Arlington, MA Condo Market Report for June 2010
There were 26 Condo Sales in June 2010. The lowest price was $120,000. The highest price was $575,000. The average price was $386,602. The median price was $396,000.
The average Days on Market was 35.
Here is the Price Band Data:
$120,000-149,999 3 condos sold, on market for average of 71 days.
200,000- 249,999 1 condo sold, on market for 48 days.
250,000-299,999 1 condo sold, on market for 18 days.
300,000-349,000 4 condos sold, on market for average of 25 days.
350,000-399,999 5 condos sold, on market for average of 37 days.
400,000-449,999 3 condos sold, on market for average of 35 days.
450,000-499,999 2 condos sold, on market for average of 16 days.
500,000-599,999 7 condos sold, on market for average of 29 days.
29 single-family homes were sold in Winchester in June 2010. The lowest price was $ 439,900. The highest price was $3,300,000. The average price was $886,184. The median price was $775,000. Here's the breakdown of what sold in each price range: $439,900 - $449,999 - 1 house sold, on the market for 57 days. $450,000 - $499,999 - 4 houses sold, on the market for an average of 105 days. $500,000 - $599,999 - 4 houses sold, on the market for an average of 29 days. $600,000 - 699,999 - 5 houses sold, on the market for an average of 83 days. $700,000 - $799,999 - 2 houses sold, on the market for an average of 58 days. $800,000 - $899,999 - 3 houses sold, on the market for an average of 31 days. $900,000 - $999,999 - 3 houses sold, on the market for an average of 37 days. $1,000,000 - $1,499,000 - 6 houses sold, on the market for an average of 92 days. $3,000,000 - $3,499,999 - 1 house sold, on the market for 51 days.
My sellers and buyers have been asking me to post SOLDS for the different towns that I work in so here we go:
I will start with Winchester SOLDS in the beginning weeks of June 2010:
For the price band of $485-$499,999: one home sold, and was on the market for 8 days!
For the price band of $500 - $599,999: one home sold, and was on the market for 18 days!
For the price band of $600-$699,999: 2 homes sold, and they were on for an average of 45 days!
For the price band of $800 - $899,999: 1 home sold, on the market for 36 days!
For the price band of $900-999: 1 home sold, on the market for 45 days!
For the price band of $1,000,000 - $1,499,999: 2 homes sold, on the market for an average of 163 days!
For the price band of $2,500,000-$2,999,999: 1 home sold, on the market for 1 day!
For the price band of $3,000,000- 3,499,999: 1 home sold, on the market for 51 days!
Thinking about a new kitchen, an upgraded master bath, or a playroom addition? Before speeding down the renovation highway, pull over and take a look at this list of tips culled from our experts. With a little patience and time spent mapping your way, your renovation ride is sure to be a smooth one! Take the time to have several meetings with your potential design professional. It is vital that before you sign a contract, you feel completely comfortable with them. Make sure that they understand your aesthetic, knowledge base, budget, and personality, and you theirs. These folks will literally be in your closets, bedroom, and kitchen, so it's important that you have a connection with them.
Step 1: Dream a Little Dream
Before calling the contractors, sit down with your spouse, partner, and family—kids, too—and brainstorm. What would each family member like in the new kitchen or bath? What about a pull-out pantry fridge for your toddler "kitchen helpers?" If you adore cooking as well as entertaining in the kitchen, why not install an under lit wet bar with a freestanding wine fridge? Would a sauna in the master bath ease mommy's sore muscles? At this idea stage, dream your best dream, and don't let cost be your only guide. If you would adore a tumbled time kitchen floor, put it on your wish list. You may be surprised to find out that your design professional can find a way to make your dreams come true—within budget!
Step 2: Examine your Space
Examine your home and how your family lives in it. Write down what you adore and what you detest about your current space. Is the kitchen always a mess without a mudroom? Does your family spend hours in the kitchen, underfoot and making you crazy? Do you long for a kitchen counter for sipping coffee and reading the paper? Perhaps a kitchen office would allow for homework being done, bills being paid, and appointments being arranged while dinner gets put on the table. Are your little ones constantly swinging open the whole refrigerator just for one juice box? Would handmade sea glass tiles fill you with joy? How about a six-burner stove for all those dinner parties? Do you all cram in there at once, simultaneously using the shower, the sink, and the mirror? Would your frazzled, stay-at-home wife and mother enjoy the sanctuary of a glass-enclosed shower closet? What about a bidet? Remember . . . the sky's the limit at this stage!
