Braintree Market Is Tight, But Not Impossible
Braintree by all accounts is a great place to live, with a reputation for taking care of its own with great services and home prices that are still affordable to middle-class buyers.
Braintree by all accounts is a great place to live, with a reputation for taking care of its own with great services and home prices that are still affordable to middle-class buyers.
The median price of the South Shore town rose a modest 2.8 percent in 2014 to $365,000, reports The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman.
The trick, though, is finding a house to buy, with competition fierce for the few single-family homes that hit the market, notes Patrick Palzkill, broker and owner of Beacon Rock Realty Services in Braintree.
“Everybody wants to get into Braintree, but it’s tight as far as available listings go,’’ he said.
How tight? Well there are just 16 homes on the market right now in the $100,000 to $800,000 range, Palzkill says.
That said, buying a house in Braintree, while not easy, can be done.
It takes patience and working closely with a broker to get a shot at a house before it gets scooped off the market, Palzkill says.
It’s worth getting started now before the spring market brings out more buyers – and competition, he advises.
However, if you are looking for a solidly middle-class town, it is well worth the effort.
Braintree isn’t a town of McMansions, nor is it stuck with a struggling underclass either, with most homes that hit the market hovering in the $400,000 to $500,000 range, Palzkill notes.
Taxes are low thanks to a number of larger retail and commercial developments like the South Shore Plaza. For homeowners, the average tax bill is a little over $4,100 — the second lowest rate in Norfolk County.
Braintree also runs its own cable and electric companies, helping to keep utility costs low. Municipal power companies also have a much better track record getting the lights back on after big storms.
The town also has both a red line stop and a commuter rail station.
“Braintree brings a lot to the table,’’ Palzkill says. “Braintree takes care of Braintree.
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