Sold in Belmont: A Special Ranch and A Round Antique

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Photo: A brick and stone ranch on Belmont Hill.

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265 Cross St. Side-entrance Colonial (1930). Sold: $720,000.

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195 Prospect St. Brick and stone ranch (1954). Sold: $1,395,000.

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592 Trapelo Rd. Antique two-family (1882). Sold: $550,000.

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

• 265 Cross St. Side-entrance Colonial (1930). Sold: $720,000. Listed at $749,000. Living area: 1,860 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 68 days.

• 195 Prospect St. Brick and stone ranch (1954). Sold: $1,395,000. Listed at $1,570,000. Living area: 3,569 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 153 days.

• 592 Trapelo Rd. Antique two-family (1882). Sold: $550,000. Listed at $625,000. Living area: 2,000 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 104 days.

The ranch on Prospect Street was built to impress – using brick and stone rather than a frame with Prairie School touches – and it still does, although the nearly 3,600 sq.-ft. is essentially all on a single floor so there’s lots of walking. The house is beautifully situated on a half-acre lot which can be viewed from the wonderful enclosed glass deck. Now that’s impressive, costing a cool $66,000 in 2000. While some of the interior rooms have some dated fixtures, that should not have been the reason this grand house saw nearly $200,000 drop from the list price. Still, $1.4 million isn’t chicken feed.

It’s so strange to see an antique house left standing on Trapelo Road, but the tw0-family at 592 (near to Star Market) is a fine example of what 130 years ago was middle-class residences. While there are the challenges of an old house here – who knew a bathroom could be cobby cornered in such a tight space – you do get a unique and Victorian-inspired round parlor with five/six? windows. You could do so much with this room alone. 

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Sold in Belmont: Multi-families Setting the Sales Pace as Year Nears Close

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Photo: 707 Pleasant Street.

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50 Bartlett Ave. Condominium (1927). Sold: $448,000.

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31-33 Cushing Ave. Multi-family (1939). Sold: $900,000.

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707 Pleasant St. Unique Colonial (1926). Sold: $800,000.

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5-7 Pearl St. Multi-family (1900). Sold: $770,000.

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

• 50 Bartlett Ave. Condominium (1927). Sold: $448,000. Listed at $425,000. Living area: 1,140 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 65 days.

• 31-33 Cushing Ave. Multi-family (1939). Sold: $900,000. Listed at $785,000. Living area: 2,728 sq.-ft. 12 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 57 days.

• 707 Pleasant St. Unique Colonial (1926). Sold: $800,000. Listed at $899,000. Living area: 1,551 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 110 days.

• 5-7 Pearl St. Multi-family (1900). Sold: $770,000. Listed at $799,000. Living area: 2,441 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 113 days.

Sold in Belmont: Affordable in a Potpourri of Styles, Locations

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Photo: 81 Statler Rd.

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

• 77 Leicester Rd. Old-style center-entrance Colonial (1932). Sold: $987,500. Listed at $1,050,000. Living area: 2,510 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 98 days.

• 25-27 Gilbert Rd. 5+5 Two family (1925). Sold: $710,000. Listed at $699,000. Living area: 2,308 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 42 days.

• 42 Walnut St. Townhouse condo (1993). Sold: $667,000. Listed at $630,000. Living area: 1,800 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 43 days.

• 96 Beech St. Early Cape with commercial space (1922). Sold: $625,000. Listed at $599,900. Living area: 1,691 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 38 days.

• 49-51 Slade St. Two family (1925). Sold: $755,000. Listed at $749,000. Living area: 2,150 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 69 days.

• 285 Common St. Brick Cape-ish (1945). Sold: $810,000. Listed at $820,000. Living area: 2,383 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 98 days.

• 271 Common St. Brick Cape (1948). Sold: $810,000. Listed at $820,000. Living area: 1,684 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 42 days.

• 16 Bay State Rd. Brick/frame Colonial (1928). Sold: $1,005,000. Listed at $999,000. Living area: 2,165 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 57 days.

• 81 Statler Rd. Cape (1939). Sold: $545,000. Listed at $525,000. Living area: 984 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 63 days.

From one of the smallest single-family homes in Belmont (most new condo/townhouses are double the size of the Cape on Statler) to a pair of classic two units close to Trapelo Road, a mishmash of add-on extensions along the Beech and a lot of Capes, the traditional frame for first-time homebuyers. There is affordable housing in the “Town of Homes.” 

Sold in Belmont: Location Makes the Sale for Quintessential Belmont Colonial

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Photo: 67 Fairmont St. 

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67 Fairmont St. Center-entrance Colonial (1937). Sold: $1,300,000.

