Natick: High and Low

• 12 Terrace Rd in Natick - $400 (Sold for $395)
  Center entrance small colonial on a somewhat sloping lot. Many steps to front door. One car garage w/ wide driveway (3 cars wide). Entrance from garage to basement. From entrance, coat closet is on right, stairs are in front, living is on left. Minimal foyer. Living is on the small side, but nice, large window. Open connection to small-ish dining room. Newer sliding doors to large rear wood porch in good shape. Mildly sloping rear yard. Only one or two steps down from rear porch to yard. Harvey replacement windows. Kitchen is on the small side, but good counter space; open connection to dining w/ good size counter separating. Full bath off kitchen, as well as two rooms that could either serve as bedrooms or study-type rooms. Pantry closet in kitchen. Somewhat low ceilings. One older window in bath. Two semi-large cape-style bedrooms up w/ a full bath; partially sloped ceilings on the low side (7-7.5'). Good closet space. Part of basement somewhat finished. Clean basement, older windows. Oil heat, oil heated water. Drain pipe in basement; newer drain piping (PVC). Too small. Could do an addition in rear, but might feel awkward. Popular. Rumor said that it was already under agreement at OH.
• 3 Drury Lane in Natick - $360 (Sold for $356)
  Quiet street in North-Central part. Far enough from 90 to not hear noise. 3 car wide, somewhat short driveway. 1 car garage. 2 entrances (center, next to garage). Classic cape center entrance w/ attached garage plus mudroom area. Fenced back yard. Mudroom/breakfast entrance. Step up to small kitchen. Open living/dining after passing center entrance/stairs up. Addition in rear adds "master" bedroom and play room. Full bath next to MBR off living/dining. Fairly nice rear yard. Newer windows. Narrow stairs up to odd 2nd floor. Low ceilings, small rooms, some not entirely finished with sloping ceilings. Full bath, but difficult to access. Wood panel walls, small hallways up. Slightly finished half of basement (wood paneling, concrete floor). Gas. Newer forced furnace. Would need serious renovation. Location and lot are attractive, house not so much.
• 31 Surrey Lane in Natick - $435 (Sold for $394)
  Dead quiet, dead end street (2nd from last house). Flat front yard, flat back yard, land slopes somewhat backwards under house; many steps down from rear porch to back yard. Can see elementary school through woods in back yard. Far to left is apartment building complex. 2 car driveway, 1-car garage, though may not be hard to convert to 2-car garage due to unfinished breezeway between garage and kitchen entrance. Center entrance colonial. A few steps up to front door. Minimal foyer. To left is decent size living room; to right is dining room; straight is stairs. Kitchen is narrow with counters on both sides---no room to teach. 3 bedrooms up. MBR is good size. 2nd bed is okay size. 3rd bed is small w/o a closet. 2 hallway closets. Full bath up. Large rear deck is raised above back yard. Gas heat, but electric stove. A/C. Very nice location, good lot, but house is too small, would need addition with expanded kitchen, bedrooms.
• 71 Speen Street in Natick - $630 (Sold for $585)
  

