Real Estate Search Blog

It’s easy to switch to green cleaning products when you’re moving into a new home. Going green with natural household products means spending less, cutting down on harsh chemicals inside your home, and putting less harsh chemicals down the drain and into your local water supply. Here are some green household tips for your Fall River home.

Club soda

Instead of Drano, pour baking soda down the drain, then follow up with white vinegar. Let the foam bubble up and soak for a minute, then pour boiling water down the drain to rinse.

Instead of window cleaner, mix 1 gallon of water with 3 tablespoons of white vinegar into a spray bottle.

Instead of a toilet bowl cleaner, sprinkle baking soda on the bowl and rinse with vinegar, then scrub with a toilet brush.

For a spot remover, use club soda.

Instead of wood polish, squeeze 1 lemon into 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon water. Apply a thin coat of this to the furniture, let sit for 5 minutes, and buff off with a soft cloth.

To browse hundreds of Fall River homes for sale, including short sales and foreclosures, visit the Greater Fall River Real Estate website.

The hardest part of Newton real estate shopping is over — picking out the home that is right for you and your family. But wait! Before you spend hours flipping through home design magazines, here are 5 tips to help you get started on home decorating without the headache.

1. Take cues from the masters. Do you have a favorite painting? Bring a print to a paint store and have them match shades of paint to the painting’s colors. Just think about how great it will feel to introduce guests to “The Waterlily Room”!

A Pedro Cano painting in the Vatican Museums

2. Wallpaper one wall. It’s a modern alternative to papering the entire room – and it also saves you time and money.

3. Mix and match textures. Black leather couch? Add gray satin pillows. Tiled white bathroom floor? Toss down a soft, nubby white bathroom rug.

4. Cluster objects by color. Merchandisers group by color in window displays and with clothing inside the store  – it works great at home, too. The best part is, you won’t have to store away all of your knick-knacks.

5. Skip the home design magazines and look at hotel rooms instead. Hotel rooms are the simplified version of home decor. Surface Magazine and National Geographic Traveller are two magazines that show contemporary indoor and outdoor spaces from top hotels.

A room at the Ace Hotel in New York City

On Saturday, August 7th, the town of Wellesley held its annual farmer’s market and artisan product fair.  Over 60 vendors showcased good such as homemade tomato sauce, natural skin care products, Italian ice, and of course, fruits and vegetables grown by local farms!

The festival was held in the middle of 36 lush acres of the Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley. The reservation is also home to the Festival’s host, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

The Massachusetts Marketplace Festival is a great example of sustainability in MetroWest Boston. In addition, Wellesley is also home to one of the best botanical gardens in Massachusetts — the Wellesley College Botanical Gardens. Go green in Wellesley!

Christine Norcross & Partners are the area experts on Wellesley real estate including homes for sale in Wellesley, Newton, Weston, Natick, Brookline, Needham and more. The home buying process shouldn’t be a headache. Put your trust in the hands of  Christine Norcross & Partners — visit their Wellesley real estate website today.

Even though it’s summer, Fall River schools are buzzing with activity! At Fall River’s B.M.C. Durfee High School, a group of 60 students ages 7 to 14 are participating in a summer course called FRED-TV. Within the school’s television studio, the students can be found working on such projects as a commercial, comedy skit, short movie, and a music video.

The program is an expansion of a successful FRED-TV summer camp that was offered a few summers back. Several of the students look forward to participating in the FRED-TV class when they begin high school at Durfee in the future.

Check out Reach for the Moon, a music video produced by 2009 FRED-TV high school students on the FRED-TV website.

For information on Fall River schools and assistance finding the ideal home in Fall River that will fit your family’s needs, visit the Fall River real estate website.

On his Cambridge real estate blog, real estate agent Charles Cherney noted the importance of the outer and inner appearance of a home that’s on the market.

