Trends

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REMAX: Boston home sales surge in May

Home sales in the 51 metro areas surveyed by REMAX rose 7.9% month over month and slid 0.5% year over year. 

EV charging station
Multifamily access to EV charging abounds in Massachusetts

Consumers increasingly accept electric vehicles, but not every state offers the infrastructure needed to make the lifestyle switch.

mortgage applications
MBA: Mortgage applications tick higher despite ‘more hawkish’ Fed tone

The increase was driven by refinancing activity as purchase applications dipped. 

Your FIFA World Cup ticket could cost 10 days rent in Boston

With demand driving prices skyward, researchers decided to compare FIFA World Cup ticket costs to another expensive commodity — housing.

NAR: Pending home sales surge in May despite high borrowing costs

The 3.8% month-over-month gain was almost four times what industry observers were expecting. 

Zillow: These paint colors could raise home values by up to $2,000

Paint color has the power to enhance value — or tank it.

NAR: Existing-home sales top expectations in May with 3.2% gain

Inventory rose 3.3% month over month and 0.6% year over year to 1.55 million homes, which equals a 4.5-month supply of unsold inventory, NAR said. 

It takes 13.9 years to break even on homeownership in Boston

Nationwide, it takes six years to break even on homeownership, down from an all-time high of 8.4 years in 2023.

Massachusetts has the strongest economy in the nation

Notably, the Commonwealth had the highest percentage of firms listed on the Technology Fast 500 list.

Realtor.com: Buyers ‘rewarding’ sellers for adjusted listing price expectations

Amid what Realtor.com called the most active spring in years, the housing market is finding a new equilibrium.

New construction saves Massachusetts buyers over time

Older homes often come with hidden costs, like leaky roofs, worn-out water heaters and drafty windows.

Cotality: US home-price growth holds steady despite jump in interest rates

Looking ahead, Cotality expects home prices to rise 5.3% between April 2026 and April 2027. 

Market for new homes outperforms that of existing ones in April

The median sales price of new homes sold in April rose 8% to $422,500 from $391,100 in March, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported.

Cotality: Home-price growth slows amid buyer/seller ‘standoff’

Home prices continued to rise in March, but the rate of increase slowed yet again, according to the latest S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index. 

Buyers maintain advantage as housing market shows early signs of shift

Redfin reports there were about 46.5% more sellers than buyers in April 2026, down from 47.5% in March and 48.9% in December 2025.

The most popular home trends of 2026

Houzz compared first quarter user activity to year-ago levels to determine the emerging home trends for summer 2026. Here’s what they found.

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