Recent Studies of Cambridge and San Francisco Prove It Not Only Doesn’t Work But Results In Gentrification, Displacement and Higher Rents Rent control. Like a diseased zombie rising again from the dead after 25 years. Banned statewide by a voter referendum in 1994 and widely proven ineffective and counter-productive by economists, the debate over rental control is back in Massachusetts. As reported in the Boston Globe, a group of liberal urban lawmakers are readying…

Accurate Court Data Shows The “Eviction Crisis” Is A Fallacy You may have noticed the featured article in Sunday’s Boston Globe Magazine on the supposed “eviction crisis” in Massachusetts. Titled “As rents soar in Boston, low-income tenants try to stave off eviction,” investigative reporter Jenifer McKim cited inaccurate court statistics to create the false narrative that thousands of innocent tenants are being thrown out on the street by greedy landlords. Using this fallacy,…

Rent Escrow, Security Deposit Reform, and Elderly Housing Legislation Filed By Trade Group Historically, Massachusetts rental property owners have struggled to overcome the coordinated and organized political lobbying of tenant rights and rent control groups at the State House. I remember just a few years ago I testified on Beacon Hill for the rent escrow bill against a small army of tenant advocates. That is now changing in a big way. Previously splintered across many…

Bumpy Ride Ahead — Expect Some Delays For Certain Loans I asked my friend David Gaffin, Senior Mortgage Banker and Branch Manager at Fairway Mortgage – Hudson (DGaffin@fairwaymc.com), whether and to what extent the federal government shutdown is affecting real estate closings in Massachusetts. Here’s what he has to say. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Loans — Mixed Bag on Impact/Delays In general, the shutdown doesn’t impact loan processing at these agencies because…

Bumpy Ride Ahead — Expect Some Delays For Certain Loans I asked my friend David Gaffin, Senior Mortgage Banker and Branch Manager at Fairway Mortgage – Hudson (DGaffin@fairwaymc.com), whether and to what extent the federal government shutdown is affecting real estate closings in Massachusetts. Here’s what he has to say. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Loans — Mixed Bag on Impact/Delays In general, the shutdown doesn’t impact loan processing at these agencies because…

New Occupancy Tax, Statewide Registry, Insurance Requirements, and Inspections At the very end of 2018 without much fanfare, Governor Baker signed into law a bill regulating and taxing short-term rentals. The new law provides for new taxes, a statewide registry, insurance requirements, and inspections varying by town/city. It becomes effective on July 1, 2019. Overview of RequirementsThe new law expands the state’s hotel and motel tax to include the short-term rental of homes (condominiums, single…