Newton to Winchester and Back Again

• 27 Fuller Terrace, Newton - $635 (Sold for $636)
  Quiet street (effectively dead-end) off Waltham/Crafts. Easy class parking. Double wide lot with 2-car garage separate from house. Short 2-car driveway. No back yard, but nice side yard with wood porch in good condition. Painted wood shingle exterior. Entrance into foyer with doorways to living (left) and kitchen (straight). Kitchen is a tad narrow, but long. Kitchen is dated, but in good condition; needs updating (new counters/cabinets/appliances); gas stove. Hardwood throughout living/dining/den in good condition, but could use refinishing. Older windows in very good condition. Carpet upstairs, some squeaky/sloping floors; 2 good bedrooms with closets. MBR has good-size closet and in-suite bathroom. 3rd bedroom is a bit small (12x8) and doesn't have a closet. 4th 2nd floor room is 8x7 and is currently used as a WIC. 3rd floor converted attic; large room with skylights and a number of windows and closet space. Tight stairs to basement. Sufficient ceilings in basement (6.5'). Miscellaneous stone foundation. 100 Amp Electric. Helen loved it. I liked it. Hard to beat the location. Lot is nice for the area. Needs kitchen renovation and new windows.
• 34 Winchester Drive, Lexington - $630
  Busy street, 1-car drive & one car garage. Can park multiple cars b/c of length. many steps to front door. Wood siding, needs painting. Up on a hill, no trees, little protection from noise. No porch. Built-in-A/C in living, a bit ugly. Tight kitchen w/ limited dining area connected to living area. Odd step-down 3-season porch (?) off living room. Good h/w floors. They did the easy upgrades (cabinets, counters in bath & kitchen), but didn't do the upgrades the house needs. 3 bedrooms w/ hardwood floors, all with sliding-door closets (good closet space). Modern/minimalist feel. 2nd kitchen + other rooms down incl. 3/4 bath.
• 18 Lockeland Road, Winchester - $650 (Sold for $620)
  Odd layout. Enter to foyer. Large living room to left w/ fire place, but disconnected from rest of 1st level. Stairs up are straight ahead. Original dining room to right. Original kitchen straight/right. Original kitchen is an odd space---empty fully tiled room. It is adjacent to the "new" kitchen. New kitchen is nice, large with tons of counter space, though stove is electric and on the island w/ minimal vent. New dining adjacent to kitchen with no door frame (open); nice full-height bay window. Stairs down from kitchen to 3/4 bath, den and exit to wrap-around deck with partial rail. Partially finished basement w/ wood paneling. Lots of storage space. Newer doors in bedrooms. 3 large bedrooms w/ one full bath upstairs w/ jacuzzi tub. Pretty good closet space. Older windows. Feels like house is "in violent disagreement with itself." Addition was poorly integrated with original house. Nice rear yard. Busy street, no parking on road. 2 car driveway and 2 car garage.
• 45 Hill Street, Winchester - $640 (Sold for $575)
  Ranch house on quiet street across from a playground. Corner lot adjacent to less quiet (but still pretty quiet) street. Limited yard, but nice patio in rear and some play space for kids. Flat lot. A few trees (two in back, one in front, small one on side. Two entrances, main into living/dining. Garage entrance into (nice!) mudroom off kitchen. Living/dining/kitchen is open area. Most of 1st floor is older hardwood in good condition. Kitchen is new hardwood. Wood shingle exterior. 