Boston Real Estate Appraisal

What’s new in Brookline? Well, if you haven’t kept track, there have been a few culinary changes afoot in Washington Square in the last few months, including the opening of a new Rod Dee Thai restaurant, the Tamarind Bay  dedicated to Indian food served in a sophisticated setting, and Roadhouse, which moved Texas barbecue into Vinny Testa’s old location.
To be nothing but brutally honest, Washington Square restaurants tend toward the overpriced and mediocre, so it doesn’t hurt to have a few more options — especially the reasonably-priced Rod Dee (more along the lines of fast food) which may be the first choice in times when many of us aren’t willing to part with a lot of bucks for a meal.
 Meanwhile, new on the market in Brookline are three properties, all of which could be attractive to second-time buyers who want more than just two bedrooms for kids, dogs, houseguests, assorted relatives and the like.
185 Rawson Road, […]
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Tags: Brighton, Brookline by bomber
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I found an interesting post today on blog.redfin.com.

Taking advantage of the sunshine and warm weather, I spent much of Columbus Day weekend out on the streets, which got me thinking about sidewalks.
Architecture and urban planning critic Jane Jacobs observed back in the 1960s that sidewalks are about a whole lot more than getting to or from somewhere. In the best circumstances, sidewalks are about people-watching, bumping into acquaintances and old friends, and just hanging out. A good city street, according to Jacobs is “a marvel of balance between its people’s determination to have essential privacy and their simultaneous wishes for differing degrees of contact, enjoyment or help from the people around.”
In other words, in the best city neighborhoods, you can share time and space with others without having to share everything with them. Sure, you can have daily chats with fellow dog walkers, but you don’t have to invite every dog walker you meet over for dinner. […]
Read the full store here.

Tags: Brighton, Brookline by bomber
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I saw a good post this morning.
The first few lines….

This week, there are a lot of things on clearance sale, and I’m not just talking about stocks. Coldwell Banker is running a 10-day, 10 percent off sale on many listings … condos on sale like so many cotton socks at Walmart. Meanwhile, realtor John A. Keith reports that many people who would otherwise be listing or buying downtown condos in the $400-$700k range are sitting things out. And who can blame them, with the economy so uncertain — or should I say on the edge of eminent collapse?  Here are a three open houses which feature homes that have also recently reduced their prices.
24 Adair Road, #24
Brighton
BEDS:3/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:985
$329K. Reduced from $339K Oct. 1
O.H. Sunday, October 12, 2008 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
18 Lakeshore Court, #3
Brighton
BEDS:2/BATHS:1
SQ.FT: 824
$249,900. Reduced from $257,900 on Oct. 6.
O.H. Sunday, October 12, 2008 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
25 Kilsyth Road
Brookline
BEDS:5/BATHS:4.5
SQ.Ft: 5,540
$1,750,000. Reduced from $2,200,000 Oct. 9
Sunday, October 12, 2008 […]
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Tags: Brighton, Brookline by bomber
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pamela.reynolds blogged something interesting today on blog.redfin.com.
Here’s a snippet:

The New York Times just published an article on “family friendly” housing. Thanks to a fair number of families with young children who are choosing to stay in the city, family-friendly housing has become a big issue in the Big Apple.
In most parts of the country, ”family friendly” means a four-bedroom home with a yard and a family room, preferably on a cul-de-sac. In New York, however, “family-friendly” means a two bedroom, maybe three, and hopefully at least 1300 square feet. An in-unit washer and dryer officially seals an apartment’s “family-friendly” status.
What else makes an apartment attractive to those with kids? According to the New York Times:

Other children in the building so that 3 a.m. wailing will be tolerated, if not necessarily appreciated.
A friendly doorman who will give the kids a high-five.
An elevator in the building, so that kids don’t have to be carried and strollers don’t need to stay parked underneath the stairs.
Shower curtains rather than […]
Read the rest of it here…

Tags: Brighton, Brookline by bomber
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A few weeks back, I wrote about Cummings Road, one of Brighton’s quiet residential streets abutting the Brookline border. Back in July, three properties were up for sale on this street. Two months later, two of these homes have sold, and one appears to be taken off the market.
One large home sold for about 95 percent of July’s asking price. I noticed a new for sale sign and lots of construction work, so it may be that this home is being renovated or reconfigured into condos for resale. Or… maybe they just forgot to take down the for sale sign.
The other home that sold on this street sold for 96.5 percent of the July’s listed price. Both of these properties, interestingly enough, sold for substantially more than their appraised value on either Zillow, Eppraisal or Cyberhomes. Either people really like Cummings Road, or prices along the streets immediately abutting Brookline […]
Check out the complete story here.

