Moving Day Playlist

Did you know that music has been proven to ease stress? With the fall market here and lots of closings around the corner, here is some inspiration for your packing from Realtor.com.

‘Paperwork,’ by T.I. and featuring Pharrell Williams

‘Irreplaceable,’ by Beyoncé

‘Dirty Work,’ by Austin Mahone

‘Use Somebody,’ by Kings of Leon

‘Nothing Left,’ by Kygo and featuring Will Heard

‘The Way You Move,’ by Outkast

‘Spiderwebs,’ by No Doubt

‘My House,’ by Flo Rida

Here’s a link to their Spotify playlist. https://play.spotify.com/user/realtor.com/playlist/7tUs8jCzxQTLIqKyftG4gm

Just Sold!

Best Boston Suburbs for First-Time Homebuyers

Image provided by C21 Commonwealth Blog

High demand for housing in greater Boston = soaring prices, multiple offers, and frustration for ALL buyers, let alone first-timers. Century 21 Commonwealth has compiled a list of the top suburbs based on median home price and proximity to Boston.

Saugus, Danvers, Woburn, Medford, Wakefield and Melrose make the list. Do you agree? Is your favorite suburb missing from the list?

You can check out the article here:

Best Boston Suburbs for First-Time Homebuyers

 

The Hottest Restaurants in Boston Right Now

Happy Friday! With the weekend in clear view, I thought I’d share an article from Eater Boston to inspire your weekend dining!

If you aren’t an Eater Boston regular, be sure to check them out. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I go here often to check out what’s new in Boston. Eater breaks it down by neighborhood, so you’ll always know where to go and what’s coming soon.

And now without further ado… here are the 10 Hottest Restaurants in Boston. I can personally vouch for #2 Tenoch, here in Somerville. It opened in the old M3 space and the tortas are to die for. There is usually a line out the door!

#1 The Table at Season To Taste

2447 Massachusetts Ave

Cambridge, MA 02140

This beautiful tasting menu — four courses, plus assorted surprises — is a steal at $65. The restaurant seats 20; you’ll feel like you’re in chef Carl Dooley’s home dining room, and the kitchen is wide open, so you can see everything. Dooley is killing it on the currently airing season of Top Chef, too. Get in now while you can still get a reservation. This is one of the most exciting openings of the year so far. (Want to pay a visit without going for the whole tasting menu? There’s a little standing area where you can order snacks and drinks.) Eater picks: salad of grilled squid and citrus with Castelvetrano olive, pistachio, and mint; house-made garganelli with mussels, roasted broccoli, and lemon bread crumbs.

#2 Tenoch

382 Highland Ave

Somerville, MA 02144

With locations in Medford and the North End, plus food trucks, Tenoch has made a name for itself thanks to its outstanding fast-casual Mexican food, especially the tortas. The highly anticipated Davis Square location is finally open, and there are lines, but they move quickly. Eater picks: torta campechana; carnitas tacos.

#3 Parsnip

91 Winthrop St

Cambridge, MA 02138

Now open in Harvard Square, Parsnip spans multiple floors with an intimate upstairs lounge and an airy, high-ceilinged dining room. It’s the old UpStairs on the Square space, but you’ll barely recognize it, aside from some preserved polka-dotted paint upstairs. Parsnip serves “globally inspired” and “ingredients-led” cuisine and aims to offer a “casual fine dining” ambiance. Cozy up by a fireplace upstairs for a snack and a warm cocktail, the Little Green Monster: BarSol Mosto Verde pisco, sapling maple liqueur, hot coconut cream, matcha tea powder, and toasted pecan bitters. Hello, winter.

#4 Branch Line

321 Arsenal St

Watertown, MA 02472

If you like bocce, rotisserie chicken, and the outstanding team behind Eastern Standard, make your way out to Watertown to try Garrett Harker and Andrew Holden’s Branch Line, newly opened at the Arsenal. (Well, you’ll have to wait for warmer weather for the bocce.) Beer and wine only, with a strong focus on unique and wonderful beers. Eater picks: sugar snap pea salad; side of rotisserie drippings for bread dipping; rotisserie potatoes; chicken.