1 car garage & driveway, but 2nd parking spot next to garage. Easy access (mud room) to small back yard. Minimal privacy. Could be made much better with solid fence. New harvey windows. Vent above stove. Fireplaced living room. 3 bedrooms & full bath on 1st floor. One bedroom is very close to kitchen, would work better as an office; decent closet space, but a bit limited (1st floor). Open stairwell from kitchen to basement. Finished basement (done very nicely) w/ good height ceilings (7-7.5). Basement has full bath; master bed room w/ two closets; 2nd good size bedroom w/ 2 closets; family room/kitchen area. Kitchen has sink, dishwasher and mini-fridge; large granite counter. Nice exit to rear yard (steps up to door at ground height). Enough light in basement to make it feel comfortable. Stove in kitchen is electric, but systems are gas. A/C. Utilities are especially nicely done with a panel with all of the water shutoff valves. Ethernet & cable wiring. Basement bath has granite floor & counter. One major drawback we realized is that the MBR (in basement) is separated from the utilities (incl. heat & A/C unit) by a door. I.e. unlikely to be well soundproofed.
• 34 Webster Rd, Lexington - $595 (Sold for $560)
  Painted brick and wood exterior. Icky kitchen. Long and very narrow; two refridgerators, old counter/sink/cabinets; not EIK. Adjacent room converted from stone patio could be used as breakfast room. Nice new large synthetic deck. Nice large, flat back yard w/ trees, semi-private. Large h/w living room with fireplace. Older windows. 3 not large bedrooms with okay closet space. Large bedroom makes up most of the second floor. Has carpeted full bath. Ugly wall A/C. Not much to like about it.
• 71 Damon Rd, Needham - $640 (Sold for $627)
  Short 2-car driveway with 2-car garage. Large trees in front and side yards. Split entry. Gas in house. Very good kitchen with large extra built-in counter top; vent over stove. Open to dining room. Play room off kitchen/dining area with new sliding door to tiny deck and steps down to nice patio. Swimming pool in back yard. Somewhat vaulted ceilings in kitchen/dining/living. Open dining/living area. Linen closet. Newer windows. MBR suite w/ large closet. Nice MBR bath (fancy tiles, frosted glass sink counter top). Vents in bath. 3 bedrooms: small, medium, large. Bedroom ceilings 7.5-8'. Most windows slide left-to-right. Coat closet in basement. 100 amp electric. Old gas heater. Gas hot water. Basement exit to backyard. Funny spot in basement floor. Half bath in basement w/ washer/dryer room. Lots of things to like including nice MBR suite, spacious kitchen/dining/living, playroom off kitchen, extra space in basement, nice yard, quiet, residential neighborhood, between Needham highlands & center. Drawbacks include swimming pool, stove needs to be converted to gas, basement doesn't feel completely finished (incl. uneven-ness in floor).
• 16 Tanglewood Road, Needham - $570 (Sold for $525)
  1/2-car driveway, one car garage. Enter into mostly unfinished basement, including laundry area, workshop and utility. One room is finished reasonably well, could be used as a bedroom, also a 3/4 bath in basement. Stairs up enter into open living/dining room with vaulted ceiling. Kitchen is adjacent enclosed by an L-shaped wall. Kitchen is small and needs lots of updating, would need to remove a wall with heater to get enough room for HK, but this would encroach on dining room. Nice den off dining room with door to rear patio. Nice mostly flat yard is fairly private with small hill. To right of stair are three small-ish bedrooms with good closet space. One bath up. Might be nice if all the rooms were an extra 1-2 feet larger in each direction, but feels a bit small as is and the kitchen kills it.

