According to data released by The Warren Group, the number of single-family home sales last year was the lowest in a decade. Condo sales, however, remained strong: Condominium sales were second only to 2005′s record year. In December, 8.2 percent fewer condos were sold statewide than a year earlier, but prices increased 1.9 percent, an [...]

If you want to search all the MLS listings, go here. Unfortunately, due to MLS regulations, you aren’t able to get all the available information, this way. If you want all the details on a specific property, you’ll have to sign-up with me, by giving me an email address. Then, you can log-in and search [...]

It’s one of the most popular questions I get. Should I pay points or pay a higher interest rate? I don’t know. Truth be told, whenever I’ve read about the issue, my eyes end up glazing over, I lose interest, I end up taking a nap. Here, in a nutshell, is the difference, and when [...]

It’s one of the most popular questions I get. “What’s the difference between pre-approval and pre-qualification?” Let’s ask the experts! Michael L. Moskowitz, president of Equity Now, says that pre-qualification means, “based upon income, asset, liability, and personal information a borrower has provided, a lender will indicate how much of a mortgage the borrower should [...]

PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. reports that its Market Risk Index scores have increased for 34 of the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas. The scores measure the risk that home prices will decline in the next two years. Nineteen MSAs face a greater than 50 percent chance that home prices will fall, up from 18 [...]

Economics, probably. While there might be some who feel they should have a right to rent or buy wherever they want (free market, be damned), most people understand that it’s just not going to be possible to buy a two-bedroom, 1,000 square foot condo in the Back Bay for $300,000, and that they’ll have to [...]

The answer’s simple. Don’t use the seller’s agent as your agent! Don’t. Makes sense, right? Yet, people do it, all the time. Smart people. Unfortunately, things can go wrong. Very wrong. From Inman News, by way of the Boston Globe: DEAR BOB: We got ripped off when buying our first home last November. Our first [...]

Well, how dare they. New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch is throwing down the economic gauntlet, urging Massachusetts businesses to expand their operations in the Granite State. New Hampshire has launched its first-ever radio campaign in Boston that specifically touts its low taxes, pro-business policies, schools and “quality of life” in an attempt to lure Bay [...]

There is an open house tonight, Wednesday, January 24th, from 5:00 – 7:00 at Ten West Street, a new condo conversion around the corner from the Boston Common, in the Downtown Crossing / Ladder District. Prices for one-bedroom, 700-800 square foot homes are in the mid- to high-$400,000s.

I updated the “Properties to come” data to include information on all the new developments proposed for the city of Boston. You can find it in the middle column, toward the bottom. I tried to include as many developments as possible; if you know of any I’ve missed, let me know and I’ll find out [...]