Cape Cod – You CAN Get There From Here

Start Your Engines!!

The holiday crawl to Cape Cod is about to commence!

While gridlock, bathroom stops, and cries of “Are we there yet?” are the usual accessories to the July 4th holiday, there ARE some ways of heading to the Cape which don’t require defensive driving and the patience of…..you get the picture!

 

3 Ways to Get from Boston to Cape Cod for July 4th | BostInno http://bitly.com/14NiDb8

House Price Index Q3 Rises 2.31%

Federal Housing Finance Agency (Photo credit: afagen)

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally-adjusted purchase-only house price index rose by 2.31% year-on-year in Q3 2012, the highest growth seen since Q2 2006. http://bit.ly/VVnQxq

It’s Going To Be A Bling Christmas With “Dancing With The Stars” Cheryl Burke

If you’re a fan of “Dancing with the Stars” on ABC, and you’re also a dedicated HGTV viewer, then last week’s holiday special featuring celebrity homes must have been nirvana for you!

http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/celebrity-holiday-homes-peek-inside-festive-star-studded-spaces/pictures/index.html

But if you’re also the inquisitive type, then you must be dying to know the ‘behind the scenes’ straight talk on what went down when HGTV stylist Emily Henderson took on dancer Cheryl Burke‘s contemporary gray abode to decorate for the holidays.

A rare look at how those ‘before’ and ‘after’ shoots come together, Emily is forthright about the challenges and obstacles she faced decorating Cheryl’s bachlorette pad last August, for a holiday shoot scheduled December 7th.

Holiday decorations are hard to come by in the middle of the summer, and this production included a fair amount of ingenuity, spray paint, and determination to pull off a ‘stunner’ of a reveal.

And if you think that “Dancing With The Stars” the All Star Event was full of bling, and hot performers, then you’ll positively swoon when you see the neon pink Christmas trees, white nutcrackers, and hot pink finery sprinkled amongst Cheryl’s more masculine decor.

Emily shares her design resources, budget, and thoughts about what went right and what could have been improved upon – an insight that will endear her to viewers.

The super feminine setting seems to suit Cheryl and is a major departure from the rather cold and sterile palette of Cheryl’s home.

What’s more, it’s a great example of thinking “outside of the box” or “dancing shoes” as the case may be to create a truly original holiday showcase.

Thrift store finds, West Elm goodies, and glass cloches embrace holiday ornaments, garlands, and Christmas razzamatazz.

Celebrity Holiday Homes: Peek Inside Festive, Star-Studded Spaces : Decorating : Home & Garden Television

This Friday’s episode will feature: Lisa Lampanelli, Tamara Tunie & Haylie Duff
Episode HCHHS-402H

Emily Henderson — Stylist – BLOG – Behinds the Scenes of Celebrity Holiday Homes

It’s Going To Be A PINK Christmas!

Cheryl – No More Gray!

Do Bachelorettes Prefer PINK?

Fun and Festive For the Holidays!

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Wellesley Real Estate: Tear Down Trend Alive and Well!

New construction and the associated tear down of older and smaller homes is alive and well in Wellesley.

For the eight month period from 1/1/2011 to 8/31/2011 twenty two new construction single family homes were sold in Wellesley with an average sale price of $2,109,500. The 22 homes represented 10% of the total number of homes sold.

For the same eight month period in 2012 the number of new construction single family home sales increased by 18% to 26 homes. The total number of homes also increased proportionally so that new construction represented 10.1% of sales.

The only significant change from the first eight months of 2011 versus 2012 was a decrease in the average sale price of new construction homes of 10.1% and a corresponding per square foot price decrease of 6.9%.

Fast forward 50 years and at this rate Wellesley may not have any smaller/older homes left to tear down!

What do you think about this trend?

John Prescott, Vice President

508-523-9252

Century 21 Commonwealth

592 Washington Street, Wellesley

Related:

* Tis’ the season for Wellesley teardowns | The Swellesley Report

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The Funny Man Goeth – Beach House $14M

Jim Carrey is hoping to harness some of his impeccable comedic timing to quickly sell his amazing Malibu home. According to the brand-spanking-new listing, Carrey’s home is “priced for an immediate sale” and available for move in immediately! http://bit.ly/LiIbEt   – Trulia

Jim Carrey, (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And depending upon which listing is showing the accurate price, the home is currently priced at either $13.95M or $14.95M!

