Just In Boston Properties will be closed Saturday Decemeber, 22nd through Wednesday December, 26th. We hope you have a great weekend and if you really need to get in touch with us, please leave a message on our voice mail. We will be checking it intermittently through out the weekend.
Happy Holidays!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Happy Holidays
Happy holidays from Just In Boston Properties! We have had a blast the past week both personally and professionally. Our mini ski-trip was blessed with 2 feet of powder and plenty of wood for the fire. Sorry, we were too busy having fun, we forgot to take plenty of pictures.
But Tuesday was back to reality as we returned from Vermont and had to pull our office together for our first annual holiday party. It was so much fun and I hope we can make it even better next year. Thanks to everyone who came and we hope to see you again soon!
We were able to snap two pics in the middle of hosting....
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Let it snow, let it snow....
It's that type of year in Real Estate where we can manage to take a day off, or two, or three. Quite frankly, there is not much going on between now and New Year's with everyone more focused on the holidays. We sold a big chunk of inventory over the past few weeks and as a result we are going to take a hard-earned mini vacation. (I can't remember the last day I took off, I think it might have been in October.) Plus we heard that Jay Peak is going to get dumped on with the storm coming on Sunday. So Justin, Dennis and I are heading up north to go skiing/boarding. We hope everyone has a safe weekend and has fun in the snow! We'll see you on Tuesday.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Ronan Park Dog Run
As some of you may know, I live on top of Meetinghouse Hill in Dorchester and I enjoy our lovely Ronan Park like many of area residents. The improvements to the park have been wonderful and we hope to continue the improvement of the park. Below is an open letter to members of the community to review the proposed dog park to be situated on an unused corner of the park. Many of the residents are in favor of the dog park and I think it will be a great addition to the area. Please see below....
Hello Dorchester Dog Owners and Friends-
Our dog park designer will be presenting plans for the proposed Ronan ParkDog Recreation Space at the next Meetinghouse Hill Civic Associationmeeting. The meeting starts at 7pm on Wednesday, December 19 and is held in the First Parish Church (the steeple-less church at the intersection of Church and Adams). The entrance is on the right side of the building. This is the annual holiday potluck meeting, so feel free to bring some tastytreats to share! Some of us have seen a sneak preview of the design plans, and they look fabulous! We hope that if you care about Ronan Park and the area you will be able to come and share your ideas. Apologies in advance if you receive duplicate copies of this email, I wanted to make sure I reachedeveryone. See you soon!
-Paige, RoDogRun
Hello Dorchester Dog Owners and Friends-
Our dog park designer will be presenting plans for the proposed Ronan ParkDog Recreation Space at the next Meetinghouse Hill Civic Associationmeeting. The meeting starts at 7pm on Wednesday, December 19 and is held in the First Parish Church (the steeple-less church at the intersection of Church and Adams). The entrance is on the right side of the building. This is the annual holiday potluck meeting, so feel free to bring some tastytreats to share! Some of us have seen a sneak preview of the design plans, and they look fabulous! We hope that if you care about Ronan Park and the area you will be able to come and share your ideas. Apologies in advance if you receive duplicate copies of this email, I wanted to make sure I reachedeveryone. See you soon!
-Paige, RoDogRun
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
It's cold outside
Well it looks like winter is upon us. I sold my old car last spring, and I just realized that I left my ice/snow brush in the trunk. Looks like I will be making a trip for a new one and let's add some ice-melt and a shovel to the list.
And to turn to less trivial topics, I would like to mention home heating. I just read that the cost of oil heat is expected to rise 39% this winter and natural gas about 10%. Ouch. One more reason to keep the thermostat down this winter. I like to focus on the fact that I am being 'green' by freezing my butt off, somehow it makes it more bearable.
What concerns me is renters and homeowners are going to face some tough choices this winter, add this to the mortgage mess and I think we are going to have a tough time this winter in the real estate market.
On the bright side, great information about heating assistance can be found on the Massachusetts DHCD website. There is good info there for renters and homeowners too. They have information about heating subsidies and low cost loans to help winterize your property and some general tips:
And to turn to less trivial topics, I would like to mention home heating. I just read that the cost of oil heat is expected to rise 39% this winter and natural gas about 10%. Ouch. One more reason to keep the thermostat down this winter. I like to focus on the fact that I am being 'green' by freezing my butt off, somehow it makes it more bearable.
What concerns me is renters and homeowners are going to face some tough choices this winter, add this to the mortgage mess and I think we are going to have a tough time this winter in the real estate market.
On the bright side, great information about heating assistance can be found on the Massachusetts DHCD website. There is good info there for renters and homeowners too. They have information about heating subsidies and low cost loans to help winterize your property and some general tips:
- Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air.
- When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed.
- Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable and consider an automatic setback thermostat to save additional money.
- Clean or replace filters on furnaces every other month.
