Are People Losing Interest in Second Homes?
Are people losing interest in second homes? It appears so, according to an analysis of the latest Census Bureau data.
Boston Mayor Angers Neighborhood Activists
Has Boston Mayor Michelle Wu managed to unite real estate developers and neighborhood activists against her with pending tax increases on homeowners and the White Stadium redevelopment?
Mass. Is Losing Our Youngest. Blame Taxes and the Cost of Living
A pair of studies suggest the accelerating departures mean a state revenue bump from the Millionaires Tax will be relatively fleeting.
Early Returns Show Commissions Are Falling
A survey of some 1,300 agents and brokers suggests that the class-action settlement that rocked the real estate world is pushing real estate agent commissions down.
A Top Developer’s Stark Warning on Housing Construction
Don’t look now, but the housing shortage that has driven home prices and rents to insane levels is about to get even worse. And many towns and cities still aren’t doing their part.
Dropping Homeowners Coverage Could Prove Costly
If you’re a homeowner who’s considering canceling your insurance coverage due to the high cost, think twice. You could be up the creek even without a natural disaster.
Many Vacant Houses Need to Be Registered – Even Vacation Homes
Many local governments started requiring vacant units to be registered following the Great Financial Crisis. Ignoring these rules can prove costly.
Lower Fed Rates Haven’t Opened the Housing Floodgates
Developers pulled building permits for just 82 new Boston units in the last two months, the worst fall showing in nearly a decade. The cost of city policies is partly to blame.
Some Houses Are Movie Stars
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ the sequel to the 1988 Tim Burton horror comedy, raked in $110 million during its opening weekend in September. But how much would it cost to buy the Connecticut house where most of the movies’ action takes place?
Notable Biz Groups Absent from Deal on Boston Tax Rate Hikes
Next time it may not be so easy for Boston’s mayor. And given current market trends, not only will there almost certainly be a next time, and it won’t be long in coming, either.
On Linnaean Street, a Divide that Helps Keep Housing Costly
It was one of the most telling exchanges of Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s debate with Republican challenger John Deaton. And it reveals a lot about why bolder action on housing costs has been so elusive.
Sellers, It’s Time to Think About Concessions
Sometimes, homebuyers are hesitant to pull the trigger. They might love the house they found – it’s priced right and mortgage rates are coming down – but they just can’t decide whether to move forward.
Seller Deed Fraud Seems Hard to Stop
Scammers succeeded in stealing one Massachusetts property and almost got their hands on another this summer using a type of fraud called “seller impersonation.”
Boston Faces a Bigger Office – and Budget – Crisis Than You Think
Gone unnoticed amid all the heated debate are signs that the underlying problem – the decline in office building values – may be even more serious than first thought.
The Worst of Boston’s Tax Problems May Be Yet to Come
The good news is that Boston’s 2025 tax revenue crisis may not be as bad as some have feared. The bad news is office values may have further to fall.
Don’t Miss the Chance to Refi
If the past is prologue, millions of homeowners with high-rate mortgages won’t refinance their loans, even as mortgage rates tumble.
State Leaders Celebrate Without a Victory
If political happy talk could be converted into housing units, the cost of a home wouldn’t be nearing $1 million in Greater Boston. But it’s a reality our state and local pols seem incapable of grasping.
Cash Buyers Can Get Their Money Back
Cash is king when it comes to buying a house. Always has been, and always will be. And these days, individual cash buyers – as opposed to cash-laden investors – have an even better shot of scoring the house of their dreams.
Muted Reaction to Wu’s $100M Housing Fund, Return of Top Planner
Developers and real estate executives weren’t tapping furiously at their keyboards and burning up my phone line in praise of the mayor’s announcement of a $100 million “Housing Acceleration Fund.”
A Homeowner’s Playbook for the Day After Disaster
These days, disasters like wildfires, tornadoes, floods and hurricanes are more powerful than ever. It’s increasingly likely your home will be hit one way or another.
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