Opinion
Insuring Vacation Properties Has Its Share of Quirks
If you don’t tell the insurance company that their getaway home is not always occupied, they could be in for some surprises.
Proposed State Stormwater Regulations Will Undermine Our Housing Goals
Rigid and in some cases overengineered solutions would not make projects more resilient, and instead could significantly cut the amount of housing we can produce.
Poll Shows It’s Up to Healey to Guide State’s Housing Fixes
When it comes to tackling the housing crisis, Massachusetts voters want an all-of-the-above approach. That’s one message to take away from a recent poll.
An Office Titan Faces a Philosophical Question
Boston Properties, our hometown real estate giant, recently found itself confronted with a question that would have been unthinkable before the watershed year of 2020.
Don’t Discount the English Major
The eye-popping decline in American college students majoring in English is leaving companies bereft of important skills among new hires and eventual potential executives
Investments in Public Art Will Enhance Boston’s Greenway
The Greenway ARTbeat series is not just an investment in public art; it is an investment in the reputation of Boston and the downtown economy.
New ‘HousingLab’ Aims to Clear a Path for More Homes
Our firm is embracing this immense challenge and creating what we are calling our HousingLab, to spread meaningful new ideas to help solve Massachusetts’ housing crisis.
‘Anti-Woke’ Hits the ATM: Citibank Faces a Farce of a Lawsuit
The problem, however, is that this lawsuit may pressure financial institutions to rethink their policies and practices meant to be inclusive.
MBTA Communities Zoning Is Making Strange Bedfellows
Your die-hard progressive and your friendly neighborhood Trump supporter might not seem to have much in common. But each is playing their part in stopping fixes for the state’s housing crisis.
Back Bay Property Elevates Food and Beverage
The architects and development team behind Raffles Boston sought to create vitality and community through the way food and beverage offerings were integrated into the building’s public and common spaces.
Hotels Benefit from Business Travel Rebound
Our outlook remains optimistic for the Boston market, fueled by group and convention travel, as well as an increase in global tourism and the absence of any significant new hotel developments.
Interest Rates Depress Hotel Capital Markets Activity
With construction debt rates well north of 10 percent, you need aggressive assumptions for development underwriting to yield an attractive return.
Amid Limited Development, Hotel Owners Find Opportunity
Boston hotel operators are benefiting from the recovery of group demand, driving reservations connected to events at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.
Transfer Taxes Not Ready for Prime Time
The latest proposal to let municipalities establish new, local-option sales taxes on real estate sales continues to be a bad idea. State legislators should strip the measure from Gov. Maura Healey’s housing bill until its problems can be remedied.
Americans Leave a Huge Chunk of Change at Airport Checkpoints
Should the U.S. get rid of pennies, nickels and dimes? The debate has gone on for years. And airports offer an unlikely clue to how much people still use pocket change.
Potential Marina Investors Need to Navigate Hazards
Massachusetts is blessed with abundant navigable harbors ideal for marinas. These properties are in high demand, but they present special due diligence issues.
I Have to Sign a Buyer Representation Agreement to See a Property? No Way!
The proposed settlement in the National Association of Realtors’ commission lawsuits has created problems for seller’s agents as well as the more obvious questions buyer’s agents face.
Housing Production Plans Leave Out a Critical Type of Home
The Bay State’s plans to rein in skyrocketing housing costs can be summed up as: build more multifamily housing. But that puts them at odds with the dreams of today’s buyers.
High Interest Rates Aren’t Going Away Any Time Soon
And if inflation starts to heat back up, it’s plausible – though at the moment unlikely – that the Fed will consider ratcheting up rates another 25 basis points.
To Get Transfer Taxes Passed, Try Compromising
It likely feels like “Groundhog Day” for the coalition seeking a transfer tax on higher-end sales after running into a brick wall in the House of Representatives.
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