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 family. The main building will be used for scholarly research and conferences, according to the article.

Kennedy’s late mother, Rose, apparently wanted it this way.

File under: Sad day

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 demand. Many people just don’t feel comfortable about buying homes in this fragile economy, opting to rent instead, thus driving up demand for a limited supply of rental units. The result is higher prices.

The answers to the problem: A stronger economy, more people buying homes, less people renting, and contractors building more housing units. But all of that, needless to say, is easier said than done.

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 have a housing slump nearly as bad as what was experienced in other states. But it makes sense, somewhat counter-intuitively, precisely because we have a stronger housing market. Read the post and you decide.

File under: Still looking for that six-bedroom foreclosure bargain in Dover

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 recession following the collapse of the Massachusetts Miracle. Yikes. That ain’t good.

Prices were off about 3 percent, the Warren Group reported. But there was a bright spot in 2011: Fourth quarter numbers were stronger. The economy also seems to be strengthening. So there’s hope heading into the spring sales season.

File under: Go Pats!