Union Square: a Perfect Place to Buy or Sell a Home
Union Square is an area in Somerville that has seen tremendous growth since the green line T came to the area a few years ago. This area also has a ton of planned development over the next decade which should drive new jobs and with it, more demand for housing. This area has a lot of cool Somerville staples including Ricky's flowers, Reliable Market, and some great coffee shops and restaurants (my personal favorite in Union is the Neighborhood Restaurant - the best Cream of Wheat in the world!)
What is your specific real estate need in Union Square?
Scroll down or jump to your specific area of need by clicking one of the options below:
Selling a Single Family in Union Square · Selling a Condo in Union Square · Selling a Multi-Family in Union Square · Selling a Development Opportunity in Union Square
Buying a Single Family in Union Square · Buying a Condo in Union Square · Buying a Multi-Family in Union Square · Buying a Development Opportunity in Union Square
Selling a single family in Union Square
Union Square has a lot of nuance when it comes to the single family market. I mean that in a few ways - first depending on which section of Union Square you are selling in, you are going to have very different demographics of prospective buyers and as a result, different sold prices, even if you are just a few tenths of a mile away.
For example, I have found single family homes in the Prospect Hill area tend to be larger in terms of livable square footage and lot size. There are also more victorian homes with a lot of character details that buyers are looking for and as a result, I find this section of Union Square to end up with some of the highest sales prices in the Union Square area.
On the flip side, if you have for example an attached single family close to the Somerville Fire Department, on streets like Allen or Linden, I have found the buyer demand tends to be lower and the homes tend to have less of those character details buyers look for. And as a result, there tends to be less buyer demand and prices tend to be a bit lower.
It’s really a street by street thing, so if you are thinking of selling your single family in Union Square and want to have an understanding of where YOUR single family will land, give me a ring and we can discuss! My cell is 617-833-7457.
Selling a condo in Union Square
If you are thinking of selling your condo in Union Square, it’s critical that you understand where your condo fits in the band of competing units also in Union Square. This part of Union Square has quite a bit of condo inventory, so there’s a good chance you will be competing with multiple units that are similar in size, bed/bath count, and amenities. Then the question is, what limited, low-cost work can we do to your condo to make your condo shine compared to other units in the neighborhood that seem similar?
If we do a good job properly preparing, we can than position your unit as the premium option among a handful of other choices to perspective buyers. And the result is often getting significantly more for YOUR unit, compared to other units that in many ways are not all that different from your property.
If you have a condo in Union Square and you want to understand what work specifically needs to be done to ensure your unit lands for the best price possible, give me a ring and we should chat! My cell is 617-833-7457.
Selling a Multi-Family in Union Square
Union Square multi-families come in a lot of different flavors - there are smaller 2-families, attached 3-families, and units that only qualify for commercial financing (5+ multi-families).
One of the key thing with multi-families is understanding how to sell the upside potential which is something I specialize in. I have rented many, many hundreds of units in Somerville and as a result, I can share with prospective buyers the upgrades needed to YOUR unit which will translate into hundreds or often times, thousands of dollars in additional monthly rental income.
Additional, potential rental income for buyers equals a higher sold price for you. But the reality is, most seller’s agents know next to nothing about the rental market which means they can’t inform buyers about what needs to be done to your property to maximize the full potential of their investment. If your agent can’t speak to the potential upside, I guarantee you are leaving substantial cash on the table! If you are thinking of selling your multi-family, work with the #1 Somerville multi-family agent (by sides) in 2026 and give me a call! My cell is 617-833-7457!
Recent multi-family I helped a client sell in Union Square:
14 Calvin St: My multi-family seller client was hoping to downsize their Somerville portfolio. With my help we were able to gather multiple offers in just one weekend and ultimately landed at a strong price per a square foot for this part of Somerville.
Selling a development opportunity in Union Square
If you own a 4+ unit property OR you have a property that is on 5,000+ square feet of land in the Union Square area, there is a decent chance you may have a development opportunity on your hands. When I think development opportunity, I think of opportunities where selling your property and/or land as-is, is NOT the highest and best use of your property. And instead, selling the upside potential of what COULD BE is worth significantly more to a developer.
I work with sellers and take them through the entire process from A to Z, to ensure we selling the absolute highest and best use of your property to developers that will actually be interested. If you are thinking of selling your property as a development, give me a call so we can sort out what is possible. My cell is 617-833-7457!
Buying a single family in Union Square
If you’re thinking of buying a single family close to Union Square, Somerville, generally I find the buckets to be fairly narrow. You typically have your smaller, tighter single families in the $1M to $1.4M range, these tend to be 1,000 to 1,500 square feet, oftentimes just 2 bed or 3 bed homes with relatively tight layouts. Most of these singles need some serious updating OR were updated a while ago OR were updated recently by a flipper on a budget.
