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

By Leave a Comment

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: Historic Walter Pierce Modern Abode Tops $1.2 Million

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Walter Pierce-designed house on upper Concord Avenue.

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

39 Payson Rd. #2, Condominium (1923). Sold: $525,000. Listed at $ 459,900. Living area: 1,288 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bath. On the market: 50 day.

18 Brookside Ave. Colonial (1935). Sold: $865,000. Listed at $749,000. Living area: 2,000 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 77 days.

661 Concord Ave., Walter Pierce-designed modern (1961). Sold: $1,250,000. Listed at $1,195,000. Living area: 2,660 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bath. On the market: 78 day.

117 Beech St., Multi-family (1915). Sold: $640,000. Listed at $619,900. Living area: 3,825 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 28 days.

25 Elm St., Colonial (1923). Sold: $820,000. Listed at $ 799,000. Living area: 1,930 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bath. On the market: 77 day.

6 Prentiss Ln. Colonial (1932). Sold: $1,170,000. Listed at $1,295,000. Living area: 3,093 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 120 days.

37 South Cottage Rd, #93, Townhouse condominium (2011). Sold: $1,325,000. Listed at $1,395,000. Living area: 2,994 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath. On the market: 154 day.

12 Franklin St., Colonial (1924). Sold: $815,000. Listed at $849,000. Living area: 1,648 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 73 days.

10-12 Upland Rd. #10, Condominium (1925). Sold: $444,000. Listed at $439,900. Living area: 944 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 71 day.

14 Dundonald Rd. Ranch (1951). Sold: $1,180,000. Listed at $1,095,000. Living area: 2,374 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 70 days.

32 Foster Rd. #2, Condominium (1927). Sold: $457,500. Listed at $ 469,900. Living area: 1,268 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 70 day.

54-56 Sycamore St., Two-family (1925). Sold: $752,000. Listed at $729,000. Living area: 2,600 sq.-ft. 12 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 135 days.

Changes to the original design have taken place – the kitchen was enlarged in 1998 and the windows replaced in 2000 – and the house is not the “spare but stylish split-level” he is famous for (located in Peacock Farms in Lexington), but the sublime modernist residence at 661 Concord Ave. designed by Walter Pierce is a house of historic architectural merit.

While some may lump Pierce with another young post-war architect Carl Koch – the architect/builder of Belmont’s Snake Hill Road development (do yourself a favor and take a walk up Snake Hill Road off Pleasant Street to view this impressive experiment in suburban housing) – they were from two distinct school’s; Pierce is from MIT’s “American” version of modern architecture with its Scandinavian influences of emphasizing the space in and outside the building.

You can see (actually it’s hard to see from the road with non-native evergreens and an ugly fence out front) Pierce’s deft touch – a great profile of the Lexington resident is in his obituary – in the upper Concord Avenue house near Day School Lane.

The house is, in fact, a triple, split level (which in less-trained builder’s hands became a tired stereotype by the late 60s, the home of Mike and Carol Brady’s bunch) with a towering facade that slopes towards the back yard. Designing with the land in mind, the building has a narrow front (going from 17 feet at the entry to 28 feet in the back) with a substantial length, about 50 feet. Open the front door and up you go to the bedrooms; down to the family room, kitchen and dining room, the “basement” level is the open family space that leads to the patio and impressive backyard that is next to Habitat land.

While the interior space might be a distraction to modern homebuyers who want space over function – the dining room is a tight spot, and the kitchen is functional, not grandiose – the house works due to Pierce’s use space; it’s just so open and airy (can you say Sweden?) without interior walls. It’s impressive to have all that weight carried by the walls yet have nice sized windows to add natural light and a view of the landscaped yard. Modern touches include lack of detail – I love the mid-level fireplace – and stuff. What? No center island in the kitchen with indoor grill and install wok? It’s not a masterpiece or a trendsetter, but a solid design that any architect would love to have in their portfolio.

Surprisingly, the Pierce house – so thoughtfully created by a master architect – sits next to one of the worst-designed homes in town, both built within a year of each other. Go figure.

Besides having one of the best names in Belmont – a wee bit of the Highlands in dear ol‘ New England – and being a rare dead-end in town, Dundonald Road is one street on “the Hill” that has kept its modest homes intact. But that might be coming to an end; do you really spend $1 million plus for a 60 year old ranch without envisioning a demolition permit in your hand? 

Sold in Belmont: A Housing Solution on the Beech, A Premium in Bricks

By Leave a Comment

Photo: 101 Beech St. 

