Spring is in the air. It’s the season for properties to begin hitting the market in earnest. I think we’ve seen the last of the snow, so by the time little green plants start peeking out of the ground you should be prepared to hit the open house trail if you’re in the market for a new home. 143 new properties have hit the market since January 1, but 96 of those came on this month. It’s clearly getting ripe around here. I’m pleased to say I have a number of new homes hitting the market as well. Four this week, a couple next week and hopefully several more over the next month or so. I’m pretty excited about this newest batch of homes – they’re all exceptional values and beautiful. I have open houses all weekend and even a Commuter Open House on Monday for those of you with a little time when you get off the train on Monday. In no particular order, I’ll give you a brief run down on each of them and some of my favorite photos from the shoots. By the way, if you’re in the market, or even just considering it, you might want to sign up on my website as I have some super cool tools that the average home buyer will find quite useful. Ever been scrambling around on a Sunday (lacking the appropriate caffeination) trying to pull open house info from the Boston Globe, Boston.com, some random real estate website, etc? 45 minutes later your hunched over your computer furiously loading all the properties into Google maps and cross-referencing the open house times? No more! Check out my open house search tool. Just plug in your parameters and viola! you’re in business. all the available open houses are magically delivered to your screen, mapped and chronologically ordered. Pretty cool, eh? Sign up for an account for lots of other goodies. Anyway, the task at hand. The smallest of my three new homes is a loft-like condo in The Brewery District adjacent to Stony Brook station between Boylston and Porter. As described in MLS:

 

 

Perfection. Design, efficiency and location. Brewery District loft steps from Stony Brook Station. Total renovation from basement to roof. High-efficiency heating and point of use, on-demand hot water for kitchen and bath. Amazing insulation in walls and roof. Incredibly well thought out design including cabinetry, and built-in oak/aluminum wardrobe. Roof rights and nice rear deck. This is a great space to just sit and enjoy the light and quiet – it has a certain Zen quality about it.

These descriptions aren’t as easy to write as you think so keep that in mind. Criticism welcome as long as it’s accompanied by a suggestion. This unit is seriously wonderful. It’s going to make some one very happy. I sold it several years ago at Arthouse and they had to pry it from my kicking and screaming then too.

 

 

This is the perfect starter pad – not just because of the price point, but it’s been renovated really well. Way better than what is typical for a unit like this. Over insulated, thermal panes and steel doors make it efficient, but also really quiet. The look of the ceiling is obviously cool but check out the Miele washing machine/dryer. Under sink you’ll find a point-of-use, on demand hot water system. It runs the kitchen and the bath. Sweet! Open house Sunday April 2, 1:30p-2:30p. I’ll be having a commuter Open House on Monday April 4th, 5:50p-7p.

Next on the list is a single family home on 30 Neillian Crescent, on Moss Hill in Jamaica Plain. This home is one of the best values on the Hill in a long time. It may not be the cheapest ever, but it’s definitely priced right – especially considering the condition:

Beautiful open-plan home in highly desirable neighborhood. New kitchen w/SS apps and large prep space. Guests can sit in dining rm and chat w/the host or lounge in living rm in front of fireplace. Picture window looks out over quiet street of well-maintained homes and enormous corner lot. Each bedrm is bigger than the next with a large master facing the rear of the home. Huge, open family room with direct-entry garage and 3/4 bath. Short walk to Larz Anderson Park. Short commute to Med area.

 

30 Neillian Crescent Open Houses Sat April 2, 12-1p & Sun April 3, 1:30-2:30p

 

 

Finally, last but not least is 41 Bournedale Rd, Jamaica Plain. This is the Woodbourne Neighborhood. There are a handful of duplexes just like this one in the “Bourne” neighborhood and I’m a big fan of the layout. They have kitchen, dining and laundry all in the back with a door to the back porch and yard. There’s a tiny hallway separating the dining area from the living room. On one side of it the designer snuck in a built-in hutch. It’s a nice little surprise when you come around the corner. The living room has a wood burning fireplace and a set of stairs that gently curve upstairs out of site. Very cute. My favorite thing upstairs is a cozy reading room just off the master bedroom. I’d spend a lot of time there if it was my place. Here’s what I wrote on the MLS:

Charming 2 story home w/perfect plan. Property has feel of a house rather than a condo. Open kit/dining room opens to covered porch. Enjoy your morning coffee listening to the birds chirp in the wooded yard. Granite counters and stainless steel appliances. Breakfast bar separates kitchen from dining room with built-in hutch.Walk to T, conservation land, shops and restaurants. Ask about Forest Hills Initiative for exciting information about area future development.

