GBP (Greater Boston Properties) Inaugural Issue, July/August 2013

GBP GREATER BOSTON’S MAGAZINE FOR REAL ESTATE & THE HOME

MODERN MOVEMENT TWO HOMES BUILT OF MATERIALS AND A VISION AHEAD OF THEIR TIME

10 EASY SUMMER ENTERTAINING TIPS plus

This farm’s got therapy and A FLOATING CITY,

IN BOSTON HARBOR? July/August 2013 $5.95

Greater Boston Property is a publication of the Greater Boston Association of REALTORS®, a Division of Greater Boston Real Estate Board

Cambridge . Chatham . Palm Beach

Bedford, 9 Rooms, 5 Bedrooms, 3.5 Bath Colonial $1,100,000

Bedford, 7 Rooms, 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bath Town House $659,000

Bedford, 10 Rooms, 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bath Cape $549,000

Belmont, 15 Rooms, 5 Bedrooms, 5.5 Bath Colonial $3,200,000

Concord, 12 Rooms, 5 Bedrooms, 5.5 Bath Farmhouse $1,799,900

Winchester, 12 Rooms, 5 Bedrooms, 4.5 Bath Colonial $1,689,000

Photo: Eric Roth

617-492-2808

w w w. l o m b a r d i d e s i g n . c o m

Call me today and turn your home buying dreams into reality Kim Bond

•

Sr. Loan Officer, NMLS 39915

Office: (781) 223-8933 Fax: (781) 663-6787 Kim.Bond@NEMoves.com www.nemmortgage.com/kimbond Kim Bond JULY/AUGUST 2013

71

INSPIRE BIDDING WARS

Want more sales with higher offers?

BEFORE ^

AFTER ^

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by Heidi Pribell Interiors, winner of three consecutive Best of Boston awards.

She is a graduate of Harvard University and the New York School of Interior Design

consider

S staged homes sell 6 times faster than non-staged homes S the average return on a staging investment is 343%

heidi pribell interiors

S staged homes, on average, sell for 7% more than non-staged homes S the investment of staging your home is tax deductible

4 GBPMAGAZINE.COM

JULY/AUGUST 2013

5

CONTENTS 42

56 FEATURES 26

THE GBP INTERVIEW Three of the state’s top real estate professionals discuss advocacy issues.

30

IN HARMONY WITH NATURE Walter Gropius’ house, in 1938, represented the most contemporary ideas and materials he could find.

42

FRIENDS TODAY ...

AND TOMORROW Children overcome personal challenges on farm property in Lincoln.

50

“A UNIQUE STORY” Modern shape and style are epitomized in this Five Fields escape.

50 56

GARDENS GALORE Diversity takes center stage in outdoor spaces of this Acton home.

65

PROPERTY PROFILE History and modern design meet in Lincoln.

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ON THE COVER THE GROPIUS HOUSE IN LINCOLN. STORY PAGE 32.

PHOTO BY BENEDETTA ROCCA

GBP

CONTENTS Continued

MAGAZINE & PUBLISHER Don Costanzo

PRESIDENT

22

CONTRIBUTORS

Yorgos Efthymiadis Lizzy Flanagan Carly Gillis Todd Larson Frances Mascolo Bridgette Meinhold Ken Richardson Benedetta Rocca

A division of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board PRESIDENT

Susan McDonough

16

ENTERTAINING 10 easy summer entertaining tips.

18

Bios page 12

A Publication of the Greater Boston Association of REALTORS®

DEPARTMENTS

IDEAS Boston harbor’s floating city.

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20

INNOVATION A bench designed for a site outside the Boston Children’s Museum.

William Raveis Real Estate PRESIDENT-ELECT

Michael DiMella Charlesgate Realty Group VICE PRESIDENT

David McCarthy Keller Williams Realty

22

TREASURER

FURNITURE Slings and seatbelts inspire chairs.

Robert J. Harrington Nexum Group IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

William Dermody Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

24

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

REAL ESTATE What to do — Sell, stay, or renovate?

John Dulczewski

Greater Boston Association of REALTORS®

& MARKETING Kate Reynolds

COMMUNICATIONS

Greater Boston Association of REALTORS®

69 Greater Boston Property is published six times a year by Greater Boston Property, Inc. and is distributed free in 54 cities and towns throughout Greater Boston.

All content of this magazine, including without limitation the design, advertisements, art, photos and editorial content is Copyright “C” 2013. No portion of this magazine may be copied or reprinted without the express written permission of the publisher.

Greater Boston Property is a registered trademark of GBP, PO Box 170558, Boston, MA 02116.

69

IN EVERY ISSUE

GREATERBOSTON PROPERTY MAGAZINE For advertising, subscription & editorial inquiries Greater Boston Property PO Box 170558, Boston, MA 02116 www.gbpmagazine.com info@gbpmagazine.com 508.221.3268

20 8 GBPMAGAZINE.COM

INDULGENCE You’ll want gold-plated dogs for this grill.

10

FROM THE PUBLISHER

12

CONTRIBUTORS

14

LOCAL MARKET UPDATE

BEDFORD...

The best kept secret for home buyers.

BOSTON’S BEST HOME VALUE Boston’s Best Schools*

Real Estate Values

Rank School

1 2 4 5 7 10 11 12 14 15 17

Weston High Lexington High Concord-Carlisle High Wellesley Senior High Newton South High Bedford High School Newton North High Belmont High Needham High Brookline High Winchester High

Sample Home Sale Price

Avg. Sale 12 Mos. thru Apr 2013

Per SF

4,000 SF Home

% Higher Than Bedford

$1,474,000 932,000 1,007,000 1,217,000 1,013,000 603,000 1,013,000 880,000 824,000 1,555,000 855,000

$343 322 316 384 347 252 347 358 297 447 306

$1,372,000 1,288,000 1,264,000 1,536,000 1,388,000 1,008,000 1,388,000 1,432,000 1,188,000 1,788,000 1,224,000

36% 28% 25% 52% 38% 0% 38% 42% 18% 77% 21%

* From Boston Magazine’s 2012 list of Boston’s Best Schools.

26 CONCORD ROAD A PREMIER PROPERTY AVAILABLE IN BEDFORD

A town offering great schools where you will maximize your buying power!

Centrally located, it is just steps from Bedford High School, the Bedford Public Library, shops, restaurants, and the central recreation facilities of Bedford.

This historic 4-bedroom gambrel was lovingly restored and expanded and boasts a new granite and stainless steel kitchen, butler’s pantry with marble countertops and family room with fireplace, new baths, a large mudroom and laundry room, a stunning master bedroom and spa bath and new mechanicals, roof, garage and patio — 4,144 square feet on a newly landscaped .61 acre lot. $1,198,000

Located between Lexington and Concord, Bedford offers: U easy access to major commuting routes U a variety of historical, recreational and service features U a close-knit, supportive community U a rich history and historical homes U in the Top Ten of Boston Magazine’s 2012 ranking of Boston’s Best Schools U no extra fees for school bus or sports participation U five-time winner of 100 Best Communities for Young People awarded by America’s Promise Alliance U many convenient shops and services, including Whole Foods, Chipotle and Starbucks U more house for your money

To learn more about what makes Bedford so special, contact Suzanne Koller at Suzanne & Company.

Suzanne & Company HISTORIC AND CLASSIC HOMES

Affiliated with the Concord market center.

