As summer nears and we head outdoors, take a moment to recall the signs of Lyme disease.  It is an inflammatory disease caused by tick bites.  Massachusetts has one of the highest rates of Lyme disease incidents in the nation. Fever, headache and muscle pain are the signs of Lyme disease and show up within 10 days of a bite.  Also, most people develop a rash, a bull's-eye shape: redness with a clear area around the small red center of the bite.  If you develop any of these symptoms, it would be wise to consult a doctor to see if you have Lyme disease. It will be treated with antibiotics. As always, practice safety when outdoors.  Enjoy the summer.   Hello, welcome to my blog and welcome to Quincy, MA.  If you are a potential home buyer and you are interested in Quincy, please contact me... 06/13/2011

  Quincy MA Sold Condo Units Report for May 2011   In May of 2011 there were 28 condos that closed within the month for Quincy Massachusetts. This is the same number of units, as there were 5 condos that closed in May of 2010.   The Average list price for the condos that closed in Quincy for May of 2010 was $297,651 The Average list price for the condos that closed in Quincy for May of 2011 was $226,189 The Average sale price for the condos that closed in Quincy for May of 2010 was $285,118 The Average sale price for the condos that closed in Quincy for May of 2011 was $220,619 The Average price per square foot for the condos that closed in Quincy for May of 2010 was $241 The Average price per square foot for the condos that closed in Quincy for May of 2011 was $219 The Average Market t... 06/07/2011

There will be a "Grand Opening" celebration of the new Marina Bay Marketplace located at 333 Victory Road on May 28, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.  Marina Bay Marketplace marks the first time a grocery store is to be loacted inside the Marina Bay residential complex.  It will also serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.    If you are a potential home buyer and you are interested in Quincy, please contact me to start receiving listings and open house schedules.  Let's connect today and we can begin visiting houses.  I can answer any other questions you may have regarding Quincy including schools, public transportation, houses of worship, parks, local government, market conditions, etc.  I look forward to hearing from you. Melissa A. Juarez ~ Broker/Owner MBBA,... 05/26/2011

Directors and Officers Liability Insurance (D & O Insurance) - Condo Associations in Quincy, Mass.  Condo associations normally purchase property, general liability, and crime insurance for their condominium association. Another type of insurance that's highly recommended is Directors and Officers Liability Insurance (D&O Insurance). D&O insurance is basically Errors and Omissions Insurance for the trustees of the Condo Association while performing duties on behalf of the condominium association. Lawsuits against the trustees can originate from either from a decision made by them or simply inaction.The responsibility of the board of directors is to make decisions in the best interest of the condo association. We all know this is not a perfect world and all decisions will not have univer... 05/16/2011

Last weekend volunteers descended on beaches, parks, schools and open spaces throughout Quincy to clean-up the sites as part of the 22nd Annual Cleaner, Greener Quincy Campaign.  These volunteers deserve our thanks for their tireless efforts in helping to make Quincy beautiful.  You can also help to beautify Quincy, if you see an open space that needs a little TLC, do something about it.  Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers.   05/12/2011

The Quincy, MA YMCA is a neighborhood gem.  It brings together families and provides activities and programs designed to enrich our lives.  The Quincy Y is now offerring a program that will teach children in preschool through third grade about water safety and basic swim instruction, including what to do around shorelines, boats, and near pools, all in an effort to prevent drownings.  Please contact the Quincy Y for information on how to register your child for this important and fun program. (617) 479-8500.   If you are a potential home buyer and you are interested in Quincy, please contact me to start receiving listings and open house schedules.  Let's connect today and we can begin visiting houses.  I can answer any other questions you may have regarding Quincy including schools, pub... 04/25/2011

The Thomas Crane Library in Quincy, MA will have a book sale starting April 28 through the 30. The Library is located at 40 Washington Street. The sale will include fiction, nonfiction and children's books, CDs and videos.  The cost for books starts at 50 cents.  Hours for the sale are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 28; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30.  All proceeds will benefit the library. Melissa A. Juarez ~ Broker/Owner MBBA, LLC majesq82@yahoo.com www.massachusettsbuyersbrokeragency.com Buyer's Agent Boston, MA ~ For Sale Boston, MA ~ Boston, MA Open Houses ~ Boston, MA Houses If you are a potential home buyer interested in the greater Boston area, please contact me to start receiving listings and open house schedules.  Let's connect today and we can b... 03/15/2011

The Taste of Quincy Restaurant Week starts March 6 through March 11.  The purpose of Quincy Restaurant Week is to provide specialty lunch and dinner menus at discounted prices to allow diners to experience a variety of restaurants, including some that they may have not tried before.   More than 25 food establishments are participating, including the Adams Pub at the Best Western Adams Inn, Beni Café, Burke's Seafood, Captain Fishbones, Common Market,  Fuji, The Fours, Gennaro's Eatery, Ginger Betty's,  Hancock's at the Marriott, The Half Door, La Paloma, Siros, Shabu, Texas Saloon, Unchained Pizza, The View Restaurant and Tavern and Villa Rosa. Please patronize these local restaurants and help celebrate Quincy. 02/28/2011

The City of Quincy is the 5th largest city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  The city is primarily urban and encompasses an area of over 26 miles.  I live and work in Quincy.  I love the diversity of the population and the convenience of living in an urban-setting, yet I am close to parks, the Blue Hills Reservation and the beach.  The City of Quincy is a popular topic on my blog.  Please feel free to visit my blog and search for my posts covering this wonderful community. The city continues to grow in population. In the year 2000, the estimated residential population was 88,000 whereas today the population has over 92,000 people. To accommodate the need for continuing infrastructure improvements through the city, Mayor Koch has proposed a $25 million Capital Improvement Plan for a... 02/15/2011

