Massachusetts Real Estate News & Opinion by Claudette Millette

The number of home sales in Massachusetts rose slightly in August while the rate of foreclosures fell sharply.  In what some may say is a signal of this region's housing market recovery, sales of single-family homes rose two percent for the second consecutive month.  "This is a modest increase in...

When buying a home in Massachusetts, you need to be aware of your rights and also of the responsibilities of the selling party.  With guidance from your buyer broker, you should set up and attend a home inspection to ensure that the property has no major structural problems.   But, what happens a...

Massachusetts home buyers have a valuable protection mechanism that is available to them at the time of their home purchase.   It is called a Declaration of Homestead.   For most of us, our house is the biggest investment we will make and the largest asset we own.  It's also the place we call hom...

In the interest of creating a better environment, new legislation that is along the lines of the Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade Bill is scheduled to be unveiled by the end of the month.  The bill will include language for a new National Building Code calling for homes to be more energy efficient.  W...

George V. Brown Statue At the official starting point of the Boston Marathon, on the Common in Hopkinton MA, George V. Brown stands ready, to signal the start of the annual race.  Known as Hopkinton's "First Citizen of Sport," he served as the starter for the Boston Marathon for 33 years.  For 1...

The ever-rising number of foreclosures has created a new term in the real estate lexicon: "foreclosure pets."  Not only are distressed property owners suffering as they are being forced to vacate their homes but also a growing number of cats and dogs are being left to fend for themselves.   The S...

There is a crispness in the air and the weather is changing.   At 5:19 p.m. on Tuesday, when the sun passes halfway between its summer high point and winter low, autumn will have officially arrived. It's the end of the summer and the beginning of a new season.   Call it autumn, harvest or fall -...

The issue of Casino Gambling in Massachusetts has had new life breathed into it this week. House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo has said that he has "expanded his thinking" and would like to see resort casinos implemented in Massachusetts.  Prior to this he had only supported the idea of slot machines a...

For home buyers in the Greater Boston, Massachusetts area a jumbo loan means one that exceeds $523,750.  Over the past two years, rates on these loans have skyrocketed, effectively putting a damper on this end of the real estate market.   Home buyers with large mortgages are now getting some reli...

In something I see as an expanding snowball effect, the sentiment for extending the Home Buyer Tax Credit is growing daily.  It is beginning to feel more like fear now that if this snowball is allowed to melt, home sales will fall into a black hole.   The IRS recently reported that over 1.4 milli...