Housing

While home sales in Rhode Island and the rest of Massachusetts surged in April, single-family sales in Bristol County, Mass. dropped 7 percent compared with the same period in 2011, The Warren Group said Tuesday. 10:02 am

Rhode Island home sales jumped 24 percent in April compared with the same period last year, the 10th consecutive month of increased year-over-year sales, the Rhode Island Association of Realtors said Tuesday. 9:37 am

It may be the best-kept secret in home real estate: For a couple of hundred dollars, a potential buyer thinking about writing a contract on an existing house can ask for a formal energy audit along with the standard inspection clause. That audit, in turn, can save the buyer thousands of dollars in future operating costs, and pinpoint the specific features of the house that need correction to improve efficiency. It might also be a tipoff to a sobering reality: This house is an energy guzzler. Either the asking price comes down, the seller fixes the problems, or I walk. May 19

This legislative session, as with those in the recent past, has been consumed by debates about how to improve Rhode Island’s economy and unemployment rate. Discussions of pension reform, budget cuts and the state’s role in aiding municipalities with their own budget woes fill daily headlines. With all this, an important sector of the economy has remained relatively sidelined over the last several months – housing. May 19

Foreclosure filings in the Providence–New Bedford–Fall River area declined 29 percent in April compared with the same period in 2011, RealtyTrac said Thursday. May 17

Providence Mayor Angel Taveras has streamlined zoning regulations for the development of the Interstate 195 corridor as well as the city’s Knowledge District, Taveras announced Wednesday. May 16

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family home reached 29 this month on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, the highest reading since May 2007, according to the National Association of Home Builders. May 15

It used to be that taking out a reverse mortgage was a means for a person past retirement age to stay home, collect enough to get by and maybe keep their house – the iconic symbol of the American dream – in the family. May 12

The Providence Preservation Society has released its list of the 10 most endangered properties in Providence. May 9

Single-family home prices in Rhode Island fell 4.3 percent in March compared with the same period in 2011, CoreLogic said Tuesday. May 8