2011 May | Landvest Blog

May

New England Farms for Sale – An Introduction to LandVest’s Portfolio of Equestrian/Horse Properties, Gentlemen’s Farms and Farmland for Sale
By LandVest

LandVest has long specialized in the marketing of farm properties in New England. A quick look through our current listings identifies over 35 “farm” properties for sale. New England horse farms for sale range from an idyllic Woodstock, Vermont equestrian property with every facet polished to a brilliant shine (Uphill Farm, Woodstock, VT) to a private estate with a timber frame barn and dressage arena in Wayland, Massachusetts (Stonegate Farm, Wayland MA). We have an antique 18th century farm for sale in Southern New Hampshire, completely period in appearance, but updated in function (Little Brook Farm, Jaffrey, NH), and a stunning equestrian facility with heated barns and every amenity (Shadow Fox Farm, Peterborough, NH) From charming kitchen gardens in a pastoral setting in Maine (Salmon Falls Farm, Bar Mills, Maine) to Ellen Biddle Shipman-designed terraced gardens with bold mountain views in Vermont (North Mowing), a secluded retreat in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont (Heavensent Farm, Peacham, Vermont) to an opulently redone estate 30 minutes from downtown Boston (Meredith Farm, Topsfield, MA). Many also include extensive waterfront and range from a 1,300 acre conserved working farm on the New York side of Lake Champlain (Bessboro Farm, Westport, NY) to a saltwater farm on 16 acres with a replica 18th century thatch-roof barn, private dock and spectacular views of Cape Cod Bay (Mill Farm Waterfont Compound). We have properties to fit an array of budgets and tastes.

A farm, we know, is in the eye of the beholder. Each of these properties is magical in their own way and represents the vision of its owners – often generations of them – in creating a unique and personalized landscape with a soul of its own. We will be posting a series on farms in the coming weeks and invite you to follow along on a tour of some of the special places which make New England farm living so appealing.

Click below for more:

Farms for sale in New England
Equestrian Facility for sale

This blog post has been brought to you by Ruth Kennedy Sudduth, who, as the director of LandVest’s Residential Brokerage Division, has a unique perspective on the luxury real estate market. This regular feature will chronicle special places and give readers insights on New England’s high end real estate market.

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May

Rare Waterfront Real Estate Opportunity on Smith’s Point, Manchester, MA
By LandVest

A Rarity: Smith’s Point, Manchester, MA Waterfront Properties (plural) for Sale.

This is a particularly interesting window of opportunity in the North Shore real estate market, because there are currently three properties for sale on this sought-after peninsula: These waterfront estates include: 7 Smith’s Point Road (the Goldhirsh Estate, founders of Goldhirsh Publishing, INC Magazine, and Sail Magazine), 14 Smith’s Point Road , and 27 Smith’s Point Road .

There are approximately 27 residences on Smith’s Point proper; and many have been in families for generations since they were built in the late 19th century. All of the properties on Smith’s Point can apply for rights to the Great Pastures Association which includes the use of Long Beach, a private, sandy beach and association dock.

With another multi-million dollar waterfront property coming on the market on Smith’s Point in May of 2011, Lanse has dominated the market. There have been five sales on Smith’s Point in the past seven years above three million dollars and LandVest sold four of them. In addition, the buyers for all four sales were procured by Lanse Robb directly. “This is quite an opportunity – to have four properties for sale on Smith’s Point at the same time,” commented Lanse. “These are generational assets that don’t come along very often. It’s interesting – we’ve noticed that the recent buyers for all of these estates have been families with young children. The ability to have a substantial home close to Boston, with easy access to international flights and the amenities of a waterfront vacation home is really appealing. That combination has preserved big values for these Manchester-by-the Sea properties”. Smith’s Point is conveniently located near Manchester Village, Singing Beach, and the commuter rail.

www.lanserobb.com
Click below to view more Boston’s North Shore Real Estate for sale:

North Shore Real Estate For Sale
Manchester Massachusetts Homes For Sale
North Shore Waterfront Properties for Sale

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May

Best Places to Live: Paul Theroux Writes About the Charms of the Maine Coast
By LandVest

This entry is brought to you by Terry Sortwell and Shannon Thompson of LandVest – Camden, Maine who assist and advise real estate owners and buyers of fine homes and estates throughout Midcoast Maine.

Image credit: Jake Wyman/Getty Images

We were pleased to discover this great little piece by acclaimed travel and fiction writer Paul Theroux on the charms of the Maine coast in the cooler months. Mr. Theroux writes about the St. George peninsula, right in our backyard, and home to some of the best values around for mid-coast Maine waterfront properties, including the lovely Harbor House.

