Residential Real Estate
HarborOne’s Profits Slow from Last Year
Following a busy quarter that included an acquisition and rebranding of some of its mortgage operations, the parent company of Brockton-based HarborOne Bank reported net income of $2.3 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2018, compared to $2.7 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, for the same quarter last year.
Home Renovation Spending Strong in Q1, Expected to Continue
The robust pace of spending on home renovations and repairs is expected to stay strong over the coming quarters, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity released today by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
MassHousing Provides $28M for Adaptive Reuse in Lawrence
MassHousing has closed on a total of $28.8 million in financing for the creation of a new, 180-unit affordable housing community in Lawrence, where Reed Realty Advisors will turn a section of the former Pacific Mills cotton complex into new mixed-income housing for households with a range of incomes.
Boston Home Center Awarded Grant to Continue Work on Foreclosure Prevention
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh yesterday announced the Boston Home Center has been awarded a $190,000 grant for its work on foreclosure prevention.
Building Strength on Strength
Paul Ayoub, a partner in the real estate department at the Boston-based law firm Nutter, has been named as the incoming chairman of the board of directors of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. His tenure begins July 1.
Time to Ditch Your Listing Presentation
Are you still doing a listing “presentation” where you use slides or do most of the talking? If you want to convert more listing appointments into signed listings, it’s time to shift from doing listing presentations to doing listening consultations.
Equity-Affluent Americans Have Options
Americans are awash in record amounts of equity in their homes, posing the question for millions: So what do we do with it?
Sessions Announces Initiative to Prevent Sexual Harassment in Housing
As the Department of Justice recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the nationwide rollout of an initiative aimed at increasing awareness and reporting of sexual harassment in housing.
Division of Banks Awards $1.5M for First-Time Homeownership and Foreclosure Prevention Programs
The Massachusetts Division of Banks yesterday awarded $1.5 million in grants to fund first-time homeownership counseling programs and foreclosure prevention education centers throughout the commonwealth.
Community Good Works
A veteran, a town fire department and the YMCA are all recipients of organizations giving back to their communities in this week’s roundup.
‘Tax Transcript’ Program Doesn’t Shield Borrowers’ Data
In an era of unceasing horror stories about breaches of sensitive consumer information, here’s some disquieting news for homebuyers: Federal auditors say the popular “tax transcript” program
Senate Votes to Tax Short-Term Rentals Like Hotels
The Massachusetts Senate voted 31-6 to extend the state’s lodging tax to short-term rentals offered through platforms like Airbnb, in a move senators said would generate $34.5 million in new state revenue and $25.5 million from municipal taxes.
MassHousing Closes $49.3M for Roxbury’s Whittier Choice Neighborhoods Initiative
MassHousing has closed on a total of $49.3 million in affordable housing financing to affiliates of Preservation of Affordable Housing and the Madison Park Development Corp. to support the ongoing first phase of the Whittier Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.
62-Unit Housing Complex in Downtown Haverhill Gets Financing
MassHousing has closed on $1.6 million in financing to the nonprofit Affordable Housing and Services Collaborative Inc. and Peabody Properties Inc. to support the construction of a new 62-unit, mixed-income development in downtown Haverhill.
HarborOne Consolidates Mortgage Operations Under Bank Brand
After a busy start to the year, HarborOne Bank will streamline its mortgage business by putting all of its operations under one roof.
MAR Comes Out in Opposition to Baker’s Energy Efficiency Grade Bill
The Massachusetts Association of Realtors yesterday came out in opposition to a proposed bill by Gov. Charlie Baker that would make the commonwealth the first state to require home sellers to share energy efficiency grades for their houses with potential buyers.
Next Phase of 1,200-Home Plymouth Development Set to Break Ground
A 184-unit apartment community is scheduled to break ground this spring in the fourth phase of cranberry grower A.D. Makepeace’s 1,200-home Redbrook development in Plymouth.
Sagan Realtors Merges with Harborside Sotheby’s International
Sagan Realtors and Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty have merged and will now operate as Sagan Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. The merger strengthens the agency’s presence in Swampscott and Marblehead and further expands its reach across Essex County.
Average Home in Massachusetts Requires Income of $101K
To afford an average home in Massachusetts based on a 30-year mortgage and 10 percent down, one would need to make a salary of $101,320, according to a recent study by HowMuch.net.
Commerce Secretary Buys Home in Berkshires
The Berkshire Eagle reports Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross Jr. has purchased a Revolutionary War-era home on 18 acres in Great Barrington.
