Life in Newton

Great Harvest Bread Co Pays it Forward

Next time you come through Newtonville, stop by the Great Harvest Bread Co and try a complementary slice of bread. You will learn that different breads come out on different days. If you want to plan ahead, go to the website and read the schedule wickedgoodbread.com. My personal favorite is the apple pie which comes out on Saturday- yum! Last week when I stopped in for a loaf of the Multi-grain (had to have a slice while I was there) the store was busy with hungry patrons. A polite bunch of middle school kids sat around their backpacks eating lunch. A mother was reading a book to her twins in one corner. At the counter the owner, Jim Cellucci was working hard to please a sweet little lady who was asking for a sample of one of his specialties which hadn't come out yet. Jim went back and forth fulfilling her request with a twinkle in his eye. It is hard not to appreciate this cheerful model of business. A happy and energetic work ethic like this makes small busines great and contributes on a daily bases to the quality of life in a community. On the Great Harvest Bread Co website: www.wickedgoodbread.com, their unique mission statement states values that included hard work, excellent customer service, quality product, and generosity.

"Be loose and have fun
Bake phenomenal bread
Run fast to help customers
Create a strong, exciting bakery
Give generously to others"

Great Harvard Bread Co
316 Walnut St
Newtonville, MA 02460
617.928.1162
www.WickedGoodBread.com

The Ying and Yang of Home Buying

The Ying and Yang of Home Buying

Buying the right home is an important financial and emotional decision. This class will give you MORE than the fundamentals. Find the home that keeps you happy by gaining insight to your personal home buying psychology. Learn to pay attention to the important elements of a home before you make your first offer. With better insight you will be able to understand how to learn the process with educated confidence. Balance your dreams against your practical realities.

Two Wednesdays October 6 and 13, 2010 7:00 to 9 p.m.
Register for this complementary class by phone or email
617.797.9497
janet@janetporcaro.net

Staging Newton Centre Home Helps Buyers Get a Better Sense of the Space

Staging Newton Centre Home Helps Buyers Get a Better Sense of the Space

Not everyone watches the HGTV and even if you do, that doesn't mean you know how to prepare a home for the market. Not everyone understands the purpose of staging a home to sell. Barbara says, "The way you live in a home is different than the way you sell a house."

"Home staging is the act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money." ~Wikipedia.org

Staging techniques focus on improving a property's appeal by transforming it into a welcoming, attractive product that will appeal to a variety of buyers. Lots of buyers will have trouble visualizing a living space filled with their personal belongings. This is where the staging comes in. There is a range of staging techniques including virtual staging and the costs will vary. A good real estate agent/stager will work with the sellers to find the method and style that works best for them.

For example, picture a classic colonial home located in desirable Newton Centre. The object of the game is to arrange a select few pieces in the rooms to sketch a sense of welcoming space for prospective buyers. With a few pieces of furniture, some blow-up beds, and carefully chosen accessories, the home invites offers. This is not decorating, more like theatre set design creating a vibe. See more staging examples at http://www.yournewtonmove.com/Staging_Magic/page_2323018.html.

Newton Community Education Says Welcome to Fall

Newton Community Education Says Welcome to Fall

The Newton Community Education Fall programs are full of exciting opportunities to learn and broaden your horizons. Newton Community Education is a separate and self sustaining arm of the Newton Public Schools. Their classes are excellent taught by talented and experienced instructors.

Mindfulness: the Foundation for Inner Peace and True Happiness is a four part speaker series. Four dynamic speakers will tell the story of their journey in light of their practice of mindfulness meditation. This series is a benefit series to support the Newton Community Education Scholarship Fund.

Family Night Under the Stars is an exciting opportunity to visit the Clay Center Observatory in Brookline with the entire family. Share a magical evening with your children and who knows you may be inspiring a budding astronomer!

Are you struggling to get the kids away from the video games? Be sure to browse the NewKids catalogue which features programs for kids and teens. (The colorful catalogue cover was painted by a 4th grader at Cabot School.)  Game Design is a 10 week series all about making your own computer game!  Lego Robotics is an opportunity your child to take his or her Lego skills to the next level. Taught by members of the Newton North and South champion Ligerbots robotics team ligerbots.com. Read more about the 2009 Ligerbots competition.There are many other programs for kids ranging from fencing, knitting, pottery, web design, and more.

www.NewtonCommunityEd.org
457 Walnut Street
Newton, MA 02460
617.559.6990
Email: staff@newtoncommunityed.org

The enthusiastic team at Newton Community Education, left to right: Susan Cassidy, Lisa Rucinski, Robin Shaevel, Ed Hauben

 

 

Digging Clams on Pleasant Bay Cape Cod

Digging Clams on Pleasant Bay Cape Cod

Pleasant Bay, Cape Cod is a beautiful spot on the east side of Harwich also bordering Chatham and Orleans. See map below from mass.gov. During low tide, shell fishing is fairly abundant but only by permit with regulations that are strictly enforced. Permits can be purchased form the Harbor Master see ThreeHarbors.com. One day permits may be purchased for non-residents prior to "digging." Even if you don't want to dig for clams, it is worth the trip because Pleasant Bay is so beautiful and the water is warm and lovely for swimming for playing in tide pools.

