General Index 

Homes For Sale in Northbridge Market Report

Northbridge is chugging along. We see some trends here that have been noted throughout the region. Very active market for the last 3 months, falling DOM for actives as a number of new listings hit the market (134 down from 196). Falling prices from the peak last fall. Pretty typical stuff.  The one surprise I noted was that there was a huge jump in short-sale inventory - 7 homes - which may be showing an increase in optimism that these deals can get done and the final bubble of bank impacted inventory will be moving out of Northbridge this summer.

Can’t see the chart? You can find it Here .

What should home buyers do in Northbridge?

Home buyers should make sure that the new construction that's available fits their needs and that they have properly negotiated. There's competition in Northbridge, buyers should take advantage. Buyers not looking for new construction should be aware that the re-sale market is pretty hot, and home might be going fast if the condition and location are favorable.

What should home sellers do in Northbridge?

Home sellers should be aware that many of them will be competing with new construction. Even when your house style price range is outside that demographic, the construction is the "benchmark" price in the area. Making sure your home is in the best showing condition will improve your feedback and offer percentages.

Northbridge Recent Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data 

• Northbridge‘s “Home Seller Index” (HSI): 93 Last Report: 92
• There are 67 homes listed as For Sale.
• There have been 85 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 64 homes sold in the last 3 months in Northbridge.
• The Average number of Days on Market was 141 days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 134 days of theNorthbridge homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $152 (vs. $157)
• There was an Average Sold Price of $322,437 for sold homes.
• Northbridge,MA, has 2 properties advertised as lender owned or foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• There are 7 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by the lender.

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Matt’s HSI is proprietary. (That means you won’t find it anywhere else. Take that, Case-Schilling!).

More Great Reads!

• Quick reference guide for buyers and sellers
• Current Massachusetts Smoke Detector Laws Explained. Read -before - you go to the hardware store.
• How do I calculate true mortgage closing costs?
• What should I know before buying a new construction house or condo?
• What exactly is the state of Massachusetts 40B zoning?
• A look at some of the hottest towns to buy real estate in Massachusetts.
• What is a mortgage commitment letter and why is it important?

About Matt Heisler

Matt Heisler is a real-estate professional and owner of this website. He has been selling homes in MA for buyers and sellers for over 20 years. He is an expert in foreclosure purchases, short-sale purchases, short-sale sales, buy and hold investing, fix and flip investing, and of course traditional residential home sales. He is happy to take questions as they pertain to real estate on Title V, Radon, Termites, Sump Pumps, Roofs, Foundations, Wells, Septic Systems, Cash-Flow, Staging, and a host of other housing issues. As a Vanderbilt University alumnus, he is proud to serve his local community.

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.

Revisionist History Stinks

This is what happens when the Red Sox go through a stretch of lousy baseball. Everyone gets very short memories. One of the things I like about the blog, is when I make a statement, it's here, unaltered, later. I get to see (like everyone else) what I got right, what I got wrong, etc. Whether it's the Sox or Real Estate, my triumphs and failures are here for public consumption.

Not so with radio in this town, and print is scarcely better.

Driving around today, I had to listen to the fact that the Red Sox's outfield was "broken", "worst in baseball", and more. Which it is. But they then starting carping about that it was management's failure in the offseason.I'm thinking to myself, "hmmm, I don't remember anyone complaining out their outfield last year.".  Do you?  They are killing JBJ, who is not hitting, but even I knew he was a ninth hitter on this team, long before the Sox got their rings. His offensive numbers were acceptable in AAA, but hardly stellar, so what really was the expectation here? As for managment, what?

What were they supposed to do? Sign Jacoby Ellsbury? Everyone agrees that contract was stupid. Cut Victorino? After last year, even I was convinced he was worth every penny. Am I going to blame the Red Sox because he played through pain last year, delivered a championship, and can't get his body right because of it? I don't think so. Should blame be place on the Sox putting JBJ in center? Not at all. Sure, he's hit below expectations, but he's a work in progress, and not a thumper.

Let's be clear, you were losing a top player in Ellsbury - but you were hoping to replace him with a significant player in Boegarts. Sound crazy?  It wasn't.

