Journal
Notes from the Greater Boston market
Practical guidance on buying, renting, and investing here — written the way I explain things to my own clients: plainly, honestly, and with the caveats included.
Boston Leaf and Yard Waste: Paper Bags and the 6 a.m. Rule
How Boston collects leaf and yard waste: paper bags or stickered barrels, tied branches, curbside by 6 a.m., and buildings the City doesn't serve.
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Mortgage Servicing Transfer: Notice and the 60 Days
12 CFR 1024.33 sets when your mortgage servicer must tell you about a transfer and protects on-time payments sent to the old servicer for 60 days.
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Massachusetts Home Inspector: License and Insurance
Massachusetts law requires a home inspector to be licensed and to carry an errors and omissions policy. What M.G.L. c. 112 says.
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Mortgage Points: When the IRS Lets You Deduct Them
The IRS says mortgage points on a principal residence may be deductible in the year you pay them if they meet its list. What the list says.
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FIRPTA Withholding: The Buyer Holds Back 15%
The IRS says that when the seller is a foreign person, the buyer usually withholds 15% of the amount realized.
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Mortgage Rate Lock: What It Holds and What to Ask
The CFPB says a rate lock keeps your rate from changing between offer and closing, typically for 30, 45 or 60 days.
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HomeReady Loans: The 80% of Area Median Income Limit
Fannie Mae's Selling Guide caps HomeReady borrower income at 80% of the area median income for the property's location.
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Boston on Oct 12: What the City Switches Off
City offices, libraries and BCYF centers are closed on Indigenous Peoples Day, Oct 12.
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Closing Disclosure: The Three-Business-Day Wait
Under 12 CFR 1026.19(f), your lender must make sure you receive the Closing Disclosure no later than three business days before closing.
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Allston-Brighton vs Brookline: What One Boundary Line Changes
They touch on the map, but Allston and Brighton are City of Boston neighborhoods and Brookline is a separate town. That line changes which rules apply to you and how schools are assigned. Index values, Green Line coverage, and published rules only.
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Back Bay vs South End: About 24% Apart, and Almost Identical Over Five Years
The two areas downtown condo buyers usually end up choosing between. On Zillow's index Back Bay is about 24% higher, yet five-year movement is +4.0% against +4.2%. And in both, you cannot change the exterior as you please.
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An FHA Appraisal Is Not a Home Inspection
HUD's buyer form says an FHA appraisal estimates value for your lender and doesn't replace a home inspection, and that FHA can't lend or give you…
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Quincy vs Malden: Essentially the Same Price, Two Different Subway Lines
On Zillow's index the two cities are less than 1% apart. What separates them is not price — it is which rapid transit line you end up riding, and how each district publishes its school assignment rules.
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Seller-Paid Closing Costs Have a Fannie Mae Cap
On a Fannie Mae loan for a principal residence or second home, seller contributions to your closing costs are capped at 3%, 6% or 9% of the lower of…
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Payoff Statements and Discharges When You Sell in MA
M.G.L. c. 183 gives a lender 5 business days to send a payoff statement after a written request and 45 days after payment to record the discharge or…
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FHA's 3.5% Down Payment Needs a 580 Credit Score
FHA's minimum down payment is 3.5%, but only for buyers with a minimum decision credit score of 580 or higher.
