weRENTboston.com is proud to assist with the marketing of an affordable homeownership opportunity in the Mission Hill neighborhood! If you would like to buy a Boston Condo but are having trouble finding something nice within your price range then this may be perfect for you!  This Boston condo is listed at $268,100 and has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, and over 1300 square feet of living space.

Income Restrictions Apply, 100% AMI. Do not miss out on this incredible opportunity to own a 3 bedroom affordable newly constructed condo in desirable Mission Hill location. Property consists of the entire 2nd floor of the building with a private balcony.  Two deeded tandem garage parking spaces are included. Hardwood floors in all living areas with carpet in bedrooms. Stainless steel appliances with granite counter tops. Washer/dryer hook-up. 1 full bath and 1 half bath. Located just a few blocks from the Longwood Medical Area, restaurants, grocery store and public transportation.

Unit will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Equal Housing Opportunity. Income, Asset, Use, Resale restrictions apply. BRA reviews documents for income certification purposes.

Contact Mike Hegarty for more details about this affordable condo in Boston: Mike@ParkRealtyBoston.com

The City of Boston recently rolled out a new recycling program for residents of apartment buildings with 1 to 6 units.  These Boston apartment buildings will be receiving large wheeled recycling carts over the coming months.  Residents will no longer have to separate paper and cardboard from cans and bottles. All recyclable materials will be discarded in the same container.

Boston residents living in larger apartment buildings will have to ask their landlords to contact the city about setting up a recycling program for the building.

More information on both programs is available here and here. 

Udate on yesterday’s post…

Apparently I spoke too soon in yesterday’s blog post.  New reports say that the Mass Department of Transportation decided to wait and hold the vote at their meeting scheduled for early in January.  I guess we’ll have to wait until then to find out if we’ll be seeing apartments, offices, or a museum…stay tuned.

New Apartment Building Expected to be Built Near Haymarket

The Boston Herald reported yesterday that the Mass. Department of Transportation was expected to approve plans to build an apartment building on a state owned lot overlooking the Rose Kennedy Greenway near Haymarket.

The lot known as “Parcel 9″ is at the corner of Blackstone and North Streets. The proposed building would consist of 78 units and be 5 stories in height.  The ground level would contain a produce market.  The 78 rental apartments are expected to average about 900 square feet. According to published reports, 20% of the units will be set aside for affordable housing. The apartment building is expected to win out over 3 other proposed developments for the lot, including a Boston History Museum and office buildings.

Here at weRENTboston we’re interested to learn more about the building as planing progresses and more information is released. The last few years have seen a lot of new rental units added to the downtown market so it will be interesting to see how this one sets itself apart.

Boston has the second highest rental rates in the country!

OK, so the Yankees are going to the World Series this year and we’re not. But Boston beat New York in one thing; we’re now #2 on the list of the highest rents in the country behind only San Francisco and ahead of New York City, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. This is according to the 2009 Greater Boston Housing Report Card prepared by The Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University.  According to the report, Boston and San Diego are virtually tied for second place. The numbers are based on the monthly gross rents for a family of four.

The good news: the average rent for apartments in Boston has actually gone down this year, New York just dropped more quickly and allowed us to take the lead. Philadelphia did not make an appearance on the rental report, but hopefully the Phillies can beat New York on the field on our behalf.

Click here to read the entire report.

601 Albany Street – Another New Boston Apartment Building

On Thursday, members of the weRENTboston team stopped by an open house at 601 Albany Street in Boston’s South End neighborhood.  601 Albany Street is a newly constructed luxury apartment building developed by the Hamilton Company and Russell Development.

601 Albany Street offers 40 modern studio, 1 bedroom, and 2 bedroom apartments.  The building has a variety of floorplans available ranging from 565 square feet for the smallest studios to 1199 square feet for the largest 2 bedroom/2 bathroom units.  601 Albany opened in September of this year and already has approximately 1/3 of the units rented.

The units in 601 Albany feature bamboo flooring, nice open kitchens with black granite counters and stainless steel appliances, gas cooking, large windows allowing tons of natural light, spacious closets, and contemporary design.  601 Albany is pet friendly (with somerestrictions), has an elevator, laundry facilities, and rental parking among other amenities.

601 Albany is conveniently located in Boston’s South End, just blocks from Boston Medical Center. The location also provides easy access to the shopping, dining, and entertainment of the South End, Back Bay, and Downtown Boston. They are currently offering free rent incentives on some units, in addition to paying all broker fees! Contact a weRENTboston agent TODAY to schedule a showing!

weRENTboston team Visits 50 West Broadway

Today the weRENTboston team toured 50 West Broadway, a brand new luxury apartment building in the city’s South Boston neighborhood. 50 West Broadway is located directly across the street from the Broadway station on the MBTA’s Red Line, just one stop to South Station with easy access to the Financial District and Downtown Boston. This neighborhood has seen a lot of development in the last several years with condominium buildings like Court Square Press, MacAllen, the Lofts @ 36A, and Allele, but 50 West Broadway is the first dedicated solely to rentals.

