Cambridge
Understanding Condo Fees and Monthly Rates
If you are in the market for a condo in the Boston area, it is important to understand what all of the condo fees and monthly rates mean for you. Choosing to purchase a condo rather than renting Boston apartments means you will likely be responsible for paying some additional monthly fees over your regular payments. Knowing exactly what these fees are and what they cover will help ensure that you aren’t left in the dark when making your purchase.
Condo Fees
The condo fees charged by a Boston property management company will vary depending on the company and the amenities provided by the condo complex. When you rent Boston apartments, you only need to pay to use your living space. There may be some community areas you can use, but it is up to the owner of the apartments to maintain these areas. When you live in a Back Bay condo, for instance, the principle is much the same. Your mortgage payment covers your living space. Many condos, however, also have common areas and exterior expenses to cover. Unlike an apartment, though, there is no owner to pay to maintain these areas. The condo fees charged cover these expenses.
How Much
The amount of money charged for condo fees varies and is normally calculated by the homeowner’s association (HOA). In the Boston area, these fees can range between $100 and $700 per month. These HOA fees often cover expenses, such as mowing the lawn, planting and maintaining landscaping, pool maintenance, painting in community areas and to cover other services provided at the condo complex. The amount may also depend upon where the condo is located. For instance, condos in the Brookline real estate area may charge a different amount than a condo with the same features in the beacon hill real estate market. In some cases, if an HOA runs out of money, they may conduct a special assessment, which can increase the monthly fees you must pay to accommodate the needs of the condo complex, just as an apartment manager may raise the rent.
If you choose to find a condo in the Boston area, rather than renting from one of the numerous Boston apartments, it is important to know what HOA fees are involved and what they cover. Because each HOA sets its own fees based on amenities offered in the complex and the needs of the community, you must ask about any monthly fees required before agreeing to purchase a condo. These fees are charged on top of your mortgage, so you must ensure you can afford them. It is also important to prepare yourself for the possibility of a special assessment. Putting aside extra money in the event of this type of assessment can save you in the future.
16th Annual Castleberry Faire Arts & Crafts Festival
16th Annual Castleberry Faire Arts & Crafts
The 16th annual Castleberry Faire Arts and Craft Festival is a highlight of the New England Thanksgiving season. This isn’t your mom’s church craft fair with crocheted toilet paper cozies and necklaces made from hard candy – this year’s Castleberry Faire will feature over 250 juried artists, artisans and craftspeople from all over the United States and Canada. The event is so popular that some visitors reserve hotel rooms or other Boston rental property and make a mini-vacation of it. As always, this year’s Castleberry Faire is scheduled to take place during Thanksgiving weekend.
If you’ve ever wanted to spend Thanksgiving in New England, it’s not too late to contact a Boston property management company to locate a variety of Boston apartments for rent during the holiday. After enjoying Thanksgiving with friends and family in the historic city you can kick off your holiday shopping with a trip to the Castleberry Faire Arts and Crafts Festival in nearby Wilmington, scheduled for November 25, 26 and 27.
Items for sale at the Faire include fine art sculptures and paintings, jewelry, leather goods, stained glass, blown glass and wearable art. Traditional folk art is also represented at Castleberry in the form of handmade candles, basketry, quilts, country wood crafts and wood carvings. Fragrances, antiques, dried floral arrangements, calligraphy and many more artistic offerings are available for sale at the Faire.
Live craft demonstrations are a highlight of the event. Out-of-town visitors as well as locals from their Newton, MA homes and apartments come to Castleberry to see pottery, clay tiles and oil paintings made live by some of the best artisans in North America. As a whole, the Faire is so popular with locals that several travel agencies arrange bus tours to chauffer New Englanders into Wilmington for the event and then into downtown Boston for more shopping or a trip to the New England Aquarium before heading home.
Of course no craft event would be complete without food! In addition to all the usual Faire foods to fill your belly, a sampling of gourmet preserves, candies, vinegar’s, herbal dips, jerky, coffees and baked goods will also be available this year. Profits from food sales will be donated to the Aleppo Temple Shrine Activities.
Shopping at the Faire is a great way to buy American-made products from local artisans. If you’re new to Boston, attending the Faire is an opportunity to familiarize yourself with a bit of New England tradition and history. If you’ve been thinking about checking out some Boston apartments for rent or Boston homes for sale, the Castleberry Faire is one more great reason to live in the area.
The 16th Annual Castleberry Faire Arts and Crafts Festival will be held at the Shriner’s Auditorium in Wilmington – located at 99 Fordham Road. The event is indoors, so activities will be held rain or shine. There is free parking and a free shuttle service for Faire patrons. Hours are Friday, November 26, 9a.m. to 5p.m., Saturday, November 27, 10a.m. to 5p.m., and Sunday, November 28, 10a.m. to 5p.m.
Moving into your Student Apartment? Don’t Forget These Simple Tips
Moving into your new apartment as a student is an exciting time, but before you get to all the fun, make sure you take care of a few simple things.You will be glad you did later!
Tips for Moving Into Your Student Apartment
For security, check that all of the windows that can be opened also have locks, especially if you are on the ground floor. If any of the windows cannot lock, tell your landlord immediately.- Think about a fire escape plan and discuss it amongst your roommates. Know all of the doors and windows suitable for a safe exit from the apartment in the case of an emergency. Make sure that fire-escape windows are not screwed or stuck shut. If they are, have your landlord make them openable immediately.
- Learn where the gas and water shutoffs are. In the case of an emergency or a pipe burst, knowing exactly where to go to shut off gas or water can save lives or at least costly damage to the apartment and your personal property.