So far this year we have Boegarts slash line: .297/.389/.842

compared to Ellsbury last year: .298/.355/.781

Guess what? Mission accomplished. The player who leads Boston in OWAR? Boegarts. And defensively you are better too - Ellsbury/Drew vs. Bradley/Boegarts? Drew is better than Boegarts, but Bradley is awfully good in center, and I think he's got the nod there.

What about left field?

Oh, yes, left field. Last year, the platoon at the position, Nava and Gomes produced : .278 /.356 / .790, with a note here that Nava produced most of the numbers, but Gomes had some big ABs and RBIs, just like this year, with more unimpressive stats. Even so, they combined to be top 10 in MLB at the position, which could be improved, but hey, it was hardly a position of NEED. NO ONE was saying, "hey, get rid of Nava, he's a stiff" after the World Series. NO ONE predicted he would flat out forget how to hit. So they left it the position the same. Sure, in hindsight, you could have traded Nava. But who trades a guy with his numbers? (Note: He'll remember how to hit again. You don't hit .300 with a .389 OBP by accident). But that's what happened. So you had one injury, one offensive swap and one guy get lost at the plate. There's no mistake there by management. Some bad luck, maybe. Some evidence that you were a little thin offensively. But no obvious mistake.

As to Sizemore, he was a not supposed to be the "solution" at CF.  JBJ was the solution, and Sizemore was part-time insurance.  Expectations that he could play 500 AB's were never expressed by the club, and frankly were unreasonable by any measure.  Your outfield was solid: Nava/Gomes in Left, JBJ in center, and Victorino in RF.  You had Sizemore as a fifth outfielder!!!!!!!! How good was he supposed to be??

What Really Happened

You needed Middlebrooks to improve and Napoli to stay healthy -neither happened. So your issues were first, third, and left field, and you were breaking in two rookies. Hey, you're going to lose some games that way. That's OK, stick it out, and we'll see where we are at the end of July. The mistake the Sox made was signing Drew. What for? You need offense. He's a marginal upgrade offensively AT BEST. And now we risk losing Boegarts at short-stop, where he was a premium player. He might never come back from third. I don't get it. I mean, Drew hit .253/.333/.777 . He was BRUTAL in the playoffs, and had stretches in the regular season where he was just as bad. He was BAD. He had some hot streaks, and the rest of the time was BAD. It's that simple. But the revisionists will tell he was really good against righties, so he's a good player. He's an average to below average player. That's it. Leave Boegarts at SS, and solve your thrid base problems later in the season - if they don't fix themselves.

Well, I'm too late on the Drew advice, but to my mind, that was the first mistake that the Sox Brass made this year.

Homes For Sale in Northborough Market Report

Northborough has been consistently in my "value" area. As I discuss here on the blog, towns that lag in prices or activity (Or both), often see a run where they make up for, while other towns slow down. Guess What? It looks like Northborough time in the sun may be arriving.

Can’t see the chart? You can find it Here .

AT first glance, one might think that's not the case. After all, the HSI actually FELL 10 points, which is not a huge positive. But look at the data below, and you'll see that out of 97 sales in the last 6 months, 73 of them - a whopping 75% - happened in the last 3 months. More importantly, the prices paid have jumped $5/sq foot, when we're seeing a lot of stagnant or even falling prices everywhere else. Buyer are seeing value in Northborough, but at this rate, the good stuff will be gone by Independence day, if it isn't already.

What should home buyers do in Northborough?

You have to be a little more careful now - the really good values are mostly gone - but there are still good values to be had in Northborough. Be aggressive especially with new listings, which right now are attracting a lot of attention.

What should home sellers do in Northborough?

With prices up, and the demand curve up, it might be a good time to look at what prices you can get for your home. Northborough is in the early part of a "Catch up cycle" and this year has been pretty odd, so it's hard to know how long it will last, but things are certainly better than they have been in the last several years. Give me a shout, and we'll talk.

Northborough Recent Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• Northborough‘s “Home Seller Index” (HSI): 114 Last Report: 127
• There are 53 homes listed as For Sale.

