In Accent Insights the Accent Realty team of Avi Kaufman and Ron Scharf share their real estate and Brookline expertise as your guide to the market, approximately 10-20 minutes at a time. Each episode shares an inside view on an aspect of real estate - tour insights on new and unique properties, updates on the Brookline market, and deep dives on a variety of topics. #AccentRealty #BrooklineMA #RealEstate #Brookline
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Accent Insights


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New Year, but continued housing shortages continue to prop up home prices
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18:14
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18:14
Will overflowing demand for housing continue to protect the Brookline/Newton/Greater Boston market? It may be a New Year, but continued housing shortages may continue to prop up home prices.Despite what we've been reading in national news of a slowing market, the real estate market here seems to be following our typical seasonal trends. Buyers are …
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Winter is coming, interest rates are up... What's happening in Brookline real estate now?
27:35
27:35
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27:35
You've seen the national headlines: interest rates are up, the housing market is slowing, and inventory is growing. What's happening here, in Brookline and Greater Boston? It's not a single story. In this episode we go through the numbers, discuss several specific examples that fall into different scenarios, and strategy for this new environment.FE…
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Interview with Brookline for Everyone co-founder Jeff Wachter
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37:21
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37:21
Fascinating interview with Jeff Wachter, co-founder of Brookline for Everyone (http://www.brooklineforeveryone.com/), a grassroots organization that advocates for housing policies that promote economic diversity, racial inclusion, and environmental sustainability in our town. Jeff Wachter (he/him) lives in Brookline Village with his wife and 3 chil…
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Interest rates rising, Stock market falling. What's going on with housing? May 2022
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27:37
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27:37
Interest rates are rising, stock market is falling. What's that mean for the real estate housing market in Brookline and Greater Boston? First, we examine some leading indicators in the stats. Then we discuss a number of new listings and "price improved" listings. 47 Kenwood St, Brookline, MA 0244687 Coolidge St, Brookline, MA 02446114 Sewall Ave U…
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Behind the curtain - an interview with Mike Yanovitch, former Deputy Building Commissioner
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34:49
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Mike Yanovitch is the former Deputy Building Commissioner of Brookline. This was a fascinating interview and Mike gives it to us straight, pulling the curtain back on how permitting and zoning work. Topics discussed include:- Why is Brookline zoning so complex? Does that inhibit building?- We ask about how the building department works. What's the …
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Pitfalls and perils of purchase process different for new construction - with attorney David Haimi
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33:50
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33:50
Homes for sale are scarce, giving sellers the upper hand. This is even more true for new construction homes in this market, which results in an unusual power dynamic when home buyers get under contract with home builders. Special guest real estate attorney David Haimi discusses with us how buying a new construction home is different than buying an …
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PART 2: The future of Brookline, with Select Board Member John VanScoyoc
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20:18
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The future of Brookline; Select Board Member John VanScoyoc joins us to discuss Brookline's proposed Comprehensive Plan, and other matters of interest to the town and its citizens. At the heart of the discussion, we hear from John on the tension between different and sometimes opposing goals, such as affordable housing, historic preservation, and b…
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PART 1: The future of Brookline, with Select Board Member John VanScoyoc
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The future of Brookline; Select Board Member John VanScoyoc joins us to discuss Brookline's proposed Comprehensive Plan, and other matters of interest to the town and its citizens. At the heart of the discussion, we hear from John on the tension between different and sometimes opposing goals, such as affordable housing, historic preservation, and b…
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Pricing is hard! Lessons from the Zillow iBuyer debacle and how we approach pricing
20:48
20:48
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Zillow exits the iBuyer business, lays off 25% of staff, and CEO says "We've determined the unpredictability in forecasting home prices far exceeds what we anticipated..."They've discovered what we've known all along - pricing is hard! We discuss where they might have gone wrong, and how we approach pricing as experienced, local Realtors. FEEDBACK …
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Exodus: Are the suburbs on fire while the city cools? A new market dynamic
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16:12
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There continues to be strong demand for housing. In the Boston suburbs in particular we are observing an almost insatiable appetite for well-maintained single family homes, resulting in record making bidding wars and price increases. But that does not seem to be the case closer to the city. Do the numbers bear this out? We discuss our observations,…
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Summertime and the condo buying is easy. What to expect post-Labor Day?