- Inspect the apartment and make sure that everything is as you expected and matches the contract. It is good to catch any problems that you may not notice immediately. It is not uncommon that a landlord did not tell you about a problem, either because they wanted to get a tenant or they did not know. If anything is unsatisfactory or does not match the contract, make a note of it and contact your landlord.
- If you and your roommates pay for utilities independently from the rent, record the meter readings as soon as you move in. Tell the utilities companies the readings and the dates you moved in. You would not want to pay for extra utilities that were used when you were not even occupying the apartment. While you are at it, give all of the names of the apartment’s occupants to the utilities companies to avoid any confusion with billing.
High Temperatures and High Humidity Expected, Beat the Heat!
Info + Tips and Tricks to Beat the Heat
Boston is amidst a serious heat-wave that is expected to last for a few more days. In Massachusetts, a heat wave is defined as three consecutive days with temperatures over 90 degrees. Alan Dunham, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Taunton, spoke regarding today saying, “It’s mainly just going to feel miserable.” A heat advisory is in effect for today, July 21st, from noon until 9 pm. Temperatures will be in the 90s, but combined with the high levels of humidity, the weather is expected to feel as if it’s 104; this will be 105 tomorrow.
Intense heat combined with high humidity can be more than just uncomfortable. It can be unhealthy. This combination of factors causes significantly higher than normal ozone levels in the air, which is not healthy for anyone. Those especially at risk are persons with asthma and other respiratory problems, children, and the elderly. People have been advised to check on senior citizens in their community throughout the day.
Beating the Heat:
Make sure to stay hydrated throughout the day. Your body cools itself down as perspiration (sweat) evaporates from the skin. When humidity is high, your perspiration evaporates at a much slower rate, making your natural cooling techniques much less efficient. Your body compensates by increasing perspiration, which can quickly dehydrate you. One should always try and stay hydrated, but during weather like this it is especially critical.
Stay cool. If you do not have air conditioning or access to a cool place, try seeking out one of Boston’s “cooling centers.” Mayor Tom Menino announced that Boston and some surrounding areas are keeping public pools open late and opening a series of cooling centers when people can refresh themselves.
Try a non-outdoor activity. Sure, you may feel guilty not enjoying the outdoors during the summer, but you do not have to feel guilty when the weather is like this! Try catching a movie or going to a museum. These activities almost always involve environment-controlled, air-conditioned spaces.
Still too hot? Maybe you need air conditioning or a cooler place, contact Phoenix Realty today!
Reasons to Own a Boston Rental Property
In addition to the fact that Boston, MA is an overall great place to live, owning a Boston rental property is a very smart investment for reasons other than just Boston’s appeal.
Out of the 100 plus colleges located in New England, half of them have campuses located in the Greater Boston area. In fact, about one fourth of Boston’s population is college students, which means approximately 160,000 college students come in and out of Boston rentals every year. Some even call Cambridge the “original college town”.
In addition to the large student population in need of a Boston apartment to rent, Boston’s tight development laws and even tighter amount of undeveloped land make rental properties a hot commodity.
With a smaller stock of Boston apartments, students need to outbid each other to secure their Boston apartment for rent, while the property owner gets to reap all the benefits. Additionally, these investments seem to be recession-proof. Despite the current economic conditions, Boston real estate has fared far better than other major US cities.
Convinced yet? Check out our listings of multifamily and apartment complexes for sale.
Featured Listing: Cambridge
Today’s featured listing is on Memorial Drive in Cambridge. This studio apartment is in a great location, with all the conveniences of Cambridge within walking distance. Residence at this listing puts you in a prime spot in Cambridge, being proximate to Kendall Square, MIT, Charles Park and CambridgeSide Galleria. Have a car? The Mass Pike and Route 93 are very accessible.
You’ll also be right on the Charles River so expect scenic river views – and the rooftop club room features a full kitchen and terrace, which is a perfect spot to meet up with friends while taking in the beauty of the river.
There’s also a state-of-the-art, rooftop fitness room complete with spectacular panoramas. The apartment comes with a landscaped, common courtyard, laundry in the building, on-site management office, 24-hour concierge, and 24-hour emergency maintenance.
Want to learn more? Read the full listing here and make sure to contact us today to make a viewing appointment!
Sales Search
Rental Search
Search
Categories
- Allston Amenities
- Allston Apartments
- Allston MA
- Allston MA Apartments
- Allston Real Estate
- Apartment Rentals
- Back Bay
- Back Bay Apartments
- Back Bay Condos
- Back Bay Real Estate
- Beacon Hill
- Beacon Hill Apartments
- Beacon Hill Homes
- Beacon Hill Real Estate
- Boston
- Boston Apartments
- Boston Apartments for Rent
- Boston Condos
- Boston Events
- Boston First-Time Home Buyers
- Boston Homes
- Boston Homes for Sale
- Boston Luxury Real Estate
- Boston Property Management
- Boston Real Estate
- Boston Rental Property
- Boston Seaport District
- Boston Studios
- Boston Waterfront Condos
- Brighton Apartments
- Brighton MA
- Brighton MA Apartments
- Brighton MA Homes
- Brighton MA Real Estate
- Brighton Real Estate
- Brookline Apartments
- Brookline Homes
- Brookline MA
- Brookline Real Estate
- Buying or Selling Homes
- Cambridge
- Cambridge Apartments
- Chestnut Hill
- Chestnut Hill Apartments
- Featured Listings
- Fenway
- Fenway Apartments
- Luxury Real Estate
- Mission Hill
- Newton Apartments
- Newton MA
- Newton MA Homes for Sale
- Newton MA Real Estate
- Real Estate News
- Reasons to Live in Boston
- Renter's Guide
- South End
- South End Apartments
- South End Homes
- South End Real Estate
- Student Housing
- Studio Apartments
- Tax Credit
- Uncategorized
Archives
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009