The Kennedy’s famous home within the Kennedy compound is being donated to the nonprofit institute that Ted Kennedy had set up to study the history of the U.S. Senate.
From what we can gather from the article, this is the main home within the compound. The other properties within the larger compound will remain within the [...]

The Globe has a depressing article on how rents in Boston are now reaching record highs.
It seems almost impossible, considering the weak economy, the amount of lower-priced homes out there, and super-low mprtgage rates. You’d think rents would at least be holding steady.
But law of supply and demand is still the law of supply and [...]

Boston Real Estate Blog vaguely remembers running a variation of this ranking before. But we saw it once again over at another blog as if it were new — and we’re still shocked by its findings: Massachusetts is the second best state for foreclosure bargains.
You wouldn’t think that would be the case, considering Massachusetts didn’t [...]

The final 2011 housing market statistics are in for Massachusetts. Borrowing a line from Tom Brady, the year sucked, but the fourth quarter wasn’t all that bad.
The Warren Group reports that single-family sales were down 6 percent last year, to 38,994, the lowest figure since 1990. That’s “1990,” as in the worst year of the [...]

The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book came out yesterday with somewhat encouraging news of a “modest to moderate” economic expansion across the country. Needless to say, we didn’t know there was an apparent difference between “modest” and “moderate” growth, but we’ll take whatever’s better.
Anyway, the housing market continues to be a drag on the economy.
In New [...]

There’s a report out that the feds are about to announce a new program to sell off about 250,000 foreclosed homes to investors for rentals. The homes are now held by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHA.
No figures are available yet about how many Massachusetts homes might be involved. One assumes there has to [...]

The Warren Group is reporting that Massachusetts home sales in November were up 13 percent, a seemingly impressive number.
But it turns out the month as a whole was still comparatively weak, with 3,253 homes sold, while prices fell year-over-year by 8 percent.
Condo sales were up 7.6 percent, while prices dipped 1 percent, according to [...]

For the fourth straight month, the confidence of local Realtors has increased in Massachusetts, reflecting a small pick-up in homes sales.
Compared to the little girl in the post below, at least someone’s happy these days.
File under: Holiday spirts, redux

The Fed’s Beige Book reports that the New England region’s housing market “remains subdued.” It’s an odd choice of words. But strangely apt. … Subdued. … Try it out the next time someone asks, “Hey, how’s the housing market going?” Simply respond, “Subdued,” and walk away, as if there’s nothing else to add.
Anyway, here’s [...]