Massachusetts real estate guides.

Deciding where to live

• Best places to live near Boston No ranking. The four axes that actually decide it — transit, tax position, housing stock and price — compared town by town.
• Cost of living in Boston What a month here really costs, why the neighbourhood matters more than the city average, and the move-in cash nobody budgets for.

How buying works here

• How to buy a house in Boston The Massachusetts process end to end — including the two-contract structure that catches everyone relocating here.
• What to look for when buying a Boston condo The document set that decides whether a condo is a good buy, and what actually drives the fee.

Choosing an agent

• Do you need a realtor to buy a house in Massachusetts? The honest answer is no, you are not required to have one. What you take on without one, and when that is a reasonable trade.
• What a buyer's agent actually does in Massachusetts The work between a first showing and a closing table, most of which happens after an offer is accepted.
• How to choose a buyer's agent in Massachusetts Where candidates actually come from, the five things to verify, and how many people to interview before committing.
• Questions to ask a realtor in Massachusetts Eighteen questions worth asking before you sign anything, including the two that only exist since August 2024.

Commission and costs

• Who pays the buyer's agent in Massachusetts You do, under your agreement, with the seller often contributing. What happens when that contribution is zero.
• Realtor commission in Massachusetts Why there is no standard rate to quote, the three separate negotiations, and what else comes out of a sale.

How a Massachusetts transaction works

• The Massachusetts buyer representation agreement, explained The document you now sign before touring. Its four consequential terms, and how to end one that is not working.
• Dual agency in Massachusetts, and why it matters Massachusetts recognises four agency relationships. Only one of them costs you advocacy on price.

Language and community

• Indian realtor in Boston, MA English, Hindi and Gujarati — plus where the established Indian communities in Massachusetts actually are.

Guides by town

The guides above are statewide. These cover what changes at the town line — the residential exemption, the tax rate, the transit map and the housing stock.

• Buying a home in Boston
• Buying a home in Cambridge
• Buying a home in Newton
• Buying a home in Brookline
• Buying a home in Somerville
• Buying a home in Allston & Brighton
• Selling a home in Newton
• Selling a home in Brookline
• Selling a home in Cambridge
• Selling a home in Somerville