Local Food in the Greater Boston Area

It is becoming more and more popular to make a conscious effort to buy locally-grown food both nationally and in the Greater Boston area.  Many people find local food to be fresher and better-tasting because it has not spent days on a truck or airplane being transported and others choose it because of a lower environmental impact.  Local food also provides an opportunity to know more information about the food you eat, such as how it was grown or raised.  If you are interested in local food in the Greater Boston area, check out these options:

Community Gardening
Community gardening is as local as it gets.  In this scenario, you and other like-minded people are the gardeners.  Bostonnatural.org lists over two hundred community gardens in the Boston area.  Community gardens are generally plots of land (often located in residential areas) that have been turned into vegetable gardens.  Volunteer gardeners help plant, prune, and harvest the food, and as a result get to keep some.  Different gardens operate differently so be sure to do research before joining one.  The Berkeley Gardens, for example, offer dedicated spots for gardeners to take responsibility for while other gardens are communal.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Maybe you do not have time to garden on a regular basis, but you still want to enjoy local foods and support local farmers and gardeners.  Community Support Agriculture is for you.  With CSAs, you buy a "share" of a local farm at the beginning of a season.  You then either pick up a box of food or have one dropped off at your home on a weekly basis throughout that season.  Although they no longer update the site, bostonlocalvores.org contains a list of CSAs that deliver or provide food for pick-up in the Boston area.  Joining a CSA guarantees variety in your meals since the food included will change based on what is ripe that week.

Farmers Markets
Boston.com says Boston is "brimming" with Farmers Markets and provides a schedule of local Farmers Markets.  Farmers Markets in the Boston area generally occur from May or June until September or October. A Farmers Market is a place where farmers, gardeners, and other local food providers gather to sell their locally-sourced goods.  While community gardening and CSAs are mostly sources for produce only, most Farmers Markets offer a variety of meats, cheeses, oils, baked goods, and spices as well.

This is the best time of year to enjoy local food because of all the options available.  In addition to dairy and meat, Massachusetts produces many types of produce with some of the most popular being cranberries, sweet corn, and apples.  If you try any local food options this season, feel free to leave a comment!  And as always, I'm available if you have any questions about real estate or Boston in general.

 Michael Feldman

Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro
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Making an offer on Boston Real Estate

You’ve found the perfect piece of Boston real estate.  Now it’s time to make an offer.  Making an offer on a home can be intimidating, but if you are sure of yourself and take the appropriate steps in preparation, the process should go smoothly.  Here are tips to help you get your ideal home for as little as possible:

Don’t make too low of an offer

You know you want the house for as cheap as possible.  They know you want the house for as cheap as possible.  Still, leading with too low of an offer could backfire.  The seller might be offended and refuse to negotiate with you.  Make sure the offer is low, but within a range of what the house will feasibly see for in order to avoid insulting the seller.  Low balling can color the entire negotiation process and make it much more difficult.

Learn the house and neighborhood

Learn as much as you possibly can about the house and neighborhood.  How old is the roof?  How good is the local school district?  Are there any loud neighbors?  Has the home ever had a termite infestation?  Has the neighborhood experienced criminal activity recently?  These are all factors you can bring up when negotiating.  Also, knowing the house and neighborhood allows you to find similar houses nearby for comparison.  

Figure out your seller

Has the house been on the market for months, or was it just listed last week?  The longer it has been on the market, the more eager your seller will be to sell.  Does the seller live in the house, or is it sitting empty?  Has the seller moved far away because of a job transfer?  Then he might accept a lower offer.  Find out as much as you can and factor the information in when formulating your offers.  Be aware, however, that the seller is probably doing the same thing with you!

Hopefully these tips help you get the right price for that perfect piece of Boston Real Estate.  If you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me.

