Updating Newton Luxury Homes and Farlow Hill. There are 53 properties that are in the $2,100,000 and above range in Newton right now. That is a lot of inventory, but on closer inspection there are some real deals in here as well as some very overpriced properties.  All statistics come from the Greater Boston Area of Realtors, MLSPIN.Single Family Active Listings: 36    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 5,957.39     Avg. List$: $2,745,466    Avg. List$/SqFt: $470     Avg. DOM: 157.11Drilling down into all 36 of these listings you will find that there are some properties on the market for well below the Ave. List$/SqFt price.  114 Shornecliffe Road is arguably one of the nicest homes that are not new construction, but have all the amenities the new ones have and also include the old world craftmanship ... 04/13/2015

Newton Luxury Housing Market Report April 2015. Report statistics come from MLSPIN.  Luxury is defined as the top 10% of the MLS market.  Since MLSPIN includes towns like Brockton and other lower priced neighborhoods the Luxury market will begin around $880,000.  In Newton the top 10 percent of the market begins at $2,100,000. For this report we will only include properties of one million dollars or more.There are 142 total houses showing in the last 30 days in Newton. The Active, New, Back on Market, or Price Changed house number is 80 of these homes. There is precious little inventory on the market right now so each of these listings will be fully scrutinized.Single Family Active Listings: 80    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 4,851.53     Avg. List$: $2,061,922    Avg. List$/SqFt: $431     Avg. ... 04/08/2015

Newton MA Pride; Newton MA Real Estate is something to consider as you choose your new home and community.  Newton is a town made up of 13 distinct villages that each have their own center and sense of pride, but taken together Newton is a powerhouse of vitality, diversity, beauty and accessibility. Newton is often named as one of the top cities in the US, it is always named as one of the top school systems in Massachusetts.  In May for the entire month Newton Festival of the Arts will present 57 events over the 30 days.  Many of these events will provide funds to support various programs in Newton. Russian, Viennese Coffee House, Family DanceFEST, all manner of Children's events with dance, music and theatre.  Artists work and opportunities for those interested in pursuing their inner ... 04/07/2015

Heartbreak Hill, Newton MA Location, Location. Any runner knows this stretch of road through beautiful Newton on the way to the finish line of the famed Boston Marathon.  A turn East onto Beacon Street off Centre Street begins the trek up.  The homes that line Beacon Street are beautiful and stately. The hill is not really a true hill, but the heartbreak is that it goes on for many, many, many blocks until you pass Boston College and head into Boston itself near Cleveland Circle.  At this point twenty plus miles into this world class marathon you may be running on fumes unless you are one of the many elite runners of this race each year. Photo Right: Heartbreak Hill, Newton MA Boston Marathon 114 Shornecliffe Road, Newton MA 02458 The slower runners, the runners who are completing their... 04/01/2015

Newton Luxury Market today, March 30 2015. There are 33 listings in the MLSPIN system here in the Boston area with values above $2,100,000.  Newton is a town comprised of 13 villages each with their own distinct flavor, town centers and stores.  The cohesive effect of these differences is that the town of Newton is filled with diversity and choice.  Because of it's proximity to Boston with it's suburban feel it is a big draw for the successful business and professional people throughout the Boston area.  Each May there is a celebration of such diversity with a month long series of events Newton Festival of the Arts.  There will be 58 events over the 30 days. All types of events will support this ongoing diversity.  Starting off with Moliere's Imaginary Invalid on May 2, Spring Into Song... 03/30/2015

Newton MA Luxury Housing Report March 30 2015  Luxury is defined as the top ten percent of the local market.  In Newton that is usally starting at around $2,100,000 which is where this report starts.  With 176 houses on the market and 52 listings in this report the number would have to be higher to only include the top ten percent.  The market does not suffer from lack of inventory as many other categories in the Boston area do. There are plenty of choices.  Farlow Hill, West Newton Hill and Chestnut Hill in Newton are the three areas most desired in this amazing town. Single Family Active Listings: 35    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 6,137.20     Avg. List$: $2,796,565    Avg. List$/SqFt: $462     Avg. DOM: 164.03     Avg. DTO: 2.50 Single Family Under Agreement Listings: 11    Avg. Liv.Area SqF... 03/29/2015

Newton Festival of the Arts May 2015 will be another celebration of the vast diversity of interests and arts.  May 2015 was declared as "Festival of the Arts" month by Mayor Setti Warren.  Art, music and cultural events are very important to any community and they are especially rich and diverse in Newton, MA.  There is an abundance of talented residents and organizations that contribute to the local and national art, music and culture scene. There will be 60 events that will span every art form during the month. Proceeds from the Festival of Arts will help support the Newton food pantries and will also go to Newton's nonprofit arts and cultural scene.  It is exciting to volunteer to be part of this group and lend my time and talents to help communicate these events.  Sharing the vast c... 03/26/2015