Somewhere Hipsters are gathered around expensive beer, reading these out loud and making fun of me. So be it. Come by this Sunday 3rd and we can have coffee together on the back deck from 12-1p.

 

 

[caption id="attachment_1071" align="aligncenter" width="567" caption="Sunroom/reading room off the master bedroom"][/caption]

 

I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me – and I’m sure that brings a tear to your eye, but I have a fabulous “Home of The Week” for you. There are a lot of cute homes in “JP” no doubt. Every once in a while you come across an owner who has that special talent for design. That’s Anna. She’s sharp as a whip and a bit of a Super Mom.

I’m not really sure how she managed a career, pregnancy and this stint as General Contractor, but she did – and it’s smashing.

From the street, this fashionable home on Plainfield St. is an unassuming Colonial, not unlike other single families in Jamaica Plain. Although it has a large yard and beautiful landscaping (you wouldn’t know it right now as it’s hidden under a layer of snow) you might not give it a lot of thought if you were walking by. However, behind the front door is an attention to detail and design seldom seen.

Anna had some help from her hubby Edward, but I think even he would give her the lion share of credit for this enormous undertaking. I sat with them recently at the robust dining table and talked about the work they had done. I got woozy. Much of the work that Anna did took place behind the walls. This isn’t just a little icing on a cake. She engineered this home top to bottom. Feel free to grab us at the open house Dec 13th (11:30a-1:30p) and we’ll tell  you all about that, but for now I’ll show you the fun stuff.

You enter a pretty common foyer with a set of stairs up and a doorway to the kitchen – which is uncommon. It’s kind of hard to describe Anna’s style but I guess you could call it Danish Modern.

There’s just the right mix of mod light fixtures and Italian tile with warm wooden furniture and European decor. The powder blue cabinets are the first thing you notice. They look sturdy and significant – not the normal stock. It turns out that Anna had them custom finished because she couldn’t find something she liked that was mass produced. This is the kind of kitchen where you can make a serious meal and entertain a large group of people. The massive center island houses a Dacor range and a stainless steel vent hood hangs down from the ceiling. The honed granite counters contrast perfectly with the modern cabinets and the sleek tile backsplash. The wall oven and microwave are also Dacor and there’s a ginormous Amana fridge that could hold provisions for an army. It’s all well lit with recessed lighting and plenty of great natural light.

One of my favorite features of this home is the half flight up, half flight down design of the living and family rooms. It gives you easy and immediate access to both but provides enough separation that guests wont hear pots and pans banging while they’re conversing or watching the game, but getting food and drinks back and forth is a snap. Also, as those with kids would appreciate, mom or dad can easily keep an eye on the kids without having them underfoot during food prep or adult convos.  In the photo above, the door on the left goes up to the more formal living room, while the door on the right goes down a half flight to a family room.

This was originally designed as a master suite. It is expansive and has french doors out to a very private patio on one side and sleek, narrow windows on the other that afford a little more privacy while allowing natural light to flood the room. The bathroom that ajoins this space is rich. Upon opening the door you are enveloped in cool green mosaic-like tiles and and a timeless marble floor. It’s not that thin, slippery, cheap stuff. It has a real permanence to it. The bathrooms in this home, in general, are amazing and will all look great in 20 years. The design is classic and solid. It’s the kind of materials you might see in a Gropius house or the like.

This space also has good storage and a laundry closet. It’s currently used as a family room where little Archie and Harrison can play without being out of earshot and mommy’s watchful eye. It’s even big enough to make into an au pair suite or an in-law when you need help with the kids. (That’s one lucky nanny.)

A half flight up from the kitchen is the formal living room. It has a cavernous volume to it. Cathedral ceilings slope down to a modern fireplace surrounded by a sophisticated, neutral tile.

The combined open kitchen/dining, living room and family room are enough space to have a very large group of people without anyone feeling like they’re bumping into each other.

Off the foyer and the kitchen you’ll find another stunning full bathroom, mud room, closet (formerly used as a study!) and a door leading out to the deck and another large patio.

Anna put more work and money into her bathrooms than most people put into their whole house. Both of the lower level baths have showers with a simple glass panel and a tile ridge to keep the water in. The faucetry throughout the home is all the very best money can buy – each fixture, each faucet making a subtle, sophisticated statement.

