Things are heating up and we we’ve got a lot cooking over here! We have 11 (ELEVEN!) new listings across Arlington, Newton and Woburn that will soon be ready for their debut. Rather than keep you waiting, here’s a taste of what’s to come!

See anything you like? Contact us today, or be sure to register on our website so you’ll never miss an update or a listing

Arlington, Watermill condo – a commuter’s dream! One of Arlington’s most sought-after condominium complexes.

Arlington, New Construction, Dallin School neighborhood, 4 bed, 2.5 bath single-family. Close to Mass. Ave., publics transportation, Trader Joe’s and Starbucks!

Newton, 2-bed, 2-bath condo. Hard-to-find Newtonville condo with many features, updates, and original charm. Great curb appeal!

Arlington, Stratton School neighborhood, 3-bed, 2.5 bath single-family. Bungalow built in the Craftsman style near the school and playground.

East Arlington, 2 level condo in Mansard Victorian. One of the hottest East Arlington neighborhoods, steps to shops, restaurants or hop on the Minuteman Bikeway!

Arlington, Arlmont Village, 3-bed, 1.5 bath, single-family home. Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood that abuts the Belmont Country Club and close to Rt. 2 and public transportation.

Arlington, Jason Heights, 4-bed, 2.5-bath, single-family Colonial. Nature-lovers will enjoy the proximity to Spy Pond and Menotomy Rocks Park!

West Woburn, 8-rm 3-bed, 3-bath w/ au paire suite, mid-century contemporary. Located on a cul-de-sac right on the Lexington line!

Arlington, Brackett Neighborhood, Cape-style, 4-bed, 2-bath single-family home. Wonderful home in Arlington Heights close to Robbins Farm Park!

Arlington, Brackett neighborhood, Tudor-style, 4-bed, 2-full single-family home. Situated on a large lot, close to Robbins Farm Park.

East Arlington, 3-bed, 1-bath Colonial-style single family home. Walkable to so much! Train, bus, Mass. Ave. – the very best of urban/suburban living!

Steve McKenna & The Home Advantage Team will be hosting a workshop for Arlington residents who are considering the transfer or sale of their current property within the next 6-18 months. The workshop is geared toward owners that have lived in their homes the past 20+ years. We will cover financing, current real estate market trends, preparing you and your home for sale, recent changes in the tax law and how all of these may affect you in the future.

We will also be available to discuss and answer any specific questions you have.

WHEN: Monday, February 24th, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM. 

WHERE: Robbins Public Library, Community Room, 700 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA

The workshop is FREE for all Arlington residents. 

These workshops have been extremely helpful to others - so let us help you. We will be hosting other workshops so if you are interested and cannot attend this one please call or email so we can inform you of the next one.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER

PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL: ArlingtonHomeownersWorkshop@Gmail.com, 781-645-0518

PRESENTERS

Attorney Carl Toumayan

Kajko, Weismann & Colasanti, LLP ALL CPA’s

430 Bedford Street, Suite 390

Lexington, MA 02420 Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

781-860-9500 

Peter Boari, CPA & Principal

ALL CPA’s

1330 Boylston Street, 5^th Floor

Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

617-738-5200

Thea Simolari, CMHS, Senior Loan Officer NMLS #20194         

Mortgage Network, Inc.

78 Blanchard Road, Suite 102

Burlington, MA 01803

781-699-7692

Stephen McKenna, CRS, SRS, RMM

Bowes Real Estate

1010 Mass Ave., Arlington, MA 02476

781-645-0518 

 

 

Chances are the thought downsizing (or helping a loved one downsize) is something on the horizon that gets pushed aside for another day.

But today, home values are high, interest rates are low, homes in Arlington and surrounding areas are selling fast, and from a market standpoint, it’s an ideal time to sell.

Of course, it may feel differently from your standpoint. Prepping to downsize usually means cleaning out, cleaning up and making tough decisions about who gets what and what goes where – but downsizing does not need to be daunting!

With the right help and a plan tailored to suit your needs, you can make a seamless transition to a new chapter of life. 

Here are the 5 things to consider when preparing to downsize:

1. Family Meeting. Discuss the idea of downsizing with your family and friends, as well as your advisors including attorneys and accountants. Understand your options and the potential changes to your estate planning and tax implications.

2. Rely on a Professional to get you started. Contact a trusted real estate professional to prepare a Custom Market Analysis (CMA) on your home. Someone who is a local expert will give you an insight on the true value of your home (not just what Zillow tells you), potential expenses, the best timeline as well as a comprehensive overview of the market conditions. 