XXX )JTUPSJD.")PNFT DPN

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90A Great Road, Bedford, MA 01730

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JULY/AUGUST 2013

9

H

F

F

F

J

ust four months ago we laid the foundation for Greater Boston Property magazine. We’ve since built the framework, installed the siding, trim and windows, and shingled the roof. We’ve laid the floors, painted, landscaped, paved the driveway and performed all of our final inspections in preparation for this — our first issue. Welcome to our home.

I read something recently that stated 80 percent of likely buyers know if the home is right for them as soon as they cross the threshold.

Here’s to the power of first impressions.

President & Publisher

10 GBPMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO

A good negotiator will try to get information from the listing agent on what terms are most important to the seller. This allows the potential buyer to build an offer most suitable to the seller’s wants and needs. Keep your offer simple.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

BRIAN SMITH

ome prices are up about seven percent over last year and interest rates are off their historic lows, but buying a home is shaping up to be one of this summer’s hottest trends around Greater Boston. A lack of inventory, low interest rates and rising rents have inspired bidding wars, home stalking and swamped open houses.

As of May there were just over 2,800 homes for sale in Greater Boston. This represents a dramatic 45 percent decrease in the supply from a year ago.

According to a Greater Boston Association of Realtors® (GBAR) market report, the 2,836 homes was the fewest number of detached single-family homes for sale in May in over 10 years.

So as buyer demand grows faster than the supply of homes for sale, many buyers are taking less conventional routes to find their dream home — they’re knocking on the doors of homes they like, writing handwritten notes and tracking down the owners in hopes they may be willing to sell, even though their home is not technically on the market.

Bidding wars are also quickly becoming the norm around Greater Boston.

This makes it very difficult, in particular, for first-time buyers seeking entrylevel properties. Who do you think wins the bidding competition — investors with all-cash offers, or buyers who need to obtain financing and have the home appraised at their offered price?

Making the wrong move in this market can have disastrous effects, from losing your dream home due to a bad bid, to ending up with a money pit of a property. With this in mind, I asked several GBAR members for their advice to buyers who want to do some smart home shopping this summer. Here’s a few tips that most everyone I spoke to agreed upon: Actually, have a couple of visions in place. Have a financial vision, with a clear picture of what your total income and expenses look like, in the “after home-buying” view.

Have a vision of your life in your new home. If you kick off conversations with your mortgage broker and real estate agent with an understanding of the lifestyle you are looking to create, you’ll be much less likely to get derailed.

Things like area rugs, lawn mowers, swing sets, etc., don’t belong in a competitive offer. These can be requested and negotiated once you’re the prime contract.

your w ay t o r e a l e state

Arlington

Arlington

Medford

Enjoy Boston views from this over-sized condo just steps from Spy Pond, shops, restaurants, transportation, and parks. Huge living/dining room combo, 4 large bedrooms, sun porch, new bath & laundry, office, eat-in galley kitchen with commercial appliances. $550,000

Find sun, space and serenity in this two floor unit. Living room with fireplace and built in bookcases. Newer eat in kitchen with maple cabinets galore. Third floor bedroom and loads of attic space. With garage parking, storage and laundry this unit has it all! $439,000

Watch the July 4th fireworks from the balcony of this penthouse corner unit! Rare offering of a 3 bedroom, 2 bath with 3 car parking. Freshly painted. Great closet space. Master bedroom with bath. Convenient to major commuter roads and public transportation. $280,000

Somerville

Waltham

Arlington

This classic, comfortable Victorian is awash with light and space. 3rd floor workroom/studio opens to a magnificent rooftop deck and garden. The interior is replete with period features; a gracious foyer, high ceilings, double parlor rooms, spacious bedrooms. New slate roof 2009. $625,000

Townhouse,end unit,3-bedrooms,1st floor master suite, 3.5 baths, kitchen with granite counters & stainless appliances.Modern 3,100+ sq.ft.living area incl. finished lower level. Light, bright & inviting rooms.Attached garage. Enjoy landscaped grounds, pool, tennis, quiet privacy & deck. $639,900

Beautiful 1890s Queen Anne Victorian with charm, character and loads of modern updates.

10’ ceilings, flexible floor plan, fully renovated 3rd floor master with Boston views and updated bath.

New au pair/in-law suite with custom cabinetry.

Dead end street. Spy Pond access. $1,025,000

Nellie Aikenhead

Judy Conley

AVENUE 3 AGENTS Deborah Heffernan Karen Lilley 781-760-2112

617-549-3658

Lois Ardito

Jeanette Cummings

David Kaloupek

Anhar Mulla

781-228-9303 617-413-1759

617-417-3072

617-417-6444

617-794-6283

617-230-5189

John Reilly

Rob Russell

Maria C. Reilly

Geri Shea

617-320-8454 617-957-6373

781-266-8974 617-680-1621

1 Mifflin Place , Cambridge , MA 02138 www.avenue3re .com JULY/AUGUST 2013

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CONTRIBUTORS

“Find your passion and live it," is a motto that Carly Gillis acquired since starting her photography career three years ago after working in corporate sales for ten years. A graduate of New England School of Photography, Carly is a Boston-based architectural and event photographer. Her photographs have a clean sophisticated style and feel, and her clients range from local corporations, real estate agents, contractors, interior designers, and architectural firms.

Yorgos Efthymiadis is an Architectural and Fine Art photographer from Greece who resides in Somerville. He has exhibited in various locations, including SoWA Art Walk 2012 and was a semi-finalist at the Adobe Achievement Design Awards 2012 and 2013. Yorgos has always been drawn to buildings, their shapes, their forms and materials, always questioning the perspective and viewpoints. On photographing The Gropius House: “I visited his family home in Lincoln, where every aspect of the house and its surrounding landscape was planned for maximum efficiency and simplicity of design. It was a breathtaking experience to be in this amazing, modernist building and be able to capture its serene ambiance.”

12 GBPMAGAZINE.COM

Boston-based photographer Lizzy Flanagan is best known for excellent photographic story telling and her ability to produce luminous, authentic images for both web and print. Her images have been published by Country Living Magazine, HOW Magazine, Stationary Trends Magazine, The New England Aquarium and Northeastern University.

Todd Larson has been a professional writer for 21 years on a wide range of subjects, including architecture, real estate and business. He has published articles in the Boston and Baltimore Business Journals, Banker & Tradesman, The Improper Bostonian, the Boston Herald and other leading publications. He is known especially for his vivid architectural descriptions of homes, which have led to milliondollar sales of high-end properties. He has also heightened the visibility of architectural firms with his marketing expertise, including publishing press releases on a firm’s latest projects in the New England Real Estate Journal and High-Profile Monthly. In addition, Todd enjoys sharpening his literary skills by writing an architecture criticism blog, ArchiTalk, and a marketing blog, The Marketect, and reading on many subjects: architecture, history, literature, politics and marketing.

Ken Richardson is a Boston-based photographer. From the moment he was referred to as “a fairly good basketball player” by his high school art teacher, he knew a creative career was in his future. When not working for clients, he’s wrenching on a leaky old motorcycle or pointing his camera at anything with wheels for a project that includes, but isn't limited to, inflatable SUV’s, drag races, homemade bicycles and burnouts.

He lives in the Union Square neighborhood of Somerville with his wife and daughter. Feel free to contact him if you'd like to talk to about photo projects, motorcycles or shoot a quick game of 21.

Frances McQueeney-Jones Mascolo began her career as a newspaper reporter on Cape Cod. Since then she has written for a number of publications on such subjects as art and antiques, business and travel, health and medicine. She was the antiques columnist for the Boston Herald for a number of years and has also worked as a communications consultant, designing and implementing communications programs for large organizations.

