Real Estate Search Blog

Part of the reason that Madison CT real estate is attractive to metropolitan New Yorkers is that relocating to Madison CT doesn’t mean giving up city comforts. The shopping, for one, isn’t typical of a suburban area. Around Madison CT real estate, there are dozens of offbeat boutiques for the seasoned shopper.

Le Creuset Factory Store, Clinton CT. Here’s a great place to snag expensive French cookware for super cheap.

Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets, Clinton, CT. An outdoor outlet plaza with stores such as Barney’s, Saks, Coach, BCBG, Banana Republic, and many more.

Ciao Bella Moda International, Clinton CT. A girly, unique clothing and accessories store.

Bella Perlina, Madison CT. A custom jewelry boutique.

The Red Balloon, Essex CT. A children’s and baby’s clothing shop.

For more insight on Madison CT real estate, consult the area’s top real estate agents, Jerry and Maureen Sherman. They specialize in waterfront and luxury CT shoreline homes. View the hundreds of MLS listings on their CT Shoreline Real Estate website today.

Cape Ann real estate is a great place to look for arts-centered communities. For decades, home buyers have been drawn to Cape Ann real estate because of its roots in the arts, which partly owes itself to the peninsula’s inspiring scenery. Thirty miles north of Boston, the region of Cape Ann includes the seaside towns and cities of Gloucester, Beverly, Rockport, Lynn, Newburyport, Essex, and Manchester-by-the-Sea. Throughout the year, there are many exciting ways for a family to become involved in the thriving Cape Ann arts scene.

North Shore Arts Association, Gloucester. The NSAA art gallery includes an expansive collection of New England art, and comes with complimentary gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Little Art Cinema, Rockport. This little cinema has serious character. The quirky, old-fashioned theater is the perfect place to see an art film.

Grog Restaurant, Newburyport. Beer, burgers, and bands. Don’t miss their Blues Party every Sunday.

Dancing Connections, Beverly. Try something new and take a dancing class with your partner. Latin, ballroom, swing, hip hop, and more.

For buyers interested in real estate in Harvard Square, finding available Harvard Square properties can be difficult. The area owes is popularity to its unique restaurants, bars, and shops, frequent cultural events, movie theaters, and accessibility to the Charles River. Countless businesses call Harvard Square home, including the real estate office of Hammond Residential.

Cambridge real estate agent Charles Cherney of Hammond Real Estate has created a website for those looking for Harvard Square real estate at HarvardSquareProperties.com. Rather than digging through MLS listings, potential buyers can visit the Harvard Square Properties website to find a full list of frequently updated Harvard Square real estate listings.

As a Harvard graduate, resident of Cambridge, and real estate agent based in the heart of Harvard Square, Charles Cherney is the best resource for potential buyers seeking Harvard Square properties. No one knows Harvard Square and its properties better than Charles Cherney.

One of the many reasons people fall in love with Newton real estate are the endless opportunities to experience arts and culture right in Newton or in its neighboring suburbs. If you’re looking for Newton real estate, consider working with Christine Norcross & Partners, who provide assistance for those relocating to Newton, Wellesley, Brookline, Natick, Needham, and Weston, Massachusetts.

One of the most relaxing things to do on a frigid winter day in Massachusetts is to take the family on a trip to the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens. Admission is free, the rooms are warm and balmy, flowery perfume lingers in the air, and kids can marvel at plants that are native to places all over the country. Afterwards, take the family on a walk through town to do some shopping, book-browsing, or a leisurely lunch at a local cafe.

Click this picture to be taken to the Youtube video from last year

And pictures from the plants of 2010:

A lemon

Boston real estate is hoppin’! There comes a time in life when an abrupt change can turn life completely around, in a good way. When looking to settle down and purchase real estate, most people do not stay within the limits of the town they grew up. Relocating to a different city can be an exciting, life-changing move.

The city of Boston has been opening its arms to newcomers since the first immigrant arrived at the Port of Boston long ago. Things have changed a great deal since then (though Boston has retained its soft spot for cobble-stoned streets and brownstones).

Here are a few highlights of exciting things that happened in Boston over the past year:

Boston residents and others were invited to skate on the ice at Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. First Skate at Fenway Park was arranged in preparation for the NHL’s Winter Classic Game on January 1st.

The 2nd annual Boston Greenfest took over Boston last summer with music, art, seminars, workshops, and activities.

What would a major city be without a Restaurant Week? Boston area residents enjoyed the delicious cookery of over 200 restaurants.

Though not quite up there with Paris or New York, Boston Fashion Week has grown over the years to become a press-magnet and party-fest. All the better for its guests!

Renee Zelwegger and James Franco won the annual Harvard Hasty Pudding Award.