Tags: Brighton, Brookline by bomber
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You’re doing errands in Coolidge Corner, but when you’re finished, you impulsively investigate a little trail off Beacon Street called Marion Path, located just west of all the hubbub of the Corner. At the end of the short path, you find that you have entered a green oasis surrounded by scaled-down residential homes.
 Welcome to Griggs Park.
Griggs Park is a 4.17 acre kidney-shaped oasis of nature bounded by Griggs Road and Griggs Terrace. Landscaped with graceful weeping willows and incorporating a little pond, the park is all things to all people: a children’s park, a place to walk and jog, a dog run. The park was built and accepted by the town in 1903 and the surrounding residential properties were developed as a unit by Thomas B. Griggs. Built mainly between 1900 and 1925, the housing is a mix of large single-family homes, two-family row houses, and multi-family dwellings. The park and neighborhood […]
More here…

Tags: Brighton, Brookline by bomber
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I found an interesting post today on blog.redfin.com.

I’ve always had a problem with the term “starter” home. I’ve been in one version or another of a “starter” home for the last twenty years and I’ve always been happy, never thinking I had to trade up to bigger, better, or newer.
In other countries, the starter concept doesn’t even exist. There’s never the ever-present idea that homeowners have to move up, and up, and up. Instead, people buy houses they can afford, and they spend their lives there. There is no consumeristic notion to buy a small place while saving for anything bigger, increasing the size until everyone ends up with McMansions.
This is a relatively new attitude. Remember, the average size of a family home in 1950 was only about 983 square feet. I wonder if the continual American quest for bigger and better, “great rooms” and vaulted ceilings, is in part responsible for the reprehensible mess we find […]
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Tags: Brighton, Brookline by bomber
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pamela.reynolds blogged about a good topic today on blog.redfin.com.

A few days ago, I had an enlightening discussion with a new resident, fresh from San Francisco, and searching for a home in Brookline. After visiting a number of houses on the market, she says she’s concluded many houses in Brookline are appalling (her word, not mine.)
For me, a West Coast native acclimated to East Coast dilapidation, it was a new and refreshing perspective.
I’m used to seeing some real dumps in Brighton. A lot of condos and houses in Allston and Brighton are rented to students, who aren’t exactly lavishing love on the 100-year-old buildings. But this was the first time I thought of the word “dump” in a Brookline context. Didn’t Money Magazine just name Brookline one of the top 100 places to live in the U.S.? Could one of America’s best towns be filled with dumpy houses?
I started thinking. On house-hunting trips to the South End, I saw […]
For more on this go here.

Tags: Brighton, Brookline by bomber
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pamela.reynolds blogged about a good topic today on blog.redfin.com.
Here’s a snippet:

If you really want a good deal on a house, look for houses that have been sitting on the market like stale donuts at the end of the day in a coffee shop. In fact, houses on the market for at least 94 days seem to offer the best deals, according to a Redfin analysis.
Houses on the market that long were 82 percent more likely to significantly discount their sales price. Sellers who lowered the price at least once were also 37 percent more likely to offer a healthy discount. In other words, if you’re thinking of making a low-ball offer, your best chances are not with a spanking new listing— old listings are more successful.
Impressed by the Redfin report, I thought I’d take a closer look at Brookline and Brighton. I found more than a few likely suspects — houses that have been on the market for more than […]
To read more, visit the site…

Tags: Brighton, Brookline by bomber
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I saw a good post this morning.
Read this summary:

It’s sort of “the other Brookline” — that is, the one south of Boylston street. What’s cool about Pill Hill is that one moment, you’re right in the middle of urban Brookline — with firetrucks screaming out of the Boylston street fire station, Green Line trolleys rumbling down the tracks, and cars whizzing by on Route 9 — then presto! You’re in Mayberry.
Pill Hill is a quiet, leafy district of remarkably diverse houses. It earned its name back in the 19th century when many of the city’s doctors moved to the area. Today, lots of doctors still live in this area; they’re the only ones that can afford the stately Victorians in the Pill Hill historic district.
On the other hand, there are plenty of converted two and three-family clapboard homes that offer simpler living at a slightly-reduced cost. Among the single-family homes, duplexes, and triple-deckers overlooking Brookline Village are the […]
For the complete post click here.

Tags: Brighton, Brookline by bomber
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