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A 4 bed 4 bath cant sell for 969k there thats just ludicrous.
The 5 Bed 5 bath sold for 860k which i think is a fair price for 5bed 5 bath in the city.
But my question is who needs 4/5 bedrooms and 4/5 bathrooms and 4400 square feet? And why is that person looking to buy in Mattapan?
The weirdest part is you can get (what looks like) solid well maintained 3 family practically across the street for only a little bit more money, more square ft and a hell of a lot more practical for a big family with money to spend.
The fact that it's 5/5 makes me think that it could possibly be bought and rented out as a VRBO for weddings or events where people want to come to Boston for a week and stay in a super nice place with extended family and family friends where everyone would prefer an ensuite bathroom.
The weirdiest thing of all to me is how the development got approved and funded the way it is. Obviously from a zoning persepctive, it's a poor low density use of space in a city where more housing is badly needed (looks like a slice of metro ATL in Boston).
But besides that I just wouldn't expect the developers would think it's the most lucrative use of the space either they could have probably made more money with apartments or rowhomes. I'm even surprised the developers didn't flat out assume that large SFH wouldn't sell for that price point in that neighborhood. Maybe it's a good thing in that sense?
The weirdest part is you can get (what looks like) solid well maintained 3 family practically across the street for only a little bit more money, more square ft and a hell of a lot more practical for a big family with money to spend.
The fact that it's 5/5 makes me think that it could possibly be bought and rented out as a VRBO for weddings or events where people want to come to Boston for a week and stay in a super nice place with extended family and family friends where everyone would prefer an ensuite bathroom.
The weirdiest thing of all to me is how the development got approved and funded the way it is. Obviously from a zoning persepctive, it's a poor low density use of space in a city where more housing is badly needed (looks like a slice of metro ATL in Boston).
But besides that I just wouldn't expect the developers would think it's the most lucrative use of the space either they could have probably made more money with apartments or rowhomes. I'm even surprised the developers didn't flat out assume that large SFH wouldn't sell for that price point in that neighborhood. Maybe it's a good thing in that sense?
"Looks Like" is key here. Just knowing the area and having been in the homes many of them are shoddy if recently renovated, if not recently renovated they're pretty bad/tenementy. The three-family homes offer you like 10 bedrooms and are really meant as investment/rental properties.
Possibly a potential VRBO but this entire development was planned before such a thing existed.
It's not weird it was totally the norm under the Menino administration's approach to Bsotons inner-city infill, low density, subsidized homeownership to stabilize and beautify the neighborhoods without eliciting complaints from locals. Back in 2004/05 when this broke ground the Census Estimates were showing Boston with a declining population and violent crime was on the rise. In comparison to 2000.
The developer John Curz is a local Cape Verdean developer who has properties all over inner-city Boston. He knows what he's doing and could probably fill the ~30 unsubsidized units himself. Most of those homes are very much below market rate.
"Looks Like" is key here. Just knowing the area and having been in the homes many of them are shoddy if recently renovated, if not recently renovated they're pretty bad/tenementy. The three-family homes offer you like 10 bedrooms and are really meant as investment/rental properties.
Possibly a potential VRBO but this entire development was planned before such a thing existed.
It's not weird it was totally the norm under the Menino administration's approach to Bsotons inner-city infill, low density, subsidized homeownership to stabilize and beautify the neighborhoods without eliciting complaints from locals. Back in 2004/05 when this broke ground the Census Estimates were showing Boston with a declining population and violent crime was on the rise. In comparison to 2000.
The developer John Curz is a local Cape Verdean developer who has properties all over inner-city Boston. He knows what he's doing and could probably fill the ~30 unsubsidized units himself. Most of those homes are very much below market rate.
Interesting. There are still dozers on the road on streetviews as of like 2019, so the project has been phased over a longer time than I realized. What were some other examples of Menino era low density? I was a bit too young in 04-05 to really be conscious of development patterns.