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33 Horace Rd. Brick Colonial (1923). Sold: $990,000.

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37 Wilson Ave. #3. Condominium (2000). Sold: $480,000.

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85 Lawrence Lane. Center-entrance Colonial (1937). Sold: $795,000

 

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

• 85 Lawrence Lane. Center-entrance Colonial (1937). Sold: $795,000. Listed at $799,000. Living area: 1,764 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 105 days.

• 37 Wilson Ave. #3. Condominium (2000). Sold: $480,000. Listed at $430,000. Living area: 1,123 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 full, 1 partial baths. On the market: 57 days.

• 33 Horace Rd. Brick Colonial (1923). Sold: $990,000. Listed at $935,000. Living area: 1,883 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 71 days.

• 67 Fairmont St. Center-entrance Colonial (1937). Sold: $1,300,000. Listed at $1,250,000. Living area: 2,274 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 78 days.

While there is some thought that home priced in seven figures will sooner than later find themselves sitting in the barber’s chair ready for their haircut, some are located in the right place at the right time to take advantage of their appeal. 

67 Fairmont St. is one such residential property. Located on one of the side streets between Common and Goden streets, it’s a good-size Colonial – nearly 2,300 square feet – with four bedrooms. Situated midway between the business hubs of Belmont Center and Cushing Square, its location is perfect for a young-ish family with schools on their mind. The Wellington is down a block, the Chenery four streets to the south and the High School close enough so the kids can’t bug the parents to let them drive to 221 Concord Ave. While the front is facing north, the backyard is sunny with a chance to do some serious gardening. 

A quarter century, during the real estate bust in these parts, the house sold for $60,000. Twenty years ago, the town valued it at $405,000. Since then, a new kitchen and roof were put into the Colonial. This year, the town said the house was worth $942,000. So think of the buyer paying a $350,000 premium for a 78-year-old house. Wow. 

Sold in Belmont: Time for a Pricing Haircut Across Housing Types

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Photo: 275 Brighton St.

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

483 Pleasant St. Condominium (1986). Sold: $840,000. Listed at $895,000. Living area: 2,175 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 155 days.

54-56 Falmouth St. Multi-family (1900). Sold: $780,000. Listed at $825,000. Living area: 3,684 sq.-ft. 13 rooms, 7 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 64 days.

182 Waverley St. Condominium (1891). Sold: $477,000. Listed at $479,000. Living area: 1,095 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 52 days.

275 Brighton St. Colonial with extension (1946). Sold: $875,000. Listed at $895,000. Living area: 2,010 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 105 days.

Data compiled by Zillow, the online real estate database company, report that long-term sale prices for all housing in Belmont has hit its peak and will begin a slight downturn in values in 2016. 

So, was that the reason the four home sales – including two condos, a single- and a multi – that occurred last week in Belmont each failed to reach its initial list price? Is the hot real estate market cooling along with the seasons?

Probably not. While, indeed, the homes required a “haircut” of its list price to move the sale, there remains a short inventory of homes in Belmont. Also, mortgage rates remain low, enticing potential homebuyers as the market awaits the Federal Reserve raising grates by at least 25 basis points later in the month.

More likely, the failure of list prices to hold their position could be influenced by the small number of sales in the sample, half the usual number impacted by the holiday. Or sellers and their Realtor/sales person continue to overvalue homes, hoping to squeeze as much money from their houses.

So not to worry; there is no Belmont bubble homeowners need to be concerned over … yet.

Sold in Belmont: Mid-Level Homes Also Being Snatched Up

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Photo: 52 Thomas St.

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

67-69 Beech St. Two-family (1910). Sold: $678,000. Listed at $649,000. Living area: 2,454 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 70 days.

253 Payson Rd. Colonial (1940). Sold: $960,000. Listed at $906,000. Living area: 2,166 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 64 days.

25 Drew Rd.,#2, Condominium (1924). Sold: $480,000. Listed at $395,000. Living area: 1,124 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 63 days.

25 Drew Rd.,#1, Condominium (1924). Sold: $425,000. Listed at $400,000. Living area: 950 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 63 days.

46-48 Benjamin Rd. Multi-family (1924). Sold: $950,000. Listed at $899,000. Living area: 2,860 sq.-ft. 13 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 70 days.

21 Barnard Rd. #1, Condominium (1924). Sold: $470,000. Listed at $429,000. Living area: 1,265 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 70 days.

52 Thomas St. Antique early-Colonial (1870). Sold: $764,100. Listed at $749,000. Living area: 2,242 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 77 days.

Sold in Belmont: Million-Dollar Plus Colonials (and a Ranch) Return

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Photo: Classic Dutch Colonial at 30 Hurd Rd.  