3. Timing is Everything. Change is hard, procrastinating is easy. Unfortunately, many people are ultimately forced to move for either health reasons or other personal reasons. It is important to be proactive and understanding the time it can take to downsize – which can be up to two years depending on certain physical, financial and emotional situations.  

4. Think About Your Next Move. Start your research early in the process. Understand why you are moving - is the maintenance and care of the house too much? If that's the case you may want something with little or no maintenance, such as a condo or townhouse. Do you need everything on one level? Maybe not immediately, but look to the future and decide if you might need a bedroom and bathroom on the main level. Whatever your lifestyle and decision is; take your time and consider all your options.

5. Cleaning Out. Packing up a lifetime of memories is often the hardest part of downsizing. A professional stager and organizer is invaluable in helping you prepare your home for sale, as well as knowing where you can donate certain items or the proper place to discard them.

If you feel apprehensive about downsizing, you’re not alone - and we are here to help. Steve McKenna & The Home Advantage Team will handle every step of the process and so much more – providing a smooth transition, peace of mind, and ensuring that you’re well cared for throughout your move. It’s as easy as putting your home in our hands.

It's only January, but the Arlington spring real estate market has sprung!

Buyers are searching and inventory is low. Values are still at an all-time high, and with the increase in Arlington property taxes you may be wondering, is it time to sell??

Change may be coming, and there's a chance you could miss the market. Contact Steve McKenna & The Home Advantage Team for an in-depth market update and home valuation. 

 

Did you know the ‘spring’ real estate market has nothing to do with the weather?? People have waited out the holidays and now they are ready to sell – snow or no snow!

Our recent listing sold in just 2 days! Just take a look at the listings we have coming soon!

Buyers, it’s time to spring into action – contact us today and we can help you put roots down in a home you’ll love!

If we take a look back at 2019 real estate in the Arlington area, you could say the unprecedented property values, bidding wars and lack of inventory of previous year has eased up. But in no way has the real estate market eased off in terms of strength and competitiveness.

A loosening of inventory has given buyers a little more breathing room and perhaps fewer bidding wars. But with average sales prices still above asking and demand still strong, sellers are still experiencing the benefit of high home values. 

As always, our proximity to some of the best universities and hospitals in the country, strong employment in high-tech and biotech, and access to the city via public transportation and bikeways makes Arlington and many of the surrounding towns an ever-popular choice for homebuyers.

We are entering the year 2020 with many changes upon us – an election year, economic and social changes at the forefront, and probably will be for some time. There is never a ‘perfect time’ to buy or sell a home, the best time to buy or sell a home is when it’s best for you.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling in 2020, contact us, and together we can prepare a plan that works for you in the current market.

In the meantime, take a look at some interesting trends in 2019 Arlington real estate:

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*Source: MLS: 1/1/2018 - 12/31/2018 & 1/1/2019 - 12/31/2019 

**Source: MLS: 1/1/2019 - 12/31/2019

On Saturday, December 7^th, Steve McKenna & The Home Advantage Team hosted ‘Charity Saturday,’ which paired a local business with a local charity to both drive business and raise money for a number of important programs in town.

It proved to be a huge success for businesses and charities alike! There was a fantastic turnout at all locations and many people were excited about the opportunity to support their local businesses and charities. Because of the overwhelming participation, the team met its goals to present each charity a check for $2,000, for a total of $10,000 in donations.

We would like to thank the businesses that participated, and the people of Arlington who came out to support the community and so many great causes We look forward to another great event next year!

Jimmy's Steer House: $2,000 in donations to Arlington Eats 

 

Sports Etc.: $2000 in donations to The Children’s Room 

 

Mass Hole Donuts: $2000 in donations to Arlington Fuel Assistance 

 

Gail Ann's Coffee: $2000 in donations to Fidelity House

 

Annual Christmas Tree Sale: $2000 in donations to Arlington Boys & Girls Club 

Sometimes it's best to let others do the talking for you, and that's exactly what we're doing here. A happy client of Tracy Wallace was so pleased with the outcome of their home search and experience in working with Tracy, they had to speak up and say:

"We worked with Tracy Wallace from March 2019 through August 2019. Tracy provided us the highest quality service throughout our journey in finding a new home. She demonstrated years of experience with both buyers and sellers. There were several examples where her predictions were spot on, for example, with ask vs. offer pricing. She has street smarts, keen intuition, and social graces dealing with all sorts of personalities (simply put, she’s cool). 

