MQ, this is what you need in NZ! Old square, new flair: Brazilian immigrants spice up Everett locale
By Paul Restuccia/ Get Moving
Friday, June 2, 2006
Brazilian-born Rosie Hidalgo wanted to buy a two-family house, but high prices kept her out of the market - until she found a place just outside of Everett Square.
“We got a good deal here,” said Hidalgo, a 38-year-old hairdresser who paid just $370,000 for a spacious two-family. “I love the area - especially all of the Brazilian shops and restaurants. We feel at home here.”
Buyers like Hidalgo, who last month opened her own hair salon just up the road from her new house, are bringing fresh vitality to Everett Square.
A large influx of Brazilian-born home buyers and shop owners are reshaping both the city and Everett Square’s retail district.
Buyers like Hidalgo and her husband - who have already redone their place’s kitchen, basement and yard - are purchasing and fixing up inexpensive multifamilies as starter homes.
Zula Amador and her husband bought a multifamily off the square for just $240,000 a few years back, and recently paid $360,000 for a second house they purchased as an investment property.
“The places (need) work, but if you’re willing to do that, you can get some great housing deals here,” said Amador, who also owns her own cleaning company.
Everett has historically been a working-class area - and a gateway for immigrant families.
Most of the area’s housing stock consists of multifamilies built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are also some single-family houses thrown in.
As recently as five years ago, buyers could purchase Everett Square houses for as little as $125,000 apiece.
But prices have nearly doubled since then - although the neighborhood remains less expensive than nearby Somerville, Medford and Malden.
Realtor Andrew Hickey, who grew up in Everett, said the square “has been undervalued for a long time, but now it’s starting to be recognized.”
Broker Mary Simonelli, who has sold real estate here for a decade, said Brazilian immigrants like Hidalgo and Amador have been key to the turnaround, making up 80 percent of her sales.
“Everett is becoming the place for Brazilians,” said Simonelli, who herself emigrated from Brazil 21 years ago. “Everything is right here for them: the stores, restaurants, their friends, their church. They want to be here.”
Agent Jucelia Oliveira of ReMax United said many Brazilians are buying homes from longtime Italian- and Irish-American residents. As the new ethnic group moves in, more and more Brazilian-themed local businesses open up.
Of course, the changeover hasn’t been without tensions.
For instance, the influx of immigrants has added costs to the city’s services and school system. Everett recently built a new elementary school nearby, while a new high school is currently under construction.
But despite the increased costs, Hickey said most long-time Everett residents “see Brazilians as very hard-working people who want to own their homes and start up businesses.”
Many immigrant buyers are attracted to the square’s plethora of Brazilian-owned establishments. In recent years, Brazilians have opened restaurants, travel agencies, markets, a bakery and six clothing stores.
But it’s not just Brazilians who are moving in.
The newly built Charleston Lofts - a 226-unit condo complex - is drawing urban professionals and empty nesters, too. Carved out of a three-building complex that once made the famous Charleston Chew candy bars, the site offers loft spaces ranging from 700 to 1,600 square feet. Prices start in the mid-$200,000s.
Buyers like Hidalgo and Amador have put down roots here - both living and running businesses in the neighborhood. That bodes well for Everett Square’s future.
“I love this area,” said Hidalgo, who’s expecting her second child in December. “We started with a two-family, (but) someday we want to buy a single-family here. We want to stay in Everett.” |