  Michael Feldman

Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro
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Boston, MA bakeries to satisfy your sweet tooth

Photo property of Macaron Sweeterie

Whether you're considering a move to Boston, MA, or have lived here for your entire life, those of you with a sweet tooth will probably be interested in finding out about the sweetest sweet spots you might not have heard of yet.  Boston, MA is known for both its restaurants and bakeries.  Today, I'm focusing on bakeries in Boston and beyond.  Here are three that are a mix of old favorites and those new to the scene.  Enjoy!

Macaron Sweeterie 
The Macaron Sweeterie opened in Boston earlier this year and features a wide selection of French macarons.  French macarons are a delicate, almond-flavored pastry that are quickly becoming a favorite in Boston.  They are naturally 100% gluten-free, and the Macaron Sweeterie has 12-16 different flavors on any given day.  They also sell coffee, tea, gelato, and other Italian sweets.  Check their website for more information.

Address: 848 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420

Lulu's Sweet Shoppe
Lulu's main focus is on cupcakes, the very trendy dessert of today.  They offer very unique flavors, such as Nutella, Whoopie Pie, and Pistachio with Port Wine.  Cakes are also available in all cupcake flavors.  In addition to baked goods, Lulu's has a selection of retro candies.  Whether you're looking for gummy pizza or candy cigarettes, they have it here.  Visit Lulu's website for more information.

Address:  57 Salem Street, Boston, MA 02113

aka Marvelicious
This one is for the vegans out there.  Everything at aka Marvelicious is made without animal-based ingredients such as eggs, butter, and milk.  aka Marvelicious says their purpose is "saving the planet...one cookie at a time."  They use sustainable packaging and organic ingredients.  Right now, they have five flavors: almond carrotoon (a macaroon that uses carrot instead of coconut), best peanut butter, lemon sunshine, oatmeal cardamom, and orange chocolate chunk.

Address:  See website for details.  Cookies are sold at farmer's markets and healthy events.

Hopefully you learned about a new Boston, MA business from this post.  If you try out any of the sweet treats mentioned, I'd love to hear about it!  As always, feel free to contact me with any questions about real estate or the area.  Have a good week!

Michael Feldman
Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro
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Tips for moving into your Greater Boston area home

Once you've found your ideal Greater Boston area home, checked out the neighborhood, had the house inspected, been approved for a mortgage, negotiated a price, and filled out the paperwork, you probably feel joy and relief.  Then you remember there is a move ahead of you!  As your Greater Boston area real estate agent, I'd like to welcome you to the area (if you weren't living here already) and share some tips on what to do a couple of months ahead of time in order to make your move go over as smoothly as possible.

Sell, donate, & throw away as much as possible


Now is a good time to go through everything you own one-by-one and take an honest stock of whether or not you want to keep it.  Holding on to things you don't use or like just creates more work because you will have to pack and unpack those items, as well as move or pay someone to move them.  Hold a garage sale and donate anything that is left over at the end to charity.  Items that are broken, missing pieces, or very dirty should be thrown away.

Get estimates for all costs


If you are hiring movers, discuss all details related to the move with the company ahead of time.  Do they charge by weight of items, number of boxes, or how many hours it takes to move?  Do they help wrap and pack items, or is that up to you?  Make sure the movers have insurance and that the quote they give you is guaranteed.  If you are not hiring movers, get estimates on your moving truck in advance, asking for details regarding mileage, insurance, gasoline, etc.  Moving is stressful enough--you don't want to have to face expensive surprises at the last minute.

Plan how you will pack


The more organized you are, the easier the move will be.  Generally it is easiest to pack by room, clearly labeling the boxes "Kitchen," "Living Room," etc.  For families, each individual should consider packing a box of "important" items (such as toiletries and undergarments) that they will need within the first couple of days of moving before all of the other boxes have been opened.  Start packing little things that you do not use as early on so there is less to pack in the final days before the move.  To save money, ask friends and grocery stores for cardboard boxes instead of buying them.

I hope these tips help!  If you have any questions about relocating to the Greater Boston area, or know anyone who needs help with buying or selling a home, feel free to contact me.  Have a good move!


Michael Feldman
Keller Williams Realty-Boston Metro
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