Step 3: Get Educated
Set aside a chunk of time to bury your head in design magazines, books, articles, and the Internet. Print, tear, and note every single thing that speaks to you, even if you can't name it right away. It might be a color, a mood, the light, a tile, and a cook top. Learn about products, and notice trends. These scraps and tear sheets will be the beginnings of your Personal Renovation File, which will serve to guide you and your design professional down the roads to a renovation what works beautifully for your family and your budget.
Step 4: Know Thyself—and Thy Family
As you collect information on what you'd like, maintain an open and honest communication with your spouse, partner, and family. Determine what each of you can—and cannot—live without. Make sure that everyone is on the same page. You will waste a lot of time—and money—if you sit down with your architect, designer, and contractor only to find out that you've not yet come to agreement. Figure out what you want before meeting with a designer.
Step 5: Determine Your Budget
Well, the fun had to end somewhere! At this point, compare your dream list and your dollars. Ask your potential design professional to break down the cost for materials, labor, time table, and so on. Know what you are willing to pay for and what you are not. Can you take or leave the sauna tub? Prioritize your list. Once all of this is agreed upon, set up a payment schedule.
Step 6: Recruit the Professionals
When you feel ready to begin your search for a professional, word of mouth is the most reliable way to begin. Ask your friends and good neighbors for the names of the designers, architects, and contractors with whom they've worked. It's wise to have a few choices. After you have a list in place, make phone calls to each. Their manner over the phone will help narrow your search.
Step 7: Make the Connection
After you've selected a few professionals via telephone calls, it is of the utmost importance that you meet in person with your design professionals. Ask them for references, check their portfolio, and ask them how well they know their subcontractors (the specialists who your contractor hires to work on your tile, pipes, windows, etc.) If at all possible, visit your potential contractor's current project. Is it neat? Is the crew professional looking and polite? This is your chance to ask lots of questions about everything. Feel free to show them your Renovation Book.
Step 8: Be Specific
Before signing on the dotted line, be clear about your expectations. Are you looking for a hands-off consultant, or someone to hold your hand through each and every decision? Would you like to oversee each plumber, electrician, and craftsman to come into your home, or would you like a general contractor to coordinate and manage the subcontractors? Will your designer be accompanying you to every showroom? Will your architect be helping you choose tiles? Know what you need. If a certain design team cannot deliver, find another team.
Step 9: Sign on the Dotted Line
After you've met with your architect or designer and agreed on a plan, a budget, a style, and a timeline, get it all in writing. Home renovations are costly undertakings. Mid-stream changes, miscommunications, and a lack of clarity can cost you time, money, and, above all else, sanity!
Step 10: Have a Master Plan
Any contractor worth his salt will want to see a complete set of blueprints before agreeing to a project. An architect or designer can draw these up for you. Make sure you've got both the blueprints and your architect or designer with you when meeting with your contractor—they'll need to work together.
Step 11: Have a Design Center Contact Person
There are literally hundreds and hundred of tiles, countertops, sinks, and windows at today's design centers. Shopping for the one you want can be overwhelming. Connect with a representative at the design center where you'll be visiting and purchasing. That rep can steer you through the sea of design details with ease.
Step 12: Be Flexible
Even with the best-laid plans, something always comes up. Just like the rest of us, contractors have families, people get sick, orders don't come in on time, and tiles get cracked during shipping. Count on many bumps along the way in your renovation. With luck, and your careful pre-project planning, your design professional will be there every step of the way, literally living with you throughout the process. It's always smart to be prepared for glitches. Just think—when they don't occur you'll be pleasantly surprised!
