Asana
776 Boylston Street
617-535-8888

For a Thanksgiving menu with an oriental twist, those living in a Boston loft could easily move their Thanksgiving dinner to Asana. Their Thanksgiving Day menu is four courses, with starters such as five-spiced poached seckel pear with La Pearl blue semifreddo and a main course of turkey with potatoes, chestnuts and vegetables. An adult can dine at the restaurant for $76 while a child will dine for $34. Call in advance to make reservations, as Thanksgiving day is a popular day to eat at a Boston restaurant.

Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro
25 Charles Street
617-723-7575

For Thanksgiving Day, the Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro affords its diners the luxury of enjoying a true New England Thanksgiving dinner without the hard work that goes into it. At $53 a person, diners enjoy a multi-course menu on Thanksgiving Day at this restaurant. The menu includes lobster bisque, turkey breast, New England soft cod stew, winter vegetables and homemade pies and tarts for desserts. You can’t go wrong with this classic take on the Thanksgiving meal, with a New England twist.

The Beehive
541 Tremont Street
617-423-0069

For those living in South End Boston condominiums who are looking for a truly unique way to spend Thanksgiving Day, The Beehive is the answer. This restaurant is offering live entertainment all day on Thanksgiving, as well as an a la carte menu that gives guests the luxury of choosing exactly what they want for their Thanksgiving meal. Menu items include pumpkin soup, farm-raised turkey, cranberry chutney, parsnip mashed potatoes and pumpkin chocolate chip cheesecake for dessert. In addition, the restaurant offers a vegetarian Thanksgiving menu as well as a menu for “little pilgrims” who may not eat as much.

Dante
40 Edwin H Land Boulevard
617-497-4200

If you happen to live in Cambridge condos, consider spending your Thanksgiving Day at Dante. Dante is offering a traditional yet elegant Thanksgiving Day menu. This prix fixe, three-course menus features all the wonderful aspects of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with touches of elegance and class. The menu includes Vermont turkey with stuffing, sweet potato fries, maple Brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce. For dessert, the restaurant is offering a sampling of four different homemade pies topped with homemade ice cream. Boston residents can’t go wrong dining traditionally on Thanksgiving Day at Dante.

Of course, these are just a few of the restaurants offering Thanksgiving Day menus in the city of Boston. Those living in Boston waterfront condos are sure to find plenty of options when they try and decide where to spend their Thanksgiving holiday. Just remember: you can still enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving Day meal, with all your friends and family by your side, without the work of cooking a turkey, timing your side dishes and baking the absolute perfect pie. Let some of the best restaurants in Boston do the work for you, so you can truly enjoy your holiday and reflect on everything you have to be thankful for.

The Audubon Park Auction went off without a hitch (well, there was one bidder who didn’t realize he was bidding so they ended up having to put it back onto the auction block and they got an additional $4k for it 5 minutes after they initially sold it!) and was extremely successful for the developer and the buyers.  All 25 units were sold and an additional 10 were added during the auction.  Two more unique first floor layouts were sold after the auction at an undisclosed price.

There were over 250+ people at the auction and a lot of active bidders.  It was an extremely exciting event and I’m looking forward to the Bryant Back Bay auction on the 7th of November.  Remember, you can save $1000 off your closing costs if you setup your preview through Nick Warren at nwarren@warrenre.com or 617-933-9776.

Here is a PDF of the Audubon Park auction results:

Audubon_Park_Auction_Results

25 Gorgeous new Audubon Park condos will be going up for auction, and Warren Residential wants to help you bid on and win one of these stunning homes at a fraction of their original cost!

• Over 50% off of original asking price!
• Put as little as 3.5% down (FHA Financing available)
• Perfect for first time home buyers!
• Minimum bids of $195K

These Luxury Boston condos feature:

• Granite Counter Tops
• Bamboo Hardwood Floors
• Large Windows
• Juliette Balconies
• In-Unit Washer/ Dryers
• Stainless Steel Appliances
• Concierge Services

Aububon Park condos are located near Kenmore Square, and are only a short walk away from Fenway Park.  The Fenway/ Kenmore neighborhood is easily accessible via the MBTA Green Line and bus services as well.  The property offers a limited number of parking spaces (priced from $60K- $70K) that will also be available to the winners of the auctions on a first-come/ first-served basis to include in the purchase price of their home.

