The presence of an in-house concierge in a condo development typically signifies high-end living, and Boston is not running short on luxury downtown condo developments.  For the first time, we bring you a comprehensive list of downtown Boston condos for sale with concierge services (alphabetical order):

• 210 South Street (Leather District)
• 285 Columbus Lofts (Back Bay)
• 360 Newbury (Back Bay)
• 44 Prince Street (North End)
• 45 Province (Midtown)
• 75 Clarendon Street (South End)
• Albert A. Pope Building (Back Bay)
• Atelier 505 (South End)
• Battery Wharf (Waterfront)
• Boston W Hotel & Condos (Midtown)
• Broadluxe (Financial District)
• Burroughs Wharf (Waterfront)
• Channel Center (Seaport District)
• Charles River Park (West End)
• Constellation Wharf (Charlestown )
• Court Square Press (South Boston)
• D4 Police Station (South End)
• Dockside Place Condominiums (Seaport District)
• Flagship Wharf (Charlestown)
• Folio Boston (Financial District)
• Four Seasons Place (Back Bay)
• FP3 Condos (Seaport District)
• Fulton Court (Waterfront)
• Greenway Place (Financial District)
• Harbor Towers (Waterfront)
• Heritage on the Garden (Back Bay)
• Intercontinental Residences (Waterfront)
• Lewis Wharf (Waterfront)
• Macallen Building (South Boston)
• Mandarin Oriental (Back Bay)
• One Charles (Back Bay)
• Parkside (Midtown)
• Parris Landing (Charlestown)
• Penmark Condos (South End)
• Ritz Carlton Towers (Midtown)
• Rowes Wharf (Waterfront)
• Strada 234 (North End)
• The Belvedere (Back Bay)
• The Bryant on Columbus (South End)
• The Charlesview (Back Bay)
• The Clarendon Back Bay (Back Bay)
• The Grandview Boston (Midtown)
• The Mariner (Waterfront)
• The Metropolitan (Chinatown)
• Tremont on the Common (Midtown)
• Trinity Place (Back Bay)
• Wilkes Passage (South End)
• Zero Marlborough (Back Bay)

This list complements another information-based article published recently about move-in ready condo developments (see Move-in Ready Luxury Condo Developments).  For more information about luxury Boston real estate options with in-house concierge services, contact us using the link at the top of this page.

Keeping the spirit of Boston condo auctions (see Broadluxe Financial District Condo Auction), a unique situation has popped up in the South End along Warren Avenue. There will be a condo auction this weekend for a single unit at 99 Warren Avenue. Unit 2 at 99 Warren Avenue is currently listed in the Boston MLS for sale, however, the intent is to conduct what looks like a sealed bid auction over the weekend.

99 Warren Avenue Unit 2 is listed on the MLS at $699,000 ($529 per square foot), and is a 1,322 square foot duplex that boasts two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and a great roof deck. Additionally, a deeded land-use area that can be used to park a car off-street is included (parking). This is a two-unit HOA under a new conversion, and the HOA fees (which include water, sewer, and master insurance) are estimated at $275.

Minimum bids are starting at $699,000, and the listing agent, Betsy Herald, will be showing the unit today from 4:30 - 6pm, Saturday from 11am - 1pm, and Sunday from 2:30 - 3:45pm. Standard Offer to Purchase forms are being accepted with a $1,000 earnest money deposit. All offers should be submitted by Monday, June 16, 2008 at Noon. For more details, please contact us using the link at the top of this page.

Auction Results: multiple offers were received and the unit, according to the Boston MLS, went Under Agreement on June 18, 2008. For undisclosed reasons, the property was put back on the market on July 14, 2008 at a listing price of $799,000, and then reduced to $769,000 on August 8, 2008, and went Under Agreement on August 20, 2008.

In between the hot dogs, Indy 500, Earthfest, and watching the Celtics go 1-1 over the weekend, 12 downtown Boston properties went Under Agreement (view the details 10 KB PDF).

We’re in the midst of the buying and selling spring and summer season, and even with a holiday weekend keeping many other things on our minds, real estate transactions continued to progress forward. 2 units at the Intercontinental Boston went Under Agreement, along with one of the still standing 210 South Street Leather District lofts. All said, the average listing price per square foot was $615 on these properties (actual sales price per square foot is pending on the close of each property).
Gas prices are topping $4 per gallon across the country, and the “rise of the city” is something that is becoming more of a reality every day (more thoughts on this soon).

The Wall Street Journal gave some press yesterday to “downtown” real estate markets, Boston included. Some comparisons were drawn between the 2005 market (which some say is the height of the market over the past 10 years) and today’s market conditions. Some of the statistics included in the article reference single family homes, which there are little of in the core of downtown, but the “press” is perhaps finally starting to realize that there is a difference between core downtown Boston real estate and the suburbs or pan-US housing.

