Your Boston Home – Container Gardening

Mother's Day is only a few weeks away which means it's almost time to start putting any plants you want to grow this year into the ground at your Boston home. Like many Boston homeowners, you may not have much yard or any at all to plant in the ground. But don’t worry! Even the smallest patio or porch can boast a crop of vegetables or a garden of flowers in containers. Planter boxes, wooden barrels, hanging baskets, and flowerpots are a sampling of containers that are perfect for your patio or porch garden at your Boston home. To get the most from your container gardening consider these guidelines for choosing a container.

• Cheap plastic pots may deteriorate in UV sunlight and terracotta pots dry out rapidly. Glazed ceramic pots are excellent choices but require several drainage holes.
• Wooden containers are susceptible to rot. Redwood and cedar are relatively rot resistant and can be used without staining or painting.
• The size and number of plants to be grown will determine the size of the container used. Deep rooted vegetables require deep pots so consider the size based on what you are planting.
• Make sure your pot has adequate drainage. Holes should be 1/2 inch across. Line the base of the pot with newspaper to prevent soil loss. If using quite large pots with short-rooted plants you may find that filling the bottom of the pot with shipping peanuts will be useful. It lightens the load of the pot and also helps with drainage.
• Set containers on bricks or blocks to allow free drainage.

What should you grow in Boston home's garden? The options are endless from annual flowers to vegetables and herbs. Some vegetables that work especially well in containers are lettuces, carrots, radishes, spring onions, and tomatoes. You can have a bevy of vegetables right outside your apartment. No need to go to the store to get a salad, just pop onto your balcony and snip some homegrown veggies. Better Homes and Gardens has information on planting guides, based on region, and container planter guides and plans, if you'd like to do some planning.

I hope you can take advantage this spring and get a lovely container garden going outside your apartment or condo. Boston, MA is such a lovely city to enjoy in the summer, I cannot wait for the warmer weather to be here. If you are currently renting and are interested in buying your own Boston home, please contact a Boston real estate agent! I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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Mortgage Rates Up, No Problem in Boston!

The spring market is here and we have been experiencing plenty of activity in the Boston real estate market. While most the country is experiencing a shortage of homes for sale, the northeast has an adequate amount of homes on the market but still many would be home buyers are hesitant because mortgage interest rates have raised over the last few weeks. The media has extensively covered the rise in mortgage interest rates since last fall (from 3.42% last September to the current 4.1%). However, a less covered aspect of the mortgage market is that requirements to get a mortgage have eased while rates have risen.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) quantifies the availability of mortgage credit each month with their Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI). According to the MBA, the MCAI is:

“A summary measure which indicates the availability of mortgage credit at a point in time.”

The higher the index, the easier it is to get a mortgage. Month after month the MCAI rates have increased.  But, have the requirements for attaining a mortgage eased?  All signs point to yes. Here are two examples:

1. FICO® Score – the credit score which helps determine a buyer’s eligibility. The score required to attain a mortgage has been falling over the last five months.

2. Down Payment Requirement – the percentage of the purchase price necessary to place as a down payment on a home. The percentage of first-time buyers who have put less than 5% down over the last several years has gone up.

No matter what kind of Boston homebuyer you are, it is easier to get a mortgage today than it has been at any other time in the last ten years. When you are ready to buy a home in Boston, contact a Boston real estate agent. 

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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Mother’s Day 2017 in Boston, MA

Easter may be this weekend but the next holiday to look forward to in Boston, MA is Mother’s Day. We are halfway through April so it’s time to start planning now! Are you looking to take mom out to show her how much you appreciate her? Here are some highlights of mom-centric activities for you and yours in Boston, MA.

Boston Ducklings Day Parade. The Friends of the Public Garden host the annual Duckling Day Parade, a Mother's Day tradition for over 20 years. Led by the Harvard University Marching Band, the parade will begin in the Boston Common at the Parkman Bandstand and will end in the Public Garden near the famous Make Way for the Ducklings sculptures. Prior to the parade there will be plenty of family entertainment for you to spend the morning. Registration begins at 10am at the base of the Shaw Memorial, parade is at noon.

New England Zoo's. Both the Franklin Park and Stone Zoo's will help you celebrate mom's wild side. All mothers enter free on Mother's Day, May 11^th!

Brunch. Make a fuss over Mom this Mother's Day with a special meal out. Some of Boston, MA's finest restaurants are offering special brunches, lunches, and dinners just in her honor. Boston.Chefs.com has a fine run down of the offerings this year and has easy access to OpenTable for reservations.

Spa Day. Moms have one of the toughest jobs, let her decompress with a wonderful spa day! Boston, MA has plenty of spas to pamper mom with, here is a list on Yelp with reviews so you can pick the perfect place.

If you are traveling into Boston, MA to celebrate and are interested in learning more about what this great city has to offer please contact me.

Without the guidance of a local expert, it can be tricky to cover all the city's vibrant neighborhoods! As a Boston real estate agent, my services extend beyond helping buyers and sellers through their transactions. I thoroughly enjoy getting prospective residents familiar with their surroundings and exposing them to the best of everything Boston has to offer.

Please contact a Boston real estate agent when you decide to start your home search.

Lucas Garofalo

Keller Williams Realty

(617) 861-3631

Lucas@LucasBostonHomes.com

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