Soft shell clams are dug up from the sand during low tide. The digger first starts in with a rake, then uses hands to find the elusive clams. We like to steam our soft shell and little necks and serve with melted butter. Little neck also make a great clam sauce.

Quahogs are larger sized littleneck clams who have been growing longer. To find these guys one must wade out into the water and search. These are too tough to eat alone but can be chopped and serve stuffed by into the shell.

"Harwich Shell fishers must obtain a full year permit from Town Hall. Family Shell fishing through September is permitted on Wednesday and Saturday only with a limit of one ten quart pail of shellfish for the week. Please check the regulations at the Harbormasters Office, at Town Hall or at this website. The role of the shellfish constable is very important to managing the resource for its good. Spend a moment with one of our wardens and learn how to measure quahogs and meet the team." ~excerpted from the Harbor Master's website, at ThreeHarbors.com. 
 

 

 

 

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Chestnut Street Teen Center in Upper Falls Gains Outstanding Role Model

Chestnut Street Teen Center in Upper Falls Gains Outstanding Role Model

Meet Chanda Gunn, new Director of the Chestnut Street Teen Center in Upper Falls. She is pouring her great talents and focus to revitalize the Center as a clean, safe, and inviting environment for teens. She is full of ideas and has the energy of an Olympic champion. Oh, strike that last part, she IS an Olympic champion. Did I mention she played on the U.S. woman's national ice hockey team for 10 years? How about that she won the bronze metal in the 2006 Olympic Games? She is still an athlete in her spare time. Chanda was embarrassed to have her picture taken the day I visited because of her 2 black eyes from a rough game of field hockey.

During our meeting, Chanda spoke about her effort to launch cooking classes for the Center. She was careful to note that indeed the kitchen stocks snack foods like Oreos and the like. She was mindful however to emphasize the bigger underlying goal of creating an enthusiasm, if not a passion, for healthy fresh foods prepared in a delicious manner.

Newton Community Service Center has a long history of reaching out to many different sectors of the Newton community. Run by NCSC, the Teen Center on Chestnut Street is grant funded by a Safe Schools Healthy Students Program. The 4 year $6M federal grant is a partnership initiative with a mission "to foster safe, respectful, and drug-free school environments and to promote pro-social skills and healthy childhood development for all Newton children." Chanda is a walking talking player in the battle to keep our children safe and healthy. Once again the City of Newton is successful in attract inspirational talent for public service! I am proud to be part of this community. Read more about Chanda at WickedLocal.com/Newton.

Chanda Gunn
Program Director
Newton Community Service Center
Chestnut Street Teen Center
1254 Chestnut Street
W. Newton, MA 02465
http://www.ncscweb.org/programs/teenprograms/teencenter

 

Newton Real Estate Update - How's the Market?

Newton Real Estate Update - How's the market?

As soon as anyone finds out I am in real estate, the first question that pops up is, "How's the market?"  "Unbelievable," I will often reply.  Sometimes it is hard to give a more exact answer without asking more questions. There are many ways to elaborate by going in various directions, say for example, national v. local or spring v. summer.  Let's look at the Newton market for 2010 to date (specifically to July 31, 2010)

Compare the following 2 snapshots of real estate sales, active, pendings and solds for Newton, MA. 

• For the first 6 months of 2010, the Newton real estate market appeared to be heading in the direction of a slow recovery. Solds and even pendings are higher than last year. Average sales price is up and days on market is down. Definitely a positive picture.

 

• The July numbers need to be considered in the context of the Federal Tax Incentive Program, an "after-shock" of sorts. July numbers also reflect the transition from spring to summer market.  the end of the spring market.  Spring market typically runs 10% higher in sales price. Yet here the average sale price for solds continues to be higher than the previous year.
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Statistics like these are one of the best tools we have for evaluating market sectors. Hope you find them helpful. I'd love to hear your comments.

