Opinion
The Seven Stages from Intention to Impact
In my work with corporate clients, especially in financial services and real estate development, I witness and guide their journey to implement meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion programs and create inclusive cultures in which everyone can feel they belong.
The $1.78B Wake-Up Call and the Path Forward
A clear mandate has emerged from the commission lawsuit verdict: Change how commissions are structured. Many in our field, committed to best practices and integrity, are already adapting. Here’s how you can, too.
Less Development Made Newton’s Teacher Strike Worse
As Newton’s teacher strike drags on, it’s worth asking: Doesn’t Newton’s historical development skepticism play a role in the city’s current political and financial predicament?
What’s Changing, and Not, at the BPDA
Five years after initially floating the idea as a city councilor, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is closing in on key legal changes to eliminate the Boston Planning & Development Agency. And it’s leaving some in the real estate community scratching their heads at best about what it all means.
With Competition Strong, Saturday Is the New Sunday for Homebuyers
Many buyers aren’t likely to wait for rates to drop before jumping back into the market. This means it’s important to get your clients in to see a property as early as they can.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: Game Time
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Housing Secretary Ed Agustus are suiting up to lead two new panels intended to find new housing reforms that can boost home construction.
Scammed If You Do, Scammed If You Don’t
I’ve decided to put my 50-plus years of writing about the housing business to work by offering my faithful readers a free online seminar on how to get rich in real estate without hardly trying.
More Homes Needed for Affordability Impact
In the Cape Cod market, and across Massachusetts, inventory and interest rates are likely to continue to be the biggest challenges encountered by both buyers and sellers.
Program Creates a Blank Slate for Artists
Massachusetts is home to thousands of “brownfields” – buildings and land that are blighted and hampered by chemical contamination – with many in Gateway Cities. This year marks the 24th anniversary of the launch of a highly successful investment program that’s redeveloped hundreds of these sites.
How to Prevent America’s Aging Buildings from Collapsing
Four recent catastrophic building collapses and a near miss are raising concerns about the state of America’s aging buildings and questions about who, if anyone, is checking their safety.
Perseverance Pays Off in Fitchburg for Nonprofit Developer
The new Fitchburg Arts Community demonstrates a potential playbook for successful financing of housing through public subsidies in Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities.
Look Beyond Boston for CRE Opportunities
At City Realty, we have seen firsthand that there are still opportunities available in the office market and new tenants in the market to fill those well publicized vacancies. Our successful repositioning project in Quincy Center is just one example.
Recycle at Home, With Your Home
Scrap tires have been recycled for years into building products like flooring, infill decking and septic system drain fields. But they’re not the only thing. From coal ash to washed-up seaweed, our homes help reduce and reuse.
Prison Closures Offer Great Opportunities for More Housing
Gov. Maura Healey has promised to “go big” on housing as he pushes a multibillion-dollar spending plan. But three big pieces of disused or soon-to-be-disused state property show she’s got more work to do in that regard.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: Subtle Signalling
Fed Chair Jerome Powell is trying a new, prop-based form of “forward guidance” in his latest public appearance.
Setting the Record Straight on T Funding
For years, a pernicious notion has floated around certain corners of Beacon Hill that the MBTA is a black hole that tries to suck in any and all taxpayer dollars. Now the idea is threatening to rear its head again.
Gateway Cities Win with Governor’s Housing Strategy
With an assist from the Healey-Driscoll administration, Gateway Cities can pave the way for a new future – one where housing helps drive economic success.
Liberal Cambridge Takes a Pass on Rent Control
Is it time to put aside the old schtick about the “People’s Republic” of Cambridge? The city has been an outlier among its inner-core peers in not pursuing rent control last year. The reasons for that are rooted in history.
Uncle Sam Offers a Boost to Fixer-Uppers
The Federal Housing Administration is poised to update the 203(k) program, which allows borrowers to purchase a house and include the cost of repairs or rehabilitation in a single mortgage.
Banker & Tradesman’s Editorial Cartoon: What a Great Investment
At least one industrial real estate developer is having buyer’s remorse thanks to a slowdown in that sector.
This Week’s Newspaper