Mascolo lives on the edge of Boston Harbor where she supervises marine traffic.

Benedetta Rocca was born in Genova, Italy and when she was 16 years old decided to finish her last two years of high school in the United States at Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass. After completing high School she spent the next four years traveling the world, working in event planning and in the movie production business.

It was during this time when Benedetta first discovered her passion for photography. Over the past two years she has been enrolled as a full time student at the New England School of Photography in Boston and has been tirelessly working to master her passion and now career. Benedetta's easy going attitude and willingness to learn has helped shape and advance her career. She is always up for a challenge and looks forward to the many projects she will face in the future.

Bridgette Meinhold is a sustainability consultant who helps individuals and businesses to reduce their environmental impact. She graduated in June 2007 from Stanford University with her masters in Civil and Environmental Engineering in their Atmosphere and Energy Program.

She also has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from San Diego State University. She has spent time abroad in Germany working for a wind turbine manufacturer, a kitchen assistant at a culinary school in New York City, a private chef, a waitress and ski bum in Utah.

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14 GBPMAGAZINE.COM

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ENTERTAINING LAY

BROWN CRAFT PAPER

ACROSS A TABLE FOR A CASUALLY FINISHED LOOK AND SUPER-EASY CLEANUP.

v DON’T

GET OVERLY FUSSY

WITH CHINA:

AN

ECLECTIC

MIX FEELS MORE LAID-BACK.

v

MAKE

v THICK,

WIND LESS OF AN ISSUE BY

SKIPPING A TABLECLOTH.

WEIGHT

DISHES- AND GREET GUESTS- WITH SMALL BOWLS OF FRESH FRUIT.

COMFORTABLE

v

CUSHIONS ON THE CHAIRS WILL ENCOURAGE GUESTS TO LINGER AT THE TABLE.

v

10

AN

UMBRELLA NOT ONLY

HAS THE OBVIOUS TASK OF PROVIDING SHADE, IT ALSO HELPS DEFINE YOUR OUTDOOR DINING ROOM.

EASY SUMMER ENTERTAINING

TIPS

STOCK

A BAR CART WITH

ESSENTIALS: GLASSES, PLATES, ICE, A COCKTAIL SHAKER, AND SWIZZLE STICKS.

WHEEL

IT BACK TO THE

KITCHEN IF YOU RUN LOW.

v

SET

UP TABLES IN SEPARATE

AREAS

—

SAY, DRINKS IN ONE

v

SPOT, DESSERT IN ANOTHER TO ENCOURAGE GUESTS TO ROAM.

v AT

TWILIGHT, MAKE

SURE YOU PROVIDE PLENTY OF LIGHTING.

PAPER

LANTERNS

DRAPED FROM TREE LIMBS (WITH DARK EXTENSION CORDS

TO

KEEP DAIRY-BASED DIPS CHILLED,

FILL A LARGE BOWL WITH ICE, AND

THAT BLEND IN) ARE CHARMINGLY FESTIVE.

v

SPRINKLE IT WITH KOSHER SALT. THE DIP BOWL ON TOP.

KEEP

BUGS AWAY FROM FOOD WITH AN UPENDED WIRE-MESH COLANDER.

USE POPSICLE

STICKS TO DISTINGUISH THE

RARE BURGERS FROM THE WELL-DONE.

16 GBPMAGAZINE.COM

v

PLACE

JULY/AUGUST 2013

17

IDEAS

G

et ready Boston, someday you might just have this incredible floating city within a city located in your harbor. The BoA, short for Boston Arcology, is a sustainable mega structure designed by Kevin Schopfer, who also designed the amazing New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH). The BoA will house 15,000 people in hotels, offices, retail spaces, museums, condominiums, and even a new city hall. Built to LEED standards with golden proportions, this amazing building would serve as an expansion of the city without impacting what is already currently built.

To be located on a buoyant platform of concrete cells right in the Boston Harbor next to downtown, BoA would sit perpendicular to the waterfront, thus minimizing the view sheds of existing buildings onshore. The massing of the structure was designed using the principles of the golden triangle. Angles and towers crisscross inside of a fixed border, giving structure to the projections inside. Elevators and moving walkways aid the trans-

portation of the residents, employees and visitors in order to create an all pedestrian environment.

Sky gardens will be located every 30 floors and act as public squares for gathering spaces. BoA will also include a bevy of sustainable elements in order to achieve a LEED building certification. Energy will be generated via wind turbines, solar panels and harbor based water turbines. Natural daylight will flood the building with the help of a passive glazing system. BoA will also include a fresh water recovery system, greywater recycling, and sky garden heating and cooling vents. And while the design seems pretty incredible and maybe even impossible (especially considering the economy and lack of funding), it truly is a spectacular mix of architecture and ecology.

FOR REAL?

18 GBPMAGAZINE.COM

— Bridgette Meinhold Inhabitat.com —Images via Tangram 3D

Rethink Real Estate Technology to Reach ƵLJĞƌƐ ǀĞƌLJǁŚĞƌĞ͕ ŶLJƟŵĞ͘

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JULY/AUGUST 2013 19

THE TWOFOLD v

After Architecture, a collaborative design house founded by two Cornell University seniors in the Bachelor of Architecture program, designed the Twofold bench, seating to accommodate two user groups, along with two types of behavior. Twofold was designed for a site outside the Boston Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Museum at Fort Point Channel

The all-in-one table slash bench design can host the average person of average height and seat them comfortably 18â&#x20AC;? off the ground, perfect for resting your feet or playing a game of chess.

The other type of user would be children, with space for the child to slide in and have the table be chest high for game playing or just to feel like a big kid.

20 GBPMAGAZINE.COM

INNOVATION

The bench is milled from plywood profiles, basically inverting the way plywood is traditionally used, causing the linear layers to be exposed. The edges were then painted with a bright, neon color making the curved geometry of the piece pop.

The bench is currently on display as part of the Design Museum Boston’s Street Seats: Reimagining the Public Bench Exhibition. The exhibition is on view now through October 28, 2013 — it’s outside and open 24/7. We hope you visit the Fort Point Channel and take this unique chance to rethink the humble public bench.

JULY/AUGUST 2013

21

FURNITURE

RESISTANT TO SUMMER WEATHER,

SLINGS & SEATBELTS

DESIGNER DANAI GAVRILI WITH BACKREST FABRICS.

ARE THE INSPIRATION AND THE FABRIC FOR DANAI GAVRILI'S OUTDOOR THEROS CHAIRS THEROS 2 HAS A METAL FRAME, WOODEN SEAT AND A LIFTING SLING FOR THE BACKREST.

22 GBPMAGAZINE.COM

T h e G reater B oston A s s o c i a t i o n o f R E A LT O R S ® p r o u d l y r e co gn i zes t he recipients of our Annual Member A c h i e v e m e n t Aw a r d s

Affiliate Member of the Year

A m y Tie rce Fairway Independent Mortgage Needham Heights Andrew F. Hickey Distinguished Service Award

Bill De r mo d y

Honoring Exemplary Service to Civic & Charitable Causes, Business Success, Professional Ethics and Active Involvement & Support of the REALTOR® organization

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Needham Good Neighbor Award

J o el Pr at t Janet L. Pratt, REALTOR® Canton Greater Boston REALTOR® of the Year

M i c h a e l D iM e l l a Charlesgate Realty Group Boston REALTOR® Spirit Award G re a t e r B o st o n A ss oc i a t i on o f R E ALT O R S ® ( G B A R ) One Center Plaza, Mezzanine Suite, Boston, MA. 02108 617-423-8700 www.gbar.org GBAR is a division of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, which was founded in 1889. A local chapter of the Massachusetts and National Associations of REALTORS®, GBAR is the largest local REALTOR® association in New England with over 6,200 members in eastern Massachusetts. The terms REALTOR® and REALTORS® are federally-registered trademarks reserved exclusive for use by association members.

