This Month in History: Boston’s First MLS Founded
If you wanted to buy or sell a home in Greater Boston before the summer of 1955, you were in for a struggle, “hot-footing it from one broker to another.”
Wu, Real Estate Lobby Scrap Over Transfer Taxes
Michelle Wu became the third Boston mayor in a row to to hear leaders of real estate industry trade groups blast the idea of a real estate sales tax before a panel of state legislators.
A Plan for Making Change
David Wluka has been in the real estate business longer than many Realtors today have been alive. As a residential and commercial real estate agent for nearly half a century, the Sharon resident has played key roles in real estate development south of Boston.
War, Rate Hikes Will Heap Costs on Prospective Buyers
As we head into the spring market, predictions that 2022 would see home prices continue on their record tear, posting another year of double-digit increases, no longer looks like a sure bet.
Real Estate Lobby Fires Back On Transfer Fees
After a legislative committee last week advanced bills that would allow municipalities where local officials had already signed off on the idea to impose a new fee on certain housing transactions, a pair of real estate groups are voicing concerns.
Court Ruling, Variant Alters Landscape on Evictions
A growing chorus of activists and lawmakers want to see action at the state and local level to stave off a potential surge of housing removals, warning that tenants are more “exposed” in the wake of a new U.S. Supreme Court decision lifting a federal eviction moratorium.
Why Boston Towers Keep Rising Along with Building Costs
For years now, experts have warned of a looming construction price apocalypse. Well, it has finally arrived, with steel and lumber both nearly tripling in cost over the past year, but 2021 is shaping up to be a record year for construction deliveries.
Drop in New Home Construction Does Housing Costs Few Favors
Things are going from bad to worse when it comes to housing production in Massachusetts. And it comes as the dearth of both new and existing homes on the market is starting to push prices, already far too high, to truly insane levels.
Eviction Cases Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels
New eviction cases for failing to pay rent are back to pre-pandemic levels in Massachusetts six weeks after a state ban expired, and housing advocates want a stronger response from Beacon Hill given the rise in COVID-19 infection rates and the looming end to a federal moratorium ban.
Survey: 315K Not Confident About Making August Rent
More than 315,000 Massachusetts tenants have little to no confidence that they will be able to pay rent in August, according to survey data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, a figure that one tenant advocate group said indicates as many as one in three renter households could soon face eviction.
Real Estate Groups Unite Against Eviction Freeze Extension
The Greater Boston Real Estate Board, NAIOP Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and the Home Builders and Remodelers Association are all united in their opposition to a bill that would significantly extend the state’s eviction moratorium.
Poll Paints Disturbing Picture of Rental Collections
A new poll of Massachusetts residents suggests the state could be heading for a crisis in the rental housing sector.
May 1 Arrives and with It, Landlord Anxiety
Rent is due today for most residential and commercial rental units across Massachusetts, over 50 days into stay-at-home advisories and closures of non-essential businesses for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic
Rep.’s Objection Sidelines Eviction Bill
Legislators are expected to resume debate today on a halt to foreclosures and non-essential evictions for the duration of Massachusetts’ state of emergency, after one lawmaker objected to the proposed House-Senate deal Thursday.
Will Boston’s Building Boom End? Wait and See
It’s too early to call an end to Greater Boston’s epic building boom, even if the coronavirus has managed the turn the global economy and all our lives upside down in a few short months.
Agents Look to Live-Streams to Keep Sales Going
With the coronavirus pandemic forcing real estate agents to abandon traditional home showings, many are turning to virtual tours and other techniques to keep their businesses running.
Sellers, Buyers Turn ‘Apprehensive’ as COVID-19 Crisis Deepens
It appears that the wave of homebuyer optimism that buoyed up the housing market heading into March may be starting to recede in the face of the coronavirus.
Eviction Moratorium Announced in Boston
The coronavirus outbreak has caused another tectonic shift in Boston, alongside the closure of the city’s schools and a new state mandate for restaurants to shift to takeout-only service: Several large landlords have suspended apartment evictions during the crisis.
Industry Greets Proposed Boston ZBA Revamp With Skepticism
A proposal for a top-to-bottom revamp of Boston’s Zoning Board of Appeals unveiled Monday was greeted with hesitancy and skepticism by real estate industry leaders.
King Street Properties Named ‘Landlord of the Year’
Suburban life science developer King Street Properties has been named “Landlord of the Year” by the membership of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board Commercial Brokers Association.
This Week’s Newspaper