Prices in the city’s core (Boston) are off less than 1% over the past year, according to first-quarter data from Listing Information Network, (one of) Boston’s MLS system. The real difference today is that homes are staying on the market for 111 days on average, up from 85 days in 2005.

Prices in key neighborhoods, such as Back Bay, the South End, Fenway and the Waterfront, are all up between 3% and 10%. Beacon Hill and the North End, however, are down sharply, as much as 33%. That’s partly the result of a slew of high-end properties that hit the market in 2006 and 2007 that were priced as high as $1.5 million, skewing the price data upward. Even without those sales, however, the median price would be down by double-digit amounts.

“No one is taking prices higher these days just to see if they can get it, like they used to,” Michael DiMella says of Boston’s downtown core. “But you have to come with realistic expectations. This is a highly desirable area, and you’re not going to find a steal.”

Given the supply and demand principles that are present in the city center of Boston, “deals” on real estate are truly few and far between - more to come soon on setting realistic expectations when it comes to downtown Boston real estate.

Much has been happening this week, the activity levels on multiple fronts (announcements, under agreement properties, website traffic, auctions, etc.) is truly starting to create a buzz around town. Here is some of the latest.

Auctions - yes, that’s plural, it looks like downtown Boston residents will see at least two auctions in the near future, both at the Modern South End and the Broadluxe. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available (i.e. auction dates, etc.). Update: see Modern South End Boston Condo Auction.

285 Columbus Lofts - construction is flying along, as well as under agreement units. Occupancy is currently being targeted for mid May (this would be the first on time or ahead of schedule development in quite some time) and they are approximately 60% sold out at 285 Columbus Lofts - congratulations to Pat Cutter and the rest of the team there, fabulous property.

Parking Spaces - we just included a new Back Bay parking space for sale on our Boston Parking Spaces page - $90K for an inside tandem spot is pushing the envelope.

Macallen Building Video - the green Macallen condo development in what we call, northern South Boston, is getting some serious exposure from the Sundance Channel in a new feature film on the “greening of Southie”. Kudos to Pappas Properties for establishing green building as the new benchmark in Boston condos.

The Clarendon Back Bay - the ultra luxury Clarendon Back Bay began to install a huge plywood enclosure system from PERI Formwork Systems on the development. Soon the entire property will be covered in plywood so construction can continue behind it. Rumor is that large Boston Condo Guy ads will be displayed on the exterior of the plywood.

1330 Boylston Now Leasing - The new Fenway development is now leasing for August 1st occupancy. Contact the leasing team at 617 267 1330 for more information (look at that, catchy phone number, eh?).

Boston Marathon - not Robert Cheruiyot, but, John Keith. Congratulations go out to John for knocking out the tough course in a strong 3:45:29 finishing time, and for raising thousands of dollars for Community Servings in the process.

Some definite water cooler tidbits from the Boston Condo Blog. For more details, or for assistance in buying or selling a downtown Boston condo, please contact us.

We have been working with more and more Europeans over the past six months, all of whom are interested in purchasing downtown Boston real estate, not because the core of downtown Boston is in a real estate crisis (see No Real Estate Crisis in Boston), but because their “dollar” (i.e. Euro) is going a lot farther than it ever has in the past.

In essence, since the launch of the pan European currency, called the Euro, we have seen a complete flip flop in its value. One Euro went from being worth less than 70 US cents in 1999, to now, almost 1.5 US dollars. The euro (currency sign: €; banking code: EUR) is the official currency of the European Union (EU), and has been implemented in 15 member states, known collectively as the Eurozone (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain). Yes, the UK still uses the Pound, but the trend there is the same; as demonstrated in the chart below, the Euro continues to appreciate against the dollar (i.e. one Euro is now worth almost $1.50, and has been moving up since 2003).

The one economic mantra that you are more than likely familiar with is buy low, sell high. The Europeans are contacting us because, at this point in time, they have the ability to buy low. For Bostonians, and those here in the US, prices aren’t “low” (and in real terms, prices continue to rise in the core of the city, more to come on this soon), however, for Europeans, who currently enjoy the fruits of a currency trend whereby their Euro now buys more dollars, prices are low, and they are seizing this opportunity.

We talk with a growing number of Europeans each week who are interested in buying Boston investment property, or a Boston vacation home in one of America’s most historic cities. Europeans recognize that downtown Boston real estate will always hold its value, and the best time to “get in” is when their currency allows them to do so at a discount.

