The Framingham Homes For Sale Market Report

OK, I am officially dumbfounded. When I started doing these reports, I thought, maybe, when the market heats up, I'll see HSI numbers above 100. Maybe 110, 120. You have to remember, most of the numbers were in the 70's. Seemed like pretty rarefied air. Natick heated up though, Hopkinton too, and I realized that I would see numbers at 130.

And then MLS changed the active status flag, so now Framingham looks like this:

Note: The chart above updates automatically with each new post, so make sure the comments you are reading line up with the time the post was published.

That red line? That's the HSI. It's at 189. One hundred and eighty-nine. If you are thinking of selling in Framingham, well, you should. You'll probably get way more than you should. The market in Framingham is fully irrational at this point.

I mean, the $/sq foot jumped 11 dollars in just one report cycle, and Framingham is not a small town where the data sets jump erratically. This is a huge, fundamental change.

Can't wait to see Natick. Not sure I'll ever see 189 again though, that's just insane.

So what should a buyer do? Well, if you can find anything that isn't a wreck, pay the freight. You don't have a choice. If you want a house in Framingham, forget about negotiating. If you want to get a good deal, look somewhere else (like Northborough!).

Framingham Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• There are 98 homes listed as For Sale in Framingham.
• There have been 394 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 307 homes sold in the last 3 months.

  Home Sellers are celebrating in Framingham MA, as anything can be sold in this market!

• The Average number of Days on Market was 68 days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 99 days of the homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $185 (vs. $174 )
• There was an Average Sold Price of $335,586 for sold homes.
• Framingham, MA, has 1 properties advertised as lender owned/foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• Framingham has x properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by lender .
• Framingham “Home Seller Index” (HSI):189 Last Report: 129

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Note, there will be a some what artificial jump in the rankings as the active status flag is being phased out. (this is a good thing, but will screw up my data sets).

More Great Reads!

• Massachusetts Property Tax Rates by Town
• How do I get the seller to pay my closing costs, and is it free money?
• What is pre-paid PMI, and is it a good deal?
• How do I get rid of PMI on my mortgage payment?
• Homestead laws have been improved for Home Owners! Read about your new options.
• When Should I do a Lead Paint Test on my Home
• Which is better, 2x4 or 2x6 home construction?

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.

Do Good Things Today! Matt Heisler

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

The Clinton Homes For Sale Market Report, 2013 Summary

JUNE

Hard to find anything discouraging for house sellers in Clinton in this report. Active time on market is down sharply, prices up moderately, and the HSI has busted out to a new high in Clinton of 107. Why did the HSI jump so much? Very simply - the houses are selling faster than they are coming on the market. Normally, in June, there would still be a fair number of houses on the market, but the good ones are clearly moving. Buyers like the value proposition in Clinton - and like in Charlton - are moving in. Some of the record HSI is due to the Active Flag Status change, so this report is certainly a little more rosy than it should be.

Prices are up - but not very much, just a bit - but if the buying pressure continues, as we have seen elsewhere, prices will keep moving up. The summer should be very interesting to see if buyers continue to drive inventory levels down (only 38 active properties - also a record low).

Another surprise is the steep drop in bank impacted inventory. Just 3 left. Still 8% of the total market, but it's falling fast. Those that read the last Worcester report will recall I have established the "death of shadow inventory" discussion, and this is more evidence of that.

Clinton Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• There are 38 homes listed as For Sale in Clinton.
• There have been 72 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 53 homes sold in the last 3 months.
• The Average number of Days on Market was 177 days for just SOLD homes.

  You too, might save some coin if you are looking for houses in Clinton.  The values are still there, but for how long remains to be seen.

• There is an Average Market Time of 158 days of the homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $126 (a record) (vs. $124)
• There was an Average Sold Price of $223,479 for sold homes.
• Clinton has 1 properties (vs. 3 in the last report) advertised as lender owned/foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• Clinton has 2 properties (vs. 9) advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by lender .
• Clinton “Home Seller Index” (HSI):107 Last Report: 83

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Note, there will be a some what artificial jump in the rankings as the active status flag is being phased out. (this is a good thing, but will screw up my data sets).

