Opinion
Top Boston Attorney Warns Mayor on Office Tower Taxes
Could Boston be faced with a repeat of the infamous Tregor decision, the decades-old state court ruling that upended city finances? A top city real estate lawyer thinks so, and he’s urging Boston’s mayor to take precautions.
Accessory Dwelling Units Could Help Boston – If Only the City Would Let Them
While residents are paying princely sums to live in Boston, many who can’t afford to pay Boston’s housing piper are leaving. And the city’s pursuing ADU rules that dramatically restrict how many will be built.
The Green Mirage Sweeping America
A deceptive calling campaign is sweeping the country, costing homeowners hundreds of thousands of dollars in mortgage fraud, according to a federal watchdog.
How Rising Construction Are Shifting the Housing Market
Construction costs have surged in recent years, pushing homeownership further out of reach for many Americans. Part of the cause? Faster wage gains for workers in the lowest-paid roles.
Neighborhood-Specific Placemaking Strategies for Retail in Boston
In three separate developments across Boston, Related Beal is amplifying its properties’ brands with strategic, curated experiential retail offerings.
CRE Must Claim Its Seat at the Table Writing MBTA’s 2050 Plans
The MBTA is writing its next long-range plan right now, but investments like new train lines and BRT networks that can unlock development won’t happen without industry input.
North Attleborough Landlord Liable Under ‘Unfair Practices’ Statute
Now and then, a commercial landlord engages in conduct so peculiar, that others can only shake their heads in bewilderment. Such was the case involving several properties in North Attleborough’s “Auto Road” area.
Planning Is Key for Senior Homeowners
Survey after survey has shown that seniors have a strong desire to remain in their homes until they pass. But some will eventually experience a life event that will alter their thinking.
Massachusetts’ Retail Industry Faces a Stress Test
Dark storefronts on Main Street. “Retail space for lease” signs: Sales are failing to keep up with ever increasing costs, and that’s putting more small businesses at risk.
Mass. Should Say: ‘Yes in God’s Backyard’
Significant drops in religious affiliation have left many shrinking congregations struggling to maintain large buildings and surplus land. A new bill makes it easier to help them with affordable housing.
Local Zoning Is a Confusing Mess. Beacon Hill Can Help with Definitions
Should multifamily housing mean the same thing in Weston as it does in Concord? It doesn’t, and that’s one of many areas where a little clarification by state legislators could go a long way to aiding housing production.
Boston Media Is Missing the Big Story When Covering Megaprojects
The real and much more important story right now? Why it is so hard to build in Boston, and who is to blame for so little progress on the city’s biggest proposed developments.
Import Tariffs and Force Majeure: Does Your Contract Forsee the Unforeseeable?
Recent tariff impositions raise a new question: does your contract address and allocate risk for tariff-related cost increases for things like construction materials?
What to Know About Massachusetts’ Five-Year Housing Plan
Achieving a state of housing abundance in Massachusetts will require a multifaceted approach that both accelerates new housing production and protects existing homes.
Will Our Housing Market Find the ‘Missing Middle’ Before It’s Too Late?
Encouraging and supporting development in this area of the market may be the key that unlocks the inventory problem that plagues Massachusetts.
Don’t Pocket Those Listings
Do you really want to withhold your property from the widest possible audience just to give your agent a chance to bank the entire commission, or at least keep the payday in-house?
We Must Capitalize on the Potential in Allston
One of the most promising places to expand Greater Boston’s economy is in Allston. Proposals to build a rail yard there threaten this goal, and the bigger goal of proving we can deliver big infrastructure projects.
Boston’s Mayor Finally Starts to Admit There’s a Money Problem
But a line in the city budget acknowledging the impact of office and lab property values on Boston’s finances arguably downplays its severity as the mayor keeps focus on Trump, instead.
This Real Estate Agent Went FSBO
This agent – licensed in another state – sold his parent’s home in a highly sought-after area in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., for $100,000 over the asking price, but regrets his decision.
‘Unfunded Mandate’ Fallout: Is Beacon Hill Losing Its Appetite for Housing Fixes?
Maybe not so surprisingly, growing displays of open defiance by a handful of towns opposed to the MBTA Communities law are making lawmakers at the State House a bit nervous.
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