Then you have the other bucket, which is typically $1.5M to low $2Ms. On the low end, you have nice turnkey single families that tend to be smaller, most typically smaller 3-bed start homes. On the high end you’ll have completely updated single families, often around 3,000 square feet or more. These can be a mix of complete gut renovations AND beautiful, historical victorian homes at the top of Prospect Hill. If you are looking for great historical homes with space and walkability to cool stuff, Prospect Hill is an excellent place to target!
So if you are thinking of buying your first single family home in Union Square but need some hand holding, reach out! My cell is 617-833-7457!
Buying a condo in Union Square
If you are considering a condo purchase around Union Square, the good news is you have a lot of options. In fact, As of 12/15/2025, 28 condos sold in and around Union Square, Somerville.
Generally you will find a few buckets here when looking at condos. Around $850k and below, you are looking mostly at smaller units, typically 850 square feet or smaller. Often times 1 beds or 2 beds or occasionally a 3-bed that really is a 2-bed plus office and VERY tight. You can get a mix of updated units and more investor grade units in the upper $700s to low $800s, as you go to low $700s or under generally you are looking at funky layouts or tight spaces or investor grade finishes or some combination thereof.
In the $900k to $1.2M range you start see some newly converted condos in Union Square, often times 2 bed or 3 beds and with quartz countertops, central A/C, and off-street parking. Sometimes layouts are still funky and tight at this price point but with patience you can usually find a unit with a nice flow and solid finishes.
From $1.4M all the way up to $1.8M is there I tend to see the high-end units in the Union Square area. Most frequently they are 1,500 - 2,200+ square feet, often times multiple levels, with spacious bedrooms, kitchens, and living area. They tend to have higher end finishes and are on better streets (typically quiet side streets close to Union Square).
If you are trying to better understand what you can afford in terms of a condo purchase in Union Square but aren’t sure where to begin, call me! My cell is 617-833-7457.
Buying a Multi-Family in Union Square
If you are thinking of buying a multi-family in Union Square, I think you’re making a great call. This area has seen a lot of development and gentrification since the green line T stop came into place a few years ago and I expect this growth to continue for the next decade.
There are a few price buckets I see in the multi-family market within the area around Union Square, Somerville (at least as of this writing 12/15/2025). First you have your start 2-family - these generally land in the $1M to $1.25M range. Often they are smaller 2-families in OK condition - think 4 or 5 bedrooms total across both units and 2,000 to 2,400 square feet.
You’ll then have your next price bracket which is typically $1.8M to $2.3M range. You get an interesting hodge podge at this price point. First, you’ll see some beautiful owner occupant opportunities, most typically really nice 2-family victorians in Prospect Hill where one unit is an owner’s unit and the otherwise is a rental. Then you’ll see a mixture of 3-6 family units and for whatever reason, most units around Union Square for the larger multis tend to be either 1 bed or 2 beds. If you are looking for a 4-6 unit, there tend to be more of them in Union Square compared to some other areas of Somerville, but the truth is about 75% of all multi-family units across Somerville are either two or three families, so wherever you look, there just aren’t many 4+ unit properties and patience will be key.
Whether you are looking to buy a multi-family in Union Square, Somerville, elsewhere in Somerville OR maybe you are rethinking your town selection, give me a ring and we can talk! My cell is 617-833-7457!
Recent multi-families I’ve helped clients buy in Union Square:
38 Columbus Ave: My client wanted to be in a high-growth area within Somerville with lots of planned development over the coming years. So we targeted the Union Square area of Somerville which at the time of purchase had a green line T stop coming (as of this writing it is now in place), as well as lots of planned development over the next decade. This property was a great purchase on a price per a square footage basis and my client did some light cosmetic work and quickly rented up both units at market rate.
8 Pleasant Ave: My buyer client was looking to purchase a multi-family in Somerville. He was handy and not afraid of doing some work. We found this property, which was an inheritance and an attached 3-family at the top of Prospect Hill, just a few minutes to both Gilman Square and Union Square green line T stops, on a quiet street. The price point was excellent, with each unit coming in under $400k/unit. Once all work is completed on the units I expect this property to cash flow right out of the gate, great buy!
53 Bow St: This off-market 2-family property dropped in my lap. It is in a prime Union Square location, directly on Bow St. The property was in good condition and was only in need of light cosmetic work. That work was completed immediately after the sale and quickly rented up at market rates. This is a great buy and hold investment that will yield better and better returns over the coming years!
Buying a development opportunity in Union Square
While I definitely see a fair amount of 2-family condo conversions in and sound Union Square, I actually think one of the better opportunities is flipping larger 5 or 6+ unit multi-families in the area. Gut renovate and then sell-off over a 3 to 6 month period can yield outsized returns if you buy right and are patient in waiting for the right opportunity to come up.
If you are thinking of buying a development in or around Union Square, Somerville, I can be reached at 617-833-7457!
Read more about the selling and buying services that I can provide here:
Above are samples of properties I’ve helped clients sell or buy. Read more about my past work here.
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