50 West Broadway was designed and constructed with energy efficiency in mind and eco-friendly concepts and materials.  The building is pet friendly (with certain restrictions) and is 100% smoke free.  Building amenities at 50 West Broadway include on-site management and 24 hour emergency maintenance response, trash and recycling on every floor, a private outdoor courtyard, 24 hour fitness center, a beautifully-appointed community room with WiFi and TV, and underground parking.

The actual apartments at 50 West Broadway come in a variety of sizes and floorplans, from studios to 2 bedroom townhomes.  Finishes in all units include granite counters, stainless finish appliances, custom maple cabinets, ceramic tile, berber style carpeting, large closets, huge windows, high ceilings, in-unit laundry, and some units also have bay windows and private patios.  The apartments are quite large compared to many of the similar luxury apartment buildings currently available in Boston.

Studios range from 558 to 561 square feet and prices starting at $1,800/month.

1 Bedrooms range from 665 to 744 square feet starting at $2,100/month.

1 Bedroom plus study ranges from 864 to 905 square feet at starts at $2,275/month.

Two Bedrooms are between 1068 and 1162 square feet and prices from $2,690/month.

Two bed + den from 1178 to 1300 square feet and starting at $3,110/month.

Two bedroom townhomes will range from 1204 to 1480 square feet and start at $3,295.

Rents include heat and hot water and garage parking is available for $250/month. 50 West Broadway is currently offering 1 month free to anyone signing a 12 month lease. They are also offering 2 free months for some longer lease terms.

Finally 50 West Broadway is paying ALL BROKER FEES!! So contact a weRENTboston agent today to schedule a tour!!

It’s starting to get cold out there! The City of Boston has a tip sheet for tenants and landlords regarding home heating during the winter. Here’s an excerpt:

In accordance with the Massachusetts State Sanitary Code residential dwellings must be provided with heat from September 15th until June 15th each year. Heating systems must be

capable of providing heat that meets a minimum temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit from

7:00 am to 11:00 pm and 64 degrees Fahrenheit from 11:01 pm to 6:59 am

• In the event tenants find themselves experiencing a problem with their heat they should

·         Check the thermostat and make sure it is on.

·         Check to make sure you have oil in your tank.

·         Ensure that your gas service has not been shut off.

• If the problem persists tenants should then contact the property owner/manager to remedy the problem.

• If the owner/manager is unresponsive, occupants should call the Inspectional Services

Department, Housing Inspection Division at 617-635-5322 or Mayor Menino’s 24-hour

Hotline at 617-635-4500.

Click here to read the rest of the Mayor’s home heating tips.

According to several media outlets, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts reached a deal at the end of September with CSX Transportation that would, among other things, clear the way for a new MBTA Commuter Rail stop in Allston.  According to reports, the deal transferred control of some CSX rail lines to the MBTA.  The new Allston stop, although probably still several years away, would most likely be located on either Everett or Cambridge Streets.  From our understanding of the plans, this would go a long way to help connect the area commonly referred to as Lower Allston with Downtown Boston.

The most common feedback we hear from renters regarding Lower Allston is that they would be more interested in the neighborhood if it had better access to public transportation.  Currently the area is served by several bus routes with service to Cambridge and Watertown, but generally would require at least one transfer to get to Downtown Boston.  The addition of a convenient Commuter Rail stop would probably put the area on the radar of a lot more potential tenants who have, until now, avoided it. Between the addition of a Commuter Rail and the (seemingly forever stalled) Harvard expansion plans, I think it’s likely that we will see some significant changes in that area over the coming years.

It’s been the topic of the last few blog posts, but Bloomberg.com has a story today about a rise in vacancy rates nationwide.  According to the article, the national apartment vacancy rate rose to 7.8% in the third quarter.  This is apparently the highest it has been since 1986.  The rise is attributed primarily to a drop in potential tenants because of rising unemployment rates and lower wages.  The article also points out that some cities, such as New York City and New Haven, CT actually had drops in their vacany rates.  However those cities are still experiencing lower rents.

I don’t have any hard numbers for Boston, but from what we are seeing here at weRENTboston and what we are hearing from landlords around the city – vacancies definitely appear to be higher than they have been in a long time. Not great news for local landlords but could be good for anyone in the market for a new Boston apartment.

Read the entire Bloomberg article here, or contact a weRENTboston agent for more information about what is available locally.