In 2009, the Boston Real Estate Observer continued to be one of the most popular real estate news sources in Boston. We expanded news coverage beyond the residential market to include topics in commercial real estate, real estate law, rental markets, and lending markets in an effort to provide readers with a comprehensive view of the Boston market. Additionally, we brought on five well known and respected real estate experts as contributors to the site to bring you news in their areas of expertise, and we look forward to the opportunity to bring on further contributors. As we did in 2009, we plan to implement some innovative new ideas in 2010 to continue bringing readers robust and comprehensive coverage of the Boston real estate market. Here are the top 10 most read articles from 2009:
- Boston Parking Spaces – our downtown Boston parking spots page continues to be a top destination for those who want to buy and/or sell a parking spot in Boston.
- The 1850 New South End Condo Development – along the southern border of the South End, a new loft-style condo development called the 1850 launched, we were one of the first to bring you exclusive photos and a comprehensive overview of the property. The project then became one of a small handful of properties in downtown Boston that have been brought to the auction block over the past several years.
- 441 Stuart Street: What Happened? – Brecht Palombo provided in depth coverage of the foreclosure auction of a Back Bay building at 441 Stuart Street.
- Nouvelle at Natick Condo Auction – General Growth Properties placed a bet on creating a luxury condo living experience at the Natick Collection mall that backfired on them. After declaring bankruptcy, the firm proceeded to try and sell off its position in the faltering condo development via an auction.
- The Clarendon Brings Unique Living to Back Bay – closings began at the ultra-luxury Clarendon Back Bay in December 2009, the building represents the only true high-rise living accommodations in the Back Bay.
- Disputing a Low Home Appraisal – with lending regulations changing in 2009, along with the underlying requirements around appraisals, this pointer to an informative article on how to dispute a low home appraisal was especially popular this year.
- Boston Property Taxes – many Bostonians saw a decrease in both their tax rate as well as assessed home value in 2009, which equates to a lower tax bill. The residential exemption has decreased in value, perhaps an effort by the City to maintain their tax base.
- Nothing Standard About Standard Purchase and Sale Agreement – in addition to breaking news, the Boston Real Estate Observer features a swath of informative articles covering real estate basics, our article about the standard P&S agreement has gained significant popularity.
- Boston W Hotel and Condos – we’ve brought you coverage of the Boston W since project inception, providing some of the most exclusive photos and news about the development as it moved through construction to the hotel opening earlier this year and its most recent condo closings in December 2009.
- FP3 Seaport District Condos Slow to Sell – while the latest Seaport District condo development, FP3, began with an extremely slow sales velocity, it has picked up steam during 2009, with currently 35 units in the building recorded as sold (per LINK).
We look forward to another exciting year in Boston real estate, and a whole new set of top 10 articles in 2010. Happy New Year!
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Tim Ryan 