151-153 Beech St., Triple decker (1905). Sold: $905,500. Listed at $ 899,900. Living area: 3,029 sq.-ft. 14 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3 bath. On the market: 31 days.

33 Woodfall Rd., A grand brick ranch (1956). Sold: $1,375,000. Listed at $1,349,000. Living area: 2,623 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 56 days.

38 Cowdin Rd., Traditional Cape (1951). Sold: $771,000. Listed at $715,000. Living area: 1,535 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 57 days.

23-25 Beech St., Two family (1890). Sold: $720,000. Listed at $ 715,000. Living area: 2,978 sq.-ft. 13 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 full, 2 half bath. On the market: 54 days.

30 Hurd Rd., Classic Dutch Colonial (1928). Sold: $1,200,000. Listed at $1,079,000. Living area: 2,010 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 full, 2 half bath. On the market: 63 days.

61 Spring Valley Rd., Sort of a ranch/colonial hybrid (1957). Sold: $1,460,000. Listed at $1,549,000. Living area: 3,865 sq.-ft. 12 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 5 baths. On the market: 122 days.

19 Highland Rd., Brick/frame Dutch Colonial (1921). Sold: $1,350,000. Listed at $1,299,000. Living area: 3,687 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 122 days.

17 Knox St., Nondescript (2004). Sold: $928,500. Listed at $939,000. Living area: 2,323 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3 full and two half baths. On the market: 87 days.

Sold in Belmont: The Good, the Mind Boggling and How Much Ugly for $1.2M

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Photo: “Ugh” on Brighton.

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

26 Holden Rd., #2, Condo (1926). Sold: $471,000. Listed at $449,900. Living area: 1,172 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 61 days.

16 Candleberry Ln., Townhouse condominium (2006). Sold: $1,420,000. Listed at $1,495,000. Living area: 3,482 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bath. On the market: 69 days.

280 Brighton St. It’s new (2015). Sold: $1,246,000. Listed at $1,299,000. Living area: 4,040 sq.-ft. 12 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 246 days.

531 Concord Ave., Claflin-Atkins Estate, Georgian Revival (1926). Sold: $3,037,500. Listed at $3,495,000. Living area: 7,277 sq.-ft. 17 rooms, 8 bedrooms, 6 full, 2 half-baths. On the market: 125 days.

21 Dean St., Brick/frame Garrison Colonial (1935). Sold: $1,030,000. Listed at $950,000. Living area: 6,440 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 70 days.

62 Trowbridge Street #2, Townhouse condominium (2010). Sold: $750,000. Listed at $699,000. Living area: 1,528 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath. On the market: 36 days.

45 Springfield St #1, Condominium in two family (2014). Sold: $480,500. Listed at $439,000. Living area: 1,060 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 57 days.

23 Russell Terrace, Townhouse condominium (2011). Sold: $872,000. Listed at $842,000. Living area: 2,418 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bath. On the market: 68 days.

We’ve lost our collective minds. Or at least homebuyers have. It’s right there on Dean Street. A nice 80-year-old Garrison Colonial of ground-level brick over a second-floor frame. Nothing extraordinary, on a small lot, and better than average space at 2,300 square feet. Just your vanilla Belmont house …  

… that just sold for more than a million bucks! Not located on “the Hill” or along “Gol(d)en” Street, this structure was in the heart of Belmont’s most “average” of its neighborhoods. 

If this Winn Brook sale doesn’t sounds a clarion call to Belmont homeowners to sell and reap the rewards of buying a Colonial back in the 1990s, they will have only themselves to blame if this purchase signals a housing bubble that is ready to burst.

•••

A lovely mansion – the  Claflin-Atkins Estate – on upper Concord Avenue is one of the biggest homes in Belmont, coming in at nearly 7,300 sq.-ft. (around the same number of feet of an average 18-hole round on the PGA tour) sitting on nearly two acres of land on “the Hill.” The mansion’s southeastern exposure providing spectacular skyline views of Boston. Inside, it boasts seven-plus bedrooms, six full and three half baths, seven fireplaces, two screened porches, three levels of living space and, yes, a two-room museum that was built to show off items from the China trade.

•••

There is an architect who needs to hide their face in SHAME for designing what has to be the leading candidate for “Ugliest House in Belmont” located on Brighton a block from Pleasant Street. Of course, it’s a McMansion, slapped up in a hurry before residents come with pitch forks and torches to prevent anymore 4,000 square-feet waste of space to be constructed.

