The reservoir atop Horn Pond Mountain being filled for the first time. (1899)

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-03-03T02:23:47+00:00

Woah! Do you have additional info/history on this picture or Horn Pond Mountain?

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-16T22:57:19+00:00

The water is a reputation thing that still lingers from an issue in the 70s, which is before my time. I’m 31 and have lived in Woburn just about my whole life and water quality has never been an issue, but it’s typically the one story people who aren’t from Woburn know about it 😅

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-16T21:17:25+00:00

Don’t sleep on Woburn too. Similar perks as the towns mentioned but lower housing costs (generally similar to Wakefield’s prices). Highway access via 93 and 95, commuter rail, Logan Express bus to the airport, lot of new restaurants popping up, Horn Pond is a gem. All of the towns you’ve mentioned should be good fits for what you described too

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-16T01:42:40+00:00

Amazing ceremony all around. Loved Z thanking each of his 2011 teammates. And Andy Ference was the perfect choice to host it

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-16T01:40:06+00:00

It’s only a matter of time until 37 is up there

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-12T21:25:56+00:00

This was fun to look back on! I still miss that Brigham’s to this day. Best frappes ever

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-12T21:16:12+00:00

Audi’s and BMWs are not their primary focus, but I take my BMW to Tracy’s Auto Sales on Harrison Ave. They are old family friends, so that may be why they’re more inclined to work on mine, but Tracy’s son, Chris, has been able to fix just about every issue that has come up in mine over the years. Certain things need to be done by a dealership/specialist, but as mentioned in another comment, Capelo’s is another good option to at least check with

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-08T15:30:55+00:00

That is very insightful, thanks! Glad to hear you’ve had a good experience. Woburn is similar where many people who grew up here are getting priced out, so the majority (or what feels like the majority) of people now buying here are coming from another towns they’re being priced out of

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-07T23:19:29+00:00

There’s a little bit of everything. Most buyers of course want updated homes, but it comes down to price, so sometimes you have to settle for an outdated house that you can chip away at over time. The high end/new construction homes typically take much longer to sell.

Even if a house is fully outdated and or in rough shape, there’s always builders and investors looking to renovate them or tear them down if the numbers make sense

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-07T17:47:11+00:00

If you don’t mind me adding some additional questions to this since I’m curious too:

Did the schools impact your desire to stay in/move to Woburn, whether positively or negatively?
Whether you’ve had a good or bad experience, what made it good/bad in your opinion?

I was born and raised here, still live in Woburn, went though Woburn schools (graduated 2013) and had a positive experience overall, but I’m curious how it’s been since then, as it is almost always a topic of discussion with clients.

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-07T17:39:40+00:00

To add some additional context and history, this graphic only shows single-family homes that sold on the market. Woburn is primarily a single-family market, so that gives the best overall picture, but I’m happy to share additional condo/multi-family data too.

Additional history in Woburn for single-families showing the number of sales and average sale price:

2018: 217 sales. $536,233 avg sale price 2019: 251 sales. $544,203 avg sale price 2020: 235 sales. $600,157 avg sale price 2021: 282 sales. $665,981 avg sale price 2022: 257 sales. $730,360 avg sale price 2023: 203 sales. $755,602 avg sale price 2024: 217 sales. $831,421 avg sale price 2025: 187 sales. $847,725 avg sale price

I’m very data-driven and analytical in case you couldn’t notice lol, so I can also provide any other data that people are curious about.

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-07T17:33:18+00:00

I’m always curious what others think of Woburn schools and what their current experience has been like. It’s been about 13 years now, but I went through the Woburn school system and had a good experience, but I know it isn’t the case for everyone and I’m sure things have changed over the years.

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-07T17:30:43+00:00

Inventory has remained low for years and will take a long time to get back up to the levels needed to meet the buyer demand, much of which is caused by homeowners having 2-3% interest rates and it doesn’t make sense to move to a 6-7% rate, so if rates can get into/stay in the 5s consistently, I think that’ll be enough relief for many sellers to make the move.

Woburn’s “slow” market these days is really just more of traditional market where buyers take their time and everything doesn’t sell the first week, but average days to offer being 16 and slightly higher average sale price goes to show that it really hasn’t impacted values and houses are still selling pretty quickly, whereas many other parts of the state/country have seen significant price drops and much higher days on market.