Natick4

• 29 Winter St, Natick - $495
  Spacious kitchen with gas stove and breakfast area, plus open connection to dining room. Counter, sink & cabinets need updating. Window over sink looks out to quiet, back yard w/ trees everywhere (conservation land). Stove has vent to outside. Original rear porch in OK condition, will probably need re-doing in < 10 yrs. Many steps from porch to back yard. Somewhat rear-sloping yard, but there is some flat area around porch. Good size living room w/ bay window. Pergo floors. Split entry. Good size MBR suite w/ double-wide closet. No vent in either bathroom. Some mold on windows, probably due to lack of ventilation. Good size 2nd & 3rd bedrooms. Carpet in bedrooms. Bathrooms could use updating, but are in good condition. Coat closet off kitchen/living. 8' ceilings on main floor. Finished basement with roomy family room, plus bedroom, office & half bath. Tall ceilings in basement; newer carpet, but a bit industrial feeling. Entry from 2 car garage to basement. Good light in basement due to larger windows. Street is not completely quiet. We saw a number of cars drive by. There is no shoulder, so backing out of the driveway could be a bit tricky. Also, might be an issue for classes since it may not be okay to park on the road. From the map, looks like it may be a cut-through street. Overall has a lot of the things we're looking for. Would be nice if the lot were flat, there was no mold on the windows, the kitchen were updated, the porch was synthetic and the street was a dead-end.
• 5 Huntington St, Natick - $500 (Sold for $455)
  Age of house (1967) very noticeable. From entry, living room is left; no doorway to dining room. Straight is dining room. Right is mudroom. Kitchen is off dining room to right. Kitchen has breakfast area, but feels a bit tight. Windows are mostly old. Garage was originally detached. Addition on right to connect. Addition room was porch, feels a bit odd; sliding door from kitchen to addition room. Window from kitchen to mud room (connects entry to addition). Step down from kitchen to addition. Upstairs has four bedrooms w/ limited closet space. Door handles are old, floors are wood. Layout felt weird. "Finished" basement was a bit scary---no padding under the carpet, old wood paneling. Needs more work than we'd want to invest.
• 13 Point St, Natick - $450 (Sold for $395)
  "Unique" is right! Nice foyer, living room and dining areas w/ refinished hardwood, high ceilings. Kitchen is old, need serious updating; full bath off kitchen also needs serious updating. "Interesting" unfinished area off kitchen. Spiral stairs (only access) to bedrooms. Uneven floors. Narrow stairs to basement. Not up to code. Not safe for kids. Tons of parking.
• 2 Bayberry Rd, Natick - $560 (Sold for $497)
  Huge eat-in kitchen adjoins family room. Sliding doors from both kitchen & family to nice wood porch. Flat yard on hill, so water table should be well below basement even though close to Lake Cochituate. No updates since built (1988). Kitchen needs new counters, cabinets, could use new appliances. Sink & dishwasher in kitchen are in island. Foyer has coat closet. Large living room to left of foyer. Formal dining room to right of foyer. Hardwood throughout 1st floor except tile in kitchen. Hardwood needs refinishing, otherwise in good condition. Four bedrooms up. Nice front-to-back MBR suite with shower & skylight in bath (but no window) and WIC. One spot in MBR was squeaky. Other rooms are good size with ample closet space. Full basement with high ceilings. No water except in outside stairwell. Forced air for heat & A/C. Oil heat. Oversize 2-car garage. Quiet street in residential neighborhood w/ no cut-through streets and traffic light at 27/N. Main (Evergreen). Access to Cochituate Lake park area. Looked like there were nice walking paths around lake. Excellent house overall. Drawbacks are no gas, no stove ventilation and proximity to Mass. Pike (can see Gulf/McDonalds sign from Bayberry; can hear distinctive highway noise from road).

