Real Estate Search Blog

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.

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.

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’s no better time to explore Cambridge real estate than during Restaurant Week in Boston. From March 14th to 19th and March 21st to 26th, over 200 restaurants in Boston and its surrounding neighborhoods gear up to offer three-course lunches for $20 and three-course dinners for $33. Clear your schedule for the week, book a couple of relaxing nights at The Charles Hotel, and take your taste buds on an exciting adventure in Cambridge!

Chez Henri, Rialto, and Henrietta’s Table are just a few critically praised restaurants in Cambridge that are offering mouth-watering meals for Restaurant Week. Upstairs on the Square is located in Harvard Square and is a fun place to take kids because of its rosy decor. By visiting, you’ll soon find out that getting from place to place in Cambridge is half the fun of living there! If you’re travelling with your family, using the subway is a fun, safe, and easy way to visit landmarks in Cambridge and Boston.

Take a look at the full list of restaurants in Cambridge that are participating in Restaurant Week. For advice on relocating to Cambridge, Charles Cherney is an excellent Cambridge real estate agent who is passionate about providing people with helpful information about his beloved city of residence. Stop by his website today to browse the Cambridge MLS listings and to contact him for further information.

Boston’s Restaurant Week is the perfect time to visit and take a look at what Boston real estate has to offer. Restaurant Week in Boston takes place this year from March 14th to 19th and March 21st-26th. This is your chance to sample all of the great restaurants that the City of Boston has to offer without emptying your kids’ college fund! At over 200 participating restaurants, a three course lunch menu is only $20.10, a three-course dinner menu is only $33.10, and a new two-course lunch menu is only $15.09 (an entree and either a dessert or an appetizer).

The list of restaurants isn’t available anywhere on the Web just yet, but here’s six of the 200 restaurants who fed Bostonians in last year’s Restaurant Week:

Via Matta (Italian, Back Bay) *

The Capital Grille (American, Back Bay)

Mamma Maria (Italian, North End)

Oak Room at The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel (Steak, Back Bay)

Oishii Boston (Sushi, South End)

Top of the Hub (American, Back Bay)

*This blogger highly recommends Via Matta. Mmm.

Visit Prudential Prime Properties on the web to scope out the many options for real estate in Boston.

Walking around a new city can only show you so much. For a little guidance, there’s a new tool provided by HGTV.com that can help you see all that Newton real estate has to offer before you hit the streets.

HGTV’s Frontdoor.com provides a user-friendly guide to your future city, condensing information from sources such as City-Data.com, Yelp.com, and Eventful. With this tool, you can easily get to know the basics about your new city by visiting one website instead of several.

As shown above, click the “Reviews” tab to be shown a list of the most frequently reviewed businesses on Yelp.com. This is great because Yelp.com can be extremely helpful for residents who know the area, but a bit confusing for someone who doesn’t know Rialto from McDonald’s. A person new to the area can see what his new town is known for. The “Explore” tab allows users to choose a point of interest, like “Schools,” and a map shows pinpoints of all local schools. There are many more helpful facets to this tool, which you can explore for yourself here.

For a more in-depth analysis on Newton real estate and all that it has to offer, visit Christine Norcross and Partners online. Find out if relocating to Newton would be a good choice for you and your family, and browse the homes for sale in Newton and in the surrounding towns.

If you’re looking to buy real estate in Cambridge or you’re simply new to the city, there are plenty of ways to get to know the neighborhood. “Explore the Neighborhood” is a great tool on HGTV’s Frontdoor.com that allows users to virtually explore their city. Below is a screenshot of the tool.

By using the menu bar to the right of the map, you can choose what you’d like the map to show you. For example, if you just bought a home on Harvard Street and you’d like to see if there are schools nearby, check off the “Schools” box and the map will show your pinpoints of all schools in Cambridge. Because the map is powered by Google, you can zoom in to view residential street names.

For more detailed information about the Cambridge area, visit CharlesCherney.com. Charles Cherney is a top Cambridge real estate agent who has years of experience assisting buyers and sellers of homes in Cambridge. If you are a student or working professional who is thinking of relocating to Cambridge, take the first step by visiting CharlesCherney.com.

