Who’s Paul Nawrocki you ask? Well, he’s been followed by the print media in his quest to find a job. Paul Nawrocki — was looking for a job without much success, and had taken to using a 1930s style sandwich board that said “Almost Homeless.”
He declared bankruptcy last year, lived on food stamps, fell behind [...]

The U.S. homeownership rate has slumped to its lowest level since the first quarter of 2000.
But look at the graphic within the above link and it’s somewhat surprising to see that the rate is still not that much higher than what it was in 1965 (67.1 percent versus 63 percent). One would think the [...]

This was an email sent to me by a reader who read this in the WSJ:
Whether or not the housing market can stand on its own will provide a valuable insight into the broader recovery’s ability to keep going when the Obama administration’s stimulus package peters out around the end of the year.
“That’s the nagging [...]

The following are some random quotes that I’ve heard and read regarding real estate, the economy and other misc items.
From the subprime mess: “A rolling loan gathers no loss.”
“Markets climb up a wall of worry and sail down a river of hope.”
“How to make a million in the stock market? Simple start with 2 million.”
“Every [...]

An update on the Mandarin: The good news, according to MLS, three luxury condos are under agreement in the building. The bad news: it appears at least two out of the three owners at the Mandarin will be taking a loss on the sale.
File Under: Mary this one’s for you.

Did you attend a Sunday Open House yesterday? If so, let us know what you’re seeing out there: crowd sizes, market conditions, good deals or not.

Statistics 2006 1st Q
Condos Sold: 70
Avg. $: $1,696,513
Median $: $1,415,000
Avg. $/SF: $799
Avg. DOM: 131
Statistics 2007 1st Q
Condos Sold: 97
Avg. $: $1,861,456
Median $: $1,425,000
Avg. $/SF: $851
Avg. DOM: 173
Statistics 2008 1st Q
Condos Sold: 91
Avg. $: $2,060,229
Median $: $1,530,000
Avg. $/SF: $869
Avg. DOM: 113
Statistics [...]

January 2009 to April 25 2009, there were 13 Boston condos that sold for $1,000 per sq ft. or more.
1. 108 Peterborough St #3A – Fenway
2. 100 Chestnut St. #1 – Beacon Hill
3. One Charles St #4B – Back Bay
4. Trinity Place #601 – Back Bay
5. Trinity Place #403 – Back Bay
6. The Mandarin E-H [...]

The number of licensed appraisal trainees in Massachusetts has declined more than 70 percent in recent years. Some are worried that the drop poses a long-term threat and could lead to increased fees paid to appraisers.
Between February 2007 and February 2009, the number of licensed trainees in Massachusetts has fallen to 470 from 1,648, [...]

Somehow we don’t think Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen are going to be winning a Green Building Award for their new 20,000-square-foot, six-car gagage mansion in California. But we could be wrong.
File under: Green with envy.