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August 2021: Inventory is rising, at least for condos in Brookline. What does that mean for the real estate market? Ron and Avi review the stats and discuss. We also look ahead to post-Labor day expectations.By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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June 2021, is the market overheating... or starting to slow down?
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23:52
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June 2021: Is the market overheating, or is it starting to slow down? As usual, it's not a simple answer. We look at the data and compare to the prior 5 years.We share recent examples of sales which we believe are illustrative of the current trends.And we talk about pricing strategy and why it's so hard for so many sellers.…
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A roller coaster of emotion: we dissect four recent deals
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27:25
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27:25
Sellers act with imperfect information, and evaluate risk differently. This results in sometimes irrational behavior - and hairy deals! This week we dissect several recent transactions. Strap in - it's a roller coaster of emotion!FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS? Email us! info@accentbrookline.com** Accent Realty, 617-396-3206, www.accentbrookline.com **AVI K…
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Ferrets and Dogs and Cats, oh my! Considerations when buying a condo
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Most condo associations have rules around what pets you may or may not own. There is actually quite a bit of variety in how these rules are crafted, and what their implications are. We discuss some of the ins and outs of pet rules in home owner associations. FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS? Email us! info@accentbrookline.com** Accent Realty, 617-396-3206, ww…
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Local Historic Districts: an extreme solution to an imaginary problem with negative consequences
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Brookline has eight Local Historic Districts (LHDs), and some neighborhoods are advocating to add more. What is an LHD, what problem are they intended to address, and what are the drawbacks? Are these extreme solutions to something that's not actually a problem, with negative side effects? FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS? Email us! info@accentbrookline.com**…
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Renovating your home? why trust trumps all and there is no perfect contract.
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21:59
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Renovations! Why trust trumps all and there is no perfect contract. Are you thinking of renovating your home? In this episode we discuss three typical types of contracts your builder might present you with: fixed cost, cost plus, and time and material. Each has its pitfalls. Listen to find out why! FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS? Email us! info@accentbrookl…
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Only 2 hours from the Berkshires, Think of the Changes it Brings...
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BERKSHIRE COUNTY is only 2 hours away on the Pike, and oh the changes it brings. It is, of course, still in Massachusetts and subject to all the same real estate laws and regulations. And yet, Berkshire County differs in custom and practice from the rest of the state. We discuss the pragmatic differences. [**Segment starts at the 6:20 mark**].Altho…
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Sky high inventory, deadly Gas Stoves, and new Luxury Listings.
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1. What's going on in the market? Wow... there are 153% more condos for sale now than this time in prior years. We talk about how the unusually high inventory represents a rare opportunity for buyers. 2. "Kill Your Gas Stove: It’s bad for you, and the environment. If you can afford to avoid it, you probably should." Almost all high end listings hav…
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No longer just rentals...a renaissance in the Brookline streets bordering Allston
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October 1, 2020--- Today we talk about streets *just* inside Brookline adjacent to the Allston & Brighton neighborhoods of Boston. These streets used to have a very student feel with somewhat rundown multi-family rental houses. Many of those have been gut renovated over the past few years into owner occupied condos and the streets have undergone a …
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One week after Labor Day 2020 and inventory is popping!
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16:59
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16:59
There were a rush of new listings post Labor Day. How does that compare to last year?We discuss that, and then we review several recent listings and what they tell us about the market:39 Thorndike St, BrooklineSingle family, $1.8M, 7 beds, 3.1 baths, 3,220 square feet28 Stanton Road, BrooklineCondo, $819K, 3 beds, 1 bath, 1,148 square feetNew const…
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Where are they now? Re-visiting 4 luxury Brookline listings
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This episode we re-visit four luxury priced properties we previously discussed and update you on how they're doing. Which ones are still for sale, and which have accepted offers:- 79 Kenwood St, Brookline- 33 Winthrop Road Unit 2, Brookline- 67 Toxteth Street, Brookline- 56-58 Perry St Unit 2, BrooklineAugust 14, 2020 QUESTIONS? Email us! info@acce…
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Homes for sale and rent increased over 100%! What's going on?
