If the South End has become too expensive and you can’t get what you want in Jamaica Plain, it could be time to consider buying a condo in Roslindale. “Rozzie?,” you react in knee-jerk fashion. Kris MacDonald, a top agent in the Roslindale market for 12 years, tells me that in 2013 Roslindale has been “phenomenal.” Multiple-listing numbers show Roslindale’s transaction count up nearly 90 percent compared with the first 11 months of 2012 (from 72 sales to 135). Kris says a lot of people end up in Roslindale because of the comparative value; the median price per square foot in Roslindale was just over $270, making it on average about $75 a square foot cheaper than JP and way, way cheaper than other parts of Boston.
If the South Boston is market is too crazy, maybe Quincy instead? You reply, “Quincy?,” shocked. Michael Flavin, a Quincy broker for 17 years, says the condo market there “is very good,” and points out that Quincy has four MBTA stations, two new middle schools, a new high school, and that it’s not just close to Boston, it’s close to the ocean. According to the MLS, the median price for a Quincy condo is only $258K. Additionally, over 90 percent of the sold Quincy condos I looked at had parking. Quincy condo sales were up this year 75 percent compared with the first 11 months of 2011, and even though the city has bidding wars only 10 of Quincy’s 385 condos sold in those 11 months were able to garner even $10K over ask.
When everyone in the condo market is zigging, it’s time to consider zagging.
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