The Clinton Homes For Sale Market Report (January, 2013)

Clinton has seen it's home inventory get tight, like much of the real estate markets in Metrowest. As such, we see home prices on the upswing (a record $124/sq foot since I've been tracking), and home sales slowing, as the 3 month sales drop from 49 to 31 in this report.

There are still good values to be had - the high market time for active properties shows buyers are still being selective - but this is a back to back report with a good HSI number for Clinton, so we may see Clinton really start to move this spring. As one of the hardest hit towns in the Real Estate crash that I cover, this will be welcome news for sellers and owners in Clinton. Not there yet, but you can see it building.

Bank impacted inventory continues to rise, which will continue to impact the market data for some time. With just 47 active properties, and 9 bank impacted properties for sale (most short sales, but still), that will create a drag on the market in Clinton.

Clinton Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• There are 47 homes listed as For Sale in Clinton.
• There have been 61 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 31  homes sold in the last 3 months.
• The Average number of Days on Market was 125 days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 207 days of the homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $124 (vs. $120 )
• There was an Average Sold Price of $210,946 for sold homes.
• Clinton has 3 properties (vs. 2 in the last report) advertised as lender owned/foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• Clinton has 9 properties (vs. 6) advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by lender .
• Clinton “Home Seller Index” (HSI): 83 Last Report: 84

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS.

More Great Reads!

• Massachusetts Property Tax Rates by Town
• How do I get the seller to pay my closing costs, and is it free money?
• What is pre-paid PMI, and is it a good deal?
• How do I get rid of PMI on my mortgage payment?
• Homestead laws have been improved for Home Owners! Read about your new options.
• When Should I do a Lead Paint Test on my Home
• Which is better, 2x4 or 2x6 home construction?

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.

Do Good Things Today! Matt Heisler

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

The Millis Homes For Sale Market Report

The number of homes for sale has plummeted in Millis, which currently just has 13 homes for sale. Yes, Millis is a small town, but 13 houses? In the whole town? That's tight inventory. With things so hot, home sellers should be getting aggressive with prices, and we see that they are - $/sq foot is up over $15, a huge jump in a short time. This is another report showing huge jumps in prices, so the trend continues.

Note: The chart above updates automatically with each new post, so make sure the comments you are reading line up with the time the post was published.

The HSI actually jumped to a Millis record of 174 - pretty nuts - but it's a small town, so I find that less shocking than the number Framingham put up in the last report. Still got my eyes popping out over that

report, and guess what's next up? Natick, which has lead the pack for almost two years.

Can they beat 189? We will see this week.

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

• There are 13 homes listed as For Sale in Millis.
• There have been 45 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 34 homes sold in the last 3 months.
• The Average number of Days on Market was 120 days for just SOLD homes.

  Lots of folks are on the beach.  Home Buyers in Millis are not!

• There is an Average Market Time of 44 days of the homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $191 (vs. $176)
• There was an Average Sold Price of $366,993 for sold homes.
• Millis ,MA, has 0 properties advertised as lender owned/foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• Millis has 0 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by lender .
• Millis “Home Seller Index” (HSI):174Last Report: 82

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Note, there will be a some what artificial jump in the rankings as the active status flag is being phased out. (this is a good thing, but will screw up my data sets).

More Great Reads!

• Massachusetts Property Tax Rates by Town
• How do I get the seller to pay my closing costs, and is it free money?
• What is pre-paid PMI, and is it a good deal?
• How do I get rid of PMI on my mortgage payment?
• Homestead laws have been improved for Home Owners! Read about your new options.
• When Should I do a Lead Paint Test on my Home
• Which is better, 2x4 or 2x6 home construction?

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.

Do Good Things Today! Matt Heisler

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

The Charlton Homes For Sale Market Report

Certainly this spring is looking like the big moves have finally come to the far western burbs, as the last area of value is getting traffic and offers. When the number of houses for sale falls, people get impatient, and typically start looking West. Boylston had a good report, and Charltons is good too. This is a record HSI for Charlton, and houses sold briskly in the last three months - pretty good for a town that typically trails it's brethren further east. Rising (but not too quickly) $/ per sq foot indicates buyers are not waiting for deals, and there can't be too many left - but there is still inventory left over in Charlton.

