BOSTON – Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray last week joined U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development New England Regional Administrator Barbara Fields and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regional Director Christie Hager to announce a $5.3 million award to the Mass. Department of Housing and Community Development. more

Construction hiring surged in February by the most in almost six years, highlighting the benefits to the U.S. economy from a revitalized housing market. more

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – South County town officials say regulations enacted in 2012 have allowed dozens of small home-improvement projects that were stalled to go forward. more

Moonworks President Jim Moon found business opportunity in the gutter. more

Got a beef with your mortgage company or loan servicer? Lots of people do, and thousands of them have been turning to a federal complaint hotline for action – or at least a quick response from the lender. more

Who says lenders need to charge you a cash down payment when you take out a mortgage in this era of hyper-strict underwriting? more

How hot is hot when it comes to housing markets across the country right now? Crazy hot: Some houses sell within days, sometimes within hours, of listing. Then there are the growing numbers that sell even before they formally hit the market – sold through a controversial technique known as “pocket listings.” more

With full-fledged sellers’ markets underway in dozens of metropolitan areas around the country, new research has found curious statistical patterns emerging: Even in cities where listings get multiple offers within days or hours, significant numbers of homes are sitting on the market for six months, 12 months or more with no takers. more

They’re back after barely a decade: Escalation clauses in real estate contracts, “naked” contingency-free offers and lowball-priced listings designed to pull in dozens of bidders and turn routine sales transactions into auctions. more