News / Features

How Long Does it Take to Save For A Downpayment on New Construction?

America sees a range of three to 26 years to save for a downpayment, depending on the state It takes 7.56 years for an average first-time homebuyer to save for a down payment on a new home in Massachusetts, according

NAHB: Builder Confidence Drops Slightly in December

Builder confidence in the market for newly constructed single-family homes remained relatively flat in December, dropping one point to 61 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). David Crowe, the NAHB’s chief economist, said past

What Size Homes Do Consumers Want in 2015?

What is the preferable home size? The median size for homes purchased in 2015 was 1,900 square feet, according to the 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of Realtors. Beyond that median, though, NAR uncovered

How Have Fannie Mae’s 3% Mortgages Affected Housing?

Fannie Mae’s 3-percent down-payment policy was met with praise and skepticism in equal parts, but how has it impacted housing? It was last October when Fannie Mae announced that, in an effort to broaden credit access, it would lower its

How Do American Driving Habits Affect Real Estate?

Although it’s still far from its pre-recession peak, car transportation is up There has been a significant increase in the number of Americans driving, according to a report released by Doug Short of Advisor Perspectives. The report looked at the estimated

Baby Boomers Breaking the Mold

Downsizing is a natural progression in housing we’ve come to expect of older generations, such as the aging Baby Boomers, whose preference for high square footage is diminishing as their children leave the nest and retirement sets in. But

Realtor.com: Boston will be a Top Millennial Market in 2016

Boston will be the No. 4 housing market for Millennial homebuyers in 2016, according to a new analysis by realtor.com. Citing the Boston’s vast number of colleges and universities, realtor.com drew attention to Beantown’s strong education resources, and how that climate

CoreLogic: Mass. Foreclosures Increase as New Year Approaches

October was another month of declining foreclosures, both nationwide and in most major metropolitan areas, a CoreLogic report confirmed this week. Dropping by just over 21 percent year-over-year, the nation’s foreclosure inventory reached a 1.2 percent share this past October,

Pew Trust: American Finances on Uncertain Footing

The economy continues to recover, but Americans’ finances are still stuck in the mud A surprisingly large share of Americans are in a precarious financial state, according to a new, detailed study from The Pew Charitable Trust. For its study,

Cambridge Ranked Ninth Best College Town in U.S.

Cambridge is costly, but offers nation’s best city for a youth environment and opportunities Cambridge is the ninth best college town in the nation, according to a study released by WalletHub. The study looked not just at colleges themselves,

Fed Study: Housing Not Facing New Bubble

A new report from the Federal Reserve states it clearly – there is no housing bubble With record-setting home prices and skyrocketing rents, today’s housing market may seem naggingly familiar, like this might have happened before. Could the current boom

Study: Some of the Best Teachers in the U.S. Work in Lexington Public Schools

Lexington Public Schools has some of the best teachers in the U.S., according to a new analysis from Niche. Basing its rankings on student and parent reviews of teachers, teacher salaries, teacher absenteeism, teacher tenure and student-teacher ratio, Niche rated

Single Female Homebuyers’ Fluctuating Share of the Housing Market

According to NAR’s 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, single women made up 15 percent of the overall homebuying market, as opposed to single men, who only made up 9 percent of the market. In 2013, single women

U.S., Cuba Set to Talk Property Claims

Americans want their Cuban property. Since the 1960s, when Castro first seized power, that wanting has been a symptom most convinced themselves to ignore, despite filing claims against the country. However, when representatives of Cuba and the United States meet

BLS: Economy Adds 211,000 Jobs in November

Despite adding jobs, November offered more of the same for America’s economy The U.S. economy added 211,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.0 percent, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. November’s

Despite Mortgage Rebound, Low Credit Buyers Absent

The housing market continues to struggle despite an increase in high-quality mortgages Even though houses are selling at their fastest rate since 2007, sub-700 credit score buyers are still at the same level they were mid-2010. According to a