Massachusetts single-family home sales rose in January 2011 compared to a year ago, by about 5 percent, the best January for home sales in four years. Condo sales, according to Warren Group January data, have fallen off a cliff — down 18.5% from a year earlier.
The Warren Group’s data, as reported in the Boston Globe, [...]

Today, Massachusetts Association of Realtors released the December 2010 and Year-end housing numbers. This is the first time that year-over-year monthly sales went up since June, which was the final month to close on a home and qualify for the home buyer tax credit. The other news is that December median prices went [...]

The Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors came out with a new study on why buyers purchased homes in 2010. The following are some of their findings:
* A new study on Massachusetts home buyers and sellers found that the top (36%) motivating factor cited by home buyers for the purchase of a home in 2010 was simply [...]

After an up-and-down year which saw sales, and optimism, surge in the spring only to suffer setbacks in the fall, realtors, brokers and others on the residential side of the market are showing guarded optimism for 2011 according to Banker & Tradesman Realtor survey. Here are more detailed results from what we reported yesterday.
Overall economic outlook:
60% [...]

The HomeGain blog released its fourth quarter survey of homeowner and realtor sentiment. Not sure how good a predictor this info is, but it is interesting to note that Massachusetts real estate pros and homeowners are more likely to think home values will increase in 2011 than many in the country. You can think of [...]

Nearly 10,000 residences have been foreclosed upon in Massachusetts from the beginning of the year through Aug. 31, already topping the 9,269 foreclosures that took place in 2009.

Massachusetts home sales over the first eight months of 2010 are up more than 9 percent over the comparable period in 2009. In addition, the median price of a single-family home is up 3.9 percent in August to $315,000 from $303,000 a year earlier.
On a month-to-month basis, condominium sales were up 13.2 percent compared to [...]

The real estate quote of the day is from a Cape Cod Realtor.
Since I arrived to the Cape Cod shore, I’m happy to list ‘em ‘n twist ‘em. When man stops wanting ocean-front, it’ll be because they’ve paved the ocean.

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors says pending single-family home sales dropped by 10 percent in August, compared with last year.
But the group’s president, Kevin Sears, says a federal tax credit inflated last year’s sales, making that 10 percent drop less worrisome.
Excerpt from the Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors:
The number of condos put under agreement in August [...]

Banker & Tradesman has an interesting story today on how Massachusetts real estate agents are having a hard time telling/convincing sellers now is the time to reduce your asking price:
This past Labor Day weekend, real estate agents may have had more sympathy for drivers stuck in the annual six mile pile-up around the Bourne Bridge: The housing [...]