Ten Hills Neighborhood - Somerville MA Real Estate and More  The Ten Hills neighborhood in Somerville is a pocket neighborhood bordered by the Mystic River, Route 28 and Route 38. Like many modern day neighborhoods, the boundaries of what we think of as Ten Hills has shifted over the years.  Ten Hills actually encompassed a much larger area extending to what is now Broadway between Main Street and Foss Park. Originally Ten Hills was even larger - a 750 acre farm deeded to Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor John Winthrop in 1630.  More than half of the farm was in what is today Medford.  The monument in the picture at right marks the spot on the corner of Shore Drive and Governor Winthrop Road where Winthrop's house once stood.  There are several other streets in the original Ten Hills ne... 07/27/2009

The Somerville neighborhood of Spring Hillis popular with Somerville real estate buyers who appreciate the varied architecture and the proximity to Porter Square and Cambridge.  Spring Hill provides beautiful views of Cambridge and Boston. Once the site of orchards and farms, Spring Hill, like much of Somerville in the early to mid-1800s, was a country retreat of sorts for Bostonians who were able to purchase less expensive house lots than were available in the city. Development was spurred by the by the extension of nearby rail, horse-car, and electric streetcar lines.  Most development took place in the neighborhood between the 1840s and early 1900s.  Spring Hill has a fine selection of Greek Revival houses and Victorians including Italianates, Gothic Revivals, Queen Annes, and Second... 07/26/2009

One bed condos for sale near the Davis Square T - Condos in Cambridge MA - Condos in Somerville MA - Davis Square MBTA subway Below are some great one bed condos that are within a mile or less of the Davis Square T station, located in the heart of Davis Square, Somerville.  Essentially situated on the Somerville Cambridge border, Davis Square is certainly a fine location with wonderful dining, nightlife, and entertainment.  For those who want to have an easy commute to many parts of Boston and beyond, being able to walk to the Red Line MBTA is where it's at.  So few one bed condos come on the market that are very close to Davis Square that these units certainly will not last long.  Some of the popular Davis Square attractions include the Somerville Theater, Redbones, Diva Indian Bistro,... 07/22/2009

If you like pizza as much as I do, then order from this small little family run store and enjoy one of the best pies in the area.  Friendly people and delicious food.  Is there a better combo?   I'm not even a carnivore, but a simple pepperoni pizza was an absolute delight.  The crust is outstanding.  (617) 625-7570.  They deliver! 06/02/2009

Somerville Massachusetts celebrates Historic Preservation Month in May.  Here are some upcoming events: Walking Tour of Ball Square Somerville Ed Gordon, President of the New England Chapter of the Victorian Society of America, will lead a tour of the Ball Square and Powderhouse area of Somerville this Sunday. On the From Powder House Pickles to Ball Square Brick Yards walking tour  of historic homes and sites you'll learn about the history of the neighborhood and of Tufts University, see some of the most handsome multi-families built in the area, get to see the inside of a home or two, and finish with light refreshments at the Field House at Nathan Tufts Park. Sunday, May, 17, 2009, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.  Cost is $10 ($8 for members of the VSA). Meet at the Field House at Nathan Tufts ... 05/15/2009

It’s time to cast the spotlight on the city of Somerville and see what’s going on in the real estate market. Spring is here (although the weather seems more like summer) and I thought it would be interesting to compare the number of properties for sale this spring with what was going on in the market last year. Take a look. . . As you can see, the inventory of homes and condos for sale in Somerville is quite a bit lower than last April. Let’s take the number crunching a step further and look more closely at what’s going on today: The last column shows the number of months of inventory that’s currently for sale. Right now the market for single family homes and multi family properties are at equilibrium while the condo market is showing it’s still a buyer’s market in the city. Does this m... 05/14/2009