Minimum bids have been set for these properties, meaning any bids lower than the set price will not be recognized.  From the information posted on the auction website, one-bedroom/ one-bathroom luxury condos are starting with a minimum bid of $225,000 and the two-bedroom/ two-bath luxury condos are starting with a min bid of $325,000.

How Does this Work?

• Call or email Nick Warren at nwarren@warrenre.com or 617-933-9776 to setup a preview of the condos before the auction.
• At the preview you will receive condo docs and budgets if you want to register for the auction.
• CONTACT US TO REGISTER FOR THE AUCTION- YOU MUST BE REGISTERED BY OCT. 17th TO ATTEND.
• Auction day is Tuesday Oct. 19th at the Colonnade Hotel in Back Bay.

I know you will have many more questions about the Fenway / Kenmore condo auctions at Audubon Park, so please don’t hesitate to contact me at 617-933-9776 or nwarren@warrenre.com for answers and to schedule a preview!

For the majority of cities and towns in Massachusetts, home sales have hit a 20 year low, with July home sales falling 26% over the past year.  Here is a list of the 10 Massachusetts towns that have stomped on these statistics and weathered the economic storm.

(Percentages represent increase in sales compared with July 2009)

Cohasset- 130%

Norwood- 117%

Chatham- 100%

Bedford- 78%

Dennis- 41%

Easton- 27%

Brookline- 20%

Melrose- 20%

Hingham- 18%

Marblehead- 18%

Not only did Brookline real estate experience a 20% increase in sales, but this small city also saw an increase in median home prices by 14.5%.  Experts attribute Brookline’s success to its many shops and accessible public transportation. Boston’s young professionals and recent college grads also help make this area recession-proof.

Check out Warren Residential’s online listings of Brookline apartments and condos. You can also view the full article here.

This exclusive small city is a perfect blend of urban and suburban living with plenty to do.  Proving its versatility, there is an active farm with a farm stand, upscale shopping centers, and numerous playgrounds and recreational parks that boast great views of Boston.  It’s also home to the oldest country club in the nation, appropriately titled The Country Club. The location doesn’t hurt either. It’s an easy commute into Boston, and residents can walk a short distance to Fenway to catch a Red Sox game.

Don’t have a family?  Don’t rule Brookline out just yet.  It also made Money Magazine’s list of the ‘Top 25 Best Places for the Rich and Single’.  The article describes these locations as where the highly educated and affluent young professionals reside, and further describes them as “suave” and “sophisticated”.  Looks like Brookline has something for everyone!

Brookline also happens to be filled with some of Boston’s prime luxury real estate. A Warren Residential agent can provide additional information regarding buying or renting a Brookline apartment or Brookline condo. Contact us to help you make the most of your search for Brookline real estate.

You can view the article and the rest of the locations that made the top 100 here.

The building also features the The Vintage Lounge and restaurant, which is inside the building and is a prime after-work meet-up location.  Rent prices range from $2,000 for a small one-bed and $3,500 for a two bedroom. Contact Warren Residential today to get more information and to schedule a viewing in this amazing building.

617-848-9616

Today’s Featured Listing is a prime Boston rental located in Boston’s beautiful South End neighborhood, home to young professionals. The 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment has gorgeous hardwood floors with a decorative fireplace within the living area. It is a bright apartment with high ceilings and Bay windows, and freshly painted to accommodate its new tenants!

The rent is $3,000, which includes heat and hot water.  There is a newly renovated kitchen and bathroom, and street parking s available for an additional fee. To schedule a showing of this apartment or any of our reputable South End apartments, contact us today!

First off, it may be helpful to likening staging your home to that of literally staging a theatrical production. As the “director”, you have to use a critical eye to create an ambience via open space, décor, and furniture. When done correctly, you can create this feel for your buyers that can persuade a purchasing decision.

