Stop and Shop Coming to Route 16

You’ve probably seen the signs – but in case you haven’t – Stop and Shop is coming to Route 16 in Somerville.  

The closing of Foodmaster on Route 16 at Broadway on the Cambridge / Arlington line has left a lot of people without a handy supermarket.  A number of the former Foodmasters are becoming Whole Foods stores but the Route 16 location didn’t fit the bill since it’s sandwiched between two Whole Foods with one at Alewife and one down the street in Medford.

Happily, it looks like Stop and Shop will be opening soon.  The parking lot was filled with pickup trucks the other day – lots of work going on it seems.

I hope to see some of my favorite Foodmaster employees back on the job and have my fingers crossed that Stop and Shop gives them first dibs for positions in the new store.

Cambridge Houses Priced < One Million

With all the multiple bids and sales for far above asking price this spring I find myself paying a lot of attention to the closed sales on the hotsheet.  You may be asking too – wonder what that house sold for? 

Here’s the first in a series of posts with sales prices for Cambridge single family houses that closed in the last three months and had asking prices less than $1,000,000:

 Cambridge Houses Priced Under One Million

76 Sixth St 02141 ….6/3/1 attached …. Ask $399,900 …. Sold $440,000
108 Dudley St 02140 …. 7/3/1 …. Ask $489,000 …. Sold $555,100
42 Valentine St 02139 …. 5/2/1.5 townhouse …. Ask $499,000 …. Sold $550,000
9 Oakland St 02139 …. 8/5/1 …. Ask $545,000 …. Sold $430,000
46 Valentine St 02139 …. 7/2/1 …. Ask $549,000 …. Sold $632,000
50 Hancock St 02139 …. 8/4/1 …. Ask $599,000 …. Sold $550,000
126-E Oxford St 02140 …. 6/2/2 townhouse …. Ask $410,000 …. Sold $600,000
9 St. Saveur Ct 02138 …. 9/3/2 …. Ask $669,000 …. Sold $701,500
30 Crescent St 02138 …. 8/3/2 attached …. Ask $679,000 …. Sold $699,000
5 Corporal McTernan 02139 …. 5/3/2.5 townhouse …. Ask $699,900 …. Sold $726,000
114 Tremont St 02139 …. 5/2/3.5 …. Ask $749,000 …. Sold $830,000
31 Bay St 02139 …. 7/3/1 …. Ask $749,000 …. Sold $749,000
122 Western Ave 02139 …. 6/3/2.5 …. Ask $775,000 …. Sold $777,500
117 Charles St 02141 …. 5/3/3 …. Ask $849,000 …. Sold $799,000
115 Charles St 02141 …. 5/3/3 attached …. Ask $869,000 …. Sold $760,000
105-A Trowbridge St 02138 …. 7/3/3 townhouse …. Ask $875,000 …. Sold $931,000
111-8 Trowbridge St 02138 …. 7/3/3.5 attached …. Ask $899,000 …. Sold $903,000
24 Locke St 02140 …. 9/5/2 …. Ask $950,000 …. Sold $985,000
26 Parker St 02138 …. 10/6/3 …. Ask $995,000 …. Sold $1,355,000

Note: Room counts are given as total rooms / bedrooms / baths.  If the property is in a townhouse development or attached to another dwelling that is noted.  If no style is listed the houses are free standing.  House sales closed between March 1, 2013 and June 3, 2013.

Next we’ll look at Cambridge Single Family Sales of Houses Priced Over $1,000,000.

Spring Garden in Cambridge

It’s been a funny Spring season – cooler than typical with the windows often still closed and the puff still on the bed.  Contrast that with last year when Spring came early and so did warm weather.

Last year Spring sprung before most garden tours were held.  It was a different view of many of the gardens where blooms had long passed by the time of the tour.

This year we’re back to a more typical calendar – the lilacs were out on Lilac Sunday, gardens will be in their full glory for upcoming garden tours.  Ideally we’ll get some much needed rain this week and weekend to keep gardens looking their best.

Cambridge has switched to an every-other-year schedule so won’t have a tour this year.  But a number of other towns are holding tours and I’ll add more to the list I find them.  Check out the updated Massachusetts garden tours calendar and make your plans!

Open Studios in Somerville MA

Seeing all the open studio signs last week in Somerville reminded me that it’s high time to update the 2013 calendar of open studios in Massachusetts.

