News / Features

Will an Extension to the Green Line Worsen Boston’s Affordability Crisis?

A Green Line extension seems like a sure thing, but how will impact the Boston area’s housing market? The Federal Transit Administration announced last week that it will provide nearly $1 billion in funding for an extension of the

Did Mortgage Lending Just Get Easier?

With Fannie and Freddie’s new mortgage rules coming into effect, the industry questions the impact they’ll truly have. Earlier this month, new lending guidelines previously announced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac came into effect, and now the industry

Could Slowing Asking Prices in Boston Benefit its Market?

What’s the deal with asking prices in our metro area? Asking prices in the Boston area remained positive in November, though they seem to be showing signs of slowing down, according to the newly released Price Monitor from Trulia. Per Trulia’s

The Jobs Report: 6 Good Things (and 2 Bad Things) For Housing

The latest government jobs report was highly encouraging for the economy – and, as a result, for the housing market. Good news alert! The government’s latest jobs report came out last week, and it was a very encouraging one

Boston’s 10 Top-Selling Condominiums

What condominiums in Boston saw the most sales activity in October? A couple weeks ago, we reported that the Greater Boston housing market remains a market in transition, with prices, inventories and sales up, down and around in a

Foreclosures Remain Low in the Bay State

Foreclosures are being completed at dramatic rates…and why that might not be so good. The newest foreclosure report from CoreLogic highlights the nation’s continued efforts to push through new and long pending foreclosures, but the robust pace of completion

Boston One of Top 10 Luxury Markets in the Nation

New data shows that the city of Boston is one of the most active luxury housing markets in the entire U.S. The city of Boston is the No. 9 luxury housing market in the U.S. in terms of sales, according to

Boston Inventory Suffers From Dwindling Construction Spending

Construction spending rises and falls throughout the country, helping and hindering markets struggling to refill dwindling inventories. Construction spending was up this past October, according to recently released figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. The increases, which amount to

Move, Inc. Files Lawsuit Against Former VP of Product Marketing

Move, Inc., the company that oversees NAR’s realtor.com website, has filed a lawsuit against Curt Beardsley, a former VP of product marketing who, earlier this year, left Move for a new position at competing syndication site Zillow. This marks the

What Income Does Your Client Need to Qualify for a Mortgage in Boston?

At the end of the day, how much income do consumers need to qualify for certain mortgages in our housing market? In our most recent analysis of housing affordability, we looked at what percentage of our housing market’s inventory

Multifamily/Single-Family Construction Post Sizable 2014 Increases

Though overall construction is mostly flat from last year, both single family and multifamily are putting up some encouraging numbers. Residential construction spending was up just 1.3 percent from September to October and 1.8 percent from Oct. 2013, rising

CoreLogic Report: What Price Appreciation Says About Our National Economy

Stable, moderate price appreciation may tell a much larger economic story.   Though the pace of home sales has slowed throughout much of the nation, year-over-year price gains remain healthy, increasing in October yet again, making 32 months of

5 Surprising Trends on How Homebuyers are Financing their Purchases

There’s very little that’s conventional in terms of how homebuyers today finance their purchases, as 2014 draws to a close. In our most recent story on NAR’s 2014 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, we looked at how consumers

NAR’s Pending Home Sales Report Tells a Bigger Story

Contract signings are down late in the year but still above average. The latest Pending Home Sales Index report from the National Association of Realtors showed a slight dip in pending home sales in October. Still, levels remain healthy

The Most Worrying Economic Trend for the Housing Market

One aspect of the economic recovery could haunt the housing market far beyond its current cycle. Seven million is a big number, and unfortunately –for both the housing market and the wider economy – it’s attached to a remnant of the Great

Boston to See Biggest FHFA Loan Limit Increase in Nation in 2015

Lending in Boston will receive a considerable boost from the FHFA in 2015. Only 46 counties in the U.S. will see their conforming loan limits increase for single-family mortgages guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but no counties will

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