Before you make your next move be sure to visit City Hall

Before you make your next move be sure to visit City Hall

One of the things your REALTOR® should tell you before you buy or sell a home is to look up your property's jacket at City Hall. I stopped into the Inspectional Services Department at Newton City Hall and was greeted, as always, with friendly courtesy. I gave my address to Jennifer Garvin and she promptly returned with the folder of permits and applications for my Newton home. I already knew my house was built in 1927 but it was kind of strange to see the building permit written in fountain pen. The cost for building my home was estimated at $8,000. There were various other permits for different renovations done over the years. Everything looked in order. But image $8,000 in 1927! I guess Newton homes have held their value in the big picture. LOL!

Inspectional Services
Newton City Hall
617-796-1060

Regular hours
8:30 am to 5 pm
Tue: 8:30 am to 8 pm
 

 

Christopher McWhite, Building Inspector
Jennifer Garvin, DSA Development Services Assistant
Thanks for the friendly assistance!

Search for Newtonville Homes at www.YourNewtonMove.com

Bill's Pizza is a Newton Centre Icon

Bill's Pizza is a Newton Centre Icon

I just had the best Mediterranean Wrap at Bill's Pizza. It was the perfect summer sandwich, light and crunchy with the famous salad dressing. Emillo's dressing is delicious. We were told that people come from all over to buy it and that they have been making for over 30 years.

Honestly, my favorite lunch, is a slice of the wheat pizza but it was all sold out. Oh, well, maybe tomorrow.

753 Beacon Street
Newton Center
MA 02459
617-964-1116
 

 

 

Newton Real Estate 6 Month Review

Newton Real Estate 6 Month Review

Looking at the sales for the past 6 months, I are happy to see an increase in number of sales as well as average sale price. This is good news. Of course, much of this can be attributed to the spring market and the Federal tax incentive program. We may see some wavering in the recovery when summer sales are reflected. Still let's take the optimistic route and visualize an chart with the lines climbing up.

			Newton Single Families
			Number of Properties	Average Price	Median Price	Days on Market
Active Listings	July 1, 2010		222	$1,256,766	$949,000	96
	July 1, 2009		227	$1,204,032	$899,000	94
Pending Sales	Jan-June 2010		319	$1,013,972	$759,000
	Jan-June 2009		314	$931,320	$699,000
Solds	Jan-June 2010		254	$854,694	$722,628	70
	Jan-June 2009		189	$804,396	$708,000	79
			Newton Condominiums
			Number of Properties	Average Price	Median Price	Days on Market
Active Listings	July 1, 2010		163	$525,477	$429,000	112
	July 1, 2009		188	$551,641	$474,000	116
Pending Sales	Jan-June 2010		169	$514,646	$414,500
	Jan-June 2009		139	$515,963	$404,450
Solds	Jan-June 2010		137	$462,409	$405,000	134
	Jan-June 2009		93	$450,690	$390,000	92

 

Elissa's Creative Warehouse 20 Year Celebration With July Designer Events

Elissa's Creative Warehouse 20 Year Celebration With July Designer Events

220 Reservoir St.
Riverbend Office Park
Needham, MA 02494
781-444-9341
www.weloveyarn.com
email info@weloveyarn.com

These days I spend my down time on knitting.  I am determined to learn how to knit the perfect sweater. Please understand, wWhen I was a kid, my favorite activity in summer camp  was arts and crafts.   As a woman of mature years, I stay in touch with my inner child with various needle craft projects. When I need a break, instead of going for ice cream, I stop for a visit at The Creative Warehouse for a breath of fresh air. Walk into the shop and find a dizzying array of colors and textures. Stay for a while and you will find friendly and knowledgeable staff and fellow crafts-people. When I misread a pattern or sew the sleeves in upside down (yes, I really have done both,) I am so glad to have the expertise and experience at Elissa's shop available for consultation.

This summer, stop by and celebrate with all the life-longer-learners at Elissa's Creative Warehouse. After all, isn't that what crafting is all about.

20 Year Anniversary Celebration

Thursday, July 29
Berroco comfort afghan trunk show!
20% off Berroco yarn when you make an Afghan from this collection.