J oa nn e Ta r a n t o Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty Weston JULY/AUGUST 2013

23

REAL ESTATE

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO

I

by Amy Tierce Amy Tierce is a rock-star residential mortgage guru having spent 20 years perfecting her skills and the last seven managing her own branch of Fairway Independent Mortgage. Now a Regional Vice President for the company, her branch in Needham consistently ranks as number one and is home to three of the top five producing loan officers for the company nationwide. Amy is highly sought as a speaker and commentator on the mortgage industry and is always willing to share her “Perfect Loan Strategy” with those eager to learn.

When not busy in the mortgage world, Amy is an avid gardener, reader and home renovator. The best word that describes her?

Passionate! Amy invites you to visit her blog: amyrates.com, or follow her on twitter @FairwayNeedham.

Got a loan related question? Amy can be reached directly at amy@amyrates.com.

feel like I am having this conversation a lot these days, as my circle of friends enters their 50s and 60s, and our kids graduate from college and establish their independent lives. Us Baby Boomers are wondering how we want to live now.

Should we stay in the family home? Step down to a condominium? Rent for a while and see how that feels? If we stay should we renovate for our lifestyle, knowing that we may sell in the near term?

Ironically, a very similar conversation is happening in another age group: young families outgrowing their current home and wondering if they should step up, add on, or renovate — especially these days when inventory is tight and there is fear in not being able to find a suitable home to purchase.

Decisions surrounding real estate ownership are huge. They are emotional in ways that other financial transactions are not. They involve family, lifestyle, community, education and finance. The choice to add on or otherwise improve a property is also bound with multiple layers of emotion. When examining these choices, it makes sense to get professional help before deciding whether to sell or embark on a major home improvement project.

Get a thorough education on what your property is worth today and what you could purchase in your price range should you decide to sell you current home and purchase a new one. Determine what a professional believes you should do to improve your home to make it the most saleable now and in the future. Not all home improvements are created equal — a realtor can help you align what is most important for a future sale of the property with what you need to do to the house now to make you happy.

Get some ideas on costs, time frame and outcomes. Keep plans simple, straightforward and appealing across many tastes and styles. Yes, lime green kitchen cabinets might look great today, but will they help you to sell the house in the future? Remember, living in a property during renovations can be stressful, especially with children, so determine if you have the constitution for this kind of life disruption which can go on for months.

Determine how to finance a project either using your own funds, a construction loan or other financial vehicle including a straight out refinance.

Buyers today are spoiled by home improvement reality shows that create cosmetically perfect homes in a matter of days or even hours. They no longer want to do the work — they want to buy a beautiful property in move-in condition. Keep that in mind as you consider your options.

In the end, if you think you are likely to sell your house in the next few years, engage a real estate agent and create an improvement plan. Upgrade the property today so that you get to enjoy the improvements before you move on to the next stage of your homeownership experience.

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REAL FACT #1:

Did you know not all real estate agents ® are REALTOR -members?

If you’re serious about selling your home, ask if your agent is a REALTOR®-member. Just because someone has a real estate license doesn’t mean they are a REALTOR®.

A local REALTOR®-member is better educated, more professional, and has the resources and knowledge to help you meet your home selling needs.

For more information, visit MassHomeFacts.org.

Make the right choice.

Contact a local REALTOR® today.

SUSAN MCDONOUGH PRESIDENT, GREATER BOSTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

PATRICIA BAUMER DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, GREATER BOSTON REAL ESTATE BOARD

DEBORAH HEFFERNAN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIR, MASSACHUSETTS

ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

PROPERTY ADVOCATES

By Todd Larson Photos by Ken Richardson

Let the homebuyer beware: The taxman cometh.

In many ways, shapes and forms.

These include a proposed 0.5% real estate transfer tax in Provincetown (H.2690); a planned tax on short-term property rentals; a bill to kill the Capital Gains Exclusion on home sales that preserves home equity for retirement or future homebuying; and many more political vultures tearing at the American Dream.

Enter the Greater Boston, Massachusetts and National Associations of Realtors® to lobby the Legislature to defeat the overtaxation and overregulation that’s pricing people out of house and home. With us today to discuss this tri-level coalition’s homeownership advocacy efforts are: • Susan McDonough President, Greater Boston Association of Realtors®

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•

Deborah Heffernan Government Affairs Committee Chair, Massachusetts Association of Realtors®

•

Patricia Baumer Director of Government Affairs, Greater Boston Real Estate Board

THE GBP INTERVIEW

Why should consumers care about the Association of Realtors® public policy agenda?

McDonough Who else is there to speak for them? Homeowners don’t often get to see how the impact of government affects not only homeownership and ability to buy, but also the affordability to continue to have their homes.

Our association’s members work tirelessly to protect private property rights and preserve the ability of home and business owners to develop or otherwise make full use of the land and property they own.

What differentiates the Association of Realtors® network from other organizations of its kind?

Heffernan You have a national association that deals with federal agenda items, state associations that deal with state issues, and local associations that deal with the circumstances of individual towns and communities. So you’ve got three levels of eyeballs on the issues.

Baumer The Greater Boston Real Estate Board is the oldest real estate associa-

tion in America, founded in 1889.

We’re affiliated with the National Association of Realtors®, but we ally with four other groups with national affiliations, so we have apartment owners and three other commercial divisions. It’s a broad spectrum of real estate interests. As a result, we bring a lot of strength to the table in capital of resources and diversity of issues.

We’re lobbying before the Boston City Council and other local government leaders on a number of issues important to home and business owners.

A key to the association’s advocacy efforts appears to be a strong grassroots involvement from its members. How do you stimulate and achieve that involvement?

Heffernan Once a year, Realtors® from across Massachusetts visit the State House to meet face to face with their state reps and senators to discuss the issues most important to them (Realtor® Day on Beacon Hill, June 5). Oftentimes it’s the real life stories of homebuyers and sellers the members bring to life for the legislators to help them understand in a very practical way how a particular piece of legislation would impact constituents.

‘‘

OUR ASSOCIATION’S MEMBERS WORK TIRELESSLY TO PROTECT PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS AND PRESERVE THE ABILITY OF HOME AND BUSINESS OWNERS TO DEVELOP OR OTHERWISE MAKE FULL USE OF THE LAND AND PROPERTY THEY OWN.

’’

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THE GBP INTERVIEW

Realtors® have enjoyed a number of legislative victories that have helped them promote homeownership. Which have most benefited the Greater Boston market?

Heffernan Banks wanted to get involved in the real estate end of the business much as a brokerage does so that they would be consolidating the activity of brokerage and banking under one roof. We defeated them based upon the anti-competitive nature that would have resulted, which could have led to higher costs and fees for the consumer. Also, there was an $8,000 tax credit buyers who bought a primary residence in 2008, 2009 and up to April 2010 could take advantage of. It stimulated what was a very dormant market at the time. Realtors® were responsible for getting the credit extended to all buyers in November 2009. Initially it was just offered to first-timers.

McDonough As the first-time buyer comes in and buys a home, that homeowner moves up into another property. That’s what we wanted to do — stimulate the turnover of homes.