I'm somewhat familiar with W Mattapan since my sister used to work at a school over there and I dated someone who lived there but both were south of Walk Hill. It's pretty quiet and suburban over there and maybe that also applies up by this part of Harvard st so people are willing to invest a lot in RE. Prices aren't that different from WROX and parts of Roslindale, but you do still get bigger and newer housing.
It looked detatched from the city at first but it's pretty cleverly located walkable to grocery stores, restaurants, hardware store only thing that seems to be a hike is a pharmacy. I'm not sure on transit either, though transit is pretty lacking in many spots south of FH and west of Dorchester. I've only heard awful things about Shattuck Hospital, but I'm sure the doctors working there still get paid enough to scoop up some of the pricier SFH for ultimate convenience.
Interesting. There are still dozers on the road on streetviews as of like 2019, so the project has been phased over a longer time than I realized. What were some other examples of Menino era low density? I was a bit too young in 04-05 to really be conscious of development patterns.
I'm somewhat familiar with W Mattapan since my sister used to work at a school over there and I dated someone who lived there but both were south of Walk Hill. It's pretty quiet and suburban over there and maybe that also applies up by this part of Harvard st so people are willing to invest a lot in RE. Prices aren't that different from WROX and parts of Roslindale, but you do still get bigger and newer housing.
It looked detatched from the city at first but it's pretty cleverly located walkable to grocery stores, restaurants, hardware store only thing that seems to be a hike is a pharmacy. I'm not sure on transit either, though transit is pretty lacking in many spots south of FH and west of Dorchester. I've only heard awful things about Shattuck Hospital, but I'm sure the doctors working there still get paid enough to scoop up some of the pricier SFH for ultimate convenience.
The project is impractical and mostly undesirable and that why its takes 16+ years to build it out. When these homes were being built in 2005 they were listed as starting in the mid-400s. It was just a ton of money to pay for Mattapan at the time, where houses were selling for much less than that. Prices have remained above surrounding homes and no new amenities or transit has been created apart for the Brooke Charter School. Transit theres one bus route (21)... unless you're going onto Blue Hill Ave. You can walk 15-20 minutes to walk the hill to catch the 14 bus which runs every 45 minutes and not at all on weekends...Its dreadful
The Menino era development is everywhere in RoxDot Mat HP, everywhere. Much more of that than Walsh style development. Its prolific- I was a kid at the time and Menino was just filling so many vacant lots.
I remember most of this being built. He was literally in filling multiple abandoned blocks at a time. in the 1990s 40% of all new housing built in Boston was "affordable housing" mostly homeownership oppurtunities. It's really, really, hard to overstate how much e transformed Boston's black ghettos. But he did it with pretty low-density dull housing.
Last edited by BostonBornMassMade; 04-14-2021 at 01:19 PM..
The project is impractical and mostly undesirable and that why its takes 16+ years to build it out. When these homes were being built in 2005 they were listed as starting in the mid-400s. It was just a ton of money to pay for Mattapan at the time, where houses were selling for much less than that. Prices have remained above surrounding homes and no new amenities or transit has been created apart for the Brooke Charter School. Transit theres one bus route (21)... unless you're going onto Blue Hill Ave. You can walk 15-20 minutes to walk the hill to catch the 14 bus which runs every 45 minutes and not at all on weekends...Its dreadful
The Menino era development is everywhere in RoxDot Mat HP, everywhere. Much more of that than Walsh style development. Its prolific- I was a kid at the time and Menino was just filling so many vacant lots.
I remember most of this being built. He was literally in filling multiple abandoned blocks at a time. in the 1990s 40% of all new housing built in Boston was "affordable housing" mostly homeownership oppurtunities. It's really, really, hard to overstate how much e transformed Boston's black ghettos. But he did it with pretty low-density dull housing.
To be fair I started at saying it was odd and impractical and you said the developer knew what he was doing. Was trying to wrap my head around it and give the benefit of the doubt.