You’ve got good credit, you’ve been saving for your down payment, you’ve even gotten pre-approved. You don’t have a property to sell, and you’re really sick of renting. You no longer want to pay someone else’s mortgage. You’re ready to make a change. Sounds like this could be YOUR year to become a homeowner. Not sure where to begin? Although you can certainly look for a home on your own - lots of people do - you may end up surfing the Internet till all hours for listings, dragging your missing-football-game partner, your missing-naptime new baby, or your missing-patience mother-in-law to Open Houses all winter long, trying in vain to figure out WHAT to offer for a house. What if you offer too much? How will you know? Once you get a house “under agreement,” what happens when the Inspection doesn’t go well? What if you need a new roof or heating system and the Seller won’t pay for it? What if there are termites? What if your financing falls apart right before your P&S? What do you do then? Remember that Listing Agent? Well, they work for the SELLER, not for you. Their job is to get the BEST deal for the Seller. So who’s going to help YOU? If you had a Buyer’s Agent, you could turn to them. So… just what is a Buyer’s Agent? What will a Buyer’s Agent do for you? And more importantly, how much does a Buyer’s Agent cost? WORKING WITH A BUYER’S AGENT IS FREE. There, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way. A Buyer’s Agent is a real estate professional who works for home buyers. A good Buyer’s Agent will be your advocate, assertively guiding and advising you through every step of the complex homebuying process. A Buyer’s Agent will put your best interests first, negotiating the best price, terms for your new home. Working with a Buyer’s Agent will save you stress, time and money. Working with a Buyer’s Agent is FREE. A Buyer’s Agent is paid a percentage of the proceeds of the sale from the Seller at closing. When a homeowner decides to sell his/her property with a Realtor (the Listing Agent), they agree to pay that agent a percentage of the sale as commission. The Listing Agent works for the Seller to market the home and find a Buyer. Their loyalty lies with the Seller, not the Buyer. When the house is sold, that commission goes to the Listing Agent. If there is a Buyer’s Agent (which there usually is North of Boston), then the commission is split between the Selling Agent and the Buying Agent. So, there is NO upfront cost to you when you work with a Buyer’s Agent. Don’t forget: unless you’re buying a home directly from an Owner (FSBO), the real estate agent that’s listing the house works for the Seller - not you. Why shouldn’t you be represented, too?! It’s oh-so-much easier to work with a Buyer’s Agent then to go it alone. Especially if it’s FREE.What Is A Buyer’s Agent?
How Much Does a Buyer’s Agent Cost?
How Does A Buyer’s Agent Get Paid?
A Buyer’s Agent will help you:
Please visit my blog at http://yourhouseyourhome.wordpress.com. Enjoy!
Hello there. I’m Katherine Waters-Clark, a Professional Realtor® and Accredited Buyer’s Agent. I have the BEST job in the world. I help individuals, families, friends first-timers, old-timers, investors and all those looking to buy or sell homes. I witness dreams coming true every day!
My mission is simple: I want to work in a high-quality manner with respectful, trustworthy homebuyers and sellers who are READY to buy and READY to sell. I value integrity, authenticity, knowledge and service. I am a polite, respectful, trustworthy, and knowledgeable professional who puts my clients’ home-buying and home-selling interests above all else. My clients and I have a GREAT time! I am interested in the whole moving process (not just “the deal”) for individuals, couples and families and will support you before, during, and after your move.
I work primarily in towns north of Boston (Winchester, Arlington, Woburn, Cambridge, Stoneham, Reading, Lexington). However, I am connected around the country — and globally — to like-minded, excellent agents. I can connect you with a fantastic Realtor anywhere in the world.
Memberships:
In addition to being a REALTOR, I am also a professional writer and have been publishing articles on parenting, women’s issues, home life, home improvement, moving, buying, selling, and a host of other topics for over ten years. I have won a few awards for my writing and am a founding member of the highly successful writing group, CHICKS WHO WRITE (www.chickswhowrite.com)
I am also the mother of twin girls, a Girl Scout leader, a novice knitter (hats, scarves), a community volunteer, a gardener, a soccer-baseball-ballet-piano mom. I’ve been married for 16 years to an ESL professor.
I’ve certainly got a lot on my mind in this challenging real estate market. It’s tough out there, However, despite the gloom and doom of what you’ve read, and much of it IS true, I have had a great year. The thing to remember is that people still need to move, buy and sell, so if you’re thinking of buying or selling, try not to worry too much about the national market. Real estate is local, so remember to pay attention to your local market and look to me and my blog to inform you of the latest local news and information.
I’d love to hear from you if there’s something you’d like me to blog about, or stop blogging about.
If you want to know more about my real estate business, feel free to check out my website at www.katherinewatersclark.com. I am always open to adding new information and features, so please let me know what you need.
As always, I value and appreciate your referrals, and I look forward to the opportunity to earn your business.
Katherine
I work with Buyers and Sellers primarily in towns north of Boston (Winchester, Arlington, Woburn, Cambridge, Stoneham, Reading, Lexington). However, I am connected around the country — and globally — to excellent agents with standards as high as mine. I can connect you with a fantastic Realtor --- anywhere in the world!