Any other victories?

Heffernan The FHA [Federal Housing Administration] loan limit increases in 2011. We live in a higher-cost area than other parts of the country, and we lobbied the FHA to raise the limits [from $625,500 to $729,750 through 2013] so that it made mortgages more affordable for buyers.

Baumer Chapter 40B. It was passed during the 1960s to create more affordable housing in suburban areas. In November 2010 there was a ballot question to repeal chapter 40B. We partnered with a number of organizations to defeat the repeal: the archdiocese, CHAPA, affordable housing developers, a broad coalition of groups.

What other issues are Realtors® lobbying on?

McDonough It’s proposed that the mortgage interest tax deduction can be removed from second homeownership, or even primary homeownership. These are real dollars to the consumer, because some people will change the number of exemptions on their tax sheets to use those real dollars to facilitate purchase of a home.

Baumer Two ordinances were recently spearheaded

by Mayor Menino. The rental registration ordinance will require condominium owners who want to rent out their units to register their condominium, pay a $25 registration fee (knocked down from $50 by GBREB lobbying) and $15 annual fee, and have rented units inspected every five years (increased from three by the GBREB).

For a lot of folks just starting out in homeownership, this becomes an administrative issue. The second ordinance, which recently passed, requires every condominium building over 35,000 square feet to receive an energy audit and requires the condominium association to collect utility information and input it into this public database disclosed to the city.

If the condominium association did not meet a certain threshold deemed by the city, they would have to conduct audits. ASHRAE audits, for example, may run from $25,000 to $50,000. And there has been discussion at the state level about requiring these types of energy evaluations at the time of property transfer.

We had partnered with Dr. Robert Stavens, an environmental economist from Harvard University, to research this energy scoring. He found no evidence that it would encourage energy efficiency. We’ve also expressed some dismay toward the Public Utilities Commission allowing unsolicited thermal imaging of people’s homes. They have a hybrid SUV equipped with a thermal imaging camera that goes around your neighborhood in the

‘‘

WE BRING A LOT OF STRENGTH TO THE TABLE IN CAPITAL OF RESOURCES AND DIVERSITY OF ISSUES.

’’

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THE GBP INTERVIEW

expressed some dismay toward the Public Utilities Commission allowing unsolicited thermal imaging of people’s homes. They have a hybrid SUV equipped with a thermal imaging camera that goes around your neighborhood in the middle of the night taking pictures of your homes to go online, and then when you know about it you can request an energy audit. We have concerns with privacy that cameras are taking a picture of someone’s home and the owner has no prior notice or control over how that information is used.

Heffernan There’s also our multi-year effort to defeat initiatives by local communities to create real estate transfer taxes. They’re discriminatory, singling out homebuyers and sellers to pay for programs and benefits that are enjoyed by an entire community. They also increase bottom-line home prices by thousands of dollars, creating a barrier to entry into that community.

What about those taxes on rentals for less than 90 days proposed for Provincetown (H.2676, H.2689), Wellfleet (H.2695) and Brewster (H.2752)?

Baumer We’ve always opposed expansion of the room occupancy tax to include apartment rentals. The folks from the Berkshires and the Cape rely on seasonal rentals to cover their other taxes. It could also have a negative impact on the local economies if an occupancy tax discourages people from visiting those communities by forcing up the rents, or deters the owners from renting.

McDonough And from buying, because they look to those rental incomes to defray the actual cost of their mortgage.

Baumer The governor also had a proposal to eliminate two of the tax credits important to homeowners: lead paint, and Title V for septic systems.

I read about that. It would demotivate people to delead their homes to protect children from lead paint poisoning.

‘‘

THERE’S ALSO OUR MULTI-YEAR EFFORT TO DEFEAT INITIATIVES

BY LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO CREATE REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAXES. THEY’RE DISCRIMINATORY ...

’’

Baumer It’s very expensive to remediate your home for lead paint and repair or replace your septic system, so it’s vital to have those tax credits.

Where can consumers learn more about public policy issues raised

by Realtors®?

Heffernan The Massachusetts Association of Realtors® has a consumer-facing website, houselogic.com, engaging consumers in some of the issues we’re advocating for them on the federal level.

Baumer Attorney General Martha Coakley has a pretty good Web site (marthacoakley.com).

She’s a consumer watchdog when it comes to a lot of issues.

McDonough: There’s a call to action that comes out from the national, state and local associations to its members that, when there’s a particularly important item that will impact homeownership, we are able to, by a click of a button, let our elected officials know our feelings about the issue. We can also pass that item along to whomever we interact with on a daily basis: friends, family, clients. GBP

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EFFICIENCY, SIMPLICITY, ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY

A RELEVANT VISION BY

TODD LARSON

F

PHOTOS

BY

YORGOS EFTHYMIADIS & BENEDETTA ROCCA

BENEDETTA ROCCA PHOTO

Walter Gropius, the fearless leader of Germany’s Bauhaus school of machine-age functionalist design, knew better than to make his residence too much of an alien spacecraft.

“I made it a point to absorb into my own conception those features of the New England architectural tradition that I found still alive and adequate,” Gropius wrote in A Scope of Total Architecture in 1956. “This fusion of the regional spirit with a contemporary approach to design produced a house that I would never have built in Europe with its entirely different climatic, technical and psychological background.”

From the road, his house’s white box form, steel-framed horizontal windows, cast-iron spiral stair and cantilevered glass-block canopy may give onlookers the impression of an office park or a prefab home made to order for the Jetsons.

But a closer look reveals fieldstone foundations and walls, redwood siding (placed vertically), regional trees and boulders, and a winding interior staircase reminiscent of Beacon Hill townhouses, despite its chromium steel-tube banister.

However, a walk through the home — now a Historic New England house museum — brings to light a custom contemporary floor plan, building method and retrofit strategy Gropius devised to fulfill his family’s live-work-play requirements, reduce construction and maintenance costs, lower utility bills with forward-thinking sustainability measures, harmonize his house with nature, and showcase the high-tech industrial architectural programme he was imparting on his Harvard Graduate School of Design students.

“His architectural philosophy can be distilled down to five principles: simplicity, geometry, functionality, economy, and using the materials as the aesthetic properties of the structure,” said Wendy Hubbard, site manager for the Gropius House. “If Gropius were alive today and were about to build his house in Lincoln, he’d certainly be looking at recycled materials, lighting and systems that live in harmony with nature… This house, in 1938, represented the most contemporary ideas, materials and fixtures he could find.”

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These included passive solar gain to reduce oil-heating bills in New England winters. Gropius achieved this by siting his house on a hilltop to catch strong sun from all directions, facing the largest plate-glass windows south and west.

Water use was reduced by putting all four bathrooms on one plumbing stack. A drainpipe collects roof rainwater and snow-melt, channels the water behind the interior walls so the house heat keeps it from freezing, and deposits it into a drywell and septic tank, recycling it back into the water table, ponds, lakes and streams. To further ease water reclamation into nature’s cycle, Gropius used sand and gravel in lieu of asphalt on the driveway. Fieldstone’s proven endurance throughout New England history made it his house foundation choice.

Economy of space, too, concerned Walter and Ise Gropius. “They maximized their 2,400 square feet to the point where they got three bedrooms, four baths, servants’ quarters, a kitchen, a pantry, living and dining rooms, an office and a hallway,” said Hubbard. “Their primary philos-

ophy was to create a home for themselves that was both welcoming and comfortable, yet simple and elegant.”