- Make sure that warm air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators are not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
- Close your curtains and shades at night; open them during the day.
- Have your oil-fired heating system serviced annually and your gas-fired heating system serviced every three years.
Stay warm!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Some harmless self promotion
As we all have read, this real estate market is a tough one. But let's look at the bright side of things. Real Estate prices are coming down, interest rates are low, inflation seems to be in check and unemployment rates are at historic lows. It's a great time to be a buyer!!! We deal with buyers of all types. We have agents who specialize in foreclosure, development, condos, etc... If you are looking to purchase property, we would like to invite you to team up with Just In Boston for your real estate needs. And to help you enter the real estate market as a buyer we are running a promotion through the end of January, we would love to partner up with you and help you close on a great deal!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Neighborhood Focus - Savin Hill
This week I have been pouring over the new tool we installed on our website called Google Analytics. This nifty little program will tell us about our visitors such as where they are located, what browser they use, pages they viewed and many other interesting tidbits.
A big hello to our visitors from Boston, New York, Pennsylvania, California and even the UK and Canada!
We can also see what keywords on Google, Yahoo! and other search engines that folks are using. This week's phrase with the most hits is "Savin Hill." So in recognition of that, here are some examples of recent sales in Savin Hill.
Street | Unit | Rooms | Beds | Baths | 1/2 Baths | Sq Ft | List | Sale | $/sq. ft. | Closed | DOM | Unit Level | Type |
39 Sagamore St* | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1132 | $ 299,000 | $ 285,000 | $ 252 | 10/16/2007 | 61 | 1 | CC |
60 Sagamore St | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 874 | $ 229,900 | $ 222,950 | $ 255 | 11/9/2007 | 84 | 3 | CC |
72 Sagamore St* | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1100 | $ 319,000 | $ 308,000 | $ 280 | 9/5/2007 | 79 | 1 | CC |
72 Sagamore St* | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1100 | $ 319,000 | $ 315,000 | $ 286 | 9/5/2007 | 46 | 1 | CC |
141 Savin Hill Ave | C #12 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 820 | $ 239,000 | $ 225,000 | $ 274 | 9/28/2007 | 170 | 0 | CC |
320 Savin Hill Ave | 1L | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 900 | $ 213,000 | $ 240,000 | $ 267 | 11/16/2007 | 22 | 1 | CC |
400 Savin Hill Ave | 15 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 817 | $ 209,900 | $ 209,000 | $ 256 | 10/31/2007 | 77 | 2 | CC |
135-137 Sydney Street | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1000 | $ 219,900 | $ 217,000 | $ 217 | 9/4/2007 | 89 | 1 | CC |
91 Savin Hill Ave | 18 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 3972 | $ 524,900 | $ 486,000 | $ 122 | 10/31/2007 | 139 | MF | ||
175 Savin Hill Ave | 15 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3438 | $ 599,000 | $ 590,000 | $ 172 | 11/19/2007 | 67 | MF | ||
243-A Savin Hill Ave | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1440 | $ 269,900 | $ 260,000 | $ 181 | 11/16/2007 | 65 | SF | ||
71 Sydney Street | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1635 | $ 449,000 | $ 420,000 | $ 257 | 9/7/2007 | 109 | SF |
*Just In Boston Properties represented one or both of the parties in this transaction.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
Just In Boston Properties would like to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! We will be in and out of the office this weekend and we will be accessible via email.
Some fun Thanksgiving facts courtesy of Wikipedia.
· The city of El Paso, Texas claims the first thanksgiving was held in what is now known as the United States, but it was not a harvest celebration. Spaniard Don Juan de Oñate ordered his expedition party to rest and conducted a mass celebration of thanksgiving on April 30, 1598.
· Another article states that the earliest Thanksgiving events were held in the British Colonies, at present day Berkeley Plantation in Virginia in 1619 and at Plymouth in present day Massachusetts in 1621.
· Many workers (78% in 2007) are given both Thanksgiving and the day after as paid holidays.
· Next year Thanksgiving will take place on November 27.
· President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a Federal holiday as a "prayerful day of Thanksgiving" on the last Thursday in November. Since then every U.S. President has always made an official Thanksgiving Proclamation on behalf of the nation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the date for Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941).
Enjoy!
Some fun Thanksgiving facts courtesy of Wikipedia.
· The city of El Paso, Texas claims the first thanksgiving was held in what is now known as the United States, but it was not a harvest celebration. Spaniard Don Juan de Oñate ordered his expedition party to rest and conducted a mass celebration of thanksgiving on April 30, 1598.
· Another article states that the earliest Thanksgiving events were held in the British Colonies, at present day Berkeley Plantation in Virginia in 1619 and at Plymouth in present day Massachusetts in 1621.
· Many workers (78% in 2007) are given both Thanksgiving and the day after as paid holidays.
