Graph from the Boston Globe

As time has worn on and the recession has stuck (for now, at least), the rental market has been flooded with potential renters but not much more in rental availability says the Boston Globe. Just as new renters are starting to look for a new place to call home, many experts are concerned that the increase in rent rates will be too much for lower-income families and young adults just starting on their own.

A few commentators acknowledged that this had to do with Boston’s appeal as a place for learning and a relatively steady job market as compared to the national rate. However, this poses still more challenges for those looking for apartments. Since 2005, the average rent has soared 12.5% in the Metro Boston area. To combat the shortage, developers are breaking ground on almost 2,000 apartments, many of which have been deemed affordable.

The tip for renters is to start looking as early as possible. Many apartments are due to start appearing on the market by the end of February, with many more from the surrounding neighborhoods like Brookline and Allston in April or May.

If you’re concerned about whether you should own or rent your home, please contact us. Our expert team will help make the right decision for you and your family.

Read the rest of the Globe article here.

1. Have your furnance inspected, cleaned, and maintanced if needed. Try to keep away any belongings to avoid a potential fire hazard.

2. If you have a fireplace, make sure to keep it closed when not in use to avoid pests and losing heat. Have it cleaned if needed. Be sure to store any firewood away from the outside of the house and keep it in a dry area.

3. Check the gutters and roof of your home. Insulate the attic in order to avoid ice dams, and make sure the gutters are clear of debris.

4. Check exteriors, doors, and windows and fix any cracks or damaged parts that could let in cold air or snow.

5. Rake away any debris and seal any cracks you find. No need to pick up any pests this winter. Check with an exterminator if you think you find an infestation.

6. In case of pipe freeze, know where your water main is located in order to shut it off for an emergency. Insulate any exposed pipes to prevent a burst.

7. Install a smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, and a fire extinguisher.

8. Move any sensitive plants indoors and trim tree banches away from your home and power lines.

9. Prepare an emergency kit of flashlights, batteries, first aid kit, and a dry food supply in case of a power outage.

10. Make sure you have a good supply of snow salt and shovels.

Keep your home (and your family) nice and warm with these helpful tips.

Loft with 180-degree views of the Boston City Skyline

Bushari Group Real Estate is pleased to present 141 Dorchester Ave Unit 101, in the McCallen Building, in South Boston for purchase. This property offers a chic contemporary loft-like feel with two generous sized bedrooms. The open kitchen/dining/living layout, sleek cabinetry and high-end stainless steel appliances bring out a modern sophistication; one that you’d be likely to see in LA or NYC, but a true rarity in Boston.

The living space has wall-to-wall windows with views of the the Downtown Boston skyline. Just outside your door is a huge private patio with a 4-person jacuzzi. The master bedroom offers an ensuite bath and a generous dressing room, just off the main room. The second bedroom also offers a large closet system and an oversized window that brings in an abundance of morning light. The home comes with one deeded garage parking space.

The McCallen building is a full service luxury building with many common amenities such as a common heated lap pool, Movie screening room with a full kitchen attached for entertaining, a common yard and grills for your Summer enjoyment, gym and 24-hour concierge services.

The McCallen Building in South Boston is in a prime location. It’s just across the street from the Red line Broadway T Station (just one stop from South Station to connect to silver line for the air port). There are bus lines that go direct into the city in with varying drop-off spots- from Back Bay to Financial District. The property is within a 10-15 minute walk to South End, Financial District and the heart of the Seaport District.

The location offers many entrainment choices from casual local pubs to fine dining. Here are just a couple to check out:

Local 149- Upscale Comfort Food, lounge-like feel (but your favorite sports games will still be on).

Amrheins- Best known for their amazing brunch has been rated “Best of Boston” in 2006 and 2009. For Dinner enjoy scrumptious steaks, seafood and overstuffed sandwiches.

Stats- This bar is packed on game nights. Come with your jersey on and be prepared to eat, drink and cheer.

American Provisions- This is a local, organic, gourmet grocery store. The store has a varietal of cheeses and cured meats. There is always fresh fish on Fridays (the owner head’s to the Cape that morning). You never know what it’s going to be, but you know that it will always fresh!

There is so much more to South Boston from the parks, the beaches, the harbor, Castle Island and all the other wonderful local establishments that make this neighborhood one of the best (yet underrated) neighborhood’s in all of Boston. I can talk about this area for days; perhaps because I live here, but also because their is so much to do and see!

If you want to learn more about South Boston, or would like to set up a showing for this listing, or others in the neighborhood, do not hesitate to contact me.

Andrea McDonough
Bushari Group RE
Email: andrea@bushari.com
Cell: 617-733-1238

Clear out temporary clutter

You know the kind: bills that pile high, children’s old homework, last Sunday’s newspaper, and the sweater you wore last night you were too tired to hang up. This simple step of organizing items the moment you bring them into the house will go a long way to clear up living spaces and help keep up the appearance of clean home should you not sell your home after the first showing. Plus, this step has been known to help individuals reduce stress in their day-to-day life once they can finally find where they left their keys.