Introducing these qualities is the Lally-columned entry canopy, placed on axis with the driveway to extend a welcoming gesture. Its glass-block wall initiates the house’s simple elegance, smoothing the outside-inside transition.

A diminutive vestibule continues the glass block for light and the vertical siding for stalling sound travel into Gropius’ private office around the corner when people entered. The hallway’s cork floor is another of many sound-absorbing materials throughout. Front and rear doors cross-ventilate the hallway, another colonial concept Gropius adapted.

However, the stair deviates from the New England norm by facing away from entrants to discourage ascent to the private realm of the bedrooms. The plywood-paneled coat closet with powder room has steel-plated sconces Gropius obtained from manufacturers’ catalogs for indirect lighting and long-term durability, concepts still in vogue.

Marcel Breuer designed the office’s maple and walnut

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veneer desk to maximize workplace efficiency for Gropius and his clients. The angular glass-block wall transmitted dining-room light onto his architectural drawings, preserved his privacy, and motioned visitors into the living room, which benefited from the southwestern exposure, nature views and passive solar gain from the largest windows. Its traditional woodburning fireplace came in handy in case of furnace failure and satisfied “a craving to feel safe and secure during a roaring snowstorm,” in Ise’s words. Breuer’s steel-framed tubular tables are still “mod” today. His bentwood lounge-chair was a 1930s inspiration for contemporary ergonomic furniture that suspends the sitter in space, e.g., beach chairs and recliners. Gropius’ early use of wall-to-wall carpeting and acoustical plaster muffled noise, bringing nature’s peace and quiet indoors. In lieu of noisy, costly air conditioning, he installed an outdoor overhang to shade the living and dining rooms along the south side.

The dining room — contiguous with the living room for the open floor plan still popular today — is set with Breuer-designed, Bauhaus-built tubular furniture. Breuer’s tube-legged sideboard with Cafolite counter was built into the glass-block wall for annual buffets Gropius served for his students.

The Architects’ Collaborative (TAC), Gropius’ nowdefunct firm, designed the pre-IKEA tableware in an economy of form emphasizing inherent elegance in practical usability.

The galley kitchen and pantry, however, wouldn’t wash in today’s market for palatially explosive chef’s kitchens, being designed only narrow enough to prepare food, wash up, and discourage “hanging out.” But its automatic dishwasher, GE fridge, stove hood vent, garbage disposals, and stainless steel sinks, countertop and cabinet handles were cutting-edge for the ’30s and certainly aren’t fading from fashion, given the steel-finish fetish of today’s gourmets. The maid’s bedroom (now the museum’s administrative office) got a private bath, which jibes with today’s demand for au pair suites.

Just as contemporary is the upstairs master bedroom, en suite with private dressing room and two-sink master bath.

The glass wall dividing the dressing and sleeping spaces appears to expand the space while separating heating zones, so the Gropiuses could dress in a warmer atmosphere

but sleep in a colder one, piling on blankets to conserve energy. The dressing room’s wall of closets with built-in shelves set a precedent for today’s California Closets.

For spatial economy’s sake, the guest room is as long as its head-to-head beds and as wide as its beds plus dressing and night tables. Gropius designed his daughter Ati’s room, however, to maximize her creativity with a 1922 Bauhaus walnut and birch crafts desk, a separate sleeping nook with Breuer makeup vanity, a trellised roofdeck for sleeping under the stars, and egress to the grounds for play via the outdoor spiral stair.

Her parents’ recreational space was the slate-floored screen porch for Ping-Pong and summer dining and cocktails, placed perpendicular to the south façade to catch summer breezes and winter suns, face away from street noise and not darken the living-dining space. Fronting the JULY/AUGUST 2013

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porch is Ise’s Japanese-inspired garden of low-water, low-maintenance plantings — azaleas, candytuft, cotoneaster, red-leaf Japanese maple — beside a rambling rock garden shaded by local pine, elm, oak and beech and bordered by an existing fieldstone wall. Complementing this is a fieldstone retaining wall, built to divide the landscape between the natural meadow of bees, birds, animals and wildflowers and the civilized house-and-garden area. “It also created a plinth on which the house sits so it has a frame — a distinguishing elevation on which architecture exists in space,” said Hubbard.

“The concerns about domestic architecture that most people are considering important today — effi-

ciency, simplicity, economy and sustainability — were envisioned by Walter Gropius back in the early part of the 20th century,” Hubbard added. “So his vision is still relevant for people considering to build or to adapt changing structures. They can learn a little something from the Gropiuses.” GBP The Gropius House, at 68 Baker Bridge Road in Lincoln, is open for guided tours on the hour Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Oct. 15, and is closed most major holidays. Admission: $15 adults, $12 seniors, $10 students, free to Historic New England members and Lincoln residents. For more information, call 781-259-8098.

‘‘

IF GROPIUS WERE ALIVE TODAY AND WERE ABOUT TO BUILD HIS HOUSE IN LINCOLN, HE’D CERTAINLY BE LOOKING AT RECYCLED MATERIALS, LIGHTING AND SYSTEMS THAT LIVE IN HARMONY WITH NATURE …

THIS HOUSE, IN 1938, REPRESENTED THE MOST CONTEMPORARY IDEAS, MATERIALS AND FIXTURES HE COULD FIND.”

’’

— WENDY HUBBARD SITE MANAGER FOR THE GROPIUS HOUSE

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THERAPEUTIC

PROPERTY

By Frances Mascolo

Photos by Lizzy Flanagan

At the end of a quintessential winding country lane the magic happens.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where Friends for Tomorrow, a therapeutic horseback riding program, widens the horizons of children and young adults with cognitive, physical and social challenges.

PHOTO,

TOP: FRIENDS FOR

TOMORROW FOUNDER

AND

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DIANE LESNESKI AUGER

WITH A STUDENT.

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C

urious, gentle and sometimes greedy horses poke their noses out from stalls in the pristine barn where they rest between lessons.

Children and adults alike reach out, addressing them by name as they pass. Other horses stand in paddocks, awaiting riders.

Friends for Tomorrow is the brainchild of dynamo Diane Lesneski Auger. She rode as a child, but admits to preferring to hang around the barn and groom them rather than course through the countryside. A high school senior project was the beginning: she worked at an area barn with children with special needs. University followed, a foray into catering, hospice training and then back to the horses. She managed an area barn but wanted deeper challenges. Thus was Friends for Tomorrow (FFT) born with three special needs students and a couple of volunteers. Now approaching 20 years, the organization operates at Berryfield Farm in Lincoln, a 33 acre equestrian farm with state of the art facilities including a large heated indoor arena, full time professional staff, students from 27 communities as far away as

New Hampshire and 50 regular volunteers.

FFT horses are a treat; they are selected for their friendliness, docility and manageability. Each and every one is handsome; each with a distinct personality. Six pony size Icelandic horses are on site; four are used in the program. Auger explains that Icelandic horses have no natural enemies, which obviates the fight or flight response that can make other breeds spooked easily. One Icelandic horse retired to Virginia but has returned to the farm for medical care. His homecoming was heralded. Similarly sized Gypsy Vanner horses, piebald with remarkable high feathering at the legs and mane, are also used for their strength and docility.

Each lesson includes the rider, an instructor and one, two or three volunteers and is tailored to the riderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and involves grooming, tacking up and leading. Each.