  Hey Northborough! Home buyers have finally come a-knockin'.

• There have been 97 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 73 homes sold in the last 3 months in Northborough.
• The Average number of Days on Market was X days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 100 days of the Northborough homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $194 (vs. $189 )
• There was an Average Sold Price of $386,407 for sold homes.
• Northborough, MA, has 2 properties advertised as lender owned or foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• There are 1 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by the lender.

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Matt’s HSI is proprietary. (That means you won’t find it anywhere else. Take that, Case-Schilling!).

More Great Reads!

• Quick reference guide for buyers and sellers
• Current Massachusetts Smoke Detector Laws Explained. Read -before - you go to the hardware store.
• How do I calculate true mortgage closing costs?
• What should I know before buying a new construction house or condo?
• What exactly is the state of Massachusetts 40B zoning?
• A look at some of the hottest towns to buy real estate in Massachusetts.
• What is a mortgage commitment letter and why is it important?

About Matt Heisler

Matt Heisler is a real-estate professional and owner of this website. He has been selling homes in MA for buyers and sellers for over 20 years. He is an expert in foreclosure purchases, short-sale purchases, short-sale sales, buy and hold investing, fix and flip investing, and of course traditional residential home sales. He is happy to take questions as they pertain to real estate on Title V, Radon, Termites, Sump Pumps, Roofs, Foundations, Wells, Septic Systems, Cash-Flow, Staging, and a host of other housing issues. As a Vanderbilt University alumnus, he is proud to serve his local community.

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.

The Boston Globe had an interest article today highlighting the fastest growing and shrinking communities in Massachusetts, in the past three years.. Hopkinton and Natick were on the list, which shouldn't be a big surprise to readers of this blog as they have had some of the biggest demand numbers out of all the towns I cover. Here's the link:

It's been a while since I've posted listings on the blog, but it's grown a lot so I thought I'd give it another try.

Here we go!

See the full tour!

Some quick pics:

We are so excited to have this listing!

See the full integrated tour and floor plan!

Some quick pics!

Homes For Sale in Natick Market Report

As regular followers know, Natick has been leading the way when it comes to the metrics. Here we have another strong report, depsite a fall in the HSI by over 100 points.

Can’t see the chart? You can find it Here .

Yes, you read that right. The Home Selling Index is down 100 points, and yet it remains in the rarefied air above 200, and currently transaction volume is accelerating.

But it doesn't have far to go - there's really not enough active properties to keep pushing it. One surprise is that prices went higher - but just barely - continuing my confusion over why sellers are not asking for more. They should be - they'll get it.

What should home buyers do in Natick?

Buyers should be prepared for higher prices, competitive bids, and overall a very difficult market. I would probably explore additional towns, especially since all the rest are far more accommodating this spring.

What should home sellers do in Natick?

Two words: List higher! Add 10K-20k to what you think is fair. The market is signaling it wants to go up, you should strategize accordingly. Not sure why you haven't already (I guess because you don't read the blog!!).

Natick Recent Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• Natick‘s “Home Seller Index” (HSI): 210 Last Report: 321
• There are 55 homes listed as For Sale.
• There have been 227 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 165 homes sold in the last 3 months in Natick.

  Spring is here!  No signs of trouble in Natick, unless you are a home buyer.

• The Average number of Days on Market was 46 days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 64 days of the Natick homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $265 (vs. $264)
• There was an Average Sold Price of $528,496 for sold homes.
• Natick, MA, has 0 properties advertised as lender owned or foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• There are 1 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by the lender.

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Matt’s HSI is proprietary. (That means you won’t find it anywhere else. Take that, Case-Schilling!).

More Great Reads!

• Quick reference guide for buyers and sellers
• Current Massachusetts Smoke Detector Laws Explained. Read -before - you go to the hardware store.
• How do I calculate true mortgage closing costs?
• What should I know before buying a new construction house or condo?
• What exactly is the state of Massachusetts 40B zoning?
• A look at some of the hottest towns to buy real estate in Massachusetts.
• What is a mortgage commitment letter and why is it important?