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced that it will suspend the anti-flipping rule for another year to assist in the sale of foreclosed homes, until January 2012. In 2003, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a rule that prohibited the FHA from insuring a mortgage on homes that were owned by the seller for less than 90 days. The purpose of the rule was to avoid "flipping" properties -- buying and quickly reselling them at inflated prices to buyers. This extension comes at a great time, as more distressed properties have been listed in my community in the past few weeks. 02/02/2011

So far this winter, we have received approximately over 60 inches of snow in the greater Boston area. But the snow hasn't kept people from contacting me and requesting appointments to see houses. In fact, we are deep in "window shopping" mode, where many prospective buyers are finally going out and seeing houses, perhaps after months of Internet searching.  They plan to buy within the next 3-4 months. I received an email from an agent telling me that her listings are plowed, shoveled and otherwise accessible despite all the snow.  She wrote, "While I may ask you to take your shoes off, rest assured the houses are ready for showings."  I'm glad listings agents are on board. There are buyers out there, but if I can't get them to the house, how am I going get someone to buy it? 01/28/2011

Did you get the City of Quincy's Fair Housing Survey in the mail? If you are a homeowner, renter or real estate professional,  the City of Quincy in partnership with the South Shore Home Consortium wants to hear from you. The survey is easy to complete and the results will be used to evaluate fair housing policies. The survey can be found online at the City of Quincy's website, www.quincyma.gov. The deadline to complete the survey is February 3. 01/17/2011

It is an exciting time for the City of Quincy.  Quincy's downtown redevelopment project will add approximately 1 million square feet of new commercial space, 570,000 square feet for retail shops and restaurants, two new hotels and 700 housing units that will include luxury, loft and middle-income condos near the Quincy Center T station.  Here is a video of the Mayor talking about the project: http://bcove.me/d1w98ji0 .  If you are considering buying in Quincy, contact me today to start receiving updated listings and all the latest information on new construction in town. Melissa A. Juarez - Owner/Broker www.massachusettsbuyersbrokeragency.com majesq82@yahoo.com     01/09/2011

  Quincy Massachusetts 2010 Real Estate Report for Quarter 2 Quincy Massachusetts Single Family Homes Sold The Quincy, MA 2010 2nd quarter real estate market report indicates that there were 102 homes sold in Q2 2010 as compared to 106 in 2009. This represents a 4% decrease in the number of homes sold. The average sales price changed from $320608 in 2009 to $328796 in 2010, a 3% increase in value. The days on market changed -12 % from 80  to 70.  Visit Quincy MA real estate 2009 market report to view changes in market activity and values. Visit Quincy MA real estate for information about the community, relocation, demographics, MLS search, home buying and selling guides.   Go to Quincy MA homes for sale to view current listings of homes, condos, multi-family and land listings. Quincy Ma... 01/08/2011

Many of us traveling daily on Burgin Parkway by the T Station have been monitoring the progress of the Lowe's building construction.  It took awhile but the store is finally ready for its opening day. Lowe's has announced that it expects to open on January 27, 2011, after the planned acquisition of the required city permits. The nearest Lowe's is located in Weymouth and the store's opening in Quincy has been met with much anticipation.  Look for special grand opening prices and other freebie announcements in the Patriot Ledger and on the Lowe's site prior to opening. If you are planning on making any home improvement repairs or other projects, you might save a bundle if you keep your eye out for these specials. 01/05/2011

Did you receive your new blue recycle bin yet? The City of Quincy delivered approximately three-thousand blue recycling barrels as part of the city's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.  The barrels are expected to be used by homeowners and families to increase household recycling through the Single Stream program, which allows homeowners to place all recyclable material in a single container, without the need to sort it.  Please contact City Hall to see if your household qualified for the new bins. Let's work together to keep Quincy clean and green!   12/27/2010

Today there is a major winter storm here in Massachusetts and the Northeast.  Most open houses were canceled as people did not want to get stuck in the snow.  For me, it is a great time to catch up on some paperwork, research and email prospects with the latest information and new listings. I am also preparing for my end of year Real Estate Market Reports, for my blog and for my clients. If you live in the Northeast today, stay warm and enjoy the down time! 12/26/2010

Quincy is getting its downtown back. The city approved a $1.3 billion development plan yesterday to remake its struggling shopping district into a new urban destination, with more modern homes, restaurants, and retail stores. The developer, Street-Works LLC of White Plains, N.Y., is seeking to rebuild Quincy Center essentially from scratch. The area will get new roads and parking garages, up to a dozen new buildings, and a four-acre public green connected to a new historic and cultural center. The development, one of the largest pending construction projects in the state, is designed to reclaim what many mid-sized Massachusetts cities have lost: A reason for people to return to the downtown streets that were abandoned long ago for the climate-controlled convenience of suburban shopping... 12/21/2010

Yesterday the Quincy City Council unanimously approved the much anticipated downtown improvement project. The developer, Street-Works LLC, will pump approximately $1.3 billion into redeveloping Quincy Center. Street-Works' project calls for 1 million square feet of new office space, about 700 new housing units and 570,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space. Located just 10 miles from downtown Boston, Quincy is home to many businesses and residential units.  It also has three red-line train stops situated throughout the neighborhood.  The city of Quincy is an attractive and affordable alternative to living in downtown Boston.  Interested in living Quincy? Contact me today to receive current listings of rentals, condos, single and multi-family homes, and to keep up to date on ... 12/21/2010

The Quincy Choral Society will be presenting a holiday concert at 8 p.m. Sunday, December 12, at the Sacred Heart Church on Hancock Street.  The concert is a holiday-themed concert of classical works.  Tickets are $15.  To order tickets or get more information, call 781-331-4255. 12/10/2010