“I was struck on my visits today by by how much appearance matters. One condo I looked at is very nice – but you almost wouldn’t know it. The place needs a good cleaning and would really benefit from having someone give some thought to its presentation…”

An example of a staged bathroom

An experienced Realtor or a professional home stager can bring  a valuable, new perspective to the home selling process. A furniture arrangement that has suited a family’s needs for years may not fully compliment a space in the way that it should; for instance, cluttered furniture may make a space feel smaller than it actually is. In addition to finding an experienced Realtor with a talent for staging, here are some tips that any homeowner can follow to create a blank canvas from his or her property.

• Clear off countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms; remove smaller kitchen appliances such as toaster ovens and blenders from the countertops
• Clear the fridge door
• Re-organize closets. The Container Store and Ikea sell inexpensive storage boxes and hanging bags
• Hang curtains 4-6 inches higher and wider than the window to make the room look bigger
• Rent a storage unit for extra clutter that can’t be stored in your home
• Hire a professional to clean your home. It costs under $100 to have a four-bedroom, 2500 square foot home cleaned.
• Before each showing, boil cinnamon sticks or bake cookies
• Have a professional pressure-clean the exterior of your home — it’s amazing how sparkling the outside of a home can look when it’s freed from years of crud! You can also rent the equipment from a hardware store for $50-$75 for the day.
• Mow the lawn, lay down mulch if necessary
• Replace the mailbox and house numbers if they’ve taken a beating over the years

Real estate agent Charles Cherney’s passion for Cambridge MA real estate, for architecture, and most importantly, for other people, make him an ideal residential real estate agent for Cambridge, MA properties. Visit his Cambridge real estate website and Cambridge Real Estate Blog for helpful real estate tips, detailed blogs about neighborhoods and listings in Cambridge, video tours of Cambridge real estate listings, and more.

If you’re reading this blog, you obviously know the value of the Internet when it comes to real estate search. Home buyers today enjoy the ability to search the newest real estate listings, participate in online forums, and find valuable city data. At the beginning of the real estate search, a home buyer might spend the bulk of his or her time digging through thousands of web sites, MLS listings, and countless real estate agents. It’s inevitable that information overload will take its toll, leaving the home buyer even more lost than they were at the start of their real estate search.

This is where the need for a trusted, tech-savvy real estate agent comes in. A few notable real estate agents in the Boston area have attained the e-PRO Designation, a certification which recognizes the ability of a REALTOR® to use the Internet and advanced technology to assist home buyers. The certification is endorsed by the National Association of REALTORS® and entails classes and a final exam. Wellesley real estate agent Christine Norcross, Cambridge MA real estate agent Charles Cherney, and Cape Ann real estate agent Rosemary Quarato are three Boston area or Massachusetts real estate agents who have earned the e-PRO Designation.

Here are some benefits to working with an e-PRO (credited to the e-PRO NAR website):

• Online home tours — Check out Cambridge real estate on YouTube!
• Instant access to comprehensive neighborhood data – Look at recent Wellesley real estate and Boston area market reports!
• Extensive property listings – Get instant access to Cape Ann real estate listings!
• Immediate email notification of just-listed homes meeting your criteria
• Referral networks and online forums
• Newsletters on current real estate conditions in your area
• Electronic faxes sent to you by email
• Advanced software, PDAs, and laptops to find you answers on the spot

Whether you’re the type of person who always has the latest gadget, or you’re the type of person who’d rather write a letter than type an email — the benefits to working with an e-PRO designated REALTOR® in today’s technologically charged world are substantial.

The Real Estate Search Blog is excited to announce that CNN’s Money Magazine placed Newton, MA in the #3 slot of its 2010 list of 100 Best Places to Live in America! Visit the Newton MA real estate website to browse hundreds of listings in Newton, Massachusetts and its surrounding towns.

In the article, Newton was praised for its stable job market which can be accredited to many colleges, hospitals, and government offices that are located in and around the City of Newton. Families are attracted to Newton real estate by its nationally recognized public school system and its brand new, multi-million dollar, sustainable high school. Newton has fostered a reputation as a green city, with an impressive 93% air quality index, several sustainably operated restaurants, and a biodiesel fuel lab at Newton North High School.