It's <5 five minutes walk from "La Bamba Super Market" and "Tropics Food Market" which seems more like bodegas or something else in between a convenience store and full supermarket.
About half mile to Happy Supermarket, which looks like an actual supermarket and has pretty good reviews.
Can't say I've been to any of them to speak to the quality. Nearest supermarket I've been to was theone on American Legion in Ros which is too far to walk from there though it would be a very short drive.
It is kind of weird that there is no mixed use component to this project though. As far as I can tell there is no actual retail within the development itself even near the higher density parts. I recognize that style of development exactly now when I see the pictures, just from the style of building. That kind of thing might work great for empty lots in Fields Corner, but doesn't mean it's going to work as well if you apply the same approach to a large scale development in a physically isolated pocket of the city.
Il never understand why they didnt just make them upscale looking townhomes from the mid 300s.
Agreed I think it should have been tons new of townhomes and triple-deckers. Even as a 5th/6th grader I thought the SFH home thing was bizzare for the nieghborhood. Didn't have the vocabulary to articulate that but it was definitely a thought. Olmsted Green and the latter phases of Harvard Commons are all townhomes. But still too disconnected. https://www.google.com/maps/@42.2873...7i16384!8i8192
Menino was a dictator though and I think him growing up in extremely suburban Readville influenced his perception of what development should be like. Marty walsh growing up in more urban dorchester had a different view, which was better frankly.
To be fair I started at saying it was odd and impractical and you said the developer knew what he was doing. Was trying to wrap my head around it and give the benefit of the doubt.
It's <5 five minutes walk from "La Bamba Super Market" and "Tropics Food Market" which seems more like bodegas or something else in between a convenience store and full supermarket.
About half mile to Happy Supermarket, which looks like an actual supermarket and has pretty good reviews.
Can't say I've been to any of them to speak to the quality. Nearest supermarket I've been to was the one on American Legion in Ros which is too far to walk from there though it would be a very short drive.
It is kind of weird that there is no mixed-use component to this project though. As far as I can tell there is no actual retail within the development itself even near the higher density parts. I recognize that style of development exactly now when I see the pictures, just from the style of building. That kind of thing might work great for empty lots in Fields Corner but doesn't mean it's going to work as well if you apply the same approach to large-scale development in a physically isolated pocket of the city.
Happy Supermarket is .6 miles from that 969,00 House and you have to walk through one of the most dangerous parts of the city (Franklin Hill/Field/BHA) and its a 12-14 minute walk with narrow sidewalks. Someone who lives there is gonna be getting their groceries off Amazon or drive to a store with parking in a safer area. Happy is very small and crowded and has no parking.
You are correct the other two are very small corner stores. its just a bad development overall and that's why it will take 20 years to complete 200 units of housing. Those types of homes might have worked at this vacant lot a block away like they did directly across the street
This one house has been on the market for 203 days, viewed 4,914 times and has been saved 155 times. Not too hot. Considering only 2.5% of people who view it save it, and none of those 155 people who save it have bought it. Given how tight housing is in Boston that really speaks to how big of a boondoggle this is.
Honestly, the suggestion that the average young American pays attention or cares enough to form an opinion about racism in Boston is just ridiculous. You have way too much confidence in Americans' and young peoples' awareness and attention span.
This is quite true. In the 70s and 80s Boston did have a rep for being racist. This because of that infamous school integration violence and white gangs in south Boston. But since then Boston has dropped off that radar. The only people who speak of it are those who go to the myriad of schools in the Boston area, and the comments are mostly positive, given that there is a rich student life.
I would in fact say that Boston if anything is UNDER rated. It seems to offer more than many think, and maybe more people should examine its possibilities. And the good part is that the winters do not seem as cruel as they were in the 80s, the other reason why Boston used to get a negative knock.
Last edited by caribny; 04-15-2021 at 05:55 PM..
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