Pending home sales up a second straight month

The National Association of Realtors says that pending sales indicators are showing upward movement for the second straight month. This is a forward-looking indicator – showing what is about to happen in the market, rather than recording what happened over the last 30 days, as do most statistics.

The Chief Economist for the NAR sees this as a positive sign. “Attractive affordability conditions from very low mortgage interest rates appear to be bringing buyers back to the market,” he said. “However, the pace of a home sales recovery still depends more on job creation and an accompanying rise in consumer confidence.”

For more information on the Pending Sales Report, go to Realtor.org.

Boston real estate borrowers have an advantage

Boston ranks in the 10 cities that Forbes ranks as the best for real estate borrowers:
1. Kansas City, Mo.
2. Houston
3. Dallas
4. Virginia Beach, Va.
5. San Antonio, Texas
6. Boston
7. Pittsburgh
8. Denver
9. Seattle
10. Portland, Ore.

To read more about Boston’s real estate ranking in this list, go to Forbes.com.

For more information on Boston real estate sales, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Boston home prices showing positive growth

Zillow.com’s charting of home sale prices is showing positive growth. The data taken over the last several years, shows downward pressure on pricing, with a positive turn during this year.

For more information, go to zillow.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Economy shows improvement

A NYTimes.com article sites the Fed’s Beige Book as showing signs of economic recovery. Alan D. Levenson, chief economist at T. Rowe Price, noted “The economy is making the transition from recession to recovery.” He expected the economy to grow at a rate of about 3 percent in the summer, then more modestly in the last months of the year.

For more information, go to nytimes.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Spotlight on Boston real estate: Boston named in list of “Best Cities to Buy a Home”

An article on forbes.com took a look at cities around the U.S. real estate landscape. By looking at a number of factors - including number of transactions, price per square foot and distribution of activity in the neighborhoods - Forbes developed a ranking system. Boston ranked #3 overall and had the largest increase in price per square foot at 6%.

To read the complete article, go to forbes.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Spotlight on Boston real estate: Staging homes for sale

NECN, a New England television station, investigated the benefits of staging homes that are for sale to improve saleability. Interviewing two local stagers, the reporter touched on the return on investment – in some cases 300% of every dollar spent! In one case, the home sellers opted to stay once the home was completed.

Read the complete story on necn.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Spotlight on Boston real estate: Hancock Tower is sold

The New England Real Estate Journal has reported that the Hancock Tower was bought at auction by a partnership between Normandy Real Estate Partners and Five Mile Capital Partners, which have been buying some of the debt on the building since June. There was only one bid at the auction for the iconic building, originally designed by I. M. Pei.

Read the complete story on NEREJ.org.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Spotlight on Boston real estate: Stable pricing in Boston challenges bargain-hunters

The national news has given many home buyers the impression that there are deeply discounted homes on the market everywhere. But, they are not finding them in Boston. One reason is low inventory. Also contributing is the fact that New Englanders tend to be more conservative with their dollars – meaning fewer homeowners here are dealing with troubled mortgages.

Read the complete story on NPR.org.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Boston Real Estate Update: Prime Waterfront location to be developed?

A recent article on Boston.com finds the James Hook & Co. lot may potentially be developed. With commercial and residential developers drawing up potential plans, the Hook family business does plan to stay.

Read the full article on Boston.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Real Estate Update: Boston ranked in the top ten markets

A recent article on Forbes.com dug into the details of the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index. The result is a list of the ten best and worst real estate markets in the country.

The good news is that Boston is named in the ten strongest markets, along with Washington D.C., New York and Seattle. The worst list saw many familiar names—cities that have struggled for the last year, such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and Miami.

Read the full article on Forbes.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Real Estate Update: Chinese investors scouting U.S. properties

Canada’s national news source, TheGlobeAndMail.com shed light on the continuing trend in U.S. real estate: Chinese investors are eager to take advantage of a buyer’s real estate market in parts of the United States. Some U.S. based firms organize real estate tours for visiting investors.

Read the full article on TheGlobeAndMail.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Real Estate Update: New winners emerge in this market

WJS.com reported on a substantial rise in first time homebuyers since 2006. The statistics show that more newcomers are able to get into the market, with rates AND prices down (in much of the country) – specifically, at the end of 2008, 41% of buyers were first-timers. In 2006, the number was only 36%.

Read the full article on WSJ.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Five Biggest Real Estate Myths

Barbara Corcoran, frequent real estate contributor to NBC, presented the 5 biggest real estate myths in this market.

Watch the clip on msnbc.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Boston’s Back Bay is named in the top ten dreamiest neighborhoods

Frontdoor.com, powered by HGTV, put out a list of ten dreamy neighborhoods in the United States. Boston’s own Back Bay was ranked number ten for its combination of Victorian brownstones, skyscrapers, cafes and 19th century landmarks.

View the complete article on marketwatch.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Boston real estate loan program offered by the mayor

A recent article in the Boston Herald details a new plan by Mayor Menino to jumpstart commercial construction in the city. He has stipulated that this money is earmarked for projects that already have permitting in place. Much of what the federal government is undertaking is geared toward the consumer. This effort is aimed a keeping Boston competitive and securing jobs.

Commercial real estate specialist, Jas Bhogal from Gibson Sotheby's International Realty sees this as a boost to a challenged market. “As we travel through the tunnel of financial crisis, this initiative will keep some important commercial projects moving through instead of stalling. Commercial financing has become even harder in the current times, as bank have pulled funding back from these projects.” Bhogal also commented on the difference between this and federal efforts. “The federal government has been mostly aiming to rectify the housing and financial crisis at the consumer level. This help at the city level will get the commercial projects which are stuck in the pipeline and create much needed jobs and revenue for Boston.”

View the complete article on BostonHerald.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Chinese investors seek property bargains in the U.S.

A fascinating article in the Los Angeles Times investigates a recent trend: cash-rich Chinese investors touring U.S. neighborhoods for housing bargains. International investors are nothing new to the U.S. market. However, these latest groups are coming in caravan-style tours, making a much greater impact than the typical individual investor or family. Each group is hoping to capitalize on falling prices in the hardest hit markets, like Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

View the complete property description on LATimes.com.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Real estate agents offer guidance in challenging times

A recent Seattle Times article indicates that real estate agents have to be experts in the rapidly changing housing market. With all of the major adjustments in mortgage programs, foreclosures and market conditions, clients are in need of experienced consultation to make informed decisions. Read the full article here at the Seattle Times site.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.

Green buildings increase in value

With the Greenbuild 2008 International Conference and Expo winding down in Boston, an article featured in the Boston Business Journal indicated that going green is paying off. The growing number of green condos and homes has seen an increase in value. This is probably some of the reason that the green movement has gained momentum. Other benefits include 13% lower operating costs. Read the full article on the Boston Business Journal site.

For more information on the Boston real estate market, go to Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Boston's real estate experts.