Also listed on Money Magazine’s 100 Best Places to Live is the neighboring town of Brookline. For information on real estate in Brookline MA and to browse hundreds of real estate listings, visit the Brookline MA real estate website.

For tentative renters, Fall River real estate is a great place to look because housing costs are quite low in relation to the value received. The following are a few units that are available for rent.

686 Hanover St, Fall River, MA

$650, 2 bedrooms: 686 Hanover St., Fall River, MA

2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1000 sq ft. Located in the desirable Fall River Highlands neighborhood. Large bedrooms, turret, and plenty of storage. Rent includes refrigerator and water.

150 CAMBRIDGE STREET, Fall River, MA

$800, 3 bedrooms: 150 Cambridge Street, Fall River MA

3 bedrooms, 1 full bath, 1400 square feet. Rent includes sewerage disposal, trash removal, snow removal. No pets.

450 Rock, Fall River, MA

$1000, 2 bedrooms: 450 Rock, Fall River, MA

2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, townhouse style condo in Carr Osborn Condo Complex. 2 parking spaces, central AC, washer/dryer and refrigerator included, grounds maintenance.

Visit the Fall River Real Estate website to stay updated on the newest listings for Fall River apartments. If you’re in the market to buy or sell a home within Fall River real estate, browse the website for an extensive collection of tips or contact realtor Marguerite Cashman directly.

Next time Tom in Payroll starts bragging about his latest eBay find, you can
impress your coworkers by telling them about the lighthouse you won from a Fall River real estate auction. You can put in a bid for this unique piece of real estate by visiting the Federal property surplus auction site.

Borden Flats Lighthouse in Fall River, MA

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Borden Flats Lighthouse in Fall River, Massachusetts is built of cast iron and brick and is 50 feet tall. Better make sure the family canoe is in good condition, too, because the lighthouse is only accessible by boat. The only downside to owning this unique piece of Fall River real estate is that you can’t paint a sprawling New England Patriots logo on it because it must be maintained under Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

Really, who WOULDN’T want to buy the Borden Flats Lighthouse?  It’s a mystery why Federal, state, and local governments as well as countless nonprofit organizations didn’t scoop up the lighthouse when it was offered to them for free.

To browse through homes for sale that can be reached by more than just a boat, visit the Greater Fall River Real Estate website. In addition to the most recent real estate listings in Fall River, you can also find an extensive collection of home buying and home selling tips.

Even Mary Poppins needs a night on the town to let loose every once in awhile.

A top network of public schools and frequent family-oriented events and festivals have long established the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts as a great place to raise a family. And if you’re looking for real estate in Cambridge, you already know this. Something you may not know is that Cambridge is also a playground for adults as well. Here are a few local favorites which you should check out after a busy day of house-hunting.

Middlesex Lounge

Middlesex Lounge
315 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge MA
Weekend nights here have been compared “rush hour on the T with a DJ in the corner.” But don’t let that deter you; the place is crowded because of its awesome music, unique cocktails and interesting mix of people who just want to get down on the dance floor.

Summer Shack
149 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge MA
If you’re looking for a casual atmosphere to get serious with seafood, Summer Shack is the best place to go. There’s also a sports bar where you can choose from a wide selection of beers on tap.

The Middle East Restaurant

The Middle East
472 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA
If a band has made it big on the underground music scene, The Middle East is where you can find them playing in Boston. Within the club are two large music venues and two restaurants, and of course, multiple bars. It’s highly recommended that you try the amazing shish kebabs and falafel at the Middle East Restaurant prior to cutting loose at an equally amazing rock show.

Atwood’s Tavern
877 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA
The best of all worlds — good beer, good food, and good live music. Most people go to Atwood’s for its extensive beer selection including local and regional brews, and they tend to stick around for the live music and laid-back atmosphere.

For expert advice and help navigating the neighborhoods of Cambridge real estate, call on Charles Cherney, a top real estate agent and Cambridge resident who will help you find the right home for you and your family.