Also worth noting that the lender impacted inventory has really dried up. With almost 20 bank impacted properties last fall, we see only 4 left, and they are all short-sales. Healthy seller situations usually bodes well for prices.

Below is the raw data!

Charlton Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• There are 66 homes listed as For Sale in Charlton.
• There have been 90 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 63 homes sold in the last 3 months.

  Home Buyers are finding what they want in Charlton, but prices are holding steady.

• The Average number of Days on Market was 164 days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 100 days of the homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $133 (vs. $131)
• There was an Average Sold Price of $248,027 for sold homes.
• Charlton has 0 properties (vs. 4 in the last report) advertised as lender owned/foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• Charlton has 4 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by lender .
• Charlton “Home Seller Index” (HSI): 97   Last Report:73

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Note, there will be a some what artificial jump in the rankings as the active status flag is being phased out. (this is a good thing, but will screw up my data sets).

More Great Reads!

• Massachusetts Property Tax Rates by Town
• How do I get the seller to pay my closing costs, and is it free money?
• What is pre-paid PMI, and is it a good deal?
• How do I get rid of PMI on my mortgage payment?
• Homestead laws have been improved for Home Owners! Read about your new options.
• When Should I do a Lead Paint Test on my Home
• Which is better, 2x4 or 2x6 home construction?

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.

Do Good Things Today! Matt Heisler

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

The Berlin Homes For Sale Market Report

Ok, new report on Berlin in. Here's the last one

Berlin has a very small data set, but the trendline looks pretty clear - good market for sellers. More sold than active, rising $/sq foot, and falling days on market for active houses. We're not on fire here, but we're in a good spot for sellers.

We also see a trickle of bank impacted inventory, with one foreclosure and one short-sale apiece, but other than those increases, hard to find issues or surprises here in Berlin.

Berlin Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• There are 16 homes listed as For Sale in Berlin .
• There have been 20 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 16 homes sold in the last 3 months.
• The Average number of Days on Market was 147 days for just SOLD homes.

  Home buyers have come knocking in Berlin, MA, pushing the HSI up!

• There is an Average Market Time of 170 days of the homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $153 (vs. $130 )
• There was an Average Sold Price of $344,429 for sold homes.
• Berlin has 1 properties advertised as lender owned/foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• Berlin has 1 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by lender .
• Berlin “Home Seller Index” (HSI):92 Last Report: 72

More Great Reads!

• Massachusetts Property Tax Rates by Town
• How do I get the seller to pay my closing costs, and is it free money?
• What is pre-paid PMI, and is it a good deal?
• How do I get rid of PMI on my mortgage payment?
• Homestead laws have been improved for Home Owners! Read about your new options.
• When Should I do a Lead Paint Test on my Home
• Which is better, 2x4 or 2x6 home construction?

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.

Do Good Things Today! Matt Heisler

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

The Boylston Homes For Sale Market Report

Boylston has seen a nice seasonal uptick in demand. But this chart looks at first to be unimpressive compared to some others. Inventory is down, but not by half as it is in some areas. Active days on market for unsold properties is still over 200 days. Sure it's better, but is it a lot better?

Well one stat (in the data below) says it is. The $/sq foot is at a record- $163. Prices had muddled along, but people are seeing value in Bolyston, even if it's taking a long while for them to find it. They are likely checking towns closer to highways, but not seeing what they want - or prices they like - have gone further a field and buying properties in Boylston.

That probably explains the rise in prices, which are still below some neighboring towns significantly, even though the market hasn't been super hot for sellers.  Buyers, you too may find value in Boylston.

Boylston Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• There are 26 homes listed as For Sale in Boylston .
• There have been 34 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 25 homes sold in the last 3 months.

  The field of Boylston are getting better looks  and prices from home buyers.

