Cambridge, MA Real Estate News

This week I am attending Inbound Marketing University that runs until Monday June 22nd. Inbound Marketing University (IMU) is a free marketing retraining program for marketing professionals-as well as marketers between jobs-looking to gain new skills to get ahead in the competitive workforce. Th... 06/17/2009

After stumbling across info about a woman I had never heard of - Ellen Swallow Richards - twice in two days I decided it was a sign of a blog post in the making.  And since Ellen Swallow Richards spent quite a bit of time in Cambridge Mass I was particularly taken with her story. I never had give... 06/04/2009

My nemesis - black swallowwort - is invading Cambridge.  I've been out and about in the last few days and found big patches of it in many, many  front yards in Cambridge. And no question about it - it's in Somerville, Medford, and Arlington too.  In fact, it's becoming an issue all over Massachus... 05/20/2009

No - it wasn't snow - but it sure looked like it yesterday as the spring breezes filled the air with falling petals from the beautiful flowering trees all over Cambridge. It was so nice to have a couple of spring-like days since within a week of shutting off the heat we had temperatures over 90 d... 05/01/2009

Recently, as part of a series on local architecture on my blog, I wrote a post about Greek Revival houses, an architectural style popular in Cambridge and nearby towns and cities. Of course I had to take some photographs to illustrate the post.  Well now I can't stop.  I see wonderful examples of... 04/20/2009

Nowadays many people talk about houses as investments and advise buyers not to get emotional about the home buying process.  While I'm happy to work with buyers seeking to aquire real estate solely for its investment value, the truth is, buying a home to live in often is about emotions.  After al... 04/18/2009

Since I was an archivist before I became a real estate agent in Cambridge I couldn't help but be intrigued by an article in today's Cambridge Chronicle.  The Chronicle reported that the archival records from the 1994 campaign that successfully led to the end of rent control in Massachusetts have ... 04/02/2009

My google alert pulled up a story that caught my eye today. It was an article from a Montana newsaper about musician Martin Sexton.  I'm not familiar with his music but the article notes that John Mayer called Sexton the "greatest live performer he'd ever seen". Turns out Sexton turned to music a... 03/28/2009

More than once when showing real estate in Cambridge Mass. I've come across chickens - and a rooster or two - in nearby backyards. It's a surprising and delightful sight in the city. Luckily Cambridge does not prohibit raising chickens. With the increasing emphasis on eating locally produced food... 03/27/2009

Cambridge real estate agents often remark that we don't have any cookie cutter real estate in our area.  We don't have large developments, and there aren't any tract homes in our neck of the woods.  It's part of what makes selling real estate so interesting here - all the houses are different and... 03/21/2009

An article in today's paper about several boutiques and shops in nearby towns going out of business got me thinking.  It's the fun and funky small shops that make a neighborhood shopping district appealing.  Local shops, cafes, bookstores, independent businesses of all types - all add up to make ... 02/22/2009

Just when I thought I could I knew how to read the market, things change. Although Cambridge has been one of those fortunate areas that have seen property prices holding somewhat steady. I had been telling my buyers, that they surely have an advantage in this market. After doing some research on ... 02/13/2009

I'm writting in the Rain, just writting in the Rain, what a glorious feeling I'm selling again..... My apologies to Gene Kelley but ........ It's not everyday you get the tip of a lifetime!  Thanks to Liz Bolton, a premier real estate agent in our office here in Cambridge, I'm up and running.  Lo... 02/11/2009

Given the unrelenting doom and gloom in the media, it's no wonder you feel like you've got the upper hand when you're looking for a new home.  Visions of lowball offers, grateful sellers, and bargain basement prices dance in your head.   But real estate is local and even today you may find yourse... 02/09/2009

I ordered re-usable shopping bags for my favorite real estate agents, consumers and co-workers.  They were a huge hit!  Most people have a few of them already, but like myself seem to always leave them at home and they never make it back to the car after unloading their groceries. The best part o... 02/07/2009

1.) Take Your Pick. The days when there were more buyers in the market than homes for sale are over for now. Then, options were few and many buyers felt they had to take what they could get whether or not it was the ideal home for them. Now, the reverse is true: There are many homes to choose fro... 02/07/2009

provided by www.ratekink.com Market CommentMortgage bond prices fell last week pushing interest rates slightly higher. Governments across the globe continued to battle the credit crisis and economic instability. Billions of dollars of debt offerings by the US Treasury continued to be announced. U... 02/07/2009

One of the pundits this morning said there is a "palpable sense of joy" in Washington today. That's true of my home town too. Barack Obama and Joe Biden carried Massachusetts in November with 62% of the vote.    In Cambridge, 88% of voters cast their ballot for Obama-Biden, second only to the sma... 01/20/2009

I just saw information on Realtor.com regarding historic low rates for mortages.  Everyone has been saying that now is the time to buy and it is really really true.  With interest rates at their lowest in several years and the inventory being priced now at the most attractive for homes to sell, t... 01/17/2009

I think its going to be an exciting week next week.  I would encourage everyone to witness a historic event and remember where you are.  Hopefully it will be the start to pointing the country to more positive than negative.  As a realtor, and a business person we are facing very difficult times w... 01/15/2009