Opinion
Sun Belt Wins, Mass. Loses in Housing Construction
Massachusetts politicians should look at Raleigh, North Carolina with a mixture of anger, envy and fear: Anger and envy that that metro has outpaced us in housing construction by miles, fear that it will help them steal our jobs and prosperity.
How Design Factors into a Swift Residential Sellout
Location may be one of the most common words to describe valuable real estate, but when embarking on a multifamily or single-family project, regardless of location, design arguably reigns supreme.
Discovery by Design at AstraZeneca’s New R&D Facility
This 570,000-square-foot tower will accommodate up to 1,850 employees after it opens in 2026. Teams from AstraZeneca and Alexion Rare Disease will collaborate here to transform the future of healthcare.
Experts’ Voices Must Be Part of Decarbonization Conversation
We are experiencing a sea change in regulations related to sustainability and decarbonization in the built environment. And technical experts like architects need to have central roles in their development.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: A Short FAQ Document
Bankers are grappling with complex changes to Community Reinvestment Act regulations.
IBA’s South End Project Maximizes Cultural Impact
A new arts center, which incorporates elements of the historic building it’s replacing, will be a hub for the Boston Latinx community’s cultural empowerment.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: New AML Regs
Uncle Sam is keeping an eye on finance fraud and money laundering.
Measuring Affordable Housing Is Key to Building More of It
The unfortunate reality for affordable housing is we haven’t done a great job measuring it, causing questions about our success in managing it. Housing Navigator Massachusetts is changing that.
No Immigrants, No New Housing
For any number of reasons, U.S.-born workers have been reluctant to join the construction workforce, leading to consistent labor shortages and rising wages – meaning the prices of new housing is going up, too.
Housing Tax Credit Bill Should Be on U.S. Senate’s To-Do List
A bill making its way through Congress could spark the largest increase in resources for affordable rental housing in nearly a quarter of a century and reduce project costs.
Why Milton’s Vote Ultimately Doesn’t Matter
Milton cannot lawfully refuse to allow higher density zoning around the Mattapan line.
Fed’s Refusal to Cut Rates Drags Down Housing Market
When it comes to describing what’s happening right now in the real estate market, you can take your pick, but downturn, recession or even depression all seem like good fits right now. You just wouldn’t know it from reading the business press.
CRE Firms Face New Reporting Requirements Under Far-Reaching Federal Law
Real estate investors and developers who use LLCs or LPs to manage ownership of a project should take note. A new anti-money laundering law comes with new rules for telling federal officials who controls these entities.
Appraisals Fail Many Sellers
The real estate community has long complained about appraisals that lagged the market, but the report from the FHFA documents that their gripes are valid: Undervaluations spiked to 15 percent in 2021.
Flooding Regs Generate Developers’ Concerns
Department of Environmental Protection officials did the right thing last week, bowing to a flurry of concerned letters by allowing significantly more time for stakeholders to review their sweeping update of stormwater, flooding and wetlands regulations.
The Next Banking Panic?
Nearly a year after SVB’s failure, a potentially bigger banking crisis is looming, this time centered on the troubled world of commercial real estate loans made on what are now half-empty downtown office towers across the country.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: If at First You Don’t Succeed
WeWork founder Adam Neumann, broadly blamed by commentators for the company’s failure, is reportedly trying to buy the company back as it limps into bankruptcy.
Your Feedback Is Helping Adapt Boston’s Buildings for a Sustainable Future
The engagement of A Better City and our member companies in this process was instrumental in finding a solutions-oriented approach to a critical piece of combating climate change.
Growth in the Luxury Market Is a Positive Indicator for 2024
Luxury properties offer a barometer for the overall housing market. And rising optimism among luxury buyers could signal an overall thaw. But what do those high-end buyers want?
Move Over, Millennials: Gen Z Is Driving Rental Demand
As slowing multifamily construction underscores a downturn in rental markets, optimists see rental demand holding strong over the long run, and point to favorable demographics as a reason to remain optimistic. But are demographics truly favorable for rental housing?
This Week’s Newspaper
