This spring has presented the best opportunity for parents of students in Boston colleges to purchase a residence at an extremely low cost. Low interest rates and rising rental costs are causing parents to rethink signing a lease. As the cost of college continues to rise more parents are looking for ways to contain costs and this is certainly one of them.

Several Boston condos can be had for well under their rental price and offer much nicer accommodations than higher priced rentals. To see our list of options for students who’s parents are looking to purchase a home simple click here.

300 apartments would make it the largest apartment building in the area, now we just have to wait and see when they break ground. For more information on renting in the Seaport District, call 617-449-3642.

For a little bit now everyone has been talking about the squeeze renters are facing when trying to find a new place to live. Rental prices have soared and availability is at its lowest in years according to many Boston landlords. What hasn’t been discussed is the relatively new phenomina (at least in Boston) of Buyers getting squeezed as well.

In the past the month, I’ve heard from multiple agents who have had properties with multiple offers on them and from at least two agents that got into a bidding wars on deals for their clients. In addition, I’ve witnessed people bidding above asking in attempts to eliminate other potential offers. While most of the US housing market is still recovering, Boston’s currently seems to be white hot. The high rental prices and low interest rates are bringing out many first time buyers, all of whom are looking for a well priced place to call home.

If you are thinking about listing your home give us a call at 617-449-3642 to discuss current market conditions and pricing.

I’m not sure how many people saw the CBS Person to Person with George Clooney, but at the 1:50 mark he gives a beautiful description of what a home means to him.

“Well there’s a big difference between a house and a home I think. A house is a place you would live in, but a home is a place where your family and friends are a part of.”

He goes on to talk about how owning property has always been a big thing for his family. “Owning land is a good thing.” It’s nice to hear someone as thoughtful as Clooney is known to be, celebrating the idea of home ownership.

You can view the Clip Here

It’s no secret that The Clarendon is out front when it comes to sales out of the group of new full service buildings. In 2011 though, perhaps the best kept secret was the W Boston. The W has been through a lot in the past year including a bankruptcy, but in spite of this, the W still sold an impressive number of homes. According to MLS records The Clarendon sold 32 Homes in 2011 while the W sold 30. Now, W sales team will tell you the numbers are actually a difference of 1, but nevertheless it’s still impressive. So a tip of my cap to Dinny and her staff and we wish them continued success in 2012.

Over the past few years the number of people who have decided to rent our their condos in Boston rather than sell them has certainly increased, and in some cases dramatically so. The side of effect of all this renting is just beginning to show it’s face. We’ve already talked about how rentals are now priced sky high, (see here) but there is now a second side that is starting to show it’s face.

Owner Occupancy Rates

Most people have never really focused on this little used metric when buying a home, but it’s incredibly important. The most important use of this statistic is when it comes to getting a mortgage. Most mortgage companies want to see minimally 50% owner occupancy and most would like to see more than 60%. For many condo buildings in Boston this has never been a problem but with the increase in de-facto landlords many buildings are now flirting with this number. The result, it’s become another obstacle for many buyers to overcome, not just from a mental standpoint but from a closing standpoint.

The mental aspect is that buildings with high owner occupancy rates are generally better maintained, since the people living there have a vested interest in how the property looks. Since so many owners have now become de-facto landlords however, this type of thinking might need to shift. It needs to be recognized that some of these people will not be landlords much longer as the market improves.

If you have questions about Owner Occupancy Rates or other questions related to buying a home, contact our office at 617-449-3642.

So Boston has been on a big kick lately to make the city more green in any way it can. While I applaud the city and it’s residents for their efforts, there are times when you have to be honest and say, “Ok now you’re taking it just too far.” The best example, bicycle movers. Yes, Gentle Giant the moving company with the big purple trucks that are a common sighting over the summer months, is introducing a new service. The offering is called Bike Moves. The idea behind the program is that for Boston residents who are moving just around town, this will cut down on costs related to parking permits and dealing with all the trucks on Boston’s sometimes narrow streets.

Currently, the company has 3 pedal powered bikes in its fleet, each with a custom built trailer made out of aluminum that is capable of carrying up to 300 pounds. This means it will still be able to carry a couch or a dresser. The rates for this program are as follows: $40/hour for one guy with 1 bike and $105/hour for 3 guys and all 3 bikes currently in the fleet.

If I can leave you with only two thoughts on this, I guess it would be these two. One who wants to see these guys do a move from the top of Mission Hill to the top of say Mount Vernon Street or vice-versa. Two, who wants to see these guys compete against the pedicab drivers in some sort of load hauling challenge? Come up with a challenge leave it in the comments and we’ll pitch it to both companies.

So our last home on the water was a big hit and now we have another for you to consider. This home comes not from Seattle, but rather Sweden home of Ikea. The owners,  a couple who live in Stockholm, decided they were done with land living and decided to move aboard. As a boating enthusiast, I read about how people are doing this all the time, but not many go to the lengths they did. Their custom home is stunning from Bow to Stern. The kitchen is fantastic with it’s butcher block counters and gas range. They even managed to sneak in a full size dishwasher. The living room has a wood burning fireplace, which is not something that you see too commonly on a boat. The master bath features what appears to be a teak soaking tub  that is gorgeous. Even the hardwood floors that run throughout the boat catch your eye and make you go wow. Anyone else ready to move right in?

Ok, so this post really isn’t about Boston Real Estate, but more of a what if? A retired couple in Seattle didn’t like anything that they were finding on the market, so when it came time to find their new home they decided to build. What they built however, was not like anything else out there. The home floats off the shores of Lake Union. This 1200 sq.ft. home, although industrial in it’s design, feels warm and homey with some interior finishes closer to those you’d find on a yacht. So my thought for everyone is, what if this existed over in the Charlestown Navy Yard or perhaps the Seaport would anyone want it? Let us know in the comments.