For example, the layout of rooms can generate ideas of how buyers can use the space. Where did you put the couch in relation to where you could put the TV? Is a mass of electrical cording indicating lack of outlets? Is that single computer on the office desk in front of a light-streaming window, which is reminiscent of model home catalogue? Anything that can be perceived as cramming to its limit can unconsciously make buyers feel uneasy. This is especially true for the snooping buyer who goes into an overflowing closet. A neatly organized office or living space conveys a feeling of accomplishment and success, as buyers feel as if they can get things done in your home. Something as simple as this can lead to an offer.

Here are three tips you can use to stage your home:

• De-clutter: Clutter is a give-in with any home, as we tend to accumulate over the years. However, it can be a huge distraction to potential buyers, as it’s difficult to imagine a home without the clutter.
• De-Personalize: Personal photos or trinkets can also hold more time and attention of your buyers than your actual home. Store these items temporarily, or pack them up – aren’t you moving soon?
• Brighten and Lighten: This goes back to the look of the model home catalogue, and going for that ideal atmosphere and aesthetic. A dark house with mood lighting can be good for your personal, creative ambience, but bright light is best for showing your home.

In following these simple things, you can improve your chances of selling your home through home staging. You want the potential buyers of your Boston loft to envision their life there – and to make you an offer!

View the full article here.

(Image is from a WarrenRe listing – click here for full listing details!)

Instead, it could be as little as two years. In a bulletin to lenders April 14, mortgage giant Fannie Mae said it is relaxing its previous rules that prevented loan applicants who have participated in short sales or deeds in lieu of foreclosure from obtaining a new mortgage for extended periods of time. The new rules are scheduled to take effect July 1.

Homeowners who’ve done short sales – such as under the Obama administration’s new Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program – will also be able to qualify for a mortgage in as little as two years. Though Fannie Mae officials declined to discuss the reasoning behind the changes, the bulletin to lenders said the company hopes to encourage troubled borrowers to work out solutions that avoid the heavy costs of foreclosure.

If  borrowers can demonstrate that their mortgage problems were directly attributable to “extenuating circumstances” – such as loss of employment, medical expenses or divorce – they may be able to qualify for new loans with minimum 10 percent down payments in just two years. Housing and consumer counseling advocates welcomed Fannie’s relaxation of rules that had penalized borrowers who lost their houses following layoffs, illness and other unforeseen catastrophic financial events.

“This is a positive move,” said Marietta Rodriguez, director of homeownership and lending for NeighborWorks America, a national nonprofit network created by Congress to assist with homeowner financial counseling and community development.

“We all know that there are many people who through no fault of their own have to sell” – but were blocked from repurchasing a house for four years or longer, even though they’d rebuilt their credit, had qualifying incomes, and were fully capable of handling a mortgage responsibly.

(Source:  HARNEY, KENNETH R.: The Nation’s Housing. April 25, 2010)

While the market continues to fluctuate, Mark Strickland of www.bostonrealestateobserver.com notes that the current real estate market trends for the South Boston neighborhood potentially weigh in favor for both the seller and buyer. Strickland defines these advantages as follows:
•    Seller Advantage Market – there is currently less than a six (6) month supply of homes for sale
•    Buyer Advantage Market – there is currently more than a six (6) month supply of homes for sale

As of January 21st, 2010, all condos priced at or under $499K in South Boston are in a Seller Advantage Market, whereas all other condos are in a Buyer Advantage Market. All multi-families are in a Seller Advantage Market, as are single-family homes priced under $499K. Single-family homes priced between $500K and $749K are in a Buyer Advantage Market.
While this data shouldn’t indicate that there are NO exceptions, it provides a good understanding of where the market is and where you can go from here. Stickland further explains his terminology: “In a Seller Advantage Market, a particular owner may be flexible on price if there are mitigating circumstances such as a pending relocation, or the pre-purchase of another home. Similarly, in a Buyer Advantage Market there are always going to be sellers who are unrealistically inflexible on their price because they are in no hurry to sell, or still unrealistically believe that their home is worth far more than it actually is.” He also recommends hiring a good Marketing Agent or Buyer’s Agent to understand your individual circumstances within the larger context of your neighborhood’s market conditions.

(This data was compiled through a 12-month rolling calendar from December 2008 to December 2009 for condos, multi-family and single-family homes. You can find more information on additional Boston neighborhoods in the full article, here)

Also make sure to check out our selection of available South Boston Apartments!