From the New York Times:
SOME of the buyers who thought they would be moving into new condominiums in the region this year are finding that those plans are in ruins as they are being forced to walk away from the hefty down payments they made a year or more ago.
They can’t complete their deals [...]

This is an alarming statistic. The average family in the United States spends 60% of their income on housing and transportation according to HUD.
The average working American family spends nearly 60 percent of its budget on housing and transportation costs, making these two areas the largest expenses for American families. Donovan and LaHood want to [...]

Comparing Boston condo sales from 1/1/08 – 3/21/08 with the same dates in ‘09.
1/1/08 – 3/21/08
Number of sales – 750
Avg. sales price – $520,599.00
Median sales price – $353,500.00
Avg. sq ft price – $495.00
Days on the market – 113
1/1/09 – 3/21/09
Number of sales – 521
Avg. sales price – $428,447.00
Median sales price – $295,000
Avg. sq ft price [...]

Boston condo list price per neighborhood:
Back Bay Condos
Number of listings – 238
Avg. list price -$1,809,938.00
Beacon Hill condos
Number of listings – 79
Avg. list price – $1,209,759
Charlestown condos
Number of listings – 150
Avg. list price – $508,889.00
Fenway condos
Number of listings – 46
Avg. list price – $370,302
J.P. Condos
Number of listings – 123
Avg. list price – $406,186.00
Leather District
Number of listings [...]

I just checked MLS and the Ritz Towers has 19 condos up for sale. That to me sounds like a lot of condos for sale.

I’m not sure if this is a common story or not, but here it is:
One of my agents (yes I have two agents) just put a three-family under agreement in Somerville for $550,000. The buyers have good credit and are approved for a loan amount of over $550,000. The process was going smooth until the [...]

Bank regulators closed three banks Friday, marking the 18th, 19th and 20th failures this year.

From the Boston Courant:
Unlike stores on Newbury Street and in Downtown Crossing, the recession has not forced businesses on Charles Street to permanently close their doors.
Joe Govern, a real estate associate at Street & Co., said that the smaller spaces likely allow owners to stay in business longer because they pay less in rent.

Here is a sample of several emails some of my landlords have received in the last few months.
I regretfully inform you that my organization laid off several people on Friday, myself included. I am very disappointed in this situation as I was dedicated and hard working, unfortunately I was also among the least tenured employees. [...]