About Matt Heisler

Matt Heisler is a real-estate professional and owner of this website. He has been selling homes in MA for buyers and sellers for over 20 years. He is an expert in foreclosure purchases, short-sale purchases, short-sale sales, buy and hold investing, fix and flip investing, and of course traditional residential home sales. He is happy to take questions as they pertain to real estate on Title V, Radon, Termites, Sump Pumps, Roofs, Foundations, Wells, Septic Systems, Cash-Flow, Staging, and a host of other housing issues. As a Vanderbilt University alumnus, he is proud to serve his local community.

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.

Homes For Sale in Milford Market Report

Milford has a strong report; days on market are down across the board, prices and the HSI are up!

Can’t see the chart? You can find it Here .

What should home buyers do in Milford ?

With an Home Selling Index at 149, buyers have started to chase the popular houses as they are selling quickly. Days on market for sold have gone South of 100, showing motivation of the buying public. Milford still has good prices, but buyers should move quickly on houses they like - they aren't sitting around anymore.

What should home sellers do in Milford ?

Now is a good time to list, with prices up and inventory down. Frankly, this is the best selling season Milford has seen in some time, so sellers should reassess their homes value and make decisions if they wish to move!

Milford Recent Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• Milford ‘s “Home Seller Index” (HSI): 149 Last Report: 120
• There are 46 homes listed as For Sale.

  Milford MA Town Hall

• There have been 132 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 94 homes sold in the last 3 months in Milford.
• The Average number of Days on Market was 94 days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 72 days of the Milford homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $159 (vs. $153)
• There was an Average Sold Price of $293,528 for sold homes.
• Milford ,MA, has 0 properties (VS. 1) advertised as lender owned or foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• There are 2 properties (vs. 5) advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by the lender.

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Matt’s HSI is proprietary. (That means you won’t find it anywhere else. Take that, Case-Schilling!).

More Great Reads!

• Quick reference guide for buyers and sellers
• Current Massachusetts Smoke Detector Laws Explained. Read -before - you go to the hardware store.
• How do I calculate true mortgage closing costs?
• What should I know before buying a new construction house or condo?
• What exactly is the state of Massachusetts 40B zoning?
• A look at some of the hottest towns to buy real estate in Massachusetts.
• What is a mortgage commitment letter and why is it important?

About Matt Heisler

Matt Heisler is a real-estate professional and owner of this website. He has been selling homes in MA for buyers and sellers for over 20 years. He is an expert in foreclosure purchases, short-sale purchases, short-sale sales, buy and hold investing, fix and flip investing, and of course traditional residential home sales. He is happy to take questions as they pertain to real estate on Title V, Radon, Termites, Sump Pumps, Roofs, Foundations, Wells, Septic Systems, Cash-Flow, Staging, and a host of other housing issues. As a Vanderbilt University alumnus, he is proud to serve his local community.

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.

Homes For Sale in Millis Market Report

Millis is a small town, but the data here actually mirrors a lot of what we see going on. Let's take a look, and talk about the trends.

Can’t see the chart? You can find it Here .

We see a strengthening HSI, but what is driving it? A lot of recent sales, as homes that have been sitting around a bit are finding buyers. Note that the really recent listings are still around, but with the old stuff moving on, we have an average market time of just 52 days (has to be a record) for the active properties. That is a very small number, and shows that sellers have really just started to awake very recently.

What should home buyers do in Millis?

Home buyers should be aware that the good homes at the right prices are selling quickly. Interestingly, though, prices will probably come down in the next report, as the homes that are out there are now are cheaper than the recent sales. That suggests the A condition homes are moving - while buyers are passing on the ones that need work - for now.

What should home sellers do in Millis ?

Home sellers should work to get out there while the getting is good! Hard to know how long the market for sellers will last this spring, but with recent rate decreases, this is the time to be out there. Recent sales will help the momentum for current buyers still looking, so it's a good time to sell.