The upstairs bath is a Zen paradise. The focal point of the room is a beautiful soaking tub with sleek, modern lines that contrasts remarkably with the slate floor. All the baths have undergone a full transition with recessed lights and touches that indicate this was no “once over” renovation.

There is a landing at the top of the stairs with three bedrooms off of it and the bath I just described.  The largest of the upstairs rooms is currently used as the master. Anna & Edward outfitted this room with a fantastic closet, of course. The second bedroom is quite large as well and the third upstairs room is a perfect room for a child or a nursery.

There is multi-zoned heating and air conditioning throughout the home and all sorts of electrical and plumbing upgrades.

If you’re not familiar with the Parkside Neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, the name kind of says it all. To the North is a beautiful park bordering Williams Street and Dungarven Road. There are vegetable plots there and the neighborhood folks sometimes use it for pot lucks and such. Just a block away at the corner of Rossmore Road and Stedman Street you’ll find a brand new tot lot completely outfitted with state-of-the-art play structures and a bouncy soft ground material. Two blocks to the east is Franklin Park which is home to America’s oldest zoo and golf course and some fantastic trails. I often ride my bike there. Recently a friend showed my some great foraging opportunities just minutes from the entrance and my daughter loves to go geocaching and letterboxing there as well. I hope you can make it by our open house on Sunday. Of course call if you have any questions. 617-828-7956 or www.TheBostonHomeTeam.com for a virtual tour.

$8,000 homebuyers tax credit extended

President Obama reups popular tax credit through June 2010 and expands it to include people with higher incomes and some who want to trade up into new homes.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — President Obama signed an extension and expansion of the first-time homebuyers tax credit on Friday.

The $8,000 credit was scheduled to lapse on Dec. 1 but will now be in effect through the end of June. Homebuyers must sign a contract before April 30 and close by June 30. The income limits were also raised: Single buyers can now earn up to $125,000 and still get the full credit while a married couple can earn $225,000.

The bill also made more homeowners eligible to claim the credit on their taxes. First-time buyers — those who have not owned a home in the past three years — still qualify for an $8,000 rebate. But now people who want to trade up can also qualify. Those who have owned and occupied a residence for at least five years out of the past eight can claim a $6,500 tax credit if they close on a purchase by the end of June.

“The new version of the tax credit has the potential to stimulate the housing market even more than the old version due to the fact that more people will qualify under the new rules,” said Gibran Nicholas, chairman of the CMPS Institute, an organization that certifies mortgage bankers and brokers.

Nicholas provided four scenarios illustrating how the tax credit rules for existing homebuyers will apply:

• Harry owned a home in 2001 and 2002 but sold it to relocate for a job. He would qualify for the $8,000 first-time-buyer credit because he has not owned a home in the past three years.

• Sue purchased a home in 2004 and has lived there since. If she decides to buy a new home, she would qualify for the $6,500 tax credit because she has lived in the same residence for five consecutive years in the past eight.

• Jane purchased her home in 2002, lived there for five consecutive years before she rented it out in 2007. She would qualify because she was an owner/occupier for at least five consecutive years in the past eight.

• Mark purchased a home in 2006 and lived there for the past three years. He would not qualify because he is neither a first-time homebuyer nor someone who lived in the same primary residence for five consecutive years out of the past eight.

Legislators and industry experts expect that the credit will encourage buyers such as Jane and Sue to move up their purchase plans.

“This bill will shift demand from the second half of 2010 into the first half,” said Pat Newport, a real estate analyst with IHS Global Research. “As a result, home sales and prices will get a boost in the first half of 2010, with payback in the second.”

That’s not a bad thing, according to Bill Kilmer, vice president of advocacy for the National Association of Home Builders. It’s important to stabilize real estate markets quickly to help bring the economy out of its tailspin.

The original $8,000 tax credit appears to have helped accomplish that goal: Home prices have inched up the past few months, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index.

But critics still see the program as being ineffectual because it rewards buyers who would have purchased a home anyway. Newport estimates that fewer than 400,000 of the 2 million who have claimed the original credit made their purchases solely because of the tax advantages.

Furthermore, buyers do not, in reality, receive the entire benefit. “The credit helped prices stabilize,” said Newport. “So the credit has been split between seller and buyer. The sellers are getting higher prices and buyers paying more than they would have without it.”

The housing industry, however, is pleased with the extension, although the credit has not been quite as effective as they hoped.

