Part I: Building the home music studio that won’t drive your neighbors crazy

My entry from Monday about my clients with pianos and drums brought me this email from M.R., a long-time reader:

Hi Rona,
I'm a landlord in Somerville (I have two 2-family houses), I'm a long-time reader of the Globe RE blog, and finally, I'm a basement drummer. I've spent a few weekends' worth of time sound-proofing the basement drum room in order to keep the sound from travelling to the 2nd & 3rd FL unit (we live on 1st-FL unit). I feel that windows are easily treated (which you mention in yr piece), but doors & walls are harder to treat, but are the larger problem. Especially if uninsulated, drywall or plaster walls w/ studs in between resonate like a snare drum itself & pass the sound very readily. Studio solutions to this are to double the drywall on a given wall (w/ butt-joints offset from on another), and to use "resilient channel" to hang the drywall (imagine a spring-clip to hold the drywall, rather than screwing it to the studs/joists). For doors, solid-core doors w/ weather-stripping compressable-foam around the jam is a good solution. Dense-packed cellulouse (as subsidized by Mass Save!) is a decent solution to deaden hollow cavities between drywall/plaster, where cheaper & easier-to-install fiberglass-batts can't be used (like in an attic or existing wall).

I spent small money (~$150) to drywall & insulate my basement room. There's much more that could be done for another $150 & a weekend's worth of work which would make drums on the 1st floor lightly audible, and completely inaudible on the 2nd/3rd FL. If a contractor was involved, I'd estimate a $2000 bill for double-drywalled-&-spackled 10x10 room w/ solid core door & fiberglass insulation. Attic? Due to difficult-to-drywall surfaces & spaces which take lots of blown cellulose... $8000.

Is there any other studio-building advice that you’d like to share?

What's your choice: Sticks or city living?

I'll let Twirlygirl get the debate going this morning. She and her husband have one child and love living in the city. Even as bargain prices beckon from the 495 belt and beyond, she's determined to wait until they find the right place in Boston or Cambridge.

For Twirlygirl, it's a matter of sanity and even of being able to be "good mom."

The suburbs, with few exceptions, fill me with ennui. I would be rather miserable and wouldn't be a good mom if I was living too far out, far from the ability to get into the city, far from what feels like being alive. My husband mostly feels the same way.

No mincing words there.

We are primed for a home price turnaround in Greater Boston and across Massachusetts.

And we are not talking about 2013 or some other distant year in the future, but the next several months.

That's the verdict from Tim Warren, chief executive of The Warren Group, after the release this morning of home sales and price numbers for April by his Boston-based real estate data firm and publisher.

Warren points to the combo of falling unemployment and rock bottom interest rates as the key factor behind the budding rebound.

Even in a single family house, a drummer can become unwelcome in a neighborhood – especially a neighborhood where the houses are close together. It is even worse when the drummer lives in a condo or two-family house.

One of the bidding war properties that my clients saw (and made an unsuccessful Offer on) had a music studio in the top floor. It was a great place for them, since their younger daughter plays drums. The attic was wired for music equipment and a sound board. It had double pane windows with an additional Plexiglas layer on all of them. The agent told me that the neighbors told her it still wasn’t really sound-proof.

I saw another studio last year that had baffles that fit in front of the windows. They were made of the egg-carton shaped foam of a studio and were mounted on movable boards. They were rolled in front of the window and rolled away when not in use. I liked that better, as a concept, because it didn’t block the air flow when not in use. I don’t know which worked better.

For people who love their morning or evening shower, a wimpy spray can ruin their day. Are you someone who loves a strong shower? I, too, hate a wimpy shower. I owned a good shower head, even when I was renting. This entry is dedicated to Bruce, Sandra, and all my shower-loving clients.

When house-hunters turn on showers to check the pressure, they often do not get the information that they need. Poor water pressure can be caused by the fixture, the plumbing leading to the fixture, the volume of the water coming into the house, or more than one of these. Turning on the shower will not give you the complete answer. It is just a waste of water.

When a house hunter turns on the shower, he or she could get false evidence of wimpiness because the shower head is clogged, while the pressure is fine. If he or she buys the house, cleaning the existing head or buying a new one will fix the problem at minimal expense a bother.

He or she may also get false evidence of a wonderful shower because the head is good, but the volume or pressure in the whole house is insufficient. The shower could flow great until someone else turns on a faucet, runs a dishwasher, or flushes a toilet. Water pressure problems show up when there is more than one draw on the system.

Turning on the shower alone does not diagnose those problems.
Service Magic explains it this way:

Low water pressure usually results when you've been forced to turn on two different plumbing fixtures at the same time, whether they are the outside garden hose, the kitchen/bathroom sink, the toilet, or even the shower. Although your water pressure may be sufficient when only one fixture is operational, you'll definitely notice a drop in water flow when the second fixture comes into use.