Click to read the article in the Atlantic: The Wicked Coast

Click to view Coastal Maine Real Estate For Sale

For more information about living in Midcoast Maine, contact Terry Sortwell (tsortwell@landvest.com) or Shannon Thompson (sthompson@landvest.com)

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May

Weston, MA Real Estate for Sale: Perfectly Situated, Peirce Pond Overloook at 100 Westcliff Road, Weston, MA
By LandVest

Everyone knows the three most important things in real estate: location, location, location. The property, named Peirce Pond Overlook, at 100 Westcliff Road, Weston, Massachusetts, (View Map) has all three in abundance. It’s (1) located on one of the prettiest streets in Weston; it’s (2) located on the desirable South Side of Weston, convenient to the Massachusetts Turnpike and the shops of neighboring Wellesley; and it (3) is located overlooking Peirce Pond, a bucolic, man-made body of water that provides endless hours of peaceful enjoyment for the owners, and which is regularly fished by a great blue heron.

In addition to location, the 100 Westcliff Road property offers an ideal first floor plan with a great room combing kitchen and family room taking full advantage of the Peirce Pond views. The high ceilings afford natural light through the house, and the waterfront living, so rare in Weston and in the western suburbs of Boston, is a constant balm throughout the day.

There is more than light and waterfront to 100 Westcliff Road, however. The house encompasses some 9,000 square feet over three levels, including five to seven bedrooms, seven full baths and five fireplaces. The master suite includes two baths, a spacious office and a sumptuous bedroom with fireplace. The house was expanded and fully renovated in 1999, and is ideal for entertaining and family living. Architectural details such as oversize windows and irregular ceiling details add to the interest of the house.

What will the owners miss the most when they leave? The natural light, the views over Peirce Pond and the kitchen/family room great room, where they now spend most of their time.

View additional Weston, MA homes for sale

This blog entry has been brought to you by Terrence Maitland (tmaitland@landvest.com) who has been assisting buyers and sellers of Weston, MA Real Estate, as well as distinctive real estate in the Boston area for over 20 years. Terry and his sales partner Nicole Monahan have found homes for buyers that were not yet for sale, and have achieved a portfolio of record sales in Brookline and Boston environs.

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May

Bangor Daily News Gets Midcoast Maine Real Estate Perspective from Terry Sortwell
By LandVest

Terry Sortwell, Regional Manager in our Camden, Maine office, is quoted in the Bangor Daily News article (BDN) titled Housing Bloom? BDN business writer Matt Wickenheiser examined the current state of Maine’s real estate markets, including coastal Maine real estate, and talked to Terry for his view of Maine waterfront properties and Maine luxury real estate in particular.

Terry Sortwell is a principal and regional manager at LandVest’s Camden office. The firm deals in high-end properties, generally more than $1 million. He suggested that the current market conditions have shown, once again, that real estate is not a liquid investment.

“If there’s not a lot of demand for the property you own, you can reduce the price way down below what one would think it’s worth and still not sell it,” said Sortwell. “You can’t make a market for it — that’s part of the frustration many sellers are going through.”

The market he deals in got very quiet about three years ago, reviving a bit last year, said Sortwell.

“Basically, buyers have been …” Read the full article

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May

Cape Cod Real Estate News: Historic House For Sale in Falmouth, MA -Birthplace of Katharine Lee Bates
By LandVest

This post was brought to you by Stewart Young (syoung@landvest.com). Whether it’s an elegant Greek Revival in Lincoln, a 130 acre farm in Medfield, or a waterfront summer estate on Little Harbor in Woods Hole, Stewart advises buyers and sellers of some of the most distinctive properties in Massachusetts with a focus on the Metro West area of Boston and Cape Cod.

Katharine Lee Bates House in Falmouth, MA is currently for sale

Katharine Lee Bates was born in this house at 16 Main Street, Falmouth, Massachusetts in 1859 and is most famous as the author of the lyrics for America the Beautiful. Given her early years in Falmouth, one can’t help but wonder if the local water views inspired some of the lines of her famous poem. She reported that the words were inspired by a lecture trip to Colorado College in 1893 where Bates was awed by the view from the summit of Pike’s Peak.