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Your Loan Estimate's 10-Business-Day Clock
A Loan Estimate's quoted terms only have to be honored if you tell your lender you want to move forward within 10 business days of when it was mailed…
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Boston's Food Waste Pickup Goes Every Other Week
Boston says its free curbside food waste collection shifts to an every other week schedule on October 5, 2026, running in two zones that residents…
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When a Notice to a Tenant Is Presumed a Reprisal
M.G.L. c. 186, § 18 presumes that a notice of termination other than one for nonpayment of rent, a rent increase or a substantial change in the terms…
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Owner's Title Insurance and What a Seller Can't Do
Federal law bars a seller from requiring that a buyer purchase title insurance from a particular company as a condition of selling, with damages of…
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Boston's Three-Hour Rule for Shoveling Your Sidewalk
Boston property owners have three hours after snowfall ends to clear sidewalks and curb ramps, or three hours after sunrise when it snows overnight…
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The IRS Limit on Deducting Your Mortgage Interest
IRS Publication 936 for 2025 returns caps the home mortgage interest deduction at the first $750,000 of debt, or $375,000 filing separately, with a…
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What a VA-Backed Purchase Loan Costs Up Front
A VA-backed purchase loan often asks for no down payment when your entitlement is full and the sales price isn't above the appraised value, and it…
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Proposition 2½ Caps the City's Total Levy
Proposition 2½ limits what a Massachusetts city or town raises in property taxes overall: a levy ceiling of 2.5% of taxable value and a levy limit of…
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How to Get Boston to Plant a Street Tree Out Front
Boston's Urban Forestry Division plants street trees in spring and in fall, from October through December, and keeps an inventory of almost 40,000.
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What Happens to Your Deposit If You Walk From a P&S
In Kelly v. Marx (1999) the Massachusetts SJC let sellers keep a $17,750 deposit, five percent of a $355,000 price, after the buyers backed out of…
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A Walk Past Boston's Flood Barriers on Sept 30
The City of Boston holds its third annual Deployables Day Walking Tour on Sept 30, 2026, starting at Martin's Park at 11 a.m.
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Freddie Mac's 30-Year Average Reaches 7.03%
Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey put the 30-year fixed average at 7.03% for the week of Sept 24, 2026, up from 6.95%.
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What the Registry Charges to Record Your Closing
The Massachusetts Registry of Deeds Fee Schedule charges $155 to record a deed, $205 for a mortgage, $105 for a discharge, $80 for a municipal lien…
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Reserving a Moving Truck Spot in Boston
A one-day Boston moving truck permit costs $69 online for two spaces without meters and includes the signs.
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Boston's Fall Tax Bill Is Due November 1
Boston issues the second quarter preliminary real estate tax bill October 1, but it's due November 1, and November 2 this year.
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What Your Lender Checks on Your Home Insurance
Fannie Mae caps the deductible at 5% of the coverage amount and lists eight perils a policy has to cover. What to line up before closing.
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Jamaica Plain Housing, by the City's Own Count
The City of Boston estimates 19,555 housing units in Jamaica Plain as of January 1, 2025.
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In Massachusetts, a Signed Offer Can Be the Contract
McCarthy v. Tobin, decided March 2, 1999: a signed offer to purchase on the Greater Boston form bound the buyer and the seller.
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The SALT Cap for Boston Owners: $40,000 for 2025, $40,400 for 2026
The federal cap on deducting state and local taxes is $40,000 for tax year 2025, up from $10,000, and $40,400 for 2026.
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Boston's Typical First Freeze Lands Around October 11
The National Weather Service says October 11 is roughly aligned with the median first freeze for Greater Boston.
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What a Massachusetts Closing Attorney Actually Does
Massachusetts's highest court made clear in 2011 what a real estate closing attorney actually has to do: direct the title work, the money and the…
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Selling This Fall? Two MLS Changes, Two Different Dates
Since August 17, 2024, buyers sign a written agreement before touring, nationally.
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Boston Metro Rent Index Rose 4.0% in a Year
The Bureau of Labor Statistics rent index for the Boston metro rose 4.0% over the twelve months through August 2026, against 2.7% for the U.S., after…
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Call Dig Safe at Least 72 Hours Before You Dig in Massachusetts
Massachusetts requires notice to the Dig Safe Center at least 72 hours before an excavation, not counting weekends and legal holidays, and no more…
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Buying a Home When You're Self-Employed
Fannie Mae generally requires lenders to obtain a two-year history of a self-employed borrower's earnings.
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Boston Takes Mattresses by Appointment Only
Boston will not collect mattresses or box springs with curbside trash.