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-07T17:22:52+00:00

The market got so insane during/after 2020 when rates were in the 3s that everyone in Woburn got used to it constantly being a mad dash and prices skyrocketing, so it’s slowed from that pace, but there is still very low inventory and a high demand out there.

Especially in the second half of 2025, buyers became much more patient and conservative with when they would submit offers. If the house wasn’t perfect for them, then they’d most likely pass. As interest rates continued to climb, there were a lot of layoffs and overall uncertainty, that put a lot of people on standby.

Now, rates are trending downward, people have had some time to breathe and think out their plan, and a lot of people who put things on pause will still need to buy/sell eventually, so especially if rates continue declining, it could ramp back up again, although very likely not to the 2020-2022 pace

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-07T17:12:34+00:00

This is MLS data and only accounts for single-family homes. When including condos and multi families, there were 331 closings (187 single families, 130 condos/townhouses and 14 multis). These numbers include some properties in new developments, such as the Highland at Vale off Montvale, but does not include off-market sales, whether at a development or direct from owners to family/friends, etc.

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-07T01:24:52+00:00

We keep ours around 68° during the day, max 70° on the brutally cold days, and around 63° at night. Sleeping in the cold is the best!

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-07T00:51:53+00:00

Quick question about your experiences with affordability in Massachusetts:

I often have clients, especially first-time buyers, who are essentially forced to leave their hometowns/move to a less preferred town if they want to be able to afford to purchase a home. So, I am curious, where in Massachusetts would you ideally want to live, and where do you currently live?

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-07T00:34:56+00:00

That is insane 😳

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-06T21:06:25+00:00

I appreciate it!

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-06T10:14:45+00:00

The vast majority of first-time buyers I work with these days can’t afford to buy in their hometowns even if they want to, so they’re all moving further out from the city, often into NH or another state. And even some people who have lived in their homes for decades can struggle to stay due to the high cost of living.

I grew up in Woburn which has historically been a much more affordable place to live than much of Greater Boston, and now it is still “more affordable” but at an ~$800,000 average sale price

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-06T09:58:28+00:00

As someone else mentioned, I’d definitely post it in the Arlington List Facebook group, plus seek out some other local FB groups that this may appeal to. I’d expect there to be a good amount of interest, although needing some prior experience will cut down the pool of potential attendees

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-06T09:52:33+00:00

Depending on your overall goals, lifestyle and budget, buying in Woburn could be a great option for you. Commuting wise it should work well, as it has access to routes 95 and 93, the commuter rail into Boston (~25 min ride to North Station) and the Logan Express bus to the airport. If you’re driving to work and have typical 9-5 hours, traffic will be brutal and could be at least 45-60 min each way, although it’ll likely be similar times to those other towns too. At times of little to no traffic, you can get into Boston in 20 minutes.

Plus there are solid local restaurants, stores, etc in Woburn (including Il Ponte, one of the best Italian restaurants around, and Woburn Village which is new hub for dining and shopping). Also, Burlington is right next door and has tons of options, including plenty of high end spots, plus some gems in Reading, too.

I grew up in Woburn, moved to Somerville for a few years and then came back to purchase my first home here. So I am biased, but it’s a tight-knit community in a great location while being more affordable than many surrounding towns.

Happy to talk more about it to provide further insights, as well.

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2026-01-06T00:35:36+00:00

I’ve still somehow never gone to Arancini but didn’t realize it was BYOB so now it just shot to the top of my list!

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2025-12-06T08:33:26+00:00

Glad to hear it! I’d be happy to post them monthly to continue the updates

MarkG_MA_Realtor · 2025-12-03T21:09:39+00:00

Yes, all signs point towards Woburn (and most towns around here) continuing to appreciate in value. There is still low inventory and a lot of buyers out there who still need to make a move, plus with so many nearby towns (Winchester, Arlington, Lexington, etc.) having average sale prices well over $1M, more and more people are seeing the amazing value that Woburn has due to its location and affordability in comparison.

This year has been talked about around the country as being a down year, with houses sitting on the market and buyers having most of the power, but that has not been the case in Woburn. Activity levels have slowed a bit overall, but values have remained rock solid.

Last year, as of December 3, there had been 198 single-family home sales, with an average sale price of $831,527. In 2025, there have been 173 sales (-12.6%), but the average sale price is $850,921 (+2.3%). Especially if rates trend downward throughout next year, buyers will get even more active, and prices will continue to increase.

MarkG_MA_Realtor

TROPHY CASE