What’s a million one way or another at this price level?

The home is pretty subdued considering its price tag as well as its owner.  Of course the more neutral in decor, the more likely to appeal to the masses though the selling price will naturally eliminate the large majority of the home buying public.

Of course if this is in your price range, the Malibu Colony is amongst the most coveted plots of sand in the world and this home has outstanding views and even more luxurious finish work and seductive nooks.

If you’re interested, give me a call and I’ll set the wheels in motion, or the paddle board as the case may be! 🙂

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American Mogul – Seacrest Buys DeGeneres’ Home at $12 Million Discount

Ryan Seacrest at the Seattle auditions of American Idol, September 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Looks like Ryan Seacrest is well on his way to becoming “American Mogul!.”

Seacrest has reportedly built his net worth to about $125 million and has recently added network duties at “The Today Show” to his growing roster of media commitments.

And now he has added a 9 bedroom, 9200 sq ft palatial estate to his balance sheet, signaling to the Hollywood glitterati his intention to be firmly ensconced on top of the nation’s entertainment empire.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Seacrest Buys DeGeneres’ Home at $12 Million Discount VIDEO | AOL Real Estate.

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If You Can Tear It Down, Buyers Will Rebuild It

As a successful realtor in greater Boston’s western suburbs, I hear it all the time from people relocating from other locales across the country: “The closets are small, the bedrooms are tiny, the kitchen needs updating, and the prices are high.”

Yup.  Boston is one of the most sought after cities in the country.  And we all know why.  We love living here.  It’s why we put up with the traffic, taxes, and crazy weather.

But for people from younger cities and towns, the older construction and lack of modern amenities at what they perceive to be as ‘high prices’ confounds them.  And so, with many of these folks flush with cash from relocation packages or their own house sale, they decide to pick a modest home in a good location with the intention of tearing it down and building something larger and more modern.

And while it used to be that slab ranches and 2 bedroom construction was the primary focus for a rebuild,  in recent years I’ve seen that even sprawling homes built in the 1980’s are the target for teardowns!

People want ‘new,’ and in Boston to find ‘new’ is nearly impossible since the land is but all built out.

So popular towns, like Wellesley, Needham, Newton and other communities typically with good school systems and within easy commuting distance to Boston, are the targets of choice for buyers looking to find the perfect location to build their dream house.

And while many towns have tried to deal with the popularization of “McMansions” being built in some areas, which can squeeze out those on fixed incomes who’ve lived in these communities their entire lives;

List of numbered routes in Massachusetts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

for the most part, the influx of dollars and families is welcome.

Route 128 towns are by far, the most popular for people looking for the right location who realize they might not find the right house.

A recent article by Scott Van Voorhis in the Boston Globe, gives us a look at the current state of what is essentially  “If  You Can Tear It Down, They Will Rebuild It…”

Teardowns on the rise in some communities inside Route 128 – The Boston Globe

…Wellesley also saw demolition permits dip during the recession, down to 38 in 2009. But there has been a steady rebound since then to 46 in 2010, 48 in 2011, and 15 in 2012 as of the middle of last month, according to Meghan Jop, Wellesley’s planning director.

“We have never really seen a falloff in demolitions,” Jop said. “Wellesley is a pretty built out community in terms of new home construction. It is teardown/rebuild that we primarily see.”

– The Boston Globe

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South Natick Real Estate Update

Pleasant Street bridge, South Natick Massachusetts, September 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What’s available in South Natick real estate?

Inventory is still very tight.  I am continuing to see multiple offers.

There are 8 sales pending and 2 newly listed homes as of this morning.

But there are homes for sale at every price point, which is good news for buyers!  http://bit.ly/Hr3FRe

23 Hopewell Farm Rd 23 Natick, MA 01760

$529,000

3 beds   |   2 baths   |   1 half baths   |   1,800 sq ft

Just Listed - South Natick!

23 Hopewell Farm Rd 23 Natick, MA 01760 – Real Estate | CENTURY 21 

43 College Road Natick, MA 01760

$949,900

4 beds   |   2 baths   |   1 half baths   |   3,088 sq ft

New Construction - Morse's Pond - Natick

43 College Road Natick, MA 01760 – Real Estate | CENTURY 21

Call me at 508 – 523 – 9252, and I’d be delighted to arrange showings for you!

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