Overall mortgage activity reached a five-year high in Massachusetts in 2012, with refinance mortgages dominating 83 percent of the market share, according to new data from The Warren Group’s Mortgage MarketShare Module. more

The number of Providence-area homeowners who owe more on their mortgages than their houses are worth increased in the fourth quarter of 2012, Corelogic said Tuesday. more

The traditional wood clapboards, wrap-around front porches and narrow, peaked roofs in the proposed Palmer Pointe affordable-housing project in Barrington haven’t eased neighborhood concerns about the development. more

As of March 31, more than 2,000 homeowners in Rhode Island have received some type of relief through the National Mortgage Settlement, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced Tuesday. more

What would happen to home values in the event that popular real estate deductions for mortgage interest and local property taxes were cut significantly? It’s an issue you’re likely to hear more about as Congress and the Obama administration wade deeper into “fiscal cliff” and comprehensive tax reform negotiations heading into 2013. more

With all the depressing reports about the “fiscal cliff” and potential rollbacks in tax benefits for homeowners, you might have missed some of the positive trends under way for real estate. more

Though the housing market is rebounding in many local markets, there is one important segment that is not: First-time buyers are missing in action and represent a smaller proportion of overall sales activity than their historical norm. more

Six years after the start of the foreclosure crisis, American homeowners are paying their mortgages like the housing crash never happened. more

BOSTON – The Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston announced last month that it has awarded $30.3 million to support 48 affordable housing initiatives in the six New England states. more

David Splaine, a real estate professional with RE/Max Professionals, East Greenwich, recently earned the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist designation, which recognizes Splaine’s experience, knowledge and expertise in the luxury home market. Splaine, who has worked in real estate since 2002, specializes in the Kent County and North Kingstown markets. In addition to being a certified luxury home marketing specialist, he is also a certified residential specialist, certified investor property specialist and accredited buyer representative. Splaine holds a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration from Villanova University. more