The number of modest capes, split levels and even colonials getting bulldozed is on the rise in Greater Boston's more affluent suburbs.

Here's a pretty interesting take from a West Newton architect in the heart of teardown country, which recently appeared as a letter to the editor in the Globe.

The architect, Anatol Zuckerman would like to see teardowns replaced with multifamily housing, though to be fair, he doesn't exactly call for a teardown ban. (In fact, he makes some great observations on why it is so difficult to get towns to face up to this issue.)

Still, it's an issue that is of far greater importance than simply to the buyers with the bucks for the $1 million-plus homes that are replacing all these more modest 1950s and 60s homes.

After all, the Boston area has long suffered from a shortage of decent, reasonably priced middle-class housing and it is a trend that is only getting worse.

Things are changing fast for residents near the city of Boston. It seems like parking has gotten harder and parking tickets are getting more numerous. More and more of my clients are going car-free or reducing to a single car per household. When I have a client moving to a more suburban setting the need for a car or for a second car is a major deterrent to the move.

Are you in Boston, Somerville, Cambridge or Brookline? If you are, do you still have a car? If you do, why?

Boston is the third most walkable major city in America. Here’s the whole list. I know the walk score remains pretty high in the surrounding small cities, too.

Boston also boasts of being the fourth most bikeable city according to Boston Magazine's on line BostonDaily.

Do you agree that Boston, and nearby, are both walkable and bikeable? What are your objections to these high national rankings? Does it make you feel sorry for the car-bound elsewhere?

How things have changed. Real estate brokers who spent years trying to drum up scarce buyers are now having to sweet talk reluctant sellers into listing their homes.

The buyers are definitely out there again this spring, both here in Greater Boston and in other major metro markets across the country.

But buyers are looking for a bargain. They sense the price declines won't go on forever, yet they also want something decent for their money. And with many potential sellers still skittish and unwilling to take the plunge, there has been a growing mismatch between demand and supply.

Check out this BloombergBusinessweek article - it looks at the seller shortage across the country and how it is driving bidding wars for ready-to-move-into homes that are reasonably priced.

Locally, bidding wars out now the norm in Cambridge, Newton and Lexington, notes Redfin in this blog post that went up yesterday.

Attorney Richard D. Vetstein brings you the second part of his discussion. Are you ready to take action to support these pending bills?

The vast majority of the laws protecting tenants were passed in the 1970’s when rental housing was far more problematic than it is now in 2012. Unfortunately, these draconian laws disproportionately hurt the small property owners who own over 80 percent of the rental stock in Massachusetts. Laws which make investing and managing rental property hurt the economy and result in higher rents. Due to political pressure from tenant activists and liberal groups, lawmakers have been reluctant to level the playing field.

There are several bills pending at the State House which will provide landlords with more incentive to own rental property in Massachusetts, starting with a rent escrow bill.

Rent escrow
Massachusetts is one of the minority of states which does not have some form of rent escrow law. The need for one is absolutely critical because without it landlords incur large losses when the tenant’s defensive claims of “bad conditions” turn out to be minor, nonexistent or, worse yet, the result of intentionally inflicted damage to the property by the tenant in order to live rent-free.

A mandatory rent escrow law would require any tenant who is claiming rent withholding to pay the withheld rent to a local court month by month until code violations are repaired. After repairs are done, either the landlord and tenant agree on how the escrowed rent should be divided, or a judge orders a fair settlement. In most cases, the owner will get back most of the withheld escrowed rent. But the most important impact of a mandatory rent escrow law is that those nonpaying tenants who do not escrow can be promptly evicted for nonpayment of rent. Although nonpayment evictions will still take about three months, and owners will lose about three months of rent, much-longer-delayed evictions and the free rent trick will be stopped. This should be a no-brainer.

That's how Jonathan in Millbury feels about his decision to buy in Central Massachusetts.

After all, he works as a project management consultant in Kendall Square and could have easily settled for a condo in the Boston area.

But instead, he's now living his version of the American Dream in a three bedroom, 1,500-square-foot ranch he bought for the low $200,000s in 2007, complete with a "nice level yard with woods."

After reading my recent post on bargain towns below $200,000, Jonathan fired off an email asking why I had left out Millbury. (No slight, just missed it as I was looking over median price records.)

Sure, I could have purchased a condo in the Boston area. But I don't see the value of living in a condo and paying a condo fee. I like having a yard and taking care of my home. And my neighbors are awesome.

Today Attorney Richard D. Vetstein begins a two-part discussion of the state of law regulating residential rental properties and what he thinks of them.

