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Natick Ranks As Boston’s ‘Best of the Best’ « BostonKayakGuy John Prescott’s The MetWest Scene…

By John Prescott

Real Estate Agent with Century 21 Commonwealth Wellesley

March 16, 2010 03:24 AM

For residents of Natick, the town's proximity to Boston, and many of the tony western suburbs, makes it a prime location and top pick...

http://bit.ly/buM7ts

The Boston Globe summarizes the TOP PLACES TO LIVE, in its recent issue of Globe Magazine. And as many of us who live here know, Natick is a super place for a number of reasons:

Greater Boston’s 12 Top Spots To Live

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"Many factors go into deciding where to live – schools, proximity to public transportation, green space – but the recession has moved one component to the top of the list for many people: stability of real estate values. That’s why this year’s Globe Magazine’s Top Spots to Live are all places that didn’t fare too badly or even gained value during the economic downturn.The Warren Group, a Boston-based real estate tracking firm, provided us with the following median prices for 2005 and 2009 (2005 was considered the market peak in Massachusetts; since then, the median single-family home price has shrunk by 20 percent statewide). Here are our 12 picks." - Boston Globe Magazine, March 2010

Here is an excerpt:

7. Natick

Though single-family home prices declined since the peak of the market, the town’s real estate picture is looking brighter, says John Prescott, a vice president with Century 21 Commonwealth in Wellesley and a Natick resident.

John Prescott, Vice President

Century 21 Commonwealth

“I’ve been in the business 16 years,” he says, “and inventory is at close to the lowest numbers I’ve ever seen.”

Low inventory, of course, drives up prices.

According to the Warren Group, the median price declined by only about half a percentage point between 2008 and 2009, and sales in December 2009 were 50 percent higher than in December 2008.

“Natick is the first affordable town when you head west out of the city,” Prescott says. “And we’re surrounded by Weston, Wellesley, Dover, Sherborn, and Wayland” – all considerably pricier communities.”

Natick students have good MCAS scores, and the town has something for everyone, from miles of walking trails to the upscale Natick Collection shopping mall (which also features condos) to a quaint downtown filled with stately brick commercial buildings.

“We do have high-end housing,” says Prescott, “but the average house is $450,000, $500,000. It’s still a lot of money, but it’s more affordable than a lot of similar towns with similar amenities.”

Greater Boston’s 12 top spots to live

Median single-family home price in 2009: $417,750
Change since market peak in 2005: -9%
Median condo price in 2009: $310,000
Change since market peak in 2005: +29%
Population: 31,880
Residential tax rate:$11.67

(Photographs by Bruce T. Martin)

- By Elizabeth Gehrman, the Globe Magazine

– courtesy of Boston Globe Magazine, March 14, 2010

Many thanks to Elizabeth Gehrman and the Boston Globe!

For more:

Greater Boston's 12 top spots to live - Boston.com http://bit.ly/bBFezA

Real Estate in NATICK Exhibited Resilience and Stability for 2009 « http://bit.ly/5o8BeY

2009 Natick MCAS Performance Data http://bit.ly/9iBD1p

JOHN PRESCOTT

-BostonKayakGuy

Top Real Estate Agent for more than 14 years, serving the real estate needs of Wellesley, South Natick, Weston, Needham, Wayland, Newton, Framingham and other MetWest communities. www.johnprescott.net

JOHN PRESCOTT

Vice President

Century 21 Commonwealth

508-523-9252

BostonKayakGuy…The MetWest Scene