Scott’s post on the starter-home market in Massachusetts prompted Rona to post: “True starter homes are a big mistake for buyers.”

 She proceeds to list all the logical reasons why. But what do you think? There are times when starter-homes are necessary – or illogically logical. People want to move into a desirable neighborhood or [...]

 The link below are highlights for the new movie called American Casino.
http://www.filmforum.org/films/casinotrailer.html

This morning I was reading the  Small Property Owners Association Newsletter and I came across this story.
An East Cambridge owner of a two-family property reports that she rented out her three- bedroom unit upstairs to a single man who truned around and re-rented the unit to four students, charging them in total more than the rent [...]

The upcoming auction of 10 units in a deluxe Back Bay complex – with minimum bids topping $1 million – is being widely watched by developers and brokers to see whether the aggressive strategy spurs or depresses sales in the city’s ritziest neighborhoods.
Accelerated Marketing Partners on Oct. 17 will auction 10 units of the Bryant [...]

The Back  Bay Bryant auction is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, 2009 at the Colonnade Hotel. According to the Bryant Back Bay web site unit # 505 which is a 3 bed/3 bath will have a min bid $1,075,000.00 which is a -48% slash in the original asking price.
More info Back Bay Bryant Auction

In the last 60 days several Back Bay condo sales were in bidding wars.
Here are a few examples at various price points:
295-297 Beacon Street #1 – Asking price $399,000.00 – sold for $405,000.00
4 Charlesgate #303 – Asking price $498,000.00 – sold for $509,000.00
382 Marlborough #2 – Asking price $699,000.00 – sold for $700,000.00
287 Marlborough Street – [...]

 Developer Frank Keefe goes to bat for the proposed Boston Museum on Parcel 9 near Haymarket along the Rose Kennedy Greenway. He’s not impressed with a competing bid for residential housing:
 
“Why would you put housing surrounded by non-housing uses plagued by a very dirty, smelly, noisy Haymarket venue? … It’s just not a good housing site, [...]

MLS shows three (3) Boston Waterfront condos that have sold in the last two weeks. Two sold at asking price in a short period of time. The other well…….
80 Broad Street #402 (The Folio)
First listed on 5/6/08 – $879,000.00
Price change 6/9/08 – $847,000.00
Price change 7/1/08 – $835,000.00
Price change 12/3/08 – $795,000.00
Price change 3/3/09 – $695,000.00
Sold [...]

Fewer Bay State properties were foreclosed on in August compared to the prior month and also compared to August 2008, according to The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman.
There were 658 foreclosure deeds recorded in August, down 34.5 percent from 1,005 in August 2008 and 4.4 percent lower than the 688 deeds in July, [...]

Senate Bill extends homebuyer tax credit for six months.
The following is from housingwire.com:
A senate bill introduced late Thursday would extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit for six months after its current November 30 expiration date.
Maryland Democrat Sen. Benjamin Cardin introduced S.B. 1678, and it is co-sponsored by senators John Ensign (R-Nev.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), [...]