13:56
13:56
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13:56
There has been a remarkable increase in the number of homes for sale and rent in Brookline and Greater Boston over the past month. In Brookline, for example, the number of condos for sale is 103% greater than this time last year. In this episode we discuss what's contributing to these dramatic increases, and what it means for the market. July 30, 2…
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Two unusual offerings this week... if you know how to take advantage
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11:23
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11:23
Many new homes for sale this week, but we discuss two unusual ones that offer unique opportunities if you know how to take advantage of it. 3 Greenway Court, Brookline is an attractive apartment complex of seven units being newly converted to condos. Prime Coolidge Corner location. 25 Stanton Road, Brookline is a single-family house in a two-family…
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Summer ...and the Spring market... have arrived!
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Summer ...and the Spring market... have arrived! 1) We break down the number for you. Inventory is still down year-to-date approximately 25%, but remarkably June MTD is up 37%. What's this mean?2) 168 Tremont St, Newton. This is Avi's new listing we talked about last week. It got 60 showings in 3 days, and received 14 offers. We talk strategy and h…
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On the Market: an affordable single-family, and high end resales
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14:03
This week we discuss a new Accent Realty listing at 168 Tremont Street, Newton, an affordable 5-bedroom single family home, with driveway and attractive fenced back yard, in Newton, listed for $689,000. Avi talks about his strategy for a property that needs work. http://168tremont.avirealestate.com/We also talk about several high-end recently const…
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Lies, damn lies, and statistics: we review results from our economic sentiment survey + market stats
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In this episode we review the results from our survey, and then discuss them in the context of recent real estate market performance in Brookline. We are very grateful to everyone who responded to our economic sentiment survey. The full analysis is available here:http://www.accentbrookline.com/survey/ To recap, Accent Realty conducted this short, a…
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Agent Journey: Ryan Cook reflects back on one of his first sales
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10:31
As part of our "Agent Journey" series, we are checking in with Ryan Cook, a real estate agent who joined Accent Realty last year. We last podcast with Ryan in episode 37, in December 2019. In this episode Ryan reflects back on one of his first transactions as a new agent. Ryan is a Newton resident, ski enthusiast, and real estate agent. We will con…
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Accent interviews John VanScoyoc, candidate for Brookline Select Board
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22:53
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John VanScoyoc read Avi's blog post on affordable housing (http://blog.avirealestate.com/reports/2020/02/23/affordable-housing-observations-00-intro.html) and reached out to learn more. Although our views differed, it was a great discussion, and we thought our listeners would like to hear from John as well. About our guest:John VanScoyoc is running…
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Brookline Market Update 4/23/2020 - Which homes are selling now?
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Questions or Observations? Let us know: Accent Realty, Email: info@accentbrookline.com, 617-396-3206, www.accentbrookline.com**Avi Kaufman, avi@avirealestate.com, 617-751-1040, www.avirealestate.com ****Ron Scharf, ronscharf.re@gmail.com, 617-221-3122 **By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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How is the Brookline real estate market functioning 1-month into lockdown?
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One month into the Covid19 lockdown - How is the Brookline real estate market functioning? What are we seeing and what does it mean? That's our topic for today! We discuss a variety of considerations, new strategies, and actual properties on the market. What are you seeing? CONTACT ACCENT REALTY:Accent Realty, Email: info@accentbrookline.com, 617-3…
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How COVID-19 could derail a real estate sale. Special Guest: Attorney David Haimi
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We discuss the impacts of COVID-19 with our special guest, real estate attorney David Haimi. - What happens if the Registry of Deeds is closed?- What if the Fire Department won't conduct the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector Inspection?- What if a buyer or seller is stuck in quarantine and can't close?- And other questions... Let us know your ques…
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How coronavirus is starting to affect the real estate market
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11:05
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11:05
By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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Contrasting 3 home styles this week: Warm New England, New Construction Modern, and Old World charm
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13:41
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By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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Homes for sale! Spring 2020 has finally started!
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By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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More listener questions! Walkthroughs, inspections, and scouting associations
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15:25
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By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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How is this *still* for sale? A rare large 4-bedroom on Winthrop Rd for under $1.3M.
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By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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Live show: we record from the car as we tour properties 1/29/2020
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10:11
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By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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What could go wrong? Stories with a top real estate attorney: Part 2 of 2
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17:38
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By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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An illuminating Interview with David Haimi, a top real estate attorney: Part 1 of 2
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20:13
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By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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New properties for the New Year; welcome to 2020!