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Which Closing Costs Can Rise Before You Sign
CFPB sorts mortgage closing costs into three categories: some the lender can't increase at all, some whose total can't rise more than 10 percent, and…
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Massachusetts Notice Clocks for a Tenancy at Will
M.G.L. c. 186, § 12 sets the written notice needed to end an estate at will: the rent interval or 30 days, whichever is longer, where rent falls due…
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Boston's Sunset Hits 4:37 p.m. When the Clocks Go Back
The fall equinox is at 8:05 p.m. on Sept 22, 2026. Boston's sunset moves from 6:47 p.m. on Sept 19 to 5:39 p.m. on Oct 31, then to 4:37 p.m.
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PMI Ends on Schedule at 78% of Original Value. You Can Ask at 80%.
Under the Homeowners Protection Act, you can ask to cancel PMI when your balance is scheduled to reach 80% of the home's original value, and it…
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Boston's Free City Calendar for the Sept 19 Weekend
On Sept 19, 2026 the City of Boston holds its 4th Ready Boston Field Day in Jamaica Plain, breaks ground on the West of Washington Family Park in…
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Freddie Mac Sept 17: the 30-Year Jumps to 6.95%
Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed averaged 6.95% as of Sept 17, 2026, up from 6.76%, the biggest one-week rise since April 2025 and the highest since…
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The 50-Year Title Check Behind Your Massachusetts Closing
Under M.G.L. c. 93, § 70, when a purchase money first mortgage finances an owner-occupied home of up to four families, the lender's attorney must…
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Boston's No-Cost Lead Water Line Replacement
Boston Water and Sewer Commission replaces private lead water service lines at no cost to eligible owners: a service pipe 2 inches or smaller, an…
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Massachusetts Contractor Rules for Your Repair List
Under M.G.L. c. 142A, home improvement work over $1,000 on an owner-occupied home of up to 4 units needs a written contract, the deposit is capped at…
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Massachusetts Home Sales in August 2026
MAR's August 2026 report: Massachusetts new single-family listings up 17.2%, statewide single-family median sales price $695,000 (up 2.2%), condo…
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How Boston Figures Your CPA Surcharge
Boston's Community Preservation Act surcharge is 1% of a revised net tax, reached by deducting $100,000 from the property value, recalculating the…
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Charlestown Housing, by the City's Own Numbers
City of Boston Planning Department estimates as of January 1, 2025 count 9,657 housing units in Charlestown, 9,010 of them occupied, with 52.0…
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Massachusetts Zoning: The 6 and 10 Year Clocks
M.G.L. c. 40A, § 7 gives 6 years to challenge work improved and used in accordance with the terms of an original building permit and 10 years to…
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Boston Construction Noise: The Limits at Your Lot Line
Boston's noise regulations cap construction at an L10 level of 75 dBA measured at the lot line of an affected residential property, set street and…
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Boston Short-Term Rentals: Who Can Register a Unit
Boston's short-term rental program covers stays of fewer than 28 consecutive days for a fee, allows only owner-occupied condominiums and one to three…
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The Massachusetts Condo 6(d) Certificate, Explained
Under M.G.L. c. 183A, section 6(d), a condominium association must furnish its statement of unpaid common expenses within ten business days of a…
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The 2026 Conforming Loan Limit in Boston: $962,550
FHFA's 2026 conforming loan limit for a one unit property is $962,550 in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth counties, above the $832,750…
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Smoke and CO Alarm Rules Before You Sell in Boston
Massachusetts requires carbon monoxide alarms within 10 feet of each bedroom door in any home with fossil fuel equipment or an attached enclosed…
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What the Lender Checks About Your Condo Building
Fannie Mae waives project review for condos in two- to four-unit buildings, most five- to ten-unit ones and detached units.
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Freddie Mac Sept 10: 30-Year at 6.76%, 15-Year at 6.09%
Freddie Mac's survey as of September 10, 2026 put the 30-year fixed at 6.76%, up from 6.71% a week earlier and 6.35% a year earlier, and the 15-year…
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Mice in a Boston Rental: Who Has to Deal With Them
Under 105 CMR 410.550, the owner of a building with two or more units is responsible for pest elimination; in a single unit it's the occupant unless…
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Down Payment Gifts: The 2026 Lender and IRS Rules
Fannie Mae lets the whole down payment on a one unit principal residence come from a family gift, with a gift letter and a documented transfer.