Bates was a resident of Falmouth until the age of twelve. She was an intrepid scholar, a member of the second class to graduate from Wellesley College. She was president of her class. She also spent a year studying at Oxford University before settling in to teaching in New England. She went on to distinguish herself in academia beginning at Natick High School, then Dana Hall School, and finally at Wellesley College where she became head of the English Literature Department in 1891. Bates died at the age of 69 in 1929, an accomplished author of poetry, travel and children’s books; an educator; a humanitarian; and a member of the League of Nations.

This historic and completely renovated property was built ca. 1810. The property was purchased from the Falmouth Historical Society in 2008 and renovated from 2008-2010 to the highest standards by C.H. Newton Builders, Inc., one of the most highly regarded builders on Cape Cod and in greater Boston. The residence consists of 2,364 square feet of finished space with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, new kitchen with top of the line appliances, new wiring and utilities including air conditioning, new cedar shake roof, insulation, and a new garage and storage building. The quarter acre lot features a gravel driveway to the back with extra parking and handsome landscaping. It is near the Falmouth village green and convenient to shops and restaurants. This is an ideal year round residence in a community that offers the best of year round and summer time amenities.

For more information about Katharine Lee Bates and Falmouth, click here to visit the web site of the Falmouth Historical Society

Click link for more information about the Katharine Lee Bates House including builder’s description of the renovations, found under property documents.

Click here to view properties for sale on Cape Cod.

Contact Stewart Young (syoung@landvest.com) in our Boston, Massachusetts office if you’d like to talk about real estate on Cape Cod or in the metro Boston area..

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May

Best Places to Live – Weston, MA: The Cabot Estate on 5 Willow Road, Weston, MA 02493
By LandVest

This blog entry is brought to you by Terrence Maitland (tmaitland@landvest.com) who has been assisting buyers and sellers of Weston, MA Real Estate, as well as distinctive real estate in the Boston area for over 20 years. Terry and his sales partner Nicole Monahan have found homes for buyers that were not yet for sale, and have achieved a portfolio of record sales in Brookline and Boston environs.

The Cabot Estate in Weston, MA is currently for sale

The owners of the Cabot Estate, 5 Willow Road, Weston, Massachusetts 02493, engaged noted architect Jeremiah Eck to help them build a great house. And the team succeeded beyond its own grand expectations.

For the 5 Willow Road house is one of the great houses of Massachusetts – and perhaps one of the greatest in the country. It was designed and constructed as a “big house,” one that is both beautiful and functional. Completed in 2004, the California Lodge-style house, sited on over 13 acres of land, is a captivating house demonstrating bold design — soaring ceilings, abundant natural light and both visual and physical connections between indoor and outdoor spaces. The plan by Eck, designer of over 150 custom homes and the author most recently of The Distinctive Home: A Vision of Timeless Design, emphasizes craftsmanship and the use of high-quality natural materials, including quartzitic sandstone, Honduran mahogany, green slate, bluestone and red oak. The more than 200 windows, custom-made of Honduran mahogany, are functional and artistic gems, allowing light to flood into the house. The family spaces are entirely comfortable, while the entertaining rooms are beautiful, grand and formal. The house offers seven bedrooms, seven full baths, six half-baths and five fireplaces. The open floor plan and broad hallways make the interior of 5 Willow Road easy to understand.

The lower level of the house offers an abundant venues for family-related activities. A bar and game room are found here, an exercise room, hot tub, movie theater and wine cellar arranged along the underground passage to the pool. Other features of the property include a four-car garage, catering kitchen, hair salon and an impregnable safe room. The possibility also exists for up to two more houses, creating the flexibility for a family compound.

House orientation has long been a special concern of architect Eck – and 5 Willow Road was no exception, as the house is beautifully sited on its expansive lot. The family side of the house is oriented east and south to benefit from the morning sun. The formal side of the house, encompassing all of the entertaining spaces, faces south and west to take advantage of the afternoon and soft evening light. From the house one looks over 13 acres of diverse landscape, including streams, a woodlands pond, rock outcroppings, stone walls and an outdoor pool and pool cabana that is connected to the main house via an underground passageway. As a neighbor of the prestigious and private Meadowbrook School, the owners are allowed use of the school’s first-rate athletic facilities, including soccer, basketball and baseball fields as well as tennis courts. And the Weston public schools are also a great option, as Weston High School was ranked first in a 2010 Boston Magazine survey of area high schools. The Town of Weston also ranked first in per-pupil expenditure at $18,023 for the public schools.

The 5 Willow Road property is ideally located on the desirable south side of Weston, only a mile from the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 95. The property is 12 miles from Boston’s Fenway Park and Back Bay and 15 miles from Logan International Airport. The private jet port of Hanscom Field is only ten miles away.