Memberships:
When we met Katherine at an open house, she was so professional and organized that we decided to meet with her to discuss our options for purchasing a first home. After our first meeting, both my husband and I were very confident that she knew our desires and would work to help us find the perfect home. Katherine listened very carefully and even anticipated what our needs were to help us figure out exactly what things we were willing to compromise on. Katherine is friendly, experienced, and showed great poise when negotiations for our purchase got stressful. She has a ton of contacts for things like inspections, legal representation, and insurance. In a word, she's real good.” My husband and I were "open housing" on our own and met Katherine at a house she was showing. As luck would have it, Katherine called us a few days later to follow up and we decided to work with her. Katherine explained to us what a buyer's agent is and the benefits of using a buyer's agent during the scary process of shopping for our first home. We were relieved to know that we would have someone on our side, and at no cost to us-bonus!!
Katherine was warm, truthful, and very patient with us. The best example of Katherine's manner was the night we were making our first offer. My 2 month-old had "had it" and was fussing. This did not bother Katherine at all. She simply took the baby and walked around the office shushing her while my husband and I deliberated on the details of the offer.
Most importantly however, once we found our home, she kept us calm while we moved though the process of a very stressful P&S and closing: After we signed the P&S we found out the rate on our loan had increased dramatically, but Katherine helped us find a new bank so we could purchase our home. Even after closing, we needed to have our driveway replaced as soon as we closed and she was able to provide us with a paver who went above and beyond our expectations.
Chris and Moya, First-Time Buyers, Arlington, MA
Adam and Katie, First-Time Buyers, Woburn, MA
Katherine was always available to show us any house we wanted to see...& we wanted to see lots!!! She made the entire process of searching for a home, from limiting where we wanted to look, to what we really wanted, much easier than if we had done it on our own. She sat down with us on many occasions to discuss & reevaluate our wants and needs as we tried to find the "perfect" home.
Like many 1st time home buyers my husband and I bought a home that needed lots of updates in order to turn it into our "dream" home. Katherine was able to provide great recommendations for home inspectors, general contractors, and most importantly, lenders. All recommendations were extremely professional and provided great services. Katherine's services did not end when we closed the deal on the home we purchased. She continues to email to check in & provide assistance with a variety of issues.
As you can imagine, buying our first home, was a daunting task...at first. My husband was extremely skeptical of real estate agents in general and was very cautious in committing to working with one person. However, after agreeing to work with Katherine, all of our fears and concerns began to fade away. We consistently felt like she was looking out for our best interests and working her hardest to find us the house we really wanted.
Immediately we were at ease with Katherine's warm, genuine personality.She made us feel comfortable from the beginning with her maternal qualities, yet was always willing to prove her aggressiveness when it came to the things that mattered most. She is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the house hunting process and enthusiastic to help along the way without being overbearing. We found that her personality suited us perfectly and made for a successful transaction.
We chose to purchase an old farmhouse that we knew had lots of potential & was in a great location, but needed LOTS of work. She helped us find a way to make this purchase possible. There were an unimaginable amount of obstacles throughout the process, from figuring out the right financing, to finding someone to complete the renovations, and Katherine was there every step of the way. Even after we closed the deal, she continued to stay on top of the progress & dealing with the people we hired.
Katherine has a keen sense of listening to her clients & interpreting what they want, sometimes before they even know what they are looking for. As we began the process of finding a home we had great expectations for what we wanted to find and where we might find it...we had champagne desires on a beer budget. Katherine was able to help us narrow down what we truly wanted in a home and where we wanted to look. She patiently listened to our desires directed us in the right direction.
On a scale of 1-10, I would definitely rate Katherine a 10 and have already recommended her to many of my friends when they are ready to start looking for a home of their own.
Melissa and Jon, First-Time Homebuyers, Woburn, MA
This was our first time going through this process and Katherine explained everything step by step for us. We called her anytime we had a question (and we called a lot!), and she was always accessible and happy to answer our questions, no matter how silly they might have seemed! Knowing that we could pick up the phone and call her, or send her an email and know that she would get back to us immediately was a really great feeling.
Katherine is very warm and enthusiastic! She made me feel like she was genuinely excited for us to be purchasing our home and wanted to do whatever she could to help us through the process.
After the closing there was a computer glitch with the bank and we were left waiting on the porch of our new home for hours. Katherine called us hourly with updates, even stopped by to see how we were doing. We were so stressed with the situation, but somehow she still managed to put a smile on our faces.
We would rate her as a 10 and definitely recommend her to others!
Jackie and Michael, First-Time Buyers, Stoneham, MA
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