Not to worry if you missed last weekend’s event.  There are more than two dozen upcoming open studio events listed on the calendar including Cambridge this coming weekend.

Open studios are a great opportunity to meet your neighbors, find something special for your place or for a friend, and a super way to support the local arts community.

Check out the calendar and if your event isn’t listed please get in touch.

Whether you’re trying to get a toehold in the Cambridge real estate market with your first place, looking for a city getaway, or seeking a place to call home while you’re in school in Cambridge for a few years, you’ll want to check out this week’s one–bedroom condos in Cambridge.  And best to act fast – this spring there’s a “blink and it’s gone” pace to the market.

Over the last six months one-bedroom condominiums in Cambridge have sold for a median price of $439,800 and a median price per square foot of $530.  Both of those figures probably skew a bit high because of the large number of luxury condos at Northpoint in the mix.

The condos that caught my eye that are included below range in size from 542 to 798 square feet and are priced from $325,000 to $409,000. They’re in a variety of building types that give a good idea of what you’re likely to find in Cambridge – the buildings date from the 1870s to the 1970s with most built around the turn-of-the-century.  Asking price per square foot ranges from $437 to $755 with a median price per square foot of about $510.  Four of the six have a parking space.  The condos are all over town – from North Cambridge to Cambridgeport, to Riverside, Central Square and Harvard Square.

Click on the small photos below for additional photographs and more information.  See something you like? Give me a call and we can make a plan to see one or all. 

Liz Bolton, ReMax Destiny, Cambridge.  617-504-1737     CentersAndSquares@gmail.com

The former Lowe School at 185 Morrison Ave in Somerville MA is a block from Davis Square and set above the street.  Unit 101 is a high first floor corner unit.

Live in a renovated school in Davis Square at 185 Morrison Ave Somerville MA

Light streams in through the oversized windows.  If you like high ceilings you’ll love 185 Morrison.  I don’t know how high these ceilings are – very high is all I can say!  There’s a wall of built-in bookcases in the expansive dining / living room and a library ladder to help you reach the top shelves.  The original chalk wells remain as a reminder of the building’s origins.

The list of improvements is long and includes a sleekly styled kitchen renovation with Liebherr and Jenn-Air appliances and Caesarstone counters, a remodeled bathroom with Duravit sink and rain shower head, custom lighting throughout, oodles of custom fitted closets, replacement windows and more.

There’s a parking space behind the building, a spot to stow your bike downstairs, extra storage and common laundry. 

The photographer came this morning so check back for some beautiful shots of 185 Morrison Ave in Somerville.  The condo comes on the market tomorrow and can be seen by appointment or at the open houses on Friday, April 19th from 5 – 7 pm and Saturday and Sunday, April 20th & 21 from 1 to 2:30 pm.  If you’d like more info or want to set up an appointment please call Liz Bolton of ReMax Destiny- that’s me! – at 617-504-1737.

Since I grew up in Concord Patriot’s Day will always be one of my favorite holidays – and will always be April 19th rather than some random Monday.

Paul Revere? Or William Dawes? Patriot's Day in Cambridge 2013

But it seems even Paul Revere and William Dawes have adapted to the new calendar.

I came across this man on horseback today on Mass Ave in Porter Square and thought he must be Revere.  But Paul Revere’s midnight ride didn’t take him through Cambridge.  His route passed nearby through Medford and Arlington.  It was another messenger, William Dawes, who passed through Cambridge.

Is that a British soldier trailing William Dawes?

Is that a Redcoat on his tail?  I’m not sure.

Homebuyers will want to get their ducks in a row

If you’re hoping to buy in Cambridge or nearby towns this spring you need to get your ducks in a row early on.  Properties are typically selling the first weekend so you’ll want to be prepared in case you find something you love.

One of the first to-dos in the home buying process is to get a pre-approval from a lender.  It’s a good idea to have a copy of that pre-approval with you when you head out to look at properties. You’ll also want to tuck a check or two in your wallet if you don’t carry a checkbook with you.

Thus armed, you’ll be able to jump into the fray if you find a house or condo that feels like home.

If you’d like to talk about strategies for success in this market, give me a call at 617-504-1737 – I’m happy to help.  Liz Bolton, ReMax Destiny, Cambridge, MA