#5 Villa México Café

121 Water Street

Boston, MA

Momma King is back. Whether you first encountered her burritos at previous locations in Woburn or inside a gas station near Mass. General, you’ve been waiting for this day to arrive. Villa Mexico now has its own shiny new space downtown where throngs of people have been waiting for grilled burritos and black salsa every day. Hop in line.

#6 Yvonne’s

3 Winter Pl

Boston, MA 02108

Calling itself a “modern supper club,” Yvonne’s is now open in the historical Locke-Ober space in Downtown Crossing, featuring a dark, secretive library bar. There’s a high-powered food and drink team; key players include chefs Tom Berry (Proprietors in Nantucket) and Juan Pedrosa (The Glenville Stops), magical pastry sorceress Kate Holowchik (jm Curley, Bread & Salt Hospitality), and cocktail wizard Will Thompson (Drink, Deep Ellum, everywhere). Eater picks: KFC stone-fired pita; seared halloumi cheese; any boozy dessert.

#7 Uni

370 Commonwealth Ave

Boston, MA 02215

It’s back, and it’s bigger. Clio closed at the end of 2015 after almost two decades to make way for Ken Oringer and Tony Messina to expand tiny Uni, Clio’s neighbor and sibling, into the space. After a quick month of renovations, the new Uni has arrived with nigiri and maki from O Ya alum Akira Sugimoto, tiki and classic cocktails from Jason Kilgore (The Hawthorne), and a large menu of dishes inspired by Japan and southeast Asia. Want to go all out? The omakase (chef’s tasting) will set you back $195, and there’s caviar service for $125.

#8 Pelekasis at Wink & Nod

3 Appleton St

Boston, MA 02116

Wink & Nod’s got a pretty successful culinary incubator on its hands. Each long-term team that has passed through so far (Whisk, Bread & Salt, Akinto) now has a permanent restaurant in the works. The newest resident is Pelekasis, Brendan Pelley’s well-received modern Greek concept. (Pelley is an alum of Zebra’s Bistro and Wine Bar in Medfield, and you may recognize him from a recent season of Hell’s Kitchen as well.) Swing by the South End venue for molten kefalograveira cheese, foie gras dolmades, one hundred layer spanakopita, and the like.

#9 Tiger Mama

1363 Boylston St

Boston, MA 02215

Tiffani Faison’s vision of Southeast Asia is now open right down the street from her barbecue joint, Sweet Cheeks, and it’s filled with cheerful vegetation, an epic disco ball elephant, and loads of flavors. From curries to noodles to giant “banquet-style” dishes, there’s a lot to try, so bring a big group. Eater picks: Lamb roti; braised pork pad si ew; lobster fresh rolls with a peanut sauce you’ll want to put on everything.

#10 SRV

569 Columbus Ave

Boston, MA 02118

The Coda Group (Salty Pig, Coda Bar & Kitchen, Canary Square) has debuted its newest concept, SRV, featuring Venice-inspired small plates (cicchetti) and loads of house-made pasta. (Even the flour for the pasta is milled at the restaurant.) For chefs known for the charcuterie-and-cheese magic they offered at The Salty Pig, comforting yet upscale Italian food is a perfect expansion of the brand.

Just Sold!

The stats:

• 3 beds / 3.5 baths / 2,000 sqft / 2015 built

This property is brand new and quite unique. It’s a freestanding single-family home in a 3 unit condo association, with another 3 units across the way.

The location is prime – steps to Davis or Porter Squares, close to the proposed Lowell Street Greenline station.

