real estate

Planning Board grapples with ADU rules in two contentious applications
15 Sep

Planning Board grapples with ADU rules in two contentious applications

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories
Two accessory dwelling unit applications before the Planning Board Sept. 8 highlighted a question the board is still working through: how much discretion does it have over projects the state now requires communities to allow by right? Board members spent nearly three hours weighing concerns about building size, neighborhood character, emergency access and existing zoning restrictions against the state’s protections for qualifying ADUs. The Planning Board discussed two ADU applications at its Sept. 8 meeting. The board had invited Town Counsel Adam Costa to the…
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Inside the $8.9M home that just broke Marblehead’s sales record 
08 Sep

Inside the $8.9M home that just broke Marblehead’s sales record 

Leigh BlanderBusiness, real estate, Top Stories
Marblehead’s real estate record just got a little more expensive. A sprawling waterfront estate at 10 West Orchard St. has sold for $8.9 million, making it the most expensive home ever sold in town, according to listing agent Linda Hayes of William Raveis. The five-bedroom, seven-bath home sits on more than an acre overlooking the water and offers about 9,000 square feet of living space. Built in 2011, the shingle-style home was designed by SV Design and constructed by Essex Builders.   Record-breaking: This home on…
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Town still working out how new ADU rules work — homeowners feeling uncertainty
01 Sep

Town still working out how new ADU rules work — homeowners feeling uncertainty

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories
Massachusetts has spent the past two years making it easier for homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, but in Marblehead, figuring out how those rules apply to individual projects has proven more complicated. The town has received 12 ADU applications since 2024, according to Community Development and Planning Director Brendan Callahan. Three applications were submitted and approved in 2024, another three were approved in 2025, and four were approved through June 2026. Two remained pending as of June. Town officials are still trying to determine…
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Third public Q&A session set to discuss budget cuts, overrides
23 Apr

Third public Q&A session set to discuss budget cuts, overrides

Leigh BlanderMunicipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories
The town has scheduled another public forum where residents can ask questions about the proposed 2027 budget and overrides. At an April 22 Select Board meeting, Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer announced the presentation for Monday, April 27, 6 p.m., at the Jacobi Community Center.  “Our intent is to have a budget or Town Meeting Q &A for the public, if they want to ask questions about items that are coming up,” Kezer said. He will be there, along with Town Meeting Moderator Jack Attridge and…
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‘We’re not going anywhere’: Beloved businesses say they’ll stay after $9.6M deal
11 Feb

‘We’re not going anywhere’: Beloved businesses say they’ll stay after $9.6M deal

Leigh Blanderreal estate, Top Stories
At least two of Marblehead’s favorite businesses say they are staying put, despite a $9.6 million real estate deal involving several buildings along Washington Street. Mike Bosse, who runs the Marblehead Crosby's, says the store isn't going anywhere. COURTESY PHOTO The Crosby’s family has sold its properties in Marblehead to The Goldberg Brothers Real Estate LLC. “We’re not going anywhere,” said Mike Bosse, who manages Crosby’s in Marblehead. “Nothing is going to change. We’re happy to stay part of the Marblehead community. Now, instead of…
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A three-generation family real estate firm
18 Jul

A three-generation family real estate firm

liag13542Local News, real estate
The following is an interview with Jean Carlson, co-owner of the Carlson Group, conducted by Discover Marblehead. The Carlson Group is a three-generation family real estate group working together to service Marblehead and the entire North Shore. Learn more at carlsongroupre.com. Jean Carlson owns the Carlson Group, a family-run real estate firm in Marblehead COURTESY PHOTO Jean, tell us about Carlson Group and how it got started. I have been in the real estate brokerage business most of my life, over 50 years. My mother…
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Local brokers: Effect of NAR proposed settlement has been overstated
03 Apr

Local brokers: Effect of NAR proposed settlement has been overstated

Kris Olson0 CommentsBusiness, Local News, real estate
The proposed settlement of litigation against the National Association of Realtors has been portrayed as a sea change and a huge win for homebuyers, but members of the local real estate industry are not so sure. Technically, the proposed settlement eliminates the requirement that listing brokers or sellers make offers of compensation to buyer brokers. If such offers are made, there will no longer be any requirement that they be “blanket, unconditional or unilateral,” according to the language of the settlement. But local real estate…
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Petition opposing MBTA zoning proposal surfaces
28 Mar

Petition opposing MBTA zoning proposal surfaces

Will Dowd0 CommentsBeacon Hill, Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, real estate, Top Stories, Town Meeting, Uncategorized
EDITOR'S NOTE: In the article "Petition opposing MBTA zoning proposal surfaces," there were two inaccuracies regarding the proposed overlay district in Marblehead. First, the correct maximum building height is 35 feet, even for multi-family buildings. Second, the correct minimum lot area per dwelling unit in the three proposed districts (Broughton Rd, Pleasant Street, and Tioga Way) would range from 2,200 to 2,500 square feet. The Marblehead Current regrets the error. A Marblehead man has initiated an online effort to challenge the town’s proposal related to…
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MUNICIPAL MATTERS: Assessor placed on paid leave; audit of valuation process underway
26 Mar

MUNICIPAL MATTERS: Assessor placed on paid leave; audit of valuation process underway

Will Dowd0 CommentsLocal News, Municipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories
The Board of Assessors has placed the town’s chief assessor, Karen Bertolino, on paid administrative leave while an independent firm hired by the board audits Marblehead’s property valuation process, Chair John Kelley told the Marblehead Current on Thursday. The move comes amid concerns from residents over the equity of recent property revaluations and significant hikes in their property tax bills. The Mary Alley Municipal Building houses the town assessor’s office, which will be undergoing an independent audit of its property valuation process. CURRENT PHOTO /…
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Property tax bills, abatement requests due Feb. 1 amid assessment controversy
31 Jan

Property tax bills, abatement requests due Feb. 1 amid assessment controversy

Leigh Blander0 CommentsLocal News, Municipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories
The deadline to apply for a property assessment abatement is Thursday, Feb. 1. Realtor, market analyst and referral specialist Andrew Oliver posed several questions to Assessor Karen Bertolino. See her responses below. Q. How is my property assessed each year? All property is valued every year and is based on calendar year market sales in Marblehead. Fiscal year 2024 began July 1, 2023, and is based on what existed January 1, 2023, so the preceding calendar year 2022 primarily is used for the basis of…
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