• The Average number of Days on Market was 148 days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 211 days of the homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $163 (vs. $153)
• There was an Average Sold Price of $404,277 for sold homes.
• Boylston has 0 properties advertised as lender owned/foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• Boylston has 2 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by lender .
• Boylston “Home Seller Index” (HSI): 89 Last Report: 78

More Great Reads!

• Massachusetts Property Tax Rates by Town
• How do I get the seller to pay my closing costs, and is it free money?
• What is pre-paid PMI, and is it a good deal?
• How do I get rid of PMI on my mortgage payment?
• Homestead laws have been improved for Home Owners! Read about your new options.
• When Should I do a Lead Paint Test on my Home
• Which is better, 2x4 or 2x6 home construction?

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.

Do Good Things Today! Matt Heisler

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

The Worcester Homes For Sale Market Report

This is officially the first report since MLS has gotten rid of the active flag, so we're going to see some jumps in the reports. Can't be helped people! Good news is once we get through all the reports, they are going to "normalize" and will be more accurate then they have been in the past. So bear with me!

Worcester, of course, is always one of my favorite reports, because it is so interesting. It stays interesting in May. Here's the chart:

First, let's think about the sales pace. Almost 700 sales in six months, almost 450 sales in the past three months. Holy Moley. Those are obviously, both records, and the sales rate has pushed the number of homes for sale down to a paltry 339. Also a record. With things moving so fast, I would have expected prices to move up - but they have not. They have held steady. Not sure how long that trend can continue (hint: NOT LONG). Either the buyers are going to have to start paying more or they are going to be looking at rentals. Sellers are firmly - firmly - in control in most section of Worcester. (Disclaimer: Worcester is a complex town with many mini-markets, not all markets move in tandem, e-mail me for specifics, etc, etc, etc.) But the overall trend is up, up up. The Worcester HSI bust through the old record of 90, and posts a Hopkinton like 115. WOW. I'll say it again: WOW.

Here's another shocker. There are only 13 foreclosures. In September there were 40, a number that has been constant for well over a year. Short-sales are down from well over 100+ to just 29. You're looking at a 75% reduction in bank-impacted inventory.

OK, it's time to say it. There is no shadow inventory. All you shadow inventory folks who were convinced there would be millions of foreclosures coming to the market, it's time to say "OOPS". You were wrong, wrong, wrong.  It's not here, it's not going to happen, it's all a myth. Banks went the short-sale route and very quietly have dumped their non-performing assets (read: homes where people were not paying their mortgages) - and they are running out of troubled inventory. At least as far as Mass is concerned, that's the story.

Worcester Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

• There are 339 homes listed as For Sale in Worcester.
• There have been 695 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 449 homes sold in the last 3 months.
• The Average number of Days on Market was 127 days for just SOLD homes.
• There is an Average Market Time of 128 days of the homes For Sale (currently for sale).
• The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $112 (vs. $113 )
• There was an Average Sold Price of $175,398 for sold homes.
• Worcester has 13 properties (vs. 22 in the last report) advertised as lender owned/foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .
• Worcester has 29 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by lender .
• Worcester “Home Seller Index” (HSI): 115  Last Report:90

More Great Reads!

• Massachusetts Property Tax Rates by Town
• How do I get the seller to pay my closing costs, and is it free money?
• What is pre-paid PMI, and is it a good deal?
• Should I use a buyer agent to buy a home? How does a buyer agent help me?
• Homestead laws have been improved for Home Owners! Read about your new options.
• When Should I do a Lead Paint Test on my Home
• Which is better, 2x4 or 2x6 home construction?

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.

Do Good Things Today! Matt Heisler

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

A quick shout out to some local schools getting notice by the daily beast as some of the best High Schools in the country.

Algonquin, (Northborough and Southborough), Ashland, Shrewsbury High, Natick, Medfield, Bolton, and Hopkinton High all made the list, along with other MA schools. Medfield and Hopkinton were just about neck and neck at the top for MA schools.

Not a huge fan of lists when it comes to school assessments, but I thought the methodology was interesting.

Best-

Matt

The Westborough Homes For Sale Market Report

OK, so on to Westborough. Behind in my reports, as things have been very busy for me!

