What trends do you see coming up in Boston residential real estate?

The big trend that is happening is that there’s been a lot of gentrification going on in and around the Boston area. Although our members like the development it generates for the community, it is causing displacement for low- to middle-class families. Rents are through the roof, and home prices continue to steadily climb because there is a lack of inventory. As our baby boomers retire, many of them are moving back into the city for their retirement and are trying to downsize their housing costs. The problem is there is nowhere for them to go! They want to downsize from their own large home in the suburbs, but the condo prices in town are as expensive as their suburban home. So many of them are not moving, hence the lack of new homes on the market. There is a Home Bill introduced on behalf of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board that promotes multifamily housing production by requiring that cities and towns permit multifamily development, by right, on at least 1.5 percent of its developable land area. In addition, it would make it easier for in-law apartments and other accessory dwelling units to be allowed, by right, in all single-family zoned neighborhoods, as well as permit other zoning initiatives to increase the low-to-moderate income housing stock.

What area restaurant do you take clients to when you want to impress them? 

I’ve taken several clients to Lumiere, a French restaurant in West Newton Square.  I love their food.

What’s the most interesting thing about you we wouldn’t be able to learn from your resume or sale history?

I am passionate about protecting our community from sex offenders. In 2004, my 34-year-old cousin and her 12-year-old daughter were murdered by a level-three sex offender. He was living in Woburn with his girlfriend, and although the police knew he was there, he had appealed his classification. (Until the judge’s ruling, they were not legally allowed to do active notification to the neighbors.) He was arrested within a week of the event and convicted of murder. He is now serving a double life sentence in prison. My family and I spent many years lobbying to get level-two and level-three sex offenders listed on the state’s sex offender website. Although there was a new ruling in 2013 to list only new level-two sex offenders, I am still a passionate advocate for protecting our citizens from them. Knowledge of their whereabouts is critical. I do not want another family to go through what my family has had to endure. We also need to continue to work on improvements to our probation system and educate our probation officers to detect behaviors so the state can prevent convicted sex offenders from reoffending. Lowering the recidivism is key.