Yearly Archives: 2016

Home Sales Slow Down in the Dog Days of Summer

Trend of decreasing inventory and new listings continue to inflate prices WALTHAM, Mass. - August 23, 2016 — (RealEstateRama) -- The Massachusetts Association of Realtors®...

Mortgage Company President Charged with Defrauding Ginnie Mae

The president and founder of a Falmouth mortgage company was charged in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with defrauding the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) out of nearly $3 million.

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Affordable Housing Development Awards

The Baker-Polito Administration announced awards to fund the development, renovation and preservation of affordable rental housing across the Commonwealth. This award round builds on the Administration’s commitment to expanding affordable housing options for Massachusetts families.

Markey Hails Decade of Success for Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Marks the 10-year anniversary of the bipartisan Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), when seven states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic originally came together and proposed the framework for the regional program that would cut carbon pollution from power plants by 37 percent while saving $395 million on customer utility bills thus far. In Massachusetts, since the RGGI market started in 2009, power plant emissions have gone down 34 percent, while Massachusetts’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 25 percent.

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Affordable Housing Development Awards

Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced awards to fund the development, renovation and preservation of affordable rental housing across the Commonwealth. This award round builds on the Administration’s commitment to expanding affordable housing options for Massachusetts families

Governor Baker Signs Legislation Investing in Local Transportation Infrastructure

Governor Charlie Baker has signed legislation supporting major new investments in the Commonwealth’s local transportation infrastructure, including a $50 million Municipal Small Bridge Program, the broadening of the Complete Streets Funding Program to support projects in more municipalities, and a $750 million authorization for federal highway aid

Burnt-out Lawns and July Heat Could Not Slow Down Single-Family Pending Home Sales

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors® (MAR) reported today that there was no slowing down in the number of accepted offers being made in July as pending home sales rose again over eight percent from last year, while condominium pending sales were also up. Prices for both property types continue to go up. The strong market was reflected in a high Realtor® Market Confidence Index, while Price Confidence was essentially flat

Medicare Continues to Save Millions Because of Senator Markey’s Independence at Home Program

Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), House author of the Independence at Home (IAH) program in the health care reform law, hailed savings of $10 million for the second year of the pilot program, an average of $1,010 per beneficiary. Independence at Home is an innovative, team-based model that is bringing measurable, high-quality care directly into the homes of patients suffering from multiple debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, ALS, congestive heart failure, diabetes and Parkinson’s, while significantly lowering costs for the Medicare program

Former Roxse Homes Worker Sentenced for Taking Bribes

A former maintenance technician for Roxse Homes, a subsidized housing development in Boston, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston for his role in a scheme to rent apartments at the housing development to individuals who were not qualified, in exchange for cash bribes

STATEMENT OF SCITUATE BOARD OF SELECTMEN REGARDING ATTORNEY GENERAL INQUIRY INTO STATUS OF ELLIS...

Earlier this evening the Board had a meeting in executive session with Town Counsel to discuss issues relative to the Ellis Estate. This discussion was precipitated by recent activities by a small group of individuals who contacted the Office of the Attorney General regarding the Town’s Public Safety Complex on land formerly under the care and custody of the School Committee

Realtors® Applaud Massachusetts Legislators for Choosing to ‘Do No Harm’ to Homeowners and the...

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors® (MAR) and its 22,000 members applaud the decision of the Massachusetts Legislature to do no harm to homeowners by not including mandatory energy inspections and scoring provisions in the conference committee report on energy diversity. If passed, these mandates would have been detrimental to the Massachusetts real estate market, especially low- and moderate-income homeowners.

FAIR Plan to Refund Consumers $350,000 Over Allegations it Unfairly Cancelled Homeowners Insurance Policies

The Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (FAIR Plan) has agreed to pay $350,000 to resolve allegations that it impermissibly cancelled homeowners insurance policies between January 2010 and February 2014, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today

Massachusetts Home Buyers Pushed Sales to Another Record for the Month of June

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors® (MAR) reported today that home buyers pushed home sales to another record for the month of June. While year-over-year increases were more modest compared to previous months, single-family home median prices hit $380,000 for the first time. Condominium sales also closed higher with median prices up from 2015.

Boston Housing Authority Receives HUD Secretary’s Award for Healthy Homes

Boston Housing Authority has been awarded the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary’s Award for Healthy Homes. Boston Housing Authority (BHA) has been committed to Healthy Housing for over 15 years through its many policies and program initiatives including Integrated Pest Management in 2008, a Non-Smoking Policy in 2012, and a Strategic Sustainability Plan in 2014.

Former Framingham Housing Authority Employee Charged

A Milford woman was charged today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with stealing over $70,000 in rent payments owed to the Framingham Housing Authority (FHA). Rosa A. Famania, 33, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds

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AG Healey Secures $2 Million in Restitution for 20,000 Massachusetts Homeowners...

One of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers will pay $2 million in restitution to resolve allegations that it violated state law and committed unfair and deceptive practices by charging Massachusetts homeowners for unnecessary fees and overpriced force-placed insurance policies, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today