Newton Luxury Real Estate Today.  The spring market is upon us right now. Here is an MLSPIN update for the Greater Boston Area.  It covers today and the last 30 days. These first numbers are for all Luxury Properties above the MLS minimum of $880,000.  We also know that Newton Luxury listing price begins at 2,100,000. 114 Shornecliffe Rd MLS #71746470 has an open House Sunday March 8th from 1-3PM. 14 Rooms, 5 Bedrooms, 4.5 Bath, 3 car garage, Classical Revival Architecture for an incredible $379 per Sq FT.  What is most incredible about this is that it is one of the few properties in it's competitive price range that is on the market below it's assessed value.  These two economic factors coupled with the renovation and upgrades and amenities of the house the Buyer of this gracious and e... 03/09/2015

Newton Luxury Home 1, Ice Dams 0  Say what you want about new construction, but give me a building that has stood the test of time and time again.  114 Shornecliffe was a luxury home when it was built on, then Nonantum Hill, now Farlow Hill in 1911.  This house has graciously endured countless storms of horrific nature.  Now, today we have passed the all time record for snow in MA.  Many, many homes are suffering huge ice dams that are damaging the exterior of the house and forcing water down and inside the home.  This is not the case with a house built like this Classical Revival home.  This house proudly controls it's destiny due to the loving upgrades.  This house has been fully re-insulated with the best products available in today's market.  Unlike new construction, this house is s... 03/03/2015

Boston Area Move In Homes Luxury Housing Report Feb 27-15  As a Million Dollar Guild member of the Institute for International Luxury Home Marketing (ILHM) I have access to deep insight into the analytics of the Luxury Housing Reports internationally and in our Boston area.  Newton will be different than Dedam will be different than Marblehead, but with any housing report we are looking at the trends and not the specifics. Spring is upon us, the smart buyers are out right now to capture the best deals.  What the risk here is that more houses will come on the market which it true and possible, but with more properties comes more buyers and right now in the luxury market in several price ranges activity through Jan and February of 2015 has been slow.  The time to strike a deal is now. ILH... 03/01/2015

Newton Luxury Housing Report Feb 13 2015. These statistics are gathered from the Greater Boston Association of Realtors® ,GBAR for it's MLS, multiple listing service.  MLSPIN.  Luxury is defined by the top ten percent of the Sold prices in a town.  The Luxury number begins at $2,100,000 in Newton Single Family Under Agreement Listings: 3    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 5,561.00     Avg. List$: $2,998,000    Avg. List$/SqFt: $550     Avg. DOM: 200.67     Avg. DTO: 78.67 Single Family Sold Listings: 7    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 6,629.29     Avg. List$: $3,169,414    Avg. List$/SqFt: $475     Avg. DOM: 101.29     Avg. DTO: 86.43    Avg. Sale$: $3,023,646   Avg. Sale$/SqFt: $452 114 Shornecliffe Road, Newton MA 02458 3 went UAG in the last 30 days.  The DOM is 200.67. This follows what the ILMS is showi... 02/23/2015

Best of Newton Luxury 114 Shornecliffe Road, 2014. Over the last couple of weeks we have shared a number of new stories and more details on ongoing stories. A 2 minute video tour of the property is one of our recent favorites.  It is a way to walk through, around and from above this property and house. Luxury in Newton MA begins at a price point of $2,100,000.  MLSPIN the local MLS for Newton shows, Single Family Sold Listings: 38    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 5,928.05     Avg. List$: $2,862,026    Avg. List$/SqFt: $536     Avg. DOM: 121.03     Avg. DTO: 84.16    Avg. Sale$: $2,775,370   Avg. Sale$/SqFt: $520 for 2014. Single Family Under Agreement Listings: 7    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 6,810.57     Avg. List$: $3,551,143    Avg. List$/SqFt: $534     Avg. DOM: 96.57     Avg. DTO: 91.43 What this i... 02/10/2015

You won't know what your lost until it's gone. Isn't this true so often in our lives.  It is easier to do nothing than to take action.  I see this all the time with Buyers in real estate.  They go out looking for something just right. They have a list of the needs and wants.  They know their price range, the communities and neighborhoods they will search.  They find some things and then the dance begins.  They begin looking for a reason to not buy.  They think that the things that they will do the house to make it theirs (read better) should be deducted from the listing price.  Hold on there partner.  Because you will swap out the kitchen and make a new bathroom you want to deduct those costs from the listing price?  I think not You will live with this house when you buy it. You can mak... 02/08/2015

