Luxury Homes

This is the kind of home you can get for about $5m

‘The message is “buy now” because these home prices will be higher in the spring market.’

The shingled home is set on 12.66 acres in Duxbury with 2,000 feet of frontage on Kingston Bay. -Michael D'Amore

By Marni Elyse Katz - Globe Correspondent

January 24, 2024

4 minutes to read

This is the second story in a two-part series on luxury homes. Read Part 1, Luxury in the City.

In MetroWest, multimillion-dollar homes sold well during the holidays, which is unusual, said Irene Kerzner, a broker at Hammond Residential Real Estate in Chestnut Hill. “The message is ‘buy now’ because these home prices will be higher in the spring market.”.

Teri Adler, an agent at MGS Group Real Estate in Wellesley, said the luxury market has pushed farther west as demand and prices rose in towns closer to the city. “The Needham and Wayland markets have properties at $4 million and higher; those prices were nonexistent before the pandemic,” Adler said.

On the North Shore, Lanse Robb, a broker at LandVest in Manchester-by-the-Sea, described the past four to six weeks as nuts. “Activity from $4 to $6 million is insane; we currently have five properties under agreement.”

Holly Helliwell Fabyan and Paula Polo Filias at J Barrett & Co. in Manchester-by-the-Sea also report strong activity in the luxury market. “COVID gave the larger historic estate properties renewed interest,” Fabyan said.

There’s an uptick in activity on the South Shore, too.

“I’ve had three showings on our $4.25 million Duxbury waterfront property in the first two weeks of the year,” said Liz Bone, a broker at South Shore Sotheby’s International Realty in Duxbury. “Buyers have accepted the higher interest rates.”

While environmental factors don’t seem to have affected sales of late — homes priced at $5 million and up located north and south of Boston are predominantly on or just off the water — Robb feels certain it will be a conversation moving forward.

“Insurance rates are increasing 50 to 60 percent as the cost to build increases,” he said. “Now the question isn’t so much about whether you will pass Title 5 [Massachusetts’ septic exam], but what it will cost to insure the property.” None of his listings were affected in the storm on Jan. 12 and 13.

Potential buyers of Bone’s Duxbury listing requested a showing during that same storm to see the property as its worst. The causeway was covered for 30 minutes, as the seller represented.

“People aren’t cavalier, but they aren’t running away either,” she said.

Here’s a peek at what about $5 million gets you in the burbs:

DEDHAM

$5,799,000

254-258 Westfield St. | Precinct 1

Year built 1910

Square footage 19,508

Bedrooms 15

Baths 9 full, 4 half

Taxes $89,396 (2023)

Last sold for $3,400,000 in 1999

Listing agent Vineburgh/DiMella Team, Charlesgate Realty Group, 867 Boylston St., Boston, 617-587-0100, charlesgate.com

Live in stately splendor just 25 minutes outside Boston, and bring the in-laws. In addition to the 12,000-square-foot historic Colonial Revival home is a five-bedroom carriage house and a three-bedroom gatehouse, all privately sited on 14-plus acres. The elegant red-brick mansion itself overlooks formal gardens complete with a pergola at the edge of Weld Pond, which boasts an easily accessible beach and granite dock. A lagoon-like swimming pool and a tennis court round out the grand property.

*-Drone Home Media/Courtesy of Newbrook RE*

DUXBURY

$4,250,000

675 Bay Road

Year built 1981

Square footage 3,442

Bedrooms 2

Baths 2 full, 1 half

Taxes $21,098 (2023)

Last sold for $595,000 in 2000

Listing agent Liz Bone Team, South Shore Sotheby’s International Realty, 459 Washington St., Duxbury. 781-635-4651, sothebysrealty.com

This relaxed retreat in a coveted-yet-quiet South Shore town known for its oysters is a dreamy solution for vacation-like living year-round. The shingled home is set on 12.66 acres with 2,000 feet of frontage on Kingston Bay, abuts 37 acres of conservation land, and boasts an 80-foot dock for fishing, boating, and swimming. Highlights include an open-concept layout, a primary bedroom suite with a three-season room and a deck, and a crow’s nest with 360-degree views.

WELLESLEY

$4,750,000

18 Valley Road | Wellesley Farms

Year built 1931

Square footage 5,018

Bedrooms 4

Baths 3 full, 1 half

Taxes $38,415 (2023)

Last sold for $258,000 in 1985

Listing agent Debi Benoit, William Raveis R.E. & Home Services, 75 Central St., Wellesley, 617-962-9292, raveis.com

This picture-perfect expanded home, originally designed by local architect Royal Barry Wills — master of Cape Cod-style homes built in the 1930s to 1950s — blends New England charm with gracious modern-day living. Architectural details include vaulted ceilings, window seats, and arched openings between rooms. French doors in the formal dining room lead to a deck and sunroom, while French doors in the first-floor primary bath access the lushly landscaped grounds. Other features include an expansive great room, three fireplaces, and double walk-in closets.

SWAMPSCOTT

$5,450,000

45 Little’s Point Road | Little’s Point

Year built 1995

Square footage 8,399

Bedrooms 5

Baths 5 full, 2 half

Taxes $73,679 (2023)

Last sold for $1,017,500 in 1993

Listing agent Team Harborside, Sagan Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty, One Essex St., Marblehead, 617-816-1909, teamharborside.com

This contemporary with a sweeping silhouette was designed by Boston-based Schwartz/Silver Architects, known for its striking museum and library designs. The curved dwelling with floor-to-ceiling glass, balconies, and a three-story atrium captures panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean from almost every room, the five en-suite bedrooms included. Sited behind a gate at the end of a private lane on 1.4 landscaped acres, it’s both a showpiece residence and a luxurious escape.