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Mass Save's No-Cost Energy Assessment Before Sept 15
Massachusetts heating season starts Sept 15. Mass Save's Home Energy Assessment takes around two hours at no cost in a one to four unit home, and…
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Rent Control Isn't on Massachusetts' November Ballot
On June 23, 2026 the Supreme Judicial Court barred the rent cap petition from the November ballot. Massachusetts stays under c.
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Boston's Sept 26 Zero Waste Day, and Its Limits
The City of Boston's next Zero Waste Day drop-off is Sept 26, 8:30 a.m. to noon, at 400 Frontage Road in Roxbury.
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What a Massachusetts Home Inspector Can't Do
Massachusetts fixes the scope of a home inspection at nine systems, lists fifteen things an inspector isn't required to do, and prohibits inspectors…
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Massachusetts Winter Utility Shut-Off Protection
From Nov 15 to Mar 15, a Massachusetts utility can't shut off heating service to a customer who certifies financial hardship and whose service wasn't…
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Boston Leaf and Yard Waste: What the Truck Takes
Boston picks up leaf and yard waste from April to December, on your trash day, only on scheduled weeks.
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Boston Rental Registration: $25 a Unit, Due July 1
Boston requires every rental property to be registered each year by July 1.
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Title 5: The Septic Clock Before You Sell
Massachusetts requires a septic system to be inspected at or within two years prior to the transfer of title.
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Boston's Residential Exemption and the Two Tax Rates
Boston mails residential exemption applications to new owners in September.
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What a Massachusetts Agent Owes You, and the Form
Massachusetts requires a board-approved agency disclosure notice at the first personal meeting about a specific property.
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Heating Season Starts Sept 15: What the Owner Provides
Massachusetts heating season runs September 15 through May 31, with a 68°F floor by day, 64°F overnight and a 78°F ceiling in the same section.
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HUD's FY 2027 Boston Two Bedroom Fair Market Rent Is $3,008
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area is $3,008 a month, up 2.3% from $2,941, effective October 1…
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Massachusetts Oil Heat: Leak Coverage Insurers Must Offer
Massachusetts requires home insurers to offer heating oil leak coverage of at least $50,000 for your own property and $200,000 for third party…
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Preapproval Before Fall Open Houses: CFPB's 45 Day Window
CFPB says mortgage credit checks within a 45 day window count as a single inquiry, that you should contact at least three lenders, and that a…
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Boston's Own Down Payment Help, and the Sept 15 Change
The City of Boston's first-time homebuyer program pays 3 percent of the purchase price up to $50,000 under 100 percent of AMI, and 2 percent up to…
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Who Pays the Rental Broker's Fee in Massachusetts Now
Since August 1, 2025, Massachusetts law says a rental broker's fee shall only be paid by the party, lessor or tenant who originally engaged the…
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Radon Testing Season Starts When the Windows Close
EPA says fix a house at 4 pCi/L or higher and consider fixing between 2 and 4.
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What a Boston Street Cleaning Tow Actually Costs
Boston's street cleaning ticket is $40 in most of the city, but the car is towed by a private company at $132 for the tow and $35 for each day of…
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The Email You Should Distrust the Week of Your Closing
The FBI logged 24,768 business email compromise complaints in 2025 with $3 billion in losses, and it logs some of them as real estate cases.
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Freddie Mac Says 6.71%. Whose Mortgage Rate Is That?
Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed average was 6.71% in the Sep 3, 2026 release, with the 15-year at 6.04%.
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Boston's Trash Set-Out Window, and What the Tickets Cost
Boston fines residents $25 for putting trash at the curb before 5 p.m. the night before collection, and it has to be out by 6 a.m. on the day.