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

9 Audrey Rd., Brick ranch (1954). Sold: $810,000. Listed at $ 775,000. Living area: 1,483 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bath. On the market: 77 day.

29 Stults Rd. Brick Tudor (1924). Sold: $1,135,000. Listed at $1,100,000. Living area: 2,514 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 4 baths. On the market: 63 days.

43 Hillcrest Rd., Georgian Brick Colonial (1925). Sold: $2,225,000. Listed at $1,980,000. Living area: 4,564 sq.-ft. 12 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2 full, 2 half baths. On the market: 49 days.

101 Beech St., #2, Condominium in a six-unit, self managed building (1911). Sold: $420,000. Listed at $449,900 (reduced to $424,900). Living area: 1,007 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 64 days.

27 Winthrop Rd. Colonial (1928). Sold: $1,115,000. Listed at $1,125,000. Living area: 2,211 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 77 days.

11 Broad St., Late Split-level ranch (1964). Sold: $820,000. Listed at $749,000. Living area: 2,000 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath. On the market: 63 day.

29 Worcester St., #2, Condominium in two family (1916). Sold: $565,000. Listed at $539,900. Living area: 1,532 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 78 days.

5 Simmons Ave., “Old Style” Brick Storybook (1937). Sold: $945,000. Listed at $960,000. Living area: 2,589 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 63 days.

One of the major reasons the medium home price in Belmont will likely reach $900,000 by the end of 2015 is the lack of new housing supply that could satisfy the demand of people seeking to live in town. So far, with the exception of the two major projects in Belmont’s future – Cushing Village and the Belmont Uplands with approximately 414 apartment-style homes to be in the supply chain by 2020 – most new construction is oversized with an appeal towards wealthy clients.

But a recent sale in a location one called “Central Square” – the intersection of Trapelo Road and Beech Street – could be a great example of solving the sacristy of moderate-priced homes. 101 Beech and its twin next door at 105 are six-unit condominiums – a pair of singles on each floor – that use space wisely with long, narrow rooms with parking hidden in the back. While they appear at first glance to be a pair of triple deckers joined at the hip, they were constructed with the idea of sharing the building as equal units – about 16 percent of the condo is common space. Built 105 years ago, they retain some great exterior features such as the street-facing balcony that’s reminiscent of the three-story buildings lining downtown New Orleans. Photos of the inside  show great architectural detail remaining for a starter home. These buildings will never be more than what they are, the first housing purchase of someone’s life; affordable with enough space to not feel cramped. 

Now just see a long line of these buildings running along Belmont Street, Trapelo Road, near parks, in high traffic areas where young homeowners are drawn. Rather than a high density development such as Cushing Village, this design is far more welcoming for the people you want to reside in Belmont, the young – maybe even hipsters. Just think of Waverley Square with this model along the roadway rather than the squat single-story retail or those stunning horrible townhouses Edward Hovsepian built at the site of the First Congregational Church.

But would residents be willing to change zoning bylaws to allow, as of right, this sort of building to be constructed? That’s the question to be answered.

The split-level ranch at 11 Broad St. should be placed on someone’s list of historic places needing protection. It is a beautiful late, 1964, ranch built as that style house began losing its popularity. While its a bit lacking in height – my 6-foot, one-inch tall son would always be ducking entering rooms with the ceiling so low – the general sweeping layout is of a bygone era. The best feature is the bay window; rounded and huge, it dominates the front of the house.

With most Belmont homes built of wood, you sometimes loss the realization that many wonderful houses on the Hill or in the Presidents neighborhood off Washington Street made of brick. And from the prices they are receiving, it appears buyers are placing a premium on the construction material. 

 

Sold in Belmont: Capes, Colonials and Condos Take Market into July

By Leave a Comment

Photo: A classic pre-war Cape. 

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

12 Bayberry Ln., Townhouse condominium (2006). Sold: $1,260,000. Listed at $ 1,298,000. Living area: 2,740 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath. On the market: 92 days.

33 Homer Rd., Garrison Colonial (1940). Sold: $1,550,000. Listed at $1,639,000. Living area: 3,469 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 157 days.

64 Hoitt Rd., Classic Cape (1951). Sold: $714,000. Listed at $689,000. Living area: 1,272 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 70 days.

3-1 Agassiz, Condominium (2006). Sold: $570,000. Listed at $ 569,000. Living area: 2,157 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath. On the market: 63 days.

