Did you get the feeling this week that maybe the press had changed the story from “housing market in free-fall” to “housing market stabilizes, good times on tap!”? I did. Neither is accurate, in my opinion. I feel as though prices in Boston may have bottomed out, and that sales volume will remain at its [...]

Makes sense, right? Gonna build a tower out of character with the rest of Boston? Bring in an architect from out of town. Deadlines for proposals were the end of this month, I believe. Source: Hub architects: No chance for mayor’s tower – By Michelle Hillman, The Boston Business Journal Local architects fear that out-of-town [...]

An update on the real estate lives of Red Sox players, past and present: Manny Ramirez’ $6.9 million Ritz Carlton Tower condo, still for sale Pedro Martinez’ Brookline house, still for sale, at $1,895,000 Nomar Garciaparra’s Charlestown condo still for sale, at $1,200,000 Johnny Damon’s $5 million mansion is under agreement, for $4.75 million (price [...]

One way to make money in real estate? Move every two years. Basically, buy a home that needs some cosmetic improvements, buy at a discount, fix it up, and sell. Certainly, it can be more risky than other investments, but I can understand the logic. If you’re a serial homeseller, contact me. Your commissions will [...]

From the Boston Business Journal: Condo sales in Boston dropped almost 20 percent for the third quarter, and the median price fell almost 7 percent, compared to the same period last year, according to the LINK Listing Information Network. The median price of $419,000 this year also slipped below the 2004 median of $433,500. The [...]

Do you need title insurance? Well, your bank is going to take out a policy, at least for the amount of your loan. Most of the time, buyers end up getting their own policy, to fully cover their investments. Your attorney will strongly suggest you do so. Whether nor not you need a title insurance [...]

Are you selling your condo? If you are, consider using as your agent someone who lives in the building. That’s what this real estate agent advises: I’m often asked by clients whether or not they should consider hiring an agent that is also resident of their building to represent them during the sale of their [...]

The Census Bureau, after being challenged by Boston officials, acknowledged today that it had underestimated Boston’s population and released a new tally that shows the city gained residents in the first half of the decade. The bureau had earlier estimated Boston had lost some 30,000 residents between 2000 and 2005. But the new tally showed [...]

The Massachusetts economy, boosted by demand for technology products, expanded in the third quarter at twice the rate of the US, the University of Massachusetts reported. The state’s economy grew at an estimated 3.4 percent annual rate in the three-month period ended September 30, compared to a preliminary estimate of 1.6 percent nationally, UMass reported. [...]

CNN/Money is out with a new study which says Boston is one of five cities considered “bubble-proof”. Haha. We’ll see. Income trends and development restrictions have made each of these top cities safe bets for investors. Why Boston? Boston: Average annual home price appreciation (1949-2006)*: 3.0% Boston had the strongest wage growth of these cities [...]