All of these attributes combine to make 5 Willow Road, Weston, a great house built to last hundreds of years in an unrivaled setting. When it comes to any roster of great houses in America, 5 Willow Road has to be included.

View Google Map
Click to view more Weston, MA homes for sale

Click to view Terry Maitland’s (tmaitland@landvest.com) or Nicole Monahan’s (nmonahan@landvest.com) contact information

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May

Unique Boston Real Estate Opportunity: Saint Margaret’s Convent for Sale
By LandVest

This entry is brought to you by Nick Pratt who assists property owners and buyers with complex real estate planning, appraisal, conservation, management, and disposition services.

A History of Service in an Urban Enclave
Saint Margaret’s Convent
Roxbury, MA

Tucked out of view off a quiet side street, Saint Margaret’s Convent has been a spiritual epicenter for over a century. The city hums below, but at the top of Fort Hill, in the Highland Park neighborhood of Roxbury, the convent is quiet and serene. To quote the Boston Globe:

“Since the late 19th century, the Society of St. Margaret, an order of Episcopal nuns, has maintained a quiet but steady presence in Boston, nursing the sick, caring for the poor, and welcoming travelers in need of a quiet place to stay, all while keeping a rigorous schedule of prayer and silent contemplation.” Full Article The Sisters have decided to relocate their work to their retreat in Duxbury, where they are building a new eco-friendly center.

The Roxbury convent is being offered for sale and listed by LandVest.

Built around the c. 1840 home of Abolitionist leader William Lloyd Garrison, the Convent has been owned by the Society of Saint Margaret since 1904. The complex of buildings has been expanded over the years, most recently with a major expansion and renovation of the Main Building in the early 1990’s.

The Main Building is comprised of three interconnected buildings which contain a total of 33,550± square feet and features a commercial-grade kitchen, dining hall with an outdoor patio, 34 bedrooms, multiple common rooms for meetings, library, two chapels and a large balcony overlooking the Boston skyline. In addition, there is a separate 2,184± square foot heated Carriage House with a second floor apartment with two bedrooms, a full bath and a kitchen.

The improvements are sited on 1.65± acres, including 240± feet of frontage on Highland Park Street and 338± feet of frontage on Highland Street, and is surrounded by tall trees and quiet outdoor areas, including a lawn with a gazebo.

In a May 14 Boston Globe article by Lisa Wangsness, the Convent was described as being located in a “…tranquil neighborhood, a mix of brick row houses and clapboard multifamily homes, some with lush gardens and flowering trees. Though the grassy peak of Fort Hill lies just a few blocks from the rush of Columbus Avenue, on a recent morning, little could be heard but the wind and singing birds.”

Click for pricing and more information on Saint Margaret’s Convent
View Larger Map

Nicholas R. Pratt                                                  David A. Rosen
617-948-8002                                                     617-357-8955
npratt@landvest.com                                     drosen@landvest.com

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May

LandVest Real Estate Consulting News: Perspectives on the 55 + Senior-Housing Real Estate Market
By LandVest

This entry is brought to you by Slater Anderson and Sandy Olney who advise landowners and their advisors on land planning, appraisal, conservation, management, and disposition services through the Real Estate Consulting Group at LandVest.

As appraisers in the Real Estate Consulting Group at LandVest, we take part in a variety of valuation and land planning projects. A recent assignment required analyzing a permitted 55+ senior-housing development in suburban Boston. Here are some perspectives on this growing segment of the real estate market.

“Age-restricted”, “active adult”, and “55+” are all terms used to describe senior housing developments. Senior communities have been successful for decades in states like Florida and Arizona, but new demand is being driven

Senior communities have been successful for decades in states like Florida and Arizona, but new demand is being driven by the aging baby-boomer generation looking to downsize to “maintenance-free living” in a condominium-ownership scenario.

by the aging baby-boomer generation looking to downsize to “maintenance-free living” in a condominium-ownership scenario. A typical model consists of two-unit townhomes mixed in with higher-density multi-level apartments, and recreational facilities set in a private gated-community. The newest marketing trend emphasizes “active lifestyles” where communities are marketed with access to open space, hiking trails, and health and fitness facilities.