Friday, July 30
Designer Polly-Mac from 1 to 3 pm
Cascade yarn tasting from 5 to 7 pm RSVP
Door prizes, refreshments, fun!
BYON (bring your own needles)
20% discount on Cascade yarns from 6 to 7:00

Saturday, July 31
Special sale 20% off final sale yarns and book sale!
The Saturday Night Knitting Club welcomes
Lynn Wilson for a special workshop RSVP
Everyone is welcome
The SNKC supports the Needham food pantry
Remember to bring food

Spring and Summer hours
Mon - Sat 10 to 4:30 pm closed Sun until Oct always closed Wed

Newton Ranks Number Three by CNN Money Magazine

Newton Ranks Number Three by CNN Money Magazine

"These terrific small cities -- even now -- boast plenty of jobs, great schools, safe streets, low crime, lots to do, charm, and other features that make a town great for raising a family." Read more at http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL2545560.html

Newton is ranked 3 out of 100 for America's best small cities.  Most residents of Newton would agree. I moved to Newton from Cambridge over 20 years ago. At the time, I was sad to be leaving the urban Cambridge with the bookstores, the restaurants, and the shops. I was afraid I would miss the diversity and the culture. But like many fears confronted, my enthusiasm for my new home soon overcame any misgivings. Not only did I have a garden, I found Newton to be the best of both worlds--neighborhood suburb and a hop, skip and a jump to the city.  Over the years, I have learned about the history of the development of The Greater Boston Area. Newton broke off from the city of Cambridge and eventually became one of the first commuter towns.  In 1834, the Boston and Worcester Railroad ran Boston to Newton in 39 minutes.The Greater Boston Area is vibrate with educational, medical, and cultural institutions. Newton is a great commuter town because of the easy access to the job sources.

Even more Newton is not just what statistics can show about ratings and unemployment rates. Newton is its people and their community (or shall we say communities.) Newton is comprised of 13 villages each with its own neighborhood look and feel. Some maps with show up to 15 villages. The villages are not strictly defined by any official document but only by zip code. The school districts are specifically defined on the Newton Public Schools' District Zoning map. Newton has the economies of scale with the advantages of small local neighborhoods and their benefits. Casseroles are delivered for families in need--new babies, house fires, illness and especially death like in most good American towns.

Most communication is done through the PTO's although new and better web sites like www.OurNewton.org, http://www.newtonma.go  are tightening the social network.

Visually Newton is full of charm. The age and style of homes and facilities are varied. The demographics are quite diverse. There are so many great little shops, restaurants, bookstores, and cultural facilities. There are two major family fitness centers on either side of town, the Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center and the West Suburban YMCA. Both offer a multitude of activities and events for all ages.

Hey, Newton is not without its problems. Our community is often opinionated and vocal. But at the end of the day, most residents I know are proud to live in Newton. And so am I.

CHRYSTAL LAKE BEACH

 

 

 

 

 

WABAN CENTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

CARRIAGE LANE ON COMMONWEALTH AVE

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL2545560.html

Celebrating What Makes This Country Great

Celebrating What Makes This Country Great

The Past
Our Great History
Ponder the development of our urban and rural landscape over the years. Cities are born across the nation. Then the railroad comes in allowing for more affordable housing further out from the city. This is the beginning of the commuter rail. Our forefathers planned beautiful cities and their systems. During the 19th century, Frederick Law Olmsted, the first landscape architect, was one of the first members of a "planning committee." Olmsted designed beautiful parks and recreation facilities in Boston, Chicago, Maine, Michigan, New York, and many other cities. In Boston, he is probably best known for "the Emerald Necklace," a 7 miles linear string of parks dotted with streams and ponds. Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Law_Olmsted

Thomas Edison discovers electricity. The first trolleys replace horse drawn cars. Boston is the first city in the country to build an undergrand subway starting at Park Station under the Boston Common. Read "A City So Grand: The Rise of an American Metropolis, Boston 1850-1900" by Stephen Puleo for a compelling history of the the development of Boston.

The Present
Immigration still impacting our national economy
Immigration trends have been an important part of this country's development. According to the recent report from Harvard, "The State of the Nation's Housing," immigration levels impact our economy. Household growth will continue regardless of any possible retreat in immigration. The report says, "moreover, immigrants and their native-born children have swelled the ranks of the baby-bust and echo-boom generations so that each now rivals the baby-boom generation in size."

The Future
Even with the bust, Americans are still planning for a better future!

While on the lower end, housing values have taken the biggest hit during our economic crises. Another piece of the puzzle is the overall loss of wealth. As a result, many homeowners have decided to stay put rather than accept a lower asking price for their home. Rather than move, homeowners are choosing to make improvements which will reduce energy consumption. Federal programs offer incentives for more energy efficient products.

"With so much attention now focused on reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption, a growing chorus is calling for more compact forms of residential development to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Proponents argue that appropriately planned higher-density development would allow for growth as well as for preservation of more open space, better transit options, less auto dependency, and more efficient use of public infrastructure." ~The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University "The State of the Nation's Housing". Read more at www.jchs.harvard.edu

"If you build it, they will come"

As we move into a new century, city planners use statistics to project trends and needs for the future. Some of the considerations that are factored in include:

• Home improvements desiged for energy efficiency
• Green building designIncreased use of public transportation
• More elderly housing

Just for one day, let's celebrate our nation's greatness!
Happy Fourth of July!

