Central to the argument for saving Providence’s Superman Building with public investment is a vision of the downtown economy driven by residents as much as office workers. more

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has award $2.5 million in grants to the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. to help “protect children and families from the hazards of lead-based paint and from other home health and safety hazards,” HUD announced Friday. more

Home prices rose in the 12 months through March by the most in seven years as the recovery in residential real estate gained momentum. more

BOSTON – Gov. Deval L. Patrick last week announced a new housing compact that creates a goal of providing 10,000 mortgage loans to first-time homebuyers over the next five years. more

A settlement between the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a Texas homebuilder is drawing renewed attention to a controversial issue that was prominent during the years preceding the housing bubble: kickbacks in home real estate transactions. Put another way, do you know where your money is really going when you pay thousands of dollars in loan fees and closing charges? Is your realty broker or builder getting an extra piece of the action through side deals with lenders or title agencies – all at your expense through higher charges? more