Residential Real Estate
Unlocking Homeownership: Webster First FCU’s Guide to Mortgage Solutions
The process of buying a house may seem foreign to someone who is doing it for the first time. Without knowing all the mortgage lingo or documents, it can feel scary signing your name to something. That’s why Webster First has tried to break down the process in a simple way that first time buyers can understand.
Survey: RE Agents Open to Changing Affiliations
The latest report from Coldwell Banker found that 67 percent of real estate agents plan on staying with their current company this year, a significant drop from the 75 percent who said the same last year.
Federal Reserve Declines to Cut Interest Rates, Cites Continued Inflation
As expected, the Federal Reserve did not reduce the benchmark lending rate at its meeting yesterday, maintaining the rate at a 23-year high.
Guv Appeals to Biz to Join Housing Fight
As more communities in eastern Massachusetts show a willingness to defy the state’s new multifamily zoning law, Gov. Maura Healey on Tuesday tried to draft business executives into her efforts to shore up support for measures meant to spur badly-needed housing production.
Funding Secured for Multifamily Development in Wakefield
JLL Capital Markets has arranged capitalization for a new, 440-unit development to be built on the shore of Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield.
Powell Likely to Signal Lower Inflation Is Needed Before Fed Will Cut Rates
After three straight hotter-than-expected inflation reports, Federal Reserve officials have turned more cautious about the prospect of interest rate cuts this year.
Court Rulings May Force Action On Home Equity Theft
After a state judge ruled this month that Massachusetts law governing municipal home equity takings “requires Legislative correction,” a state senator who has filed a related bill for years said Monday that he was ready to start demanding roll call votes on his proposal.
Douglas Elliman Settles Commission Lawsuits
Luxury brokerage Douglas Elliman has become the latest brokerage to join in the National Association of Realtors’ commission lawsuit settlement.
Mass. Climate Bank Launches First Homeowner Loan Product
The product will make $20 million in loans available over the next two years to help homeowners cover the costs of things like heat pumps, electric vehicle charging stations, weatherization, and more.
Insurance Is the Wild Card for Some Buyers
When it comes to buying a house, the elephant in the room is not the price. It’s not the mortgage rates. It’s not even the property tax. It’s the insurance.
Report: HomeServices to Settle Commission Lawsuits
The last major brokerage still locked in a court battle over real estate agent commissions appears to be waving a white flag.
NAR Settlement Gets Preliminary OK
The judge in the lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors over real estate agent commissions has given his preliminary approval to a settlement in the case, signalling that a new future for how agents are compensated is clearly on the horizon.
Company Behind Big New Listings Portal Buys Matterport
CoStar Group, the real estate information company behind Homes.com, has inked a deal to buy the 3D camera company many real estate agents rely on to promote their listings.
Greater Boston Luxury Listings on the Rise
Numbers of new listings at the very high end of the Greater Boston home-sale market are on the rise, even as sales totals lagged in the market’s traditional downtown-area core in the first quarter.
MAR to Push for Transfer Tax Alternatives on Beacon Hill
In less than two months, hundreds of Realtors from across the commonwealth will gather under the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House. Here’s what we’ll be calling for.
Boston’s Luxury Condo Market Still Cold
Red hot for years, has the Boston luxury condo market finally lost its sizzle? It looks like it – and developers’ ability to offer cash back at closing could be keeping prices from coming down.
How to Get a One-of-a-Kind Home, The Easy Way
Even though I live in a custom-designed house, I don’t recommend designing your own place from scratch. It’s not for everyone.
Remodeling Forecast Says Spending Will Decline This Year
The latest forecast from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing predicts that a slump in Americans’ remodeling spending may be in store this year.
GSIR, Cronin Group Settle Lawsuit
One of Boston’s prominent luxury brokerages and the developer behind a new Seaport District condominium tower have buried the hatchet in a dispute over allegedly unpaid sales commissions.
Mass. Home Prices Kept Rising in March
Year-to-date, there have been 3,482 condo sales, a 6.2 percent decrease from the first three months of 2023 with a median sale price of $520,000, an 8.3 percent increase on the same basis.
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