Newton MA Luxury Housing Market Report Jan 2015. Over the last 30 days there are 46 properties that have been on the MLS here in Newton that were Active, Under Agreement, Sold, Expired or Canceled. This report gives you a snapshot of what is going on in this market right now.  If you have a property on the market it is instructive to watch what is being sold, expired and under agreement.  You can also search which properties have had a price change in the last 30 days.  In the luxury market, which begins at homes priced $2,100,000 and above in Newton which constitutes the top 10% of the market, you don't follow the same rules that you do with a non luxury property.  Since there is a smaller pool of buyers in this market, your price changes come slower and are far more deliberate.Single ... 01/20/2015

Prospecting is the real business even though we are in the real estate business.  In most states it is not too difficult to get your license to sell real estate. It is always less time and less money than any college degree. Lots of people have their license.  The low income averages of real estate agents across the country I am sure have lots to do with people who have a license and work barely at all, part time or not very well.  Following the adage that even the blind squirrel can find the nut sometimes then any agent can find a listing or a buyer at some point. The difference between a below average agent and the good to great agents is the good to great agents understand that we are not in the real estate business we are in the prospecting business. We are tasked, no, let me say th... 01/16/2015

Farlow Hill luxury home, Newton MA 02458.  MLS #71746470 has just had a price reduction.  What is crazy about this is that this property is already one of the best priced home in the luxury category in all of luxury Newton MA homes.  Price per square foot can be a confusing statistic to follow, but it is one of the 17 methods in which appraisers determine value.  By this measure 114 Shornecliffe Road is one of the best values coming in well below the average sale per square foot price.  There will be an Open House for this property on Saturday January 17 from 1-3PM. Older construction has some distinct advantages over new construction in that the craftsmanship and the woodwork is from that era where these meant something more than the approach today.  Older homes are not for everyone, b... 01/13/2015

Do price breaks work I was asked by my client today as we discussed this action on his multi-million dollar property?  Preparing for the meeting took time.  I needed to research all the listings in this area of similar type and style.  My property is an upgraded older home.  It is not a gut rehab and it is not new construction.  Appraisors use 17 methods to determine price, most agents hit the CMA button.  Pricing is both a science and an art. The science part is looking at sold properties within a third of a mile sold within the last 3 months that are no more than 10% different in a variety of characteristics.  Size, lot size, age of the house, bedrooms, bathrooms, garage spaces, construction and architectural style and more are considered.  Finding something that is a perfect match is... 01/05/2015

Luxury Market Report 2014 Newton MA. This report looks at all the properties in Newton listed as luxury.  Luxury is defined by the National Association of Realtors as the top 10% of the market area.  The market area is the Multiple Listing Service.  In our area that is MLSPIN and it includes many areas not like Newton.  These other towns take the top 10% of Newton houses which begins around $2,100,000 down to around $880,000.  For the purposes of this report I will include what NAR tells us is luxury.  I report weekly on the Newton Luxury report from $2,100,000 and up anyway. There are 436 properties that were Active, Under Agreement or Sold last year. Single Family Active Listings: 50    Avg. Liv.Area SqFt: 5,363.64     Avg. List$: $2,259,128    Avg. List$/SqFt: $426     Avg. DOM: 158.... 01/05/2015

My 10 Favorite things about being a Realtor® would have to start with... The joy that my clients feel when they get exactly what they want at a price they love. There is nothing better than listening, understanding and then executing on the plan to win. Negotiating a win-win deal. Let's face it we all work on both sides of the aisle at various times with our clients.  Both sides want to get the best possible deal which means both sides will leave some of what they want.  Figuring that out and then executing on the plan to win is a true joy. I like working with and assisting other great agents with the deal. Getting the story of a great house to tell.  Listing property these days is so much more fun than just getting it on the MLS so the IDX can distribute to a bunch of consumer sites.  ... 12/29/2014

Housing trends in Newton MA.  I just read a fascinating report about the housing trends and demographics in the city of Newton MA.  This report was prepared by the Dukakis Center of Northeastern University and was written by Barry Bluestone and Tracy Corley.  Newton was settled in 1630 and is comprised of 13 villages.  An overview of the report shows that the city has grown during the time of the early automobile (1930-1960) as people became able to move further from the city.  That trend also was the reason the city declined in population. By 1980 the population had declined again as people moved further from Boston. Along with the population growth has been a growth in the diversity of the city.  Newton has grown it's diversity populations because of it's proximity to great schools li... 12/29/2014