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The State's Accessory Dwelling Unit Law Stops at the Boston Line
Massachusetts towns must allow one accessory dwelling unit of up to 900 square feet by right on single family lots, with no special permit and no…
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The Appraisal Copy Rule: What Your Lender Owes You and When
A mortgage lender has to give you a copy of every appraisal and written valuation on your application, promptly upon completion or three business…
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Cambridge vs Somerville: The Gap Is Smaller Than You Were Told
Somerville is supposed to be the affordable alternative to Cambridge. On Zillow's index the two are about 12% apart, and over five years they moved almost identically. What that means, and what the number does not tell you.
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Reading a Condo Fee: Reserves, Special Assessments, and the 6(d) Certificate
A low condo fee is not automatically good news. What the number actually covers, why underfunded reserves show up years later as a special assessment, and the Massachusetts documents that tell you which building you are buying into.
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Reading a Home Inspection Report in Massachusetts
An inspection is not a pass or fail. What Massachusetts law requires of a licensed inspector, the two things regulation forbids them to do, what an older Boston-area house tends to turn up, and what to test for separately.
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The Massachusetts Deeds Excise: $4.56 per $1,000, Who Pays It, and What It Comes to on a Median Sale
Massachusetts charges a deeds excise of $2.28 per $500 of the sale price, $4.56 per $1,000 outside Barnstable County, paid by the person who signs…
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For First Contracts Signed After October 15, 2025, a Massachusetts Seller Can't Accept an Offer That Waives the Inspection
For first contracts signed after October 15, 2025, 760 CMR 74.00 bars Massachusetts sellers and their agents from conditioning acceptance on a home…
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A Three-Year Assignment in Boston: Buy or Rent?
The costs land on both ends of a short hold, and only one of them is fixed by statute. A framework for deciding, the Massachusetts deed excise math, and the tax rule that makes three years different from two.
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West Roxbury, in the City of Boston's Own Numbers
West Roxbury has the highest owner-occupied share of any Boston neighborhood, 68.2% of occupied homes, in the City Planning Department's 2025 estimates. Population 31,381, 14,588 housing units, half of them with three or more bedrooms, 100 acres of park, and what Boston's $12.40 fiscal 2026 residential tax rate and the residential exemption mean for a buyer there.
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Moved on September 1? The Boston Parking Paperwork Has a 10 Day Online Window
Boston resident parking permits are free, but the City asks new residents applying online to apply within 10 days of moving in and posts about 10 business days for those requests. What to bring, why overdue tickets stop the application, and the street cleaning season that runs to November 30.
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Four Years of Study in Boston: Rent or Buy? What Actually Decides It
Two years into a Boston education, the rent adds up and the question arrives. The answer is a calculation, not a rule — here is what actually moves it.
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Before You List: the 24 Month Test Behind the $250,000 and $500,000 Home Sale Exclusion
The IRS lets a seller exclude up to $250,000 of gain on a main home, or $500,000 on a joint return, if they owned it 24 months and lived in it 24 months inside the 5 years before the sale. The look back rule, the Form 1099-S reporting rule, and why improvement receipts matter.
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Your Massachusetts Security Deposit Has a 30 Day Clock, and It Started When the Tenancy Ended
M.G.L. c.186 §15B gives a Massachusetts landlord thirty days after the tenancy ends to return the security deposit or the balance after the deductions the statute names, requires an itemized list sworn under the pains and penalties of perjury, sets interest at 5% a year on a deposit held a year or longer, and awards a tenant three times the deposit when the landlord fails to hold it in the required account, transfer it to a successor, or return it in time.
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Getting a Mortgage on a Visa, and What ITIN Loans Actually Are
Fannie Mae buys loans made to lawful permanent and non-permanent residents on the same terms as US citizens. What lenders really look at by status, why people still get declined, and where ITIN lending fits.
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Newton or Brookline? What the Numbers Say, and What They Don't
Two towns families shortlist for the same reason — schools — that price and behave very differently. Zillow's index on both, what explains the gap, and the four things that actually decide it.
