As we enter into the last month of 2008 (for some not soon enough). Do you as real estate blog reader have any predictions for the up-coming year.
* Will foreclosures bottom out?
* Will mortgage rates rise or fall?
* Will Boston condo buyers that are on the fence begin to buy?
* How will the luxury Boston condo [...]

According to MLS data the Boston Waterfront is showing signs of strength. Comparing 1/1/08 – 11/30/08 with the same months in 2007.
2008 – Boston Waterfront
Number of condo sales – 103
Avg. list price – $1,126,433.00
Avg. sales price – $1,067,617.00
Avg. days on the market – 145.11
___________________________________
2007 – Boston Waterfront
Number of condo sales – 91
Avg. list price – $944,830.00
Avg. sales [...]

The following is from the  Boston Business Journal regarding a Boston mortgage fraud scheme.
North Andover, Mass., woman who was an unindicted co-conspirator in what the government alleges was an extensive mortgage fraud scheme pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to four counts of wire fraud.
Elizabeth Son, 26, was a “straw” buyer in the operation, according to [...]

Amy e-mailed me requesting 3 months sales data for Back Bay condos. Here are the results:
Back Bay sales from 9/1/08 – 11/30/08
87 Back Bay condo sold.
Avg. asking price $1,158,455.00
Avg. sales price $1,099,503.00
Avg. days on the market 113.06
* These numbers do not include the Mandarin per Amy’s request. She also requested to compare 2008 to 2007 for the [...]

In the month of November 2008, 182 Boston condos sold and 216 Boston condos went under agreement according to MLS. Out of the 182 Boston condos that sold 8 were bank owned.
The average list price of sold condos was $429,955.00
The average sales price of condos sold was $408,883.00
Average days on the market: 108.88
6 out of the 8 bank [...]

Today’s Boston Herald has an article written by Jerry Kronenberg regarding the changes in conforming mortgage rates.
As of Jan. 1, the jumbo-conforming limit for Eastern Massachusetts borrowers will fall to as low as $417,000, down from as high as $729,750 today. (Rates vary by county.)
That’s bad news if you need, say, $500,000 to buy or refinance [...]

This morning, I took a walk down Boylston Street and I noticed a few changes that are taken place with retail shops. I was wondering, how many of these changes regarding commercial retail spaces are due to the residential real estate market?
334 Boylston Street – The building is vacant. This is the site that real estate developers want to build luxury condos. No [...]

 
Today one of my buyers called me to see if she should pay extra on her home inspection for a radon test. She also asked me what is radon and how dangerous is it.
According to the EPA radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. Radon forms naturally from radioactive decay of uranium deposits within the soils of [...]

This Sunday’s Boston Globe Magazine (11/30/08) will name www.bostonreb.com as one of Boston’s top must read websites. The article in entitled ”Sixty-four websites on Boston life that you should know”
Click in the link below to read the full article.
Boston Globe Magazine – Boston real estate
We have the dubious honor to lay below  follow www.boston.lesbiannightlife.com in the rankings.
Thank you John Keith for your [...]

For several weeks in a row the number of new Boston condos coming on the market lags compared to the number of Boston condos selling or going under agreement.
Below are new Boston condo stats from the last seven days:
Number of new Boston condos listed on MLS – 17 (MLS has also has 6 other listings that were [...]