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A weekly recap of residential properties sold in the past seven-plus days in the “Town of Homes”:

• 135 Slade St., Top floor condominium (1920). Sold: $649,000. Listed at $648,500. Living area: 1,777 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 74 days.

• 267 Beech St., Unit 2, Top floor condominium (1928). Sold: $725,000. Listed at $749,000. Living area: 1,965 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 80 days.

• 20 Chester Rd. Unit 1, Condominium (1917). Sold: $489,000. Listed at $460,000. Living area: 1,113 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 32 days.

• 191 Common St., Colonial (1925). Sold: $1,550,000. Listed at $1,425,000. Living area: 2,488 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3 full, 2 half baths. On the market: 53 days.

• 90 Lewis Rd., Top floor Condominium (1923). Sold: $630,000. Listed at $599,900. Living area: 1,690 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 54 days.

• 274 Washington St., Brick and shingle English Colonial (1930). Sold: $1,040,000. Listed at $935,000. Living area: 2,251 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 54 days.

• 30 Marlboro St., Unit 1., Condominium (1916). Sold: $527,000. Listed at $499,000. Living area: 1,690 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 83 days.

There has been a great deal discussed – here in Belmont (through the effort of the Belmont Citizens Forum) and the State Senate – on modifying the town’s zoning bylaws to increase the number of affordable housing units in town and across the Commonwealth. One aim is to make building homes with greater density in residential neighborhoods, specifically allowing two families to be “by right” (and skipping the need for a Special Permit) in more areas of town.

This past week, five condominiums in two families were sold for between $729,000 – a big nine roomer with nearly 2,000 sq.-ft. – and $489,000, far more affordable (but barely reasonable for a couple with middle-class income) than the medium price for a single-family house that is nearly seven figures. 

And the condos have something for many: a great starter home or a place for the empty nester. It would also be a place for a small family to spend the 12 years to get through the school years. Take a look at the detail.

And the star of the quintet of condo is the one on Marlboro Street. A steal at $527,000 for 1,300 sq.-ft. with beautiful wood molding, modern kitchen, renovated bath (in proper white), a quirky layout and space out back. Everything to love.

It might be harder to develop these economical units in the future after Town Meeting approved a four-year moratorium (expanding on a temporary ban) prohibiting the construction of two-family houses on single families lots in the general residence zone. 

Since the moratorium will sunset in 2018, hopefully, there will not be a prejudice against building two families that are similar to these beauties. 

Common Street, as in “it’s now common to see a million house” on this road. The latest is 191 Common St., which is located near St. Joe’s and the Wellington, a building that just seven years ago barely broke $650,000. Much of that was due to a typical situation in Belmont; a long-time owner who didn’t keep up with repairs and modernizing the systems.

The new owners could see beyond the aging infrastructure and years of neglect and got to work. They threw in $105,000 into a new roof, replacing all 36 windows and all bathrooms were renovated as was the kitchen with a freaky harlequin black and white floor. They also enclosed the porch and built a new deck. They also put a few bucks to landscaping, siding and interior work.

The result: the once-threadbare home was sold for more than $1.5 million, nearly three times what they bought it.