Opinion
When Lenders Dictate Property Repairs
Historically, one of the most onerous aspects of dealing with Federal Housing Administration loans was their inspection process. Fortunately, conventional lenders have never required much more than termite repairs. Sadly, this is all changing, to the detriment of both...
Closing The Credit Credibility Gap
The announcement last week that the nation’s three largest credit-score companies will overhaul their data-gathering practices is a breath of fresh air. In an agreement with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that is expected to go national, Equifax...
Seriously – Not In My Backyard
Women with eating disorders, frail seniors and renters with kids are the latest targets of the NIMBYs here in Massachusetts, a truly special breed that sees danger and community despoliation lurking behind every building proposal, however seemingly innocent or benign.
Even as Massachusetts struggles with an increasingly dire shortage of housing, suburbs and towns across the state are pushing back harder than ever against just about any proposal that would put a roof over someone else’s head.
Banker & Tradesman Editorial Cartoon
What will we do without the Northern Avenue bridge?!
Wanted: Dynamic Leader To Drive Change At The MBTA
The month of February has not been a good month for transportation in Boston. The chink in our city’s armor has been exposed in a most brutal fashion. If there was any doubt that the city of Boston is dependent on a reliable, efficient MBTA system, those doubts must be dispelled by now.
Banker & Tradesman Editorial Cartoon
Does anybody know how to fix the MBTA?
4 Factors That Decide Whether You Should Be In A Condo Or A House
Today’s guest post is by the Houses.com Team. A few decades ago, one could safely assume that the universal “American Dream” was still intact – that virtually everyone would love a nice quiet place in the ’burbs with the white picket fence, the Golden Retriever and...
Banker & Tradesman Editorial Cartoon
What?! I can’t hear you!
Of Ponies And AVMs
Despite having reported on it for several years now, there are still plenty of times when I don’t understand the real estate industry. One of them came again this afternoon, reading an article by the “Demon of Marketing” on Inman. With the news of the Zillow/Trulia...
Banker & Tradesman Editorial Cartoon
When the snow comes down, the parking-spot claws come out!
Banker & Tradesman Editorial Cartoon
Raise your hand if you know what a lockbox is!
In Olympics, Boston Has Opportunity For Long-Term Prosperity
This has been an exciting few weeks for Boston and the surrounding region. We recently learned that our city will represent the United States in a bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and we witnessed the inauguration of a new governor. These exciting times bring with them the opportunity to better position Boston and Massachusetts to retain our competitive edge and ensure continued prosperity.
Banker & Tradesman Editorial Cartoon
Forget Cambridge; it’s full steam ahead in Somerville!
At Inman Connect, the online battleground is laid out
I’m attending the Inman Connect conference in New York this week, and so far it’s been interesting, taking the temperature of the industry as it’s in a moment of transition, with some big outside forces set to shake it up. With Trulia and Zillow due to merge in the...
Banker & Tradesman Editorial Cartoon
Let’s go Patriots!
Climate Change And Infrastructure: Riding The Rising Tide With Resiliency
Climate change is driving how we plan for the future of Boston’s infrastructure. Just as importantly, the climate change conversation is forcing us to consider how we will adapt our existing infrastructure to account for the long-term effects of climate change. As...
Experts Predict A Good Year For Mortgages
With another year behind us and the spring market soon upon us, Banker & Tradesman asked industry experts for their thoughts and predictions about the future of the mortgage industry in 2015. “2014 was obviously a very active year with lots of liquidity in the...
Condo Market Hits Record Lows
It’s unbelievable, but even as a bevy of new luxury towers burst onto the city’s skyline, downtown Boston faces a shortage of new condos.
Almost all the new residential construction over the past few years in the Hub has featured deluxe apartments, with just a trickle of
Banker & Tradesman Editorial Cartoon
#FirstWorldProblems.
Patrick And Predecessors Should Be Proud Of Chapter 40B Contributions
In early December, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development released the latest figures on the percentage of affordable housing in each of the state’s 351 cities and towns. The numbers are encouraging. In 1969, the Massachusetts legislature...
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