Detangle messy spots

If you can’t walk into your closet, it needs cleaning. If can’t find where the crock pot went in your kitchen, it needs organizing. These are tall-tell signs that these spots require a bit more attention than others. Be prepared to spend a lazy Sunday re-organizing your desk or shelves. It can make all the difference to a potential home buyer if they can see inside the closet or  look at how spacious the kitchen is.

Small steps go a long way

Don’t feel as if this is a race to the finish line and rush to get the job done haphazardly. Like the previous step, identifying problem areas will help deal with the monumental task of shifting through years of history and droves of sentimental attachment. Give yourself time. Which also means, don’t wait until the night before your first showing to start cleaning.

Make it a family affair

Getting other members of the household in on the action will not only help alleviate the pressure, but also keep up the look of a show-ready home in less amount of time. Phew, now if only we can get the kids to clean up their rooms.

Lastly, keep a list of what need to be done visible

Some realtors will have such a form to give you once you decide to sell your home. This visual reminder will also help you keep tract of the chores that need to be done. It’s okay if potential buyers see this list; they know a family already lives in the home here. Plus, other members of the household can pitch in and help as long as the list can be easily found in the hallway, living room, or posted on the door of the refrigerator.

Hopefully, these tips can help you on your way to selling your home. If you’re looking for realtors to help you with that and more, please contact us! We can help buy or sell your home with ease.

As she tells “Realty Times,” shoppers trudging through winter weather and the same hectic holidays are often more intent on buying than browsing. Plus, home-seeking couples will be able to take off time from work to make a decision quicker and see the property together. Potential buyers who have passed the busier spring and summer season tend to be a discerning batch and may be more likely to find their home sooner rather than later. Plus, the upside to all the home decorations is that it may appeal to home buyers to see the home dressed up for the holidays. It’s a lived-in feel that most show-ready homes may lack. But what about the stress, the hassle of showing a home during the holidays? Ling advises to trust your Realtor. Do a quick five minute clean-up in the morning and your Realtor will handle the showings while you’re out working or shopping. They’ll handle the work your can’t possibly squeeze into your schedule.

And remember, just because you sign a contract, it doesn’t mean you’ll be forced to move the next day. Many families want to settle in before the new semester or by spring break, so your time frame may differ. It may take 60 to 90 days after the closing before moving time, well away from the holiday season.

So this holiday season, keep an open mind and an open home. You never know what kind of gift you’ll get when you work with your Realtor to sell your home.

If you are interested in selling your home, let us know! We’ll be more than happy to help  you. The rest of the article can be found at “Realty Times.”

In a picturesque hop off the end of the MBTA Blue Line is a wonderful hideaway community that have slashed prices in time for the holidays. If you rent at Alterra Overlook before December 14th, a one bedroom will only cost $1294 a month and a two bedroom is $1567 a month. Direct TV and internet is included. However, if you still need time to think about it, you can sign after the 14th for a one bedroom at $1370, a two bedroom at $1669, and studio apartments at $1231. If you’re interested in keeping your Comcast service, you can for a nominal fee.

All the apartments are no fee! Families with pets can sign after the 14th for an additional small monthly fee.

Amenities include a heated outdoor pool, a clubroom, children’s play areas, business center, indoor basketball court and gym, community activities, and a theater room. The apartments offer a shuttle straight to the Wonderland T stop. The area is cloistered, giving a much more private feeling just minutes outside of bustling city of Boston.

If you’re curious to learn more about Alterra at OverlookRidge, please contact us at one of our sites.

One Back Bay boasts a state of the art lounge, beautifully landscaped outdoor sun deck, gardens, and dining options, a terrace with BBQ grill, state-of-the-art private fitness center, children’s interactive play and party room, a convenient electronic and credit card rent payment, and move-in coordination, on-site restaurant offering home delivery and catering, on-site gourmet market, a 24-hour concierge, doorman service, a bicycle room,  24-hour valet parking with direct building access, wireless internet access in public spaces, in unit washer/dryers, electronic package notification system, and a professional on-site resident.  Additional  optional amenities include 200+ Channel Cable and/or Satellite TV Service plus Valet, Maid and Dry Cleaning Services.

This is the suite life you’ve been looking for. Please contact us to look at these apartment or for answers to any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you.

Boston is ramping up for millions of square feet of new development; a mixture of office, residential, commercial, retail and hotel space. As a Buyer in the Boston market, you need to know what’s going to be built in your neighborhood and the appreciation potential on your home. Luxury residential space can add significant marginal value, so it’s in your best interest to buy in before the development sells and reap the benefits later.  There are hundreds of projects that have reached Boston Redevelopment Board Approval and even more projects waiting for approval. Each week I will be zoning in on one neighborhood in Boston and giving you all the details you’ll need to know in order to make an educated decision on where to buy and when.

Here we go:

333-339 West Broadway
This 5-story project will consist of 15 condominiums with two affordable units, approximately 21,500 square feet of combined living space, 23 below-grade parking spaces and 1 commercial space on the first floor. The building will consist of one bedroom and two bedroom units, all with exterior decks.

The property is located across the street from Shenannigan’s. The location is just two blocks from the Broadway T Station and a 20-30 minute walk into South End, just over the West Fourth Bridge, which makes this project perfect for downtown commuters.

