17 new homes are built for first-time homebuyers
New Boston Ventures developers David Goldman and Dennis Kanin are well known in the South End for many condominium projects – large ones like the Modern on Northampton Street and Dover Lofts on East Berkeley Street and small ones on Worcester Street, West Canton Street and Bradford Street, to name a few.
But the pair also has been building affordable homes on scattered sites in Dorchester for more than a decade.
Most recently they teamed up with the city’s Department of Neighborhood Development, Dudley Neighbors Inc. and the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative to construct 17 quality residences there.
COURTESY PHOTOS / ELEVIN STUDIOS
“This is an amazing opportunity for first-time homebuyers” who fall within the federal income guidelines, said Goldman.
Mortgage rates are low, the down payment is small, closing costs are minimal or none, and in the end, there is the new $8,000 federal tax credit.
Many of the city’s work force – teachers, firefighters, police – could qualify, he said.
Just four of the houses are stand-alone, single-family homes with three bedrooms and one-and-a-half baths.
One is a two-family house; the others are triplexes, two to a building.
They all have three-plus bedrooms and one-and-a-half baths, plus off-street parking.
The best part is the price: $185,000 for the triplexes and single-family homes and $235,000 for the two-family house.
Four single-family houses have been built as part of the 17-home development.
Partly built with government tax credits, these homes sit on land that is held by the Community Land Trust of Dudley Neighbors Inc., which lies within the Dudley Triangle.
That ownership is a safety measure to prevent foreclosure, explained Jason Webb, director of Dudley Neighbors and director of operations of Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative.
The homeowners pay a nominal ground lease fee in addition to a mortgage for their home.
“All of this land had housing in the ’70s and ’80s,” said Webb. Most were three-deckers. Some burned down. A lot of the land was vacant and the city took them over through tax foreclosures, he said.
With city, state and federal dollars, the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and Dudley Neighbors have brought this neighborhood back, Webb said.
The homes are at four different sites between Dudley Street and Blue Hill Avenue – two on Ingleside Street, five on Dalin Place and Julian Street, six on Brookford and Dacia streets and four on Dean and Victor streets.
Stull & Lee Inc., a Boston-based architecture firm that has designed numerous civic, educational and residential projects, including the new Boston police headquarters and Roxbury Community College, designed these energy-efficient, Star-certified homes.
The staircase in the living room of a triplex on Dean Street is a nice architectural element.
Landmark Structures Corp. is the general contractor.
The homes on Dean and Victor are completed, and one of the triplexes – 15 Dean St. – has been staged to present would-be buyers ideas as to how they could use the space.
Goldman and Webb gave a tour of the homes last week.
The two attached triplexes at 13 and 15 Dean St. mirror each other. The exteriors are HardiPlank, a weather-resistant, low-maintenance composite that looks like clapboard, and the front porches and decks are Trex, also a composite.
The living room is a comfortable size, with windows on two exposures. The ceiling height is about 8 feet, adding a sense of roominess.
The staircase with an open balustrade to the upper floors provides an eye-appealing architectural element.
Beyond the living room are the dining area and kitchen.
A little hall between the two areas has two doors – one that leads to the full basement and the other to a powder room.
The dining area is open to a large kitchen, which is equipped with abundant cabinets, Frigidaire appliances and slate-gray Formica counters.
Both the living and dining rooms have walnut-stained oak floors that add warmth to the space. The kitchen has linoleum flooring and an exterior door to the driveway and yard.
Cherry-stained Shaker-style cabinets occupy three walls, and the long counters are topped with slate-colored Formica.
The Frigidaire appliances include a gas range, which has a backsplash that matches the counters, a refrigerator, dishwasher and garbage disposal.
The staircase is carpeted; halfway up where the stairs turn is a window, and opposite it is a shelf to hold plants or family photographs.
At the front of the house is the master bedroom, which also has walnut-stained oak flooring and a door that opens onto a porch.
At the back is another large bedroom. In between is a full bath with a combination tub/shower and pretty white ceramic-tiled floor accented with little blue squares.
The threshold is marble. The Corian vanity with washbowl is one piece.
The third floor has another bedroom with a large closet and a space designated for storage. This area is large enough for a media room or a fourth bedroom.
The full basement has laundry hookups and the mechanicals. The homes have forced hot water by gas.
Next door is 11 Dean St., a single-family house, with a delightful front porch.
The master bedroom has walnut-stained oak flooring and a doorway that opens onto a deck.
The living room, with a three-window bay, is at the left of the foyer, and behind it is a formal dining room.
The kitchen occupies the rear corner of the first floor and is equipped with the same features as the other homes – Frigidaire appliances, cherry-stained cabinetry and slate-colored Formica counters. There is a powder room as well.
On the second floor are three bedrooms and a large full bath with the same finishes as in the other homes.
The master bedroom is at the front of the house; the two smaller bedrooms at the back. Above this floor is the attic, and at some point, a buyer could add stairs.
Of the 17 homes, three of the single-family houses are under agreement, said Webb. For more information, visit the Web site www.BrookfordDalinDeanHomes.com, which includes income guidelines.
For example, one person could earn $46,300 while a family of four could earn up to $66,150.
He said that the Community Land Trust is working with several lenders, including the Boston Private Bank and Trust Company, which provided construction financing.
DETAILS
Address: At scattered sites on Dean, Victor, Ingleside, Brookford, Dacia, Julian streets and Dalin Place
BR/BA: Three bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths
Size: Ranging from 1,600 to 2,000 square feet
Age: 2008-2009
Price: $185,000 for triplexes and single-family homes, $235,000 for two-family house
Ground lease fee: $49 per month
Features of homes: Brand new construction, energy-efficient appliances, full basements, security alarms; wired for cable, off-street parking;
Close by: Local schools, shops along Blue Hill Avenue, two community gardens – Julian-Judson-Dean Community Garden, operated by the Boston Natural Areas Network, and the Food Project at Victor Street and Brook Avenue; easy access to Blue Hill Avenue, Dudley Street, Uphams Corner.
Contact: Christine McCrorey, City of Boston’s First Home Program, 26 Court St., Boston, MA 02108, or Jason Webb, Dudley Neighbors Inc., 504 Dudley St., Roxbury, MA 02119. Phones: 617-635-0231 (McCrorey) or 617-442-9670 ext. 17 (Webb). Web sites: www.BrookfordDalinDeanHomes.com or www.bostonhomecenter.com.
An open house will be held at 15 Dean St. from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 9, and from noon to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 17.