The commercial market (be it office, retail, etc.) in Boston has been performing quite well lately, vacancy rates are low, and this is pushing rents up across the various classes of commercial buildings (office space for instance is broken down into classes, Class A buildings (the best of the best) command the highest rents, this for example, would be the Hancock Tower).

From an economic standpoint, the strong commercial market is a precursor to several trends that will slowly develop. First, as rents continue to rise across the various classes of commercial property, businesses will look to more less-traditional areas of the city to setup shop - the Seaport District, northern South Boston, and the Fenway are all obvious choices. Secondly, a natural by product of the build up of commercial space in other areas of the city is a bolstered residential condo market to serve that area.

That said, you will continue to see further buildout and prominence of the Seaport District (with FP3, Fan Pier (both commercial and residential)) and northern South Boston (Allele, Eleven West Broadway, 125 B Street), areas that we have been bullish on for some time now. Why are we excited about these areas? Well, you have multiple economic factors moving in favor of healthy and appreciating condo prices in the area - the commercial / residential thread just discussed, as well as a similar trend in the residential housing market in the core downtown area.

The latter trend of residential housing being similar to that of commercial property, in that Boston condo prices continue to appreciate in the core of downtown (approximately 6% in 2007), thus naturally moving Buyers into other areas (Seaport District, northern South Boston) where you can get more square footage for your money.

Add all of these things up, and you have good investment potential in Boston’s Seaport District and northern South Boston.

As we draw closure to 2007, it’s time to take a look at some of the top available options for 2008 in Boston condo developments. It’s actually quite difficult to single out the cream of the crop in the downtown Boston market because there are so many options for Buyers currently as great product continues to hit the market, and let’s face it, different developments suit different needs and lifestyles. With there being truly a large number of gems in the core downtown market, we are unfortunately skipping over many top-notch properties. We’ll continue to cover the entire market with in depth features, but, here is our short all around list, with straight-forward honest talk, for 2008.

• Court Square Press - the Court Square Press building in northern South Boston has a good historical story, but it may be the recent completion of its sister property, the Macallen, that catapults Court Square Press itself to our list. With the completion of the Macallen, the concierge-served residents of Court Square Press now have access to an absolutely gorgeous 20,000 square foot plaza with grills and a lap pool, as well as a high-end screening room with kitchen and bathroom that can be reserved by residents for private parties. Many units in Court Square Press feature loft-style brick and beam living, and recent upgrades to the in-house fitness center are stellar. Some of the only drawbacks to Court Square Press are some units receive poor light, and some residents have voiced concern over noise cancellation, however, apparent concerns have decreased significantly in this area. In the past, location may have been called a drawback to this development, however, there are multiple condo developments that are popping up adjacent to Court Square Press, and this is driving commercial entry into the area, turning northern South Boston into one of the hottest areas of the city.
• Bryant on Columbus - we’re going out on a limb in placing the Bryant on the list, namely because it is not complete yet. Nevertheless, the Bryant will offer lauded three-bedroom floor-through units with soaring ceilings and high-end amenities. The location will put you on the border of the neighborhood feel of the South End, and the “city living” surrounding Copley Square. Good inventory remains in the building, so great choices are still available at the Bryant, with an anticipated completion date of August 2008. Potential owners still need to consider heavily the location of their unit, and the natural light that will be available - the units will have excellent southern exposure, but will be in close proximity to the large 131 Dartmouth building behind it. Outside of a lack of multiple exposure windows, the only remaining drawbacks to the Bryant could be a 5-day concierge (however, HOA fees are substantially lower than similar direct-elevator luxury buildings), and the lack of excellent city views.
• 44 Snow Hill - this was a five-unit high-end renovation of a classic North End property. The last of the units sold in late July 2007, and we’ll need to keep our ears to the ground for a resale opportunity at this boutique development. Superb craftsmanship and exquisite finishes highlight the property. With only a two minute walk to the Waterfront, high ceilings, modern kitchens, and superb baths, 44 Snow Hill will be a diamond in the rough for a long time to come. Perhaps the only drawbacks to these units would be the laundry being communal in the basement, rather than having in-unit facilities, and parking is available for rent across the street rather than direct access.
• Meads of Commonwealth - we’ve written a fair bit about the Meads of Commonwealth, and for good reason, it is one of the finest properties in west end of the Back Bay. The quality of these units are unparalleled, the fixtures and amenities are truly spectacular. The units at the Meads are flowing floor-throughs, many with superb entry ways, and all with direct elevator access. What’s missing, well, perhaps a concierge, which for a property of this caliber, has been overlooked. The location of this boutique high-end development could be looked at as a minus, with it being away from the hustle and bustle of Newbury Street shopping or the tranquility of the Public Garden.