The 'burbs

• 3 Lynn Rd, Natick - $493 (Sold for $490)
  First perfect house we've seen. Not too large, not too small. Ranch-style. Entry opens into a small foyer room w/ coat closet, then open living/dining/kitchen with tall ceilings and multiple skylights. Living room on right---roomy with fireplace. Dining rear left---not large, but at least as large as our dining room with sliding door to synthetic porch. Kitchen is appx 13x11 with lots of counter space and cabinets. One counter extends into living/dining area, provides about as much class-friendly counter space as one Ikea counter. Could easily place an Ikea counter between kitchen/dining to achieve plenty of counter space for HK. Nice hardwood floors throughout the area. Only two exits from kitchen (dining & garage). Rear porch is synthetic; not large, but enough for grill + small table. Screen needs replacing (dog/cat damage). Good size yard, slightly rear sloping. Adjacent lot behind is empty and unlikely to ever be developed; owned by nearby condo development, no road access. Lots of trees. Three bedrooms with normal ceilings (8.5 feet?). MBR is sufficient---in-suite bath, small walk-in closet. Other bedrooms are on the small side, but good closet space. Nice Andersen windows. Finished basement w/ open spacious kitchen (no stove) & family room area. Also finished downstairs are a full bath and bedroom. Perfect space for visitors. Only drawback are the lowish ceilings (~7', 6-6.5' for main beam) and tile floors throughout basement. House did get flooding in the basement before sump pumps were installed. Roomy 2 car garage (good space around cars) w/ automatic garage openers. 3 steps up to door to kitchen or 10 steps down to basement. Under agreement before the first open house. One drawback is that it may be one of the nicer houses in the neighborhood---lots of houses valued < $400k.
• 27 Rutledge Rd, Natick - $620 (Sold for $560)
  4 bed colonial with tons of space. Very large kitchen/dining which was an addition ~20 yrs ago; kitchen needs updating---cheap counters, stove on island with minimal ventilation, older double oven. Refinished hardwood floors; a bit squeaky, but not bad. Full bath on first floor. Somewhat awkward layout. Large family room to left of foyer, living w/ fireplace to right. Two stairwells, one in front, one in back. Kitchen/dining is rear right. 1st floor laundry between dining & living rooms. Partially finished basement w/ exits to small one car garage and driveway. Felt a bit cheaply finished. 2nd floor has 3 bedrooms, office & bath connected in 'U' to 2 stairwells; bath at one end. Heat piping in closets. Finished attic 3rd floor bedroom. All hardwood floors. Windows are semi-modern (double-pane). A bit noisy, not that far from 27/Main St. and only the 2nd house from Main. A bit too close to the newly built middle school just up the street. HK students might not be able to park on Rutledge. Tons of space, but just didn't feel right.
• 14 Avery St, Needham - $580 (Sold for $545)
  Many steps to front door. Small older porch. Foyer area w/ coat closet. Large living room w/ bay window. Good size dining room w/ bay window. Kitchen felt a bit tight---3 exits and intruding fireplace, only doorway to dining room. 3/4 bathroom & mud room off kitchen. Entrance from driveway/garage into mud room. 3 bedrooms upstairs w/ full bath. Finished attic. Kitchen kills it. Rest of house wasn't particularly attractive.
• 114 Gay St, Needham - $695 (Pending Sale for $695)
  Nice multi-level in quiet neighborhood. Large enough kitchen. Full connection to dining room. Needs updating: counter, gas. Exit to enclosed porch in rear. 1 car garage faces rear. Nice living room w/ fireplace. Go down half-level to "den", half-bath and laundry, down another half-level to large linoleum floor room which might just serve as a nice storage area. Up half-level has 3 of the 4 bedrooms. Nice MBR suite w/ double closet. 2nd bedroom is good size. 3rd is a bit small. Tons of closet space. Up half-level to large 4th bedroom. Perfect teen bedroom. 3rd bedroom serves nicely as an office. Felt comfortable going up/down stairs---not a hassle. Main living areas feel comfortable to go between. Pretty nice house, but pricey.
• 62 Mountain Rd, Burlington - $564
  New colonial on largish lot, set back from road. Stream through back yard. Lots of trees. Somewhat long driveway. Not much usable yard b/c of elevation changes. Premium large eat-in kitchen w/ 5 gas burner stove, plenty of room w/ connected eating area. Adjacent pantry. Nice hardwood floors. Large living room with good windows and gas fireplace. Additional room in front could serve as formal dining room or office. Door from garage to kitchen. Four bedrooms up. Large MBR w/ in-suite bath w/ shower and jacuzzi. Large walk-in closet. Good size 2nd bed, medium 3rd and large 4th bed w/ some sloping ceilings, a bit separate (down the hall) from other beds. Large basement (full minus garage) with high ceilings and walk-out to back yard. Rear wood deck. Fancy (instant?) water heater. Overall very nice house. Some white noise from 95/3, didn't seem like much of a distraction. A bit remote. Not much of a "neighborhood" feel; road started to get busy beginning at Burlington St. Awesome house, maybe a bit large for us. Feels like Chester Springs house, except flat driveway, less grass to mow.

Putting Green

• 92 College Ave, Arlington - $570 (Sold for $537)
  Only house we've heard of with a backyard putting green. Also includes a swimming pool and (broken) hot tub. The lot is severely sloped. There is yard, but it is largely taken up by the pool, tub and green. The kitchen is Helen's dream: 22x28 w/ a large granite counter, gas stove, double oven and space for two fridges. The living room is not quite as large, but still roomy with hardwood floors and a fireplace. The master bedroom is reasonably large (10x16), has its own bath, but limited closet space. The other two bedrooms are decent size (appx. 10x12) with good closet space. The basement is finished, but a bit funny. One section is raised (step up) and there is a distinct office which could alternatively be used as a large closet. The systems are accessed via a tiny door off the raised section. There is space to stand up, but it is cramped. There is a 2-car garage. The "front" entrance is on the side and feels haphazard; in particular, water was dripping from the roof, making the steps extra slippery. A killer is the road and driveway. The road is very steep; entering the driveway requires a 120-degree turn. The driveway is somewhat steep and there is minimal room to turn around. Backing-out would be no fun for Helen.