The industry thought the credit would provide a ripple effect, with sales to first timers triggering as many three additional “move-up” sales.

That did not happen, according to Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.

“It did not have the chain reaction impact it was supposed to,” he said. “Instead, many first-timers turned to vacant, foreclosed or other distressed properties the sellers of which were unlikely to be move-up buyers.”

So, the tax credit helped prop up the low end of the market without having much impact on the rest of the spectrum. Expanding the benefit to existing homeowners should boost those segments. That should produce additional benefits, according to Yun.

“Preventing further price decline or even nudging prices up a bit stabilizes housing wealth, which makes homeowners more comfortable in their spending,” said Yun. “They’re more likely to go out to the stores or buy a new car. That provides a boost to the overall economy.” 

More details at www.TheBostonHomeTeam.com

Open House Sunday 23rd, 12p-2p

A perfect mélange of Modernist sensibility and New England Colonial. From the outside this home is an unassuming Colonial set well back from the street. This home has an incredibly flexible plan. Good design allows for a three bedrooms and three full baths with kitchen and dining rooms, living room and family room. However, some may trade the family room for an opulent master suite with direct access to a private brick patio.

Just off the entry foyer you are greeted by an inviting and highly functional kitchen and dining area. No expense has been spared. Recessed lights run the length of the room all set on dimmers for mood. Beautiful glass mosaic tiles accentuate the honed granite counter. The entire kitchen was designed and installed in 2004 including Dacor range, oven and microwave, Amana Fridge, Bosch dishwasher and Kohler sink and professional grade faucetry. The custom finished cabinets are one of a kind and add a friendly playfulness to the room.

A short flight of stairs up from the kitchen lead to a loft-like living area where your family can gather around the gorgeous fireplace with glass tiled surround. A short flight downstairs from the kitchen leads to a modern family room with bamboo flooring and sunshine pouring in from the glass doors leading out to the private brick patio. There is a full bath with exquisite marble and glass tiling, heated towel rack and an enormous glass enclosed shower. There is also a small laundry room with Bosch washer and dryer.

The upstairs bedrooms look out over the landscaped grounds and patio areas. There are three bedrooms upstairs and two more full baths in the original part of the home. Both bold, sophisticated baths are finished in stunning slate, marble and glass tile, Samuel Heath, Villeroy & Boch, Duravit and Hoesch.

There is 2 car parking off street, a new garden shed and a full basement for all storage needs. Located advantageously steps from two different T stations, Doyles & The Midway Café, The Emerald Necklace Park System and one of JP’s newest tot lots.

Okay, I know, it’s kind of cheating to make the “Home Of The Week” a property that I, in fact, am representing. Seriously look at this property and tell me I’m wrong! This home is perfect. The owners, Alison and Andy (isn’t that cute) are two Brits with great taste. They bought this home as a fairly standard Garrison Colonial and transformed it. Over a period of about 3-4 years they poured their hearts and souls into impeccable design and space planning. They added an 18′x19′ addition that spans three levels if you include the basement. They never have gotten around to finishing off the basement space yet, but it would make a wonderful media room or studio. All three levels keep their continuity via an attractive modern spiral staircase. They didn’t skimp either, normally this 230lb, 6’2″ Realtor isn’t fond of spirals, but this one gives me no trouble at all.

The original part of the house had a very good layout and would have been considered quite adequet by most. However, the new addition adds spacious flexibility, allowing for formal and casual areas of the home. (Or just lost of casual space.) The kitchen is the heart of this home, located dead-center on the 1st floor. All rooms radiate out from it making a great space for entertaining. By climbing the front stairs you access a spacious landing, a full bath and all the bedrooms. One could use this home as a four bedroom, but greedy me – I’d make it a three bedroom with a monster master bedroom suite. Wait until you see the master bath! It has a double shower/steam room, air jetted tub, double sinks, skylights, exquisite tile, etc. I could go on and on. Incidentlely, this is probably a good time to mention that all of the light fixtures are from either Wolfers (my favorite!) or Restoration Hardware. Configured this way there’s a really nice sitting room between the master bed and bath. Personaly, I’d put a little flat screen in there, hide a mini-bar somewhere, and lock the doors. I’m not going to go on and on about this house. You can check out the virtual tour here or better yet, call or write me for an appointment. You will find a complete list of improvements dating back to 2005 in PDF format on my website.

Write in and guess the sale price! I’ll post it up when it closes.