Project will go to market with over forty distinctive condo dwellings.

The Boston Broadluxe will feature fourteen unique floor plans and a plethora of different options for its Boston inhabitants, in an elevator and concierge served building.

Filed Under: Financial District Condos Tagged With: , ,

Broadluxe Boston Condo Development Project

September 11, 2006 By

The Broadluxe of Boston is a stunning new nine-story residential property in the heart of downtown Boston at the intersection of Franklin and Broad Streets. Designed by the Boston firm of Melton Ferre Associates, Broadluxe Condos artfully combines elements of original 19th-century mercantile architecture with a stylish, new contemporary glass and steel addition. The effect is at once familiar, but intriguing, balanced in scale but set firmly in the 21st century.

Floors 7, 8, and 9 of the Broadluxe Condos are sold as shell units, to be finished by the Buyer. Spaces range anywhere from 540 square feet, up to the 1,800 square foot penthouse. Different ceiling heights impact pricing, whereby the 6th floor units have the most economical pricing based upon 8 foot ceilings. Pre-construction units are available. There are currently possibilities for the combination of some units, which would create a larger living space for the Buyer.

Filed Under: Financial District Condos Tagged With: , ,

Rising Mortgage Payments

August 7, 2006 By

No doubt about it, interest rates have been steadily moving up from the once lows that we saw not too long ago. Given the situation, many home owners are faced with increasing loan payments. Look to the following four tips and tricks to aid you in this time of rising interest rates.

1) Think both realistically and creatively on the use of home-equity lines of credit. Typically, borrowers can save interest on a month-to-month basis by moving balances from a home-equity line of credit to, a credit card for instance, oftentimes finding zero percent, or very low, interest rates. A borrower can make this work, however, a borrower must be attentive to detail (i.e. the small print), and moving money around at the proper times given the situation.

2) Consider a fixed-rate second mortgage to replace a large home-equity line of credit. Typically, borrowers can find a lower rate by ferreting out the details on this one., and perhaps remove the possibility that a rate hike will increase your costs, and set a fixed term so you fence in just how long you will be paying for the home improvements, or the condo development project that you took on.

3) Be on the lookout for mortgage brokers who will entice you to come back by offering home-equity credit lines with interest rates of prime plus zero or even below prime. If you do your research, this might allow you to get over that hump.

4) If you have an option loan, consider the idea of using the option to make interest only payments, while you go out and look for a better (longer term or fixed) rate. You will not build equity while doing this, perhaps one of the main reasons for buying a condo, but you will not hurt your credit by doing this.

Filed Under: Mortgage Information

Boston Home Sales Are Up This Year

July 26, 2006 By

The roof may have collapsed on the Bay State’s housing boom, but sales in the Back Bay and Beacon Hill so far have exceeded last years levels as prices fell slightly.

While home sales dipped statewide by 6.4% in Massachusetts to 15,381 units this year, down from 16,438 for the same period a year ago, the two downtown neighborhoods saw home sales rise, according to data from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and the MLS Property Information Network (MLS).

Sales of single-family homes and Boston condos during the first half of this year on Beacon Hill increased to 93 units up from 63 for the same period last year, a 34% increase, according to MLS. The Back Bay saw a more modest increase of 5% as the number of units sold this year reached 197, up from 188 units a year ago.

Despite a sluggish market statewide, Beacon Hill and Back Bay remain among the most popular Boston neighborhoods.

Filed Under: Boston Condos

Finding A Home That Is Right For You

April 17, 2006 By

Buying a new home or real estate is exciting, but it can also be a bit stressful because it is a big step, especially if you have never purchased a home. Before you contact a Realtor there are several things that you should really consider so that the search for your new home will be a lot more fun and a lot less stressful. When you know what you want and need you can then direct your Realtor of choice to help you find the condo that is out there waiting for you.

Determine Your Needs

The first thing you need to do is determine what you personally need from a home. For instance, if you have a family of six you probably are not looking for a one or two bedroom home. Decide how many bedrooms you need as well as how many bathrooms would be desirable. Consider whether you can deal with more or less of either bedrooms or bathrooms. Also think about what type of yard you will want around your house. If you have a big dog, you may consider a big yard a necessity. Do you desire a specific type of floor plan? If you do not want stairs or you do want that second story that you have been dreaming of these are all things that you should write down on a list. You should also consider overall square footage. Many families simply need more space to spread out, and that is understandable, while others are looking to decrease the size of their homes after the kids leave! Really determine what your needs are so that you will be able to convey them to your Realtor.

Pick Your Location

It can be difficult to determine where you want to live if you are relocating to a new area, but if you have an area of town picked out where you absolutely know you want to live, that will help your Realtor do his or her job much more efficiently by searching for your needs and wants in a specific area of town. Location can also be important from a resale point of view because you want a home that will gain value, not lose value. It is a good idea to not only consider how close a certain neighborhood is to work and school and the grocery store, but how wise of an investment it is as well. If you are not sure about location, a good Realtor can always help you determine where the best place in town will be for you.

Know Your Finances

Now that you have determined your needs and where you want to live, you need to take a close look at your finances. Of course, this may seem like it should be the first step, but unless you know what you need it will be hard to determine if it will fit into your budget. Look at what you are paying now and determine if you want that to stay the same, be reduced, or if you can afford to pay more. Now, will the dollar amount that you want or need to pay each month for your mortgage mesh well with what you want from a home and where you want it? If so, you might want to look into getting pre-qualified for a home loan to streamline your house hunting process.

What You Want

Now is the fun part, you can think about what you want. Do you really want air conditioning? Do you want a pool? A fireplace? A wet bar? An upgraded kitchen? A spa tub in the bathroom? Make a wish list of the things that you would be thrilled to find in a home that is the right price, has the appropriate number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and is in the right part of town. This will help your Realtor show you homes that you will enjoy seeing and could really see yourself in.

Get a Realtor

Now it is time to find yourself a Buyer’s Agent and give them a list of all the things that you really want and need from a home. All of your planning will ensure that you spend time looking at homes that meet your criteria.

Buying a home is something that takes some planning, so try to be patient as you put all the pieces of the puzzle together for yourself and your Realtor. The more you know what you want or need, the more smoothly the process will run, getting you into your new home sooner.

Filed Under: Buyer Advice

Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Listing Agent

October 14, 2005 By

When you think about selling your home, what are some of the most important questions that you need to ask the listing agent with whom you are talking? Let’s walk through five pertinent questions that you can ask your listing agent, that will not only give you insight into what type of experience you will have during the sales process, but also how successful you will be in selling your home.par

  1. How many homes have you sold in my area in the past six months?
  2. What are the techniques that you use to attract buyers to your listings, and how effective have your techniques been?
  3. What is the average closing sales price of homes that you list versus the average listing price?
  4. What is the average days on market (DOM) of homes that you list?
  5. What level of exposure will my listing receive – aside from it being in the MLS, will it be featured on popular sites such as the Boston Real Estate Observer?

These are just five questions, of many, that you can ask your listing agent when you are considering the sale of your home. Each one of these questions will probe the depths of what type of agent you’re dealing with, what their philosophies are, and ultimately, given their track record, what type of experience you will have during the sale of your home.

Filed Under: Seller Advice
« Previous Page