For landlords, navigating Massachusetts landlord-tenant law is like walking barefoot through a IED-filled field in Afghanistan. At some point, you’ll likely blow off a leg. Massachusetts has a well-deserved reputation of being one of the most unfriendly places to own rental property. Allow me to outline just a sampling of these Draconian laws and the penalties for landlords’ non-compliance:

• Breach of implied warranty of habitability: The first thing a savvy tenant will do after receiving an eviction notice is call the board of health to get the owner cited for code violations. Any violation, however minor, effectively enables the tenant to live rent-free during the case by withholding rent, and the owner will be compelled to make the necessary repairs while the eviction is pending. There have been many instances where tenants have intentionally inflicted property damage to claim code violations. Other penalties: reduction or elimination of rent owed; tenant cannot be evicted; triple damages; payment of tenant’s attorneys’ fees.

• Breach of quiet enjoyment: This is another tenant favorite claim. It used to be for when slumlords would shut off utilities to tenants, but that rarely happens anymore. I’ve seen this used repeatedly when tenants are “inconvenienced” by landlords’ repeated attempts to access the premises to make repairs. Penalties: tenant gets to stay in possession; up to 3 months’ rent or actual damages, whichever is more; payment of tenant attorneys’ fees.

That's the latest theory on what caused the housing bubble - and it makes a certain sense.

A new Boston Fed paper takes aim at the profusion of studies and documentaries that try to pin the blame for the housing bubble on the machinations of a few greedy Wall Street types. (Thanks gmbc for pointing this one out.)

Instead, it was the average buyer, borrowing to the hilt and beyond to grab a house in the belief that prices would just keep on going up, who drove the runaway prices of the bubble years, the Fed paper suggests.

It's certainly a provocative theory - and one very current now as the real estate market starts to recover and prices in some of Greater Boston's more affluent suburbs head up again.

In fact, for all those who are feeling a bit optimistic again - including me - the Fed researchers offer a very timely warning at the end.

Bill Kuhlman, CRS, who is the broker/owner of Kuhlman Residential gets down to basics. How long does it take to buy a house in the Boston area?

I’m often asked how long the process of buying a home takes. The answer is that there is no one set-in-stone timeline that fits everyone’s purchase process.

Different people take longer or shorter than average at different stages. For instance, I’ve had buyers who found the home they bought during their first day of looking. I’ve had others who took over five years.

Here is a typical home buying timeline I share with my buyers, giving them an idea of how long to expect each step to take, or when the steps should be completed.

Activity/Task -- Date

Mortgage Pre-approval -- Day 1

Search for Property -- 1–??? days

Offer to Purchase -- As soon as practical after the home is identified

Offer Accepted -- Within 24–48 hours

Home Inspection --Within 7–10 days after Accepted Offer

Due Diligence -- Prior to signing the Purchase and Sale Agreement

Purchase and Sale Agreement (P&S) --- Within 10–14 days after Accepted Offer

Submit Complete Mortgage Application -- Within a day or two of P&S (Including P&S, pay stubs, tax records, etc.)

Mortgage Commitment Letter --10 to 21 days after signed P&S

Buyer Secures Insurance Binder (n/a for condos) -- At least one week prior to closing

Set Up Utilities -- At least two days prior to closing

Closing --Typically 5 to 8 weeks after accepted offer (this can vary greatly, as needed)

There are actually a few towns in Massachusetts where you can now buy a home for less than six figures.

In a state where the median price remains a lofty $267,500, this handful of communities stands out.

The question is not whether you could get a relative bargain, but whether it's worth rolling the dice.

Buying in some of these communities could be a gamble - a few are struggling with major problems, such as the crippling loss of old industries or school systems beset with major challenges.

Yet the same could be said of many areas that are now considered hot spots in the local real estate market. There are a whole bunch of Boston, Cambridge and Somerville neighborhoods that a few decades were anything but hot.

It’s that time of year, renters. I am hearing from my clients that their landlords are pressuring them into signing up for another year’s lease. I am also hearing from people who are suddenly thinking of buying because their landlord has notified them that he or she intends to sell the house.

Showing rented houses and apartments are my least favorite kind of showing. Sellers who are home during showings create an awkward situation, but at least they are benefiting if the transaction takes place. The renter, on the other hand, has little to gain and frequently ends up moving as a result of the sale.

Not all tenants are slobs. Not all owners keep their places nice. It is a stereotype that rented places are not kept well. But stereotypes have some truth to them. I teach my clients to make an effort to tune out the personal property and personal style of the residents of a house, be they owners or renters. It is particularly hard when people are home.