Considering relocating to Cambridge, MA? One of the many benefits of purchasing real estate in Cambridge is that there are plenty of parks and recreational areas within the city. Below is a small selection of places to run and play in Cambridge.

Dr. Paul Dudley White Path

Above is a picture of the Dr. Paul Dudley White Path, the 18-mile long bike path and walkway lining the Charles River. On any given day, the path is populated by runners, dog-walkers, bikers, walkers, and people-watchers.

Fresh Pond

Popular with runners and dog walkers is the 2.25 mile pathway encircling Fresh Pond, where wildlife is abundant in all seasons of the year. For the golf enthusiast there is the Fresh Pond Golf Course, which is open to the public and even offers lessons.

Danehy Park

For bocce and horseshoe courts, playgrounds, picnic areas, and sports fields, make a visit to Danehy Park. It is the largest park in Cambridge and holds frequent events geared toward families and children.

New playground at Cambridge Common

Located near Harvard University is Cambridge Common. Once an important site during the American Revolution, today it is a pleasant park and the site of the new Alexander Kemp Playground.

Charles River Canoe & Kayak

Not satisfied with just admiring the Charles River? Learn how to kayak or canoe by taking a class with Cambridge’s Charles River Canoe & Kayak. Once you learn the basics you can sign up for an exciting trip out to any location you’d like to explore, like Walden Pond, Sudbury River, or simply right down the Charles. The company recently opened a new location in Cambridge’s Kendall Square, right on Third Street.

For a full map of Cambridge’s public parks, recreation areas, and reservations, visit this website. There are plenty of reasons to browse the beautiful homes and condos that make up Cambridge real estate. Browse the drop-down Categories menu on the sidebar of this blog to look at past entries spotlighting various aspects of moving to Cambridge.

When shopping for homes you should keep in mind the future value of your home, whether you plan on one day selling it for your retirement or leaving it to your loved ones. Whether your plan is to purchase a home as an investment or to make it your family’s first home, there are several things to research before you buy. You can find the answers to the questions below on the Internet and by visiting the neighborhood and dropping in on its local businesses.

What is the state of the neighborhood?

• Basic needs for future buyers include a low crime rate, parks and recreation facilities, transportation routes (bus stops or train stations), and nearby shopping areas.
• Neighboring homes should be well-maintained.

Visit the schools!

• You can look at public schools on the Internet, but you’ll never know the actual school environment until you visit the school itself.

Are people moving in or moving out?

• Do a Google search for the street you’d like to buy on to see if any of the nearby homes are for sale.

How’s business?

• Aside from checking out the local businesses, you can also visit the town hall or city hall to find out future developments in or around your neighborhood. Developments can increase or decrease surrounding property value and taxes.

Before doing any of the research above, make sure you like what you see in your future neighborhood. Will you enjoy spending time in the area, taking walks with your kids, visiting the local restaurants or cafes? Or area you simply focusing on the best bang for your buck, and not taking the local area into consideration?

For help on browsing Boston real estate, consider the real estate agents at Prudential Prime Properties. Prudential Prime Properties has years of experience helping people find homes in Boston. The firm has years of experience helping residential, commercial, and rental clients find properties. For additional insight on buying real estate in Boston, refer to the Categories list on the right column of this blog.

Part of the allure of relocating to Boston is being able to take a walk through the city streets and relive the past. Boston has retained much of its original architecture, and is well known in other parts of the country for its charming brownstones and cobblestoned streets.

The South End of Boston is a neighborhood marked by its brick bowfront townhouses and London-style squares. Hunting for homes in the South End presents a unique piece of Boston real estate where one can live in a charming brownstone and have the luxury of being steps away from the newest restaurants, bars, and shops of Tremont Street.

What might you find on a walk through the South End? The following are some notable sights.

Cathedral of the Holy Cross

The South End on a snowy day

SoWa Open Market in the South End

The next time you are in Boston, take a day to explore the South End and you might just fall in love with the neighborhood.