The project is being developed by  Paul Adamson and Mark Cummins along side the design group TJA Architect LLC. The most recent project from Adamson and Cummins was 257 West 3^rd Street, which sold very quickly in May 2008, ranging from $599,000-$635,000.

This project is centrally located in a plethora of other projects- from approval to completion.  There a little over a dozen projects underway from the south, 2.5 million square feet of new construction coming from the Seaport District, just north East of the project and several other projects on the western side of Southie along Old colony and D street.

First + First
This project consists of 22 single family town homes. This project is extremely unique in it’s concept of “vertical living” – a unique way of laying out a home in a vertical fashion that maximizes space. Each home will consist of a ground floor with a full sized two-car garage and sufficient storage space, laundry room and entry hall. The first floor will have an open layout for versatile living and a European style kitchen with an island and breakfast bar. The second floor will have two bedrooms with ample closet space and the third floor with be the master bedroom with an ensuite bath, large closets and a spacious outdoor terrace.

The developer Trocadero is a boutique- style company that has done several projects in South Boston.  They are working along side Utile, Inc an architectural group to maximize design asceticism. The developers are working to meet environmentally responsible standards and seeking to achieve LEED certification.  The properties will feature energy efficient Bosch and GE appliances, Energy-efficient windows and recyclable building materials, as well as other requirements set forth by LEED standards.

Currently six of the twenty-two homes have sold as pre-construction sales. The prices range from $559,000-$599,000

The Distillery
This project is by far one of the most interesting projects I’ve seen yet. The development will contain 65 residential units, including a mix of artist live/work, loft-style and conventional units, 147 parking spaces, an art gallery, greenhouse, and small scale retail space.  Existing Distillery building will be preserved and the project will happen adjacent to the current Distillery site at the 1966 bottling plant. Designed with Icon Architects, it will ultimately include artist live/work studios, loft style residences, underground music practice rooms, an open courtyard venue for performances, a restaurant, a market, a greenhouse, galleries, retail space, an artist residency program, rooftop gardens, open green space, and public artworks.

The new Distillery building will be Passive House certified, and will use approximately 10% of the energy of an ordinary new building, a figure that far surpasses the benchmarks set by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system which has become the standard in this country. In addition to these energy reduction figures, the building will incorporate numerous other green technologies such as cogeneration of electricity, recycled gray water, drain heat recovery, strategic daylight shading, community gardening and food production, and composting.

While Passive House is quickly becoming common in Europe, the Distillery development will be the largest Passive House building in the United States. The project aims to set a precedent for sustainable building while fostering a growing creative community.

In conjunction with this new development, the developers and affiliates are working on improving the efficiency and environmental impact of transportation to and from The Distillery and the neighboring buildings. A collaboration with the MBTA is in the works to reroute a downtown bus line to stop at our site, in as well as additional Zip Cars, new electric car charging stations, and networked community carpooling.

Pricing is not available at this time. If you’d like to be on a list for updates, please visit my website.

Other Projects to look out for:
There are dozens of other small-scale projects underway in this community. I’ve created a list below. If you have any questions, or would like more information on any of these projects, please visit my website and place an inquiry. I would be more than happy to send you more information.

1. 11 West Broadway- 50 Residential rental Units and 8,000sf of ground floor retail

2. 360 West Second- 4-story structure for the provision of 25 rental units and 25 parking spaces.

3. Channel Wharf- 45 units of housing and 68 parking spaces.

4. 371 D Street- 585 residential condominium units in 4 buildings with approximately 724 parking

5. 339 D Street- 24 units and 30 parking spaces within a 4-story building.

6. 902 East Second- 44 residential units and 49 parking spaces

7. 881 East Second- 16 units and 34 parking spaces in a new 4-story structure.

8. Patriot Homes- 24 new units of affordable housing for veterans and includes the adaptive reuse of the former D Street police station building and the construction of a new building.

9. 395 West Broadway- 24 rental units and 20 parking spaces with ground floor commercial space in the former South Boston Tribune building at 395 West Broadway.

10. Saint Augustine’s at 205 E Street- Conversion of Saint Augustine’s School building into 39 residential units and 47 parking spaces.

Building amenities include a concierge, a fitness center and spa, two restaurants, a beautifully decorated lobby with museum art, convenient location just one block away from the Red Line, a zen garden, Wi-fi throughout the building, a business center.

There are open two bedroom/two bathroom available now and many more units opening up at the start of December. A few 1 bedroom units open up next week as does the first available studio. Please contact us if you are interested in looking at this innovative locale. We look forward to hearing from you.

HarborView has recently announced that there is current and upcoming availability in their building. Right now, there are an assortment of 2 bedroom apartments open to be filled. More apartments will open up in December and January.

Each apartment boasts a convenient location to the MBTA, plenty of windows, hardwood floors, plush carpet in bedrooms, a washer/dryer, already wired for telecommunications, Granite counters, European-style rift-cut oak cabinets, stainless steel appliances, marble baths, and large glass showers.

IF you have any questions or would like to arrange a viewing of an apartment contact us. For more informative on HarborView, check out their site.