On Wednesday, I showed a three-family house that had an empty apartment, where the deceased owner had lived. Downstairs was an apartment the looked like the Garment District’s by-the-pound room. The tenant, and tons of her collected stuff, was there. Upstairs, the other tenant’s place was decorated in a theme (the beach) and was clean, bright and charming. That tenant was not home. Although I noticed the difference, I was really looking at the building, which all-in-all was pretty nice.

Was your apartment ever in a building that was being sold out from under you? Were you cooperative or hostile? Did being told that your apartment was up for sale make you want to get a cat and not clean the litter box? Or did it make you self-conscious that you needed to immediately clean out your closets?

Yes, even in high-priced Massachusetts, you can buy a house now for under $200,000.

In many parts of the country where housing has long been more affordable, this would hardly be worth the notice. After all, the median price nationally is $158,100, and falling.

But here in the Bay State, with prices on the rise again in the more affluent Greater Boston suburbs and in coveted or hip urban locales, all in Boston or Cambridge, it is worth remembering that we are dealing with two very different real estate markets here.

Beyond the gilded burbs, prices have fallen a lot steeper and continue to erode.

Now that the weather is occasionally turning spring like (and summer-like), I notice that my clients are more aware of whether a house or condo has easy bicycle storage. This is an urban issue much more than a suburban one. In places where garages are common or lot sizes are big enough to add a shed, the bicycle storage issue is easy.
It is in the cities and towns close to the cities that bicycle storage is an issue, even for the weekend warrior. Some of the things to look out for are features that make basement storage awkward. These things include:

Basement doors at a stairway landing with stairs parallel to the outside wall. That makes it necessary for the bicycle to turn an impossibly tight corner.

Straight stairs work if they are ahead of the door. Basement stairs that have tight turns to save on space make bicycle storage hard.

I see doors that are no more than 3 feet high leading out of the basement to ground level. (I call them “hobbit doors” even though they aren’t round.) Even if a bicycle can get through them, a person and a bicycle will require some wiggling and giggling.
(However, these work great for kayaks if you set up a line to hang the boat there.)

If you want a bargain in overpriced Greater Boston, you have to look where the real estate downturn has hit the hardest.

While some of the more affluent western suburbs, as well as a few of the more picturesque towns on the North and South Shores, are seeing prices rise again, that's not the case in many of their less glamorous neighbors.

There are lots of towns now where a house can be had for less than $300,000, I noted yesterday. And while there are fewer members of the under $250,000 club, they are out there - often small industrial cities in the midst of transition or small towns that are a little rough around the edges.

I thought dreston78 put it well in his comment yesterday.

I realize no one wants to live in Brockton, Worcester, Haverhill, Methuen, Lawrence or Lowell (except for the hundreds of thousands of people that actually do) but those are some markets that have been crushed by the bursting of the bubble. A decent home can be had for under $200,000 in anyone of those areas and plenty of new/newer construction in the $300K to $350K range.

Around the end of February, this year, I brought a discussion about propane fuel heating to BREN. The data I was missing was a way to calculate energy costs that accounted for the difference in the severity or mildness of a given winter or summer. I also had a personal agenda for finding a way to track energy costs that calculated for temperature. Last year, I took advantage of the MassSave program for wall insulation and air sealing. Because it was such a mild winter, I wasn’t getting any obvious bang for my buck.

I was lucky to find the answer at MIT early last March, at a workshop for landlords. Dan Teague led a workshop where he walked us through the software product developed by Wegowise. It answered a need that I had because the software calculated for degree-day variations.
It took a little fussing around to get both units of my two-family house into the database, but now it’s working fine. (They promised me that they are doing an upgrade that will make this easier.) I recommend the software to everyone, not just landlords. It will help you see, over time, how the changes you are making toward efficient energy use are paying off (or not.)

Even if you have a single family home, you can benefit from tracking your energy use. Wegowise goes back one year of your energy bills from NStar or National Grid. It has automatic feed from some water departments. You can manually add your oil or propane bills.

Weary of looking at worn out, overpriced homes selling for half a million or more?

The good news is that it's still possible to buy below $300,000, with a whole bunch of towns and neighborhoods with prices in the $200,000s now.

But they are not in the the posh burbs and hip urban neighborhoods everyone is beating down the door to get into - and which have seen prices relentlessly rise right through the downturn.

And more often than not, you may end up with a tougher commute - and a fair amount of fixing up to do as well.

But then again, you won't find yourself saddled with a $500,000 mortgage either.

Here's my list, drawn from the real estate records of Banker & Tradesman. Today we'll tackle the suburbs, tomorrow the world. Just kidding, next week I will look at bargain-basement urban alternatives for those frustrated with Davis Square and other overpriced, over-hyped neighborhoods.