‘Buy Three, Get One Free’ in the Housing Market of the Future
We can fix home prices dramatically quickly and make a dent in climate change, too. To prove the point, come with me for a walk through a typical three-decker, and bring your calculator.
Housing Around Transit Nodes Threatened by Local Concerns
Local communities may choose to forgo state grants to avoid multifamily development requirements and retain control over their towns’ so-called “character.”
Banker & Tradesman Editorial Cartoon
How far will Salem Five go with its new naming rights to NESN’s Watertown studio?
Will 2022 Be Another Bull Market for Luxury Sales?
Boston’s luxury market has barely half the inventory it will need over the next three to four years. This positions the city for another good year of price appreciation and continued in-migration.
Transfer Taxes Tempt, But Would Only Worsen Housing Crisis
The shortage of affordable and workforce housing is currently one of the greatest threats to the Massachusetts economy. Unfortunately, one popular idea – transfer taxes – have many unintended consequences that could do more harm than good.
Zoning Reforms Don’t Eliminate Local Control
A fallacy is spreading through some tony Boston suburbs that the state’s new “MBTA Communities” and other proposed transit-oriented zoning requirements take away towns’ ability to govern development within their borders.
Help for Down Payments Available
The Build Back Better legislative package championed by President Joe Biden contains billions for down payment assistance. But rookie buyers don’t have to wait for Congress to act – if it ever does.
Successful Developments Are Co-Created with Communities
We often work with our clients to understand that for development to truly be inclusive, it must be authentic, transparent and grounded in community engagement. It also helps developers meet their diversity, equity and inclusion goals in a sustainable way.
New Round of Zoning Reforms Surfaces on Beacon Hill
Home prices and rents are hitting astronomical heights in Greater Boston, but legislative leaders are pushing back on an effort to make a even more significant dent in the state’s housing shortage.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: Working Overtime
Sometimes, you’re so busy, you have to get work done in your sleep. If only you got paid for it!
Beacon Hill Lacks Leadership on Transit
The MBTA’s latest five-year investment plan, released last week, is a strikingly short-sighted document for a world facing a climate emergency. But with Beacon Hill behind the eight-ball on transit topics, can we really heap all the blame on T officials?
How We Can Invest Today in a Better Tomorrow for Massachusetts
Returning to “normal” shouldn’t mean skyrocketing rents and home prices. Yet, that’s what we’re seeing happen across the state. It’s time we put the lessons learned over the last two years into practice to fix the housing crisis.
Affordable Housing Overlay Gets Results in Cambridge
Cambridge’s new Affordable Housing Overlay has had a tremendous and immediate effect on parcels already in nonprofit hands, adding over 400 new units of affordable housing to the pipeline in a year and a half.
The Quest for More Square Footage Continues
In the hunt for more space, houses are being built larger, with more amenities packed both inside and outside their walls. Last year, the average new house was 2,561 square feet.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: Cheapest Anti-Inflation Measure, Ever
One trip to Home Depot for a step ladder, a quick stop for some paper, tape and markers at CVS and President Joe Biden has his latest and greatest economic policy tool ready to roll.
War, Rate Hikes Will Heap Costs on Prospective Buyers
As we head into the spring market, predictions that 2022 would see home prices continue on their record tear, posting another year of double-digit increases, no longer looks like a sure bet.
Regulators Heighten Focus on Climate Change’s Financial Risks
The primary objective of financial regulatory authorities generally is to maintain the safety and soundness of banks and the financial system. How, then, do regulators incorporate climate change risks into their work?
Zoning Reform Clears Path for Cambridge Affordable Development
While it’s still new, it’s already clear Cambridge’s Affordable Housing Overlay will be an effective tool in the housing toolbox – and Just A Start’s 52 New St. project is leading the way.
MassDOT Failed the Public on Parcel 25
The request for proposals process run by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for parcel 25 in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood is a sorry example of outdated, unaccountable government that can’t be repeated.
Wu Plays the Long Game
Sworn in barely four months ago, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is already sending shock waves through the city’s development scene, though maybe not quite in the way many expected.
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