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Harvard Housing Report Delivers Facts and Figures

Harvard Housing Report Delivers Facts and Figures

The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University released "The State of the Nation's Housing" report on June 14, 2010. The report is broken into 6 sections.

Section 2 - HOUSING MARKETS.

Are we in a recovery period?
There is no crystal ball. History has shown the link to a robust and consistent housing recovery is an increase in jobs.  Although the number of home sales increased in 2009, on the down side we have increased number of vacant units, foreclosures and unemployment. The report states, "As job growth resumes, however, household growth should pick up and help spur increased new construction and sales. With the economy, existing sales, and consumer confidence already turning around, home improvement spending should soon follow suit."

Is it the chicken and the egg story?
An increase in new construction and sales, along with home improvement spending should give a job market a boost. Or is it the other way around? Federal programs have helped to boost the economy. $5 million in aid to contributed to states to provide low-income owners free weatherization of their homes. Federal incentive programs are encouraging home owners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes. Yet the expiration of the tax credit may cause a hiccup or two in the upward swing.

What about the issue of the vacant units?
The large number of foreclosures impacts the homes held "off market" and often vacant. Some of these homes may be converted to rentals. The number of vacant rentals have increased. Even though number of sales may have increased in many areas, market values are still "sagging."

House of Cards
When prices fall, owners are having trouble making mortgage payments, may be less likely to sell.

"According to the First American CoreLogic, roughly one-quarter of American homeowners were underwater in the first quarter of 2010." This contributes to the number of properties held "off market."

Why I am Fascinated by This Report
A good dose of facts and figures are the "spoonful of sugar" helping the medicine go down. Things are looking up but we are still not out of the woods. When trying to establish the market value of a property, it is vital that we look at our own local market. Take a look at the chart of house prices by city below. Our view should not be clouded by media hysteria. Yet pending sales and national statistics help us to get a sense of what we can expect. This report is full of stats, no hysteria here. Just the facts. You connect the dots.

 

National Housing Report released from Harvard University

The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University announced the release "The State of the Nation's Housing" report on June 14, 2010. The 44 page report (not including Appendix Tables) is broken into 6 major sections beginning with the Executive Summary. The over-riding conclusion is that in order to achieve a strong recovery in the housing market, it is key that unemployment levels decline.

In the Executive Summary, many factors are addressed that become a consistent theme throughout the report. For example, In 2009, "more than 1 in 7 homeowners owed more on their mortgages than they their homes were worth." In addition to the homes underwater, "more than a third of existing home sales last year--about 1.8 million units--were short sales or foreclosures."

The report states, "Improved affordability for first-time home-buyers due to lower market values and a federal first-time home buyer tax credit were vital to this early rebound." Even so the expiration of the tax credit impacts the market with a "noticeable fallout in sales." The increased number of vacant units along with the decrease in movement across the board creates a negative drag on the movement towards recovery. 

The report contains many references to government programs initiated to help decrease the number of foreclosures and to bring aid to homeowners who are experiencing stresses from job loss and/or loss of wealth.

Other factors contributing to the national picture including unknown Household Growth variables, immigration pattern, diversity and housing demands. as well as, green building standards and transit-friendly development patterns on a local level. Figure 4 from the report illustrates the size of the generations and the percentage of minority share in each generation in 2009. The report notes the following definitions for 2010.

• Echo-boom generation are aged 5-24
• Baby-bust generation are aged 25-44
• Baby-boom generation are aged 45-64

The report is dense with statistical data but compelling. The document is a snapshot of the national housing market. By looking at historical data, assumption are drawn. On the  high level is the importance of the job market--not that we didn't know any of this already. Yet with the many sources of data, historical and current (up to 1st quarter 2010) we have lots of evidence thorough the statement. Some of the authorities sited are as follows.

• National Association of Realtors
• U.S. Census Bureau
• Mortgage Bankers Association
• Barclays Capital
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Federal Reserve Board
• Bureau of Economic Analysis
• First American Core Logic
• Department of Transportation
• Environmental Protection Agency

There many favorable trends referenced like the movement towards more condensed urban housing and the green movement. Keeping these over-arching aspects in mind, the report is optimistic. The brains at Harvard once again put the spotlight on what is good and noble  for our country. Now only if people will get it.

Next I'll be looking at Section 2 Housing Markets. I'm learning as a write and encourage comments.