The spring real estate market in Massachusetts so far is looking like a bust.
The number of homes and condominiums that sold in April plummeted and prices dropped as well, as the housing market showed no sign of shaking off its doldrums. Local agents say the slow start to the crucial spring season has several causes, [...]

Boston condos that were sold for $500,000 or less.
1/1/08 – 5/27/08 Boston condos that sold for $500,000 or less 846
1/1/09 – 5/27/09 Boston condos that sold for $500,000 or less 746
Source: MLS

In real estate we have already seen the value of newspapers virtually disappear in terms their power to attract buyers. The following chart is one that I recommend every agent have on hand during a listing appointment. It clearly shows where buyers are finding the homes they buy, and it’s not the newspaper

Housing experts routinely point out that bank-owned and other distressed property sales are dragging down home values in many parts of the country.
What’s happening here in Massachusetts?
The Warren Group reported yesterday that median price for single-family homes sold in Massachusetts during the first four months of 2009 was $257,450. If the lender-owned single-family [...]

Now for rest of the story – From the Huffington Post.
Remember the harrowing story of Edmund Andrews, the New York Times economics reporter who got himself into a debt nightmare and defaulted on his mortgage? He has a book out about it and a big excerpt in last week’s Magazine. He’s also all over radio [...]

Single-family home sales in Massachusetts fell to their lowest level for the month of April since 1990, and the median price for homes sold in April dropped 13.1 percent to $265,000 from $305,000 last year, according to a report issued today by the Warren Group.
Read More: The Boston Globe

The LA Times has an article today on the shrinking ranks of real estate agents. The number of agents tends to rise and fall with the housing sector’s health, but the LA Times explores whether this time the ranks will recover with the market. Much of the information once controlled by agents is now available [...]

Who among us can resist a good real-estate ad? And who hasn’t had a laugh reading a clumsy attempt to make the uninhabitable sound irresistible? The very plasticity of the form may be why the writers of so many listings fail.
New York Times
Property poetry or brokerbabble?

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors is scheduled to release a report on home prices and sales for April this week.
Economists expect the S&P/Case-Shiller report to show the decline in home prices that began almost three years ago is moderating.
Looking to buy a Boston condo. Visit our web site for the most updated listings for sale [...]

For those looking to buy a Boston luxury condo, If you choose to seek a jumbo loan, expect to need; a 20-25% down payment, a credit score in the 700 range, and six months’ payments in liquid assets to qualify.
Here’s a good video about the jumbo loan financing situation:

Looking to buy a Boston luxury [...]