If you don’t know Figs restaurant than you should. A Boston staple (there are 3 total in the US - 2 in boston and 1 in NYC )  - and another brilliant restaurant by Todd English - Figs serves an array of incredible italian meals including pizzas.

The dish that will seriously make your mouth water to the point of guaranteed return is the is the Old School Tuscan Bolegnese.

(sorry all you veggies out there … I will post one for you soon)

The dish is naughty: one of those meals you shouldn’t finish (picture running on the treadmill for hours) but you do anyway because it’s that good.  Warm, cheesy, and old school style (the original bolognese) with a meaty sauce that has a splash of red wine that leaves a lingering taste not to be denied.

Since there are two Figs in Boston I have paired the dish with single families in each of the locations:

First up: For the Figs located in Charlestown on 67 Main, I have paired it with this incredibly charming single with original floors and beams. I chose this place for its walking proximity (you’ll need the walk trust me) to Figs and also because the interiors have that same “old school” charm like the bolognese, actually it makes me want to eat it right this kitchen!

Second up: For the Figs located at 42 Charles Street, I have paired it with this Beacon Hill beauty whose interiors bring a little pizazz to a carriage house full of historic detail, which is precisely what Todd English did with the bolognese.

Lexington was first settled in 1642 as the Cambridge Farms parish of Cambridge, Massachusetts and was incorporated as a separate town in 1713.

For decades, Lexington showed modest growth while remaining largely a farming community, providing Boston with much of its produce. It always had a bustling downtown area, which remains so to this day. Lexington began to prosper, helped by its close proximity to Boston, and having a rail line (now the Minuteman Bikeway) service its citizens and businesses. For many years, East Lexington was considered a separate entity from the rest of the town, and it still retains its own sense of identity, due in part to some of its blue-collar neighborhoods, a contrast to many of the wealthier parts of town.

Lexington, as well as many of the towns along the Route 128 corridor, experienced a jump in population in the 1960s and 70s, due to the high-tech boom. Property values in the town soared, and the school system became nationally recognized for its excellence. The town participates in the METCO program, which buses minority students from Boston to suburban towns to, in theory, receive a better education in a safer environment than in Boston Public Schools.

Lexington was the location of the first military engagement of the American Revolutionary War. Every year, on the third Monday of April, the town observes Patriots’ Day. Events begin with Paul Revere’s Ride, with a special re-enactment of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. At 6 a.m., there is a re-enactment of the skirmish on the Battle Green, with shots fired from the Battle Green and the nearby Buckman Tavern (to account for the fact that no one knows where the first shot was fired from, or by whom).

Throughout the rest of the year many tourists enjoy tours of the town’s historic landmarks such as Buckman Tavern, Munroe Tavern, and the Hancock-Clarke House, which are maintained by the town’s historical society. - Wikipedia

70712415 - Open House from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

70727176 - Open House from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM

70727004 - Open House from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

70776768 - Open House from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM

70753990 - Open House from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM

An old shipyard in Hingham is being converted into luxury condo’s and it’s not just the views and interiors that will make you salivate. The 130 acre development will also have its very own fitness center, retail shopping center and 6 screen movie theatre.

You can have a town house, condo with ocean views or bay views, or a manor home with garage parking.  All will be spread out across the AvalonBay luxury apartment building plus clubhouse, the Waterscape at Hewitt’s Cove, The Moorings and of course the commercial retail and offices at The Launch. The development has not been finished yet and only some condo’s are for sale pre construction.

The new community is close to the MBTA commuter ferry service to Boston.

Oh, and don’t forget to check out the walking museum on the property that features pictures of the shipyard from its heyday.

