Real Estate Search Blog

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

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.

Waban, One of Newton's 13 Villages

Families looking at Newton real estate are often surprised to find that Newton is not a typical suburb of Boston. True, in the 1800s the area was a commuter suburb for wealthy Boston businessmen. Today, however, most of Newton’s residents work within Newton or its surrounding towns rather than commute to Boston. This contributes to a flourishing local economy, where restaurants, banks, boutiques, and other businesses prosper — along with buyers and sellers of Newton real estate. This vibrant local economy is a pleasant environment for everyone who works and plays in Newton, Massachusetts.

A unique aspect of the Newton economy is that there are 13 villages that make up the town of Newton. Each village center is a hub for shopping, dining, public art installations, and more. NewtonVillages.org is a city-wide coalition dedicated to making Newton’s village centers “better places to walk, bike, eat, shop, work, play, gather and live.” The organization manages such projects as planning festivals and events, adding bike racks, and placing local artists’ work in vacant spaces. The Newton Chamber of Commerce includes over 700 businesses and offers discounted health insurance, direct customer referrals, educational seminars, advertising opportunities and the advantage of networking with other local, established businesses in the area.

The 13 Villages of Newton, MA

Auburndale
Chestnut Hill
Lower Falls
Newton Centre
Newton Corner
Newton Highlands
Newtonville
Nonantum
Oak Hill
Thompsonville
Upper Falls
Waban
West Newton

For more information on Newton real estate and to begin a comprehensive search through hundreds of Newton MLS listings, visit the Newton real estate website today.

If you’re planning on looking at Newton real estate this summer, make sure to check out one of Newton’s farmer’s markets! Fresh fruits and veggies, baked goods, flowers, cheese and other dairy products are just a few items you might see on your visit to one of Newton’s farmer’s markets. Farmer’s market season in Newton begins after July 4th and the market remains open through October. The market takes place every Tuesday and Friday at two different locations in Newton:

Tuesday Location

• Cold Spring Park
  1200 Beacon Street
  Newton, MA 02464
  Open 1:30 PM until 6 PM
  Begins Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Friday Location

• Post 440 Parking Lot
  295 California Street
  Newton, MA 02458
  Open 1:30 PM until 6 PM
  Begins Friday July 9, 2010

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

Summer is almost here, and it’s an exciting time for buyers and sellers of Newton real estate. The newest Newton real estate listings are below! Please visit HomesbyNorcross.com for more information and photos of these listings.

139 Highland Ave, Newton MA

Built in 2005, 139 Highland Ave, Newton MA on West Newton Hill. 5 Beds/5 Baths. Key features include a modern kitchen, a fireplace in the family room, and a library/study.  Close to the Mass Pike. For more photos and details, visit HomesbyNorcross.com.

15 Wamesit Road, Newton MA

Grand 3-floor colonial home located at 15 Wamesit Road in Newton, MA with 6 beds, 3 full baths and 2 half baths. Unique features include a sunroom/study and an exercise room. For more photos and details, visit HomesbyNorcross.com.

450 Beacon Street, Newton MA

Contemporary Chestnut Hill home located at 450 Beacon Street in Newton, MA. Adjacent to a deer park and conservation land. Notable features include high ceilings and skylights, and an open floor plan. Close to Newton Centre. For more photos and details, visit HomesbyNorcross.com.

New England Mobile Book Fair

If, like most Bostonians, you love to read, you should consider looking at Newton real estate. Newton, MA boasts two of Massachusetts’ most legendary independent bookstores.

First, the New England Mobile Book Fair, located at 82 Needham Street in the Newton Highlands. I’ll excuse the fact that it doesn’t have cotton candy and fried dough as a normal fair would, because this place is a discount book shopper’s fantasy. Every book, hardcover and paperback, is at least 20% off. The Book Fair is a huge warehouse with endless rows and shelves loaded with every genre and publisher you can think of. The travel section is the most expansive collection I’ve ever seen in a bookstore, outnumbering the selections of both Barnes and Noble and Borders. There’s even a large bargain book section of overstock books — I recently bought a hardcover novel for $4.95.

Second is Newtonville Books, located at 296 Walnut Street in Newtonville. By signing up for the email newsletter you can find out about all the neat events, such as a visit by the author of Shutter Island, and frequent writing workshops that cost a modest $20. The selection is stocked and Yelpers say that “the price is right.”

If you’re planning on buying a home in Newton, or you’re currently shopping for real estate in Newton, consider taking a weekend to explore the area with your family. Newton is an excellent community for raising families, as it has some of the best public schools in Massachusetts, plenty of recreation areas, and a pulsing community scene. To many, Newton is the best little town outside of Boston.

Christine Norcross and Partners is a leading team within William Raveis Real Estate and Home Services. For real estate or related questions about housing, relocation services, communities, local schools, and more in Newton, MA or the surrounding towns in Metro-West Boston, contact Christine Norcross and Partners at (781) 694-3595.

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

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

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.

A couple who was considering moving to Newton asked a question about Newton schools on Newton’s WickedLocal.com page.

“My husband and I currently live in Cambridge and are considering relocating to Newton for the elementary schools. I am new to the American public school system and am trying to gather some information about the various schools – I was told that the Newton schools are in general very good (based on scores etc.) but that I should ask Newton parents about their personal take on the schools and if they have any advice on how to choose between them.”

One Newton resident said:

“As a kid who just went through the Newton school system I can say it is probably one of the best around. Kids are very accepting of others and are taught by some great teachers through the course of their years in the programs. Decent athletics, great clubs, and other activities make a good place to grow up. My story is similar to yours…to get a better education, my parents moved us to Newton. Best decision they ever made. Great location (right near the city), great schools, very safe… I am a product of Ward school, Bigelow Middle and Newton North High. I am now a Sophomore in college studying business and playing football.”

Couples often have questions about the schools in the city or town they wish to relocate to. Newton schools often receive favorable press, but sometimes the best way of deciding if a city is right for you and your family is to talk to its current residents. Visit the public library or go to the local grocery store to chat up a few Newton residents. When you are ready to begin looking for homes in Newton, visit Christine Norcross and Partners on the web, and call to speak with a few of the most talented and knowledgeable real estate agents in Newton.