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Escrow, P&S, Contingencies — the Massachusetts Buying Vocabulary in Order
The words arrive faster than the explanations. Here is every term you will meet buying a home in Massachusetts, laid out in the order the transaction actually hands them to you.
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Hurricane Season Peaks Sept 10: What FEMA's Flood Numbers Mean for Boston Homeowners
The Atlantic hurricane season peaks September 10. Most homeowners policies don't cover flood damage: FEMA puts an inch of water at roughly $25,000 in damage, FloodSmart.gov reports 29% of flood insurance claims come from outside high-risk zones, and a standalone policy takes effect 30 days after purchase, with no wait when bought while taking out, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage.
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The Massachusetts Homestead Declaration: a $35 Filing That Protects Up to $1,000,000 of Home Equity
Massachusetts homestead law gives an owner who occupies the home as a principal residence $125,000 of automatic protection, and a recorded Declaration of Homestead raises it to $1,000,000 for the home. What M.G.L. c.188 covers, and how the $35 filing works.
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The Three Clocks on Your Mortgage Paperwork, and How to Use Each One
Lenders owe you a Loan Estimate within 3 business days of an application, mortgage credit checks within a 45-day window count as one inquiry, and the five-page Closing Disclosure must arrive at least three business days before closing. How buyers can use each clock, plus the difference between prequalified and preapproved.
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Boston Home Prices Rose 4.58% Over the Year to June 2026, FHFA Says
FHFA's second-quarter 2026 House Price Index: Boston metro division up 4.58% year over year and 1.40% for the quarter. U.S. up 2.1%, Massachusetts up 3.64% (16th), New England division up 3.78%. What the index measures and what it leaves out.
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What Boston Switches Off on Labor Day 2026 (Sept 7)
Labor Day 2026 in Boston: city offices and libraries closed, parking meters free, daytime street sweeping canceled, trash delayed in some neighborhoods, and MBTA holiday service. What to plan if you're touring homes that weekend.
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Buying a Home Built Before 1978 in Massachusetts: Lead Paint Paperwork, the 10-Day Window, and What Happens After Closing
Pre-1978 homes in Massachusetts: what the seller must hand you before the P&S, the buyer's 10-day lead inspection window (EPA rule and M.G.L. c.111 §197A), the new owner's 90-day deleading duty if a child under six lives there, and the up-to-$3,000 state tax credit.
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Massachusetts Fall Housing Market 2026: September Is the Second Listing Wave
MA single-family new listings rose 42% from August to September 2025 (MAR). July 2026 median $715,000. What fall buyers and sellers in Greater Boston should do.
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Boston September 1 Moving Day 2026: What Renters Need to Know
About 70% of Boston leases turn over Sept 1. Statement of condition rules (M.G.L. c.186 §15B), the $69 truck permit, and the City's 2026 Allston move-in rules.
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Massachusetts First-Time Buyer Programs in 2026: ONE Mortgage, MassHousing, and the Paperwork
ONE Mortgage: 3% down, no PMI, credit 640+, income limits by town, class required. Separately, MassHousing down payment assistance up to $30,000. Plus the FICO 45-day window and pre-approval basics.
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Massachusetts Heating Law 2026: 68°F by Day, 64°F by Night, Starting September 15
MA heating season is Sept 15 to May 31. Under 105 CMR 410.180 landlords must keep rentals at 68°F by day, 64°F at night. What Boston renters and owners should do now.
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Four Certificates a Massachusetts Seller Needs Before Closing
Smoke and CO certificate (10 business days' notice in Boston, $50 cap), Title 5 septic inspection within 2 years, the condo 6(d) certificate, and the BWSC water lien certificate. Timing and who issues each.
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What a 6.66% Mortgage Costs on the Median Massachusetts Home, August 2026
At Freddie Mac's 6.66% (Aug 27, 2026), the $715,000 Massachusetts median home costs $3,676 a month in principal and interest with 20% down. The 15-year at 5.98% is $4,821. Full math.
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First-Home Q&A #13: Why to Open the Heater at the Inspection
What to check before a New England winter: the heating system's age, service history and fuel, the oil tank's location and condition if the house burns oil, attic insulation and windows, and how to turn the findings into negotiation.
