Turnkey homes will appeal to prospective buyers in the upcoming summer real estate market.
By: Christina Poletto
McKenzie Howarth has much to offer about the current market conditions in the territory around Newton, Mass. It’s where McKenzie lives, and as a top sales associate and luxury property specialist with Coldwell Banker for the last five years, Howarth has a replete understanding of the pivotal considerations for anyone selling or seeking property here, especially those wanting to know more about area neighborhoods, schools, resources and even where to find the best hiking trails.
It’s a dynamic time with innumerable variables at play that buyers and sellers need to heed. “In the Newton-Brookline area, it can get tricky at the peak of spring. Inventory is tight and the competition is serious,” says Howarth. Indeed, with many of her clients in hybrid work positions, homes with more living space are desired, and buyers are continuing to look to towns within close driving distance to Boston.
Unlike some pandemic-driven buying trends that caught on just a few short years ago, Howarth says that all-cash offers are still quite uniform in today’s transactions, but these don’t always translate to the winning bid. “A cash offer doesn’t mean you can always secure a better price. Many people who are moving are seeking to trade up or downsize. Right now, the cleanest, highest offer wins.” While prospective buyers might wince at loftier interest rates than just a few years ago, Howarth explains that they are historically normal.
For anyone looking to plant roots in the area, Howarth says that the area has a diverse housing stock of older and more contemporary properties, which are often attractive to clients. “Many newer constructed condominiums feel like single-family homes,” says Howarth, “and are appealing to prospective buyers for their turnkey features.”
“Houses requiring a lot of imagination and vision for what they can become are harder to move right now,” she adds. “Properties resonating are those where the buyer can show up with their personal things tomorrow.”
One listing that Howarth is excited to represent is at 96 Monadnock Road in Chestnut Hill. With five bedrooms and five bathrooms across more than 7,000 square feet of living space, this circa 1929 English Tudor is just six miles from downtown Boston. “Buyers will appreciate the fabulous property, sprawling kitchen, high ceilings, grand foyer, and entryway, as well as the large dining and living room for entertaining. It is sunny and bright with ample windows and has large, comfortable bedrooms and bathrooms.”