9 Gilmore Rd., Cape (1938). Sold: $755,000. Listed at $719,000. Living area: 1,488 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 49 days.

89 Hammond Rd., Colonial (1925). Sold: $900,000. Listed at $869,000. Living area: 1,776 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 77 days.

76 Lawrence Lane, Colonial (1937). Sold: $992,000. Listed at $1,195,000. Living area: 3,293 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 5 baths. On the market: 84 days.

15 Marlboro St., #1, Condominium (1906). Sold: $495,000. Listed at $489,900. Living area: 1,064 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 48 days.

The Belmont residential market appears to have returned to last year’s script: high-end houses will take a haircut before selling while prices for more modest abodes – especially lower than the town’s median value of $845,000-ish – will hold up in an environment where the inventory for more affordable units can not keep up with demand. 

A great example is the solid Colonial on Lawrence Lane up on Belmont Hill. This pre-war house is large, at approximately 3,300 square feet, with five baths and six bedrooms which appears to be what every buyer is clamoring to find. But despite great period detail such as a wonderful in-wall bookshelf in the den and an updated kitchen (including two dreadful skylights), the final sales price was $200,000 below the original list, falling before the seven figure benchmark. Could it be that while priced right for a similar-sized house built within the past five years, it may have been seen as “old” and lacking the finer points of the new mega-homes such as 15-foot ceilings and an open floor plan? 

The buyer who “won” the week was the person who purchased the beautiful Cape on Gilmore. At 1,500 square feet, it would be considered a bit of a squeeze for some families. But others would find it warm and cozy with a great three-season porch that will get a great deal of use, that is until the construction of the Uplands gets underway. 

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

By Leave a Comment

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

By 4 Comments

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: A Modern Day ‘Tara’ in Ol’ Belmont

By Leave a Comment

Photo: 1 Sumner Lane.

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

• 1 Sumner Lane, It’s a mansion (2014). Sold: $3,200,000. Listed at $3,400,000. Living area: 6,440 sq.-ft. 14 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 5.5 baths. On the market: 246 days.

• 47 Moraine St., Contemporary condominium (1998). Sold: $685,000. Listed at $614,000. Living area: 1,963 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bath. On the market: 50 days.

• 15 Marlboro St. #2, Second-floor condominium (1906). Sold: $485,000. Listed at $449,900. Living area: 1,054 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 46 days.

• 15 Marlboro St. #3, First-floor condominium (1906). Sold: $439,000. Listed at $429,900. Living area: 1,001 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 46 days.

• 124 Brighton St., Garrison Colonial (1940). Sold: $742,000. Listed at $699,000. Living area: 1,632 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 52 days.

• 35 Gilbert Rd. #2, Condominium (1925). Sold: $635,000. Listed at $599,000. Living area: 1,907 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath. On the market: 67 days.

• 41 Clairemont Rd., Brick English Tudor-style (1942). Sold: $1,550,000. Listed at $1,599,000. Living area: 3,512 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2-full, 2 partial baths. On the market: 92 days.

• 73 Lincoln St., Colonial (1928). Sold: $850,000. Listed at $899,000. Living area:1,900 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 85 days.

The new mansion built on the recently laid out Sumner Lane (so new that it’s not on any maps) was likely inspired by the manse where Mr. Burns of “The Simpsons” reside. Can’t you see the new owner of this 6,000-foot HOUSE stepping out onto the portico proclaiming, “Release the hounds” onto any misguided residents who ventures onto to street to see this “big boy.”  

The roadway was initially going to be called “Strawberry Lane” but that name was dropped for this site off Concord Avenue and that’s a good thing. I think they wanted a connection with John Lennon but that would have been Strawberry Fields. 

I will give the developer and architect this: they found the proper place to put an oversized residential  building in Belmont, on 3/4 of an acre out in the edge of the woods. Its size actually gets absorbed into the landscape.

Not that the actual building has any architectural connection to New England, and the developer actually plays up on that fact. 

“The rolling lawns and graceful old trees will give you a feeling of the old south,” proclaimed the promotional material.

How ironic that they situation a new antebellum “Tara” on a street named after the Abolitionist senator from Massachusetts! How delicious! 

But wait, there’s more: 

“This stately brick front home will remind you of being in Colonial Williamsburg offering incredible views of conservation land and peeks of the Boston skyline. Imagine sitting on your front porch admiring the incredible Copper Beech tree that dates back to the Revolutionary War.”