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By Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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Agent Journey: We interview Ryan Cook, an agent who recently joined Accent Realty
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In this episode we interview Ryan Cook, a Newton resident, ski enthusiast, and real estate agent who recently joined our firm. We will check in with Ryan and his real estate sales journey in future episodes as well. - How did Ryan come to Real Estate?- Why do we believe he is such a good fit for Accent Realty?- What is his previous background and h…
Several unique properties were listed this week in Brookline. Due to their uniqueness they offer potential deals. 108 Crowninshield Road. 57 Westbourne Terrace. 188 Rawson Rd #B.Questions? Contact us! info@accentbrookline.comBy Avi Kaufman & Ron Scharf
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Making Brookline bike friendly! An interview with Len Wholey, Town Meeting Member
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A fascinating interview with Len Wholey, a Brookline Town Meeting Member (precinct 11), who is also on the Bike Advisory Committee and involved with making Brookline safer for bicycling. Hear about his efforts on the bridle path, a protected bike lane that will run on Beacon Street from Saint Mary's Street to Cleveland Circle, as well as his involv…
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[Tour Insights] New construction or do-it-yourself? We compare two single-family opportunities
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This week we compare and contrast a beautiful new construction project on Goreham Ave with a single-family do-it-yourself opportunity nearby on Welland Road. 38 & 40 Goreham Ave, BrooklineTwo gorgeous new construction townhouses by the high school$2,750,000 and $2,825,00054 Welland Rd, BrooklineA single-family that needs some updating. A potential …
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These four listings are like a survey course of Brookline real estate.
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These four houses for sale together are like a survey course in the state of the Brookline real estate market at the moment:- 79 University Rd U: 1, Brookline: 3 beds 3 baths for $1.3M- 68 Columbia St, Brookline: 4 beds 2 baths for $1.5M- 115 Sewall Ave Unit 1, Brookline: 3 beds 2.5 baths for $1.8M. UPDATE: under agreement. - 41-43 Stearns Rd, Broo…
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Cross currents: Is it still a red hot sellers market or is it cooling slightly?
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41 Addington Road went quickly - before the first open house! What happened?Is it still a red hot sellers market or is it cooling slightly?Here are four places that are surprisingly still available after multiple weekends:88 Pleasant St Apt 3, Brookline66 Columbia St Apt 1, Brookline28 Alton Place, Apt F, Brookline255 Walnut St, Apt C, BrooklineAnd…
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Two hot listings! 41 Park St & 41 Addington Rd, Brookline
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There are a ton of listings and open houses this weekend, over 25 posted already. Today we discuss our two favorites: - 41 Park Street APT 205, Brookline, MA 02446 (http://41park.avirealestate.com/)- 41 Addington Road, APT 2, Brookline, MA 02445**41 Park St**BEAUTIFUL MOVE-IN READY CONDO IN AN ELEVATOR BUILDING WITH IDEAL BROOKLINE LOCATION. Featur…
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Week 2 of the post-Labor Day Bonanza: how is the market doing?
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Week 2 of the Brookline fall real estate market. How is the market doing?We check in on what happened with the three listings we discussed last week; all three under agreement. And we talk about three "new" listings this week:- 24 Saint Paul St Unit 1, Brookline. 713 SqFt, 2 beds, $618K- 28 Alton Place Unit F, Brookline. 1554 SqFt, 3 beds, $1.25M. …
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Post Labor Day Listing Bonanza; how does it compare to prior years?
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The inventory of homes for sale always dries up over the summer, and then surges back after Labor Day. We take an early look at this year's post-Labor Day surge. Is it bigger than previous years and what does that mean for the market?Also, Tour Insights. We discuss two similar 2-bedrooms for sale in Coolidge Corner, with different prices:50 Green S…
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[Listener Questions] We answer 6 listener questions!
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In this week's episode we answer questions from our listeners:1. What are pocket listings? Are they real or just a marketing come-on?2. Is it expensive to work with a Buyer's Agent?3. Can I get a better deal going direct to the listing agent?4. What’s the best search app?5. Do I need a pre-approval if i’m making a cash offer, or what do I need inst…