Group lessons are designed for specific populations: matching personalities, ages, needs and abilities. FFTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pony Partners is an empowerment program for girls age eight to ten who struggle socially, personally, or academically. Hooves, Paws and Claws

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engages riders with peers, animals and staff as they learn about pet ownership and the needs of animals, teamwork and non-verbal communication. It’s not all horses here; two and a half certified therapy dogs work here along with an array handsome visiting canines from all around. There is also Boo, Auger’s now nearly blind stray who turned up one Christmas morning. A turtle so newly hatched it still had a fragment of egg shell on its back joined the crowd after a benefactor found it on the driveway one morning.

Aside from the equestrian skill that riders acquire, FFT helps them gain confidence and trust, build social skills and strengthen their bodies. We observed a boy of about eight as he approached a horse and was helped to mount. His face was full of trepidation. As he rode away down a lane with an instructor and two volunteers, he realized he was riding and his face was as bright as morning sun after a three-day nor’easter.

The social calendar at FFT is full. In addition to the regular activity at the barn, which is intense, spring brings an annual fund raiser—save the date for the next Kentucky

Derby Day May 3, 2014, at the Concord Country Club — and the student horse show in June. Over the summer riders eight and older train for the fall Massachusetts Special Olympics Equestrian Tournament.

OctoberFFest is in October as is Hallowe’en week, when volunteers and riders dress in costume. Theme weeks occur throughout the year. It’s a homey place, a place of serene comfort, and the barn is busy all year — including Christmas Day when Auger tries to give everyone the day off. Each year she is surprised; everyone shows up anyway.

Family and friends are an integral part of life at FFT. Riders’ parents and siblings, family pets and friends are all welcome and are very much present.

Asked how Friends for Tomorrow is funded, Auger smiles, “Guardian angels.”

Fundraising is an ongoing need; no labor of love, even one as exceptional as this, cannot survive on love alone. GBP For more information about Friends for Tomorrow, visit the website www.friendsfortomorrow.org or call 781-259-8909.

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CLASSIC MODERN A T

F I V E

TEXT

AND

PHOTOS

F I E L D S

BY

LIZZY

FLANAGAN

Known for their modern shapes and openness, homes in Lexington's Five Fields community respected the landscape, were oriented for maximum sun and consideration of neighbors, and have traditionally represented an escape from the city, cultural and ethnic enclaves, and traditional values.

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L

ife in Five Fields included common land owned jointly by all of the residents where children and families could

gather at the pond, pool or shared playground. There was an absence of fences, minimal traffic, and soon a rich community flourished.

Originally five farm fields and part of the larger Cutler Farm in Lexington, Five Fields was the vision of German architect and founder of the Bauhaus School, Walter Gropius, and his internationally known Cambridge firm, The Architectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Collaborative (TAC). In one way a business venture, Five Fields was also conceived out of the idealistic

belief in â&#x20AC;&#x153;developing a new community with welldesigned modern houses, egalitarian open to all, and sharing a piece of land to be held in common.

Based on Six Moon Hill, a contemporary community where the TAC partners had designed virtually all of the houses, and where the they themselves lived, Five Fields was the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempt to develop a whole housing community themselves from beginning to end. The first 20 Five Fields houses were built between 1951 and 1953, financing the rest of the project which included a total of 68 housing sites. Though some of these homes now fetch up to $2 million, the original price points ranged from about $18,000-35,000.

TAC carried out its many successful projects through a unique method of architectural practice involving collaborative input from the entire group of architects, rather than emphasizing creative individualism. Each house had a plan, and every detail was critiqued and developed or aban-

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doned by the firm. TAC architectural styles date back to 1945, but are well aligned with the current trends in green architecture and creative collaboration. A unique method of architectural practice, and a radical approach for the time.

Five Fields’ brave new approach to living sprang up in a bucolic setting with desirable proximity to Boston, and inspired magazine articles including Better Homes and Gardens, yet initial interest was limited. The neighborhood was often referred to as “Chicken Coop Hill”, because the architectural style of it’s boxy wooden houses so differed from the traditional Lexington style Cape Cod or “colonial”. So, like their homes, the population that flocked there was unusually modern, as well as highly educated and politically liberal.

A classic Five Fields TAC house, 11 Barberry Road is available for the first time since it was designed and built in 1953. Dick Morehouse was the principal archi-

tect, though the original “Maxipac” design is said to have been designed by Walter Gropius himself. It is one of only three houses in the neighborhood built with the International Style hallmark concrete block walls exposed inside and out. The house is situated on a lush ?-acre lot bordering the common land that leads to the neighborhood pool, pond, and playground just past the classic stone walls of the original Cutler farm Five Fields is a coveted neighborhood of homes that are not often for sale. Modernism specialist and selling agent Bill Janovitz explains that “This year has been a bit of an anomaly in Five Fields in that there were four house that came on the market this year alone.

Typically, you could go two or three years without something like that coming up. These homes tell a unique story, and the story is what attracted people to Five Fields in the first place. It’s part of what kept people here in their homes for sixty years.” GBP

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A LABOR OF GARDEN LOVE PHOTOS BY CARLY GILLIS “It is a joy to work in the gardens and has been a pleasure to see how it has evolved — and yet remains the same each season."

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ohn Longden wasted little time transforming the outdoor spaces of his Arts & Crafts style home in Acton after he bought it in 2000. Although, at the time, the home had a large rock garden and a retaining wall, there were no plantings in or around the house.

One of the first things he did was move some large boulders from the woods and space them out through out the yard, then created some stone paths throughout the yard and gardens. He also built the rock walls that extend from both ends of the house to blend the house into the landscaping and extend the use of rock that is seen on the first level of the house. Above the rock retaining wall white

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birch were planted to blend the lawn to the wooded area beyond.

Along the driveway there is a small grove of crabapple trees that are fushia in the spring. There are no straight lines in the garden beds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all have curving edges edged with steel. The paths are bluestone blocks placed in pea stone, carrying through the rock theme. At the front entrance, Landscape Designer Debra Lee, of Concord, created the bluestone patio area and garden on one side, a Japanese garden on the other, and planted a Copper Beach tree in the circle in the driveway.

Rocks, stepping stones, crushed white stone, a lantern

and water feature are included in the Japanese garden.

Several Viburnum species provide a hedge on top of the rock walls. A mix of ornamental trees, native shrubs and perennials provide three-season interest to the garden, such as a green Japanese maple, threadleaf ans so much more.

In the back of the home, Lee created garden beds around the deck, two "wet gardens" and a rock wall. The beds were planted with native wildflowers and grasses. The "wet garden" has red twig dogwood, blueberries, winterberry, native wildflowers, ferns, fothergilla and other plants that thrive in moisture. John took moss from the wooded areas and used it for mulch in the wet gardens.

The rock retaining wall is planted with dogwoods, lilac trees, interesting evergreens, several quince, beach plums, dwarf crabapple, azaleas, crested iris and candy tuft among many others. A mass of primrose bloom at the base where you can see a swamp magnolia. A sitting area here provides a view of the perennial gardens. From inside the home, looking out our kitchen window, is a circular bed edged with cobblestones with a bird feeder in the middle. The viburnum hedge that sits atop the rock wall and weeping blue spruce is visible. A serviceberry, or Shad blossoms in the spring, and Solomon's Seal is profuse in the shade against the foundation.

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John's wife, Linda, has been working on the gardens since 2004. Last year she received her Landscape Design certificate from the Landscape Institute in Boston. She now runs Longden Garden Design, which designs landscapes, provides garden consultations, develops plant lists and selects nursery material in the Concord area.