No list is going to be perfect. Bottom line, the condo options available across the core of downtown Boston are stellar, all of them accommodating different needs and lifestyles through various amenity levels. For more information on the above-mentioned developments, or to discuss any of those we did not cover in this blog post, feel free to contact us.

Over the past two months, we have been running a plugin to the Boston Condo Blog in the background which calculates the posts that readers think are the most popular. The algorithm used to determine the most popular posts is based mainly on permalink page views (the direct URL to a post, rather than looking at it on the homepage of the blog), page views off of the archive and category pages, number of comments to a post left by readers, views directly from rss feed readers, and trackbacks (other bloggers or website link directly to the post in their blog posts). We held off counting views directly from the homepage, as this erroneously skews the numbers in favor of more recent posts.

We are now launching the plugin, and have placed the Most Popular Posts sidebar module on the far right sidebar column, underneath the Search box, and the Latest Blog Posts. The Most Popular Posts module gives readers an idea of what the majority of current readers have been looking at. It is fluid, and will change over time.

Of pertinent interest to readers currently is the Boston W Hotel & Condos, the mixed-use Carruth condo development in Dorchester, the Penny Savings Bank in Boston’s South End, and a recent write up on Boston condo pricing. See the Most Popular Posts module on the far right hand side for further details.

One would think that the market would bundle up for the winter and hibernate, but there have been a large handful of great listings that have hit the market over the past week, be them new, or several price reductions. The Boston real estate market is pushing to finish the year strong, despite getting snowed in this week. Let’s take a look at what we’re talking about - for more information about any of these listings, or to setup a showing, please contact us.

52 Athens Street (also known as the 80 A Street Condominiums) along the border of South Boston and the Seaport District currently has two units for sale. Unit 1, a 1,313 square foot loft-style duplex condo with soaring ceilings and bamboo floors underwent a $30K price reduction after being on the market for 38 days. The move takes this unit down to $459,000 ($349 per square foot). This particular unit is one of the higher-end condos offers one of the best spaces in the 12-unit development along A Street.

A somewhat rare smaller unit (610 square feet) has come available at One Charles, the Midtown luxury condo development that was completed in 2004, steps to Boston Common and the Public Garden. This $584,000 condo was designed by renowned Eugene Lawrence and was recently featured in Boston Globe Magazine’s “Ultimate Bachelor Pads” issue for its unique space-defying sense of grandeur. It comes with a single deeded tandem garage parking space.

Unit 322, at the luxury South Boston Court Square Press 130-unit condo development, just hit the market. This brings the total of available units in this building to 6. Court Square Press remains one of the classiest places to call home in northern South Boston, and with the June opening of Macallen, residents now enjoy a host of further amenities. Included in this 1,296 square foot, two-bedroom two-bathroom, $599,000 loft is one deeded garage parking space.

One gorgeous unit at the oftentimes overlooked loft-style condos at 27 Wareham Place deep in the South End took on a small price reduction, moving it to $697,000 for the two-bedroom two.five-bathroom, 1,271 square foot loft. Parking is included in this common roof deck 30-unit development that was finished in 2000. You’ll probably begin to see these units catch on a bit more, especially with the SoHa Lofts (now called the 1850) going up right down the street.

You don’t see many units come available at the Boston Metropolitan, in Boston’s Chinatown, adjacent to the New England Medical Center, also home to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Unit 2209 is a penthouse unit boasting 1,325 square feet over multiple levels, and a wrap around balcony with southwest views. The Metropolitan was finished in 2004, and this unit comes with 2 garage parking spaces, and is priced at $949,000.

The North End brings us Unit 4B at 287 Hanover Street, a renovated 2,358 square foot three-bedroom loft-style condo with soaring ceilings and high-end everything. This unit just came back on the market, and is priced at $1,199,000 ($508 per square foot), and is part of the Seaman’s House. Low condo fees for a $1 million+ property at $350 per month, however, no deeded parking with this unit - yet, definitely worth a look.

And finally, Unit 823 at Lincoln Wharf, adjacent to the up and coming ultra luxury Battery Wharf, recently saw a $100K price reduction, moving this unit to $1,295,000 for 1,853 square feet. The renovated unit features 20′ ceilings and great water views, as well as Asian walnut floors. Parking is rented. The unit has been on the market for 58 days now. The $1,000 HOA fee includes Hot Water, Water, Sewer, Master Insurance, Security, Laundry Facilities (that’s how they do it in this particular building), Elevator, Exterior Maintenance, Landscaping, Snow Removal, Recreational Facilities, Exercise Room, Sauna/Steam, Clubroom, Extra Storage, Refuse Removal.