What? Now its like the Lee Mansion in Virginia? 

Why didn’t the developer just say, we’re taking a standard design from successful big houses we built around Atlanta here in Belmont. When you’re paying $3 million plus, historical context be damn. 

Sold in Belmont: Seven Homes Taken Off the Market

By Leave a Comment

Photo: 16 Troy Road.

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

• 91 Channing Rd., Cape-style Colonial (1942). Sold: $639,900. Listed at $649,900. Living area: 1,212 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 76 days.

• 249 School St., Colonial with Dutch gable elements (1929). Sold: $1,381,000. Listed at $1,250,000. Living area: 3,044 sq.-ft. 12 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bath. On the market: 61 days.

• 33 Gilbert Rd. #1, First-floor condominium (1925). Sold: $490,000. Listed at $449,000. Living area: 1,065 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 62 days.

• 16 Troy Rd., Cape (1950). Sold: $651,000. Listed at $649,900. Living area: 1,306 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 74 days.

• 100 Clairemont Rd., Extended Colonial (1930). Sold: $1,225,000. Listed at $1,250,000. Living area: 3,281 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 4 baths. On the market: 120 days.

• 10 Holt St., Townhouse condominium (2004). Sold: $850,000. Listed at $799,000. Living area: 2,550 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bath. On the market: 57 days.

• 46 Lewis Rd. #2, Walk-up condominium (1924). Sold: $470,000. Listed at $425,000. Living area: 1,182 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 50 days.

How does any firm get someone other than their top line executives to move to Boston?

Let’s says mid-level manager Jolene Hightech is moving the family from Huntsville, Alabama (where the percentage of high tech workers in the labor market is second only to Silicon Valley) for a job in Cambridge and decides Belmont is perfect to relocated to because the fabulous schools and a quick commute to work.

In a gated community in the Alabama tech town, they were residing in their less-than-a-decade old 4,000 sq.-ft., four bed, four bath Federalist-style abode on Thayer Street. The amenities are numerous; a formal living, dining room and library – known as “the great room” – with hardwood floors opens to a big kitchen with access to the back patio. Upstairs is the master bedroom suite with a “Glamour Bath.” Homeowners can enjoy outdoor living in the covered front porch after parking their three cars into the garage. Across the street are two parks, a main clubhouse (it is a gated community) with an Olympic-sized pool, “and the neighbors who are all most kind, considerate, and friendly.” It is the South, y’all. 

The price tag in ‘bama: $650,000. 

So Jolene comes to one of the many friendly Belmont salespeople and says, “What can I see in the $650,000 price range?

$650K will get you this in Huntsville, 'Bama.

$650K will get you this in Huntsville, ‘Bama.

and this in Belmont, Mass.

and this in Belmont, Mass.

How about a 65-year-old post war framed Cape – with original wallpaper – in which the entire house could fit into the Huntsville’s “great room?” The bad news; there is only one bath room for the entire household. The good news, it’s inside. There is a chance that Jolene could carve out a study on the first floor but that would require sacrificing a bedroom that was cubby cornered next to the living room. And while there isn’t a pool nearby, the commuter rail is a dependable wake up alarm as it rumbles by at 5 a.m. 

Screen Shot 2015-06-12 at 1.38.54 PM

Kitchen on Troy Road, Belmont, and …

Screen Shot 2015-06-12 at 1.41.29 PM

… kitchen in Huntsville.

Seriously, how do salespeople in Belmont convince transplants what they are obtaining is anything close to what they are leaving? That’s a mystery to me.

Screen Shot 2015-06-12 at 1.41.57 PM

The “great room” in Huntsville.

Screen Shot 2015-06-12 at 1.44.36 PM

The study/bedroom in Belmont.

 

What needs to be done is convince developers to build mid-priced housing in the suburbs so inventory in this much needed sector can grow. But all the news in Boston and eastern Massachusetts is that luxury, high-end developments – such as the new multistory towers in downtown Boston and the Fenway and around the transportation hubs in nearby communities – are the only thing anyone wants to build, a segment of the market that has adequate supply.

And now you know why high tech jobs are migrating to North Carolina, the northwest coast of Florida and Alabama. 

Screen Shot 2015-06-12 at 1.43.04 PM

Outdoor living in Huntsville, (you can see the Olympic-sized pool and two parks from here.)

Screen Shot 2015-06-12 at 1.43.50 PM

And in Belmont.

 

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

By Leave a Comment

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

By Leave a Comment

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.