I spotted this nifty little City of Somerville Smart Car the other day.  I'm really impressed by municipal government in Somerville MA.  Whether it's their really good historic preservation programs, support of the arts, or green initiatives - Somerville government has become very progressive and forward thinking. The Fire Department was the first to go green with their cars when several aging vehicles were replaced with Toyota Priuses. Nowadays when the fireman shows up to do the smoke certificate inspection he comes in a Prius.  Now Somerville has added Smart Cars to its fleet.  It's a long way from the Crown Vic that was standard municipal issue not that long ago. Real estate agents in our area are doing their part too. A number of agents in our company do the weekly new listing tou... 05/03/2009

It's a big weekend in Somerville Massachusetts - the 11th Annual Somerville Open Studios weekend, one of the largest open studios events near Boston. Somerville MA has a vibrant arts community and local artists' work will be showcased this weekend with more than 300 artists participating at over 100 locations.  See artists' work in a variety of mediums including painting, photography, collage, jewelry, fabric art, glass, sculpture and much more. Open studios are spread throughout the city but you'll be able to visit quite a few in any one area - making the tour easy to do by foot.  There will be a free trolley service and SOS, in their excellent tour booklet, encourages attendees "to use public transportation, trolleys, bikes, scooters, and walk by foot if at all possible."  Resident pa... 05/01/2009

It often seems that most tips for conserving energy at home are for home owners. What's a tenant to do who wants to cut down on utility bills and be kind to the planet? The City of Somerville MA, in partnership with the Massachusetts Municipal Association, is hosting a free seminar for tenants: What: Home Energy Savings for Renters Seminar Where: Aldermanic Chambers, City Hall, Somerville Massachusetts When: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 6:30pm The seminar will include: Do it yourself sealing techniques to reduce heat usage Tips on reducing electricity and water usage Resources for home energy audits Information about rebates and financing Hands-on tips and free educational materials For more information contact the Office of Sustainability and the Environment at 617-625-6600 x2108 04/13/2009

Today in Somerville there are 27 Single Family homes for sale ranging from $169,000 to 1.6 Million .  With Somerville MA still being the most densely populated city in New England, single family homes remain a highly sought after property type.  The average days on the market for these twenty seven homes is 120 days. During the past 120 days 9 Single family homes have sold in Somerville, with an average sale price of $407,333 . If you are looking to buy or sell a single family home in Somerville, now is a great time. 03/30/2009

Search all Somerville, Massachusetts MLS listings by location (street or neighborhood) price, criteria and keyword phrases with the results shown on a map.  View listing information including interior and exterior pictures of the properties.  For a map search all Somerville, Massachusetts MLS listings visit Somerville MLS Map Search Visit Somerville MA Homes and condos for sale for direct MLS access and Somerville MA community for town information.  Somerville MA foreclosed provides options for obtaining foreclosed listings. RE/MAX Innovations (1-877-266-9747)provides the consumer with a free service that allows for a thorough and efficient map search of the Massachusetts Multiple Listing system for Massachusetts real estate. In addition, you may receive notification of new listings tha... 03/07/2009

If Goldilocks were looking to buy or sell a house in Somerville, she would find that one segment of the market is speeding up, one segment is slowing down and one segment is just right and has remained level. Here’s the latest statistics for the Somerville, MA real estate market. Somerville Market Statistics January 2009: Let’s compare this to what was going on 2 months ago. Somerville Market Statistics November 2008: Not surprising given the time of year and the current cold and snowy weather, there are less properties for sale now than there were in November. Single family homes in Somerville are selling faster with an average Days on Market of 93.9 days. The absorption rate of 1.9 months means that if no more homes were allowed to come on the market after today, it would take less th... 01/19/2009

Somerville Massachusetts Real Estate - Tour the Community Somerville, Massachusetts is an urban industrial city in the Mystic Valley. It is located along the divide between the lower Charles and Mystic River watersheds. Establishment of the area as a town in 1842 stimulated growth and in eight years, the community's population more than tripled. In each of the next decades until 1870 the population doubled. Many of the new settlers worked in the city's various brickyards, producing as many as 1.3 million bricks a year by hand or 5.5 million with a new patent press. In 1851, the American Tube Works was opened and began manufacturing the first seamless brass tubes in the U.S. using an English patent. This marked the entrance of heavy industry into Somerville, and was soon followed by roll... 01/18/2009