Do you remember reading our earlier post An Investment Opportunity? Well straight out of the national press today…

Months after Congress moved to lower borrowing costs for homeowners in a number of high-priced housing markets, interest rates are finally becoming more attractive on certain types of so-called jumbo mortgages. - Real Estate Journal

This is one way to boost the economy, offer air miles every time you buy a home. Some lenders are offering 1,000-1,300 air miles for each $10,000 of your home purchase loan amount up to a maximum of 25,000 miles. Now that is a deal! Note, programs vary depending on the lender, and some aren’t offering this program at all. Check out this article to get a list of those giving you wings and a house.

Think about it this way: take a loan and get a flight then pay for the hotel and fancy dinners with your Territory Rebate.

Nothing like buying a house and going on vacation = The 21st Century Home Buyer Dream

No I am not talking about the environmental movement I am reffering to our very own NBA CHAMPIONS, The Celtics! (you know we like anything green )

A few Territory Guides were able to attend the game last night and they wanted to share the glory of defeat with you:

In preparation for next years (clearly to be) dominate season here is an awesome deal right around the corner that just came back on the market: 2 bed/2bath, 1000+ square feet.

38 and 40 Wyatt Street are the upstairs and downstairs of a two-unit building. The two condos are set amongst a line of row houses a few steps over the Somerville line just behind Cambridge’s Inman Square.

Both units have been gut renovated and appear beautifully done. Gleaming hardwood floors, check. Granite and stainless kitchen with great cabinet and counter space, check. Marble bath with a riverrock shower, check. Washer/dryer in unit, check, Central air-conditioning and a shared landscaped yard, checkmate.

What would you say if I offered you a 2500 sqft, 4 bedroom home built only 2 years ago on 3 very private acres? Oh and by the way it’s in one of the top school districts in the state. You’d probably respond with a “sounds great but I can’t afford it.” right? Well think again. 138 Maple Street in Sherborn meets all of the above criteria and is currently priced at $789,000 (down from an original $995,000). For those of you who aren’t mathematically inclined that’s a 20% price drop.

Sherborn is a rural suburb approximately 25 miles west of Boston just South of the Framingham’s retail sprawl and west of ritzy Wellesley. It shares a school system with Dover and it is currently one of only 3 schools in the state who’s 10th grade MCAS scores rank in the top 5 for both Math and English.

The house is new and beautiful and at around $315 per square foot is a must see. Click here.

Absolutely gorgeous 5 bedroom 1.5 bath colonial in Spypond neighborhood. Beautifully landscaped yard and huge parking lot. Close to everything, including T.

Downside you have 24 hours to make a bid because this baby won’t last past wednesday! (Note disclosure where they are reviewing offers tomorrow, Tuesday .. I believe there are already a couple submitted).

Territory Rebate at asking: $13,230

In my quest to help every client - especially those insisting on a short sale (SS) or bank owned (BO) purchase - I try to deliver full education on the process.

For those clients seeking (or just considering) a SS or BO there are a lot of components to consider prior to spinning wheels, like, the pitfalls of the offer process, “as is” sale, and time it takes to simply get a response to your offer ( let alone close). But another - very important - thing to consider is the risk of future value.

Certain areas in Massachusetts are flooded with short sales and bank owned properties to the point where you literally can’t buy in a certain price range without considering a SS or BO. My thought on areas like these are as follows:

Yes, a SS or BO does offer that small opportunity to purchase a property for less than the surrounding property values, however in areas where almost every property is a SS or BO it still may not be a great place to invest. The statistics show that close to none of these SS/BO properties are actually selling so what will that mean for you if you actually do close on a SS or BO? A neighborhood of properties and yards left unattended inviting robberies, eye sores, fires and potential increase in crime. There is so much volume of SS/BO’s on the market that it could take years, maybe a decade, for those properties to get into the right hands and property values to bounce back, which means a continuing decrease in the value of the property you bought.

So, while the low price tags (which by the way are usually false advertisements) are enticing, I ask that all buyers - not professional investors/contractors - seriously consider what a neighborhood of short sales will mean to your investment over the next 10 years. Is it even worth the risk especially if you plan to live in that investment?

Here is a great article.