(Not a killer bee attack) Surrogates Filmed in Boston, along with many more movies:

• The Women, starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening and Eva Mendes: September 12.
• My Best Friend’s Girl, starring Dane Cook and Kate Hudson: September 19.
• Bride Wars, starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway: January 9, 2009.
• Paul Blart: Mall Cop, starring Kevin James: January 16, 2009.
• The Pink Panther 2, starring Steve Martin and Andy Garcia: February 6, 2009.
• The Box, starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden: March 20, 2009.
• Real Men Cry, starring Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke: June 2009.
• Ashecliffe, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Martin Scorsese: October 2, 2009.
• The Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis: November 20, 2009.
• The Company Men, starring Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones.

The current housing market presents an excellent opportunity to collect secondary income from a dirt-cheap investment property, especially within Fall River real estate. Our recent article titled “Investment Properties of Fall River Real Estate” spotlights several multi-family homes in Fall River that are under $200,000. Ezine articles are a great resource for first-time real estate investors. On the Ezine articles website, we found some helpful tips on managing property in Fall River MA, written by someone who has managed property for over 20 years. We’ve paraphrased Carol Gibson’s words below:

• Know (and Keep Updated on) Local Ordinances and State Laws
• Be Ethical and Honest
• Have Good Communication Skills
• Have Good Computer Skills
• Be Patient and Have a Sense of Humor
• Be an Excellent Follow-Up Person

There are hundreds of resources for property management on the web. Another option is to hire someone to manage your property for you.

According to a January 2010 Market Watch survey, home buyers look for these 10 features when shopping for their dream home.

• Large kitchens with an island.
• Energy-efficient features. Energy-efficient appliances, high-efficiency insulation, and energy-saving windows.
• Home office or study. The trend is away from dining rooms and toward spare concept rooms.
• Main-floor master suite.
• Outdoor spaces. Visit HGTV.com for ideas on how to transform your back yard to an “outdoor living room.”
• Ceiling fans
• Master suite soaker tubs and oversized showers.
• Stone and brick exteriors.
• Community parks with walkways and playgrounds. Use Google Maps to note the public recreation areas in your neighborhood, then use this to your advantage when selling your home with an experienced real estate agent.
• Two-car garages.

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If you are in need of an experienced real estate agent, RealEstateSearchBlog.net would like to personally recommend the following real estate agents in Massachusetts:

Charles Cherney of Hammond Real Estate:  Cambridge Real Estate

Michael D. Lyons of Prudential Lyons Group Real Estate: Boston Real Estate

Marguerite Cashman of Arrow Realty Group: Fall River Real Estate

Christine Norcross & Partners of William Raveis Real Estate: Newton Real Estate

Rosemary Quarato of RE/MAX: Cape Ann Real Estate

And for the home hunters seeking real estate in Connecticut:

Jerry and Maureen Sherman of William Raveis Real Estate: CT Shoreline Real Estate / CT Waterfront Real Estate

If you’re preparing to or already in the process of selling a home, here’s a way to squeeze more cash out of your property. Massachusetts has alloted over $6 million dollars to help you get money back for your old appliances. The Massachusetts Appliance Rebates program is scheduled to begin in March 2010.

Eligible products include

• Refrigerators
• Freezers
• Clothes washers
• Dishwashers

For more information, contact the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

Prudential Prime Properties is a Boston real estate firm that has years of real estate market experience to fine-tune its home-selling strategies. If you are hoping to sell real estate in Boston, list your property with Prudential Prime Properties.

There is an extremely helpful Boston Globe article offering loan-securing tips for new and seasoned home buyers. Buying Boston real estate and Massachusetts real estate in general is not as hard as many think it is.

• First-time buyers have plenty of options when it comes to securing a loan. The homebuyer tax credit is a good example that even extends to repeat buyers. Conventional loans for relatively smaller mortgages, which can be secured for as low as 3% down, are another example.
• Veterans, surviving spouses, and active duty members can secure a loan for 0% down.
• Massresources.org offers 30 and 40 year mortgages for 3% down. There are income requirements but they are not nearly as strict as Section 8 housing restrictions.
• Bostonhomecenter.com is a great resource for people looking for similar programs catered to Boston real estate.
• Contact your town or city offices to find out if there are additional programs available for your use.

For more great resources on Boston real estate, visit Prudential Prime Properties on the web.

At Bigelow Middle School in Newton, several classes are experimenting with the use of netbooks, wireless, and SMART boards during class. The equipment was paid for by federal stimulus money, and came to a total of $60,000.

The netbooks were given to 45 sixth-graders as part of a pilot program in the Newton public school system. Teachers facilitate computer-assisted learning by asking questions which the students can respond to, and immediately see their classmates’ responses. The teachers use Google Docs to design assignments, and SMART boards to teach. The data is being reviewed by researchers at Boston College, with results expected at the end of the school year.

The Newton public school system is recognized in Massachusetts to be one of the state’s most forward-thinking schools systems. Many families search for Newton real estate because of the city’s great schools, strong foundation in arts and culture, safe streets, and pleasant neighborhoods. There are many homes for sale in Newton that are offer superb value for their listing price. Take a look at the Newton MLS listings today.