New offshore leases could “power half the homes in MA”
742,000 acres offshore Massachusetts will be offered for commercial wind energy development in a January 29, 2015, competitive lease sale.
According to an analysis prepared by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, if fully developed, the area being offered could support between 4 and 5 GW of commercial wind generation, enough electricity to power over 1.4 million homes.
(more…)
7 signs you’re dating or married to a real estate agent
Read and be warned!
7 signs you are dating or married to a real estate agent. (more…)
US energy boom may be long-term positive for real estate
Growing US competitive advantage
This Financial Times article Cheap energy is the new cheap labour highlights the growing competitive advantage of the US over Europe as a result of the shale boom (the US is forecast to become the world’s largest oil producer in 2015.)
Oil price slump hurts country budgets
OPEC decided this week not to cut production as a way of trying to halt the slump in oil prices, down some 30% in recent months to about $70 per barrel. (more…)
Detroit property rebounding: the Chinese are coming……
A recent NBC report Chinese investors snap up property in bankrupt Detroit cited Chinese online property site juwai.com as saying that Detroit was the number 4 destination in the US for Chinese housing investors.
That makes me wonder if my posts about Detroit property over the last year Detroit housing market continues to improve and Is Detroit real estate a bargain? have been read in the People’s Republic. Probably not. (more…)
Most expensive homes for sale in Massachusetts
Thanksgiving is next week (how did that happen so quickly?), Hanukkah less than 4 weeks away and Christmas 5 weeks.
Those of you who are well organized will be well along with your shopping. Here are a few suggestions from a Boston Globe/Zillow article for the rest of us:
Most expensive homes for sale (more…)
Would you rent Tom and Gisele’s NY apartment furnished or unfurnished?
According to the Boston Globe Want to live like Tom and Gisele? the biggest decision for a renter is whether to pay $40,000 a month unfurnished or step up to $42,500 furnished. I think I’ll take it furnished. Saves schlepping my IKEA furniture. (more…)
Why Jon Lester may not be returning to the Red Sox
From MLS data I learn that Jon Lester listed his house in Newton on September 28 and sold it on November 5 for the asking price of $1.85 million. So what does that mean for the Red Sox’s chances of re-signing Lester? (more…)
The outlook for mortgage rates in 2015
Fannie Mae this week cut its forecast for the average mortgage rate for 2015 from 4.5% to 4.3%, which compares with the current national average of around 4.1%.
It is worth bearing in mind that a year ago the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) forecast that the 30 year mortgage rate would reach 5.1% by the end of this year.
That, of course is one of the biggest problem with forecasts – they have to be made about the future, which contains so much uncertainty. If only we could just stick to making “forecasts” about the past, life would be so much easier! (more…)
Marblehead’s property tax rate drops a penny
While I was away in London, the property tax rate in Marblehead for 2015 was approved at $11.08, down just a penny from 2014’s $11.09.
Remember that assessed values for FY2015 (July 2014-June 2015) are based upon values in 2013, so the strong market in 2014 will be reflected in the tax rate for FY2016, when I expect to see a larger drop.
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Pending Homes sales remain strong in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) reported this week that accepted offers in October for Single Family Homes (SFHs) increased 23.5% from October 2013, and for condos increased 14% year on year. These numbers represent the 20th consecutive month of year on year gains.
MAR also reports monthly changes in median prices – just under 2% year on year for both SFHs and condos. For many reasons I pay little attention to – and never report – monthly movements in prices, but I agree with the general thesis that prices have stabilized as they have returned to prior peak levels. (more…)
Million Dollar Home Sales hit new record in Marblehead
Record Sales
Sales of Marblehead homes over a Million Dollars have hit a new record in 2014. The previous peak was 36 in 2005, and this year we already have 38 closed sales with a further 5 scheduled to close before year end for a total of 43.
Sales by price bracket (more…)
Homes for sale in Essex County plummet in recent years
This week I am looking at the number of Single Family Homes (SFHs) for sale, as a follow up to last week’s Where have all the Condo sellers gone? article. In that article I pointed out that the number of condos for sale, in both Marblehead and Essex County, was down some 70% from the levels seen in the 2006/07 period, and offered some thoughts on why that might be. (more…)
Flood Insurance: “Because without it your home is a disaster waiting to happen”
It seems appropriate on this morning of another nor’easter to echo the reminder recently sent out by FEMA.
– Flood damage is not covered by most homeowners insurance.
– Flooding is the #1 natural disaster.
– People outside high-risk areas file over 20% of NFIP claims and receive one-third of disaster assistance for flooding
– In high-risk areas homes have at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding over a 30 year mortgage
– Flood insurance is mandatory if you live in a high-risk area and have a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender.
For more information go to FloodSmart.gov (more…)
Where have all the Condo sellers gone?
I have noticed for some time that the number of condos for sale in Marblehead has been low compared with the days of my old Marblehead Reporter articles (2008-11) when my memory said there always seemed to be 50 or more for sale.
I checked the numbers for today and compared them over the last 10 years. The questions that came to mind were: was this just a Marblehead phenomenon? Was it maybe because of the time of the year? And if not, what was the reason for the decline? (more…)
Where are America’s most expensive zipcodes?
Read thisForbes article to find out.
If you – or somebody you know – are considering buying or selling a home and have questions about the market and/or current home prices, feel free to contact me on 617.834.8205 or Andrew.Oliver@SothebysRealty.com.
Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty
Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty
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