The gardens have evolved and matured, but the only significant changes are new perennial gardens adjacent to the deck. Pruning and maintenance has been essential, and the Longdens planted spring blooming trees and flowers, and emphasize fall color. This year the perennial gardens were redesigned to add more spring color and some evergreen shrubs. Linda transferred chive plants back to the perennial garden to carry out the purple and blue color. Containers of grass, boxwood and annuals give color to the deck Existing plants include amsonia, anemones, aster, phlox, sweet autumn clematis, meadow rue, chelone, monarda, bishops weed, columbine, butterfly weed, baptisia, joe pye weed, sunflower lobelia.

A new shade garden has been added to back of garage. In

addition to astilbe, Linda purchased plants she had never grown — tiarella, euphorbia, ajuga, pulmonaria, and brunnera. She also extended the rock garden by pulling a few large rocks out of the woods and placing them on the remaining, unfinished slope that one sees from the driveway.

Purple creeping phlox has been planted and the rest is awaiting my next inspiration.

“The Arts & Crafts philosophy is to blend the house and gardens with native plantings for an informal transition between the inside and outside. It is peaceful and natural, and we love to sit outside among the gardens," says Linda.

“The effect is a blending of native trees, flowering shrubs, plants & grasses, herbs and flowers.

"There is something of interest every season, and its hard to decide between the spring blossoms or the fall color — both are spectacular," she say. "Late fall all of the perennial gardens are cut to the ground to await another spring and charm us in another season. It is a joy to work in the gardens and has been a pleasure to see how it has evolved — and yet remains the same each season." GBP JULY/AUGUST 2013

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62 GBPMAGAZINE.COM

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PROPERTY PROFILE

FRONT ELEVATION

I N

K E E P I N G

W I T H

T H E

LINCOLN LIFESTYLE B Y

I

T O D D

n our history of dense development and suburban sprawl, rarely have new home construction and old land conservation found common ground. But Collins Development Inc. of Lexington are doing just that as they break ground on two single-family homes at 7 and 14 Reiling Pond Road by Lincoln’s Hobbs Brook Farm without marring its natural beauty or historic character.

In addition, HPA Design Inc. of Wrentham are designing the 4,200-square-foot Dutch Colonial/Shingle Style residence at No. 7 and the 5,000-square-foot house at No. 14 (awaiting zoning board approval) to reflect Lincoln’s colonial and rural heritage. As new neighbors of the 1680 Hoar Homestead and its early 1700s four-story barn, the homes will feature vintage architectural details and sweeping views of the rolling landscapes of Hobbs Brook Farm and Minuteman National Historical Park, along with contemporary floor plans, finishes, amenities, and access

L A R S O N

to Route 2 and the Fitchburg Commuter Rail line to Boston.

“We are hoping to emphasize the ‘Lincoln Lifestyle,’ ” said Jennifer Linehan of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, who will list No. 7 at $1,389,000 in July and No. 14 at $1,599,000 in the fall. “Lincoln has a Vermont feel, with lots of cyclists, people interested in outdoors activities, a little town with a pocket of things to offer, and a commitment to sustainability and conservation.”

The civil engineering and land surveying expertise of Design Consultants Inc. of Somerville and the landscape architecture genius of Pressley Associates of Boston assure the protection of Hobbs Brook’s 100 acres of woods, hills, wetlands, and ponds — one newly created for stormwater runoff drainage for the houses — from the development of the 11-lot, 17-acre subdivision on which Nos. 7 and 14 will be built this summer and fall, respectively.

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PROPERTY PROFILE

REAR ELEVATION

“The Town of Lincoln has put in place many rules and regulations that prohibit overbuilding,” said Linehan. One requires generous home acreage; 7 and 14 will have more than 2 acres each. “This gives each lot its own unique look, and they’re buffered from one another,” said Linehan. “As much as you’re in a grouping of homes, each has a private feel to it.”

Homecomers will pass through nature, too. “When you first drive into the development, Reiling Pond is at left, there’s an orchard of trees there, and the road angles slightly into the development,” said Linehan. “When you’re there, you’re buffered in the enclave of homes.

They’re all situated at different angles so no one’s staring into another home. Many trees and plantings have matured."

No. 7’s classic columned portico will introduce a colonial floor plan — central stair hall, right-hand living room, lefthand dining room — followed by a contemporary open plan encompassing an oversized granite kitchen with island counter and stainless steel appliances, a bright breakfast nook, a family room with gas fireplace, and an expansive rear deck with a conservation view that’s sure to stimulate cocktail and cookout conversation. Off the kitchen, an L-shaped mudroom with separate front entry

will access a powder room, the two-car garage, and a remote study for quiet Walden moments.

The land expanse will assure quiet sleep in the four upstairs bedrooms. Three will cluster around the stair hall with common full bath and laundry room; the central front bedroom will have an en suite bath and walk-in closet. The master suite’s bath will boast a soaking tub, standup shower and twin sinks. Its hall will pass facing walk-in closets before introducing the master bedroom, where a central king-size bed alcove is flanked by front and rear sitting spaces in a cruciform configuration. The 1,500-square-foot basement can be renovated for a playroom and au pair suite, thanks to the gravity septic system’s five-bedroom plumbing.

“A lot of thought went into the design of the home and how it would integrate with neighboring homes,” said Linehan. “We wanted individuality in each home but wanted them to blend together, true to the Lincoln style of high-quality craftsmanship.” GBP

For more information on 7 and 14 Reiling Pond Road in Lincoln, contact Jennifer Linehan at 978-857-1607 or jennifer.linehan@nemoves.com.

JULY/AUGUST 2013

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PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY Rhonda A. Pieroni REALTOR®/Certified Relocation Specialist

Weichert, Realtors® Synergy 2 Summit Avenue, Brookline, MA 02446 (617) 762-3573 Cell rhonda@synergy-metrowest.com http://rhonda.synergy-metrowest.com Serving Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Brookline & Charlestown Agent for Sellers/Buyers/Builders

David Noyes Real Estate Consultant • REALTOR®/Broker

Prudential Town & Country Real Estate Wellesley and South Natick Cell: 617-645-8555 • Fax: 617-249-0105 • 617.308-6649 david@prudentialtnc.com • www.davidntherealtor.com Top-rated service and great results for sellers, buyers, and investors.

Jennifer Linehan REALTOR®/Local Real Estate Expert

Coldwell Banker 25 Waltham St. Lexington, MA 02421 (781) 862-2600 • Cell: (978) 857-1607 jennifer.linehan@nemoves.com www.jenniferlinehan.com

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INDULGENCE

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Australian firm BeefEater Barbecues produces the ‘ultimate in backyard bling’ — a grill completely plated in gold apart from the cooking surfaces.

It was first built for the Sydney Home Show and was later verified as the world’s most expensive barbecue in November 2012.

The company said it made the golden grill for those who “want to make a statement with their barbecue and have the money to burn.

“Part of the fun of having a barbecue is putting on a show, and that’s what we do best,” a BeefEater Barbecues spokesman said. He added that it was only made to see how much in ‘opulence, price and features’ the company could fit into one product.

With the gold price currently around $1,400 per ounce, it could also represent a decent investment if the price continues to rise.

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Looking for Something Special?

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GBP GREATER BOSTON’S MAGAZINE FOR REAL ESTATE & THE HOME

MODERN MOVEMENT TWO HOMES BUILT OF MATERIALS AND A VISION AHEAD OF THEIR TIME

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Greater Boston Property is a publication of the Greater Boston Association of REALTORS®, a Division of Greater Boston Real Estate Board