· Next year Thanksgiving will take place on November 27.
· President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a Federal holiday as a "prayerful day of Thanksgiving" on the last Thursday in November. Since then every U.S. President has always made an official Thanksgiving Proclamation on behalf of the nation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the date for Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941).
Enjoy!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
American Diabetes Month
A day late, but I'll talk about it anyway. Yesterday was National Diabetes Day and November is American Diabetes Month. Diabetes is a term that represents two different diseases that afflict millions. This issue is near to my heart, my mother and my sister were diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, commonly referred to as Juvenile Diabetes. My mom was diagnosed when she was in her thirties (it is rare to be diagnosed so late) and my sister when she was just four years old. Because my mom had first been diagnosed, she immediately recognized the symptoms in my sister. Fortunately, we lived in the Boston area and she received excellent treatment from the folks at Children's Hospital, The Joslin Clinic and most recently Milton Hospital.
Please take a moment to visit the American Diabetes Association website to learn more about Diabetes and how you can help.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
Looking for something to do this Sunday? You know Stop & Shop is going to be a mess and the big sales aren't until next weekend. So, why not check out some open houses?!
Dorchester:
15 Trescott Street 12-1:30
72 Sagamore Street #3 12-1:45
7 King Street (only 1 unit left!) 2:15-4
21 Cawfield Street #2 12-1:45
We hope to see you on Sunday!
Going once, going twice
This weekend the Hynes Convention Center hosted a mega auction for foreclosed properties. Many of these had already been on the market through conventional brokerages and failed to sell. We talked about attending the auction, but in the end we had some clients to show around and couldn't make the time for it.
Reports from friends and associates that attended included that it was a very emotional auction. Bidders were upping the prices without temper and some properties actually sold for more than they were listed at previously, simply because they fell for the pitch and drama of the event.
Everyone knows someone who got a good deal at foreclosure and auction, either recently or the last time the market was down. What many fail to realize is the keys to getting a good deal at auction is knowledge and discipline.
Knowing what the property condition is, if there are and zoning or municipal issues etc… is critical. You would be remiss to pay too much for a property that is for example undevelopable, in a FEMA flood plain or so shabby that a lender won't finance it. The other key is discipline. Set a price that you are willing to pay, and do not budge. Let someone else overpay. In this market there are more foreclosures and auctions to come.
See the Boston.com article .
Friday, November 9, 2007
Wow! Roslindale, $1, Pigs might be flying....
Check this out....
From an MLS Listing
"Unprecedented opportunity! Seller will entertain all offers over $1! Roslindale single family with remarkable potential. Quiet location. Great for entertaining friends and family. Bonus three season guest house and a well cared for in-ground pool with a huge deck. New systems! Showings at Open House ONLY! Sat 12-1 & Sun 12-1"
From an MLS Listing
"Unprecedented opportunity! Seller will entertain all offers over $1! Roslindale single family with remarkable potential. Quiet location. Great for entertaining friends and family. Bonus three season guest house and a well cared for in-ground pool with a huge deck. New systems! Showings at Open House ONLY! Sat 12-1 & Sun 12-1"
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Neighborhood Focus – Jones Hill
We receive tons of inquiries about how the market is doing and for recent sales data. As we all know, Dorchester is huge! Being the largest part of Boston, there are many distinct neighborhoods, each with their own real estate market conditions. Some areas fair better than others, and having sales data street by street can be invaluable in pricing your property or figuring out how much to offer. As a member of MLS, we are able to produce all kinds of data.
This week I decided to focus on Jones Hill in Dorchester. It is one of the most requested areas by renters and buyers.
Jones Hill is bounded by Hancock Street, Pleasant Street, Columbia Road and Stoughton Street. It features many stately victorians and triple-deckers, with many of them being recently refurbished. Depending on where you are on the hill, you may have views of the city, Dorchester bay or the southern part of Dorchester and the Blue Hills.
Below is the sales data for the past 6 months. If you have any questions or want more specific information, give us a call or email us.