Christmas Open Houses

• 77 Page Rd, Newton - $630 (Sold for $548)
  Large Victorian (2082 sf) on quiet, one-way street close to Watertown St/Rt. 16. Flat lot w/ driveway. This section of Rt. 16 looked largely residential and fairly quiet. Certainly would be some noise with windows opened, but *much* quieter than what we currently have. Renovated, spacious kitchen (11x12+), large dining & living rooms, half bath and foyer on first floor. Separate alcove for fridge. Could easily fit ikea furniture; no issues for HK. Old windows throughout, need replacing. Nice wood deck in rear accessible from kitchen. Kitchen is updated with new counters, cabinets, appliances, floor. House feels old, but in generally good condition. Central A/C w/ system in basement for 1st & 2nd floors, separate A/C for 3rd floor; 2 heating zones. 2nd floor has four real bedrooms all with closets; 4th bedroom would serve as a nice study. 3rd floor is converted attic w/ large bedroom, den and full bath; would work well either for older kids or guests. Basement is cluttered with systems, some pipes below head-height. Stairway to basement is a bit tight.
• 2 Kings Ct, Arlington - $499 (Sold for $492)
  Well-maintained Garrison on quiet, sloping street. Street is somewhat steep, driveway slopes somewhat, will be an issue in winter if road is not plowed properly. 1st floor has kitchen, dining & living rooms. Kitchen is a bit dated, but in excellent condition; stove is electric. Kitchen has sliding door to back porch, is EIK w/ sufficient room for HK. Exterior is wood shingles, will require maintenance. 10+ stone steps to front entrance, would be slippery in snow/rain, though entrance via garage/basement is relatively easy. Largish dining and living rooms; fireplace in living. Hardwood floors throughout. 2nd floor has master suite with tons of closets, own bathroom plus powder/changing room. Two other bedrooms: one large (11x13?), one small (8x10?). Lots of closet space, including linen closet. Drop-down stairs to attic (did not see). Space in basement to create a guest sleeping area, but nothing else---not much room after stairs, W/D, oil tank, heater. Hot water is from oil-fired heater. Basement is very clean. Oil tank is against rear wall (left). Heater is tucked in right corner behind garage. W/D are on left wall. Stairs are off kitchen and are steps from door to garage. Looks to be in excellent condition. Living room is large enough to include office. Would be tight with 2 kids and guests unless basement is finished. Though, kids could be in same bedroom for many years.

Two Belmont Homes

• 26 Jeanette Ave, Belmont - $600 (Sold for $520)
  Extensively updated small colonial. Completely renovated kitchen w/ cabinets to ceiling, granite counter, gas stove, new appliances, bay window over sink, French doors to mahogany deck. Replacement windows throughout (good condition). Living/dining form one large 24x11 room. Master bedroom has wall-length closet. 3rd bedroom is small, made smaller by built-in floor-to-ceiling cabinets. Three-season front porches are older (sloping). Hard-wood floors through 1st & 2nd floors in good condition (except stairs are a bit squeaky). Both bathrooms are nicely updated, in great condition. Third floor is converted attic, carpeted, nicely done, probably hot in summer. Small, flat yard w/ fence on 2 sides, about 6 steps from porch to yard. Small stone patio connecting stairs/driveway/yard. Foundation, basement in good condition. Less than one block to residential playground. Quiet street. Neighborhood includes many two-families.
• 70 School St, Belmont - $585 (Sold for $516)
  Two-family on small lot (minimal land). Two 2-bedroom units with part of attic converted into two additional bedrooms for upstairs unit. Only saw upstairs unit. Ancient kitchen with next to zero counter space. Pantry off kitchen adds additional storage, but brings kitchen entrances up to four limiting wall space. Floors are squeaky, need refinishing. Old bathrooms---need updating. Upstairs unit has replacement windows, downstairs & basement windows are older. Wood porches (front & side, up & down) in passable condition. Exterior is wood shingles, some parts need painting. Stone foundation. Bedroom layout is a bit awkward (separated by stairwells).