FrontDoor Unlocked – HGTV's FrontDoor Real Estate Blog

Los Angeles or Boston?

Posted by Annalisa Burgos | June 3, 2010

The first game in the NBA Finals is tonight, with a much-anticipated match-up of legendary rivals: the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.

As an LA native, I was born and raised a Laker fan. I grew up watching Magic Johnson and Larry Bird duke it out. As an NYC transplant, I was surprised by the anti-Laker sentiment pervasive on the East Coast. Even New Yorkers who despise Boston would rather root for the Celtics than the Lakers. Weird.

That said, while the outcome of the series may be a topic for debate over the next few days, one thing is not debatable: Los Angeles is a better place to live than Boston. Sure we have mad traffic, but I’ve got one word for you. WEATHER. Enough said.

If you’re a sports junkie, both cities made our list of 10 Great Places for Sports Fans. Learn more about what it’s like to live in a sports city.

For those of you who are not the least bit interested in basketball, you may be interested in learning about these two very interesting and vastly different cities. Check out HGTV FrontDoor’s city guides and decide which one you’d rather call home.

Los Angeles City Guide

Boston City Guide

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Adventures in Homebuying: Boston couple finds home value is not always about price

Posted by Annalisa Burgos | August 16, 2009

Everyone is so focused on home value these days that we forget that buying a home is really an emotional experience.

Sure staging and price play huge factors in whether we like a place, but house hunting is really about finding a house that fits your current lifestyle and aspirations. What really makes a homebuyer ultimately make an offer is feeling a personal connection to the place, not necessarily its price tag.

Ladies, think of it this way. They say when you’re shopping for a wedding dress, you’ll know when you find the one. It just fits. (And since 90 percent of real estate decisions are made by women, I figure you’d understand the analogy.)

This week, I talked to Eileen Imada and Walter Dixon, who just bought their first house in Newton, a suburb of Boston. After three years of looking for their “perfect” home, they learned a valuable lesson in determining home value and have a great tip for all you first-time buyers. Tune in for their full video on the FrontDoor Unlocked Vlog — coming soon!