National News
What details in latest jobs report bear the most significance for housing? The nation’s unemployment rate fell from 5.5 to 5.3 percent in June, while the overall economy added 223,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor
Over the last year, distressed home sales have become far less prominent in Massachusetts’ housing market Distressed sales throughout Massachusetts comprised 13.1 percent of all home sales in May, an increase from the 12.2 percent market share of a year ago, according to RealtyTrac’s
Residential construction spending may be up in 2015, but some areas performing better than others Residential construction spending was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $359.5 billion in May, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census
Recession technically over, but challenges remain for housing market Six years ago, the recession officially ended. However, 41 percent of Americans still think the housing crisis is happening, and a new study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University has
Home prices positive in latest Case-Shiller, but are there signs of a slow down? Home prices in the Boston area posted lukewarm gains in Standard & Poor’s latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, rising 0.3 percent from March to April and 1.8 percent from April
Construction is down in the market’s lower end, and economists say they know why The construction industry continues to make strides bringing more new homes to the market, a Census Bureau report on housing permits recently showed. But while
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau decided to again amend its proposal to extend the forthcoming TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule compliance deadline, this time pushing the effective date from Oct. 1 to Oct. 3. “The bureau proposed Oct. 3 as
May was a solid month for pending home sales activity, but uncertainty remains for housing’s future Pending home sales continued their hot streak in May, rising by monthly and yearly measurements to their highest level in nine years, according to
Civil rights groups are celebrating the Supreme Court’s recent decision on disparate impact claims, but is it too early? The Supreme Court’s affirmation of an appeals decision endorsing the citation of disparate impact in housing cases – which means evidence
Progress has been made on negative equity front, but troubling trends persist In the Boston housing market, 8.5 percent of mortgage holders remain underwater, and a majority will not reach positive equity for some time. That was the sobering finding of latest
Supreme Court rules disparate impact claims will be covered under FHA Discriminatory intent is irrelevant in cases of disparate impact, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today in a tight 5-4 decision, where Justice Anthony Kennedy proved the decider. In
Some builders have avoided green building for fear of costs. Turns out, it could help them make money Environmentalists have long urged developers to design more green buildings, but faced with the high immediate cost of sustainable materials and
A decision to redefine a landmark housing civil rights bill could come as early as tomorrow A handful of landmark cases in the Supreme Court this year – Obamacare and same-sex marriage – threaten to overshadow a soon forthcoming
The National Association of Realtors face 10 big dangers – none of them easily solved What are the threats that could impact the residential real estate industry? NAR’s “Danger Report,” a new report commissioned to the Swanepoel | T3 Group, analyzes the
New home sales up quite a bit so far in 2015, but many market forces remain at work The good news continued for new construction in May, with new home sales rising 2.2 percent from April and 19.5 percent from May
Although international home sales declined last year, total dollar volume saw a 13 percent increase, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors. From April 2014 to March 2015, total international sales were at an estimated $104 billion, compared