Westborough looks like a flat report, but the key element I've been watching this year is the houses for sale. If we look at March and June numbers of active houses from last year, we see 67 houses in March increasing to 87 houses by June. Well, we're in May, and he have just 59 actives, meaning we probably won't break 70 in the next month - a drop of 20% in inventory year-over-year.

Still though, we see prices steady in Westborough - but I don't know if that'll be the case in August. No news on the short-sale foreclosure front!

Westborough Houses For Sale and Sold Market Statistics - Raw MLS Data

There are 59 homes listed as For Sale in Westborough.

There have been 69 houses sold in the last 6 months, and 48 homes sold in the last 3 months.

The Average number of Days on Market was 111 days for just SOLD homes.

There is an Average Market Time of 110 days of the homes For Sale (currently for sale).

The amount that was paid in Dollars per Square Foot averaged $183 (vs. $185 )

There was an Average Sold Price of $415,848 for sold homes.

Westborough has 1 properties (vs. 1 in the last report) advertised as lender owned/foreclosure (typically foreclosure) .

Westborough has 3 properties advertised as a short-sale is going to be needed by lender .

Westborough “Home Seller Index” (HSI)89: Last Report:91

*All statistics are for Single Family Houses and based on data in MLS. Note, there will be a some what artificial jump in the rankings as the active status flag is being phased out. (this is a good thing, but will screw up my data sets).

More Great Reads!

• Massachusetts Property Tax Rates by Town
• How do I get the seller to pay my closing costs, and is it free money?
• What is pre-paid PMI, and is it a good deal?
• Should I use a buyer agent to buy a home? How does a buyer agent help me?
• Homestead laws have been improved for Home Owners! Read about your new options.
• When Should I do a Lead Paint Test on my Home
• Which is better, 2x4 or 2x6 home construction?

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.

Do Good Things Today! Matt Heisler

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

Sox Lead MLB with Best Record

It feels very strange writing that headline. Happened to be at the game last night, to see the Sox beat the tar our of the Astro's pitching staff, in an 8-4 game that really wasn't that close. There's been a lot of talk about 'are the Sox real'? A natural question since they were so awful last year. I think it's worthwhile trying to answer.

ERA: 3.49

I wrote last year that the Sox had their work cut out for them to fix the pitching. I thought it highly improbable that they would be able to reduce their ERA enough from a woeful 4.7 to something that would help them win. So far? A 3.49, a full run plus reduction in ERA. Cherrington adopted (smartly) the Baltimore model - load up with power arms in the bullpen, and then you don't have to worry about getting 7 from your starters. And the starters have started hot - Buckholz looks like he's on fire, and Lester has fixed some issues and is pitching like a different guy. Will they continue to pitch this well? I have my doubts -some regression to the mean should be expected - but the depth at AAA is encouraging in case their are the inevitable injuries.

Lineup might not be scary, but it's hard to pitch to.

I've enjoyed watching the Sox this season not just because they are winning, but how they are winning. Offensively, that has been because everyone has been capable of a big hit (even Drew). Napoli, Ortiz, Pedroia, of course, but also Victarino, Nava, Gomes, Middlebrooks. In a close game, they are sneaky hard to pitch to. People are going to start talking about Nava as more than a role player if he keeps hitting like he does in big spots. His OBP - near .400 - shows that plate discipline can really help a player with less raw talent. The surprise of the season so far, I hope he keeps it up. Also, I'm starting to call Middlebrooks' at bats "must see AB's". He's heating up, and the ball just comes off his bat different. He went 2 for 3 last night, (with a walk!), but the two hits were 2 feet shy of home runs - one an out to center field at 393, and one missed the lip on the wall. Not your average 2 for 3. If he continues to develop he really is going to be something special. We'll see!

The Sox are near the top of ESPN's RPI leaderboard, and from what I've seen so far, I don't think this is an accident. While key injuries could make the lineup suspect, the team has a chance to get into - and compete in - the playoffs. They've been catching some breaks - we'll see what happens when that stops. And in baseball, it always does.

Matt