According to Tom Skahen from Primetime Communities, who wrote the Massachusetts research report Prime 50-Plus Report, the 55+ population in Massachusetts will continue to grow (+12% increase from 2008 to 2013). This segment is also attractive for developers because buyers in the 55 to 64 range are considered “able buyers” in that their primary homes are debt free, and they are able to enter their next buying phase in a strong position. The study identified 312 active adult communities in Massachusetts built after 2000, which totals 19,541 home units. As of 2009, there were 37 approved (not built) developments with 13 in the planning process. According to the report, large developers got into the segment early. Pulte Homes, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, sells 46% of its homes to active adults. From a planning standpoint, without the draw on local resources (schools), permitting for senior housing is generally an easier option. It’s also not uncommon for age-restrictions to be included in the deed, which limits portions of a development for senior living.

Two noteworthy sales of 55+ development sites include a 68± acre parcel in Topsfield, known as English Commons, sold to the developer CP Berry Homes for $5,000,000 in July of 2009, or $92,500 per unit. Listings for two and three-bedroom townhomes are on the market for $650,000 to $750,000. Another 55+ development in Sudbury included a 52-unit development called Grouse Hill on 30± acres that sold for $3,010,000 in January 2007, or $58,000 per unit.

Seton Highlands - a luxury condominium neighborhood for Active Adults at The Pinehills in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Two-bedroom townhome sales in the last two years ranged from $494,000 to $600,000. In both cases, the implied land value “per unit” was 10% to 13% of the finished retail unit price. It should be noted that these sales did not have an affordability component and were sold without final permits. These sales are evidence of a growing development trend where “downsized living” is becoming a more attractive residential choice. As of 2011, this market has slowed. However, the size of this demographic combined with a growing demand for maintenance-free living suggests that the market for 55+ communities will continue to grow in the future.

For more information, please view contact information for Slater Anderson and Sandy Olney, or contact Slater at sanderson@landvest.com and Sandy Olney at solney@landvest.com.

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May

LandVest Real Estate Consulting News: “Rare” Earth Materials an Asset to Some New England Land Owners
By LandVest

This blog entry was brought to you by Norman Brown IV, a LandVest Project Manager who works in both the LandVest Residential Brokerage Division and the LandVest Real Estate Consulting Group. Norman assists buyers and sellers of unique and distinctive real estate holdings throughout the New England region and beyond, with a current concentration on the Middlesex County and Cape Cod markets.

“Rare” Earth Materials an Asset to some New England Land Owners

We hear from time to time about how emerging market countries are profiting from the presence of rare earth materials in their soils. Well, New England has its own “rare” earth materials that many landowners may not know about. Earth materials, such as sand, gravel and stone are vitally important to the economy of Massachusetts. The availability of quality earth materials is a critical aspect of the future of our infrastructure and the construction industry.
Natural earth materials are involved in every major construction project. These materials are used in the proper site preparation for buildings, houses, roads and other infrastructures. Earth materials are also used in the creation of asphalt, concrete and other finished construction materials. As such, adequate availability of these products is imperative. However, the construction industry is seeing the availability of these materials decreasing, especially in areas close to Greater Boston.
The lack of quality earth materials in the Greater Boston area provides an opportunity to landowners, whose properties may contain these vital earth materials. First, those whose properties may have quality earth materials, and whose properties are located relatively close to Boston, will benefit from the lack of local product availability and could reap the benefits financially. The market for quality earth materials is strong, even during times of a slow economy. The right materials in the right area could generate significant income for landowners.
Secondly, landowners outside of the Greater Boston area are beginning to see potential benefit because the market for earth materials is slowly coming to them. The construction industry has seen a spike in earth material prices over the past 5 years or so. The greatest factor giving rise to these price increases is the expanding geographical market for earth materials. As the availability of earth materials within the Greater Boston area decreases, material providers find themselves searching out earth materials further and further from the Greater Boston area. In doing so, the cost of transporting these materials rises, which is turn, directly increases the price of the materials on site. This provides a unique opportunity for landowners, who previously could not find a market for their land rich in earth materials. While landowners in far western Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine faced competition from lands rich in earth materials and closer to Greater Boston in the past, this competition is quickly eroding. Suddenly, these landowners are sitting on a desirable asset, and they may find themselves able to benefit financially from cashing in on that asset.
Here at LandVest we can provide consulting services, brokerage services or both to landowners who hope to benefit from the changing market for earth materials. Coming from the earth materials industry, I have a unique understanding of this market and the potential for landowners.

If you believe your land is rich in earth materials and you hope to benefit by selling the land or earth materials located thereon, please contact Norman Brown at LandVest at (617) 357-8958.

Click to view Norman Brown’s contact info

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