Property Type | Address | Unit # | SQ FT | List | Sale | $/Sq Ft | Rooms | Bedrooms | Full Baths | Half Baths | DOM |
Condo | 12 Upham Ave | 1 | 1442 | $ 299,000 | $ 299,000 | $ 207 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 249 |
Condo | 51 Sawyer Ave | 3 | 1800 | $ 449,000 | $ 440,000 | $ 244 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 138 |
Condo | 48 Sawyer Ave | 1 | 1700 | $ 518,995 | $ 511,000 | $ 301 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 128 |
Condo | 12 Upham Avenue | 3 | 1392 | $ 219,000 | $ 219,000 | $ 157 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 69 |
Condo | 95 Sawyer Ave | A | 1050 | $ 339,000 | $ 321,000 | $ 306 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 87 |
Condo | 95 Sawyer Ave | B | 1050 | $ 355,000 | $ 333,000 | $ 317 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 87 |
Condo | 95 Sawyer Ave | PH | 1000 | $ 289,000 | $ 275,000 | $ 275 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 146 |
Condo | 43 Downer | 1 | 1280 | $ 309,000 | $ 305,000 | $ 238 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 63 |
Condo | 12 Upham Avenue | 2 | 1382 | $ 299,000 | $ 299,000 | $ 216 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 46 |
Multi | 108 Cushing Ave | 4111 | $ 619,000 | $ 585,000 | $ 142 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 226 | |
Multi | 22 Downer Ave | 2850 | $ 389,900 | $ 370,500 | $ 130 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 178 | |
Single | 131 Cushing Ave. | 3177 | $ 769,000 | $ 729,000 | $ 229 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 86 | |
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
It's a good sign...
An exciting day here at Just In Boston Properties! Justin's dad, John along with Albert and Norena, installed our brand new sign on top of the roof of our office. What we thought would be a simple quick job turned into an all-day affair with wonderful results. John did a great job and took more care and concern for the installation than anyone could've. He made custom brackets that he color matched to the sign and spent the evening attaching it. See the results...
There's something else to do besides watching football on Sundays!
Every week, I have to pin down our agents to schedule the open houses for the upcoming Sunday. It's usually an easy task, as we are eager to show our properties off to new buyers. So far, I've learned how to create and place our ads in the Boston Homes weekly newspaper, put them on our website, get them onto Boston.com, realtor.com, and yahoo.com, advertise them on Craigslist, and now announce them on our new blog. (Did I mention we have a new blog?)
So here they are...
15 Trescott Street Sunday 12-2 hosted by our fearless leader, Justin!
60R Gibson Street #B5 Sunday 12-1:45 hosted by the dashing Dennis Poulos!
7 King Street #1&2 Sunday 12-1:45 hosted by the adventurous Tom Shea again!
72 Sagamore Street #3 Sunday 2:15-4 hosted by me!
95 Dix Street #3 Sunday 2:15-4 hosted by Tom Shea!
21 Cawfield Street #2 Sunday 2:15-4 hosted by Dennis again!
Well, I hope that is enough to get you out and about with plenty of time before the Pats clobber the Colts at 4:15...
I know after my last open house at Sagamore Street I'll be heading straight to the nearest sports bar.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
-Nadine
So here they are...
15 Trescott Street Sunday 12-2 hosted by our fearless leader, Justin!
60R Gibson Street #B5 Sunday 12-1:45 hosted by the dashing Dennis Poulos!
7 King Street #1&2 Sunday 12-1:45 hosted by the adventurous Tom Shea again!
72 Sagamore Street #3 Sunday 2:15-4 hosted by me!
95 Dix Street #3 Sunday 2:15-4 hosted by Tom Shea!
21 Cawfield Street #2 Sunday 2:15-4 hosted by Dennis again!
Well, I hope that is enough to get you out and about with plenty of time before the Pats clobber the Colts at 4:15...
I know after my last open house at Sagamore Street I'll be heading straight to the nearest sports bar.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
-Nadine
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Going Crazy!
We are working like mad here at Just In Boston Properties. Lately, we have added new agents, new blogs, new computers, a new phone system and tons of new rental listings. Phew! Check out the hard work Justin has put into our website and there will be more changes to the site coming soon. Including exciting profiles about our new agents and info about our favorite Dorchester neighborhoods. Keep an eye on our blog and website to keep abreast of the latest and greatest here at Just In Boston.
Cheers!
-Nadine
Cheers!
-Nadine
Monday, October 29, 2007
Go Sox!!!
Congratulations to the Red Sox!!!!! You're part of what makes living in Boston so great!
Cheers!
-Just In Boston
Cheers!
-Just In Boston
Friday, October 26, 2007
Welcome to our new blog!!!!
Hi all,
Welcome to our blog and feel free to check us out periodically. We will be posting info about the real estate market, our business and thoughts, dreams and desires. There will be postings by all of us and maybe even a guest poster on occasion. If you see something you like, don't like or want to comment on, feel free to drop us a line. We will do our best to correspond. The first few postings will be general info about Just-In-Boston Properties and it's agents.
So, nice to meet you all, and we are looking forward to our adventures in the blogosphere!
-Just-In-Boston Team
Welcome to our blog and feel free to check us out periodically. We will be posting info about the real estate market, our business and thoughts, dreams and desires. There will be postings by all of us and maybe even a guest poster on occasion. If you see something you like, don't like or want to comment on, feel free to drop us a line. We will do our best to correspond. The first few postings will be general info about Just-In-Boston Properties and it's agents.
So, nice to meet you all, and we are looking forward to our adventures in the blogosphere!
-Just-In-Boston Team
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