Look at it; it’s incomprehensible! An uninviting collection of boxes and squares thrown together willy nilly – “I’ll place the dormer … here!” – with splashes of gaudy detailing, including a stone facade at the entry. Why? Not tacky enough? But the real insult to the neighborhood is its pair of driveways. Yes, two locations, one on Brighton and the other on Chilton, where the owners can dump their minivans to be an eyesore to the community. That’s disgraceful. This design spits in the faces of its neighbors. 

The thrown-together blueprint is almost childish but that would be insulting to three-year-olds who have better sense of spacial awareness than its designer. The interior is no better: what’s with all the recess lighting? Was the overall concept based on a GAP clothing store? Obviously the “open” room design will make this a dandy to heat this winter. Wait, IT IS A MALL INTERIOR! 

Oversized on the lot it took over, the pièce de résistance is the wire fence anchored in a brick wall: a little bit of Queens in Belmont. The sales information on the house calls it, and I quote, “Lowest Priced new construction in Belmont!!” Lowest priced, as in cheap.

“Oh, will no one rid me of this turbulent house?”

Sold in Belmont: Condos on the Move As Spring Market Heats Up

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Photo: 14 Locust St.

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

• 68 Unity Ave., #2. Condominum (1924). Sold: $504,000. Listed at $490,000. Living area: 1,152 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 46 days.

• 14 Locust St., Center-entrance Colonial (1933). Sold: $1,050,000. Listed at $979,000. Living area: 2,198 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bath. On the market: 43 days.

• 112 Slade St., Condominum (1928). Sold: $631,000. Listed at $599,900. Living area: 2,118 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 73 days.

• 78 Chester Rd., Condominium (1920). Sold: $520,000. Listed at $569,900. Living area: 2,198 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 bath. On the market: 113 days.

• 54 Marlboro St., Condominum (1905). Sold: $415,000. Listed at $399,900. Living area: 1,000 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 44 days.

• 125 Trapelo Rd. #8. Apartment building condo (1963). Sold: $275,000. Listed at $259,888. Living area: 517 sq.-ft. 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 60 days.

• 22 Brettwood Rd. Brick Georgian Colonial (1941). Sold: $1,262,000. Listed at $1,200,000. Living area: 3,442 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 bath. On the market: 69 days.

• 226 Trapelo Rd., #1. Condominum (1922). Sold: $461,000. Listed at $439,000. Living area: 1,334 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 91 days.

• 56 Marlboro St. Two-family (1913). Sold: $880,000. Listed at $799,000. Living area: 2,720 sq.-ft. 14 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3 bath. On the market: 48 days.

Finally. The spring selling season has arrived this past week in Belmont with nine houses being bought with three interesting facts:

  • the properties sold quickly, most within just about two months after going on the market,
  • the final sale price for all but one property beat the initial listing price, and
  • condominiums led the rush of sales. 

Also interesting to see a fairly modest, Depression-era Colonial (OK, it does have a two-car garage) on Locust Street (near the Burbank on a rare cul-de-sac  in Belmont) selling for a million dollars plus. Is Belmont, Massachusetts beginning to emulate Belmont, California where the median price of homes is currently north of a million dollars? This is what a median-valued house in Belmont Left Coast will get you. (Note the square footage; pretty cramped for shelling out seven figures.)

Sold in Belmont: A Quartet of Roaring 20s-Era Abodes Skidoo Off the Market

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Photo: 39 Bartlett Ave.

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

• 39 Bartlett Ave. Colonial (1927). Sold: $510,000. Listed at $525,000. Living area: 1,400 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 99 days.

• 35 Gilbert Rd. Condominium (1925). Sold: $497,000. Listed at $449,900. Living area: 1,100 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 65 days.

• 71-73 Lewis Rd. Condominium (1924). Sold: $485,000. Listed at $485,000. Living area: 1,198 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 70 days.

• 49 Sycamore St. #2. Condominium (1925). Sold: $388,000. Listed at $389,900. Living area: 950 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 40 days.

The great explosion of home building in Belmont lasted about two decades at the start of the last century. Farm and orchard lands were developed, estates were subdivided and streets plotted north and south of the Trapelo/Belmont corridor.

So it shouldn’t be that far-fetched to see four homes built in the 1920s selling in the same week. What’s interesting is that some have gone from owner-occupied two families to straight duel condominiums. Guess no one wants to be the landlord living over/under the tenant. 

It should also be noted that, despite news that the real estate market is suffering a lack of supply (causing prices to race skyward), especially of condos, Belmont saw three units on the smallish end of the square footage scale sell along with a sad-looking single-family.

And for these parts, rather affordable, on average about $480,000. Not a bad starter house for many couples.

Of course, just outside job-hot Austin, Texas, (about the same distance from Belmont to Boston) this is what you get for $469,000.