Somerville, Massachusetts Foreclosure Listings - MA Bank-Owned Homes Receive Somerville MA real estate foreclosure (bank-owned) listings and short sale opportunities as they are listed.  Obtain information about properties that meet your criteria or all listings in Boston.  NEW FORECLOSURE LISTING ALERTS - BE THE FIRST TO KNOW - THE BEST DEALS SELL QUICKLY! If you are serious about buying a home or condominium at a great value, our Virtual Homes real estate agents at will contact you and provide: * A list of existing real estate foreclosure (bank-owned) and short sale listings in Somerville, MA and other communities you select.  Or you can set up your own searches for properties that meet your criteria. * Email alerts on NEW foreclosure (bank-owned) and short sale listings in the Massac... 01/12/2009

"Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle all the way..." That's what I heard while running in my first 5k race this past Sunday on December 14, 2008 which was held in Somerville, Ma called the "Somerville Jingle Bell Run" which was put on by   http://www.baevents.com/jinglebell/ There were 4,200 register runners and walkers. My good friend Jim West, told me about the race and I'm glad he did. This race was so much fun especially doing it with my good friends. The race started off down Holland St. Many of the racers were dressed in holiday costumes. While I was jogging, girls dressed up as reindeers and a guy dress as Santa past me by. And then I saw a Gingerbread Man. I thought to myself. Run as fast as you can Mr. Gingerbread Man.  Many runners were in Christmas colors, too. I have to conf... 12/17/2008

View MLS FORECLOSURE Listings Click on Somerville Foreclosures to view MLS foreclosed (bank owned) listings and short sale opportunities. Single family, condominiums, multi-family and land listings will populate a map in Somerville, MA.   The VirtualHomesMLS tool provides a map based search of all MLS listings.  Search by town,keyword phrases, price, location or specific criteria.  Take advantage of a map based search. Virtual Homes provides a complete Internet marketing solution for agents, broker/owners and lenders including lead generation, lead notification, management tools (CRM), training and support.  View virtual communities for local, town information in various states at MA Real Estate, NH Real Estate, CT Real Estate and RI Real Estate.           11/24/2008

The number of condominiums sold in Somerville, MA during the month of October decreased from 24 sold (2007) to 21 homes sold in 2008. The average selling price decreased slightly from $369,815 in 2007 to $364,429 in 2008.  The average DOM (Days on Market) increased dramatically to 105 days from 61 in 2007. 11/20/2008

The number of single family homes sold in Somerville, MA during the month of October increased from 10 sold (2007) to 11 homes sold in 2008. The average selling price decreased by 28% from $438,500 in 2007 to $314,658 in 2008.  The average DOM (Days on Market) decreased to 91 days from 103 in 2007. 11/17/2008

Somerville is a wonderful city where each square has its own feel. Although no city in my market area has been totally immune to the effects of this market, Somerville is remaining an active market. As you can see from the chart above, absorption rates are quite low for the city. Only the multi family market is out of equilibrium. This is due primarily to the fact that during the height of the market, so many contractors came into the city and bought up as many 2 and 3 family homes as they could. Somerville has a condo review board and the approval process slowed down the number of apartments converted to condos in the city. But these investors could make so much money selling each apartment individually that they bid up the price of multi family homes to a point where these homes no lo... 11/12/2008

I have to admit this store is one of my favorite places to go.  The selection of vitamins, teas and natural products is great.  I've ventured over to the loose leaf tea area (it's absolutely wonderful).   And try the chips that are made out of flax seeds in the food/snack area. They are considered a raw food and they are fabulous! They come with Mustard, Mexican or Italian seasoning and are quite filling.  Quite preferable to simply downing a tablespoon of flaxseed oil.  09/22/2008