She knows when to engage, when to push, and when to step back and give space. She has a knack for all things home development and has an eagle eye for pointing out areas of possible concern, explaining where/why there could be a need for a fix, update, or potential larger looming issue. We looked in Arlington, Acton, Natick, and Wayland. Tracy did her homework on all of these communities and provided niche neighborhood info.  She really wanted to be sure we had our eyes wide open with any offer we made, balancing all factors, and whether we really loved the house. 

Tracy helped us see each home from both the seller and buyer perspective. She was proactive in making sure we anticipated what we would or could be up against with our offers, and counter offers (we bought during a sellers’ market with a ton of competition). During the purchase transaction, Tracy was on top of all the details, and helped guide us through the legal/financial process with ease.  She was always 1000% our advocate, with our best interest in mind. We ended up in Arlington Heights, and 4 months later we really do LOVE our home!   

My lasting impressions of Tracy is that she is a gem, and any buyer or seller is lucky to have her as a partner.  

We took a snapshot of November home sales for single-family, condo, and multi-family properties in Medford for both 2018 and 2019, and here’s what the data reveals:

Home sales for single-families and condos dipped slightly in 2019 as compared to 2018 but multi-families saw a slight increase.

Across the board, single-families, condos and multi-families stayed on the market a bit longer, giving home buyers a little more breathing room. Condos saw the biggest jump in days on market from 2018 to 2019. It’s interesting that multi-families stayed on the market longer, whereas in Arlington the supply of multi-families was lower and they sold quicker.

Even though the number of listings was generally down and properties sat longer, average sale prices went up in 2019 vs. 2018.

Demand for properties in Medford remains strong and value continue to rise which is great news for home sellers. If you’re looking to buy in Medford, you’ll be pleased to know that inventory is slightly up and properties are staying on the market a little longer.

If you would like additional information, or if you would like to know more about buying or selling a home in Medford, contact us today.

 

Here is a snapshot view of the data above:

2018 MEDFORD

Single Family Sold Listings: 26 Avg. DOM: 29.96 Avg. Sale $: $641,715

Condominium Sold Listings: 20 Avg. DOM: 39.1 Avg. Sale $: $548,970

Multi Family Sold Listings: 7 Avg. DOM: 20.14 Avg. Sale $: $845,500

 

2019 MEDFORD

Single Family Sold Listings:  23 Avg. DOM: 35.17 Avg. Avg. Sale $: $679,087

Condominium Sold Listings: 16 Avg. DOM: 53.75 Avg. Sale $: $603,806

Multi Family Sold Listings: 9 Avg. DOM: 28.78 Avg. Sale $: $875,333

The holiday season most certainly has an impact on the real estate market. This isn’t new, but how does the start of one holiday season compare to another?

We took a snapshot of November home sales for single-family, condo, and multi-families in Arlington for both 2018 and 2019, and here’s what the data reveals:

You’ll notice that the number of single-families and condos sold for 2018 and 2019 stayed fairly steady without much variation. The number of multi-families sold dipped from 7 in 2018 to just 2 in 2019 (note the number of multi-family sales declined in October 2019 vs. October 2018 as well).  It will be interesting to see where this trend goes over the next few months.

Single-families are selling a bit quicker in November 2019 vs. November 2018, and condos are relatively steady comparatively. Multi-families have seen a somewhat significant drop in days on market. This is consistent with our October comparison as multi-families continue to be scarce and sell quickly.

Average sale price of single-families was slightly down, and condos slightly up. Coming in just a bit higher in 2019 than 2018 ($3,286 to be exact), the multi-family average sale price is up as well.

Overall, not a ton of fluctuation in November 2019 vs. November 2018, but the star of the market right now seems to be the multi-family which is in demand, selling quickly and at a higher price in November 2019 than November 2018.

*Here is the above data in a snapshot view:

2019 ARLINGTON

Single Family Sold Listings: 26 Avg. DOM: 27.23 Avg. Sale $: $894,346

Condominium Sold Listings: 24 Avg. DOM: 16.96 Avg. Sale $: $537,204

Multi Family Sold Listings: 7 Avg. DOM: 50 Avg. Sale $: $889,214

2019 ARLINGTON

Single Family Sold Listings: 24 Avg. DOM: 20.63 Avg. Sale $: $798,562

Condominium Sold Listings: 24 Avg. DOM: 18.08 13 Avg. Sale $: $607,734

Multi Family Sold Listings: 2 Avg. DOM: 29.5 Avg. Avg. Sale $: $892,500