This new home has an open floor plan, a beautiful modern kitchen with granite and stainless appliances, 2 fireplaces, and a private deck. The two bedrooms on the 2nd floor have en-suite bathrooms and highly-coveted 2nd floor laundry. The third floor is dedicated entirely to the Master Suite. The exterior is entirely maintenance-free with HardiePlank siding, Azek trim, and composite decking.

Two of these six units have been sold, with 4 more slated to come on the market starting in the spring.

 

The Homeowner’s Yearly Checklist

How about a New Year’s resolution for your home? With 2016 swiftly approaching, it’s a great time to get into the habit of keeping things clean, orderly and safe. Thanks to Woman Hacker for this great list. Just check it once a month and you’ll stay on track!

 

There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays!

Just Sold!

I was lucky to help Jenny and Geoff call this Medford colonial home. Located in a sleepy cul de sac, convenient to the highway, bus routes and the Fells, I just know they are really going to make this place their own. I’ve already been back to visit and all of their personal touches add so much character to their first home.

Stats:

61 Vista Ave. Medford

3 bedrooms

1.5 bathrooms

$380,000

$21,000 over asking price!

Days to Offer: 5!

Multiple Offers

5 Inexpensive Upgrades that Add Value to Your Home

DIY projects are all the rage and (mostly!) fun to do, but they’re even better when they’re adding value to your home. If you’re thinking of selling or just want to spruce things up, improvements are always a great idea. Here are some of my favorite ways to increase the value and beauty of your home that you can do on a rainy day (or three)!

Add a Backsplash

A backsplash can work wonders in a dated kitchen. Ceramic tiles are inexpensive and popular in kitchens because they can withstand heat. Glazed ceramic tile can be finished glossy, matte, or semi-glossy, so you have lots of options. There are hundreds of YourTube videos that take you through how to install the tiles, and generally it’s a pretty easy thing to do. I’m a big fan of smaller square tiles, as shown below.

City Lights Glass Frosted Mosaic Tile by Daltile. Available on Wayfair.com for $21.21 per square foot.

Paint Your Cabinets

This fairly easy DIY project can update kitchen cabinets of just about any age or condition. You can find tutorials for painting you cabinetry online. Painting them white or black can add a lot of sophistication to your kitchen. Or opt for a pop of color. Warning: choose your color wisely. You may love lime green, but future buyers may not!

Photo: HGTV

Molding Molding Everywhere!

Add molding to anything – ceilings, doors, floors. It’s one of my favorite and easiest ways to make your home look more elegant and up the wow factor. You can just grab what’s on the shelf at your local home improvement store and go.

Photo: Michael Luppino, This Old House

Update Your Hardware

Now that you’ve painted your kitchen cabinets, their dated handles will give away the age of kitchen, so don’t forget the hardware! You can find lots of different styles at your local hardware or home improvement store. This is a great tip for refreshing your furniture as well. New drawer pulls can breathe new life back into your dresser!

So many options!

Beautify the Bath

Next to the kitchen, bathrooms are the most important rooms to update. Simple things, like a new toilet seat and a pedestal sink are easy to install and they make a huge difference in the overall look of the bathroom.  You can even cover old flooring with easy-to-apply vinyl tiles. If your tub and shower are looking dingy, consider re-grouting the tile and replacing any chipped tiles.

A pedestal sink and a fresh coat of paint instantly updates this small bathroom.

64 Important Numbers Every Homeowner Should Know

Who doesn’t love “This Old House?” Bob Vila, the OG of home improvement, was making it cool and TV-worthy long before the barrage of remodeling shows we see on television today.

This Old House has come a long way since the ’80s. It’s taken the form of one of my favorite blogs, and I came across a really useful article I wanted to share.

How far away should the toilet paper holder be from your bathroom toilet? How high should that towel bar be? What about the TV – how far away should it be from your couch? Apparently there is a science behind the answers to burning questions like these. If you’re doing some remodeling this information will come in handy!

Let’s take a look…

e. 

Pretty neat, huh? File this under Good To Know.

Thanks to This Old House and illustrator Arthur Mount.