Dorchester finally sees its first seven digit sale

Bostonians have long known about the sprawling, historic homes in Dorchester, the city’s largest neighborhood. But it’s not every day they see a single-family home in the area sell for over $1 million.

Brian Piccini’s (now former) home at 92 Grampian Way is a three-bed, three-bath Garrison-style home in the “Over the Bridge” section of Savin Hill. The home was initially listed for $999,000, and after a competitive bidding war, is currently under agreement for $1.01 million. The sale is expected to close on October 30th. The Boston restaurateur, who owns dbar, Boston Chops, and Deuxave, purchased the home with his former partner in 2006 for $650,000. (He later bought out his ex’s share of the home when they split years later.)

When rumors surfaced that he was going to sell the home about six months ago, he realized the home had peaked a lot of interest.

“I had dozens of notes and offers in my mailbox,” says Piccini, who is downsizing with his partner Alex for the South End. “Somebody even called my publicist with an inquiry.”

Piccini credits the fervent interest in the home to a variety of qualities: the house was fully renovated five years ago, and a porch addition was put on. There’s four off-street parking spaces, including the two in the garage. And then there’s the very private, fenced-in backyard, complete with lush, mature trees.

There’s also a two-bedroom townhouse attached to the home, which Piccini currently lets sit vacant. (This is why the home is currently listed as both a single and multi-family home.)

In fact, Piccini’s home is so identifiable with Savin Hill, that it even serves as the homepage photo on the neighborhood’s Wikipedia page.

A handful of Dorchester homes have been listed for over $1 million, but 92 Grampian Way is the first single-family home to achieve the distinction of selling for over seven digits. The most expensive Dorchester home currently on the market is an 18-room Greek Revival at 21 Mill Street in Clam Point, with a hefty price tag of $1.295 million.

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Last week before the house went under agreement, Piccini’s broker predicted that the Grampian Way house would be the one to snag the mighty honor, and he was right.

“The initial response was just so positive,” says Justin Green of In Realty. “There were multiple people interested, and the buyer came in really strong.”

Many locals agree the area has been undervalued for quite some time. Leslie Mackinnon of Gibson Sotheby’s Savin Hill office says the area is finally receiving the attention it deserves. But with that attention comes additional concerns.

“I think there’s tied feedback about the increasing home values in Dorchester. As one of Boston’s largest neighborhoods, which represents many different households, there’s a concern about housing stock becoming too expensive for those who have been here for a long time,” explains MacKinnon. “On the other hand, many feel that Dorchester has been overlooked for decades and is now finally being recognized for it’s magnificent housing stock and vibrant community.”