Millis Recent Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• Millis‘s “Home Seller Index” (HSI):146 Last Report: 132
• There are 17 homes listed as For Sale.
• There have been 44 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 31 homes sold in the last 3 months in Millis.
• The Average number of Days on Market was 88 days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 52 days of the Millis homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $198 (vs. $198)
• There was an Average Sold Price of $398,498 for sold homes.
• Millis, MA, has 1 properties advertised as lender owned or foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• There are 1 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by the lender.

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Matt’s HSI is proprietary. (That means you won’t find it anywhere else. Take that, Case-Schilling!).

More Great Reads!

• Quick reference guide for buyers and sellers
• Current Massachusetts Smoke Detector Laws Explained. Read -before - you go to the hardware store.
• How do I calculate true mortgage closing costs?
• What should I know before buying a new construction house or condo?
• What exactly is the state of Massachusetts 40B zoning?
• A look at some of the hottest towns to buy real estate in Massachusetts.
• What is a mortgage commitment letter and why is it important?

About Matt Heisler

Matt Heisler is a real-estate professional and owner of this website. He has been selling homes in MA for buyers and sellers for over 20 years. He is an expert in foreclosure purchases, short-sale purchases, short-sale sales, buy and hold investing, fix and flip investing, and of course traditional residential home sales. He is happy to take questions as they pertain to real estate on Title V, Radon, Termites, Sump Pumps, Roofs, Foundations, Wells, Septic Systems, Cash-Flow, Staging, and a host of other housing issues. As a Vanderbilt University alumnus, he is proud to serve his local community.

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.

Homes For Sale in Marlborough Market Report

In Marlborough, we again see that pattern of softening prices, but it is probably short-lived. The actives are listed at $178/ sq foot - quite a bit higher than this reports $167 - and they point to higher prices (although not much higher) in the next report).

Can’t see the chart? You can find it Here .

One of the things the data really shows is that this is a real transition report - the time on market (DOM) for actives dropped 50 days, as a number of new listings hit the market. We see it in the listed property number too, as the the homes for sale has risen from 50 to 69.

Might not sound like much, but that's almost an increase of 40% in the choices in Marlborough, and reflects a more "normal" balance in the market.

What should home buyers do in Marlborough?

Prices have softened a bit, so if you see a home that has been listed for a while, you should do a deep price analysis and see what it is worth, and then offer that price. Many new listings are moving quickly, but they have leveled out since last year, and older listings can be had at fair to good prices.

What should home sellers do in Marlborough?

Home sellers shouldn't be reaching for new prices too much in this market. Although prices look to be stable, it's not clear there's enough pressure to keep them moving up as they did last year.

Marlborough Recent Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• Marlborough‘s “Home Seller Index” (HSI):125 Last Report: 148
• There are 69 homes listed as For Sale.

  Time to get that fresh coat of paint on to make your house look the best in Marlborough.

• There have been 164 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 109 homes sold in the last 3 months in Marlborough .
• The Average number of Days on Market was 107 days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 126 days of the Marlborough homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged 167 (vs. 169 )
• There was an Average Sold Price of $321,349 for sold homes.
• Marlborough, MA, has 2 properties advertised as lender owned or foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• There are 1 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by the lender.

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Matt’s HSI is proprietary. (That means you won’t find it anywhere else. Take that, Case-Schilling!).

More Great Reads!

• Quick reference guide for buyers and sellers
• Current Massachusetts Smoke Detector Laws Explained. Read -before - you go to the hardware store.
• How do I calculate true mortgage closing costs?
• What should I know before buying a new construction house or condo?
• What exactly is the state of Massachusetts 40B zoning?
• A look at some of the hottest towns to buy real estate in Massachusetts.
• What is a mortgage commitment letter and why is it important?

About Matt Heisler

Matt Heisler is a real-estate professional and owner of this website. He has been selling homes in MA for buyers and sellers for over 20 years. He is an expert in foreclosure purchases, short-sale purchases, short-sale sales, buy and hold investing, fix and flip investing, and of course traditional residential home sales. He is happy to take questions as they pertain to real estate on Title V, Radon, Termites, Sump Pumps, Roofs, Foundations, Wells, Septic Systems, Cash-Flow, Staging, and a host of other housing issues. As a Vanderbilt University alumnus, he is proud to serve his local community.

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.