News / Features
Americans love being single, according to new Census Bureau data, and that trend will likely impact housing in noticeable ways. For the first time since the government began tracking such statistics in 1976, there are more single adults in
Fannie and Freddie are close to lowering their down payment requirements for borrowers. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored entities (GSE) that guarantee the majority of the nation’s prime mortgages, are nearing an agreement that would lower their
Today’s agent doesn’t look busy unless they’re multitasking. Unfortunately, that frantic lifestyle may be hurting their brains. A smartphone in one hand, tablet in the other, Bluetooth in the ear and a laptop in the car seat – the
The National Association of Realtors is launching the very first domain name to be used strictly by real estate professionals: .REALTOR. Originally announced in June 2012, the domain name will launch on Oct. 23. Plus, NAR is offering the
The new construction markets are in a very interesting place, a fact reinforced by the latest Census Bureau numbers. Housing starts in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.017 million, a 6.3 percent increase from August’s revised
The manner in which prospective homebuyers locate their new residences has changed quite a bit in just 10 years time. The year was 2004, and real estate agents and yard signs were the prevailing method for consumers to find
Three years later, the government is finally set to reveal its new requirements for mortgages, and much has changed in the interim. The government is set to finalize the final piece of its post-bubble mortgage regulations on Oct. 22,
When conditions are right, owning in our area is much more affordable than renting. Homeownership in the Boston area remains 30 percent more affordable than renting through 2014’s third quarter, according to a new analysis by Trulia; that’s slightly above
Cash sales are down, which means good things for hopeful buyers needing mortgage financing. Earlier this week, CoreLogic released its July cash sales report, finding that investors are continuing to flee the market, paving the way for buyers more
Women have always played an important role in real estate, and new numbers show their prominence has only grown. The number of women-owned firms in real estate has grown by 41.4 percent in the last 12 years according to
The nation’s distressed housing market has improved quite a bit in the last year, and that progress is also clear here in Massachusetts. Distressed home sales in the U.S. have fallen from 17 percent of all existing-home sales to just
There are many important factors influencing housing today, but recent analysis suggests two will have an outsized effect on the industry. The future is good for housing. That was the conclusion of a recent analysis by Goldman Sachs, which
Affordable housing has been missing in action lately, and the Mayor Walsh is trying to find it. Middle class housing in the post-bubble housing market has become increasingly rare in the city of Boston, but new plans for the city
We often hear about how the nation’s mortgage markets need reform, but the solution could come from the most unexpected source. One of the most common refrains in the post-bubble housing market has involved lending standards, and that if
Though the elusive shadow inventory has dwindled, forthcoming changes to mortgage debt relief could lead to a swell in foreclosures over the next year. Trudging through the sludge of economic debris left over from the cataclysmic crisis that sent the U.S.
All research points to Hispanic consumers having an outsized effect on the U.S. housing market in the coming years. Hispanics are the fast-growing group of homebuyers in America, and they will hold significant sway over where our housing market