The Herald checks out the new Lincoln-Kennedy condo complex in Medford. Without inspecting them, it’s hard to say if the units are priced right (though the photos are flattering). But the site is definitely right — just blocks from Tufts University and Ball Square. Now imagine the proposed Green Line extension (see map) running and [...]

Frances Louis’s “moral” claim to move into an empty foreclosed unit in Roxbury is philosophically dubious and flatly illegal — but it’s producing results. The bank is backing down. In the process, maybe the Wisconsin bank has stumbled on a partial short-term solution of transferring foreclosed properties before confrontations develop. Read and discuss.

Housing economist Thomas Lawler on CNBC yesterday morning.
“It is virtual certainty that [foreclosure] sales will pick up. Various moratoria has actually diminished the pace of sales, but as people try to see who can qualify for the modification program. But the backlog of loans in foreclosure are rising, and foreclosure sales will 100% pickup, we [...]

Here is an interesting story.
Glen Pizzolorusso got his start in the mortgage industry in his father’s company, at age 14. Still in his 20s, by 2007 he’d worked his way up to running his own sales team, making $100,000 a month and helping to inflate the bubble that became the current global economic crisis. When [...]

Existing home-sales fell in August after making strong gains in the summer months. The National Association of Realtors says sales fell 2.7 percent last month to a 5.10 annual rate. Economists had expected home sales to rise to 5.35 million
From NAR economist Lawrence Yun:
Home sales retrenched from a very strong improvement in July but [...]

Sean Haire captured the scene this morning at the Reservoir T stop.
Source:UniversalHub

One of my favorite blogs The Daily Beast has an article on 25 colleges with the worst crime rankings.
The following are Massachusetts colleges that were mentioned in the article.
1. Emerson College ranked #1
2. Tufts University was ranked #4
3. MIT was ranked #5
4. Fitchburg State ranked #11
5. Springfield College ranked #17
6. Harvard University ranked #20
* Harvard [...]

The following are some of my thoughts on the Bryant luxury condo auction. Let me start with the positive.
1. I think it’s in a great location, close walking distance to both the heart of Back Bay and the South End.
2. One feature I liked was that all the units have direct elevator access to [...]

The Bay Villiage Neighborhood Association appears to support transforming 100 Arlington Street from a charter school into an office tower. The choice was never about housing. It was going to be either a hotel or offices.

Linda and I (Linda is an agent that works in my office) are on our way to preview the Bryant Back Bay luxury condos for a client of ours. I’ll give you an update on our thoughts on my next blog post.