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First-Home Q&A #12: Condo or House? The Monthly Cost Inside the Fee
Which makes the better first home, a condo or a single-family? Why comparing sale prices misleads, what a condo fee actually contains, the underfunded reserve hiding behind a low fee, and the documents to read before you offer.
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First-Home Q&A #11: What an Escrow Account Is
Why your monthly mortgage payment includes property tax and insurance, why the lender collects them for you, the escrow cushion you fund at closing, and why the payment changes each year.
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First-Home Q&A #10: Why Credit Has to Be Prepared Now
First-time buyer programs generally look for a credit score of roughly 640 or above. It is not a number you can raise the week before applying, so the next round has to be prepared for now. The four mistakes that lower a score, and what to do today.
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First-Home Q&A #9: Buy Now, or Wait for the Fall Listings?
'More listings in the fall' is half true. The buyers who waited come back at the same time, and the 30 to 45 days from pre-approval to closing and closing costs of 2 to 5 percent do not change with the season. The deciding factor is preparation, not the calendar.
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First-Home Q&A #8: Can I Buy Without a Green Card?
Immigration status does not stop a purchase by itself. The mortgage path on an H-1B or E-2 work visa, the ITIN path without a Social Security number, and the credit and income documents lenders look at before status.
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First-Home Q&A #7: 5% Down vs. 20%, Even With PMI
The trap in 'save 20% first'. First-time buyer programs run on 3 to 5 percent down, and some — like ONE Mortgage — waive PMI entirely. The three items to compare by total cost instead of down payment percentage.
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First-Home Q&A #6: How Many Offers a Good School Town Draws
How many offers a single listing draws in a strong school district, and what a first-time buyer is really up against. Why these towns are so competitive, why an offer's structure matters more than the count, and why to set your appraisal-gap cash in advance.
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First-Home Q&A #5: Do Good School Towns Mean High Property Tax?
The property tax arithmetic buyers miss when they look only at the offer price. Why to compare PITI rather than price, the Massachusetts formula (assessed value × rate ÷ 1,000), and how a rate difference flips the monthly payment.
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First-Home Q&A #4: Gift Funds From Your Parents, Done Right
When parents help with the down payment, undocumented gift funds stall a closing. Why you cannot simply deposit the money, the three documents lenders require — gift letter, source of funds, transfer trail — and when to arrange it.
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Buying a Boston Home Without a Long U.S. Credit History
Recently arrived in the U.S. and assuming homeownership is years away? Sometimes it is — but often the path is shorter than newcomers think.
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First-Home Q&A #3: Top School Town vs. Budget
The question families moving before the September school start ask most. The reality of the top-tier school towns, the towns that fit a budget, why to look at elementary attendance zones rather than town rankings, and the property tax variable.
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First-Home Q&A #2: What to Count Before You Renew the Lease
Boston leases cluster on September 1, so every summer renters decide between renewing and buying. For anyone about to sign because 'buying takes too long', the timeline counted back from pre-approval.
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First-Home Q&A #1: Why Pre-Approval Has to Start Now
A program with a deadline — like MassHousing's interest-free down payment assistance — is only reachable if you count back the 30 to 45 days from pre-approval to closing. What the summer 2026 round (up to $25,000, July 31 cutoff) taught.
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Neighborhood Spotlight: Why Quincy Keeps Winning on Value
Four Red Line stations, ocean air, and a downtown in mid-transformation — a street-level look at why value-minded buyers keep landing in Quincy.
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Boston's September 1st Rental Rush, Explained
Why does most of Boston move on the same day? What the September 1st cycle means for renters — and how to use it instead of being used by it.
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Five Mistakes First-Time Boston Buyers Make — and How to Avoid Them
After walking many first-time buyers through the Greater Boston market, the same avoidable mistakes come up again and again. Here are the five I see most.
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Questions an article can't answer?
Every situation has details no post can cover. A free thirty-minute conversation usually can.