Opinion
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.
The Need for Housing Abundance Runs Up Against Business as Usual in Massachusetts
The message of a much-talked-about new book should sound all too familiar to Bay Staters. We’re choking off our own housing abundance with well-intentioned policies that, in the aggregate, have become an obstacle to building.
New Celtics Owner Has Lots of Reasons to Develop His Own Arena
Revenue-sharing with TD Garden’s owner, the arena’s outdated feel and a record-shattering purchase price could push William Chisholm to build on one of Boston’s many big development sites.
Two Big Ideas Could Make Chapter 40B Even Better
A Healey administration commission has floated two ways to the state’s most successful housing production law to date even more successful and extend its lifespan.
Earth Removal Dispute Can’t Bury Concord Development
Massachusetts courts seldom label local zoning boards’ denials of permits as arbitrary and capricious, but that’s exactly what happened recently in a recent state Land Court decision, Symmes Development & Permitting LLC v. Smith.
Housing Policy Ripe for Reforms
Just two reforms proposed by Gov. Maura Healey’s Unlocking Housing Production Commission could, on their own, generate thousands of new housing units. And the state Legislature wouldn’t have to lift a finger.
Drastic Changes Needed to Balance Emissions Reductions and Housing Production
The costs of meeting the state’s energy policies are showing up as a stealth tax in the form of higher housing ownership costs and higher rents. A lot of that has to do with town and city policy.
What’s Better for Buyers: Commission Percentages or Dollar Figures?
Which would you rather pay a real estate agent to help you sell your $450,000 house: a 6 percent sales commission or $27,000? They’re exactly the same amounts, of course, but one sounds a lot less.
Legalizing Two- and Four-Family Homes: A Powerful Housing Fix
One of the most transformative yet under-discussed solutions to our housing problems would empower smaller developers to create housing at scale, and at a size most communities would welcome.
Creativity, Flexibility Will Make You and Your Business a Winner
In this current environment, the winners will be those who are willing to be flexible, innovative and adapt to current market conditions.
Presidential Plans Raise Anxiety in Housing Sector
In the market for a newly constructed house? You might want to hurry. Soon, new homes are likely to cost more and take longer to build.
Pension Funds Losing Big from Slump in Office Values
For years, downtown office buildings were a solid bet for the public employee pension funds. Recent sales in downtown Boston show that’s not the case, anymore.
Addressing Boston’s Housing Shortage, One Small Room at a Time
By allowing SROs to return, Boston can take a meaningful step toward ensuring that everyone – regardless of income – has a place to call home.
Showing at a Moment’s Notice
Houses are meant to be lived in – except when they are for sale. That’s when they switch from a home to a commodity: a place that has to be ready for prospective buyers at a moment’s notice.
The Specter of the ’70s Stalks Downtown Boston
The Boston of the mid-2020s is far richer and more tolerant than it was half a century ago. But downtown is a weak spot in this success story as a new round of economic uncertainty strikes.
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